In the dawn of dawn, Eddard Stark emerged from under his fur blanket and crawled out of his tent.

In one night, a half-man-high wall of snow had been piled up in front of the tent.

Pain in the lungs.

Ed took a deep breath, the icy air of the early morning stabbed

The snow is still falling, even heavier than last night.

The lake was gone, the forests, the roads, the hills were gone, the blizzard had swallowed everything, and he could only see the outlines of the rest of the tents in the camp.

Ignite.

The attendant found a few pieces of wet wood, and it took a lot of effort

But the fire only smoked, but it did not feel the warmth.

Fortunately, Ed was accustomed to eating cold dry food, and a hint of warmth finally rose in his stomach with coarse ale.

Sir Alyssa Thorne, exhausted, came to report:

"One died last night and three were missing. Four horses fell, and we rescued one ............"

Ed listened to the "frost damage" report, and after being silent for a long time, he said in a pretended flat tone:

"After breakfast, move on."

"Yes."

The journey south was difficult, and it was no surprise to Ed.

Especially along the way, people from the north joined their ranks from time to time, and compared to the well-trained night watchmen, many of these ordinary people were old and weak, women and children, so people froze to death almost every day.

I wonder how many people will be left when they arrive at Neck?

What if you encounter an army of ghouls?

What should I do if I run out of supplies?

Ed tried not to think about these desperate questions, swallowed the cold and dry food, and then gave the order to go again.

The blizzard has no tendency to decay, and the marching speed is naturally extremely slow, which can be called a hobbling crawl.

It's a ten-mile walk in a whole day.

Add to this the fact that the length of the day is getting shorter, the nights are getting longer and longer, and the speed of the march is still decreasing, and even five miles a day is already very good.

It was another nightfall, and the team was stationed on the banks of a large frozen river.

Said.

"This is the Whiteblade River." Eid was steadfast

It was as white as the sky was, and everything was covered in snow, but the former guardian of the North still recognized his location at a glance.

He pointed to the southwest in the darkness and said:

"Three more days over there, and you'll be in Winterfell."

Ser Alyssa Thorne frowned, and said:

"Your Excellency, you're not going to go to Winterfell, are you? With all due respect, going in that direction will be a long detour, we don't have much supplies, it's really ............"

"You don't have to go to Winterfell." Ed explained, "I'll go back and see for myself, and you can just continue south." ”

Alyssa quietly breathed a sigh of relief:

"Yes, sir. I'll send some cavalry with you, so that you can take care of it. ”

Ed shook his head:

"No assignment. Tomorrow before I leave, I'll ask you if anyone is willing to follow me to Winterfell. ”

"Okay."

Early the next morning, Ed climbed out of the snow-covered tent as usual, ate cold and dry food, and listened to his subordinates' reports of last night's "frost damage".

Just then, the Sentinel hurried back to report that he had met a migratory convoy that was also heading south.

"Do you see their flags?" Ed asked.

The sentry nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"It's a pink skinner."

"The Bolton family." Ed chewed on the name, then smiled slightly wryly.

It's all at this time, and what is there to worry about the grievances and grievances between the Stark family and the Burton family.

There are strange ghosts, the public enemy of the human race, no matter what conflicts there have been between the major families in the northern realm, they should be put aside at this time.

Together, we can get a silver lining.

"I'll meet them." Ed mounted his horse and followed the sentry all the way south, and it wasn't long before he saw the same team stationed by the glacier.

The two camps weren't far apart, and if it wasn't for the darkness of last night, I am afraid that they would have found each other a long time ago.

"Who's in charge here? Is the Earl of Luce here? ”

"Lord Luce isn't here. This is Lord Rams in charge. ”

Ed nodded, suppressed his disgust for the illegitimate son of the Earl of the Castle of the Terror, and said:

"Take me to him."

"Please come with me.

The guards led Ed into the camp and were confronted by a young man in red armor walking towards him, surrounded by knights.

"Rams Burton?"

"Yes, Lord Eddard, I've admired you for a long time, but I didn't expect to meet you here!" Rams stepped forward with a smile on his face and grabbed Ed's hand as if he had seen an old friend who had been reunited for a long time.

Ed was very unaccustomed to the other party's excessive enthusiasm, and he endured it so that he didn't throw the other party's hand out:

"My team is in the back, and when the time comes, we can meet together and go south together."

"Of course, of course." Rams said with a smile, "They are all from the North, and they should be watching and helping each other." Oh, by the way, Mistress Eddard, I have a small gift for you. ”

Ed subconsciously wanted to refuse:

"You don't have to be so polite............"

"It should be, it should be." Rams didn't wait for the other party to refuse again, so he beckoned back, "Stinky guy, come here!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards gathered around Rams dispersed, and Ed saw a cowering old man walking with difficulty.

Stinky guy, it really stinks. Ed couldn't help but wrinkle his nose.

"Stink." Rams also made no secret of his disgust, and kicked the man, "Let Lord Eddard see your face." ”

"Yes, yes, sir............" The stinky man shuddered, but still pulled his long withered hair to the sides, revealing a swarthy face.

Ed wondered:

"Rams, who is this?"

"Hah! Look, Eddard doesn't recognize you! What a damn one! Quick, tell everyone, who are you? ”

"I'm a stink, yours." The stinker trembled even more.

"I mean your original name."

"I'm a stinky guy............ Stinky guy, stinky guy, life is as cheap as grass

Rams kicked hard in anger.

The stinky guy flew upside down and rolled several laps on the snow before stopping.

"Enough!" Ed was a little angry, "Rams, be kind to your people, the gods are watching. ”

"Lord Eddard, he's not one of my people. Not even the people of the ancient gods. Rams laughed, "Don't you really recognize him?" ”

Ed looked at the stinky guy again, and saw the man struggling to his feet from the snow.

His whole body was filthy, as if smeared with excrement, and he emitted a suffocating stench, his hair was dry and his skin was dark, as if he hadn't bathed in hundreds of years.

Only those black eyes gave Ed a familiar feeling.

"Theon," Ed said incredulously.

"No!" But the stinky man suddenly wailed,

"Nope! Sir, you have recognized the wrong person! I'm a stinky guy! Lord Rams's stinky ............"

Rams laughed triumphantly:

"Lord Eddard, you finally recognize you. That's right, he's the Iron Isles' first heir, rightful owner of the Sea Stone, a drowning god's people, and your former adopted son, Theon Greyjoy. ”

"Nope! Theon is long dead!" The stinky guy cried, "I'm the stinky guy, I'm the stinky guy!" ”

Ed looked in disbelief at the man in front of him, who had been tortured to the point of being inhuman, and who had already broken down, and couldn't connect him with the Theon he remembered.

"You've gone too far!"

"Excessive," Rams raised an eyebrow, "Have you forgotten that this guy was the one who brought the Iron Folk into Winterfell in the first place, leaving you homeless." Hehe, you raised him for more than ten years, but he still became a chameleon after all. ”

"Then you shouldn't torture him." Ed said angrily, "Have the Bolton family forgotten the promise of the year? No more skinning torture is allowed in the North! ”

"I didn't skin him." Rams said disapprovingly, then turned to Theon, "Did I skin you, stink?" ”

"No, no, no!" The stinky guy shook his head again and again, "Master, you are the best for me!" The stinky guy always remembers the kindness of the master. ”

When he said this, the stinky guy subconsciously covered his hands, and through the cold gloves, he seemed to be able to feel the severed fingers.

That's what he begged Rams to cut off.

Because the other party peeled the skin of his fingers, leaving the muscles bare, dry, cracked, and festering............ Theon had been whipped and burned with a red-hot iron, but nothing could compare to the pain of being skinned.

That kind of pain can drive people crazy.

The living simply can't stand it.

He could only pray for the mercy of Lord Rams to help him cut off his skinned fingers.

Every time Lord Rams will fulfill his request, as long as he pleads in pain, this is a game that Lord loves.

The stinky guy understands the rules of the game.

How could he not understand?

Once, he forgot the rules and tried to end the pain by biting off his skinned fingers with his own teeth, but this angered Master Rams and cost him an extra toe.

"The lord didn't abuse me." The stinky guy hurriedly said, "I deserve all the punishment." Stinky guy, stinky guy, life is as cheap as grass......"

Ed's heart was so angry that he could barely control the need to draw his sword.

But he didn't want to cut down Theon, the adopted son who had betrayed him, but Rams Snow-

This monster of the Bolton family.

But he also knows that this is not the time for infighting.

And he is no longer the Duke of the North, and has no right to judge Rams Snow.

"Lord Eddard." Rams said, "How am I training this stinky guy?" Do you like it? If you like it, I'll give it to you as a gift............"

"Keep it for yourself!" Ed turned and walked away.

I don't want to stay here any longer.

Rams looked at the other party's distant back, and suddenly turned his head to look at Theon, his face gloomy:

Yes. ”

"Skunk, Lord Eddard seems to be very unhappy with you

Theon trembled as if he had an epilepsy, and snot and tears flowed together:

"Old, sir······ I ······ I deserve it...

··· I

"You do deserve it." Rams snorted, "Teeth or fingers? The choice is yours. ”

Theon wailed, but did not dare to resist, remembering the pain he had suffered from eating this morning, and thinking of the seven fingers he had left, and after a moment of entanglement, he said:

"Fingers······ Sir······ My player refers to... Okay, come on. ”

"Thank you······ Sir······ Compassion ·····."

On the other side, Eddard Stark returned to the camp, but his mind kept recalling the appearance of Theon he had just seen·····.

His former adopted son has been tortured and gone crazy.

Despite Theon's betrayal, Ed would rather have his head cut off with a sword than have him tortured by Rams like this.

"Lord Eddard, are you leaving?" Sir Dennis Mellister came to inquire.

Ed had to clean up his mood and said:

"I'm going back to Winterfell, and I'll put this team under your command. Ahead is the Bolton family's troops, you go and join them and go south together, trying not to get into conflict. ”

"Yes, sir."

After Ed finished explaining, he selected a few more cavalrymen who volunteered to follow him, and left the group and turned southwest. But he didn't go far, but he turned his horse's head and returned to the camp of the Bolton family.

"Huh? Lord Eddard? Have you changed your mind and are ready to accept my gift? Rams asked with a smile.

Ed looked at Theon, who was cowering and trembling behind him, and said coldly:

"Theon Greyjoy, would you like to come back to Winterfell with me?"

"Winterfell?" Theon wept again, not knowing whether it was out of joy or fear.

"Yes, Winterfell." Ed said: "Where you have lived for more than ten years. But I also want to tell you clearly. I'm not here to deliver you, but to take you back to judgment. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, I will cut off your head with my own sword! Honor the souls of the Stark family! ”

Hearing this, Theon's body suddenly stopped trembling.

He cautiously looked up at the tall man on the warhorse, the man he had once regarded as a father, an idol, a hero.

When he heard that the other party was going to cut off his head, he strangely did not feel any fear, but felt a sense of relief.

There was a strong desire in my heart to say yes!

This is your only chance for salvation! "Stinky guy!"

But at this moment, Rams's voice rang out. Pull Theon back to Hell in one fell swoop.

"Are you going back with Lord Eddard?"

After so much torture, Theon had long since learned to read every layer of meaning in Master Rams's words.

Now, he knew clearly that the other party didn't want him to return to Winterfell.

He began to tremble again.

His chapped mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't say a word.

Ed spoke again, and said:

"Theon! It is better to die noble than to live in humility. Show your courage! ”

"Stink." Rams said, "You're going to die with Lord Eddard?" Or live with me? ”

At this moment, Theon's mind swirled a thousand thoughts, but none of them were clear.

There was a violent churn in his abdomen, and he threw himself to the ground and began to vomit.

Rams laughed when he saw this, and said:

"I'm sorry, Lord Eddard, it looks like the stinky guy can't go back to Winterfell with you, he can't even climb on horseback like he is.

Ed was silent for a moment, then finally stopped pestering and turned away.

But Theon slowly raised his head at this moment, looking at the back of his adoptive father who was far away.

The dilated pupils gradually condensed.

Some people died, but not completely......