Chapter 646: Crossing the Mountain Range

Several days later, at the break of dawn.

A squad of fully armed royal soldiers assembled at a location far from Prince's Pass.

Before them towered the steep and soaring Red Mountains. Although the western stretch of the Red Mountains was not as precipitous and perilous as the eastern side, near the Bone Way, it was equally difficult to traverse. A slight misstep could lead to a fatal fall from the towering cliffs.

However, the most significant challenge in crossing the Red Mountains lay not here, but in the barren ridges that provided no cover.

The soldiers of House Fowler of Skyreach could spot any enemy attempting to cross the Red Mountains from a great distance. Many commoners from Dorne, trying to flee across the Red Mountains to the Riverlands, were caught or killed for this reason.

With just a few squads of agile desert cavalry and signal towers along the way, House Fowler could secure this continuous stretch of mountains.

Thus, irrespective of the harsh geographical and climatic conditions of the Red Mountains that made it impossible to support the march of a large-scale army,

Even if a massive enemy force managed to cross the Red Mountains, attempting to bypass and ambush Prince's Pass was virtually impossible.

The barren ridges, devoid of any cover, provided a clear view of the surroundings. The scouts of House Fowler would always detect the traces of the enemy first, then inform the checkpoint at the pass, preparing them for any impending attacks from behind.

The checkpoint at Prince's Pass was not only able to deal with threats from the front but was a robust fortification against attacks from the rear as well.

This was the reason why Prince's Pass had rarely fallen throughout history.

Now, the Hand of the King, Jon Clinton, had handpicked a squad of fifty elite warriors from the ranks.

Equipped with the finest weaponry, they set out from the royal camp, guided by a local through the Red Mountains, planning to ambush Prince's Pass under the cover of darkness.

The ultimate goal was to ignite a colossal fire visible to the entirety of Dorne, while the main royal force would coordinate an assault from the front, striving to conquer this formidable pass with a pincer attack.

This was the idea proposed by Jon Clinton yesterday, now being put into action.

"Lords, the path we have chosen is steep and perilous, almost impossible to pass!"

"But correspondingly, the Fowler scouts pay the least attention to this path. They have focused most of their attention on the main mountain paths, setting up watchtowers on the ridges."

"Attempting to enter the mountains from there without being noticed is nearly impossible."

The guide for the royal forces was a young lad named Karan from a nearby village of Skyreach, who had escaped from under the boots of House Fowler not long ago.

It was during the pursuit led by the sole male heir of House Fowler, Ser Owen Fowler, against Karan and others that a skirmish with knights of House Cendred had occurred.

Subsequently, Owen Fowler lost his life on the highway, which infuriated the 'Old Hawk,' Franklin Fowler, leading him to retaliate fiercely against House Cendred. This act sparked off the war between the nobles of the Riverlands and Dorne.

However, Karan, who had miraculously escaped the Dornish cavalry's onslaught, now served as the royal forces' guide due to his exceptional navigational skills, along with his familiarity with the mountain paths.

Karan had grown up near the Red Mountains, accompanying his father on hunting trips. He was the most gifted hunter in the village. Now, this gifted young hunter had become the royal forces' guide, playing a crucial role in this operation.

"You're Dornish, boy?"

Among the fifty elite chosen by Jon Clinton, some were private soldiers of Riverland nobles.

People have their own biases. When the local nobles had surrendered their military power, they handed over the old, weak, and average soldiers, keeping the most elite for themselves. Although they couldn't retain many, at least it provided some psychological comfort.

Now, a knight with short dark hair and a face full of muscle, bearing the crest of a Riverland noble, scrutinized Karan and questioned his presence.

Though Dorne was home to both Andals and First Men descendants, bearing no significant physical differences from the Riverlanders with their brown or golden hair and fair skin, certain facial details and accents could reveal their origin.

The Riverlander knight had noticed that the young guide was Dornish and voiced his skepticism.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"How can a Dornish bastard guide us in this operation? Huh?"

His sudden outburst drew the attention of the other forty-nine knights and soldiers, who had been quietly arranging their gear. They all looked towards Karan upon hearing the words.

"The choice of guide was personally decided by the Hand of the King, Jon Clinton. Olifa, are you questioning the orders of the Prime Minister?" A knight, who was polishing his sword, glanced at the knight from House Oakheart and spoke calmly.

"Hmph—"

"Of course, I wouldn't question the Prime Minister's orders."

The muscular-faced knight snorted coldly, avoiding the verbal trap laid by the other.

House Oakheart was already having a tough time; questioning Jon Clinton's decisions could further exacerbate their situation. Even if Jon might overlook it, if things escalated, House Oakheart couldn't withstand the repercussions.

However, he was still skeptical about the Dornish identity of the guide, and many other Riverlander-born soldiers and knights shared his doubts.

"This Dornish runt might lead us straight into the 'Old Hawk's' trap, getting us all caught in a net."

Yet, Karan, who was at the receiving end of the accusations, remained silent throughout.

He offered no rebuttals or explanations. His Dornish identity didn't bring him shame. After everyone had had their say, with all eyes on him, the brown-haired boy finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"I am Dornish."

"But my father, mother, and brother were all killed by House Fowler."

Karan's succinct response silenced the Riverlander knights and soldiers, including the questioning knight from House Oakheart.

His father, the best hunter in the village, didn't die while fleeing but a month before that incident. He had been beaten to death for allegedly evading taxes after he had killed a game that Ser Owen Fowler had eyed, during the selling of its pelt.