CHAPTER 115
Two days later, Hother Umber, acting castellan of Last Hearth, finally arrived at Winterfell with three hundred spearmen and one hundred archers.
By this point, nearly every northern bannerman had answered Winterfell's call except those from the most remote regions and White Harbor, whose forces had not yet arrived.
The numbers brought by each house varied greatly. Some larger houses contributed more than a hundred men, while smaller houses could only spare a few dozen.
After conducting a full count, Garon discovered that he now commanded more than three thousand five hundred soldiers.
Aside from the two hundred cavalrymen brought by House Karstark, the overwhelming majority of these forces consisted of infantry.
After discussing the matter with Maester Luwin, Garon decided to leave Winterfell under the protection of Lady Maege Mormont's second daughter, who would command the combined forces of House Glover, House Mormont, and House Cerwyn, totaling roughly six hundred men.
Their duty would be to guard Winterfell and protect the Stark children.
The remaining three thousand soldiers would accompany Garon south to eliminate the combined forces of Euron Crow's Eye and Victarion Greyjoy.
The following morning, the army set out.
Garon dispatched cavalry scouts ahead while leading the infantry from the center, with supply wagons and farmers following at the rear.
After marching throughout the morning, the army finally reached White River Ferry.
The recent snowfall had left only a thin layer of ice across parts of the White Knife. Every hoof striking the frozen surface produced sharp cracking sounds.
The wooden bridge was crowded with soldiers and wagons.
Watching House Bolton's troops crawl across the crossing at a painfully slow pace, Garon could not help but frown.
"Go and tell Ramsay to move faster."
"And tell him that if he delays the army any longer, he will answer to military law."
Since Sansa Stark had formally appointed him supreme commander of the northern armies in the name of House Stark several days earlier, Garon had spent his time reorganizing the forces gathered at Winter Town.
The reorganization had been necessary.
The troops brought by each bannerman differed greatly in quality and equipment.
The wealthier houses fielded reasonably equipped spearmen and archers, while poorer houses could barely provide iron weapons.
To establish unified command, Garon reorganized the army according to the system used at Deepwood Motte.
Soldiers were grouped into squads of ten and companies of one hundred.
Minor bannermen commanded squads, while those with larger contingents commanded companies.
During the previous two days, he had focused not only on integrating the army but also on enforcing strict military discipline.
Thanks to his string of victories against the Ironborn, most lords could only grumble privately while obeying his orders publicly.
Especially after Garon had made several examples of troublemakers.
A few harsh punishments had been enough to silence many complaints.
As a result, once the messenger delivered Garon's warning, the Bolton troops immediately increased their pace.
"Hmph."
"Little Flayer is deliberately making trouble."
"It seems I should arrange a glorious mission for him before the battle begins."
Garon's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
House Bolton's eventual place as expendable cannon fodder had already been determined in his mind.
After withdrawing his gaze from the bridge, he ordered the rest of the army to increase its pace as well.
Time was precious.
The Ironborn would not wait for them.
Just then, a Karstark cavalry scout galloped toward him from the distance.
"My Lord, ships from White Harbor are approaching from downstream!"
The scout pointed toward the lower reaches of the White Knife as he reported.
Garon's expression froze slightly.
He followed the direction being indicated.
Among the reeds and icy water, several sails gradually appeared in the distance.
The banners carried a blue-green field displaying the white merman of House Manderly.
"White Harbor..."
Garon murmured softly.
He had not expected them to arrive so soon considering the distance.
"Pass the order."
"Remain alert."
Pulling on the reins, he guided his horse toward a flat stretch of land beside the ferry and personally waited for the newcomers.
When the vessel docked, the gangplank scraped against the frozen riverbank with a low grinding sound.
An elderly and enormously obese figure slowly descended onto the shore.
His steps were steady despite his size, and the edges of his cloak were damp from the voyage.
The newcomer was none other than Lord Wyman Manderly of White Harbor.
After disembarking, he did not approach immediately.
Instead, his gaze swept across the assembled soldiers before settling upon Garon.
His eyes contained both courtesy and careful scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Garon recognized him instantly.
After all, Lord Wyman's appearance was difficult to mistake.
Seeing this, Garon promptly dismounted and strode forward.
"Lord Wyman."
"I am Garon Glover of Deepwood Motte, currently commanding the northern armies under authority granted by House Stark."
A trace of surprise appeared in Lord Wyman's eyes.
Then he chuckled warmly while advancing a few steps.
"Lord Garon's reputation has already reached White Harbor."
"And now Winterfell has entrusted you with supreme command."
"A remarkable achievement for one so young."
His face appeared amiable, yet his eyes continued evaluating Garon, as though determining whether he truly possessed the ability to lead the North.
Garon noticed the examination and answered calmly.
"The circumstances left little choice."
"Ser Rodrik Cassel unfortunately fell while defending Winterfell."
Before he could continue, Lord Wyman's expression changed.
"Ser Rodrik is dead?"
Garon nodded solemnly.
"Yes."
"Euron Greyjoy launched a surprise assault during the night."
"Ser Rodrik fought bravely, but he was gravely wounded."
"Although I rode through the night after defeating and capturing Asha Greyjoy at Deepwood Motte, I arrived too late."
"By the time Euron's forces were driven off, Ser Rodrik's wounds were beyond saving."
In only a few sentences, Garon had explained both Ser Rodrik's death and the reason he now held command.
Sure enough, Lord Wyman's gaze softened considerably.
"Alas."
"Only a month ago, I was discussing important matters with Ser Rodrik and Lady Catelyn in White Harbor."
"Who could have imagined that it would be our final meeting?"
Lord Wyman sighed deeply and shook his head.
At that moment, a tall blond man leapt from one of the ships and landed on the shore.
The instant he spotted Garon, his face lit up.
"Lord Garon!"
Garon turned toward the voice and immediately recognized him.
"Newgate?"
"You're alive?"
When White Harbor had previously reported the fall of Moat Cailin, the message only stated that some survivors had escaped to White Harbor.
It had never specifically mentioned Newgate.
Because of that, Garon had assumed he had died.
Newgate grinned and quickly recounted what had happened during the fall of Moat Cailin.
After listening, Garon firmly patted his shoulder.
"It's good to see you alive."
At that moment, Lord Wyman interrupted.
"Lord Garon, I have urgent intelligence to discuss."
"Please, a private word."
A thoughtful look crossed Garon's face.
After nodding to Newgate, he followed Lord Wyman to a large exposed rock near the ferry.
The surrounding soldiers respectfully kept their distance.
"Lord Wyman, what is this urgent intelligence?"
Lord Wyman lowered his voice.
"On my journey north, I encountered villagers who had escaped Ironborn raids."
"According to them, the Ironborn army is moving toward Oxhorn Mountain."
"At their current pace, they could arrive within three days."
Garon's expression immediately grew serious.
The geography of Oxhorn Mountain instantly appeared in his mind.
The mountain range consisted of two primary peaks, East Oxhorn and West Oxhorn, with the Kingsroad passing between them.
Though neither peak exceeded three hundred meters in height, both were covered with oak and sentinel trees, making them ideal terrain for an ambush.
More importantly, once the Ironborn crossed Oxhorn Mountain, the natural defensive advantage of the North would vanish.
The battlefield beyond was largely open ground.
"No."
"We cannot allow them to cross Oxhorn Mountain."
A sense of urgency immediately surged through him.
The northern entrance had to be secured first.
Only by trapping Euron and Victarion within the mountain pass could he gain the initiative.
"It appears you've realized the same thing."
Lord Wyman smiled.
Seeing Garon immediately grasp the situation eased some of his concerns.
"This time, besides bringing Newgate and the other survivors, I have brought six hundred infantry from White Harbor."
"I place them entirely under your command."
"Lord Garon, I trust you will make good use of them."
Garon's eyes brightened.
"Lord Wyman, rest assured."
"I will not allow the Ironborn to advance another step into the North."
After a brief pause, he asked another question.
"Will you be accompanying us into battle?"
Lord Wyman shook his head.
"I am an old man."
"This body is not suited for campaigning."
Looking at Garon, he added,
"I also have urgent matters to discuss at Winterfell."
"Certain intelligence has arrived from Dragonstone."
"I believe House Stark should hear it first."
Garon was slightly surprised.
Several possibilities flashed through his mind.
However, when he noticed Lord Wyman smiling without elaborating further, he wisely refrained from asking.
Turning around, Garon beckoned toward Newgate.
"Take thirty men and escort Lord Wyman safely to Winterfell."
"Afterward, report to Lady Maege Mormont's daughter and assist in Winterfell's defense."
Newgate immediately nodded.
"Yes, my Lord."
At the same time, Lord Wyman summoned his captain of guards and instructed him to obey Garon's command during the coming campaign.
After everything had been settled, Lord Wyman mounted his horse and departed for Winterfell.
Garon watched him disappear into the distance.
The moment the old lord vanished from sight, he immediately began issuing orders.
"Pass the word."
"Increase the marching pace."
"I want the army to reach the northern entrance of Oxhorn Mountain before noon tomorrow."
Instantly, the entire host surged forward once more, heading directly toward Oxhorn Mountain.
And while Garon prepared for a decisive battle against the Ironborn, another turning point was quietly approaching Riverrun in the Riverlands.