WiSh - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Bloody Battle

Will bowed slightly and said, "Ranger scout Will of the Night's Watch pays his respects to you, my lord."

The cavalry leader wore a black thorn emblem on his chest, indicating he was a knight from the Branch family. His eyes, beneath his nasal helmet, were indifferent. Several human heads, belonging to either the elderly or children, were attached to his saddle.

"Brother of the Night's Watch, what is the meaning of this?" the leader asked, his hand on his sword hilt.

Will said, "My lord, the leader of this tribe, Woodshield, is my friend. He has agreed to bring his entire tribe to join our Night's Watch. Now, they are already members of the Night's Watch at the Wall. All their hatred, sins, mistakes, and achievements in this world have been erased."

The leader paused, then laughed. "Brother of the Night's Watch, I'll need to see your badge first."

Will unclasped the black ranger scout badge from his waist and threw it to the leader, who caught it and glanced at the pattern—a black raven perched on the shoulder of a black knight, who was looking up at the Wall, leaving the world a small, solitary figure. The leader tossed the badge back to Will and said, "You may leave."

"I want to take them with me."

"You can only leave alone." the leader said indifferently.

"I want to take them with me." Will insisted, his tone unhurried.

The leader said indifferently, "Look behind you." He pointed behind Will. Will did not turn around; he stared directly into the leader's eyes.

"They are despicable thieves, robbers, and murderers. They dared to kill three of my soldiers and then took their armor, swords, daggers, and crossbows. Now, these weapons are in the hands of these ruffians, and the armor is on their bodies. The leader you mentioned, Woodshield, is holding a fine sword forged by our Branch craftsmen. Is that clear enough, Brother of the Night's Watch?"

The cause of the conflict was indeed as Will had anticipated. When he first saw Woodshield and his companions, he noticed the sword in Woodshield's hand and the weapons and armor carried by the others. A few days earlier, Will had killed the three who had ambushed Woodshield's team. He had given the weapons and armor to Woodshield and his five subordinates, inadvertently causing this disaster.

The disappearance of three soldiers had prompted a swift response. In just a few days, the scouts they sent had accurately located the gathering point of Woodshield's tribe and struck mercilessly.

Will said, "Sir Knight, they are already members of the Night's Watch." His gaze shifted to the several elderly and children's heads hanging from the knight's horse, then to the knight's cavalrymen, whose horses also bore many heads, mostly of the elderly, children, and women.

Will's right hand rested on the hilt of Night, which trembled slightly, as if it had come to life. The knight's horse grew slightly uneasy, involuntarily stepping back. It lifted its front legs and pawed the ground. For some reason, animals were always more sensitive to potential deadly threats than humans. Will noticed the slight unease of the knight's warhorse, but the knight himself was oblivious.

The knight's reinforcements had completed their encirclement, trapping Woodshield's over a hundred people in the middle. At his command, the cavalry and infantry would charge simultaneously. The knight held the reins and raised his sword, pointing it to the sky. "Brother of the Night's Watch, this is your last chance. Leave!" The fall of his sword would signal the charge.

"Very well!" Will responded. He spurred his horse fiercely, and it lunged forward with incredible speed. His right hand drew Night, unseen by anyone. Before the knight's sword could fall, his horse was startled. The warhorse turned and fled, catching the knight, who had already raised his shield in defense, off guard. His body spun around, presenting his back to Will.

Night swung from bottom to top, cutting through the horse's hindquarters like leather. It paused slightly as it sliced through the bone, then continued forward, entering the knight's back, cutting through his armor as if it were dirt. When it reached the spine, there was another slight pause, but it did not encounter any resistance, and it did not slow down the speed at which it cut through the knight's body.

As Will charged through, the knight's horse became a three-legged horse, with one leg and a piece of flesh detached and running off at an angle. The three-legged horse lunged forward, crashing into the cavalry's line formation.

The knight's upper body split into two halves, spilling out entrails and blood, and his corpse fell to the ground, becoming a pile of bloody garbage.

Will wielded his swords, charging into the cavalry ranks, which were now pale with horror. He slashed left and right. His left hand was more skilled with the sword; Harris's sword slashed diagonally down from the shoulder of a stunned cavalryman, cutting through the armor and into the shoulder blade. The cavalryman fell to the ground, taking Will's sword with him.

With a swing of Night in his right hand, three thrusting spears were severed. Will squeezed his legs, and his horse charged forward. He leaned low, and Night swept horizontally, cutting a man in half at the waist. Blood and filth splattered everywhere.

The horse continued to charge forward, with Night in his right hand shining like a black light. Within the light, it seemed as if countless dark, bright eyes opened together. The entire cavalry was terrified; they had never seen such a thing. The cavalrymen turned their horses and fled in panic.

Will reined in his horse and watched the cavalry flee for their lives. Night trembled slightly in his hand, as if excited. Perhaps there was a sword spirit within Night, Will thought.

Behind him, Woodshield's tribe, which had been struggling and gradually falling into a disadvantageous position, was greatly encouraged by Will's victory and the collapse of the enemy's cavalry. They fought with renewed vigor, as if aided by the gods. The fully armed swordsmen and spearmen began to falter, their ranks retreating, on the verge of collapse.

Will pulled on the reins, and his horse trotted over. He shouted, "Woodshield, tell your brothers to stop."

Woodshield made a rhythmic mountain-calling sound, and the advancing tribesmen retreated.

Will shouted, "Lay down your weapons and remove your armor. I will let you leave and allow you to take your wounded and fallen comrades with you."

The blood-stained soldiers looked ashen, their expressions sorrowful and unwilling. They had been defeated by a group of lowly tribesmen with inferior weapons; it was a disgrace. They refused to surrender their arms!

"I swear by the Old Gods, if you do not lay down your weapons, you will die," Will shouted, his voice cold as bone marrow.

He slowly raised Night, which shimmered with a black light. Woodshield and his subordinates also raised their weapons menacingly, baring their teeth and looking like wolves, like a pack of bloodthirsty beasts.

Many of the swordsmen and spearmen's expressions of unwillingness turned to fear.

Clang!

A tall swordsman threw his sword and shield against a rock. His eyes red with anger, bent down to carry a moaning comrade on his back, and quickly left.