Chapter 117 Battle of the Hills (1)
The blazing sun covered the marching path like arrows all over the sky. Loras pursed his lips tightly and looked at the open space in front of him with an unnatural expression.
On the rare flat ground in the hills of the Stormlands, Loras looked at Renly beside him and asked: "We are marching day and night. We can temporarily set up camp here and take a rest."
"Lord Randyll asked us to march quickly." Renly hesitated. He noticed the tired cavalry behind him. The horses were led by attendants. Some of the knights in the Reach did not wear armor and were wrapped in simple and light cloth.
"Count Randyll is looking for water. Is there any water here, Your Majesty?" Count Allister Florent asked. His lips were as chapped as those of the knights around him.
"How much water do we still have?" Renly did not directly answer Florent beside him, but asked Matus Rowan who had been accompanying him.
Matus pinched his shriveled water bag and said, "Not many. Except for those that are carried with you, most of them are escorted by baggage trains from various directions. Earl Landau noticed this. Each baggage baggage will be escorted by two cavalry guards, but it must be Not much, can you get over these damn hills quickly?" He roughly drank the remaining drops of water in the water bag and threw it away.
The attendant was a little confused and stood there blankly.
"Go and get it, you idiot!" Matus Rowan snatched the cloth from the attendant's hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and cursed angrily.
The attendant hurriedly ran to pick up the water bag that Matus had discarded, stumbling and looking very embarrassed.
But no one around could appreciate this funny scene. They were very thirsty.
"This is not like the plains of the Reach. We shouldn't spread out such a wide range of march." Allister Florent panted slightly and said to Renly.
No one answered him. After all, this was Randyll Tarly's arrangement.
"Most of the baggage is squires. The knight master they follow is the surrounding cavalry phalanx. It is too hot today and the hilly terrain is undulating. Many teams are stranded everywhere. The knights and squires have also been separated for a long time. Fortunately, Stannis We are foolishly besieging Storm's End, otherwise there will be no good harvest." Matus Rowan wiped his sweat, pulled the reins impatiently, and walked forward.
"Let the soldiers rest," Renly said, looking at the open space in front of him, "This is not far from Storm's End. Lord Randyll is the vanguard. They may have passed the hills."
Allister looked at the open land in the distance, and he intuitively felt a sense of uneasiness. The knights of the Reach beside Renly originally numbered close to ten thousand, but they were stranded in various places during the march. At this time, it was estimated that there were roughly six Ranging from a thousand.
The attendant tiredly led the horse behind the knight. The knight poured the few drops of water in the water bag into his mouth. The attendants took care of the fodder. The horses were a little repelled. They emitted no less moisture than people.
They approached the open area in twos and threes, but the knights of the Reach still had proud military qualities and quickly set up camp with their attendants.
Renly looked at his crowned stag banner being erected on both sides of the tent by his personal guards. The bright golden background made the king feel a little more at ease. He stepped in, even the moment he stepped into the tent. Feel the coolness of the long-lost shade.
His servants and queen were stranded at the end of the march, sitting in the carriage. Renly took off his heavy armor. He could clearly smell the smell of sweat, "Loras! I want..."
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Loras opened the curtain of the tent and said, "Your Majesty?" He saw Renly's broad shoulders and smiled charmingly.
"No," Renly originally thought about taking a hot bath, but thought that the army's water supply was indeed insufficient, so he gave up the idea, "Bring me... a wet towel, Loras."
"Obey the king's orders." Loras bowed slightly and looked at Renly provocatively.
"Go quickly." Renly chuckled, seeing Loras out of sight and lying down in the tent. He was very tired.
……
Timon held up his sword and spat at the stream in front of him.
Stannis's infantry carried buckets of water from the stream and carried them away in batches.
"There are still the last batch, Ser Timon," Andrew Ismon looked around uneasily. This was a dense bush rarely seen in the hills. Stannis had made a detailed study of the geography of the Stormlands when he was at Storm's End. Investigation was his habit as a commander, so he knew very well where the most important resources for the army were located among the hills. And Renly has been the Duke of Storm's End for so many years. Except for tourneys, noble hunts, and even banquets, he probably wouldn't even be willing to set foot in these desolate and arid hills.
There is water in this damn place. The locals in the barren villages in the Stormlands don't know there is water here. They often go south to get water. If there is not enough water and food stored here, the villagers will not set foot there at all.
But Stannis, he knew.
Timon watched the last group of soldiers fill the buckets with water, seal the goods and get on the carriage, and threw the grass roots in their hands into the river, "Get to work, soldiers!"
The soldier walked to the river and took out the medicine bottle he had prepared in his sleeve. The transparent liquid flowed into the stream, like an invisible killer.
……
Justin listened to the scout's report and looked at Stannis with joy on his face, "Although Randyll Tarly is a famous general in the Seven Kingdoms, he still doesn't know the terrain of the Stormlands hills. While he sent out scouts to look for water, Speeding up the march, he led his eight thousand cavalry to Storm's End Castle quickly. He wanted to fight quickly."
Stannis looked at the terrain of the hills calmly, his right hand caressing his chest, his heart pounding.
"His scouts will find water in the low plains near the Dorne Sea, but instead of going there to get water, it is better to go straight to Storm's End. Landau will not waste time doing this, he will choose to march." Stannis took a deep breath. tone.
"When will we set off, Your Majesty?" Justin's eyes lost their previous uneasiness, and instead looked at his king with some enthusiasm.
"It's time to talk to my brother," Stannis said. "Although Renly should not let Lando be the vanguard, we have few soldiers and time is short. Lando can return at any time to help."
"Let's go." Stannis picked up the half-helmet beside him and walked out of the makeshift tent. The king didn't know if he could succeed. He was gambling, risking everything he had.
The crowned stag flag with a black background on gold was picked up by the flag soldiers and fluttered in the dry cold wind of the hills. The horses' hooves clattered, the flag fluttered in the wind, and a light army marched westward.
……
Renly closed his eyes, feeling the cool touch of the wet wipes wiping his body.
Loras's voice lingered in his ears, "Look at your strong figure. I have heard others say that you are King Robert in his youth..."
A chuckle came from Renly's mouth, "Someone always says that, Eddard Stark said it, Jon Arryn said it, even Stannis told me, it's really ridiculous."< br>
"Did I say something wrong?" Loras wiped a wet towel from Renly's neck down.
"No..." Renly replied, with some reluctance in his tone, "Robert did mention that, but I will never be a person like Robert, who only knows how to eat, drink, whore, gamble and fight wildly."
Loras smiled slightly and said nothing.
Rapid footsteps came from outside the tent, and the sound stopped outside the curtain. The bodyguard shouted: "It's Stannis's army, your majesty. News came from the cavalry phalanx in the rear that they were attacked."
Renly was slightly startled, "Stannis? He shouldn't be at Storm's End..."
"There is no time, your majesty." Loras quickly stood up and wrapped Renly in clothes. "Wouldn't it be better for Stannis to die?"
Renly suppressed the faint panic in his heart, put on his armor, and strode out of the camp.
(End of chapter)