The Wolfswood.
Beneath a sentry tree with grayish-green pine needles, Galon drew his bow, the arrowhead steadily fixed on a spotted deer grazing ahead.
The bowstring vibrated, and the arrow flew.
Whoosh!
The deer raised its head in alarm, but it was too late—
The sharp arrow pierced the deer's neck with precision.
The spotted deer staggered a few steps among the dappled shadows of the trees, finally collapsing lifelessly onto the ground.
"Good shot!"
Jon immediately cheered from the side, but Galon smiled and shook his head. "It's only a small deer, nothing extraordinary."
"But..."
Galon lowered his bow, looking around, a little frustrated. "The Wolfswood is usually teeming with animals, yet we've been wandering for a long time and only found one small deer?"
"Could the King and Prince Joffrey have hunted them all?" Jon was also puzzled. "Galon, shall we venture a bit deeper?"
Galon peered into the deeper parts of the Wolfswood. The dense shadows of the trees hinted at countless dangers hidden within.
The Glovers, having lived in the Wolfswood for generations, naturally knew the complexity of this forest, which had existed for tens of thousands of years.
Venturing any further in would surely lead them to encounter large animals like human-bears.
Therefore, he shook his head slightly, saying, "It's still early. Let's just circle around this area."
"The Wolfswood is huge. I don't believe our luck will continue to be this bad!"
Galon turned to Ser Rodrik. "Take that deer with you. Let's go!"
Rodrik nodded and instructed his men to retrieve the deer in the distance.
Jon had no objection, and the group continued their hunt. But unexpectedly, they circled for another half hour, still finding nothing.
It was as if this entire area was dominated by some massive beast.
Just as Galon was about to suggest returning to the camp, a piercing scream tore through the silence of the forest.
"What was that sound?"
Jon froze.
Rodrik had already crouched down, pressing his ear to the ground. The vibrations transmitted through his palm caused his pupils to shrink.
"Lord Galon, it's a large beast stampeding," he suddenly looked up, pointing toward the depths of the Wolfswood. "The sound is coming from the north!"
"Could the King and Lord Stark have alarmed something ahead?"
A Deepwood Motte soldier nearby couldn't help but whisper his guess.
Galon and Jon exchanged glances, their expressions simultaneously turning grave.
"Go! Let's check it out!"
Galon gave a somber command. If the King and Ned died in the Wolfswood, the situation would be disastrous.
The group did not dare to delay.
Led by Rodrik, they swiftly moved through the shadows of the trees.
Soon, Galon spotted three fleeing Lannister knights and a blonde youth—Joffrey!
"It's Prince Joffrey!"
Jon cried out in a low voice, instinctively about to call out to them, but the beast that burst from the forest mist instantly solidified his blood.
A nightmare-like gigantic bear charged forward, knocking down trees. With one swipe, it batted aside a Lannister knight who had fallen behind.
Puff!
The Lannister knight's chest immediately caved in, and he died instantly.
The remaining two knights, feeling the dread of impending doom, knew they could not outrun the giant bear. They shouted, "Prince Joffrey, run! We will stay and cover your retreat!"
The terrified Joffrey dared not look back, running forward desperately.
But the two screams that followed him made him tremble all over.
His running feet instantly gave way, and he stumbled, falling heavily onto the ground.
"AhHH—"
Joffrey screamed in terror, crawling forward on all fours.
At this point, Jon, not far away, also began to grow anxious.
"Galon, what should we do now? If Joffrey dies here, Lord Stark will have no way to explain it to the King!"
Galon's eyes were shadowed. For a moment, he felt an urge to stand by and do nothing, but his reason told him he couldn't abandon Joffrey.
His mind raced, and in a flash, he made a decision.
"Jon, Ser Rodrik, immediately look for people nearby to come for support.
I will go and lure that giant bear away!"
"What!" Rodrik exclaimed in shock, "Lord Galon, that's a giant bear!"
Galon took out his bow and arrows, reassuring the group, "Don't worry, I am alone, familiar with the terrain, and fast. The bear won't catch me for a while. Just make sure you call for help as quickly as possible!"
Galon acted decisively. Jon and Rodrik also split up and dispersed, searching for other hunting parties.
Meanwhile, the giant bear had caught up to Joffrey, who was weak and unable to move.
But the giant bear did not immediately bite him to death. Instead, it approached slowly on all fours, as if toying with its prey.
It stood nearly 2 meters tall at the shoulder, its brown-black fur covered in blood and mud. Its amber eyes locked onto Joffrey, and its massive paw was about to fall.
The moment was critical, moving as fast as a flash!
Galon concentrated, drawing his bow and arrow.
In an instant! Whoosh!
The bowstring vibrated, and the arrow struck the giant bear's right eye.
"ROARR—!"
The giant bear cried out in pain, batting at its eye with its foreleg, snapping the arrow. Blood immediately obscured its right eye.
It suddenly turned its head, its savage left eye fixed on Galon.
"ROAR!"
The giant bear let out a roar, planting all four feet on the ground, and abandoned Joffrey to charge at Galon!
The ground shook, and dry branches shattered.
Galon swiftly retreated, firing his bow continuously, but the arrows were all stopped by the bear's thick hide.
Seeing that the bow and arrows were useless and the bear was close, he simply threw the bow away, drew the greatsword from his waist, and waited for the giant bear to pounce.
A stench of blood and foulness rushed at him as the enraged giant bear lunged and bit toward Galon!
In the nick of time, he rolled sideways.
Bang!
The earth trembled. The impact from the giant bear threw him to the ground, covering him in mud and leaves.
Before Galon could get up, the giant bear turned violently, mouth agape, and lunged again!
Galon could only roll awkwardly to dodge again, his greatsword tentatively slashing at the thick fat of the bear's hide, leaving only shallow marks.
Instead of drawing blood, the attack made the giant bear even more ferocious.
One moment of evasion was too slow, and the bear's paw scraped Galon's left arm, instantly tearing the armor on his left arm, leaving a deep bloody claw mark on his forearm.
'No, I have to find a way to restrict its movement!'
After another dodge, Galon backed up against an ancient oak tree, his gaze scanning the surroundings.
Suddenly.
Following the giant bear's previous pounce, a nearby dead, hollow sentry tree crashed down diagonally, forming a narrow V-shaped gap with another living tree, just tall enough for the giant bear to barely squeeze through.
'That's it!'
At that moment, the giant bear roared and lunged again.
Determination flashed in Galon's eyes. He performed a low slide, passing beneath the bear's abdomen and ending up behind it.
He quickly stood up and ran desperately toward the natural cage formed by the dead tree.
Seeing its "prey" escape, the giant bear roared and followed, crashing into the V-shaped gap.
The decaying wood groaned, and splinters flew.
The bear's front half squeezed through the gap, but its waist was tightly stuck in the narrow space, making its movements instantly sluggish and clumsy!
Galon seized the opportunity, gripping his greatsword with both hands, pointing the tip at the exposed side of the bear's neck, just below the jaw—a critical spot where the shoulder meets the neck, connecting the heart and the head!
Poo-chi!
The sharp sword tip pierced through fur and flesh, sinking right up to the hilt!
Galon used his entire body weight to press down, completely ignoring the hot, thick, rusty-smelling bear blood that gushed out, soaking him entirely.
The giant bear's roar turned into a leaking hiss, the sound replaced by extreme pain and emptiness.
Its massive body convulsed violently.
The trapped torso and the piercing wound to its heart caused its strength to rapidly drain away.
Galon pressed the sword tightly against the dead tree, enduring the bear's final struggle.
Until the giant bear's head drooped, its body slumping, stuck in the gap, and fresh blood gurgled out, staining the rotten leaves red.
The forest was left with only Galon's labored, bellows-like breathing and Joffrey's sobs of relief in the distance.
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