The Mountain, accompanied by thirty cavalrymen and his bartender Bernie, set off from the River Road, and after leaving the West, headed east along the Red Fork River.
Hejiandi is a wonderful place, with endless rice paddies on the plains, the golden waves of grain are breathtaking, and it is a great season for a bountiful harvest.
In the dry, hot summer months of July, it is also a perfect time for murder and arson.
Upon entering the Riverlands, the Mountain and his cavalry made a grand entrance, with the three-dog sigil of Clegane and the golden lion banner of the Lannisters of the Westerlands flying high in the wind. Wherever they went, villages closed their doors, houses shut, and women smeared their faces with black ash, as if afraid they weren't ugly enough.
After crossing the border for dozens of miles, the people of Hejian gradually forgot about Moshan's infamy. During peacetime, Moshan mainly committed evil deeds in the border area, where he was notorious. He would cure children to cry at night and force young girls to marry early to prevent them from being abused by Moshan and his livestock.
Several days later, the banner of the Demon Mountain passed through Riverrun, the capital of the Riverlands.
Flowing City, as the name suggests, is where the Red Fork River meets the Teng Stone River, which originates from the Marble family's Imprinted City mountain range in the western border. The water flows large and fast, and the two great rivers converge here to form one great river: the Red Fork River.
Benliu City is located on the delta formed by two rivers. Except for the western side which is land, Benliu City is bordered by the Tengshi River to the north, the Hongcha River to the south, and the confluence of the two rivers to the east. It is surrounded by rivers on three sides with rapid currents, which is the origin of the name "Benliu" (meaning "flowing") in Benliu City.
The city of Benliu City is shaped like a giant triangular ship braving the wind and waves.
Lord Horst Tully ordered a deep moat to be dug on the west side of the city, connecting the River Tengstone and the River Red Fork. Thus, Riverrun was surrounded by water, an isolated city on a delta. Entering or leaving this capital city of the Riverlands, regardless of direction, required a ferry. While other cities' moats could be crossed by drawbridges, Riverrun's moat was too wide and the current too swift; there was no drawbridge spanning both banks, making it impossible to cross from any direction except by ferry.
On Riverrun, Edmure Tully, the third son of Lord Hoster and heir to House Tully—the younger brother of Catelyn and Lysa—stood on the city wall, his gaze dark as he watched the Mountain's party on the banks of the Red Fork. He had never liked the Mountain or the Westerlands, but this time the Mountain was passing through the Riverlands to see the King. Beforehand, Lord Tywin Lannister, the lord of the Westerlands, had sent a raven letter, and Lord Hoster had ordered that they be allowed to pass without any obstruction or deliberate retaliation or harassment.
Edmure Tully possessed the Tully family's signature reddish-brown hair, was of medium build, and had a reddish-brown beard that made him look imposing. The Mountain greeted the nobleman's scion standing on the city wall across the Red Fork, but Edmure looked down at the Mountain and his party without offering any return greeting.
In my memory, the real-world Edmure was far more formidable than the character in the TV series that I remember. He was actually quite good; he was brave and resourceful, a master of warfare, and had a strong personality. It's just that he was clearly portrayed as mentally challenged in the TV series.
In the year 273 of Aegon's calendar, two noble scions were born: Tyrion Lannister, the Demon of the Westerlands, and Edmure Tully of Riverrun in the Riverlands. Both were twenty-five years old and unmarried.
If Edmure Tully had any flaws, the Mountain recalled, it was his fondness for frequenting brothels, drinking, and singing with the noble lads of the Riverlands; he also had a penchant for chasing after beautiful women. —This might not be considered a bad habit; for the sons of great nobles, pursuing attractive women as they grew up was a common pastime, though Tyrion Lannister was even more dissolute.
Edmure Tully completely ignored the Mountain's greeting as he passed through Riverrun. He was no slouch either, possessing considerable courage and skill, and dared to fight the Mountain. His proud demeanor as he faced the Mountain across the river revealed his inner pride and arrogance.
However, like Tyrion, Edmure never received his father's approval from childhood. Although he was the heir—which was unavoidable, as he was the only male in the family—his father, Hoster Tully, was still very dissatisfied with him. He had high standards and was almost demanding in choosing a marriage partner. Exceptional beauty was his only criterion for choosing a spouse, provided, of course, that she was of noble birth—his dissolute behavior with other noblemen was particularly displeasing to his traditional-minded father, Lord Hoster.
Even across the Red Fork River, the Mountain could sense that Edmure really wanted to smash his head.
"Sir Edmure, you will have your chance!" The Mountain thought with a smile.
The Mountain's skin had become thicker than a city wall, impervious to swords and spears. He led his brothers eastward, singing extremely vulgar songs. Along the way, scouts from Flowing City constantly appeared before, behind, to the sides of the Mountain's group, but they all kept a considerable distance.
Edmure Tully's brothers behaved with restraint and professionalism, demonstrating high military skill. Edmure was a capable leader and treated his men well.
Ten days later, the Mountain and his party, singing the popular song "The Queen Takes Off Her Clothes, the King Pulls Down His Pants" from the Seven Kingdoms, arrived at the grove of trees on Ruby Beach and set up camp. According to Bernie and the two scouts, King Robert's army would reach Crossroads in two days. Since they were too numerous, their only place to stay was the town of Earl Harlowe after crossing the river.
The Mountain did not stay in the town. When the king's army arrived, the town was not enough to accommodate everyone, and many soldiers set up tents outside the town. He did not want to join in the fun.
Ruby Beach has a slow-flowing current, shallow white sand, and is surrounded by green grass and small trees. In the morning and evening, there is a gentle breeze. It is a place that is several times more comfortable and quiet than the town.
The Mountain waited there for the King's arrival, then went to meet the King, representing Tywin Lannister, the Duke of the Westerlands, presenting him with fine wine and food, as well as a bag of gold coins he had minted himself. The fat King Robert was happiest when he saw someone give him gold coins.
*
The sound of hooves approached as two riders came from the direction of the town. A girl's sharp shouts and cries of battle rang out, interspersed with the occasional screams of a boy in pain.
The Mountain gestured to stop his brothers from engaging in battle: "Keep practicing your swordsmanship! It's alright!"
*
The Mountain sat on the grass at the edge of the woods, with his three fine horses grazing beside him.
The bartender Bernie and his brothers practiced swordsmanship in the woods.
The king's large entourage had already checked into the town of Earl Harlowe last night. The Mountain did not rush to meet the king and the prime minister. The local nobles would be busy meeting the king. The king was already exhausted from the journey. Many nobles gathered in the town waiting for the king's summons. Everyone would have to wait until midnight to have a chance to see the king. The Mountain did not have that kind of patience.
Once the king settled in a town, he wouldn't leave until he was well-rested, and the Magic Mountain knew this. Whenever he arrived at a comfortable place, no longer in the middle of nowhere, the king would invariably stay and indulge himself without a care in the world: local women, delicious food, fine wine, the compliments of nobles, and the gold and silver treasures given by polite and well-mannered nobles—the king thoroughly enjoyed all of this.
The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. The Mountain was herding his horses on the grass outside the grove, with the famous Ruby Beach right in front of him. However, the Mountain and his brothers did not go looking for the rubies that were said to still exist today.
While the Demon Mountain takes a break, the brothers continue their training as always!
*
Two horses galloped into Ruby Beach. The one in front was a strong boy, carrying a sharpened wooden stick. He was dressed simply, with his arms and legs exposed. The one chasing behind was a slender girl with Tully family maroon hair, a pretty face, and agile movements. She carried a training sword.
The two children were hitting each other on horseback, imitating the soldiers fighting on the battlefield.
Clearly, the strong boy was no match for the slender girl. Every few rounds, he would be hit, leaving a bruise on his arm or calf.
"Arya, if you're so tough, don't ride a horse." The boy spat, spitting out a mouthful of saliva in resentment. "You've been riding horses since you were little, but I can't ride at all."
"Coward!" the girl said disdainfully. "Mikai, you're no match for me even without a horse."
Whoosh!
The girl nimbly jumped off her horse, cleanly and neatly, and drew her sword to fight the enemy.
The boy clumsily gripped the saddle and slowly dismounted, carefully saying, "No sneak attacks, Arya. This time, it's a promise, no sneak attacks on me."
Mikael, the butcher's son, naturally wouldn't have a horse, but Eddard Stark always treated his servants like family, and with the wild and spirited Arya by his side, getting two horses from his entourage was naturally a piece of cake.
Sitting on the grass, with a low bush blocking his view, the Demon Mountain could see everything on Ruby Beach clearly.
The Mountain knew that the Wild Boy was the son of a butcher, and the son of a butcher had never learned how to use a sword, so naturally he would not be a match for Arya, who came from a noble family.
Soon, the two children were fighting. Arya kept hitting Mikey, which angered Mikey. The wild boy swung his stick wildly, and although he couldn't hit the agile Arya, he forced her to fight off the defenders.
The sound of hooves rang out again, and two more riders approached from the direction of the town. The Mountain knew that this time it was Joffrey and Sansa.
Ruby Beach is so famous that noblemen passing through Harroway, if not in a hurry, will stop by to enjoy the scenery and reminisce about the epic battle between Prince Rhaegar and Robert. If you're lucky, you might even find one or two of Prince Rhaegar's rubies among the pebbles and white sand of the shallows.
Sure enough, two tall horses appeared at the entrance to Ruby Beach, carrying two young men in fine clothes. The boy had blond hair and blue eyes, and was exceptionally handsome; the girl had red hair and blue eyes, and was elegant and charming.
Prince Joffrey and Lady Sansa have arrived!
The Mountain simply lay down comfortably, ready to observe the upcoming battle between Arya and Joffrey!