CHAPTER 104
Winterfell, Hunters Gate.
Maester Luwin personally came to the gate, his aged face filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster and deep fatigue.
"Lord Garon... Gods be good, you finally arrived!"
Maester Luwin's voice was choked with emotion, his eyes still carrying the lingering fear of what had nearly happened.
"Just a little longer, just a little bit longer..."
"If Winterfell had fallen, how could I ever face Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn?"
Seeing Maester Luwin so agitated, Garon quickly dismounted.
He was covered in blood, and his brows still showed the exhaustion of days spent riding without rest.
But Garon ignored his own condition. He first comforted Maester Luwin calmly before immediately asking about Winterfell's situation.
"Maester Luwin, who is currently commanding Winterfell's defense?"
"And what are the casualties within the castle?"
Maester Luwin's expression darkened, and he answered quietly.
"Ser Rodrik was commanding the defense, but he was gravely wounded during the fighting and has fallen unconscious."
"As for the casualties, there has not yet been enough time to make a full count."
Garon's expression tightened immediately.
"How serious are Ser Rodrik's injuries?"
Maester Luwin shook his head.
"I have already treated him as best I can, but whether he survives will depend on the will of the gods."
Garon sighed softly and frowned.
With Ser Rodrik unconscious, there was no one left who fully understood the details of Winterfell's defense during the siege.
After a brief silence, he asked again, "Since Ser Rodrik is unable to command, who is overseeing the city's defenses now?"
Maester Luwin answered without hesitation.
"At this point, it can only be entrusted entirely to you."
Then he added.
"Lord Garon, come inside first. Lady Sansa and Bran are still waiting for you in the Great Hall."
Garon's heart stirred slightly when he heard Winterfell's command effectively being placed in his hands, and he nodded.
Before entering the gate, he turned and looked back across the dark wilderness.
Only after confirming that no sounds of Ironborn movement could be heard did he lead his cavalry through Hunters Gate and into Winterfell behind Maester Luwin.
The remaining Stark guards immediately lowered the portcullis and secured the gate once more.
After walking several steps, Garon turned toward Maester Luwin.
"To prevent another Ironborn night attack, I need to organize the defenses first."
"I'll meet Sansa and Bran afterward in the Great Hall."
Maester Luwin fully agreed.
"Of course. I will gather every remaining guard and soldier."
"They are all yours to command."
With that, he ordered a lightly wounded soldier to summon every surviving defender still capable of bearing arms.
After a careful count, Winterfell had only a little more than eighty soldiers remaining alive, and some of them were still lightly wounded.
Garon considered the situation briefly before mixing Winterfell's remaining defenders with the five hundred cavalry he had brought from Deepwood Motte.
The combined force was then assigned to defend the four gates in rotating shifts.
"Men!"
"The Ironborn have only just retreated. If we are to continue protecting Winterfell, I ask you to endure one more night."
"When this crisis is over, I will personally see that House Stark rewards your loyalty."
Garon raised morale while simultaneously issuing orders.
"Shanks, inform the men."
"Half will rest. Half will take over the city's defenses."
"Reinforce every damaged section of the walls, especially Hunters Gate."
"After meeting Lady Sansa, I will personally inspect the fortifications."
He systematically assigned tasks to the cavalry officers.
Only after everything had been arranged did he take Jon and Shanks and follow Maester Luwin toward Winterfell's Great Hall.
Outside the Great Hall, Sansa was already waiting anxiously.
For her, tonight had been an emotional nightmare.
The Ironborn night attack had terrified her.
Especially when Maester Luwin was escorting her and Bran toward safety. Before they even reached the crypts, they heard the Ironborn shouting that Winterfell had fallen.
Sansa's face had instantly turned pale.
If not for the presence of others, she might have collapsed into tears on the spot.
Then the battle cries of House Glover echoed from outside the castle walls, instantly filling her with hope.
At that moment, she had only one thought.
She prayed to the old gods that Garon would arrive in time.
Fortunately, the old gods seemed to answer her prayers.
The moment she saw that familiar and dependable figure appear before her, Sansa could no longer suppress her emotions.
"Garon!"
She nearly ran toward him, clutching her skirts and forgetting every lesson of noble decorum.
Her voice trembled.
"You finally came."
"I knew... I knew you would come."
Sansa looked at him, her eyes filled with gratitude, relief, and dependence.
At that moment, an indescribable sense of security filled her heart.
If not for all the people watching, she felt she might have thrown herself directly into his arms.
Garon noticed the excitement on Sansa's flushed face, and the coldness in his eyes from the battlefield softened slightly.
"I'm sorry, Sansa."
"I came too late and frightened you."
"But don't worry."
"From this moment onward, Winterfell will be safe."
His gentle reassurance finally brought a smile back to Sansa's face.
She sniffled softly and was about to respond when Garon continued.
"Sansa, Jon is here too."
Only then did Sansa notice Jon standing behind him.
Jon, also covered in blood, smiled warmly.
"Sansa, it's good to see you again."
"Where's Bran?"
The warmth of family immediately rose within Sansa's heart.
Even though Jon was once the bastard brother she had often ignored, blood remained blood.
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"Jon, it's wonderful to see you're safe."
"Bran is inside. I'll take you to him."
She quickly led everyone into the Great Hall.
The moment Jon entered, he spotted Bran sitting in a chair and looking toward the doorway.
"Bran!"
Jon hurried over immediately.
"It's so good to see you awake."
This was the first time Jon had seen Bran since his fall from the tower.
He grabbed Bran's hand and excitedly began telling him everything that had happened since leaving Winterfell.
Bran's pale face carried a gentle smile.
His eyes possessed a calmness far beyond his age.
When Garon's gaze swept across him, Bran simply nodded softly, as if silently saying.
"I knew you would come."
As he listened to Jon's excited words, Bran's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Within countless green dreams, he had learned to fly as the Three-Eyed Raven described.
And within those dreams, he had gradually learned fragments of a prophecy concerning Garon.
"When the cold stars bleed, the song of ice and fire shall sound once more. In the struggle between wolf and lion, the kraken shall ride the waves, and the Son of the Old Gods shall rise as promised to turn the tide..."
The Three-Eyed Raven's mysterious voice still echoed within Bran's mind.
Yet the latter half of the prophecy remained blurred and incomplete.
"Son of the Old Gods..."
"Glover..."
Meanwhile, Garon remained unaware of Bran's thoughts.
He was listening to Maester Luwin's questions.
"My lord, how fares Deepwood Motte?"
What Maester Luwin truly wanted to know was why Garon had only arrived at the very last moment.
"Deepwood Motte is secure."
Garon answered directly.
"Three days ago, the seventeen hundred Ironborn led by Asha Greyjoy were completely destroyed in the Wolfswood."
"The few survivors who escaped no longer pose any serious threat."
Maester Luwin inhaled sharply.
"Seventeen hundred men annihilated?"
"How in the Seven Kingdoms did you accomplish such a feat?"
Garon smiled faintly.
"With a small trick."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"After receiving Winterfell's plea for aid, I was delayed by the battle against Asha and by matters involving the prisoners."
"Afterward, I immediately led five hundred cavalry here as the vanguard."
"The remaining infantry are under Roone's command."
"Based on their progress, they should arrive by tomorrow evening at the earliest."
"Prisoners?"
Maester Luwin immediately focused on that word.
His eyes suddenly brightened.
"My lord..."
"Are you telling me..."
"You captured Asha Greyjoy herself?"
Garon smiled and nodded.
"That's right."
"She is currently being held under heavy guard in Deepwood Motte."
Maester Luwin instantly became excited.
Days of anxiety seemed to vanish from his face.
"Excellent!"
"Excellent!"
Unable to contain himself, he paced back and forth before Garon.
"This is a gift from the gods!"
"No matter how stubborn Balon Greyjoy may be, he would never ignore the life of his only remaining child."
"We can exchange Asha for peace."
"We can force the Iron Islands to withdraw."
"We may even compel them to surrender Moat Cailin."
"The crisis facing the North can finally be resolved."
Yet Garon showed no similar excitement.
After a moment of silence, he slowly replied, his calm words immediately cooling Maester Luwin's enthusiasm.
"Maester, Balon Greyjoy may be far away in the Iron Islands."
"But Euron Greyjoy is close at hand."
"And I suspect Euron would be delighted if Asha disappeared forever."
"After all, she stands ahead of him in the line of succession."
Maester Luwin's excitement gradually faded.
He realized that he might indeed have been too optimistic.
Garon chose not to continue discussing the matter.
Instead, he changed the subject.
"The immediate priority is restoring Winterfell's defenses."
"Maester Luwin, organize treatment for every wounded soldier immediately."
"And begin assessing the damage throughout the castle."
After seeing Luwin nod in agreement, he turned toward Sansa and Bran.
"It's late."
"Jon, take a few men and escort Sansa and Bran back to their chambers."
"Make sure they rest."
His tone was caring but carried unquestionable authority.
As if he had already assumed command of Winterfell.
Sansa obediently nodded.
She cast one reluctant glance toward Garon before departing under guard.
Bran was personally carried away by Jon and returned to his chambers.
"Shanks, accompany me."
"We're going to inspect the defenses."
After watching Sansa and the others leave, Garon nodded once more to Maester Luwin.
Then he and Shanks departed the Great Hall and began inspecting Winterfell's walls.
Garon needed to personally evaluate the damage, strengthen the morale of the defenders, and determine how to deal with Crow's Eye Euron, who would certainly not abandon his ambitions so easily.
As he walked, he raised his eyes toward the night sky.
The crimson comet still blazed brightly overhead.
Looking at its fiery tail stretching across the heavens, Garon vaguely felt that its appearance signaled the beginning of an even greater storm.
{🥳 Loving the story so far? Craving more chapters? 🥰
If you're enjoying the journey, don't forget to vote with your Power Stones! Every Power Stone helps the novel reach more readers and motivates me to keep the updates coming. 💙
Support me on Patreon and unlock 60+ advance chapters right now, plus 3 fresh chapters every two days to keep you hooked! 🎉
✨ Subscribe or grab lifetime access with a one-time purchase... your choice, no pressure!
👉 /mythborne }