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Jimmy returned to Sea Dragon Point.
The place had grown far more prosperous than before. As soon as he arrived, he was met with one piece of good news… and one piece of bad news.
The good news.
The old wolf and the others had returned safely.
The bad news.
Yara had escaped.
Which meant Sea Dragon Point might no longer remain a secret.
Jimmy simply waved it off.
It didn't matter.
He had never intended to keep it hidden forever anyway. This was the moment for the Free Folk to step into the light.
They would move through the Wolfswood and join Jon in the assault against Ramsay.
Horus circled overhead before landing back on Jimmy's shoulder. The bird seemed unusually subdued.
Yara's escape weighed on it.
If it hadn't dozed off while escorting the old wolf, she would never have had the chance.
…
"This battle," Jimmy began, addressing the group, "will be commanded jointly by Daisy and Robb."
"Robb understands warfare, but not the Free Folk's fighting style. Daisy understands the Free Folk, but lacks experience in large-scale command."
"If you want to minimize casualties, follow both of their orders."
He glanced at Ned and the others.
"What about you? Staying behind, or coming along?"
"We'll go," Ned replied. "It's been too long since we've seen the children."
Jimmy nodded, then turned.
"Tyrion, what about you?"
Tyrion smirked, eyes drifting toward the giants nearby. "Me? I'm rather curious to see how these towering friends of yours fight."
Ever since arriving at Sea Dragon Point, Tyrion had been fascinated by the giants.
Men that size…
It was something else entirely.
"Alright," Jimmy said. "Then let's go over the situation."
He straightened slightly.
"At this point, every northern lord with a castle has declared for Roose Bolton. Or rather… Ramsay Snow."
He paused briefly.
"Though I suppose we should call him Ramsay Bolton now."
"Half a month ago, after Roose's wife Walda Frey gave birth to a son, Ramsay decided to solve the succession problem… permanently."
"Roose Bolton is dead."
"Ramsay killed him himself."
Jimmy's tone turned colder.
"He's a rabid dog. He thinks that as long as a few major houses support him, he can sit comfortably and rule."
"The houses he's counting on are the Umbers, the Manderlys, and the Karstarks."
"The Manderlys aren't truly loyal. They're just playing along to get their captured heir back."
"The Umbers oppose Jon because he let the Free Folk through the Wall. Their hatred runs deep. Everyone knows it."
"As for the Karstarks…"
Jimmy glanced at Robb.
"You already know why they turned."
He continued without waiting.
"The battle will likely take place here."
He pointed at the map.
"Jon won't fight near Castle Black. Too many Free Folk civilians are gathered there."
"This time, we're deploying all our giant guards, five thousand Free Folk heavy riders, and two thousand infantry."
"The remaining four thousand will stay behind to defend Sea Dragon Point."
"Yara's escape means we can't leave this place unguarded."
He paused, then added casually,
"And Ned… since Jon has already given away the New Gift, I won't ask for it. Instead, I'll take the Wolfswood."
The Wolfswood wasn't the easiest place to live.
But after being reshaped by the giants and the Free Folk, it had become far more hospitable.
Non-fruit-bearing trees had been cleared.
In their place grew acorns, nuts, and fruit trees.
Livestock grazed beneath the canopy.
Hunting, fishing, gathering…
It was a self-sustaining haven.
Ned let out a quiet, resigned chuckle.
"You really don't leave much room to refuse, do you?"
He shook his head.
"Very well."
There was plenty of unclaimed land in the North anyway.
Even without the Wolfswood.
"Good. Then we move."
…
On the other side, Ramsay was already marching.
House Umber had sent two hundred men.
Their last reserves.
House Karstark contributed seventeen hundred, sparing no effort.
The Manderlys had dispatched a thousand soldiers, but they were still on the road.
Ramsay didn't bother waiting.
To him, there was no need.
South of the Wall, there were no defenses.
Just a ragtag force of thieves, criminals, and farmers.
What kind of army could that be?
One he could crush without effort.
Ramsay didn't care about reinforcements.
What he wanted was allegiance.
He left two hundred men behind to hold Winterfell and marched south with the rest of his forces, heading straight for Castle Black.
…
Castle Black received the news soon enough.
When Tormund heard that the enemy was bringing cavalry, his expression darkened.
Everyone else talked about numbers.
Only Tormund saw the real threat.
"I'm not afraid of their soldiers," he said grimly. "I'm afraid of their horses."
"Cavalry… that's what wins battles."
"When Stannis defeated us, it was effortless. Like pouring hot water over snow."
And he wasn't exaggerating.
But Castle Black barely had any horses left. Maintaining a handful for scouting was already pushing their limits.
Forming a cavalry force of their own?
Out of the question.
"We can dig trenches," Jon suggested. "Force them into a frontal attack. Stop them from flanking us."
Tormund stared at him blankly.
"What's flanking?"
Jon paused.
"…Attacking from the sides."
Tormund kept staring.
"…It means they can only come at us from the front."
Tormund nodded slowly.
"Right. From the front."
He still didn't understand.
But saying nothing would make him look like a fool.
Jon saw right through it, but didn't bother explaining further.
Instead, he decided on a simpler approach.
Mix the Free Folk with the northern levies.
Let the trained men enforce discipline.
…
Soon, all the northern lords who had answered the call gathered together.
Most were minor houses.
Among them stood Lyanna Mormont.
The young Lady of Bear Island spoke with fierce conviction.
Seating was arranged by the number of troops each house had brought.
Lyanna had come with sixty-two warriors.
That was enough to place her among the top five.
It said a lot about the state of the North.
"…House Mormont remembers. The North remembers."
"We recognize no king but the King in the North. And that king is a Stark."
"I don't care if he was born a bastard. He carries Stark blood. That makes him my king."
"By the old vows, from this day until my last breath, I stand with him!"
Her words ignited the hall.
The gathered lords roared in agreement.
Amid the rising voices, Jon Snow was proclaimed King in the North.
Of course, that was only part of the truth.
Behind the scenes, everyone understood.
If the great houses fell, the smaller ones would finally have a chance to rise.
And Ramsay Bolton…
He was a monster.
A man who reveled in cruelty.
Compared to him, even Ned Stark seemed merciful beyond measure.
In that light, Jon's claim felt not only acceptable…
But necessary.
Jon let out a long breath.
At last.
One piece of good news.
Now, this was all they had to rely on.
Brienne had gone to seek aid at Riverrun.
No word had come back.
Davos had traveled to the Vale.
He returned with nothing.
The Vale lords were too busy protecting their own strength to risk sending troops.
As for the boy lord, Robert Arryn…
He might hold the title, but he ruled nothing.
As long as he was comfortable in the Eyrie, well-fed and entertained, he had no interest in the world beyond.
Unless, of course, someone offered him the chance to watch another man fly through the Moon Door.
That, at least, would amuse him.
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