I have a Mount and Blade panel and I kill people in the Game of Thrones
Chapter 140: Stannis's Defeat
Wolfswood is a vast forest in the North, composed mainly of oak, evergreens, and blackthorn.
The forest is named "Wolfwood" because of the howling of wolves that often echo in the forest. This forest is located on the northwest coast of the North and has a unique geographical location.
Although the deep wolfwood is inaccessible, some rare children of the forest, homesteaders and hunters still choose to settle here.
After setting out from Deepwood Castle, the home of the Glover family in the Wolfwood, Stannis ordered his soldiers to march to Winterfell despite the blizzard.
He planned to take Winterfell while its defenses were unarmed and capture it before Ramsay Bolton returned.
This move is obviously not a wise one and can be said to be a taboo in military strategy.
However, Stannis stubbornly believed that he could successfully capture Winterfell before Ramsay's reinforcements arrived, so that he could take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits.
But the snow and wind will not weaken in the slightest because of Stannis's firm will.
His troops trudged through knee-deep snow, advancing slowly toward Winterfell. The speed of their march had already destroyed the surprise attack they had planned, but he was unaware of it.
During the three days of marching, Stannis's army suffered severely from the severe cold.
Along the way, soldiers frozen to death or frostbitten were everywhere. They had no choice but to throw away their armor and weapons and walk with difficulty.
Morale had hit rock bottom due to severe food shortages.
Most of the newly recruited mountain clan soldiers who were familiar with the Wolf Forest terrain also fled, and their numbers dropped sharply.
Even those Dragonstone cavalrymen who were loyal to Stannis were forced to kill their horses to satisfy their hunger. The entire army fell into an unprecedented predicament.
The morale of the Thenn berserkers, who were accustomed to the severe cold north of the Wall, was still good, but even the Thenns believed that in this weather they should huddle together in the caves for warmth instead of marching out to fight.
"Jon, are you really not leaving? Lord Commander Lyon said that we are not allowed to suffer heavy casualties."
On the afternoon of the third day, during a short rest, Olaf, who was almost frozen into an ice stick, found Jon Snow, who was shivering in a blanket under a tree. He wanted to persuade him to abandon Stannis's army and return north with him.
"Olaf...please go...I must reach Winterfell and rescue my sister."
Jon's body is not made of iron, and he has a low fever at this time, but even when he is unconscious, he is still thinking about rescuing Sansa Stark.
Although Jon's relationship with his sister is not as close as Arya's because his mother, Lady Catelyn, does not like him, Jon is still willing to sacrifice his life for Sansa's freedom.
As a brother, he is well aware of his responsibilities. Having lost his two younger brothers, Bran and Rickon, he is also very concerned about Arya's whereabouts. Therefore, he cannot give up Sansa no matter what.
"Given your current physical condition, it's hard to say whether you can walk out of the Wolf Forest alive..."
"Olaf, if you want to leave, no one will stop you. It's enough that I, Tormund Giantsbane, stay to take care of Jon."
Tormund on the side looked at Olaf with impatience. Tormund, who had been in the dungeon for a long time, joined Stannis' army as soon as he was released, and by chance became friends with Jon.
"Oh, Tormund, do you underestimate me? Then I won't leave. I want to see how long you can survive in the Wolf Forest with Jon as a burden..."
Olaf's speaking style was still as sarcastic as ever, and Tormund couldn't help but pick up his axe and get along with him in a friendly manner.
On the morning of the fourth day, Stannis's army finally walked out of the Wolf Forest. At this moment, the Winterfell in the distance was clearly displayed in front of the soldiers. It was majestic and magnificent, like a giant dragon winding between heaven and earth.
However, every member of this army had an expression of deep fatigue on their faces, which made people wonder how much of their combat power they could still exert in normal times.
When everyone walked out of the wolf forest, many people fell asleep on the ground and were unwilling to get up even though their superiors whipped them and shouted at them.
In stark contrast to the exhausted state of the army, Stannis appeared to be in high spirits. He stared firmly at the silent Winterfell and gave a series of precise orders to his lieutenants in an orderly manner.
"Dig a trench here."
He walked forward a few steps alone, pointed at the frozen ground under his feet and said, then added to his adjutant:
"Dig another one three hundred yards from the wall. Order them to hurry up and act immediately!"
All the soldiers dragged their exhausted bodies, stood up with difficulty, and prepared to dig trenches.
However, Stannis's stomach made an inopportune sound.
The embarrassing sound was particularly harsh in the silence of the early morning, and he couldn't help feeling ashamed.
Stannis rubbed his stomach, frowned, and felt a surge of irritation in his heart.
"Send out the troops to collect food and fodder immediately," Stannis ordered decisively. "Tell them that they must prepare enough food and fodder before sunrise. We must ensure that the soldiers have enough physical strength to carry out the siege."
However, the lieutenant rejected Stannis's order in an inappropriate manner:
"Your Majesty, perhaps there is no longer a siege. Look over there."
He pointed into the distance, his voice trembling slightly.
Stannis looked in the direction his adjutant pointed, and saw Winterfell in the distance. Beyond the horizon, a black wave suddenly emerged, followed by even more violent sounds of neighing and whinnying of horses.
The cavalry of House Bolton were so powerful that it seemed as if the heaven and earth were hanging upside down. The earth was filled with the sound of hooves like thunder. The sound was as sonorous and powerful as drumbeats, striking in everyone's heart.
Stannis's soldiers supported each other in a disorganized and chaotic manner, with no formation to speak of. They looked at the dark mass of cavalry in front of them in despair, and many of them had a look of despair on their faces.
"We have no chance of winning..."
"Surrender! We don't want to die!"
Many soldiers shouted in despair.
However, their leader, Stannis, made his choice silently after a moment's silence.
Holding a sword in his hand, he walked resolutely at the front alone, among the vast army.
Perhaps inspired by Stannis's bravery, or perhaps realizing that they could not escape the cavalry's pursuit, Stannis's soldiers mustered up their courage, gripped their swords tightly, followed Stannis closely, and moved forward together.
Sansa Stark stood expressionlessly in front of the window of a high tower in Winterfell. She was tortured by Ramsay and numbly watched at least tens of thousands of cavalrymen rushing towards Stannis's defenseless army. And she saw all of this.
Sansa knew in her heart that this army was led by Stannis himself, and her brother Jon Snow, whom she once despised, was also among them.
She secretly hopes that if Jon can defeat Ramsay Bolton, then she may be free again.
Although she knew nothing about military affairs, she was well aware of the importance of numbers.
The number of reinforcements under the city was too small, just as slim as her faint hope.
As she expected, Stannis's army, composed entirely of infantry, had already shown signs of defeat before the battle officially began.
From the center to the rear, many people abandoned Stannis even before the battle began and rushed into the wolf forest behind.
Seeing Stannis' army collapse at the first blow, Sansa's heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally died.
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