Chapter 93: Saelen's Plan
"What trouble?" Robb asked, surprised. Maester Luwin also looked at Saelen with curiosity.
Saelen gathered his thoughts, then recounted everything—from tracking the bandits to wiping them out—adding in the testimony of the two prisoners along the way.
"You've already eliminated the bandits who raided those villages?" Robb asked, clearly taken aback. He hadn't expected Saelen to have gone through so much in such a short time.
"It was just a coincidence. We ran into them and dealt with it," Saelen replied calmly.
"I only just received word and was preparing to lead a force myself," Robb said. "Looks like you beat me to it. That saves me the trouble. Thank you, Saelen—you've already solved a major problem the moment you returned."
Saelen shook his head.
"Robb, the problem is far from solved. The bandits are dead—but those behind them are still out there."
As he spoke, he gestured to Gendry. Two bodies were brought in and laid on the ground. The cloth covering them was pulled away, revealing the flayed corpses beneath.
"Gods…" Maester Luwin gasped, immediately shutting his eyes, unable to bear the sight.
Robb looked on, his face darkening, anger steadily building within him. He reached down to stroke the head of his direwolf, Grey Wind. The wolf lifted its head and licked his fingers, as if sensing his mood.
Robb then stood and walked up to Saelen, meeting his gaze directly.
"You're certain… that the ones behind this are the Bastard of the Dreadfort?"
His tone grew heavier.
"Saelen, setting aside speculation and indirect evidence—how certain are you?"
The question was blunt, but Saelen did not waver. His gray eyes met Robb's without hesitation.
"I'm completely certain."
Silence fell over the hall.
Jon seemed about to speak, but Maester Luwin stepped in first.
"Ser Saelen, I agree that these crimes are unforgivable," Luwin said carefully. "But to conclude that the Bastard of the Dreadfort is responsible based solely on this… may be too hasty."
"In the North, House Bolton of the Dreadfort is second only to House Stark in power. To accuse them, this evidence is far from sufficient. We should—"
"Maester Luwin," Robb interrupted, "I trust Saelen's judgment."
"Robb," Luwin persisted, "as lord, you have both the authority and the responsibility to investigate the truth. You must rely on solid evidence before passing judgment."
"That is the only way to uphold House Stark's reputation for justice and fairness. Otherwise, your honor may be called into question."
Luwin did not back down. As the castle's maester, it was his duty to advise restraint when a lord leaned toward rash decisions.
Robb listened in silence, then turned and returned to his seat.
"When Osha first spoke of White Walkers beyond the Wall," he said slowly, "none of us believed her. We thought it was nothing more than wildling lies."
"But Saelen believed it was true."
"And because of that, we recognized the danger in time… and prepared for it."
Robb straightened slightly, his expression firm as he looked at everyone present.
"So this time, I choose to trust Saelen's judgment."
Maester Luwin hesitated, clearly wanting to argue further. But Saelen's track record—his accurate judgment about the White Walkers—was still fresh in everyone's mind. In the end, Luwin could only compromise.
"Since you've made your decision, Robb, I will not oppose it," he said. Then he turned to Saelen. "Ser Saelen, what should we do next?"
Robb also looked at him expectantly. Though he had made his decision, he had no clear plan for what to do next.
Under everyone's gaze, Saelen gestured for Gendry to take the prisoners away. What he was about to say was not meant for outsiders.
Once they were gone, Saelen walked to the long table, poured himself a drink, and downed it in one gulp. He frowned slightly.
Ale. He didn't like it.
"Do you have any wine?" he asked, lifting the jug toward Robb.
Robb smiled faintly. "You're the hero of Winterfell now, Saelen. You can drink whatever you want."
He turned and called to a guard.
"Bring out the Arbor gold from the cellar."
The guard bowed and left.
Saelen laughed. "Good. I'll drink you poor today."
Then his expression turned serious again.
"We'll proceed in two steps."
"First—Robb, send a formal inquiry in the name of Lord Eddard of Winterfell to the Lord of the Dreadfort, Roose Bolton. Demand that he personally escort his bastard, Ramsay Snow, to Winterfell for questioning."
After outlining the first step, Saelen spread a map across the table and pointed at it.
"At the same time, Winterfell and Castle Edd should begin mustering troops and assembling them here."
His finger tapped the marked location of Castle Edd.
"If Roose Bolton refuses your demand and begins raising forces in defiance, this will become our forward stronghold. Whether we choose to attack or defend, this position will be critical."
"And this isn't something new—Lord Eddard already made these arrangements. I'm simply putting them into action."
"Father already planned for this?" Robb asked, startled.
"Did he foresee that House Bolton might rebel?" Jon added, equally surprised.
Even Maester Luwin looked puzzled. As the maester of Winterfell, he should have been consulted if such plans existed.
"Yes," Saelen replied firmly. He then explained the discussions he had once had with Eddard at the Wall.
Understanding dawned on their faces as old doubts were finally resolved.
"I see…"
But Saelen didn't pause for long.
"For the initial force, we'll muster four thousand men—two thousand from Winterfell and two thousand from Castle Edd."
Luwin immediately shook his head.
"That's too many. Winterfell has already sent over a thousand men to the Wall. At most, we can spare another thousand."
"If we take more, it will severely disrupt agricultural production. Winter is coming—we must prioritize storing enough food."
Saelen turned to Robb, who nodded with some embarrassment.
"He's right. We can't raise that many from Winterfell."
"Then we can call upon Father's bannermen," Jon suggested.
"Yes," Luwin agreed. "Houses from Cerwyn, Torrhen's Square, Deepwood Motte, Hornwood, and White Harbor can all contribute forces."
Saelen shook his head.
"No. We don't yet know how Roose Bolton will respond. We shouldn't escalate too quickly."
"Hornwood and White Harbor border Bolton lands. For now, we'll send ravens instructing them to stay alert and monitor House Bolton."
"As for Cerwyn and Torrhen's Square, they must watch the Rills and the Barrowlands. They cannot be redeployed."
At that moment, the guard returned with the wine and placed it on the table before leaving.
Saelen poured himself a cup and drank it in one go.
"Deepwood Motte can send reinforcements," he said, studying the map. "Though I'm not sure how many they can spare."
"And the mountain clans," Jon added. "They can probably muster over a thousand men."
Saelen nodded, realization dawning.
"Good. That should be enough."
He had almost forgotten about the mountain clans.
"Very well," Robb said decisively. "I'll send out the summons to those houses."