Game of Dragonborn.

Chapter 145 - Benfred Tallhart.

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]

Third Person POV.
North.

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Benfred Tallhart had barely survived when they lost Torrhen's Square as Theon led an attack.

He was lucky that his uncle, who was away at the time protecting the coastline, retreated upon hearing of the castle's situation and managed to strike them hard from the rear, retaking the castle and forcing Theon and the other ironborn to retreat.

The boy knew he would have died to Theon as soon as he took the castle, which was a bitter memory—Theon had been like a brother to Robb at Winterfell, they got along so well together and now, he had become a traitor to the point of throwing the North and the people who welcomed him, called him friend and even family, into chaos with his betrayal.

Hearing also what he did to Bran and Rickon Stark left him even more enraged at the squid he once called a friend, unable to believe he had done that to the two Stark children.

The memories of the encounter with Theon, as they crossed their swords against each other in the middle of the castle yard, while Benfred tried to protect his castle.
'Traitor! You were a brother to Robb Stark, and now you turn against him like a stray dog biting the hand that fed you!'
'I am the heir of Balon Greyjoy. My loyalty is with the ironborn, whom I intend to lead one day.'

Benfred was a much better swordsman than Theon, but he was at a disadvantage with his men fighting against a larger group. He knew his defeat was only a matter of time.

They fought until reinforcements arrived, the tide of the battle turned, and they managed to hold Torrhen's Square, although later they had to remain within the castle as the ironborn reinforcements laid siege around the fortress.

He heard about Theon's fall and felt great pleasure—it brought him a smile he hadn't had in a long time. Even though he had suspicions about Ramsay Bolton's bastard, it was still deeply satisfying to hear Theon had been captured, and he hoped for a horrible end, which should've already happened since he hadn't heard anything more about Theon Greyjoy in the past moons.

News of the Wall's fall also arrived, and if the North was already in a dire state—becoming the most chaotic kingdom of the Seven after the War of the Four Kings and with the North still without a chosen sovereign—things didn't seem to be getting any better for the northern folk.

He heard that Daemon Targaryen brought down the Wall with nearly 200,000 wildlings and a dragon. It was truly terrifying when the news from the South claimed he was a monster in human form, spreading chaos wherever he went. Along with his reputation as someone no one could kill, who could turn into a monster and wield magic.

Benfred couldn't imagine that the boy he once saw at Winterfell a few times when visiting with his father... That shrunken boy who kept to himself and was barely noticed, even pitied, had become a monster who toyed with the lives of people like Gregor Clegane.

The rumors of what he did to the Mountain and how he simply sent 50 men flying when Robb encountered him... were chilling...

Benfred was torn. He remembered asking his father a few times about the boy, but he always said it was something they shouldn't get involved in, that those problems belonged to Lord Stark, not them.

Benfred didn't care much beyond that—he just went on talking with his friends, if he could even consider Theon one of them.

The actions of the one everyone had until then known as the missing Jon Snow, now Daemon Targaryen, had begun. He launched an attack on Bear Island, saving House Mormont and making them openly declare to the North that they were allies, with House Mormont bending the knee to the Targaryen.