Early the next morning.
The sky over Deepwood Motte had only just begun to lighten when the disciplined Galon rose as usual and began his daily training.
After the selection held the previous day, everyone on the training grounds seemed to be holding a breath of pent-up determination.
Each person was pushing themselves hard, preparing for the war that was drawing ever closer.
Deepwood Motte felt like a massive powder keg that had yet to be ignited, the air heavy with a restrained sense of danger.
When Galon finished his morning training and saw the high morale among the soldiers, he felt deeply satisfied.
He walked a circuit around the training grounds, then made his way to the archery range where Mihawk was training the archers with the new bows, quietly observing for a while.
Just then, Jon Snow happened to pass by with his ten-man cavalry squad.
Galon's thoughts stirred. Remembering the itinerary he had finalized that very morning, he raised a hand to beckon them over.
"Jon. Mihawk."
Jon and Mihawk turned at the call.
Seeing Galon summon them, they did not dare delay. After giving brief instructions to their men, they quickly came before him.
"Lord, what do you need us for?" Mihawk asked respectfully.
Jon, more straightforward and impatient, added, "Yeah, Galon, what's up? We're still in the middle of training."
Galon chuckled lightly. "Training can wait. I want the two of you to accompany me on a trip."
He paused briefly, then continued, "Have your men pack up. After we eat, we're heading to Sea Dragon Point."
"Sea Dragon Point?" Mihawk looked puzzled.
Jon, however, immediately understood. Recalling the terrain there, he asked, "You're worried the Ironborn might land at Sea Dragon Point and launch a surprise attack on Deepwood Motte?"
Galon nodded, affirming Jon's conclusion.
Only then did Mihawk realize what Galon meant.
Having lived near the Wolfswood for many years and visited Sea Dragon Point several times himself, Mihawk knew Galon's concern was well founded.
Historically, the Iron Islands had launched multiple attacks on Deepwood Motte by landing at Sea Dragon Point, then raiding inland toward the Wolfswood.
Mihawk immediately accepted the order, then asked, "Lord, should we bring the new bows this time?"
Galon considered for a moment before replying, "Yes. Bring the new bows. I also want to see how your training results look in practice."
Mihawk laughed loudly. "Haha! We definitely won't disappoint you, Lord Galon!"
After laughing, he asked again, "How many men are we taking this time?"
Mihawk's archer unit had previously consisted of two hundred Glover soldiers. Not long ago, he had returned to his own clan and recruited another three hundred archers.
This force of five hundred elite archers was Galon's trump card, personally under his control.
However, Deepwood Motte did not have enough warhorses for five hundred mounted men, which was why Mihawk asked.
Galon had already considered this and smiled as he answered, "Select one hundred archers from your unit, plus Jon's ten men. That will be enough."
"Understood. I'll gather them right away."
Mihawk accepted the order immediately, and Jon agreed just as readily.
Seeing that Galon had no further instructions, the two turned and left to relay his orders to their men.
While Mihawk was selecting personnel, Galon returned to the inner keep to inform Maester Beckman, Robett, and Steward Mormont of his inspection trip to Sea Dragon Point.
A round trip from Deepwood Motte to Sea Dragon Point would take several days.
Before leaving, Galon had to ensure that all matters for the coming days were properly arranged.
With time tight, Galon discussed matters with the three men while eating breakfast in the great hall.
After breakfast, once Robett and the others raised no objections, Galon returned to his chambers, changed into leather armor, and headed back to the training grounds.
When he arrived, Mihawk and Jon had already finished assembling their men.
Lawrence brought Galon his horse. Galon took the reins and looked toward Jon and Mihawk.
"Are the provisions ready?"
"Yes. We prepared five days' worth of food and drink. That should be enough."
Galon checked the horses. Each carried three bags of drinking water and two bags of ale. As for food, there were strips of dried meat frozen into hard sticks.
If rationed carefully, they could indeed last about five days.
In any case, in this era the wilderness was full of game and clean water, so Galon was not too worried about supplies.
"Mount up. We're departing."
Galon swung himself onto his horse, snapped the reins, and rode out of Deepwood Motte.
Jon and Mihawk followed with their men, spurring their mounts onward.
The force of over a hundred riders headed toward Sea Dragon Point, disappearing into the forest in the blink of an eye.
For two straight days, Galon led the group on the road.
.....
Sea Dragon Point lay northwest of Deepwood Motte, a peninsula stretching into the Bay of Ice.
A round trip between Deepwood Motte and Sea Dragon Point took four days.
The route was sparsely populated, dominated by hills and marshlands, with abundant seafood and seals.
There were over a hundred hidden caves nearby, and vast pine forests thick with trees tall enough to be used for shipbuilding.
However, the land held no mineral resources, and the damp climate made it unsuitable for farming.
In ancient times, the First Men had built ringforts on the hills here.
Now they lay in ruins, though on the highest hill there still remained a fish-weir circle left behind by the Children of the Forest.
Ned had once instructed Galon to assign more scouts to Sea Dragon Point, precisely because the area was so vast.
A handful of scouts simply could not monitor the entire peninsula.
Galon's purpose in coming this time was to survey Sea Dragon Point thoroughly and establish several watch posts at suitable locations.
If the Ironborn landed to launch an attack, these outposts could warn one another and dispatch messengers to alert Deepwood Motte to respond.
By the time Galon reached Sea Dragon Point, it was already the afternoon of the second day after departure.
The arrival of more than a hundred riders shattered the peninsula's quiet, startling nearby animals into flight.
Galon led the group up a hill and carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain.
To the left were rolling hills. To the right stretched vast, untamed pine forests reaching all the way to the coastline.
Straight ahead lay endless marshland, its depth impossible to judge at a glance.
"Lord, which way should we go?" Mihawk rode up and asked.
After a moment's thought, Galon pointed to the right. "It's still early. We'll pass through the pine forest first and take a look at the coastline of Sea Dragon Point."
No one objected.
The group set off again, riding into the pine forest. With the trees growing dense, Galon did not dare push the pace too fast.
He ordered several soldiers to scout ahead while he led the main group at a slower pace.
After two hours of travel, the sky began to darken.
Just as Galon was starting to think about where to make camp for the night, the scouts he had sent ahead came riding back at speed.
The man looked hurried. As soon as he reached Galon, he reported anxiously, "My lord, we found signs of people ahead."
At those words, everyone tensed.
Jon looked at the scout and asked, "Who are they? Wildlings?"
The scout shook his head. "We were worried about getting too close and being spotted, so we only observed from a distance."
"We couldn't tell who was making the fires."
Galon's expression grew serious. After a brief pause, he gave his order.
"We'll go take a look first, then decide."
With that command, the hundred-man force quickly formed into the S-shaped formation Galon had previously taught them and followed the scout forward.
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