Ser Quincy Cox had few taxi soldiers, old and young, and with some sent to Riverrun, they were easily bypassed and controlled by the elite Gold Cloaks.
The aged Ser Quincy Cox hurried out of the fortress and saw torches and the fluttering banners, the forest of spears, and the courtyard filled with Knights.
"Gold is the color of the king, but why is this banner quartered?" Ser Quincy was puzzled, but seeing the taxi soldiers before him orderly, neither attacking the treasury nor plundering women, Ser Quincy understood that at least they were not here to kill.
"Kneel, Ser, to the lawful heir of the Seven Kingdoms." Anguy looked at Ser Quincy, who naturally saw the distinct quartered banner, the stag and the dragon dancing together.
It was not until Quincy saw the tall warrior surrounded by the crowd, with clear and captivating eyes, a clean-shaven face, and a huge warhammer in his hand, that he understood the situation.
Ser Quincy smoothly knelt to the ground and then spoke, "Lord Gendry, My Lords, I am a Knight of Saltpans, a vassal of Lord Tully of Riverrun, and I pledge allegiance to the iron throne."
"You may swear your fealty now," Ser Barristan said.
"To the King of the andals, the rhoynar, and the first men, the ruler of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm, the lawful heir to the iron throne, the liberator of the world, the breaker of chains, the lifetime Magistrate of Myr, Tyrosh, the Disputed Lands, and the Stepstones, Commander-in-Chief Gendry."
Ser Quincy knelt before Gendry, then unbuckled his longsword and placed it at Gendry's feet.
"Rise, Old Knight," Gendry said, helping Ser Quincy up.
"Where are your children?" Gendry asked him.
"They fought for Lord Tully," Ser Quincy said.
For such small knightly families, there was almost no room for maneuver.
Especially since Tywin was too insane, burning, killing, and plundering, almost offending every Lord in the Riverlands, forcing those already disunited Lords to unite themselves.
"Very good, I hope you will fight for me from now on.
I will leave some soldiers with you to maintain order."
"Yes, My Lord, are you going to relieve the siege?"
Anguy pouted discontentedly, "Old man, you ask too many questions."
"Please, you must avenge us, Lannister is a butcher."
Jak Crakehall and Ser Boggs left some men to maintain order.
Leading them was the clever Dick, gaunt and thin, with a sharp, lean face and dirty brown hair.
"Is this Child capable?" Bronze Yohn asked Lord Jak after leaving the city.
"He's not bad, very clever, and he's a true crabfeeders men.
He was born and raised on the Claw Peninsula and is very familiar with the families, roads, and legends of the Claw Peninsula."
The rest of the army did not linger long in Saltpans.
They moved through Ruby Beach in the dark.
The entire Green Fork had only two crossings, both controlled by the Frey Family's castles.
Tywin was still consolidating the castles in the Riverlands and was accompanied by a large number of infantry, which would slow him down.
Heaven had granted them good fortune; the silent Ruby Beach, and the Lannister army perhaps had not yet reached Harrenhal.
"Full speed ahead, after passing Ruby Beach, we will first head to Seaguard," Gendry ordered.
He would not miss this opportunity; he wanted to meet the Kingslayer beneath Riverrun.
"Yes, My Lord."
"Yes, My Lord."
"What about the Frey Family's castles then?" Ser Barristan asked.
In the vast Riverlands, only Seaguard, Riverrun, Seagard, and Fountainhead still held out.
But Fountainhead was too close to the Crownlands and could sometimes be ignored.
The powerful ones were the Frey Family and the Mallister Family of Seaguard.
"The tardy Frey are not to be trusted," Bronze Yohn snorted.
"They've become addicted to collecting tolls; they act like upstarts in everything."
"The Frey Family likes to haggle; I will give them an offer they cannot refuse later," Gendry said.
"Our scouts are focused on the west," Gendry said.
"Tywin and the Kingslayer will both send out scouts.
The Kingslayer's scouts will be wary of Riverlands guerrillas and the movements of Seaguard.
Tywin's scouts might go further, observing the movements of the Northern army.
But they will never expect us to come from the east."
Ser Barristan and Bronze Yohn nodded.
"Lord Yohn," Gendry commanded, "You will be the vanguard.
Carefully select two hundred men and two hundred good horses to go ahead and conceal the army's movements, and perform reconnaissance missions."
"Yes, My Lord, I will not let any scout escape back." Bronze Yohn accepted the order.
In fact, the Knights of the Vale also had two young leaders, but Gendry feared they might be too rash.
"If you encounter Frey Family scouts, kill them too."
"Yes."
The rest of the cavalry spread out and followed behind Yohn and Gendry, like a moving forest of pikes, banners, and Longspears.
The night sky was silent, and the gentle springs echoed.
The anticipated decisive battle would also take place on a dark night.
Lord Gendry's cavalry first secretly galloped to Seaguard. In the northern Riverlands, besides Seaguard on the coast at the source of the Blue Fork River, there was also House Frey's castle on the Green Fork.
Lord Jason Mallister immediately brought his troops to assist. They then moved south, and other reinforcements gradually joined them, including mercenary knights, minor Lords, and scattered soldiers who had lost their masters after Ser Edmure's army was routed outside Riverrun and fled north.
The brutal consequences of Lannister's burning, killing, and looting became apparent. They mistreated captives, rarely accepted surrender, and burned other people's castles. Those Riverlanders with any courage would flee.
The entire army stealthily reached a deep forest not too far from Riverrun. Faint sounds echoed through the trees, and the valley streams flowed, winding through the flagstone riverbed, with moonlight shimmering on the water. Beneath the trees, warhorses neighed softly, pawing at the damp ground covered with fallen leaves.
This place was called Whispering Woods, with mountains, water, and valleys, suitable for an ambush, and it was close to Riverrun—a carefully chosen location.
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