CHAPTER 154
This night on Pyke Island was destined to be sleepless.
Both Garon and Euron raced against time to carry out their respective plans.
By the time Garon, guided by Asha, reached the ambush site, dawn was already approaching. The darkness before sunrise was at its deepest. The pine trees swayed softly beneath the sea breeze, their branches whispering like mourners singing a dirge for the slaughter that was about to unfold.
"Asha, have your most reliable men take a small force and scout the road leading from Pyke."
"If they discover Euron's army, they must pretend to panic and lure them into this forest."
"Remember, the success of this battle depends on them. They must be extremely careful."
Garon summoned Asha and gave his instructions with complete seriousness.
Fully armored for battle, Asha nodded without hesitation before striding away to issue orders to one of her trusted followers.
Soon afterward, nearly a hundred Ironborn disappeared into the darkness, riding toward the road connecting Pyke and Lordsport.
"Ron, send several scouts to conceal themselves beyond the far end of the forest."
"If Euron's army appears, or anything unusual happens, return immediately and report."
"And make absolutely certain you aren't discovered."
Ron nodded calmly before immediately carrying out the order.
"Now..."
"All we have left to do is wait."
After arranging everything, Garon concealed himself behind an enormous pine tree.
His eyes, as sharp as a hawk's, pierced through layers of branches and pine needles, remaining fixed upon the narrow road winding through the forest.
Cold dew soaked his leather armor, yet he remained perfectly motionless, his entire body taut like a fully drawn bow.
On both sides behind him, Glover archers quietly drew their bows, arrows already nocked, aiming toward the forest road.
Deeper within the woods, Sparta and five hundred Skagosi crouched like hungry wolves waiting for prey.
Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust as they gripped axes, spears, and obsidian warhammers, eagerly awaiting the slaughter to come.
Time slowly slipped away.
The eastern sky gradually turned pale gray while the wind that had blown throughout the night finally weakened.
As daylight slowly spread, a thin veil of mist once again drifted through the pine forest.
"Heaven itself is helping us."
Watching the mist thicken, Garon quietly rejoiced.
Its concealment would greatly reduce the chance of Euron discovering the ambush ahead of time.
Nearly another two hours passed.
Then several Glover scouts rushed back through the trees.
"My lord!"
"They've taken the bait!"
"Euron's army is less than an hour away."
The report instantly stirred everyone hiding within the forest.
Garon immediately raised his hand before pressing it downward, silently ordering everyone to remain absolutely still.
Having already followed him through several great battles, the Glover soldiers instantly understood.
Without making the slightest sound, every man lowered his body even further.
Soon afterward, faint voices drifted toward them from the distance.
Chaotic shouting gradually grew louder, rolling through the forest like waves crashing against rocky shores.
Euron Greyjoy, clad in black Valyrian scale armor, rode at the center of his army atop a powerful black horse.
Ahead of him, Ironborn who had surrendered at Lordsport fled in panic, constantly being driven forward by warriors wielding axes.
The entire Ironborn column stretched into a long line through the winding pine forest.
"Heh..."
"A pack of traitors."
"They certainly know how to run."
Gylbert Botley glared furiously at the fleeing prisoners ahead, wishing he could immediately hack every last one of them apart.
Euron ignored him completely.
Instead, his single eye slowly swept across the mist-covered forest.
For reasons he himself could not explain, an uneasy feeling gradually arose in his heart.
The scene before him...
It felt strangely familiar.
"What exactly are they planning?"
"Where are Asha and Rodrik Harlaw?"
"Are they really waiting to fight us at Lordsport?"
Although Euron was utterly mad, he was no fool.
His instincts had already begun warning him that something was terribly wrong.
At that moment, the Ironborn vanguard entered the narrowest part of the forest road.
Laughing excitedly, they raised their axes and rushed toward the fleeing prisoners.
Their sinister laughter echoed throughout the woods.
"Garon..."
Hidden beneath a towering pine, Asha watched her loyal followers being cut down one after another.
Unable to bear it any longer, she whispered anxiously.
"It's time."
"If we wait any longer, all my men will die."
Garon slowly shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Wait."
Although unwilling, Asha forced herself to remain silent.
She knew Garon was right.
The slightest mistake would expose the ambush.
Meanwhile, Euron had halted his horse near the entrance of the narrow pass, allowing the rest of his army to continue moving deeper into the forest while he quietly observed the mist-shrouded trees around him.
"Something isn't right..."
The towering pines resembled dark shadows hiding countless enemies.
His uneasiness intensified.
Even the black stallion beneath him sensed danger, pawing nervously at the ground.
Then suddenly...
Memory flashed across his mind.
"The North..."
"Damn it!"
"It's the North!"
His single eye widened instantly.
"Northerners are here!"
"No!"
"The entire army..."
"Retre..."
Before he could finish shouting the word retreat, Garon suddenly rose from concealment on Euron's right flank.
He swung his arm downward.
"Loose!"
Whoosh!
Countless arrows suddenly erupted from both sides of the forest.
At the same instant, dozens of flames burst to life among the trees.
Fire arrows wrapped with oil-soaked cloth screamed through the air like swarms of fiery locusts before crashing into Euron's column.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
The dull sounds of arrows piercing flesh instantly replaced every previous noise.
Many flaming arrows buried themselves into pine trunks rich with resin.
Within moments, towering flames spread from tree to tree, crackling violently.
"Ambush!"
"Enemy attack!"
"Hide!"
"No!"
"Charge!"
"Kill them!"
Panic exploded throughout the Ironborn ranks.
Caught completely off guard, they scrambled desperately beneath the burning trees.
The dense forest and thick mist prevented anyone from determining how many enemies surrounded them.
Meanwhile, the spreading flames steadily reduced the space available to maneuver.
Some warriors became covered in burning pine resin.
The moment sparks touched them, their entire bodies ignited.
Terrified screams echoed endlessly.
"Blow the horn!"
"Sound the horn!"
"Drive those archers off the hillsides!"
Euron leapt from his horse, drawing his curved Valyrian steel blade.
"Kill them all!"
"Charge!"
The harsh sound of a war horn echoed throughout the forest.
Hearing it, frightened Ironborn instinctively rallied around Euron.
"For the North!"
"For House Glover!"
Garon roared as he drew his greatsword, pointing directly toward Euron.
At the same moment, disciplined Glover infantry emerged from concealment, protecting the archers while they continued pouring arrows into the trapped Ironborn.
Just then, as Euron's vanguard attempted to turn around after hearing the horn, a beastlike roar suddenly exploded behind them.
"Skagosi!"
"Charge!"
Sparta burst from the depths of the forest, swinging his enormous obsidian warhammer.
He crashed into the Ironborn vanguard like an enraged giant bear.
One swing of his weapon sent an Ironborn and his axe flying together.
Hundreds of Skagosi followed behind him.
Roaring like wild beasts, they hacked and smashed into the trapped vanguard without the slightest fear.
"Kill them all!"
Their savage cries tore through the morning air above Pyke Island.
The battlefield descended into complete chaos.
On both flanks, Garon and Ron each commanded disciplined shield walls that repeatedly split the Ironborn into isolated groups before destroying them one after another with spears and swords.
Meanwhile, Mihawk's archers continued relentlessly firing into the narrow roadway, preventing any organized counterattack.
The disoriented Ironborn ran about like headless chickens, only to be struck down by arrow after arrow.
"No..."
"It isn't Asha."
"It isn't House Harlaw."
"It's the North."
"It's him..."
"Garon Glover..."
Only now, after cutting down the warriors blocking his path, did Euron finally recognize the enemy before him.
The calm expression that had remained on his face vanished instantly.
His remaining eye burned with murderous fury.
"You again..."
"Garon..."
"You truly deserve to die!"
His entire body trembled.
His bloodstained curved sword remained tightly gripped in his right hand while his left slowly rose toward the black eyepatch covering his hidden eye.
Just as he prepared to remove it, he suddenly stopped.
Quietly, almost as though speaking to another existence, he murmured,
"God..."
"Not yet..."
"He's still not worthy of paying that price..."
His left hand slowly lowered once more.
His gaze remained fixed upon Garon, who continued cutting through the battlefield like an unstoppable force.
Suddenly, Euron pointed his blade directly toward him.
"Kill him!"
"Kill him for me!"
"Whoever kills Garon Glover shall become Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet!"
"I'll also grant him half of all the iron taken in the coming plunder!"
Heavy rewards always produced desperate warriors.
The surrounding Ironborn instantly went mad.
Even Gylbert's face filled with excitement.
"For King Euron!"
"Charge!"
Gylbert led his household guards toward Garon without hesitation.
Hearing Euron's challenge, Garon's eyes flashed with killing intent.
Turning slightly, he spoke to Asha beside him.
"Asha."
"Follow me."
With one clean swing, he split apart the Ironborn blocking his path before charging directly toward the enemy's center instead of retreating.
Within only a few minutes, Garon and his personal guard had carved a bloody path through countless enemies before colliding head-on with Gylbert Botley and his household guards.
"Kill!"
Garon raised his greatsword, effortlessly knocking aside an incoming attack before forcing his way directly in front of Gylbert.
Gylbert's face instantly turned pale.
Instinctively, he hurled his hand axe.
Garon simply shifted aside.
The axe flew harmlessly past him.
His greatsword immediately descended.
Slash!
Before Gylbert could even react, his head flew from his shoulders.
Thump!
His body collapsed heavily onto the ground.
The surrounding guards recoiled in horror.
Standing atop Gylbert's corpse, Garon raised his bloodstained greatsword and pointed it directly toward Euron.
His roar shook the entire battlefield.
"Glover is here!"
"Euron!"
"Will you fight me!"
Behind him, his personal guards shouted almost simultaneously.
"Glover is here!"
"Euron!"
"Will you fight!"
The cries spread rapidly.
Every Glover soldier and every Skagosi warrior took up the same battle cry.
"Glover is here!"
"Euron!"
"Will you fight!"
Their thunderous voices echoed throughout the pine forest.
Meanwhile, the morale of the Ironborn steadily crumbled.
Many could no longer hear Euron's commands.
Separated into countless isolated groups, they saw enemies everywhere yet could no longer locate their king.
Panic finally overwhelmed them.
The remaining thousand or more Ironborn completely collapsed.
Euron desperately shouted for them to hold their ground.
"Steady!"
"Stand..."
His voice barely escaped before attracting the attention of the archers.
Whoosh!
Having already cleared the enemy blocking his position, Mihawk immediately drew his bow and released an arrow toward Euron.
The shaft sliced across Euron's cheek, leaving a bloody wound.
Startled, Euron threw himself onto the ground before quickly raising his visor to shield himself from another arrow.
As he climbed back to his feet, he looked around.
Flames spread throughout the forest.
Scorching heat filled the air.
The endless screams of his soldiers echoed from every direction.
Only then did Euron finally understand.
He had once again been utterly defeated by Garon.
"Retreat!"
"Get out of this cursed forest!"
He screamed hoarsely before fleeing without another glance behind him.
The moment Euron fled, the battle was decided.
The newly gathered Ironborn whom he intended to forge into another Iron Fleet completely disintegrated.
They scattered in every direction, desperately trying to escape the burning pine forest.
Facing the routed enemy, Ron calmly maintained disciplined formations, steadily cutting down fleeing Ironborn one group after another.
Standing atop higher ground, Garon surveyed the battlefield before pointing toward one of his guards.
"Go."
"Tell Ron and Mihawk to finish cleaning up here."
"When they're done, have them immediately bring the army after us."
"The rest of you..."
"Follow me."
His cold gaze fixed itself upon the direction in which Euron had fled.
"Asha."
"You're coming too."
After speaking, Garon waited for a response.
None came.
His heart immediately tightened.
Turning around, he discovered Asha standing motionless, gazing at him with unconcealed admiration.
"Asha?"
Only after hearing Garon call her name again did she finally recover her senses.
"I..."
"I understand."
A faint smile appeared on Garon's face.
Without another word, he immediately led a portion of his men in hot pursuit of Euron.
The pine forest ambush had been a tremendous success.
Now only the final hunt remained.