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Arthur stood by the battlements of Ring, his hand resting on the cold stone, gazing out at the endless green hills to the west.
In the days since capturing Ring, he felt the war had ground to a halt, sinking into a stalemate.
The reports from his scouts and cavalry indicated that apart from refugees fleeing the conflict in the Ring's territory, there wasn't a soul heading toward Ring—let alone any relief force from the Reach.
Arthur remained cautious about launching an offensive into the Honeywine valley toward Oldtown.
One reason was the terrain. Apart from a few castles bordering the Ring's lands, the region to the west was a vast, open plain.
Conventionally, plains were easy to attack and hard to defend, but Arthur currently lacked the horses and heavy cavalry needed for open-field warfare.
His Dornish sand steeds couldn't traverse the rugged Red Mountains to reach the Reach in large numbers. This was also why he had left the Starfall cavalry under Lothor Brune at Beaconwatch to guard against a potential amphibious assault by the Redwyne Fleet.
The other reason was Oldtown's terrifying strength. Not only did they have immense manpower, but the Reach was the heartland of chivalry. Knights were plentiful there.
Without the advantage of hills and mountains, a rash advance onto the plains would likely end in disaster if they encountered Reach cavalry. Lacking cavalry of their own, they would be at a severe disadvantage, risking total annihilation.
So, Arthur hadn't marched an inch. He had even restrained the wildling cavalry under his command, ordering them to use captured horses to raid only the villages and towns along the border, strictly forbidding them from penetrating deep into the Honeywine valley.
Now, occupying Ring, Arthur was sheltered from the wind and rain, enjoying the delicacies of the Reach. Starfall's own territory was secure. He wasn't the one in a hurry.
After inspecting the battlements, he switched to Sharpwing's perspective to scan the surroundings of Ring.
Finding nothing unusual, Arthur went to the training yard to practice his swordsmanship and personally instruct the soldiers in practical combat techniques.
He trained until noon, working up a good sweat, before heading to the Great Hall of the keep for lunch.
The midday sun streamed through the high windows of the dining hall, making the silver cutlery gleam.
The long table was laden with the cuisine of the Reach—or rather, the delicacies of central Westeros: roasted goose drizzled with dark purple mulberry sauce, golden-crusted bread, steaming barley and venison stew, and spiced salt pork soaked in almond milk.
"Back in Blackmont, I heard the Maester praise the Reach for its abundant produce and delicious food." Penrose wiped his lips, stained purple by the mulberry sauce, with a napkin. His eyes sparkled with delight.
"I thought he was exaggerating, but now I see he was right. The food here is truly rich and delicious!"
Gerold stuffed a slice of bread soaked in gravy into his mouth, his beard twitching as he chewed. "Kid, free food always tastes the best."
He downed a large gulp of dry red from the Reach and smacked his lips in satisfaction.
"Mmm, this stew..." Ser Bard lifted his clay bowl, thick broth dripping from his beard. "Unique flavor. It has the sweetness of barley and the savory richness of venison."
Ser Bard eagerly ladled himself another bowl, the wooden spoon clinking crisply against the clay.
Jimmy tasted the venison stew and curled his lip. "Ser, you really ought to try the Sister's Stew from the Three Sisters."
He counted the ingredients on his fingers, his eyes shining with memory.
"Leeks, carrots, barley, white and yellow turnips, clams, chunks of cod, and crabmeat from three different kinds of crabs.
"Finally, a thick layer of heavy cream and butter is added. Served in a hollowed-out loaf of black bread. My brother—the human food bucket—would lick the pot clean every time."
Zack, busy stuffing peppered salt pork soaked in almond milk into his mouth, nodded vigorously in agreement.
The dining hall was filled with the sounds of cutlery clinking and chewing. It was hard to tell that this was a group of warriors deep in enemy territory.
When the last dessert—honey-glazed baked apples—was vanquished, Arthur tapped his silver goblet. The clear ring silenced the noisy hall.
Arthur's gaze swept over every face. "Tell me your thoughts. What should be our next move?"
Ser Bard spoke first. "I think we should quit while we're ahead and retreat to Starfall.
"The spoils collected from Ring and the surrounding areas have mostly been transferred back. There's no need for us to linger here."
Gerold nodded. "Oldtown is too strong. On the plains, we can hardly compete with their cavalry."
One by one, the others voiced their opinions. In the end, everyone agreed that attacking Oldtown with the current forces at Ring—or even trying to hold this castle indefinitely—was unwise.
Arthur listened patiently to everyone's input before speaking. "We can retreat, but we cannot give up the fight."
"I intend to use the same tactic the Vulture King used against Starfall."
"We will rely on the Red Mountains. If we can win, we fight. If we can't, we retreat into the mountains. If the Reachmen follow us into the mountains, we ambush them."
"If they retreat, we come back down and raid the Ring's lands again."
If Redwyne could use his fleet to blockade Starfall, Arthur would use the Red Mountains to harass the Ring and squeeze Highgarden. The Ring didn't have the Torrentine River as a defensive barrier.
Ser Bard frowned. "Are we going to keep fighting like this indefinitely?"
Sustaining a war of attrition was expensive. It would be a heavy burden on Starfall as well.
"I'm not a warmonger," Arthur shook his head. "Fighting isn't my goal. But only by fighting can we ensure fair treatment at the negotiating table."
"I foresee a few possible outcomes." Arthur held up three fingers.
"The best outcome is that Redwyne compromises under pressure from other Reach houses, compensating us for the burnt orchards in exchange for us stopping the raids."
"Second, the Reach gets fed up and uses the Redwyne Fleet to transport a large army to Starfall. But that would escalate the war to a conflict between the Reach and Dorne."
"Finally, a stalemate. The Reach either abandons the Ring's lands or spends a fortune maintaining a standing army to defend against our raids."
"You are right, My Lord," Ser Bard nodded in agreement. "We can't touch the Redwynes directly, so this is our only option. Fighting for justice."
The others also voiced their support.
Seeing that his plan was accepted and a consensus reached, Arthur adjourned the meeting.
As a lord, he needed to bind his subordinates together, especially when facing a powerful enemy.
Then, on the afternoon of the second day, a report from Bear Di, who was in charge of the scouts, broke the stalemate.
"My Lord, Oldtown has marched!
"Scouts just returned reporting a force of a thousand men heading toward Ring from the direction of Oldtown.
"Based on the time, they are half a day's ride from Ring!"