Chapter 51: Rockborn Captives

Besides the Heir of Driftwood Hall, Baolaisen Siteren, the Northern Army also captured several other Rockborn nobles, some from the Ice Dragon Clan, Frost Clan, and Maple Leaf Clan, as well as one from the Crowl Clan of Abyss Keep.

This man, named Donald Crowl, had brown hair; unlike many Rockborn who were tall, strong, and had resolute features, Donald Crowl was short, ruddy-faced, and looked kind-hearted. Eddard's personal guard, Dawson, captured him on the battlefield.

Eddard scrutinized Donald Crowl and was surprised to find that beneath Donald's chainmail was an exquisite mink coat embroidered with gold thread, and the crest on his chest was a black and red jagged chevron, which was indeed the crest of the Crowl Clan. "Are you truly a Rockborn?"

Donald Crowl wore a fawning smile, as if he had met an old friend upon seeing Eddard. "I am the genuine article! Lord Eddard, when I was born, it was a particularly harsh winter, and food was scarce, so I have been weak and sickly since childhood."

Eddard frowned: "What is your relationship to Samlo Crowl, the Rock King who usurped the throne?"

"He is my uncle," Donald Crowl said. "My father died when I was three, and my mother remarried Samlo Crowl, so I have always looked upon him as my own father. I am the steward of Abyss Keep."

This was a very valuable captive. Eddard raised his voice, "You are the nephew of the Rock King and his castle steward. You helped the Rock King rebel and kill the people of the North; I can take your head at any time."

The guard Dawson drew the Stark family's Valyrian Steel Greatsword, "Ice," and Donald Crowl broke into a cold sweat in terror. "Lord Stark, I am just a steward, not a warrior. I beg you, spare me!"

This was a cowardly Rockborn. Eddard said: "If you want to live, answer my questions honestly. Why were you here?"

Donald Crowl wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The Rock King sent me to Driftwood Hall to summon warriors from several northern tribes to Abyss Keep. But Billy Stane saw the Northern Army on the road and began to attack. Recently, Sistermen pirates and Pentos Mercenaries have been raiding the fishing villages along the coast of the Stane Clan, and as soon as Stane saw the Northern Army, he became enraged and launched an attack despite my opposition."

Kaserun the Greybeard and his fleet of Sistermen, along with the Pentos Mercenaries ships, did not disappoint Eddard; Eddard's pirate raiding tactics had worked, successfully infuriating the Rockborn. However, the grain and forage brought by the pirate raids were very limited, and the Northern Army's grain reserves were severely insufficient; they still had to rely on Marlon Manderly's fleet to transport supplies across the sea from the North.

Eddard said: "How many Rockborn in total did you summon from the northern tribes on Skagos?"

Donald Crowl thought for a moment. "Over a thousand, and eighteen unicorns."

After the battle, Roose Bolton tallied the Rockborn casualties; three unicorn carcasses were left on the battlefield, and over four hundred Rockborn warriors were killed. The losses of the Northern Army were about the same as the Rockborn. If Donald Crowl was not lying, the army that the Stane leader took to Abyss Keep had lost nearly half its strength.

Eddard continued to interrogate Donald Crowl, "How many troops are in Abyss Keep?"

Donald said: "Fewer than eight hundred. Too many of our Crowl Clan warriors died at sea; after all, Rockborn are not skilled at naval warfare. However, the Rock King has recruited new warriors, and Billy Stane will also go to Abyss Keep with the remaining soldiers and unicorns."

"Is the Iron Bitch Helene Pyke at Abyss Keep?" Helene Pyke was the enemy Eddard was more worried about.

Donald said: "Helene Pyke is not at Abyss Keep most of the time; she often lives on her ship. When I left the castle, Helene Pyke was gathering a pirate army, saying she was going to cross the sea to ambush the North's grain ships."

And the Iron Bitch had already succeeded; at the thought of Helene Pyke suppressing the Northmen in naval battles, a bitter feeling rose in Eddard's heart.

Eddard pondered for a long while. "So, the Rock King plans to summon the major tribes to hold the fortress at Abyss Keep?"

Donald Crowl shrugged. "I'm not too sure about that. The Iron Bitch and the Rock King don't tell me many of their plans, and I'm the castle steward! And the Rock King's nephew, yet the Iron Bitch actually excluded me from the decision-making circle."

This could not be blamed on the Iron Bitch and the Rock King, because the cowardly Donald was almost incapable of keeping a secret; the moment he fell into the hands of the Northern Army, he gave up too much information to save his own life. Eddard would never let a coward like Donald appear at his war council, let alone enter the decision-making circle.

Donald Crowl's face was once again filled with a fawning smile.

"Lord Eddard, I have always opposed my uncle Samlo wearing the Stone Crown. I tried to persuade him to submit and pledge loyalty to the North, but he wouldn't listen. It was all that Iron Bitch Helene Pyke, constantly whispering rebellious thoughts in his ear, which is why he sent troops to attack the east coast of the North. As long as you let me go back, I can definitely persuade Samlo to abandon the crown and submit to the North."

Roose Bolton wore a faint smile. "Lord Eddard, how could Samlo possibly listen to the words of this coward? This fellow has a glib tongue; who knows if he is lying? It would be better to hand Donald over to me; I will interrogate him strictly and extract his secrets. You know, a flayed man has no secrets."

Donald Crowl was terrified. "Flayed? My lords, everything I said is the truth!"

Eddard said: "Donald Crowl, if the information you provided is proven to be a lie, no one can save you."

Winterfell Captain of the Guard Jory Cassel dragged Donald Crowl away.

The son of the Stane Clan leader, the Heir of Driftwood Hall, Baolaisen Siteren, was brought in. On the battlefield, he was captured by Eddard's bastard, Jon Snow, after being wounded.

Although Baolaisen Siteren was only fifteen, he was clearly much more resolute than the coward Donald Crowl.

Eddard scrutinized Baolaisen Siteren. "Baolaisen, I am Eddard Stark, Duke of the North. How many warhorses does your Stane Clan have in total? How many unicorns?"

Baolaisen Siteren said angrily: "I would rather die than be a traitor who betrays his own clan."

Eddard said: "It is a pity that your Stane Clan became traitors the moment you followed the King of Rocks to rise up against the Northern Army. You are vassals of Winterfell, yet you rose in rebellion."

Jason Siteren sneered: "From the time of the King of Winter to the King in the North, Winterfell has never been able to conquer Skagos. Now that House Stark is merely the Warden of the North in the Seven Kingdoms, how can you make the Rockborn kneel?"

Theon said angrily: "Lord Eddard, slaughter this brat."

Eddard smiled: "This is a lad with backbone; let's keep him."

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(End of this chapter)