Ox Horn Mountain is located west of Sheephead Mountain, east of Torrhens Square, and south of Sevon.
Kings Road divides them in two, which the Northerners call East Horn Mountain and West Horn Mountain.
East Horn Mountain is adjacent to the Sheephead Mountain range, with a tributary of the White Knife River flowing through the base of the two mountains where they meet. The mountain is steep and rugged, with exposed rocks, and merges almost vertically into the larger Sheephead Mountain range, making it awe-inspiring.
West Horn Mountain, on the other hand, is much flatter.
It stands alone on the northern plains, at an altitude of only three or four hundred meters, covered with dense Sentinel trees and oaks, appearing particularly gloomy in the desolation of late summer.
The dense forest and long slopes make it an excellent location for an ambush.
When Lord Wyman told Galon that Ironborn was heading towards Ox Horn Mountain, he realized that he had to take control of the northern entrance to Ox Horn Mountain as soon as possible.
Otherwise, once the Ironborn gain complete control of Ox Horn Mountain, Galon will be left defenseless.
At that point, they will either retreat to Winterfell or lure the Ironborn out of Ox Horn Mountain for a decisive battle in the wilderness.
But in that case, Galon would have to pay a much heavier price.
Therefore, after bidding farewell to Lord Wyman, he dared not slack off and led his army on a two-day forced march.
Finally, this afternoon, Galon led his army to a point ten kilometers outside the northern entrance of Ox Horn Mountain.
Under a gloomy sky.
Sixty cavalry scouts, following Garon's orders, went north to scout and determine whether Ironborn had arrived and whether there was an ambush.
Soon, a cavalryman returned to report that everything was normal at the north gate.
Galon breathed a slight sigh of relief, but remained calm and cautious.
After a moment's thought, he turned to look back at the Northern vassals behind him.
" Lord Amber, please lead three hundred men as the vanguard and hold the northern pass."
"Be on guard!"
Hother Amber, who was standing behind Garon with the other vassals, nodded and, without a moment's hesitation, spurred his horse back to his own ranks and headed north.
After spending these days together, the acting lord of Last Hearth, who is about the same age as Maester Luwin, has come to acknowledge Galon's leadership and abilities.
Naturally, they obeyed his orders unconditionally.
After the Umber army was mobilized, Galon gave another order and personally led the remaining army to follow behind them.
Three hours later, the entire army arrived at the northern entrance of Ox Horn Mountain.
Galon looked around the mountain pass and saw that East Horn Mountain was covered in strangely shaped rocks, making it impossible to climb. West Horn Mountain, on the other hand, was shrouded in dense forest, its interior obscured.
" Mihawk, you lead your men to occupy the high ground on the west slope. Stay vigilant at all times!"
" Lord Amber, you have led your men to cut down trees and set up barriers to block the road!"
" Jon, send out all the cavalry scouts! I need to know exactly where the Ironborn are and how many there are!"
"The rest of you, set up camp where you are!"
Galon, with a stern expression, issued his orders methodically.
The Northern allied forces, like war beasts awakened, sprang into action. The dull thud of axes chopping down trees, the shouts of soldiers, and the restless neighing of warhorses instantly shattered the silence of the valley.
Simple yet deadly obstacles were erected, and archers climbed to higher ground, their cold arrows aimed at Kings Road leading to the southern entrance of Ox Horn Mountain.
When the military camp began to take shape, he personally led a group of people to West Horn Mountain to observe the specific geographical conditions.
Meanwhile, cavalry scouts, following Garon's orders, were scattered throughout the dense forests of Kings Road and West Horn Mountain.
Shanks led a group of cavalry scouts to scout along Kings Road.
The group had been walking for more than two hours without finding anything.
At this moment, the sky gradually darkened.
" Lord Shanks, should we continue?"
The scout standing nearby couldn't help but ask.
Upon hearing this, Shanks turned his head to look at the dense forest of West Horn Mountain, which was shrouded in shadows, as if some danger was lurking within.
"Our mission is to get as close as possible to Ironborn's camp and ascertain the enemy's size and movements."
"Brothers, for the sake of the North, let's push forward a little further!"
"drive!"
Shanks spurred the reins and rode ahead towards the southern entrance of Ox Horn Mountain.
The other scouts did not complain and silently followed behind Shanks.
The group continued on their way.
The biting cold evening wind scraped across Shanks ' face like a knife.
He crouched low, pressing himself against the warhorse's neck, trying to blend himself and his mount into the deep darkness beside Kings Road.
The horseshoes, wrapped in thick cloth, made only a dull thud as they trod on the hard ground.
There was only the sound of the wind all around.
Suddenly, Shanks ' mount snorted uneasily and its ears twitched alertly.
He suddenly raised his hand, and the team stopped instantly, everyone listening intently in the darkness.
Suddenly, several strange noises came from the darkness ahead, like the sound of metal slightly clashing!
"No, there's an ambush!"
"Retreat immediately!"
Shanks roared almost instinctively and abruptly turned his horse around.
Almost at the same moment, a chilling battle erupted from the darkness on the west side!
"Kill them!"
"Leave a few alive; I'll interrogate them only!"
In the dense forest on the slopes of West Horn Mountain, Euron Crows Eye rode down on horseback, looking down at Shanks and his men, his right eye filled with murderous intent.
The next moment, countless dark figures surged forward as if emerging from the ground.
The torches suddenly lit up, illuminating the twisted, ferocious face and the sea monster emblem.
It's Ironborn!
They actually set up the ambush so far forward.
The flying axe whizzed past my ear.
Shanks whipped his warhorse desperately, and he could hear the roars, screams, and the terrifying sounds of weapons clashing behind him.
One of the team members' warhorses was tripped, and the man was instantly swallowed by the shadows.
Another team member was struck in the back by a flying axe while turning around to shoot an arrow, and fell off his horse without a sound.
"Sir, leave quickly!"
"We'll help you stop them!"
"No one in the North is afraid of death!"
"Brothers, charge!"
With Ironborn cavalry closing in, the remaining dozen or so men realized they had to stay behind to cover the retreat, and they unanimously gave Shanks the chance to escape.
A dozen or so riders drew their swords and charged toward Ironborn with roars.
In the blink of an eye, they were swallowed up by the crowd.
Shanks' eyes were filled with tears. He didn't look back and swung his whip again to increase his speed.
Behind them, five Ironborns were also hot on their heels.
The shadow of death gripped Shanks ' heart.
He dared not look back, and could only rely on his familiarity with the terrain and the speed of his warhorse to frantically flee north along the way he had come.
The curses of the Ironborn and the hoofbeats of their pursuing horses echoed behind them like a bone-deep whisper. After an unknown amount of time, the sounds of their pursuit gradually faded into the distance, perhaps because they dared not venture too far into the unknown darkness.
Shanks ' heart pounded like a drum. He slowed down slightly, panting, and looked back—all he saw was endless darkness and deathly silence.
His squad was reduced to just him on horseback.
Overwhelmed by immense grief and fear, Shanks gritted his teeth.
"Now is not the time to cry."
"The intelligence must be sent back as soon as possible!"
"Tell Lord Galon that the Ironborn have not only arrived, but are also sneaking towards the camp!"
He spurred his horse hard and continued galloping desperately towards the north entrance, towards Lord Galon's camp.