A gentle breeze blew, and the morning mist hung heavy.
The rising sun shone upon the golden armor, reflecting a blinding light.
Lord Tywin Lannister personally led his troops to occupy the crossroads near the Ruby Ford; as he watched the ebb and flow of the river, his heart was just as unsettled.
Originally, this was just an unnamed riverbank, but ever since Robert Baratheon's earth-shattering hammer struck Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's chest, shattering the rubies upon his breastplate and scattering them across the shallows, soldiers had lost their minds, ignoring the battle to scramble onto the shore and plunder the precious gems.
The Ruby Ford was the turning point of the War of the Usurper, and he wondered if it would also be the turning point for his own victory.
Tywin had made many preparations for this war; his purpose in sending Gregor Clegane to attack the Riverlands was to drive the various lords back to their own territories, preventing House Tully from gathering its main force in a short time.
At the same time, he sent men to seek an alliance with House Frey, which controlled the crossing of the Green Fork, for his own sister had married into House Frey.
As one ages, one becomes fond of reminiscing; the thought of House Frey reminded Tywin of his youth, when his father was mockingly called "The Laughing Lion," Tytos.
It was because his father was such a good-natured man who never argued with others, and when people owed him money and didn't pay, he simply let it go.
This caused House Lannister, already weakened in power, to be looked down upon even more, and for a time, everyone wanted to take a kick at them.
What he found most intolerable was that his father had actually married off his only sister, Genna Lannister, to the lowly House Frey. In Tywin's eyes, House Frey was nothing but upstarts who had risen to nobility by seizing a bridge and charging tolls, far unworthy of his sister.
His father was truly senile! For this one thing alone, he would never forgive him in this lifetime.
Therefore, after the War of the Ninepenny Kings, he had relied on his own prestige to sideline his father.
But what enraged him was that, despite being sidelined being such a humiliating affair, his father Tytos had actually accepted it with a smile and peace of mind.
Before he knew it, his father had been dead for many years...
As the envoy sent to House Frey returned, Tywin stopped reminiscing.
According to the envoy, after he went to House Frey, he was warmly received by Walder Frey, and they even drank and danced together.
However, Walder Frey kept playing dumb and refused to mention the matter of an alliance.
After hearing the envoy's words, Tywin thought for a moment. He believed that the old man Walder Frey would likely remain neutral in the war; if he couldn't be won over, it wouldn't have much impact, as long as he didn't side with the Starks.
Then, Tywin looked at his eldest son, Jaime Lannister, and said, "Jaime, take your troops to the Riverlands, find Gregor Clegane, and join forces with him to go to Casterly Rock. Your mission is to hold Casterly Rock, the gateway to the West, and then repel the Riverlands lords and proceed to besiege Riverrun."
"Yes, Father." Jaime bowed to accept the order.
Tywin thought for a moment, then continued, "I will lead the army across the Red Fork, detour from the south into the Riverlands, and advance toward Pinkmaiden. Once I take the surrounding areas of Pinkmaiden, Stone Hedge, and Raventree Hall, we will be able to isolate Riverrun."
"By then, while we keep Riverrun besieged, we can march east to seize Harrenhal."
"Jaime, remember, even if you cannot repel the Riverlands garrison, it does not matter; you must hold Casterly Rock. Your primary mission is to stall the garrison there and create time for my strategy."
"I understand, Father."
Casterly Rock was a fortress in the West that produced gold mines, and it was also the castle of House Lefford, who were sworn to House Lannister of Casterly Rock.
It guarded the main road that led from the eastern Riverlands through the mountains directly into the West. The mountain road was winding and the terrain perilous; it could be said to be the gateway to the West.
Jaime Lannister traveled for several days before finally arriving at Casterly Rock.
Looking at this towering castle, Jaime Lannister was also contemplating how to repel the Tully garrison at the mountain pass.
Lord Leo Lefford of Casterly Rock walked out from behind him; he was the lord of Casterly Rock and the head of House Lefford.
He had originally been responsible for logistics and supplies in Tywin's army, but Jaime felt that since he had been stationed at Casterly Rock for many years, he was familiar with the terrain nearby, so he had requested him.
"Jaime, do not worry; our Casterly Rock is as stable as a mountain and will not be taken."
His voice was magnetic, but he himself was quite boring. Moreover, his emotional intelligence was low, and he was not good at grasping his liege lord's intentions, which was why he had always been at the bottom of the nobility in the West, just as he had failed to perceive Jaime's true thoughts.
Jaime looked at this narrow mountain road, frowning as he thought of a strategy. For him, he would not just sit and defend Casterly Rock waiting for the enemy to retreat; he needed to seize the initiative himself.
"Lord Leo Lefford, call all the lords to the meeting hall; I have something to say." Jaime had an idea.
"Yes!" Lord Leo Lefford replied.
In the spacious and solemn meeting hall, all the lords, great and small, had gathered, ready to receive their orders.
Jaime Lannister, wearing golden lion armor and a white cloak, stood by the table, pointing at the map with his longsword while giving orders to the group.
"Lord Quenton Banefort, lead your troops to attack Lord Vance from the front. Do not force an assault; your mission is to lure this fellow out of his camp and stall him, buying me time."
"Yes." Lord Quenton Banefort stepped forward to accept the order.
"Lord Andros Brax, you are responsible for attacking Lord Clement Piper. Your mission is to lead a direct, forceful assault. Lord Clement Piper is a very timid man; once you display a strong attack, he will not dare to show his head."
"Yes." Lord Andros Brax accepted the order.
After the two most important tasks were assigned, Jaime looked toward the tall "The Mountain" Gregor Clegane beside him.
"Ser Gregor Clegane, hear my command."
"Here!" Gregor Clegane stepped out to receive the command.
Although "The Mountain" burned, looted, and committed all sorts of evil, he was always loyal to the Lannisters. Even though Jaime looked down on him, he had to admit that his level of loyalty was the highest among all the lords present.
"You will lead your troops to support between the two armies, and once I arrive with my forces, you will coordinate with me to pincer the army at the pass."
"Yes."
After all the tasks were assigned, amidst the puzzled gazes of the others, Jaime revealed his strategy.
"Gentlemen, I will lead the elite Lannister troops to descend secretly from the cliffs on the northwest side of Casterly Rock, then make a hundred-mile dash to reach the enemy's north side, launching a surprise charge against them."
Jaime's strategy was extremely risky because the cliffs on the northwest side of Casterly Rock were very steep; one misstep and they would fall to their deaths. It was simply a gamble.
"No, Jaime. This is too risky. As long as we hold Casterly Rock, the army below will never be able to take it."
Lord Leo Lefford stood up and directly voiced his opposition. His philosophy was not to seek merit, but to avoid mistakes.
Because although Lord Tywin had told them to repel the Tully garrison, he had also said that if they couldn't, it would be fine, as long as they stalled them. In Lord Leo Lefford's view, as long as he held Casterly Rock, the mission was accomplished.
It wasn't just Lord Leo Lefford who thought this way; the rest of the lords basically felt the same.
"Execute my orders! I am the supreme commander here!" Jaime's roar was like a thunderclap, directly shocking everyone and dispelling their urge to lie flat and slack off.
After all, if the commander was willing to risk his life and you still stood stagnant, wouldn't that make you a laughingstock?
The mountain road below Casterly Rock was narrow, but the pass leading to the Riverlands was quite wide. Lord Vance was stationed on the north side of the pass, and Lord Piper was stationed on the south side; when they established their garrisons, they had not joined their camps together.
This was because a protruding ridge on the east side of Casterly Rock blocked them, but by going around a short distance to the east, they could communicate with each other.
Of course, there was another reason...
That was that the two commanders, Lord Vance and Lord Piper, had different approaches to leading troops. Lord Vance had a fiery temper and was very impatient; he loved to lead his troops out of the camp to intercept the enemy.
Lord Piper, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was very timid and always preferred to hold his camp, following a defensive-counterattack strategy.
The sky was misty, dawn had not yet arrived, and the stars still hung in the sky, not yet extinguished.
In the northern camp.
Lord Vance, who had woken up early, began to inspect the camp again. Lord Vance was the Lord of Wayfarer's Rest and the head of the Vance family of Wayfarer's Rest.
To tell the truth, ever since Edmure Tully had sent him to garrison the place, so much time had passed, yet the garrison at Casterly Rock had not made any moves.
A few days ago, he had received news that Tywin Lannister had mobilized his troops and had arrived near the Red Fork.
Lord Vance couldn't help but feel restless; he didn't have a good impression of the Lannisters.
"These fellows living in their golden nest are starting to bare their fangs and brandish their claws again," he sighed.
At this moment, a scout came forward to report that the garrison of Casterly Rock had left the city and was rapidly approaching them, and they were moving fast. Lord Vance's pent-up anger flared up instantly.
"I was just worrying that they wouldn't come out! Go get my weapon! Let me assemble the troops and have a go with them." With that, Lord Vance adjusted his armor, took the greatsword handed to him by a soldier, and walked outside.
Immediately after, the sound of countless chaotic hoofbeats rang out, and Lord Vance rode out of the camp.
In the southern camp.
Lord Clement Piper was the Lord of Pinkmaiden and the head of House Piper. He had a thick, messy head of red hair, a short and stout build, and a big belly that caused him to waddle when he walked.
And perhaps since childhood, his legs had been bowed, which made it very difficult for him even to mount a horse.
The noisy commotion from the northern camp woke him from his sleep. He sat up, yawned, and walked out wearing only a single layer of clothing.
"The Seven above, what is going on outside? Why is it so noisy?" He grabbed a patrolling soldier and asked with sleepy eyes.
"My Lord, the garrison of Casterly Rock has attacked, and Lord Vance has led his troops out to meet them." The soldier immediately stood at stiff attention and reported to Lord Clement Piper.
"Yes, the garrison has attacked. Look at my memory; I almost forgot that we are supposed to be the attacking side. Since when did Leo Lefford of Casterly Rock have such guts?"
In Lord Clement Piper's memory, Lord Leo Lefford was the same kind of person as him; if he didn't run away when a battle started, that was considered heroic.
This time, he didn't know what was wrong; could it be that he had eaten too much and it had blocked his brain?
"My Lord, then we..." The soldier's face was full of excitement, and his eyes seemed to be burning with fervor. But he was immediately doused with a bucket of cold water by Lord Clement Piper.
"What about us? What does that fellow Lord Vance going out have to do with us? Go back to your patrol!"
Lord Clement Piper could tell at a glance that this kid must not have experienced much war and had an inexplicable yearning for the battlefield. He really suspected that young people nowadays had been made stupid by listening to stories; wasn't it better to just live honestly?
"Yes... yes..." The soldier walked away with a mournful face.
Lord Clement Piper listened to the overwhelming shouts of battle outside, shivered, wrapped his thin clothes tighter around himself, and prepared to go back to sleep.
"The Seven above, let me have a good sleep," Lord Clement Piper muttered. He was very clear-headed; if he could survive by lying low, he must never risk his life.