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After hearing the report, Arthur stared at the map before him. In truth, the combat power gathered at Eagle's Roost was already sufficient to crush the Ring's defenses.
But Arthur did not act rashly. His purpose here wasn't merely to disguise his men as wildlings for a few minor victories or to burn a couple of villages.
Arthur intended to seize Ring, the seat of House Roxton, and use it as a base to spread the flames of war into the heart of the Reach. This would be his response to the Redwynes burning his orchards—vengeance for the slaughtered smallfolk.
It was precisely for this reason that Arthur had previously stayed at Starpost Keep, sparing no effort to bolster the defenses of Starfall's domains—from Blackmont in the north to the Torrentine River and the coastline in the south.
All of it was to guard against the inevitable retaliation from the Reach.
Arthur withdrew his gaze from the map and issued orders to the three tribal chieftains:
"For the next three days, intensify the raids on Twilight Keep and Freedom Hill. Withdraw all attacks on Derring Keep completely."
The main strength and elite force of House Roxton was undoubtedly those two hundred light cavalry. Arthur wanted to force this cavalry unit to move. By using Sharpwing to observe their routes and response patterns when reinforcing Twilight Keep and Freedom Hill, he would find their weakness.
"As you command, My Lord," the chieftains promised. "We will ensure the beacon fires of Twilight Keep and Freedom Hill burn day and night."
Over the next few days, Arthur used Sharpwing's high-altitude vision to observe the defensive layout and troop deployments of the Ring's territory.
It was currently harvest season in the Reach as well. Apart from the two hundred cavalry, the garrisons along the border were sparse. Only Derring Keep had more than two hundred soldiers; the other two castles held only a hundred each.
The rest of the forces were scattered among outposts and mountain villages along the border.
Although Sharpwing revealed Roxton's deployments, Arthur regrettably found no other hidden paths from the Red Mountains into the Ring's lands.
However, the two hundred knights he had been focusing on gave him a pleasant surprise.
This cavalry unit, positioned on the second line as a rapid response force against wildling raids, was personally commanded by Lord Quentyn Roxton.
Whether due to overconfidence in his forward observation posts or haste to provide aid, Lord Quentyn rarely deployed scouts around his column while on the march.
Even his marching routes were extremely fixed, almost never varying.
There was nothing more to say. Aerial reconnaissance + Mountain Corps + [Mountain Raider Tactics] + [Ease Waiting for Labor].
[Ease Waiting for Labor]: For the next seven days, the army under your command will be more concealed when setting ambushes, and morale will significantly increase after springing an ambush.
Arthur carefully selected a scenic wooded hill known as Gambler's Wood to be the grave of this cavalry unit!
Southwest of Derring Keep, at an inn along the Pebble Way.
This inn had been commandeered as the camp for the Roxton cavalry.
Quentyn Roxton downed a cup of sweet wine in frustration. Ever since losing to the Knight of Flowers at the tourney in Starfall, he felt as though the Seven had abandoned him.
After returning to his lands, it had taken him over a month to heal his wounds and accept the fact that he had been defeated by a fledging knight.
After all, the Knight of Flowers had also lost to the Sword of the Morning, so losing to him wasn't exactly shameful.
But just as he recovered, he received a letter from Starfall—a lengthy denunciation of House Redwyne's atrocities.
He had glanced at it a few times before tossing it into the fireplace.
He didn't know how much of the letter was true or false, but anyone with eyes could see that an irreconcilable conflict was brewing between the Arbor and Starfall.
But what did that have to do with Quentyn?
House Roxton was a vassal of House Tyrell. His role was simply to watch the show, perhaps writing a letter of support for his fellow Reachmen, the Redwynes.
However, the conflict between the two houses developed in a way that caught him off guard.
First, three of his vassals near the Red Mountains reported simultaneously that small bands of wildlings were attacking outposts and villages.
At first, he didn't pay it much mind. With the harvest approaching, it was normal for wildlings to come down from the Red Mountains to "gather the autumn wind"—to raid for food. It happened almost every year.
It had been worse a few years ago with the Vulture King, but thankfully, the Seven protected the Ring, and the Vulture King's target had been the Torrentine on the other side.
So, upon receiving the news, he simply ordered his vassals to respond in the ancestral manner: increase vigilance, man the watchtowers to monitor wildling movements, and use beacon fires for early warning.
He didn't think much of it until his vassals reported burnt villages and destroyed outposts.
Weeping refugees told him what the invaders had said:
The wildling chieftain said the reason we were attacked and our homes burned is entirely due to the atrocities committed by House Redwyne—disguising themselves as pirates and slaughtering the elderly, children, and those who surrendered.
Only then did Quentyn Roxton realize something was wrong. Seven Hells! What does the feud between Redwyne and Starfall have to do with me, Roxton, or the Ring?
Facing this undeserved calamity, Quentyn wrote to Highgarden to report the situation while simultaneously mustering the knights, men-at-arms, and sworn swords of his domain to form a cavalry unit to prevent further incidents.
As a lord who had ruled the Ring for over a decade, Quentyn knew the consequences of hiding in his castle and pretending nothing was happening while his lands were invaded.
He would lose all prestige. His vassals and smallfolk would no longer respect him, and potential enemies would see him as weak and bully him even further.
So he had to demonstrate the strength and resolve of House Roxton at all times. Every day, he led his two hundred mustered cavalry on grand patrols, reinforcing the lands invaded by wildlings.
This way, not only could the vassals and smallfolk under attack see their lord's aid, but the people along the route could also feel his strong protection.
In addition, to groom his heir, Menedy Roxton, he brought his son along on every relief mission, teaching him by example how to be a worthy lord.
"Father, this is the third time this week we've ridden to Twilight Keep." Menedy wiped the sweat from his forehead, his young face written with exhaustion.
"Those wildlings are like mountain rats. They appear and disappear like ghosts, always hiding just in time."
"It is worth it. Highgarden has replied." Quentyn Roxton gestured for his son to be patient.
"Lady Olenna wrote back saying we need not worry too much about a large-scale invasion from Starfall disguised as wildlings.
"She has reliable intelligence indicating that Starfall is terrified of an invasion from the Arbor and is focusing entirely on their home defenses.
"She also promised that House Redwyne would send a shipment of discounted Arbor wine as compensation for my losses."
Hope flashed in Menedy's eyes. "So we don't have to run back and forth like this anymore?"
"No." Despite his fatigue, Quentyn spoke firmly.
"We must let our people see our banners and let our enemies hear the thunder of our hooves. That is the best defense."