The North, Winterfell, South Gate
"You're simply..."
"Waaaaah..."
Just as Amy Flowers was about to voice her opinion on Theon's brain-dead behavior, a series of low-pitched horn blasts suddenly interrupted the conversation between Amy Flowers and Theon.
"Kill!"
After the horn blasts ended, the war cries of soldiers rang out, accompanied by torches being lit one after another.
In a short while, a large force of soldiers appeared within Winterfell and on the outskirts of Winter Town.
In particular, those outside the walls were the very force led out by Ser Rodrik Cassel some time earlier.
Once the House Stark guards inside and outside the castle surrounded these men, everyone was surprised to discover that among them were even several merchants and hedge knights from Winter Town.
"Theon!?"
The hot-tempered Ser Rodrik, upon seeing Theon among the crowd, instantly exploded like a lit firecracker. He could never have imagined that Theon would actually betray them.
"Theon!"
Inside the city gate, Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn also felt a deep pang of sorrow upon seeing Theon.
"Why did you betray us?"
Looking at the surrounded Theon, Lady Catelyn demanded an answer in disappointment.
Upon seeing Lord Eddard and the others, Theon felt a trace of guilt. However, as soon as Catelyn spoke, resentment instantly overwhelmed him.
"You ask me why I betrayed you? It was you who betrayed me! Why is it that that bastard can do so well while I can do nothing, only living in his shadow? I won't have it! I am a proud Greyjoy, and you have no right to control me!"
After shouting those words, the strength seemed to drain from Theon's body. Yet when he saw the anger on those familiar faces, fear began creeping into his heart once again.
"Kill them, but leave Theon alive!"
Seeing his foster son stubbornly refuse to repent, Lord Eddard ultimately could not bring himself to strike him down. Instead, he directly ordered his men to attack, sparing only Theon's life.
"Charge!"
The House Stark guards, armed with shields and spears, quickly closed in on the group. Since Amy Flowers and her companions mostly wielded short swords and hand axes, they had little chance of resisting against the disciplined House Stark guards.
"Break through!"
At Amy Flowers' command, the members of the Night's Band let out eerie cries and charged straight toward Lord Eddard's position.
They knew they had no chance left, so before death claimed them, they wanted to make one final attempt to eliminate the target of their mission.
The Night's Band's original mission had been to capture Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Stark. According to the agreement between the Reach and the Iron Islands, Eddard had to be handed over to them.
However, now that events had reached this point, the members of the Night's Band could only resort to their contingency plan: kill Lord Eddard Stark and plunge the entire North into complete chaos.
"Get them! You little bastards, Lord Stark is under attack! Kill them!"
"Stay sharp!"
Amid the shouts of Hallis Mollen and Ser Rodrik, the House Stark guards kept Lord and Lady Stark firmly protected.
Although the members of the Night's Band were all individually skilled fighters, in such circumstances, only disciplined cooperation could secure victory.
Thus, beneath the hazy moonlight, a fierce battle erupted near Winterfell's South Gate.
The loyal guards of House Stark formed an unbreakable shield wall, their steps steady and their eyes filled with unwavering resolve.
After recognizing the intentions of the Night's Band warriors, everyone had already prepared their defenses.
Just as expected, the shield wall successfully withstood the Night's Band's fierce assault, standing like an immovable wall that gradually neutralized each wave of enemy attacks.
The intensity of the battle exceeded everyone's expectations. Both sides, wielding a variety of weapons, filled the night with flashing steel.
As time passed, the House Stark guards' superiority in equipment and training became increasingly evident. Their better weapons and disciplined formation gave them a decisive advantage.
"Thrust!"
Following Hallis Mollen's command, the guards in the rear ranks executed the order without hesitation.
The spears in their hands became deadly lances, accurately striking the weak points of the Night's Band warriors.
The sharp spearheads easily pierced their enemies' light armor, sending sprays of blood into the air.
To improve their mobility, most members of the Night's Band wore no armor at all, with only the lower-ranking officers equipped with coats of chainmail.
Squish...
"Arghhh!"
Accompanied by the dull sounds of flesh being pierced and the agonized screams of the enemy, the House Stark guards displayed superb combat skills and ruthless battlefield discipline.
Every precise spear thrust dealt another crushing blow to the Night's Band's morale, filling those warriors with an unprecedented sense of fear.
"Kill!"
While the battle at the South Gate raged on, a new crisis unfolded at Winterfell's North Gate. A squad of Ironborn raiders, armed with hand axes and maces, used grappling hooks to launch a direct assault against the defenders.
Since most of Winterfell's guards had been deployed to the South Gate, the North Gate was left with only a skeleton defense.
As the gate was opened, the Ironborn charged inside with savage roars. Their objective was simple: execute a decapitation strike, capture Lord Eddard Stark, and force the Northmen into submission.
Theon's father, Lord Balon Greyjoy, perhaps still haunted by his defeats at the hands of the Westerlands and the Reach, had accepted the Reach's proposal without a second thought.
Many Ironborn raiders were dissatisfied with being ordered to plunder Northern peasants. In their view, wealthy ports like Lannisport or Oldtown were far more worthy targets.
However, the obedience ingrained in them over generations compelled those Ironborn captains to follow their lord's commands.
"Lady Asha! We have completely secured this gate. But do we really not need to worry about your brother?"
"That idiot won't be in any danger for now. He's currently the only heir to House Greyjoy. The Starks won't kill him so easily."
With long hair draped over her shoulders and a somewhat sturdy build, Asha Greyjoy stood noticeably taller than both her father and her brother.
"A sailor who has never weathered a storm can never become a true sailor. Hurry and start setting fires. We must throw this place into chaos before we capture Lord Eddard Stark."
"Yes, Lady Asha!"
At Asha Greyjoy's command, Winterfell descended into complete chaos. The Ironborn raiders attacking from the rear completely disrupted Winterfell's defensive deployment.
Furthermore, they set fires everywhere, leaving the House Stark guards with no opportunity to respond to the sudden assault. The entirety of Winterfell now resembled an apocalyptic inferno.
As these events unfolded, Lord Eddard, far away at Winterfell's South Gate, also noticed what was happening.
By then, the battle there was nearing its conclusion. Although the members of the Night's Band had fought desperately, the disparity in equipment and training had driven them into a hopeless position.
As for the unfortunate Theon, he had been dragged away by a rope around his neck early in the battle.
His martial ability was nothing remarkable. Aside from his respectable skill with a bow, his ability in close combat posed little threat.
With Theon captured, the House Stark guards had no further concerns, although Ser Rodrik and the others were astonished that not a single member of the Night's Band surrendered.
"Ser Rodrik! Take men inside immediately. Leave this place to Hallis and his men."
Upon seeing the flames rising within Winterfell, Lord Eddard immediately realized that someone had launched a surprise attack from the rear, so he quickly ordered Ser Rodrik to investigate.
"Strawhead, you and the others come with me! Let's see who has the nerve to attack Winterfell!"
After receiving the order, Ser Rodrik led more than a hundred men toward the First Keep. This ancient, abandoned round fortress was the oldest structure within Winterfell.
At that moment, raging flames engulfed the area, making it obvious that the enemy was operating nearby.
Despite the urgency, Ser Rodrik did not allow his men to scatter. Under his command, the soldiers maintained a shield wall. Although it slowed their advance, it ensured they could quickly organize a defense if ambushed.
The enemy did not know that Winterfell's armory was located near the First Keep. Ser Rodrik's plan was to organize the soldiers there and rally the panicked people throughout Winterfell.
"Kill!"
Just as Ser Rodrik crossed the training yard, more than twenty Ironborn raiders rushed out with savage cries. They had chosen the perfect ambush position, right at the entrance to the yard.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Working together, the Ironborn smashed wine barrels filled with oil directly into the center of the infantry formation. Before Ser Rodrik and his men could recover from their shock, burning torches were hurled immediately afterward.
"Arghhh!"
"It's on fire!"
"Help me!"
"Get away! Quickly!"
Under the Ironborn raiders' sudden assault, the force led by Ser Rodrik was thrown into complete disarray. Split apart in the middle, the soldiers wailed and screamed in agony.
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