Just as Galon was resting with his army, Shanks rushed day and night to Winterfell with news of the great victory at Ox Horn Mountain.
Finally, he delivered the intelligence to Winterfell at noon the next day.
" A great victory at Ox Horn Mountain!"
" A great victory at Ox Horn Mountain!!"
"Lord Galon slew Victarion Greyjoy, the commander-in-chief of the Iron Fleet, amidst a thousand troops!"
" Ironborn's main force has been completely crushed!"
When Shanks hoarsely shouted the news of the great victory as the drawbridge at the main gate was raised, the main gate fell into a moment of deathly silence.
Even the suspension bridge, which was only halfway up, suddenly plummeted down.
But then, deafening cheers that nearly lifted the roof off resounded throughout Winterfell.
"Quickly—quickly open the city gates!"
Upon receiving the news, Alexandra Mormont, who was in charge of defending the city, immediately ordered the drawbridge to be raised again and personally welcomed Shanks and his men into the city.
"Lord Galon won?"
We won!
Shanks answered Alexandra's question affirmatively. Joy flashed in Alexandra's burly eyes. She suddenly drew her sword, pointed it to the sky, and shouted.
"Did you hear that? We won!"
"The North has won!"
The fear, sadness, and despair that Hōichi had suppressed for so long were completely transformed into ecstasy and catharsis at this moment.
The soldiers guarding the city threw their helmets into the air, women and children embraced and wept, and the elderly knelt down to thank the old gods.
Alexandra Mormont, laughing heartily, led Shanks and the others to Winterfell's Hall.
Inside the Hall at this moment.
Maester Luwin and Lord Wyman, who had also received the message, had been waiting for a moment.
Upon seeing Shanks, the scholar couldn't wait to ask the same question as Alexandra Mormont.
"Did we really win?"
"Yes!"
After traveling for two days and one night, Shanks fought off his sleepiness, nodded affirmatively, and said with enthusiasm.
"We won!"
" Victarion was personally slain by Lord Galon, causing a major rout for Ironborn. Lord Galon is now organizing forces to pursue them!"
Lord Wyman tugged at his beard, still unable to believe it.
" Victarion... was actually killed by Lord Galon himself?"
As a lord who also possessed a fleet, he was well aware of the Iron Fleet's terrifying combat power.
Even though Iron Fleet's strength is significantly reduced when fighting on land compared to at sea, Victarion, given his ferocity, shouldn't have been so easily killed by Galon.
"Quickly, tell me what happened!"
Lord Wyman was eager to inquire about the details of Shanks' situation.
Just then, another series of hurried footsteps came from outside the Hall.
Sansa rushed over, pushing Bran, who was in a wheelchair.
Her face lit up with surprise, and she asked the same question as Maester Luwin again.
"Garon...he won?"
Then, her voice trembling, she asked again, "He...isn't he hurt?"
Shanks dared not neglect his lord's fiancée.
He bowed to Sansa before smiling.
" Miss Sansa, please rest assured, Lord Galon is blessed by the old gods and is unharmed!"
In an instant, Sansa breathed a sigh of relief and burst into tears of joy.
Bran sat in his wheelchair, a long-lost, genuine smile appearing on his pale face.
He turned his head and whispered to Sansa, "See? I knew Galon could do it!"
After Sansa calmed down a bit, Shanks turned around and answered Lord Wyman's question.
He recounted everything he had seen and heard on the battlefield in detail.
When they heard that Galon and Victarion were dueling one-on-one amidst a vast army, everyone gasped in shock.
Sansa, in particular, covered her mouth in horror, even though she knew Galon had already won.
"Just like that, Lord Galon severed Victarion's head with a single sword strike, and Ironborn instantly collapsed!"
"We have completely won this war!"
Lord Wyman looked shocked, touching his round belly, and then a loud laugh echoed through the Hall.
"good!"
"What a brilliant Galon Glover!"
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
Excitement gleamed in Maester Luwin's eyes, and the immense burden he carried in his heart was greatly relieved.
He whispered, "I need to write to Robb and Mrs. Catelyn as soon as possible to tell them about this!"
However, before that, Maester Luwin noticed Shanks' tired expression and immediately spoke to him in a warm tone.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll prepare the rooms for you right away."
"You all wash up, get a good night's sleep, and rest!"
Shanks did not refuse.
He bowed to Sansa again before dragging his weary body out with the servant.
Inside the hall, Maester Luwin was still discussing the next steps with Stark.
Outside the Hall, the joy of victory, like a warm ocean current, quickly dispelled the chill that had lingered over Winterfell for so long.
However, this joy is not a blessing for everyone.
That same afternoon, another team arrived in Winterfell — Asha Greyjoy, who had been escorted from Deepwood Motte.
She was disarmed and her hands were bound.
But she still held her head high, carried with her stubbornness and arrogance as she was led into Winterfell.
She even prepared a speech to mock the Northerners.
Especially Galon!
However.
What Asha first sensed was a strange, celebratory atmosphere in Winterfell that seemed out of place with her status as a prisoner.
Then she heard excited whispers from the soldiers and servants around her.
"I heard that Lord Galon chopped off the head of Commander-in-Chief of Iron Fleet."
"Three thousand Ironborn, all gone."
" Lord Glover is truly amazing!"
" Crows Eye seems to have run away like a dog."
A few words, like cold, poisoned arrows, pierced through Asha's feigned composure.
Her face began to turn pale, and her steps became unsteady.
"No—impossible!"
"It must be fake! How could Uncle Victarion have been killed by Glover!"
"Him?!"
Asha didn't want to believe it, and she didn't dare to believe it.
But when she brought it to Maester Luwin and Sansa, she had no choice but to believe it.
Maester Luwin looked at her, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable weight.
" Miss Asha Glojoy, I feel it is necessary to inform you."
"Your uncle, Victarion Greyjoy, has died in the Battle of Ox Horn Mountain."
" The main force of the Iron Islands ' invasion of the North has also been completely wiped out."
"Your other uncle, Euron Greyjoy, fled after being defeated in battle."
This news, like a final, devastating blow, shattered all of Asha's psychological defenses.
"It's fake, you're definitely lying to me..."
12
She muttered to herself, then took a step back while still kneeling, her face drained of color.
Sansa looked at her with pity, a hint of pleasure in her voice.
"Lord Galon personally slew your uncle Victarion amidst a thousand troops; everyone present witnessed it clearly!"
Asha's eyes, which always shone with an untamed light, instantly lost all their luster, leaving only a huge, unbelievable emptiness and despair.
" Uncle Victarion...he...how could he possibly..."
That uncle, who was as strong as an iron tower and had almost never failed, is dead?
Iron Fleet's main force... wiped out?
In an instant, all her pride, all her plans, and all her confidence collapsed with this news.
Asha realized that she had completely lost all her bargaining chips.
Seeing this, Maester Luwin tried to use the opportunity to persuade Asha to write a letter to Balon to surrender.
" Miss Greyjoy, the suffering brought by war has already been enough!"
"If the fighting continues, the North will only see more pointless bloodshed on the Iron Islands."
He paused, then, with the air of a victor, began to persuade Asha.
"Would you be willing to write a letter in your own name to your father, King Balon?"
"Persuade him to cease hostilities and make peace, and then take you back?"
"Believe me, this is the only way to prevent more tragedies!"
But at this moment, Asha was disheartened and utterly hopeless.
She raised her head, staring blankly at Luwin, a smile that looked more like a grimace than tears.
"write a letter?"
"Heh... Write a letter to him telling him that his brother is dead, his fleet is destroyed, and his daughter has become a prisoner for the enemy to flaunt their war achievements?"
"Make him submit to you?"
"Don't even think about it!"
She abruptly turned her head away, refusing to cooperate, and became immersed in immense grief and a sense of defeat.
Maester Luwin sighed, knowing that forcing the issue at this point would be useless.
He waved his hand, signaling the guards to take Asha away and keep her under strict guard, so she could calm down first.
"Lock her up for a few days. Once she's thought things through, she'll realize that only by surrendering can she survive!"
Maester Luwin offered this advice to Sansa and Bran.
"I intend to write to Robb and Mrs. Catelyn about the victory at Galon. What are your thoughts?"
Sansa and Bran nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Maester Luwin returned to the Tower of Bachelors with a light heart, ready to mail the letter.
But before the letter could fly out, a raven flying in from Riverrun ruined his good mood.
The letter contained the following information: Lord Stark was killed by the false king Joffrey, and King Robb was crowned King in the North at Riverrun!