Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky. Although it was already spring, the weather beyond the Wall was still so erratic.
Two uniquely designed triangular-sailed ships were slowly sailing in the bay near Hardhome. Mark stood at the bow, gazing at the Griffins frolicking in the distant sky, a surge of exhilaration filling his heart.
This time Mark had spent all his resources, summoning a total of 17 Royal Griffins. Even Swan and the other four were converted, along with 200 crossbowmen and 120 thugs. The priest Caspar Ed and Sas Ting were both converted into knights by Mark.
Mark didn't leave Caspar Ed at Griffin's Roost this time. He left Erok Stern and Hemp Rope Dan Magna behind. Their administrative abilities were still too weak. Although they had managed the tribe for so long, they were still somewhat overwhelmed by some of the work at Griffin's Roost. Therefore, Mark left them there this time.
Moreover, Mark wouldn't take them out to fight again until he had promoted them to heroes. However, Henk had been clamoring to go beyond the Wall ever since he heard about Valamir.
Fortunately, much of the work at Griffin's Roost had fallen into place, and the security situation had stabilized. After careful consideration, Mark decided to bring this guy along this time.
The triangular-sailed ship Mark was currently on was one he had re-summoned using the adventure magic "Sarah's Boat". Mark named it the Star.
However, this summoning didn't come with any extra crew, which left Mark feeling a little disappointed. So, Michael, the original first mate of the Moon, was promoted to captain by Mark. Currently, these two magical ships were carrying supplies and the system's army, slowly advancing towards Hardhome.
This time, there were five more tall figures among the passengers. Mark had brought five Giant warriors this time. They were still under Marg's management. These five big guys were among the smartest in the tribe and had learned how to wear armor and didn't resist using iron weapons.
These Giants ate and slept well in Griffin's Fortress, without having to worry about survival. Under the influence of the magic of Griffin's Fortress, the intelligence of these big guys had improved a lot, and they no longer lived the life of eating raw meat and drinking blood like before.
Meanwhile, in a dense forest outside Hardhome, the newly crowned King Beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder, was looking at the direction of Hardhome with a complex expression through the cloth window of his tent.
A few months ago, he had sent his army here to eliminate that young lord from the south, but the result was a complete defeat. Moreover, the other party had released a message saying that they wanted Mance Rayder to come personally and fight again.
Originally, Mance Rayder's energy had always been focused on The Wall, but he couldn't resist the demands of the tribal chiefs under his command. Helplessly, he had to abandon the gathering plan and brought his warriors here.
In the eyes of those chiefs, the land beyond The Wall was a sacred place in the hearts of the Free Folk, and it absolutely couldn't be occupied by the Kneelers from the south, so they kept urging Mance Rayder to come and attack here.
But after coming here, Mance Rayder's heart was filled with doubt, because according to the reports of the Wargs, there seemed to be White Walkers appearing in the nearby area. Mance Rayder wanted to retreat at the first moment he heard the news.
He thought that the other side might have been breached, just like the Red Hall and the Thenn's territory. He thought it was a conspiracy of those fallen ones, but the news reported back by the Wargs was that there were still people active in Hardhome.
"Looks like those skeletons didn't break through the Nightfort. Dragon Glass Daggers really do work!"
Mance Rayder couldn't help but think to himself.
After the Bone King and his crew returned last time, they handed over the obsidian weapons that Mark had given them to Mance Rayder, but the people in the tribes didn't really believe it.
At the same time, this made Mance Rayder very curious about the Nightfort. All along the way, he found that many tribes in the Haunted Forest had migrated here, and those "Free Folk" seemed to be voluntary, which made Mance Rayder feel a certain way.
He felt that he might die here this time, or rather, die in this legendary cursed land. Therefore, during this period of time, although he held a large army, Mance Rayder didn't dare to be careless at all. He believed in the feeling in his heart because it had let Mance Rayder escape death traps time and time again.
"Mance! What's wrong? You don't look so good. Are you sick?"
At this moment, a voice suddenly rang out from behind Mance Rayder, suddenly pulling his thoughts back. Mance Rayder hurriedly turned his head to look, but found that the person who came was actually his wife.
"Dalla! Why are you here? Why aren't you resting properly? You're pregnant!"
Mance Rayder said with some annoyance, seemingly displeased with his wife's failure to take care of her pregnancy!
"Mance! My sister and I have been here for a long time. The leaders all say you're afraid of that man from the south, that's why you're hiding here and won't go out. My sister came because she was worried about you, you!"
Before Dalla could speak, a beautiful woman behind her, who looked somewhat similar to her, suddenly spoke and shouted at Mance Rayder, seemingly displeased with his actions.
"I..."
Mance Rayder originally wanted to retort, but seeing the worried look on his wife's face, he gave up. So, he ignored his wife's sister and walked over to help his wife.
Seeing that her brother-in-law didn't respond, the wildling woman Val said with some dissatisfaction:
"Mance! You are the King-Beyond-the-Wall now, you can't be the same as before. Caution and care are good, but they don't fit the current situation. We have tens of thousands of warriors now! What exactly are you afraid of?"
Mance replied calmly: "There are White Walkers in the surrounding forest. Have you forgotten the tragedy at the Red Hall? If we attack them and are attacked by those monsters, what will we do? Don't forget that behind these tens of thousands of warriors are their families!"
Mance Rayder's words left Val silent as well. Ever since the White Walkers began their rampage, the Free Folk beyond The Wall had lived in their shadow. Many feared that one day, they would suddenly die at their hands.
As the two were silent, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the tent. It seemed that quite a few people had gathered outside. Mance Rayder frowned and walked out of his tent, seeing the chaotic scene.
Two groups of people were arguing. One group was Mance Rayder's personal guard, and the other was comprised of the leaders of several major tribes.
Seeing him come out, everyone immediately swarmed around him, chattering about their respective concerns. One brown-haired woman suddenly shouted loudly,
"Mance! What are you waiting for? The enemy is already building houses at our doorstep! You still have time to wait here? Every time I see those Kneelers' banners, I feel like my eyes are being insulted.
You are our King-Beyond-the-Wall. You can't just watch! Show us your spirit and determination, or how will we break through The Wall? You wouldn't be scared stiff like that spineless Bone King, would you? If you don't have the guts, then let me!"
"Shut your mouth! 'Dog Head' Harma! You're no different from a mad dog right now!"
Before Mance Rayder could speak, Val snapped, cutting her off.
"Val! You…"
"Enough!"
Mance Rayder suddenly roared, silencing everyone.
Seeing that everyone had stopped arguing, he spoke calmly:
"Alright! I'm issuing the order now, we attack tomorrow morning! Everyone get some rest tonight and prepare for the attack. Those on night watch, be vigilant, and increase the number of patrols."
"Ooooh…"
Several clan leaders around them roared with excitement upon hearing the news.
After speaking, Mance Rayder lifted the tent flap and entered his own tent, ignoring the noise outside.
In a forgotten corner, a hound, which had just been daydreaming, suddenly became agitated. It barked incessantly, its voice filled with fear and a mournful howl. This annoyed its master, who was "playing games" in his tent. The man, stark naked, ran out and kicked the dog a few times.
At the same time, in a room in Hardhome, a young boy had just come out of a "rolling eyes" state. He gathered himself, slowly stood up from the ground, and asked the five youths guarding him:
"What's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?"
His precocious manner was somewhat amusing, but the five youths around him all looked at him with respect. One of the slightly older youths answered:
"Green Seer! It seems the Lord Commander has arrived, and everyone has gone to the docks to welcome him!"
"Oh! Is that so! Then it's perfect, I'll discuss this matter with him directly!"
The Three-Eyed Raven said with a smile.
Then, escorted by the five youths, he left the room. Hardhome was bustling with activity, especially on the docks, which were packed with people.
After the Star docked, Mark and Moonshadow slowly disembarked, with Wolf Fang and the others gathering around. After introducing Godric to everyone, Mark, escorted by them, proceeded to the central hall.
The Three-Eyed Raven and several clan council members, who had rushed over, were already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Mark approach, they all bowed slightly in greeting, which Mark reciprocated with a nod.
Their habits were gradually changing; one day in the future, they would be completely subdued by Mark, just like the Rockborn, and become the swords in his hand.
Mark led Moonshadow to the throne, and the others took their seats around them. At this moment, Wolf Fang spoke first:
"My Lord! After you left, we were ambushed by the White Walkers. The Wights breached the first wall, but thanks to Lord Mance and the Green Seer's early warning, we were able to repel them in time.
Just as you said, the enemy attacked us from the mountaintop. We followed your instructions and set up Fire Traps there, and the sentinels ignited them in advance, successfully fending off the Wight assault."
Mark nodded at this and said, "You did well. By the way, Jojen! Did you encounter the Night King this time? Did he not appear?"
Upon hearing Mark's question, Jojen, wearing a cloak, suddenly stepped out from the crowd. He bowed to Mark and then said:
"My Lord! We didn't encounter that fellow this time, but we did encounter a powerful being. It hasn't shown itself, but the Green Seer and I have been keeping an eye on it. It seems to have sensed our presence, which is why it hasn't attacked. Otherwise, the situation could have been much worse!"
Mark turned and asked the Three-Eyed Raven, "Green Seer! What's your take on this?"
The Three-Eyed Raven stepped forward from the crowd, bowed to Mark, and said:
"My Lord! I can't currently sense the Night King's whereabouts. However, I feel that this being is similar to the Night King. Moreover, I can sense it lurking in the forest. I estimate it intends to eliminate us all while Mance Rayder is fighting us!"
The Three-Eyed Raven's words caused quite a stir among the crowd. Everyone began to murmur, and the entire hall became noisy. Mark raised his hand slightly, and Godric, who was beside him, immediately understood. He stepped forward and shouted to the crowd:
"Silence!" (Sas Ting Note: Finally, I don't have to be a human loudspeaker anymore!)
Mark addressed the clan councilors in the hall:
"What's the panic! I'm right here. Do you think I'd just let you all be wiped out by those things? Hardhome is mine, and no one will touch it!"
Afterward, the others reported some matters to Mark. Hardhome was almost completely built up by now, with nearly all the facilities designed to combat the White Walkers.
The wight army hadn't yet reached the scale of the final battles in the TV series, like the defense of Winterfell. Therefore, Mark could still rely on the advantageous terrain and defensive facilities to withstand the wights' attacks.
The obsidian mines on Skagos Island were truly abundant. Over the past year, Mark had been spending manpower and resources to mine and manufacture obsidian weapons, yet the obsidian output had not diminished at all.
Mark also had the two masters in the Griffin Fortress constantly developing new weapons to deal with the potential wight army. Having experienced numerous games and novels in his previous life, Mark naturally knew how terrifying the undead hordes were. That's why he wasted so much time and energy to subdue the Wildlings beyond the Wall – his goal was to prevent the Night King from building a wight army!
While discussing political affairs in the hall, Mark conveyed his plan to a few trusted subordinates through a soul link. He intended to resolve the Wildling issue tonight.
Mark planned to send troops to raid the enemy's rear, scatter their forces, and drive them toward Hardhome. Then, his main Wildling forces would encircle and annihilate them.
Time flew by quickly, and it was soon night. Having arranged everything, Mark sat on the Moon, ready to lead Godric and his Royal Griffins to launch a surprise attack on Mance Rayder's encampment!
Looking at the huge full moon in the sky, Mark muttered to himself:
"Mance Rayder! Are you ready to take the hit?"