Gendry exchanged a beautiful Shadowcat fur cloak from the Hill Tribesmen, thick black fur dotted with white lines.
The lean cavalry of the Tresdman Tribe and Brownsnake Tribe quickly disappeared over the ridge on their bony, short horses, leaving the path unobstructed.
In reality, these scrawny Hill Tribesmen could be dealt with entirely by a single charge or volley of arrows, as their armor was ill-fitting. However, if guerrilla warfare were to continuously break out afterward, it would not be worth the cost, and the Hill Tribesmen were not that foolish.
"This mountain road is becoming increasingly unsafe," Ser Brynden Tully said with a frown, his eyebrows thick and heavy.
"Greater trouble probably lies ahead. The Burned Men Tribe, Moon People Clan, Black Ears tribe, and others have all left the Mountains of the Moon with The Imp. Though not numerous, they are the fiercest of the Hill Tribesmen." Bronze Yohn watched the departing Brownsnake Tribe and Tresdman Tribe. The problem was not just them, but also the Burned Men Tribe and other clans who had left the mountains with The Imp. If these wildlings truly acquired good armor and weapons, it would undoubtedly be a disaster for The Vale of Arryn and Riverlands.
"This is Lysa's idea," Brynden said. "Before, she wouldn't even allow her knights to participate in the Lord Hand's Tourney. She said she wanted to keep all the troops here to guard The Vale of Arryn... At the time, no one knew who we were supposed to be guarding against, but now I understand."
"How many Hill Tribesmen are there?" Anguy asked curiously.
"The tribes collectively have at least three thousand warriors, but they have never been considered a major threat. After Lord Arryn's death, their activities became more frequent," Ser Brynden tallied.
"Three thousand warriors," Jon Snow calculated. This number seemed similar to the mountain clans of the North, but the Hill Tribesmen of the North were quite loyal to House Stark, and their land and grain would be more plentiful. These Hill Tribesmen of the Mountains of the Moon were more like the "Free Folk" beyond the Wall, truly living in impoverished, harsh lands.
"Although there are only three thousand warriors or more, they have been a persistent problem plaguing The Vale of Arryn for centuries, and no Lord Arryn throughout history has ever solved it," Ser Brynden said helplessly. "We once suggested taking some elite soldiers deep into the mountains to drive the Hill Tribesmen out of their dens and teach them a good lesson, but they wouldn't allow it."
Ser Brynden spoke vaguely. What he referred to as sweeping the mountains to quell bandits was not only rejected by Lysa but also by Duke Jon.
"We still need to clear out these entrenched Hill Tribesmen," Bronze Yohn said helplessly.
The Vale of Arryn had been tormented by these Hill Tribesmen for many years. Even after Aegon's Conquest, at least two Lord Arryn's, due to rashly venturing deep into the Mountains of the Moon, eventually died at the hands of High Mountain Clans raiders.
Gendry felt there might still be small, fertile plots or river valleys in the mountains that supported the Hill Tribesmen, but the vale men had never found them, making it impossible to eradicate the Hill Tribesmen's roots.
"Your Highness, do you really intend to arm these wildlings?" Bronze Yohn asked with concern.
"Let them act, but outside the mountains. Once they are out of the Mountains of the Moon, they will be easy to deal with," Gendry said with confidence. In truth, these Hill Tribesmen were undernourished; though fierce, they could only serve as expendable shock troops.
Yohn nodded. These people were opposed to the Burned Men Tribe, and could also be utilized. Besides, they urgently needed to rush to The Bloody Gate, rather than linger in the mountains.
Gendry looked at the long mountain road, which would eventually lead to its end, passing through The Bloody Gate.
Although House Arryn had the greatest defensive advantage, relying on the natural barrier of the Mountains of the Moon, the Arryns' strategy had become very conservative.
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