Winterfell, Hall.
Galon led Jon inside, where Sansa, Bran, and Maester Luwin were already waiting for them.
" Sansa, Bran, Maester Luwin!"
After nodding to the three, Galon got straight to the point and explained Sevon's situation.
" Sevon is finished. Everyone inside is dead, and even the castle has been burned to the ground."
"The air was filled with the stench of the building..."
He briefly described the horrific scene of Sevon's massacre by the Euron, and Sansa immediately covered her mouth in horror, almost screaming.
"Damn Ironborn!"
Maester Luwin cursed angrily, but a hint of lingering fear showed in his eyes.
He couldn't even imagine the consequences if Winterfell were breached.
" What about Euron?"
After forcing himself to calm down, Luwin asked again, "Have you captured Euron?"
Galon shook his head and sighed, "He got away!"
"They ran away?"
Jon followed up with a questioning look: "Where did he go?"
Galon glanced at Jon and Bran, then looked at Maester Luwin and said.
"My cavalry have spotted them heading towards Moat Cailin along Kings Road!"
Maester Luwin was startled. " Moat Cailin? Is he planning to join forces with Victarion?"
Galon nodded, confirming the scholar's guess.
"That's right, by the time I realized it, it was too late to catch up with them."
That's why I was in such a hurry to come back.
"Scholar, we must respond immediately!"
Maester Luwin frowned, glancing at Bran leaning back in his chair and then at the panicked Sansa, his heart filled with worry.
" Bran is young and ill, and Sansa is well protected by Lady Catelyn, so she can only handle some simple tasks."
"Although I've tried my best to teach her, she still needs time to grow."
He sighed helplessly, "Alas, for now, we can only rely on Galon!"
The moment Galon finished speaking, Maester Luwin understood the meaning behind his words.
Faced with the combined forces of Euron and Victarion, Winterfell must also expand his forces, otherwise Glover alone would be unable to withstand the onslaught.
But if we want to expand our forces, Stark will need to step in.
Glover does not have this capability.
"So, you mean you want Winterfell to summon his vassals again?"
Maester Luwin looked at Galon and added, " I already sent ravens to support Crows Eye during their attack. Judging by the time, the reinforcements should be arriving soon!"
Galon nodded and asked Luwin another question.
"Sir, any news about Robb lately?"
Sansa interjected excitedly, "We received news this morning that Robb defeated the Kingslayer in the Whispering Forest. He's now offering to trade him for my father in King's Landing!"
"Yes!" Maester Luwin continued, "The Duke and Robb should be back soon, and then the North will be completely safe!"
Jon exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"
Bran smiled and nodded. "That's right. Judging by the timing, Robb probably already started exchanging prisoners while the ravens were flying to Winterfell."
Jon breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's great!" Galon's eyes lit up. "Then all we need to do is hold off the Crows Eye brothers' attack until Robb's army turns back, and we'll win."
He paused, then analyzed, " Victarion has nearly two thousand men, and with the remnants of Euron's army, the total number is at most three thousand."
"These people, as long as we hold our ground, will never be able to breach our castle."
"Wait!" Maester Luwin interrupted Galon, puzzled. "You mean we should hold the castle instead of fighting the Ironborn?"
Garon affirmed, "That's right. The North has a bountiful harvest now. As long as we hold the castle, Crows Eye and his men will have no choice but to retreat when Robb returns with his army."
Maester Luwin stared at Galon, unable to figure out what he was up to.
"Defending the castle is indeed a good idea, but what about the villages living outside the castle?"
"Given Crows Eye's brutality, he'll surely torture them to death!"
Maester Luwin questioned Galon, "Why don't you organize an army to fight them to the bitter end?"
Galon shook his head slightly and gave a wry smile.
"Sir, it's not that we don't want to fight, it's that we have no way to fight!"
He glanced at Bran and Sansa and explained to the scholar.
"Now that Robb has marched south, Stark is unable to personally control the army, so he can only appoint a general who can command respect as the supreme commander."
" Ser Rodrik originally had the qualifications and status, but he unfortunately sacrificed his life."
As for the others...
,
Galon shook his head. "I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public!"
After he finished speaking, Maester Luwin fell silent.
He understood what Galon meant: without unified command, the North would only fall into a state of fighting each other, and would eventually be defeated one by one by the Iron Islands.
While Galon appears to be talking about other people, he is actually demanding more power from Stark.
However, given the gravity of the matter, Maester Luwin dared not make a decision lightly.
Time passed little by little.
He was still hesitant about whether to hand over full command to Galon.
Bran's voice broke the silence in the Hall.
"Garon!"
Bran called out softly, drawing everyone's attention to himself.
" Doesn't Robb appoint you as the leader of the Northern Army to resist the Iron Islands before he left?"
"Now is the time for you to exercise your power!"
Maester Luwin immediately looked up at Galon and chimed in, "That's right, Robb did say that!"
His face relaxed, and he made a decision.
Galon glanced at Bran, feigning hesitation.
"But Robb was speaking to the vassals who were heading south, and none of them are currently in the North."
"As for those who stay, I'm afraid they'll be resentful just because of my empty words!"
Bran's eyes flashed, and he smiled, "In that case, let's use Stark's name, so you can rightfully command everyone."
He turned to look at Luwin and made a suggestion.
"Once the reinforcements from the North have arrived, we'll host a banquet."
"At that time, let Sansa, in her capacity as acting lord of Winterfell, personally appoint Galon as commander-in-chief of the North, to intimidate the entire army!"
"What?" Maester Luwin exclaimed in shock.
Even Sansa and Jon looked completely bewildered, unable to believe what they were hearing.
Only Galon narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering how much sincerity Bran had in his words.
Sansa, sitting next to Bran, stared wide-eyed, pointing at herself in disbelief.
"I?"
"But Bran, you are the rightful heir to the family throne!"
Maester Luwin frowned. " Bran, why do you say that?"
Bran slumped in his chair, glanced down at his lower body, and calmly explained.
"I've been feeling very sleepy lately, as you all know."
"In this state, I am incapable of fulfilling my responsibilities as the city lord!"
He turned his gaze to Sansa and voluntarily relinquished the power that rightfully belonged to him.
" Sansa, you need to take my place as the acting city lord!"
Meeting Sansa's hesitant gaze, Bran continued, "Besides, you are Galon's fiancée. Your personal appointment and support of Galon will reduce a lot of resistance for him!"
Then, without waiting for Sansa's reply, he turned his gaze to Maester Luwin.
"What do you think, Master Luwin?"
After careful consideration, Maester Luwin felt that Bran's suggestion was the safest approach.
He nodded. " Bran is unwell, so this is the only way. Sansa, you have to take responsibility!"
When Sansa heard Maester Luwin say the same thing, she took a deep breath and felt the heavy responsibility on her shoulders.
But she noticed the supportive looks from the others and mustered her courage to speak.
"I see."
"For Winterfell, for the North, I am willing to take the blame!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Bran quietly nodded to Galon, as if to say that what he had said yesterday was absolutely true.
A hint of approval flashed in Galon's eyes, and then he said.
"However, this matter still requires careful preparation. Currently, the only person providing support is Bolton, and this Bolton seems to have ill intentions."
Maester Luwin asked, puzzled, "What did you see?"
Galon flashed Little Flayer's face into his mind and explained.
"He came too fast!"
Everyone present instantly understood.
The Dreadfort is far from Winterfell, and even if he received the plea for help immediately, it would still take him at least a week to get there.
But Ramsay followed Glover closely, appearing under Winterfell's banner within just a few days.
Maester Luwin would absolutely not believe that he wasn't prepared.
"No wonder you told Jon not to let anyone in. Were you worried that one of them would betray Stark?"
Galon nodded, looking as if he had meticulously planned for Stark.
"With the war in the North so intense, it's inevitable that some people will harbor inappropriate thoughts."
"Since I have been ordered by Robb to look after the North, of course I must take precautions and dispel the ideas of certain people!"
His words drew agreement from Jon and Maester Luwin.
Even Sansa blinked, her gaze towards Galon filled with trust and adoration.
At this moment.
Footsteps sounded outside the hall; Little Flayer had come to meet Stark.