In the dimness of the night, the newly formed army slowly stretched out like a river of steel, with spears and armor glinting.
The Direwolf Army moved south, and the crowned stag moved east.
The vanguard of the newly formed "Direwolf Army" numbered about three thousand men, composed of the homeless, the childless, the unmarried, second sons, and the elderly, led by the "Old Knight" Rickard and Lady Maege.
Gendry sent some black scale plate armor, ordered the storerooms and equipment of Riverrun to be emptied, and sent a considerable amount of blue steel armor to the Direwolf Army.
"Boom boom boom!" As the war drums sounded, the army departed from Riverrun.
The Direwolf Army had already become an army destined for death from the moment they set off.
"Raise our banners!" Lady Maege, clad in full plate armor, commanded, as Commanders on armored warhorses led the soldiers forward, with standard-bearers raising family banners alongside them.
Most conspicuous at the forefront of the formation were the golden quartered banner of the storm and the Direwolf banner, visible everywhere.
The white banner of House Stark fluttered in the wind, unfurling on long poles, with the grey Direwolf seemingly leaping on the banner.
And the golden-backed quartered banner was like a raging wildfire, with the black warhammer crowned stag, the red Three Dragons, the grey Wolf Pack, and the blue and white slave breaking shackles all coming to life.
Then there were the green bear banner of House Mormont, the The Leathers banner of House Bolton, the moose banner of House Hornwood, the sunburst banner of House Karstark, Earl Hunter's battle-axe banner, the armored fist of House Glover...
These battle banners looked like a grand alliance of Lords, but Tywin, with his many years of experience, would find the army's numbers insufficient.
"Fight if you can, retreat if you can't," Gendry instructed Earl Rickard and Lady Maege.
As the vanguard, the Direwolf Army's more important task was to cover the storm's surprise attack on The Bloody Gate and conquer the Vale.
Even sacrifice must be meaningful.
"Rest assured, Your Highness," Earl Rickard promised, then said softly, "My family, please take care of them."
Gendry nodded; family and bloodline were the cornerstones of continuation.
Daisy also bid farewell to her mother, Lady Maege.
Lady Maege looked at her daughter with satisfaction; she was tall and graceful, a beautiful warrior.
Daisy joined Gendry's knightly retinue, as did the bastard Jon.
"If you get the chance, tell that scoundrel Jorah how hard it is for us to sustain Bear Island.
If he's not a coward, he should at least go see his father..." Lady Maege told her daughter.
Daisy nodded, then Lady Maege beckoned her closer and whispered something, to which Daisy nodded in agreement, glancing towards Gendry and his companions.
Gendry's cavalry flanked the "Direwolf Army," like the large pincers of a lobster, serving as scouts and vanguards.
Gendry primarily relied on the Vale cavalry and the crabfeeders men; crossing the Mountains of the Moon would be impossible without these people, especially the vale men who were most familiar with the mountain paths.
"Anguy, your horse archers must keep a close watch on Lannister scouts; not a single one must be allowed to return."
"Yes."
"However, based on my observations, Tywin may have already moved south to Harrenhal," Ser Barristan said.
"This man is always cautious.
If he sees Riverrun fall, fearing a three-pronged attack, he will retreat to Harrenhal, hoping for support to return to the Westerlands."
"I think the she-bear probably still has feelings for His Highness," Blackfish said softly and jokingly.
"Me? Don't make such jokes," Gendry said, looking at Blackfish.
He wasn't that casual about beauty, far less so than Robert, who was excessively debauched.
Speaking of beautiful women, Daenerys was world-class.
But then again, a beautiful wife doesn't prevent one from having affairs.
"The late King?" Bronze Yohn frowned.
"We all know he was always a philanderer, and he didn't seem to differentiate much between women; pretty ones, slightly less pretty ones, even those from brothels and country girls, he enjoyed them all.
The late King could swear eternal love and then forget all about it before nightfall."
Gendry suspected Robert was also a sex addict, comparable to "The Usurper" Aegon (father of Daeron the Good, Daemon Blackfyre the Warrior, Brynden Rivers the Bloodraven, Shiera Seastar, and the Black Pearl of Braavos, among others).
The two were the most dazzling young men of their time.
They had only one major flaw: a lack of self-discipline, which led them to be controlled by lust, gluttony, and avarice, unable to extricate themselves.
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