Cerwyn Castle.
Galon led his men through the ruined city, inspecting the silent streets. The horrific scene before him only sharpened his vigilance.
Euron's cruelty and cunning had surpassed his expectations.
It seemed that he did not care about Cerwyn at all.
The terror, destruction, and slaughter had merely served to conceal his true objective.
'In the canon, he appeared at the Iron Islands only after murdering Balon, attending the kingsmoot to claim the Seastone Chair.'
'After seizing power, he immediately began assembling a fleet to pursue dragons and seek Daenerys.'
'But now Euron has appeared in the North. Why?'
'To help Balon?'
Galon shook his head, dismissing the thought.
'Euron kills his own kin and delights in cruelty. He would never help Balon out of loyalty or revenge.'
'So what is he after?'
'The dragons? Or something else?'
'Could it be... that dragons are in the North?'
The thought startled Galon so much that he nearly laughed at himself.
'No... how could there be dragons in the North?'
'Besides, even Daenerys's dragons should have only just hatched. Euron is not like me. He does not have a godlike perspective or the ability to see the future.'
After thinking calmly for a moment, Galon pushed the unlikely speculation aside.
'No matter what his motives are, my priority is to destroy the Ironborn in the North as soon as possible and seize the Dragon Horn.'
'The red comet has appeared. Daenerys has most likely already hatched her dragons. I do not have much time left.'
He looked up at the crimson comet blazing high above.
At that moment, he made his decision.
"Send a unit to White River Crossing. Ask Mihawk about the situation."
"If he has not encountered Euron, tell him to return and regroup with me."
"Also send out all cavalry scouts. Use Cerwyn as the center point and track the Ironborn's retreat. I want to know exactly where Euron has gone."
At Galon's command, the cavalry quickly rode out of the city.
Yet even by evening, when Mihawk arrived with his men, there was still no trace of Euron.
'Strange...'
'He is not heading toward Torrhen's Square. He did not pass the White River Crossing either. Where could he have gone?'
Inside the ruined council hall of Cerwyn, Galon spread a map across the table and discussed the situation with his officers.
"Could he have marched straight toward the Horned Hills and then to Moat Cailin?" Ron suggested after some thought.
"Or perhaps," Ron added, "he raided the area and then slipped past Torrhen's Square toward the Stony Shore."
Others nodded. It seemed plausible.
Ironborn raiders were famous for striking quickly and leaving just as quickly, rarely lingering inland.
But Galon knew this invasion was different.
"The Iron Islands did not send three separate armies merely to raid a few villages," Galon said firmly. "Their true target has always been Winterfell."
He turned to Shanks.
"Have all the cavalry returned?"
"Two squads sent south have not come back yet," Shanks replied. "All the others have returned."
Galon considered this for a moment.
"Have the men set up camp. We will stay in Cerwyn tonight. Once we determine Euron's direction, we will decide our next move."
No one objected.
"Clay, have the bodies all been collected?" Galon asked.
"Not yet," Clay replied quietly. His pale face revealed how sickened he had become from dealing with the corpses. "We have moved the bodies from the outer castle to the west wall, but the inner keep has not been cleared yet."
Galon frowned.
"Dispose of the bodies as soon as possible. Tomorrow we will finish clearing the inner keep."
Clay nodded.
Seeing that no one had further questions, Galon dismissed them. He remained behind, studying the map in silence.
'Should I send cavalry along the Kingsroad to pursue Euron toward Moat Cailin?'
'Most of his force is infantry. If he is truly heading there, cavalry could easily catch him.'
Deep down, Galon felt certain that Euron had not left the North so easily. Most likely, he was trying to join forces with Victarion.
'No. If they unite, defeating them near Winterfell will require far greater strength.'
'When Robb left, he granted me authority to command part of the Northern armies. Now is the time to use that authority.'
A sharp gleam flashed in Galon's eyes as he looked at the map.
'Still... to make it more legitimate, I should act in the name of Sansa and Bran.'
'And it will also test Bran's intentions.'
Galon did not particularly fear the damage that Euron and Victarion might cause if they joined forces.
What mattered to him was the opportunity to command the armies of the North.
'Once I control the Northern armies, an invasion of the Iron Islands becomes possible. And with Asha already captured... the Iron Islands will inevitably fall into my hands.'
'At that point, I would control two of the Seven Kingdoms.'
'The great plan would finally begin.'
Galon stared at the map of the Iron Islands for a long time, forming the beginnings of a campaign in his mind.
Before he realized it, night had fallen over the ruined city of Cerwyn.
Galon finally shook himself from his thoughts, rolled up the map, and went to arrange food and rest for the soldiers.
After organizing the night watch, he made another patrol through the city before finally lying down to sleep despite the foul smell that lingered everywhere.
The night passed quietly.
Early the next morning, Galon ordered the men to assist Clay in clearing the corpses and wreckage from the castle.
The morning passed quickly.
By midday, the two cavalry squads that had been sent south finally returned with news.
"My lord, we followed the tracks as far as Bullhorn Hill. There we found signs of the Ironborn."
"They slaughtered a village. One farmer survived and said they marched south."
Galon immediately unfolded the map and examined the location.
About fifty kilometers south of Cerwyn stood a mountain range shaped like the horns of a bull. The Kingsroad ran between those horns, leading directly toward Moat Cailin.
"So they did not travel by water. They took the mountain road instead?"
"That makes little sense," Mihawk said with confusion. "Wouldn't the river route be faster? I guarded the crossing yesterday and saw no one."
"Perhaps Crow's Eye feared we had set an ambush along the water," Ron suggested thoughtfully.
"If we discovered he was traveling by river, a raven could have warned White Harbor. They could block the crossing near Moat Cailin and trap him completely."
Galon glanced at Ron with mild surprise.
"Not bad. Your strategic thinking has improved."
Ron scratched the back of his head and laughed. "After following you for so long, I have learned a few things."
Galon smiled slightly before returning to the matter at hand.
"Whether he feared an ambush or not, the situation is clear. Euron is heading to join the Ironborn forces at Moat Cailin."
"Once those two armies unite, our current strength will not be enough to defeat them."
He looked around at the gathered officers.
"We need more soldiers."
"My lord, what should we do?" Clay asked.
"Should I recruit more farmers?"
"No," Galon replied. "Farmers are useful for hauling carts and supplies, but not for war."
"I will return to Winterfell and summon the Northern lords in the name of House Stark."
"We will unite the North against the Ironborn."
Clay hesitated.
"But what about Cerwyn?"
"Cerwyn is no longer worth defending," Galon said, placing a hand on Clay's shoulder.
"You will return to Winterfell with me."
"We must secure the strategic advantage before the Ironborn make their next move."
Clay felt reluctant, but when he looked at the ruined castle, he knew Galon was right.
Seeing that no one else objected, Galon gave the order.
"Gather the troops."
"We return to Winterfell."
Soon the soldiers assembled, and the army began its march back north.
At the same time, far to the east at a crossing along the White Knife River, Ramsay Snow led the private troops of the Dreadfort across the water.
They were less than half a day's ride from Winterfell.
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