Hardhome is located on the northeastern edge of The Wall, a peninsula extending from the Haunted Forest. The maesters of Westeros named it Storrold's Point.
Storrold's Point offered a natural deep-water harbor, capable of accommodating the largest ships. It possessed an abundance of timber and stone, and the sea teemed with edible fish, even hosting gatherings of seals and walruses.
During the reign of the Kings of the North, Hardhome was the only place outside The Wall that could be considered a city. However, several centuries ago, Hardhome was struck by a mysterious disaster. The entire settlement was burned to the ground, and all its inhabitants perished overnight.
The cause of the disappearance of this outpost harbor has been a subject of much debate. Some claim that the cannibalistic inhabitants of Skagos launched an attack, while others blame slave traders from across the Narrow Sea. However, the Night's Watch was unable to determine the true cause at the time!
Some historical records contain the following information: The Night's Watch dispatched a ship to investigate the incident. The rangers who returned reported that Hardhome's bay was filled with corpses, and the ruins were scattered with charred bones and debris.
Maester Aemon wrote in his notes that Hardhome was destroyed during the period of the Doom of Valyria, and that the method of destruction closely resembled the legends surrounding the Freehold of Valyria.
He also recorded that the Night's Watch warriors at the time reported seeing the sun rise from the north, followed by a violent explosion. Soil and ash rained down from the sky and continued to fall for quite some time before finally stopping.
It was this documented evidence that led many maesters to believe that the Freehold of Valyria was destroyed by a meteor that fell from the sky.
"How much do you know about this legend? Did Maester Aemon ever mention it? Do you think it's related to the Doom of Valyria?"
Marco tossed the ledger to Narkissos and asked Brynden Rivers, who was standing before him.
Brynden Rivers bowed slightly and replied to Marco:
"I apologize, my lord! The memories I retain are few, and I truly have no recollection of this matter! Furthermore, after I became the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, I was constantly under the tutelage of the Green Seer. Back then, we were intending to use the power of the Children of the Forest, or rather, the power of the old gods, to hatch dragon eggs. Therefore, we never delved deeply into this matter!"
"Forget it then! Looks like we'll have to find the answer to this question ourselves!"
Marco waved his hand, stopping Brynden Rivers, who was still apologizing. He unconsciously turned his gaze to the window. Since leaving Skagos Island, they had been at sea for over a month, and everyone's spirits were somewhat low.
Marco's team was the last batch of troops. The vanguard had already landed near Hardhome. However, Marco's team encountered a storm when they set out, and were accidentally blown to the northeast side of Skagos.
Fortunately, Captain Charles's commanding was excellent, which minimized the losses of the fleet, allowing this fleet to return to its original route without incident.
Marco had just stepped out of the cabin when he encountered Captain Charles, who was coming to report on the situation. Captain Charles was beaming with excitement as he spoke to Marco.
"My Lord! We're almost at our destination. The scouts up ahead are already signaling us!"
"Excellent! Tell everyone to prepare. We'll be landing soon!"
Marco ordered Captain Charles.
"As you command, my Lord!"
Captain Charles saluted and left. Marco then headed towards the bow of the ship. The cold wind of the North was still biting, feeling like it could freeze a person's very soul. Skagos and its surrounding islands seemed to be affected by the magic of the Griffin Fortress, as the climate was improving. It no longer gave off the feeling of wanting to freeze to death.
The vanguard was stationed in a small valley near the coastline. Storrold's Point had a terrain that was high in the east and low in the west. This was the only place in the east that could barely serve as a base. After Marco's ship had docked, they boarded small boats and headed for the shore.
Marco's "Wolf Spirit Squad" and Sass Ting were already waiting on the shore. This time, the "Wolf Spirit Squad" had sent out a total of five people. The moment Marco landed, Wolf Fang ran over to report the situation. This young man was very capable, excelling in both commanding operations and individual reconnaissance.
"My Lord! We've discovered that the wildlings are repairing Hardhome. It seems they intend to stay here long-term. They're hauling timber from the north and quarrying stone from the cliff face. They've already repaired some buildings and walls!"
Marco nodded. "And have you found anything unusual? Is there any sign of the ghosts they say haunt this place?"
"No, my Lord! However, we found a large cave on the cliff near Hardhome. The wildlings have sealed it with stones and wooden palisades. Our animal companions refuse to go near it, as if they're afraid of something!"
Wolf Fang replied to Marco.
While investigating, they discovered a cave on the western cliff face. It was in the former central area of Hardhome, but now only ruins remained.
The wildlings were stationed in a ruined area on the east coast. It appeared to be an important location in the past, with a dilapidated building that looked like a great hall, surrounded by broken walls and collapsed houses.
According to the information gathered by Wolf Fang and his team, the wildlings had built tall wooden palisades to the north and south of the ruined hall. It seemed they were trying to protect themselves from something terrifying.
After listening to Wolf Fang's report, Marco couldn't help but recall a scene from a television show from his previous life: a horde of wights falling from the cliff, slaughtering all the wildlings. Jon Snow could only watch helplessly as they were turned into wights.
"Looks like this should be the last place they came to take refuge, tsk tsk! Too tragic! Let me save you!"
Marco thought to himself.
Now that Marco had come to this world, such a thing was impossible. These wildlings would be his future soldiers and people; Marco would not allow such a thing to happen again.
After a simple rest, Marco gathered everyone in the tent for a meeting. In the center was a table, and on the wooden tray was a simple sand table.
Since coming to this world, Marco had always emphasized the education of his subordinates, especially those wargs in the Wolf Spirit Squad. Marco required each of them to learn how to make simple sand tables.
Seeing that everyone was present, Marco began today's meeting. He said to the crowd:
"Does anyone have any suggestions? Although the enemy has more than 30,000 people, the number of young and strong that can truly fight will not exceed 3,000, and their soldiers are not even considered soldiers. Everyone can express their opinions!"
After Marco finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the crowd. Brynden and Joman were about to speak when Wolf Fang suddenly spoke.
"My Lord! May I present my plan?"
"Oh! Of course! Let's hear it. It'll be good for Brynden and the others to give you some feedback."
Marco said to Wolf Fang, his curiosity piqued as to what this fellow would suggest. Marco had always placed great importance on educating Wolf Fang; he was a very eager learner.
He was the most adaptable of the Rockseed, and if cultivated properly, he could become a formidable individual. Marco wouldn't be able to replicate House Targaryen's system of feudalism.
Wolf Fang's plan was straightforward: use the fleet to blockade the north, then have the troops launch a frontal assault on the wildling settlements. He believed the giant crossbows and catapults on the ships could effectively kill the enemy, causing them to flee in fear and allowing the outer troops to encircle and eliminate them.
Marco nodded, turning his gaze to Brynden and Joman, wanting to hear their opinions, especially Brynden. That fellow was incredibly skilled at underhanded tactics in battle, even more so than Joman in some respects.
Joman, sensing Marco's gaze, spoke directly:
"Lord Marco! I think this strategy is quite good, but after all these years, these fellows haven't improved much. I think there's no need for much planning; just attack them directly!"
"Cough, cough!"
Joman's words nearly choked Marco and Brynden. Brynden, who was standing nearby, frowned upon hearing this. After clearing his throat, he said:
"My Lord! Although these are just some natives, their numbers are still significant. I think it's better to be cautious!"
Brynden's suggestion was for Marco and the others to use magic to attack the enemy from the ships. Especially Marco's Blood Magic. Once the enemy's attention was drawn, the thugs would then launch a surprise attack on the enemy's rear from the southern gate.
Marco nodded after listening and said to Wolf Fang, "Your idea is good, keep up the good work! Alright, everyone prepare to rest, we attack tomorrow morning!"
"Yes! My Lord!..."
The next morning, Marco's expeditionary force began its operation. The main force, led by Loren Hawk-eye and Sass Ting, would advance along the coastline and launch an attack as soon as they received Marco's signal.
The sea breeze was perfect for sailing today. Marco's fleet appeared outside the harbor in just over twenty minutes. The wildling warriors discovered this and immediately sent out a warning. Horns echoed throughout the settlement, and soon, a large group of wildling warriors gathered on the harbor docks.
Marco stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the dense crowd of wildling soldiers, and nodded in satisfaction. These guys had some battle sense, at least. Mixed in with them were a few Cave Dwellers with their faces painted in colorful patterns, looking like the primitives from Blue Star.
After the Moonlight docked, the wildling archers aimed at Marco, who was standing at the bow. At this moment, a tall middle-aged man walked out from the crowd. He wore a breastplate, a bear-skin cloak, and two gold armbands. He appeared to be the leader of this clan.
He asked Marco, "You southerner, what in the seven hells do you want here? We don't need to trade. Leave now, or your ship is ours!"
At this moment, Marco was wearing a bear-skin cloak and his necromancer's helmet, making him look rather strange. He didn't look like a merchant, so the chieftain immediately ordered him to leave.
Marco then channeled a wisp of Blood Magic energy and shouted to the warriors gathered below:
"I am the lord from Skagos! I declare this place to be my territory from now on. You can choose to swear fealty to me or leave. If you choose to serve me, I will protect you, provide you with food and clothing, and you will no longer be threatened by the White Walkers!"
Marco's words stunned the wildlings on the shore for a long moment. Then, these guys burst into loud laughter, with some of them even collapsing to the ground.
Marco chuckled softly and opened his spellbook, directly using Battlecry Magic, "Fear Howl." A large face composed of blood-red energy appeared on the bow of the ship. Following a roar, the blood-red energy spread outward like ripples. Many wildlings were frightened by this eerie scene and retreated repeatedly, with some of the more timid ones dropping their weapons in fright.
Following that, another flash of light occurred. The Hag of the Underworld howled as she burst out of Marco's body, her entire form shrouded in eerie green energy, completely obscuring her appearance. She resembled a demon unleashed from the depths of hell.
"Aah!"
A sharp, piercing wail, carrying a chilling aura of death, sliced through the air above the docks. The Hag of the Underworld's howl, imbued with unsettling magic, spread outwards, evoking the deepest fears within the hearts of the wildling warriors present.
Under the influence of these two spells, the morale of the wildling warriors plummeted to freezing point, rendering many completely incapable of fighting. They were now consumed by terror, their only thought being to escape.
"Aah! Help! Don't eat me!..."
With a scream, a wildling warrior dropped his weapon and frantically sprinted towards the gate. Following his lead, more and more warriors abandoned their weapons and began to flee.
The middle-aged man shouted from within the crowd:
"Don't retreat! Don't be afraid! It's witchcraft, it's not..."
Before he could finish speaking, a strange gust of wind swept him away. A wind elemental suddenly appeared before him and struck him with a wind pressure attack, sending him flying.
Following that, the Hag of the Underworld and the wind elemental charged through the wildling warriors like they were plowing a field. No one could stop them, especially the leaders. As soon as they spoke, they were attacked. After a few rounds, Marco's summoned creatures had turned the entire wildling settlement upside down.
"Kill!..."
Accompanied by a shout, more than 1,000 thugs soldiers, under the command of Sass Ting and the others, launched an attack on the wildling warriors. They formed a square formation with 100 crossbowmen in the center.
The thugs soldiers on the outside all held tower shields. They advanced in unison with orderly steps, and no wildling warrior could break into their formation.
They were like reefs facing the waves, firmly resisting the wildling warriors who were constantly trying to escape. Some wildling soldiers who had returned to normal wanted to fight back with bows and arrows, but they were nailed to the spot by the crossbowmen.