Chapter 647: Surprise Attack

A vendetta born from patricide was impossible to bury, let alone for Caron, whose father, mother, and siblings all fell by the hands of House Fowler.

Such hatred could never be dissolved by any means. Perhaps it was for this reason that Lord Jon Clendon chose this Dornish youth as a guide, leading fifty of the most elite assassins from the royal army to ambush the Prince's Pass from behind.

All doubts in the eyes of the other Riverland knights vanished. The knight from House Oakheart, who initially questioned Caron, was now full of remorse, patting Caron on the shoulder.

"I apologize, young brother."

A trace of sorrow briefly crossed the young boy's face with brown locks. Even after such a long time, he hadn't completely emerged from his grief.

However, Caron soon shook his head to compose himself, and then spoke with renewed vigor.

"Now that we are ready, let's set forth."

"My lords."

The journey across the Red Mountains was far from smooth. While the terrain was 'flat' for the most part, correspondingly, there were more Dornish sentries patrolling.

From their watchtowers, they could see far into the distance, and their sentry riders further expanded their surveillance range.

Of course, those attempting to cross the Red Mountains could opt for a nocturnal ascent, but the risks were significantly higher.

In this era, people generally had poor night vision. Without a light source, they were almost blind, and a misstep would lead them to their demise. The top predators of the mountains such as desert wolves and mountain cats were far more active during the night, making a daytime adventure under the eyes of the Dornish sentries seemingly less perilous.

Now, Caron led fifty soldiers and knights from the royal army on a path much less 'smooth'.

They chose a steeper and more perilous route because their party was large and this area was where the Dornish sentries paid the least attention. The Dornish didn't expect anyone would dare take this route.

Initially, when Caron led the villagers across the Red Mountains, he did not choose this route as most villagers were old, frail, or handicapped. Traveling this path was akin to sending them to their deaths. They could not progress during the night, so they risked the main route, which ultimately led them into the hands of Dornish cavalry.

This time, the party progressed in silence, with the Dornish youth leading the way. He was tied with a coarse hemp rope around his waist, using both his hands and feet proficiently. His fingers gripped the crevices in the rock, and after ensuring a firm hold, he continued to climb upwards, applying the same meticulousness to his footing on the rocky ascent.

The steep cliff seemed within arm's reach, yet paradoxically, it felt as if it was on the horizon.

Caron lifted his head to glance at the blazing sun overhead. The sunlight was somewhat blinding, sweat continuously trickled down his forehead. After catching his breath, he continued his upward climb.

Crack—

However, at this moment, a soldier lost his grip when trying to grasp the next rock, which suddenly loosened.

"Ah—"

He screamed horrifically as he plummeted down the cliff, landing with a sickening thud that turned him into a mound of flesh.

His companion's fall to death and the scream before it posed a serious problem for the rest.

"Damn it!"

The scream echoed far and wide within the open valley. All the royal army soldiers and knights scaling the cliff felt a shiver run down their spines. The knight from House Oakheart couldn't help but curse.

Now they were halfway up the slope. Although it wasn't a straight ninety-degree climb, it was steep nonetheless.

If that scream had alerted the Dornish, all they needed was one person above to shoot arrows or throw stones, and none below would escape. They would all perish here.

Including the young guide Caron, everyone's hearts raced as they clung to the rock face, awaiting the eventual outcome.

Fortunately, after a while, no Dornish seemed to have heard the scream or came to check. There seemed to be no Dornish sentries nearby. They had dodged a bullet.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

"From now on, if anyone falls, be a man and keep your mouth shut!"

"Don't drag everyone down!"

The knight from House Oakheart spoke menacingly with a pickaxe in hand. The rest of the soldiers and knights remained silent, seemingly acknowledging this rule.

If one fell, death was certain. Screaming wouldn't help; it was better to leave the hope of survival to the others.

"Continue!"

The party resumed their climb.

Not long after, another man lost his grip and fell off the cliff. This time, his eyes were filled with despair, but he gritted his teeth and made no sound. In the end, there was only the muffled thud of a heavy object hitting the ground.

The rest of the party remained silent, gritting their teeth slightly. No one said a word, and they continued their climb.

The operation had yet to begin, and already they were taking losses. By the time the last man reached the top, eight men had been lost, including a knight.

Yet, there was no joy amongst those who successfully reached the top, as they knew this was only half the mission accomplished. A harder path awaited them.

They crossed the peak of the Red Mountains and continued towards the other side, following their guide.

After enduring many hardships and dangerous situations, the party finally arrived near the rear of Prince's Pass a few days later.

Now, fewer than half of the original party remained. However, they had completed their mission, successfully sneaking up to the rear of the Prince's Pass right under the noses of the Dornish.

The Dornish soldiers stationed at the rear were still very lax, unaware of the enemies lurking nearby.

"What should we do next?"

The party lay in the surrounding woods, observing the movements of the soldiers at the rear gate of the Prince's Pass. They figured out their patrol and guard schedules but found no excuse to approach the gate.

If they stormed over shouting, they'd probably be riddled with arrows by the Dornish halfway, rendering all previous efforts in vain.

"My lords! "I have an idea."

At this moment, the Dornish youth Caron, who was lying amongst the group, saw a convoy delivering supplies to the pass not far away, and suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing Caron, everyone's eyes turned to him.

After the previous trials and tribulations, everyone now held Caron in high regard, considering him a comrade they could trust with their lives.