Westeros, North.

The blizzard has been falling for three days in a row.

As the coldest of the Seven Kingdoms, snow often begins to fall in the north at the end of summer, and each one gets heavier until winter hits, and snow covers everything.

In a pure white wasteland, an army of nearly 1,000 people is like a steel snake crawling out of its lair, struggling to advance in the deep snow and ice.

House Stark's Icewolf banner freezes into a strip of ice, stiffening in the cold wind.

Robb Stark wore a long beard on his young face, both because he had no time to take care of the march and to keep his face warm.

He wears strange shoes underfoot, long strips of crooked wood and leather belts known to the Northerners as bear's paws.

By putting the bear's paw on the sole of your boot, you can walk on the snow without breaking the snow shell and sinking your thighs in.

Looking up, the ground in front of me was already white, covering rocks, tree roots, and deep pits, and the cold wind blew and rolled snowflakes, making every step dangerous.

The neighing of his horses brought Robb to a halt, and Robb looked back at the confusion of the baggage team behind him, his brows furrowed.

"What's going on?" Robb asked.

The team also stopped.

It wasn't long before the herald came to report.

It turned out that the baggage team was passing through a waist-deep snowfield with undulating depths, and did not notice the frozen pond hidden below. As a result, the pond could not bear the weight of the cargo and suddenly shattered, and the ice water swallowed up three coachmen and four pack horses, along with two people who came to the rescue.

Although it was still early after dark, Robb looked at the still raging snowstorm and gave the order to camp in place.

He then walked deep and shallow to the baggage squad and watched as the people dragged several corpses out of the icy water.

"This one is still angry!" Someone shouted loudly.

Robb also ran over, helping to cut off the soaked clothes, wrapping the wounded in warm blanks, and ordering everyone to hurry up and make a fire.

The man's lips were purple from the cold, and his skin was as white as milk, and even being placed by the fire could not change that.

After trembling violently for half an hour, he fell into a coma with a high fever and never woke up.

Robb sat solemnly by the fire, staring at the leaping flames, not knowing what to think.

"My lord," the logistics officer leaned over and whispered, "Our grain and grass can last for seven days at most......

Robb didn't move when he heard this, and only nodded silently after a long time, indicating that he knew.

But knowing is knowing, there is nothing he can do about it.

The war, which had dragged on for more than half a year, was on the verge of bringing down the Starks.

In fact, at the beginning of the war, even in the face of the joint encirclement and suppression of the Lannisters, the Bolton family and the vale princes, the Stark family was not worthwhile.

As the eldest son of the Duke of the North, although it was his first time on the battlefield, he also showed extraordinary talent for leading troops, winning even battles, and at one point even drove the coalition forces of the Lannisters to the south of Carlin Bay.

But as the enemy changes tactics and no longer fights their own side head-on, the situation gradually turns bad.

Due to the fall of Winterfell, House Stark's army was not supplied and had to rely on the support of other northern families.

Fortunately, Duke Ed has a great prestige in the North, and except for a few who are determined to follow the Bolton family, all the major families in the North can provide logistical support.

However, as time passed, the families of the North showed no sign of an end to the war, and their support for House Stark diminished day by day.

In this regard, Duke Ed did not be too harsh, after all, winter is coming, and all major families have to store food for winter, and he is not good to force them to provide food and grass support.

Two months ago, Duke Eddard ceased to be entangled with the Lannisters and led his army north to try to retake Winterfell, but was met with stubborn resistance from the defenders of the House of Bolton in the city, and the Lannisters also followed up at this time, taking advantage of their siege to attack and harass the city.

In this case, it was definitely impossible to continue the siege, but when Duke Ed turned around and prepared to fight the Lannisters, the other party retreated to the camp and held out.

The angry Duke Ed scolded Tywin for not being worthy of a lion as a coat of arms, and that he should change it to a mouse.

But scolding and scolding, Duke Ed also knew that Tywin had found his biggest weakness at the moment.

The Starks, who had lost Winterfell, were rootless trees and sourceless water, and as long as this war dragged on, they would be defeated sooner or later.

No matter how much the families of the North love the Starks, it is impossible to provide for them at any cost, especially when winter is approaching.

After more than a month of drying under Winterfell, Duke Eddard's army is getting smaller and smaller, and food and grass are becoming more and more scarce.

Knowing that he could only wait for death if he continued like this, he sent his son Robb to lead an army south to the Riverlands to ask for reinforcements.

The Frey family of Twin Rivers was still on their side, but the army was blocked south of Carlin Bay; Although the old Duke of Khorst in Riverrun has passed away, the Tully family is the in-laws of the Stark family, and with this relationship, Robb should be able to get a lot of help from the Riverlands if he can get through the choke point of Carlin Bay.

Unfortunately, not long after leaving Winterfell, Robb's army was caught in a snowstorm and was about to be stranded in the middle of the road, and to make matters worse, they were running out of food and grass......

Just when Robb was at a loss, there was a sudden noise of horses chirping in front of him.

It wasn't long before Sir Roderick trotted over, with an unconcealable joy in his tone:

"Master Robb, we have met the Sentinel of the Dustin family! They said that the Countess de Ballet was leading an army to support, and that she was now camping in the town ahead! ”

"Great!" Robb got up from the snow and turned to get on his horse, "Quick, I'm going to see Madame Ballet myself!" ”

With a squad of cavalry, Robb traveled six or seven miles west under the leadership of the Dustin family sentry when he saw a military camp.

The camp was set up in a barren town where there were originally only a dozen farmhouses, a long hall and a watchtower. Nowadays, there are tents and campfires all around.

There is also a lake outside the town, where several soldiers are fishing through the ice.

Robb walked into the watchtower, the wind and snow were kept out, and the campfire in the house gave off warmth, which made him itch all over.

"Countess." Robb took off his hat and bowed, "Thank you for supporting the Stark family during such a difficult time, we will always remember it." ”

Countess Balballet Dustin was over half a hundred years old, tall and straight, wearing a black coat inlaid with squirrel hair, two crossed black-handled rusty axes embroidered on her chest, and a black crown.

"Fighting for the feud is the glory of the Dustin family." The Countess smiled and invited Robb to sit down by the campfire, "And my husband adored Lord Eddard the most during his lifetime. ”

"My father always regarded Earl William Dustin as his best friend and comrade-in-arms. Unfortunately, in the War of the Retainers, he died at the foot of the Tower of Elysium, and my father often told us about that battle, saying that Count William fought bravely and died a glorious death. ”

When he said these words, Robb was a little weak-hearted, because Duke Ed never wanted to mention the battle of the Tower of Elysium back then.

Naturally, there was no praise for how heroic Count William was.

"Yes." Madame Balballet glanced at Robb meaningfully, and handed over a wine bag, "Have a drink, the brandy of Hawksbill Island is best used against the cold." ”

Robb thanked him, took the sac and took a big sip.

The rich liquor bursts in the mouth and flows down the esophagus into the abdomen, as if a fire is ignited in the body.

"Good wine!" Robb thanked him again, "Madame Balballet, how many people and grain and grass did you bring with you this time?" ”

"Three thousand people, food and grass, should be enough to eat for half a year."

Robb's face was overjoyed, and he put together the tasks assigned to him by Duke Eddard, and then asked:

"Madame, are you going south with me? Or go north to join my father? ”

"Go north." The corners of Madame Balballet's mouth curled slightly, "I haven't seen Lord Eddard for too long, and I really want to catch up with him." ”

"Okay, I'm sure my father will welcome you warmly."

"Will he?" The smile on Madame Balletina's face faded.

"Of course!" Robb said loudly, suddenly feeling dizzy, maybe the wine was too strong.

"Your father was not a warm man. It's your uncle Brandon who is enthusiastic. So welcoming. "I still remember the night he took my virginity, and my blood flowed on his body." Brandon admired the scene, saying that the most beautiful sword is the blood-stained sword. ”

The smile on Robb's face froze, how could this conversation become so weird.

He wanted to change the subject, but found that his brain was dizzy, as if it was rusty.

Madame Ballet continued to herself:

"He personally promised me that he would marry me, but unfortunately your grandfather had ambitions for the south, and of course he didn't want his son to marry the daughter of his vassal. So my father retreated and wanted to marry me to Brandon's younger brother, who was Ed, your father.

As a result, Ed was also taken away by the women of the South. But it's good that I married the young Earl William Dustin until your father took him away again......"

"My father took your husband to battle." Robb defended, and the campfire in front of him began to ghost, and a sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.

"yes. Everybody knows about the War. Lady Balballet's lips contorted into an ugly smile, "My husband died fighting for the Starks, but Ed didn't even bring back his bones, just buried haphazardly under the crimson ridge of the Dorne Frontier......"

"The situation was exceptional......

"How special? Seven northern nobles followed your father to the Tower of Elysium in order to rescue Lyanna Stark, who had been captured by Prince Rhaegar and killed five of them, but your father returned to the North with only the bones of his sister, is this how he treated the vassals who died for him! ”

Robb finally realized that something was wrong, and he staggered to his feet:

"Madame...... Are you going to betray ......?"

"Betrayal?" Madame Balballet snorted, "Are you still qualified to continue to be Lord of the North?" Winterfell is lost, and a group of lost dogs still want to continue to be the wolf king. ”

Robb reached out to draw his sword, but it suddenly went dark in front of him, and he fell to the ground with his head up.

(End of chapter)