The cold winds of the North whipped up fine snowflakes, lashing against the chainmail of the marching troops with a dull thud.
Galon rode at the head of the procession on his warhorse.
The Steel Fist flag of Deepwood Fortress fluttered behind him, rustling in the wind.
The army marched silently along King's Road.
The soldiers' faces showed exhaustion, but even more so, the determination and glory of having fought a hard battle and returned in triumph.
After all, they would be arriving at the gates of Winterfell soon.
soon.
After they joined the Seven City forces, the gray outline of Winterfell stood like a silent giant under the gray sky.
Winterfell I
Even Galon felt a surge of emotion upon seeing the castle.
After this battle, his achievements will impress most people in the North, and his status will rise considerably.
Galon brought back the victory the Starks desired.
The Starks should give him what he wants!
really.
When they were still half a mile from the city gate, Galon saw a group of people coming out to greet them.
Leading the way was a vibrant color—a deep blue velvet cloak trimmed with white fur, standing out strikingly in a gray and white world.
It was Sansa!
Galon gave his horse a gentle nudge, increasing its speed, with Jon close behind.
As they drew closer, Sansa's features became clearer.
She rode a gentle mare, her posture upright. She was no longer the girl who longed for knights and songs, but the acting lord of Winterfell.
Her maroon hair was carefully braided and pinned up at the back of her head, and her face remained beautiful.
However, she has shed her naivety and gained a sense of calm and decisiveness, though a trace of fatigue and worry is hard to hide between her brows and eyes.
She was followed by Maester Luwin, Earl Wyman, Alexandra Mormont, and a squad of Winterfell guards.
The two groups met on the snowfield.
"Lord Garen"
Sansa spoke first, her voice joyful, with a hint of barely perceptible dependence.
"Winterfell welcomes you and your valiant warriors back."
"The North will forever remember the blood shed for Deepwood Keep and the glory won by House Glover!"
Her wording was impeccable and appropriate, like a hostess formally welcoming a victorious vassal.
Galon dismounted swiftly and decisively.
He walked up to her horse and bowed slightly.
"Miss Sansa, we were merely fulfilling a vow."
"The iron deposits on the northern lands have now been temporarily cleared away!"
Galon raised his head and met Sansa's gaze.
The two exchanged a knowing smile.
Then, Galon's gaze passed over Sansa, and he nodded to the people behind her.
After a simple welcoming ceremony, the army continued its march toward Winterfell.
Galon and Sansa walked side by side, slightly ahead of the group.
"Garon, are you alright?"
Sansa did not inquire about the details of the battle; instead, she worriedly asked about Galon's health.
Galon smiled and said, "Just a bunch of Ironborn, they can't hurt me."
Sansa immediately smiled with relief.
"Very good!"
"Dad...and Robb will be so happy to know...:"
The thought of her father's death made her voice fall silent again.
Garon noticed her expression, and a thought struck him. He asked, "During my absence from Winterfell, did you hear from the Duke or Robb?"
Sansa's eyes reddened, and she fought back tears as she said, "Father... was killed by Joffrey!"
Galon's body trembled, then he put on an expression of understanding and pretended to be shocked as he reined in his mount.
"What?!"
"Your Excellency, he..."
Maester Luwin followed behind the two, and seeing Galon rein in his horse in shock, he reminded him, "This is not the place to talk. Let's go back and discuss this!"
Garon sighed, then spurred the reins again, leading his army toward Winterfell.
Half an hour later, upon seeing the returning army, the entire castle suddenly became lively.
Cheers erupted from the top of the wall, and the aroma of food prepared to celebrate the victory wafted from the kitchen.
After saying goodbye to Sansa, Galon rode off to arrange military affairs.
After settling the soldiers in, he led the grief-stricken Jon Snow toward the main hall of Winterfell.
Meanwhile, instead of going to greet Galon, Bran, accompanied by Reed and his siblings, silently prayed in the Sacred Tree Forest.
Summer, the direwolf, crouched quietly at Bran's feet.
Jiujian asked softly, "Are you still flying, Bran?"
A moment of silence.
Jiujian's deep green eyes remained unmoved as he spoke in an unusual tone.
I dreamt about...something else.
"Cold blue eyes...awakening in the endless winter...."
"They're here!"
Bran's face darkened, and his voice trembled slightly, "Yes, they are approaching the Wall."
Jiujian pushed his wheelchair and looked toward the heart tree.
"We don't have much time left."
"Only the wisdom of the Three-Eyed Raven can save the world."
Bran, he's calling you!
"You must head north and find him before the long night completely descends!"
Bran fell silent again.
He knew who the "he" Jiu Jian was referring to was, and he also knew what would happen if they went north.
Jiujian didn't urge him any further, but silently waited for Bran's decision.
a long time.
Bran seems to have finally made a decision.
He looked up at Xinshu, his face still pale, but his eyes became unusually firm.
"I understand, I will go."
Mela Reed stepped forward, her voice firm, "We will escort you all the way to the Tree Cave beyond the Great Wall!"
Bran nodded and sighed.
"Let's go back, the Child of Prophecy has returned!"
Jiujian did not answer, and walked straight with Mela, pushing the wheelchair towards the main hall of Winterfell.
After they left, a red leaf quietly fell, as if witnessing their decision.
When they arrived at the hall, everyone who had heard the news from Sansa was completely stunned.
"My father was framed for treason by Joffrey and killed."
Robb has already proclaimed himself king of Riverrun, known as the King in the North.
The series of news completely stunned everyone.
They were left speechless by the unexpected celebration.
Karstark, Seven, Tauhar, and Locke sat silently in their chairs, each with a different expression.
Jon Snow's eyes were red, and his expression was filled with grief; the joy of victory that had just echoed in the hall had vanished.
Silence fell over the hall.
The silence wasn't broken until Garon saw Bran enter and nodded to him.
"So, Robb... the King's war is still at a stalemate?"
Maester Luwin answered for Sansa: "Yes, the latest news is that King Robb has bypassed Golden Tooth and is attacking the Westerlands."
Lady Catelyn, meanwhile, traveled south to the Reach to seek an alliance with Renly and Stannis.
"Then, with the alliance, we will be able to defeat the Lannisters!"
Galon sighed and said in a deep voice, "If only it were that easy!"
He turned his gaze to meet everyone's eyes and explained.
"Robb's claim to kingship means that we in the North are now in opposition to other kings."
"Unless King Robb is willing to kneel again, our Northern territories will remain locked in a bitter struggle with them."
"There's absolutely no possibility of an alliance!"
Although Galon already knew this information through the Heart Tree, he pretended to be learning it for the first time and looked at Scholar Luwin with great confusion.
"Why?"
Why did Robb become king?
"Doing this will only make us...."
He glanced at the others, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.
Scholar Luwin was also at a loss for words and could only shake his head slightly at Galon.
Silence fell over the hall once again.