Chapter 45 CHAPTER 45
Joel escaped.
Garon and Ser Rodrik galloped deep into the Wolfswood, but the night was too dark, and in the end they still lost Joel's trail.
Garon slowly reined in his horse and surveyed the gloomy forest around them before turning to Ser Rodrik beside him.
"Ser, it seems we won't be able to catch that fellow tonight."
"It's already very late, and if we continue deeper into the Wolfswood, we may run into dangerous beasts."
"Let's head back first and question the knights who left Winterfell with him. Perhaps we can uncover his true identity!"
Ser Rodrik nodded irritably.
"How can that bastard run so fast!"
"His horsemanship is also impressive, but if I ever catch him again, I'll break both his legs!"
Garon turned his horse around and replied calmly, "That man fled into the Wolfswood. Whether he can even survive the night is uncertain."
"We may never have another chance to encounter him again."
"Let's go, Ser!"
Garon flicked the reins, and the two quickly rode back toward Winter Town.
By the time they returned, the entire town had already been surrounded by Winterfell soldiers.
The countless torches raised high illuminated the streets so brightly that the town almost looked like daylight.
"What's happening here?"
Ser Rodrik immediately called over one of the men in charge and questioned him about Joel's identity.
"My lord, that man is called Fast-Foot Joel. He arrived with the royal party and is said to be a sworn sword under House Baratheon."
"Fast-Foot Joel?"
Garon paused for a moment before laughing softly.
"That nickname truly suits him. He really can run fast."
After thinking briefly, Garon turned toward Ser Rodrik and said, "Ser, I'll return to Winterfell first and report the situation here to Lord Ned."
Ser Rodrik nodded.
"I'll stay behind and continue handling matters here."
Seeing this, Garon no longer delayed and immediately rode back toward Winterfell.
Not long afterward, he arrived at the Winterfell stables, dismounted, handed the reins to a stableboy, and quickly headed toward the main keep.
Roughly ten minutes later, Garon reached the corridor outside Ned Stark's chambers and requested an audience through the attendant Desmond.
Desmond motioned for him to wait briefly before entering the room to report.
Soon afterward, he returned and respectfully led Garon to the door.
"Lord Garon, please enter."
Garon smiled and nodded before stepping into the chamber.
At this moment, Ned, dressed in a dark night robe, stood quietly beside the window while gazing into the cold night outside Winterfell.
Hearing footsteps behind him, he slowly turned around.
"What urgent matter brings you here so late?"
"If it's only to say farewell, it can wait until tomorrow morning."
Garon shook his head and answered solemnly, "My lord, this is not about farewells. We discovered a suspicious individual in Winter Town."
Ned frowned slightly.
"A suspicious individual?"
But almost immediately he reacted.
"Did you discover the person conspiring with Theon?"
Garon revealed a bitter smile.
"Unfortunately, no. Ser Rodrik and I pursued him all the way into the Wolfswood, but he still managed to escape."
"He escaped?"
Ned's expression instantly darkened with disappointment.
"What exactly happened?"
Garon quickly recounted everything he had learned.
"Because of our plan, Ser Rodrik specifically instructed the women serving guests in Winter Town to watch for suspicious individuals."
"Tonight, one of the girls discovered a knight carrying a large pouch of gold dragons. He claimed it was payment for completing a task and also mentioned he intended to leave Winterfell tomorrow."
"As a result, the girl became suspicious."
"However, that man was extremely alert. The moment he sensed something wrong, he immediately fled."
"Ser Rodrik and I pursued him all the way to the Wolfswood, but we still failed to capture him."
Ned listened quietly before asking, "What is this man's identity?"
"His nickname is Fast-Foot Joel, and he is said to be one of House Baratheon's sworn swords."
"Fast-Foot Joel? One of Robert's men?"
Ned's brows tightened deeply.
Numerous thoughts flooded through his mind, yet for a moment he found himself unable to organize them.
Seeing Ned fall silent in thought, Garon also remained quiet and patiently waited nearby.
After a long moment, Ned finally regained his composure.
"I understand."
"You should return and rest early. We still need to depart tomorrow morning."
Garon nodded respectfully.
"Yes, my lord."
He turned and prepared to leave, but after taking several steps he suddenly stopped and turned back again.
"Lord Ned."
Ned looked at him with confusion.
Garon met his gaze seriously and spoke with concern.
"When you travel south to King's Landing, you must be especially cautious."
He paused briefly before lowering his voice.
"My lord, dangerous people have already infiltrated the king's own retinue. The situation in King's Landing will only be far more complicated."
"You must be careful."
Garon's tone was sincere, causing Ned to feel somewhat comforted.
Ned smiled faintly and was just about to respond when another troubling thought surfaced in his mind.
"Garon is loyal, intelligent, and thoughtful. Perhaps he can offer me some advice…"
Thinking this, Ned suddenly spoke.
"Actually, I recently received certain information suggesting Jon Arryn may not have died naturally."
"Garon, what do you think about this matter?"
"What?!"
Garon immediately pretended to be shocked.
"How could that be? I remember the raven reported that Lord Jon died from illness."
Ned did not reveal the true source of his suspicions and merely replied vaguely.
"I only have suspicions for now, but because of this, I have been hesitating about whether I should truly go south."
"Garon, I want your honest thoughts."
"Give me your advice without reservation, just as your father Galbart would."
Garon's expression immediately became solemn.
He had not expected Ned to seriously consider abandoning the journey south.
That absolutely could not happen.
His thoughts raced rapidly as he carefully organized his words.
"My lord, Lord Jon served as Hand of the King in King's Landing for nearly fifteen years."
"One could say that much of the Seven Kingdoms depended upon his leadership to function properly."
Garon paused briefly before continuing.
"If your suspicions are true and Lord Jon was truly murdered, then the forces hidden within King's Landing are far more terrifying than imagined."
"If you rashly head south under such circumstances, I fear you may easily follow the same path as Lord Jon."
"One must remember, anyone capable of murdering the Hand of the King must possess tremendous influence within King's Landing. Perhaps they may even influence the king himself…"
Garon intentionally left the sentence unfinished, but Ned already understood the implication.
This was precisely why he had never formally rejected Robert.
He feared Robert himself might already be in danger.
Now that Garon's analysis aligned closely with his own thoughts, Ned's heart sank even further.
"You mean Robert himself may also be in danger?"
He looked toward Garon, hoping to hear a clearer explanation.
"My lord, I cannot say for certain."
"But now we know dangerous individuals like Joel have infiltrated the king's own retinue, and there is also your suspicion that Lord Jon was murdered."
"All these signs make me wonder whether His Majesty may have already lost control over King's Landing itself."
Garon's eyes shifted slightly as he continued.
"Perhaps His Majesty truly stands in the center of a storm."
"I believe he may have realized this long ago, which is precisely why he traveled thousands of miles to the North to personally invite you to become Hand of the King and stabilize the situation."
After hearing this, Ned's emotions became extremely complicated.
He recalled Robert's earlier conversation with him in the crypts beneath Winterfell, where Robert had spoken about the complicated situation in King's Landing.
At the time, Ned believed those words were merely excuses used to persuade him south.
But after hearing Garon's analysis, he could finally imagine how dangerous King's Landing truly was.
"If I really go south… what should I do?"
Ned sighed deeply, and in that instant he finally made his decision.
No matter what, he could not stand aside after learning Robert might be in danger.
A faint smile appeared on Garon's lips.
He knew his objective had succeeded.
Ned would still travel south.
After pretending to think carefully for a moment, Garon finally offered his advice.
"My lord, if you truly must go…"
He paused briefly before speaking solemnly.
"You must first gain complete control over the Gold Cloaks who guard King's Landing."
"No matter what happens, you must ensure you possess enough armed strength within the capital to suppress any sudden situation."
"As for the ministers and nobles at court, you should slowly test them one by one to determine who are allies and who are enemies."
"Win over your allies and isolate your enemies."
After Garon finished speaking, Ned looked at him with a complicated expression.
"Galbart truly raised an excellent son."
"You are more suited to become Hand of the King than I am."
Garon merely smiled calmly and did not respond.
Ned stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.
"I will carefully consider your advice."
"Now go and rest early."
"Yes, my lord."
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