The Clegane Cavalry

On the wide road outside Clegane's Keep, a group of horses trotted in perfect sync. At the center of the group, a large flag flew, with a vivid, lifelike peacock spreading its tail on it.

Among the group, there were a few prison wagons holding more than ten people; old and young, men and women alike.

Ado Serrett led his small retinue of guards at the front of the group.

Surrounding the prison wagons on either side, and behind them, were the elite cavalry of the Serrett family, fifty strong.

With a sharp, metallic whistle cutting through the air, the sounds of shouting, galloping hooves, and clashing swords echoed from within Faircastle. Soon after, a cavalry unit appeared, holding long spears, lined up and ready for action.

At the head of this unit was Raff Clegane, whose armor displayed the freshly etched family crest of the Clegane House: three snarling hunting dogs.

Only those who bore the Clegane surname were allowed to have the family crest engraved on their armor or wear its pin on their clothing.

A flag with a yellow background, featuring three black dogs in a vertical row, waved alongside the cavalry.

This group of riders wore red cloaks, the traditional color of the Westerlands army, matching the colors worn by the Serrett cavalry.

The Clegane family's three-headed hunting dog flag was held by a muscular, dark-skinned cavalryman, Blackstone, who was a miner.

Leading the charge at the front were the four strongest knights of Clegane: Raff Clegane, the executioner Dunsen, the brainless fanboy Polliver, and the scribe Mark.

They formed a protective circle around a small figure: Julie Clegane.

Julie wore a light, form-fitting suit of armor, with leather protection around her elbows, knees, and other joints, allowing for greater flexibility. She had a sword belt at her waist, with both a sword and a dagger hanging from it, and a bow strapped to her back, with a quiver full of arrows at her side.

The cavalry of Clegane's Keep could respond quickly because they had been undergoing extensive training right in the castle's yard. Every rider carried a bow and a quiver of arrows at their waist.

Julie was trained to focus on archery, this was the direct order of Ser Gregor Clegane.

There was no room for negotiation, it was a command.

Ser Gregor believed that Julie was too small, with slender arm bones that made her weaker compared to men. In close combat, she would lack the strength advantage, so he had ordered her to specialize in archery.

However, strength was required for all forms of weapon training.

Drawing a longbow, firing a hard arrow, required as much strength as wielding a sword.

To help her develop arm strength, Julie's practice sword was filled with lead.

The four elite knights, known for their ruthless efficiency, kept close to Julie since she was Ser Gregor's adopted daughter. Gregor had married twice, but both wives tragically died in accidents, leaving him without children. Julie Clegane thus became the sole heir to Faircastle.

None of Gregor's feared four would dare to bully her.

… 

Ado Serrett reigned in his warhorse.

His entire group stopped alongside him.

To his surprise, he saw another cavalry unit charge out of Faircastle. Judging by their numbers, this group exceeded fifty riders.

The cavalry charged toward them, their flag of three-headed hunting dogs flapping in the wind, making a sharp noise as it whipped through the air.

"Less than twenty days, where did Gregor get this many cavalry from?" Ado remarked, stunned.

Beside him was the calmest of the seven brothers, his fourth brother, Adam Serrett.

Adam was skilled with a spear.

"Is this the Lord Tywin's guard cavalry?" Adam asked.

Gregor Clegane, a former captain of Tywin's guards, had commanded a highly skilled cavalry of five hundred men to protect the Lord's safety. But during peacetime, Tywin's guards didn't need such a large force.

"That's very likely!" Ado replied.

The cavalry arriving was fully armored, with helmets, long swords, sturdy horses, and even round shields strapped to their backs. Such fine equipment suggested they were part of Lord Tywin's elite guard.

"But it's not them!" Adam said sharply, focusing on the cavalry with an intense look. "They're flying the Three-Headed Hunting Dog flag."

If these were Tywin's men, they would have the Golden Lion flag.

"This is Gregor's personal cavalry!" Ado's voice was filled with shock.

They all knew Gregor was broke, barely scraping by under Tywin's protection. Normally, his Faircastle had only three residents: a cook, a servant, and a young official. His domain was one of the smallest, with just eleven households.

"Did Mountain buy this cavalry with the gold he received from our compensation?" Adam said, his tone full of frustration.

"Maybe he hired mercenaries." Ado muttered, feeling a pang of jealousy.

"It's not mercenaries." Adam replied, "With Mountain's reputation and his dual role as Tywin's general and guard captain, plus this tiny little domain of his, he wouldn't need mercenaries to protect it."

"But he doesn't need a personal cavalry to guard his lands either." Ado countered. "Who would dare threaten his territory?"

The sound of hooves grew louder as the Clegane cavalry approached. Ado noticed the Three-Headed Hunting Dog insignia on Raff's armor and the small figure in the middle. Julie Clegane, fully armored and wearing a helmet, had her face hidden.

But both Ado and Adam immediately recognized who it was.

Sweet-Tongue Raff let out a sharp whistle, and the cavalry quickly spread out, each rider holding a spear, surrounding the Serrett group.

Ado was surprised by the sharp whistle. He had never heard anything like it before.

Neither Adam nor his soldiers had ever heard such an iron whistle. In this world, generals and knights usually shouted commands during battles. Nobles, as they led their men into war, trained from a young age to have a strong, commanding voice. Iron-smelting technology was advanced, but iron whistles hadn't been invented yet.

Gregor, coming from a different civilization, had effortlessly invented the iron whistle. Within just two days, he had integrated various battle commands into the different pitches and lengths of the whistle, using it to train his cavalry to maneuver with precision.

The penetrating sound of the iron whistle was much more distinct and recognizable than a shouted command, especially in the chaos of battle.

Ado and Adam also noticed that each of the riders carried two throwing spears, in addition to their swords and long spears.

This was a fully trained cavalry unit. They also had bows strapped to their backs and quivers at their sides.

With their cavalry surrounded, the Serrett riders were effectively fish on a chopping block.

The small figure at the center removed her helmet, revealing a confident, cold, and indifferent face. Her single eyelid and thin lips exuded an aura of ice and cruelty. She looked every bit as fierce as the woman they had once known, but now, she was Julie Clegane.

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