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CHAPTER 245
296 AC
POV THIRD PERSON
The mountain clans, once disparate and divided, now stood united under the banner of Aermir. The clangor of steel echoed through the mountain valleys as warriors, clad in enchanted armor, formed a formidable force, ready to challenge the might of the Vale.
Aermir, astride his horse and surrounded by the leaders of the mountain clans, addressed the gathering with a voice that carried the weight of authority.
"Today, we stand as one. United by a common purpose, a common faith. The Old Gods watch over us, and with their blessings, we shall reclaim what is rightfully yours," Aermir declared, his words resonating with conviction.
Umar, the Chief of the Moon Brothers, stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with newfound resolve.
"We march as brothers, bound by the same cause. The Vale may have its knights, but we have the strength of the mountains and the favor of the Old Gods," Umar proclaimed, rallying his warriors.
The army began its march towards the Vale of Arryn; Aermir divided the army into four parts so they could travel between the mountains without being seen. He had created such a detailed map of the Vale that even the mountain clansmen were in awe; there were many animal footpaths Aermir discovered even they didn't know of. Kull, the warg of Moon Brothers, and Velan, the warg of Black Ears, were put into different divisions to work as scouts. Aermir got everywhere covered by his familiars, but two more scouts didn't hurt.
The mountain army traveled between keeps and holds like a snake in tall grass. They were passing right in front of them, but Aermir chose such moments as the rise of the sun or the moment the sentries fell asleep that they didn't get discovered. Thousands of men were flowing into the grain silo of the Vale, the Vale of Arryn, and no one knew what was happening; all their eyes and support were directed at Paps and the coastal line of the Bite as Aermir planned.
...
In the current circumstances, Aermir found himself in a delicate position. As a druid, he couldn't openly help the mountain clans' war for their homeland since it could be seen as an invasion from the North. He did not want a long-winded war; all he needed was to destabilize the region and create a free mountain clan region. However, he saw an opportunity to support them discreetly with healing and buffs. He was also going to fight as a warrior.
When the Vale starts to organize and push them back, he will come as the druid and end the war. Aermir wasn't concerned with convincing others of his innocence in sparking the war; what mattered to him were the optics of his involvement. He will be framing his support as an act of revelation from the Old Gods themselves. In his perspective, it wasn't an invasion but a liberation—a distinction he believed to be true at its core.
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Aermir knew the mountain clan could never win this war; of course, if he became the vanguard and killed the Vale Lords, they could win, but this would make everyone in this continent his enemies, so Aermir focused on the long game; he was going to get a small chunk for the mountain clans. He envisioned a prosperous future for the mountain clans with his support, creating envy among the smallfolk who believed in the Seven.
As he did in the North, Aermir was going to sabotage the grain production of the Seven Believers, fostering a bountiful harvest for the followers of the Old Gods.
With time, he aimed to transform the entire Vale into a realm dedicated to the Old Gods. Aermir couldn't allow the existence of a faith that condemned magic users as evil and sinners close to himself. If he could defeat the Night King in the North, he perceived the northern region would be as vulnerable as ever and sought to establish buffer zones, keeping dangerous and zealot elements like the Vale at a distance.
...
With the Mountain army divisions strategically positioned and ready, Aermir held back the imminent attack on the Vale of Arryn. Despite the initial readiness, he decided to exercise patience, capitalizing on the ongoing harvest to gather essential supplies for the impending conflict. Aermir would take as much as they could carry and burn the surplus, ensuring that the army had sufficient resources to sustain itself while limiting the Vale to use their emergency reserves.
As the days passed, anticipation built among the mountain warriors. Finally, when the time was ripe, the army launched its assault from four different directions. Aermir, shedding the persona of the druid momentarily, stepped into the fray as a formidable warrior. With his buffs enhancing their strength, 200 elite mountain warriors became a formidable force, akin to having 200 Smalljon Umbers by his side.
While they might not match the power and skill of his Juggernauts, they were still a select group of physically potent warriors.
The Vale of Arryn, once a serene and bountiful valley, now echoed with the tramp of boots and the clash of steel. The unsuspecting houses of the Vale—Donniger, Egen, Hardyng, Moore, Upcliff, Hunter, Wydman, and Ruthermont—found themselves thrust into a war they had not anticipated.
...
As dawn broke, the mountain clans descended from the heights, catching House Donniger off guard. The surprise attack unfolded swiftly, with the clangor of steel reverberating across the valley. Ser Aric Donniger, the valiant head of the house, rallied his men, determined to repel the invaders, but he had sent a considerable part of his forces to the Bite with his son.
As the smoke of burning farmlands darkened the sky, Urf, son of the Moon Brothers' chief Umar, signaled a retreat. His ambush forces, having dealt a significant blow to House Donniger's lands, melted into the mountains. The unsuspecting Ser Aric Donniger, fueled by the desire for revenge, led his forces in relentless pursuit.
As they reached the mountain paths, the day was starting to end, but Lord Donniger was still in pursuit; he wanted to kill all of those faithless dogs. As anticipated, Ser Aric Donniger led his forces into the narrow footpaths of the mountains, fueled by a thirst for revenge. Unbeknownst to the Valemen, the Rydan's Painted Dogs awaited them. When all of Donniger's men entered the footpaths, Moon Brothers' ambush force turned back and clashed with Donniger's forces.
In this battle, some of the enchanted armor and weapons exploded like frag grenades and killed many. Most of the losses were on the side of Lord Donnigers, but some of the mountain men were affected by the flying shrapnel. Painted Dogs started to descend on the unsuspecting Donniger forces from the sides. Lord Donniger's forces had to fight in three directions.
As the Valemen found themselves ensnared, Urf's and Rydan's forces pressed their advantage. Ser Aric, recognizing the dire predicament, reluctantly ordered a retreat. The Valemen, battered but not broken, started to fight their way back through the winding footpaths pursued by the persistent mountain clans.
Amidst the ambush, Rydan, chief of Painted Dog, confronted Ser Aric Donniger in a duel. Ser Aric, clad in armor adorned with his noble crest, brandished a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. His eyes bore the determination of a seasoned knight, but Rydan's axe and armor were enchanted, and with this knowledge, Rydan became more fearless.
The clash began with a lightning-fast exchange of blows. Rydan, fueled by Aermir's enchantments, swung his great axe with a great brute force. Ser Aric, skillfully wielding his sword and shield, parried the strikes with a mix of agility and well-honed defense, but with every clash, Rydan's enchanted axe was able to create tiny chips on Ser Donniger's sword and armor.
As the battle wore on, it became evident that Aermir's enchantments were tipping the scales. In a pivotal moment, Rydan unleashed a surge of powerful strikes, breaking Donniger's shield. Lord Donniger was at a loss; where did these mountain savages find such fine weapons?
The enchanted great axe cleaved through the air, striking true. Ser Aric, despite his noble efforts, fell to the ground, his sword slipping from his grasp. Rydan smiled and said,
"You fought well, Lord Donniger. Be on your way, knowing you got bested by Rydan, son of Kalen, the chief of the Painted Dogs."
With one last powerful strike, Rydan cut Lord Donniger's head, ending his life. When the Vale man lost their leader, they started running in every direction like a flock of partridges.