Chapter 52 Chapter 51 Theon (7)

The dawn, like Stannis, came quietly. It was sleepless all night in Winterfell.People dressed in woolen clothes and chain mail and leather armor, huddled on the city walls and towers, waiting for the attack that came at an unknown time.But when the sky was lit, the drums died away, and the horn blew three more times, each closer than the last.Snow is still falling. "The snowstorm will stop today," a groom who survived the previous accident insisted loudly, "it will stop, it's not winter yet." If Theon dared to laugh, he would definitely laugh at the other party's ignorance.He remembered how the blizzard would rage for forty days and forty nights in Old Nan's stories, and maybe a whole year, ten years... until castles and towns and whole country were buried under a hundred feet of snow.

He sat at the end of the hall, beside the horses.He watched as Albert, Rowan, and a brown-haired washerwoman named Squirrel attacked slices of stale brown bread fried in bacon.Theon's own breakfast was a mug of rye wine full of yeast and strong enough to chew.Drink two more glasses, maybe Albert's plan is not so crazy. Light-eyed Roose Bolton yawned as he led his fat pregnant wife, Fat Varda, into the hall.Many previous lords and officers had already entered, including Umber the Whorebane, Ser Aenys Frey, and Roger Rythwell.Wyman Manderly sat at the far end of the table wolfing down many sausages and hard-boiled eggs, while old Lord Locke beside him fed gruel into Toothless's mouth.

Master Ramsay appeared next, striding to the front of the hall, buckling his sword belt as he went.He was about to explode, Theon could see.The drumming kept him up all night, Theon guessed, or someone had pissed him off.Now, whoever says the wrong thing, looks in the wrong way, or laughs inappropriately may set off the master's thunderous anger and lose a piece of skin.Oh, please sir, don't look this way.With one glance, Ramsay knew what he was planning.It was clearly written on my face.He would know, he always knew. So Theon turned to Albert. "This plan will not work," he said in such a low voice that even the horses could not overhear, "we will be caught before we escape the castle. Even if we leave the city, Lord Ramsay will hunt us down, He'll bring Bones with the girls."

"Lord Stannis is just outside the city. Judging from the sound, he is very close. We don't have to travel far." Albert's fingers danced on the strings.The singer has a brown beard, but his long hair is mostly gray. "If the wild species really comes after him, he will regret it." Thinking about his words, Theon thought, believe him.Tell yourself it's all true. "Ramsay will make your women prey," Theon warned the singer, "and he will hunt them down, rape them, and feed their carcasses to the dogs. If the chase is hot, he'll name them after them Next litter of bitches. As for you, he'll skin you, and he, the skinner, and Damon the Dancer make it the funniest pastime, and you'll end up begging them to kill you." He gripped the singer with his crippled hand arm. "You swore not to let me fall into his hands again. You promised." He wanted to hear Albert's promise again.

"Albert's guarantee," said the squirrel, "is as reliable as an oak tree." Albert himself only shrugged, "Definitely, Your Highness." On the high platform, Ramsay quarreled with his father.Theon couldn't hear well from the distance, but the fear in Fat Varda's round pink face said it all.He heard Wyman Manderly calling for more sausages, and Roger Rythwell amused by a joke made by the one-armed Heywood Stout. Theon didn't know whether his ghost's home would be the Water Palace of the Drowned God, or he would stay in Winterfell.There's one thing to do, and it's better than living as a Reek.If Erbei's plan fails, Ramsay will torture them severely, making them feel the pain that they would rather die.This time he'll skin me from heel to head, and no matter how much I beg, I won't change my mind.All the pain Theon had experienced was nothing compared to the flayer's little flaying knife.Albert would soon learn this lesson too.But why?For Jenny, her name is Jenny, and the eyes are the wrong color.She is just an actor in a play.Lord Bolton knew it, and so did Ramsay, but everyone else was kept in the dark, even this bastard singer with a sly smile.It's ridiculous, Albert, that you and your gang of murderous whores are dying to save a girl who's nothing.

When Rowan brought him to see Albert in the ruins of the ruined tower, he almost told the truth, only holding his mouth at the last moment.Singer seems hell-bent on rescuing Eddard Stark's daughter, and if he learns that Ramsay's bride is just the steward's cub, then... The hall door was slammed open. The cold wind howled, and large groups of blue and white ice crystals swept in.Ser Hosteen Frey stepped in with a corpse in his arms, snow covered from the waist down.People on the benches put down their wine glasses and spoons one after another, staring at this weird scene with dumbstruck eyes.

The hall was eerily quiet. Another murder. Ser Hosteen stepped up to the dais, snow falling from his cloak with loud steps.A dozen or so Frey knights and knights followed, and Theon recognized one of the boys—Big Walder.He was actually a small man with a fox face and as thin as a stick.Big Walder's chest, arms, and cloak were spattered with blood. The bloody smell caused the horses in the hall to scream, and the dogs came out from under the table to sniff around.People got up one after another.The corpse in Sir Hosteen's arms shone in the torchlight as if wrapped in pink crystals—frozen blood.

"He is the son of my brother Merry," said Hostyn Frey, laying the body on the floor in front of the dais. "But he was slaughtered like a pig, and then pushed down the snow embankment. He is still a child!" The dead man was Little Walder, Theon realized, the big man.He glanced at Rowan.There were six of them, he remembered, and any of them could have done it.But the washerwoman met his eyes. "We didn't do it," she emphasized. "Quiet." Albert warned her. Master Ramsay came down from the high platform to inspect the boy's dead body, while his father slowly got up, with pale eyes open, serious and calm. "Dirty crime." In Theon's memory, this was the first time Roose Bolton raised his voice. "Where was the body found?"

"In that ruined keep, my lord," replied Big Walder, "where the old gargoyle crisscrossed." Cousin's blood clotted on the boy's glove. "I told him not to go out alone, but he must go to collect the debt. The other party owes him money." "Who owes him?" Ramsay demanded. "Give me his name, or point it out in public, boy. I'll skin him and make you a cloak." "My brother didn't tell me the name of the opponent, my lord, he just said that he won the money at the dice." The boy of the Frey family hesitated, "The person who taught my brother to play the dice is from Baigang. It must be theirs."

"My lord!" said Hosteen Frey loudly. "Isn't it obvious? The murderer of this boy and others is here. Yes, he did not do it himself, he was too fat and cowardly to do it." No dirty work, but he ordered these crimes!" He turned sharply to Wyman Manderly. "Do you admit it?" The Lord of White Harbor bit off half a sausage in one bite. "I admit..." he said as he wiped the grease from his mouth with his sleeve, "...I admit that I don't know this poor boy very well. Is he Lord Ramsay's squire? How old is he?" "Just turned nine."

"Young man," said Wyman Manderly. "It's a blessing in disguise. If he grows up, he'll grow up to be a Frey sooner or later." Ser Hosteen kicked the table, sending it flying from its shelves and onto Lord Wyman's belly.Cups flew around, sausages were scattered all over the floor, and a dozen or so Mandalay men stood up, cursing.They grabbed knives, plates, flagons, anything that could be used as a weapon. Ser Hosteen Frey, however, with his sword drawn, leaped at Wyman Manderly.The Earl of White Harbor wanted to hide, but the table stuck him firmly in the chair.There was a flash of cold light, his quadruple chin was cut off three times, and blood spattered in the air.Mrs. Varda screamed hysterically and grabbed her husband's arm desperately. "Stop!" Roose Bolton yelled, "Stop this madness!" Seeing the people in Manderly jumping off the benches and rushing towards Foyle's, Bolton's subordinates hurried forward to maintain order.A man from Manderly grabbed a dagger and threw it at Sir Hosteen, but the big knight turned away, and the knight took the man's arm off with a backhand sword.Lord Wyman tried to get to his feet, but fell to the ground, thrashing like a struggling walrus in a pool of spreading blood.Old Lord Locke beside him shouted for the maester, while the dogs scrambled around for his sausages. It took a full forty spearmen from the Dreadfort to forcefully separate the two sides, ending the tragedy.Six of White Harbor's men and two of Frey's were killed, and a dozen men were wounded, most of all Luton, the bastard's good boy.He lay on the ground crying for his mother, while trying to stuff his slippery intestines back into his belly, it seemed that he was dead.Ramsay snatched a spear from the iron-legged spearman, stabbed Luton to death, and finished him straight away.When the fighting died down, the hall still echoed with shouts, prayers, cursing, the screaming of terrified horses, and the howling of Ramsay's bitches.Ironlegs Wharton tapped the floor with the butt of his spear a dozen times before the crowd fell silent to listen to Roose Bolton. "I see everyone is bored, and can't wait for the blood," said the Lord of the Dreadfort.Maester Rodley stood beside the Duke, with a crow perched on his arm, its black feathers gleaming like kerosene in the torchlight.Its feathers were wet, and Theon realized that the parchment in the Duke's hand must be wet too.Black wings, bring black messages. "But first of all, we should be united with the outside world, and we must not confuse ourselves. Our common enemy is Lord Stannis." Duke Bolton unfolded the parchment. "His troops are less than three days' ride away, and are now snowbound and starving. To be honest, I don't want to wait for him to come. Sir Hosting, please gather all your knights at the main gate." And soldier, since you are so eager to fight, we command you to be the vanguard. Lord Wyman, assemble the White Harbor forces at the East Gate, and march forward." Blood stained Hosteen Frey's longsword almost to the hilt, and spattered his face like it was pockmarked.He lowered his sword. "As you bid. But when I offer Stannis Baratheon's head, allow me to take Lord Suet's dog's head." The four Knights of White Harbor formed a circle to protect Lord Wyman, and Maester Medirick lay down to stop the bleeding. "You pass us first," said the elder of the four knights.It was a hard-faced gray knight with three silver mermaids embroidered on his bloodstained violet burqa. "I'm as happy as I can be. Singled out or together, I will accompany you." "Shut up!" Ramsay roared, brandishing his bloody spear. "Anyone who speaks unkindly again will be speared. My lord father has orders! Take your energies on Stannis the Usurper." Roose Bolton nodded approvingly, "As my son said. It won't be too late to settle the dispute after we've taken care of Stannis' serious problem." He turned his head and searched the hall with his cold pale eyes until he found Theon Next to the poet Albert. "Singer," ordered the duke, "come and sing something soothing." Albert bowed, "As you wish, my lord." He picked up the harp and walked towards the high platform—avoiding two corpses deftly on the way—and sat cross-legged on the high table.He sang a soft, sad song, which Theon Greyjoy could not make out, and as he sang, Ser Hosteen, Ser Aenys, and the rest of the Freys led their mounts and left the hall. Rowan grabbed Theon's arm. "Get the bathwater. We'll get to it right away." He freed his hand, "Acting in broad daylight? You will be found." "Snow will cover tracks. Are you deaf? Bolton sent troops just now, and we must find King Stannis before they do." "But... Albert..." Squirrel whispered. This is completely insane.It was a desperate, stupid, doomed move.Theon drank the last crumbs of his glass and barely stood up. "Go get your sisters. The lady's bath needs a lot of water." After hearing this, the squirrel slipped away quietly as usual, while Rowan stayed by Theon's side and followed him out of the hall.Ever since they found him in the godswood, these women had been keeping close watch on him, never letting him act alone.They don't trust him.Why should they trust me?I was Reek once, and I might be Reek again.Reek, Reek, never run away. The snow outside the hall did not stop.The yeti the squires had made was now a monstrosity, ten feet high, and a ghastly figure.As he and Rowan walked toward the godswood, the snow piled up like walls on either side, and the roads that connected keep and tower and hall became a labyrinth of trenches dug in the snow that had to be cleared every hour.It was easy to get lost in this maze of ice and snow, but Theon Greyjoy knew every branch and fork. Even the godswood was covered with hoarfrost this time, and the pool under the heart tree was over a thin layer of ice, and the face carved on the pale trunk grew a stubby beard of ice.There were many people in the godswood at this time, so Rowan took Theon away from the northerners who were praying to the old gods under the trees, to a hiding place by the barracks wall, next to a warm mud pond that smelled of rotten eggs.Theon found that the outer edge of the mud pond was also frozen, "Winter is coming..." Rowan stared at him fiercely, "You have no right to quote Lord Ed's clan language. You don't have the right, not in your entire life. You killed—" "You killed a child too." "That's not what we did, I told you." "Words are like the wind." They are no nobler than I am.She is the same as me. "You killed so many people, why should I believe that you didn't do it? Dick Huang—" "—smells like you. A stinky pig." "Then little Walder is Piggy? Kill him, and turn Foyle and Manderly against each other. It's a beautiful move, you—" "We didn't do it!" Rowan choked his throat and pushed him against the wall of the barracks.She brought her face close to his face: "If you continue to slander us, I will cut off your lying tongue, kinslayer." He smiled through his mouth full of broken teeth, "Don't you dare, you still have to rely on my tongue to deceive the guards. You need me to lie for you." Rowan spat in his face before letting go.Then she rubbed the glove on her leg, as if touching him was pollution. Theon knew he shouldn't provoke her.In some ways, she was as dangerous as the Skinner or Damon the Dancer.But he was cold and tired, his head was buzzing, and he didn't sleep for days. "I have done many terrible things...betrayed my fellow man, been a chameleon, ordered the killing of those who trusted me...but I did not kill my own kin." "Yes, Stark's child is not your brother, we all know it." She was telling the truth, but she didn't understand what Theon was saying.They are not my blood, and even so, I never hurt them.I killed only the miller's two sons.Theon didn't want to think about the children's mother.He and the miller's wife had known each other for years and had even slept with each other.Wide black nipples on her heavy, big tits, and that sweet mouth that loves to laugh.I may never have tasted such joy. But it was pointless to tell Rowan the truth, she couldn't believe his explanation, just as he didn't believe her previous denial. "My hands are stained with blood, but no brother's blood," he said wearily, "and I have been punished." "Not enough." Rowan turned his back. stupid woman.Theon may be useless, but he can still use a dagger.It wasn't hard to pull out a dagger and backstab her.Although he lost a lot of teeth and a few fingers and toes, it didn't bother him.It could even be said to be a kind of mercy-to deal with her directly, so that she and her sisters would not suffer inhuman torture in Ramsay. That's what Reek would do, and Reek would flatter Lord Ramsay like that.Some whores are trying to steal Lord Ramsay's bride, and Reek won't let that happen.But the old gods remembered his name, and they called him Theon.Ironborn, I am Ironborn, son of Balon Greyjoy and rightful heir to Pyke.His missing finger twitched, but he restrained himself from drawing the dagger. Squirrel came back with four other women: gaunt and grey-haired Mirelle, Witch-Eye Weeping Willow with her long black braids, thick-chested Freya, and Holly with a knife.They were all dressed in rough dark gray gowns like those worn by maids, and over them were brown wool cloaks trimmed with white rabbit fur.They had no swords, Theon noticed, nor axes, hammers, or other weapons, only knives.Holly's cloak fastened with a silver pannier clasp.Freya made a girdle of twine that bound her body tightly from hip to chest, making her look even bigger. Mirielle brought Theon a servant's costume as well. "The yard is full of fools of all stripes," she warned the others, "going out of town to fight." "These kneeling people," Weeping Liu snorted contemptuously, "they will do what their master says." "They are going to die." Holly rejoiced. "We are also going to die," Theon pointed out. "Even if we can pass the guard, how can we steal Lady Arya?" Holly laughed. "Six women go in, six women come out. Who's going to give a maid a second look? We'll dress up Stark girls as squirrels." Theon glanced at the squirrel.They are about the same size, you can give it a try. "How did the squirrel get away?" The squirrel was the first to answer: "I will jump out of the window and jump directly into the godswood. I was only twelve years old when my elder brother took me over your Great Wall to raid the south for the first time. I got this name that time too, and I My brother said that I was like a squirrel jumping in the forest. Later, I climbed the Great Wall six times and returned safely every time. A small stone tower can’t stop me.” "Satisfied, Chameleon?" Rowan asked. "Let's begin." The kitchen in Winterfell is huge, occupying the entire building, and it is far away from the hall and the fortress, so as not to damage the pond fish in case of fire.The smells of the kitchen change every hour - roast meat, roasted leeks and onions, fresh bread.Roose Bolton sent his own soldiers to guard the kitchen gate.There are so many mouths to feed in the city, every morsel of food is precious, even the cooks and kitchen assistants have to be careful.But the guards knew Reek, and they laughed at him when he fetched hot water for Lady Arya's bath, but no one dared to actually hurt him—Reek was known to be Lord Ramsay's pet. "Prince Stinky is here for hot water," a guard sang when Theon emerged with the group of "handmaids," before opening the door for them. "Be quick, don't let the sweet heating go." Sean entered the kitchen and grabbed a passing cook boy. "Boy, prepare hot water for my lady," he ordered, "fill me with six buckets of clean water. Master Ramsay will wash my lady pink and tender." "Yes, my lord," answered the boy promptly, "in a moment, my lord." It turns out his "right now" takes longer than Theon expected.The large kettles in the kitchen were not clean, so the kitchen assistant cleaned one of them before pouring water.Then it took endless time to boil the water, and twice as long to fill the six barrels.Albert's women had been waiting nearby, their faces hidden under hoods.How wrong they were.A real maid seduces the cook boy, flirts with the cooks, tastes here and there in the kitchen.But Rowan and her scheming sisters were intent on causing trouble, and their sombre silence soon drew curious glances from the guards. "Where's Mazzie and Jazz and the other girls?" someone asked Theon. "The usual ones." "They annoyed Lady Arya," Theon lied. "The water was cold before the tub was poured last time." Hot air billowed up and melted the falling snowflakes. They marched in a single file and returned along the maze of ice walls and trenches. The water became colder with each step.The narrow passages are packed with warriors: armed knights in woolen burqas and fur cloaks, infantry with spears on their shoulders, archers with unstrung bows and filled quiveres, freeriders, grooms leading horses Wait.The men of Frey wear the arms of the Two Towers, and the men of White Harbor the arms of the Mermaid Trident.Trekking in opposite directions through the blizzard, they met and eyed each other warily, but without violence.This is the case here, but it is difficult to say in the woods. The gates of the main keep are guarded by six veterans of the Dreadfort. "Fuck it again?" Seeing the hot water, the sergeant in charge shouted.The sergeant was thrusting his hands in his armpits against the cold. "Just washed last night, how dirty can a woman who sleeps in her own bed all day long be?" Dirty, if sharing a bed with Ramsay.thought Theon, recalling what Ramsay had forced him and Jenny to do on their wedding night. "This is an order from Lord Ramsay." "Then you go in, before the water is cold." The sergeant let him go, and the two guards immediately pushed open the door. It was almost as cold inside as outside.Holly kicked the snow off her boots and pulled down the hood of her cloak. "I thought it was tough," her breath frosted the air. "There are guards outside the master's bedroom door," Theon warned her. "Those are Ramsay's confidantes." He dared not call them "good bastard boys" here, not here—maybe they would be overheard . "Hood up. Head down." "Do as he says, Holly," Rowan urged, "someone might know you. Don't cause unnecessary trouble." So Theon led the women up the stairs.I have climbed this staircase a thousand times.When he was a child, he would run up the stairs, and when he went down the stairs, he would jump down in three steps.Once he accidentally jumped on top of Old Nan and knocked her all the way down the stairs, and got the worst whipping ever in Winterfell because of it.But this whipping was gentle compared to the beating and bullying by his two older brothers on Pike Island when he was a child.He and Robb performed countless epic battles on this staircase.They fought each other with wooden swords, which was good practice, and it took extra effort to push back a determined opponent on the spiral staircase.Ser Rodrik used to say that it was what was called one man alone. But that was a long, long time ago.They are all dead.Jory, old Sir Rodrik, Duke Eddard, Harwin, Hullen, Kane, Desmond, Fat Tom, Erin who always dreamed of being a knight, Mikken who made him the first real sword , and even Old Nan, they're gone. And Robb, the brother closer than any of Balon Greyjoy's sons.Robb was shamelessly murdered by the Freys at the Red Wedding, and I was supposed to be there by his side.where was iI should die with him. Theon stopped suddenly, and the weeping willow nearly bumped his head into his back.Ramsay's bedroom was close at hand, guarded by two of the bastard's best boys: Sour Alyn and Gollum. It must be the blessing of the old gods.Lord Ramsay used to say: Gollum has no tongue, and Alyn has no brains.One of them was vicious, the other vile, but they had worked for the Dreadfort most of their lives, and it had become a habit to obey blindly and not ask much. "I bring hot water to Lady Arya," Theon told them. "Wash yourself first, Reek," said Alyn Sour, "you smell like a pile of horse dung." Gollum agreed, or maybe the grunt was meant to be mocking.Anyway, Erin opened the bedroom door, and Theon beckoned the women in. There was never a dawn in this room, and shadows hung over everything.In the dying embers of the fireplace, the last log was crackling and dying.A flickering candle stood on a table next to the empty messy bed.The girl was gone, Theon thought, and maybe she had finally jumped out of a window in desperation.But that window was clearly shut tightly against the blizzard, and it was covered with layers of frost. "Where's she?" Holly asked.Her sisters poured water from their buckets into a large round wooden basin, and Freya closed the bedroom door, leaning against it with her own body. "Where's she?" Holly asked again.A horn sounded from outside.It was the assembly call of the Freys, and they were making final preparations.Theon felt his missing finger itching badly. Suddenly he spotted her.She curled up in the darkest corner of her bedroom, covering herself with wolf skins as high as a hill.Theon would never have noticed if she hadn't been shaking.Jenny pulled the fur off the bed, trying to hide herself.Is she afraid of us?Or do you think your husband is here?He couldn't help screaming at the thought that Ramsay might show up at any moment. "Ma'am," Theon couldn't call her Arya, and dared not call her Jenny, "you don't need to hide, it's all friends." The fur moved, and a tearful eye peered out.Dark, too dark, it was a brown eye. "Theon?" "Lady Arya," Rowan stepped forward, "you must come with us, and quickly. We will take you to your brother." "Brother?" The girl poked her head out from under the wolf's fur, "But I... I don't have a brother." She forgot who she was again, forgot her name. "Not now," said Theon, "but there was. You have three brothers: Robb, Bran, and Rickon." "But they're all dead. I have no brothers now." "You also have a half-brother," Rowan reminded, "that is Lord Crow." "Jon Snow?" "We will escort you to him, but you must act now." Jenny pulled the wolf hide up to her chin. "No, it's a hoax. It's him, it's mine... My lord, my lovable lord, he sent you here to test if I really love him. I love him, I do love him, I love him more than anything in the world." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Tell him, please tell him, I'll do whatever he wants me to do...he can do whatever he wants...with him or...with his dog...please...he doesn't have to chop me feet, I will not run away. Never. I will bear him many sons. I promise. I swear to God." Rowan whistled softly, "The gods cursed that man to death." "I'll be a good girl," Jenny sobbed. "They've trained me well." Weeping Willow frowned, "I have to find a way to stop her from crying. The guard outside the door is dumb, not deaf. They will hear." "Pull her up, Chameleon." Holly pulled out her knife. "If you can't do it, I'll do it. We need to get out of here. Get the little bitch up and give her courage." "What if she screamed and called the police?" Rowan asked. Then we're dead, Theon thought. I told you it was a stupid plan, but you wouldn't listen.Albert killed everyone, singers were crazy.In the ballad, the hero always saves the maiden from the monster's castle, but life is no more than the ballad, any more than Jeyne Poole is Arya Stark.Her eyes are the wrong color, and there are no heroes here, just a bunch of bitches.Even so, he knelt beside her, pulled her fur, and stroked her face. "You know me, I'm Theon, we've lived together; I know you too, I know your name." "My name?" She shook her head, "My name...is..." He put a finger on her lips, "We can discuss this issue later. You keep quiet now. Come with us, follow me. I will take you away and leave him forever." She opened her eyes wide. "Please," she whispered, "oh, please." Theon reached out and picked her up, the movement hurting the stumps of his fingers.The wolf pelt slipped off her body, she was naked, her small pale breasts were covered with tooth marks.He heard a woman gasp behind him.Rowan shoved him a pile of clothes, "Let her put them on. It's cold outside." The squirrel was stripped to her underwear, rummaging through a cedar box for warm clothes, and finally she put on a Lord Ramsay A padded doublet and a pair of old breeches - too big for her feet like a ship's full sail. With Rowan's assistance, Theon helps Jenny Poole into a squirrel outfit.If the gods were good, and the guards were blind, she might get out. "Now we're going out, downstairs," Theon told the girl. "You just keep your head down and your hood up. Stay close to Holly, don't run, don't cry, don't talk, don't look anyone in the eye." "Don't you leave me," said Jenny, "please don't leave me." "I'll always be there for you," Theon promised.Then the squirrel crept into Lady Arya's bed and pulled the blanket over herself. Freya opened the bedroom door. "Did you give her a good bath, Reek?" Sour Alyn asked sharply.Gulu squeezed Weeping Willow when she passed by—fortunately, the object of his molestation was Weeping Willow. If he touched Jenny, she would scream, and Holly would have to cut him with the knife hidden in her sleeve Throat down.Weeping Willow only turned around to avoid him. For a long while, Theon only felt top-heavy.They really didn't look at her, really didn't see her.We stole her out right under their noses! But walking up the stairs, the fear returned.What if we meet Skinner, Damon the Dancer, or Walton the Iron Leg later?What about meeting Ramsay himself?Gods be merciful, it's not Ramsay, anyone you meet will do.After all, what's the use of stealing a girl out of a bedroom?They were still inside the castle, while every gate was closed and barred, and the walls were crowded with sentries.They might not even be able to get out of the main castle. Holly's pocket knife can't deal with six guards armed with swords and spears. However, the guards just curled up by the door, with their backs to the cold wind and blowing snow, and even the sergeant didn't even glance at them.Theon felt sorry for him and his soldiers.When Ramsay finds out that his bride is missing, he will undoubtedly skin them. As for the fate of Gollum and Sour Alyn, he can't imagine. Within ten yards of the door, Rowan and her sisters dropped the empty barrel.The main castle has disappeared in the snowstorm, the square has turned into a white snowfield, and all kinds of strange echoes are heard from the blizzard.Snow and ice trenches surrounded them, first to the knees, then to the waist, and then down to more than the height of the head.They were in the hinterland of Winterfell. They were supposed to be in the center of the castle, but there was no trace of the city.This seemed to be the land of eternal winter a thousand leagues north of the Great Wall. "It's cold," whimpered Jenny Poole, staggering beside Theon. Soon you will be colder.When you leave the city, without the protection of the city wall, you have to face the naked sharp teeth of the cold winter.If you can get out of the city. "This way," he said, at the junction of the three trenches. "Freya, Holly, follow him." Rowan ordered, "Let's go find Albert. Don't wait for us." Before she finished her sentence, she turned around and got into the snowstorm, heading for the hall.Weeping Willow and Mirelle followed close behind, their cloaks flapping in the wind. Crazier and crazier, thought Theon Greyjoy.Even with the cover of Albert's six women, it would be very difficult to escape, and now there are only two left, which has become an impossible task.But that's the end of the story, there's no way to send the girl back to the bedroom and pretend nothing happened.He could only take Jenny's arm and lead her to the battlement gate.It was only halfway there, he reminded himself, even if the guards let it go, he still had to find a way out of the outer wall.On those nights before, the guards had let Theon pass, but he was always alone.It must be difficult to take three maids through, but if the guards see Jenny's hood and recognize her as Lord Ramsay's bride... The twisted trench leads to the left.Just before their eyes, beyond the curtain of heavy snow, stood the battlemented door, and by the door stood two guards, one to the left and the other to the right.Wrapped in layers of wool, fur, and leather, they looked like two giant bears, but with eight-foot spears in their hands. "Who?" one of the guards called.Theon didn't recognize the voice, the man's face was almost covered by the scarf, only the eyes were exposed, "Reek?" Yes, he meant to answer, but instead said: "Theon Greyjoy. I... I brought you some women." "Poor kid, must be freezing," Holly said. "Come here, let's warm you up." She slid past the guard's extended spear, cupped his face in her hands, and pulled the half-frozen scarf and press a kiss on his mouth.As soon as their lips parted, her knife quickly pierced into the other's neck, just below the ear.Theon saw the guard's eyes widen.Holly's lips were covered in blood as she backed away, and the guard's mouth was bleeding. The second guard gaped in horror.Freya grabbed his spear, and the two fought for a moment, yanking it back and forth, but the woman snatched the weapon away and smacked him on the forehead with the butt, sending him staggering backwards.Freya pulled back the spear and stabbed him in the stomach, and he only had time to mutter. Jenny Poole on the side let out a high-pitched, terrifying scream. "Oh, this is great," Holly complained. "It's attracting all the kneeling people. Here they come, run!" Theon covered Jenny's mouth with one hand, and put one hand around her waist, Push her past dead and dying guards, through gates, into the frozen moat.也许旧神仍然眷顾他们：吊桥是放下的，以便临冬城的防御者能在内墙外墙之间快速调度。他们身后传来惊慌的叫喊和急促的脚步，紧接着内墙城垛上有人吹响喇叭。 芙雷亚跑到吊桥中央，忽然站定，转身。“你们走。我来挡住下跪之人。”她那双巨手仍擎着染血的长矛。 跑到外墙阶梯下，席恩已己是脚步不稳。他把女孩扛在肩头向上爬。珍妮彻底呆了，而她确实很轻……但松软新雪下的阶梯滑溜溜的，爬到一半他摔了一跤，重重地磕到一边膝盖，痛得死去活来，差点把女孩丢下。半晌间，他认定自己到此为止了，然而霍莉拉他起来，两人协力总算把珍妮抬到城上。 席恩靠着城齿，上气不接下气地喘息，他听见城墙下的叫嚣。芙雷亚正在雪地里和六七个全副武装的卫兵搏斗。“怎么走？”他朝霍莉吼，“现在怎么走？我们怎么出去？” 霍莉脸上的怒火陡然化为惊恐。“噢，我真该死。绳子！”她歇斯底里地笑起来，“绳子在芙雷亚身上！”她没笑完，就哼了一声，手抓住小腹——那儿插了一支箭矢。她用手压住伤口，鲜血从指间渗出。“内墙上的下跪之人……”她喘气道，随后双乳间中了第二箭。霍莉抓向最近的城齿，却踉跄着落下城墙。雪地里轻轻一声响，大雪抖了抖身躯，掩埋了她。 左边城墙传来呐喊，珍妮·普尔呆呆地看着城下霍莉的尸体，看着她身上洁白的雪毯被染红。席恩知道，内墙上的十字弓手正重新装填，他望向右边，但那边也有人赶来，手握明晃晃的长剑。从遥远的北疆，传来一声战号。那一定是史坦尼斯，他狂乱地想，史坦尼斯是唯一的希望。我们只需逃到他那里。但呼啸的寒风中，他和女孩无路可逃。 十字弓响起。箭矢从离他不到一尺的地方擦过，撼动了城齿中冻硬的积雪。尔贝、罗宛、松鼠等人不知所终，他和女孩只能自救。如果被俘，拉姆斯会亲手料理我们。 席恩紧紧揽住珍妮的腰，纵身跳下高墙。