Galon stood silently, listening as they shouted the Glover family slogans.
At that moment, he knew the Steel Fist had been reborn. In order not to lose their honor again, they would obey his commands with everything they had.
Even if it meant death.
'It's time to begin the next step of the plan,' Galon thought to himself.
The shouts gradually faded.
When calm returned to the training ground, he stared at the Steel Fist, whose morale had been reignited, and spoke with authority.
"I want you to remember this moment!"
His sharp gaze swept across everyone present, his forceful voice echoing over the field.
"You hunger for honor. You hunger for battle. Then let me tell you this clearly!
Before long, war will break out!
When that day comes, every single thing you learn here will save your own life and the lives of your comrades on the battlefield!"
As his words fell, the Steel Fist stirred with unrest, but quickly fell silent again.
Jon thought of Theon's death and assumed Galon was worried about the Ironborn raiding the North. His expression grew heated.
Galon noticed the change in Jon's face and made a snap decision.
"Jon Snow, step forward!"
Jon froze for a moment, then stepped out, with Ghost following closely beside him.
Galon walked to Jon's side and addressed the Steel Fist.
"From today onward, you will gain a new member, Jon Snow. He will share honor with you and face life and death alongside you."
The others looked at Jon, who had just endured punishment with them, and a trace of acceptance appeared in their eyes.
Galon did not elaborate on Jon's identity. After signaling him to rejoin the ranks, he changed the subject.
"Starting tomorrow, you will be divided into two teams for training.
Every two days, you will compete once. The losing team will forgo dinner that day and serve the winners during their meal.
Team assignments will be decided by drawing lots. The competitions will include archery, sparring, and field training, among others."
At that moment, a blond man approached from the western side of the bailey. Seeing Galon still speaking, he stopped and leaned against the outer fence to watch quietly.
Galon glanced over and recognized him as Edward Newgate, a member of his personal guard.
He withdrew his gaze and called out, "Lawrence, step forward!"
Lawrence Snow hurried out, excitement evident on his face. He barely noticed the mud covering his body.
"Go inform the kitchens to prepare several barrels of hot water for everyone to wash."
"The rest of you, prepare to draw lots."
Lawrence froze, then protested, "Galon, I want to draw lots too. I want to take part in the competitions!"
Galon refused without hesitation. "You're still too young. Wait another two years."
Lawrence was unwilling, but he did not dare argue. He left reluctantly.
Galon glanced at him and continued, "The drawing is simple. Starting from the front of the line, count off. Odd numbers in one team, even numbers in the other."
"Now, immediately, split into two teams!"
In an instant, the Steel Fist divided into two groups, faster and more orderly than before.
"Good," Galon said.
"Each team will select a captain. How you choose is up to you.
You may vote or fight for it. Either way is fine. But you must decide before dinner tonight."
Seeing no objections, Galon concluded, "Dismissed. Go wash."
The two groups dragged their exhausted bodies toward the kitchens in the southern bailey, already discussing how to choose their captains.
Jon followed along with the group, but since he knew no one, he felt awkward and kept quiet.
Soon, a black-haired young man about his height slowed his pace and came up beside him, turning with a friendly greeting.
"My name's Mihawk. They call me Hawkeye. Welcome to the team."
Jon turned and noticed his yellow eyes. "Hello, I'm Jon…"
Mihawk cut in cheerfully. "I know. Galon just said it. Jon Snow."
"By the way, you came from Winterfell, right?"
Jon nodded, still unsure how to handle Mihawk's easy familiarity.
Mihawk leaned closer with a teasing grin. "Lady Sansa is really beautiful, isn't she? I heard she completely captivated Galon…"
Jon felt embarrassed and did not know how to respond.
Seeing this, Mihawk did not press the matter. Instead, he glanced curiously at the direwolf behind Jon and said excitedly, "Is this your direwolf?"
Jon nodded quickly, then added, "Don't worry, Ghost is very well-behaved. He won't hurt anyone on his own."
Mihawk laughed.
Noticing Jon's confusion, Mihawk explained, "My father is the chieftain of one of the forest clans. I grew up in the Wolfswood. A direwolf isn't enough to scare me."
"But his name is Ghost?
White fur, red eyes, quick and alert. It fits perfectly."
Jon felt pleased, and the two soon began chatting freely.
By the time they finished washing, they had already become quite familiar with each other.
Meanwhile, Galon had no idea that Jon was steadily integrating into the Steel Fist. He was speaking with Edward, who had been waiting for him.
"Galon, you wanted to see me?" Newgate asked.
Newgate was powerfully built and nearly two meters tall. Even Galon was slightly shorter than him.
"Yes," Galon replied. "Ned Stark ordered me to dispatch one hundred archers to garrison Moat Cailin. I intend for you to lead them."
Newgate accepted immediately, without hesitation.
"Understood, Galon," he said, then asked, "How long are we to remain stationed there?"
Galon hesitated briefly before answering, "Take the hundred men there first."
"Ned Stark will soon head south to King's Landing. When he passes through Moat Cailin, you can seek further orders from him."
Newgate nodded. "Understood. I'll organize the archers at once. We can depart as early as this afternoon."
Then he asked, "Should we bring the old bows or the new ones?"
After a moment's thought, Galon replied, "Bring the old bows."
Then he asked, "Has Maester Beckman optimized the new bow-making process enough for mass production?"
Newgate scratched his head and smiled bitterly. "Not yet. The maester's attention is all on that fish glue of his."
"The bowyers are shaping the wood as instructed, but the final bonding has to wait for the maester.
Still, he told me yesterday that it's almost ready.
Galon's eyes flashed with excitement. "Progress on the fish glue?
Never mind. I'll go check the workshop myself later. Newgate, prepare the men and provisions and get on the road."
"Yes," Newgate nodded, then turned and headed toward the inner keep.
Galon was in high spirits and did not delay. He turned and made his way toward the workshop in the bailey.
While he was looking forward to the new bows, Winterfell was also preparing for the return journey to King's Landing.
__________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Xorath