In the early morning, the fog had not yet dissipated.
Galon tightened the reins, and his warhorse, snorting thick white breaths, came to a stop in the cold air.
Behind him, six hundred Northern cavalrymen stood silently on Kings Road, like a black iron torrent.
Three consecutive days of forced marches left Galon looking weary.
But his eyes remained sharp as he gazed ahead at the shadows shrouded in swamp and mist, at Moat Cailin.
However.
Galon saw none of the expected precautions, the presence of Ironborn, or even the sea monster flag symbolizing Iron Islands ' rule.
There was only an eerie silence, and a faint scent of blood and the faint smell of burning wood carried on the wind.
"It's too quiet..."
Jon Snow rode closer, his brow furrowed. " Has Ironborn abandoned Moat Cailin?"
Galon did not answer, but his eyes were filled with vigilance.
The importance of Moat Cailin is self-evident.
Even if Victarion led his army north to attack Winterfell with Euron Crows Eye, he wouldn't have abandoned Moat Cailin outright.
This is illogical.
"Go, send two people over to check."
Galon turned and gave an order, and the two scouts immediately obeyed, sneaking into the mist and ruined towers ahead like ghosts. The wait was not long, but when the two scouts returned, their faces were filled with disbelief.
"Lord Garen!"
The scout looked like he'd seen a ghost, panting as he reported.
"There are signs of a battle in the tower...it's very new!"
"We've seen dozens of Ironborn corpses; they appear to have been ambushed. They're all huddled in the gate tower now, numbering approximately two hundred."
Another scout added, "They look panicked, like they're on guard, or maybe... hiding from something."
Attack? Escape?
Galon's heart sank.
" Robb is still in the south, who would attack Moat Cailin's Ironborn at this time?"
" Lion? Or some other faction?"
A sharp glint flashed in Galon's eyes, and his doubts turned into a decisive command.
"All troops, attack!"
He drew his sword. "No matter what's happening inside, take it while the chaos is at its peak!"
boom-
The horses galloped wildly, disappearing into the thin mist.
In a short time, the Ironborn in the city gate tower discovered the whereabouts of Galon and the others.
"They're from the North!"
"Damn it, why is Stark here?"
" Where is Lord Victarion?" "Fuck, run!"
The already tense Ironborn were thrown into chaos upon hearing the sounds of the cavalry charging and not knowing how many enemies there were.
In a panic, they abandoned the city gate tower and tried to escape Moat Cailin by rushing into the fog.
But if they don't come out, all that's wrong; if they do, they'll only become targets for torture and slaughter by Galon and his gang.
From then on, the battle almost entirely turned in Galon's favor.
The outcome was a foregone conclusion: six hundred Northern cavalrymen faced off against over a hundred Ironborn who were still reeling from the shock and may have just experienced internal turmoil or an external attack.
The resistance was pitifully weak.
The Galonian cavalry swept through the remaining defenses like a hot knife through butter, quickly taking control of the entire Moat Cailin.
Ironborn will either be killed or surrender on their knees.
The whole process was so fast it was almost unbelievable.
Galon stood beneath the city gate tower, stepping on the slippery stone slabs, surveying the chaotic scene around him.
Ironborn's body lay disheveled on the ground, blood soaking the moss.
The cavalry searched the area and soon discovered that Ironborn's longships had been burned.
"Who exactly is attacking Ironborn?"
The victory came too easily, and the burning ships only intensified Galon's unease.
Just then, the soldiers on guard on the perimeter started to commotion.
Galon turned around abruptly and saw the soldiers pointing their weapons toward the swamp, as if facing a formidable enemy.
A group of people emerged from the depths of The Neck, a place filled with green miasma of nitrogen and argon and riddled with traps.
They were small in stature and few in number, about a hundred people.
Their clothing was also completely different from that of the Northern soldiers—dark leather garments that seemed to blend into the swamp itself.
Armed with iron-tipped spears and frog-catching spears, they moved silently, like ghosts, onto the land of Moat Cailin.
The two leading figures were particularly eye-catching—one was a lithe, sharp-eyed young woman holding a three-pronged frog spear.
The other was a younger boy, thin, but with a pair of unusually serene deep green eyes that seemed to see through the mist.
They are not like an army, but more like guardians of the swamp.
The northern soldiers surrounded them nervously, swords drawn.
But Galon recognized them at a glance and immediately reached out to stop the soldiers from taking any further action.
"It turns out that the Reed family attacked Ironborn."
1
Galon looked at them and suddenly understood.
At this moment, the young woman at the head of the group stepped forward, her gaze passing over the soldiers and landing on Galon.
"In the name of Reed, Greywater," her voice was clear and firm, "may I ask if you are from Winterfell?"
Galon nodded, ordered his men to leave, and smiled.
"I am Galon of Deepwood Motte, sent by Stark to reclaim Moat Cailin."
He paused, then asked, "Was it you who attacked these Ironborn?"
The young woman nodded, while the boy beside her quietly observed Galon.
Those green eyes seemed to contain wisdom beyond their years and a hint of... prophetic solemnity.
" I am Meera Reed "
After introducing himself, Meera Reed pointed to a boy beside him and introduced him: "This is my younger brother, Jojen Reed. "
"We came to support Winterfell on the orders of our father, Holland Reed. We crossed the swamp and arrived right behind these Ironborn."
Her words were simple and direct, yet they explained the truth behind Ironborn's attack.
Galon was startled.
In the original story, Meera and her siblings only went to Winterfell to attend the harvest feast; Holland Reed did not send troops to Winterfell.
But now, even the people of the swamp are joining the war.
However, after thinking about it, Galon quickly came to terms with it.
After all, the Reed family was extremely loyal to Stark.
Holland Reed, in particular —who fought alongside Ned Stark in the Battle of the Tower of Joy and holds Ned's deepest secrets.
The siege of Winterfell has been lifted.
Galon said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your assistance, Miss Meera, Jojen."
" Lord Glover," Meera nodded in reply, "we have heard of the battle at Deepwood Motte; it seems the North is regrouping its forces."
Before Galon could answer, Jojen Reed, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
His voice was very soft, yet strangely it could penetrate the surrounding noise and reach everyone's ears.
"The wolf cubs need to gather together. The winter winds have already begun to blow, and an even colder chill comes from the south."
"We must get to Winterfell as soon as possible!"
Jojen's prophetic words stirred a strange feeling in Galon's heart once again.
Galon noticed his deep green eyes and then remembered that the boy in front of him also possessed Greensight.
"Could it be that he also knows something through the Three-Eyed Raven?"
A question flashed through Galon's mind.
After much deliberation, he was certain of one thing: the arrival of the Reed family was by no means accidental.
"good!"
Galon suppressed his inner speculation and spoke decisively.
" The Reed family has always been loyal to Stark, and you are familiar with the environment of The Neck. I plan to leave two hundred men to guard Moat Cailin alongside your Reed family. What do you think, Miss Meera?"
Meera turned to her younger brother, Jojen, who calmly replied without hesitation, "Yes! Lord Galon, please send someone to escort my sister and me to Winterfell!"
His performance further confirmed Galon's inner thoughts.
"Okay, please wait a moment."
"I'll first deploy some men to stay behind and defend against Moat Cailin."
After Galon finished speaking, he immediately gathered everyone together.
After some deliberation, he ordered the two hundred men from White Harbor who had come with him to stay behind and join the hundred men from the Reed family to guard Moat Cailin.
Once everything was arranged, Galon noticed the soldiers' weariness and rested for a few more hours in Moat Cailin.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the North, Euron Crows Eye and his defeated troops finally escaped to Stony Shore.