Chapter 172

"I saw some of the battle last night." Galbart Glover said as they marched on their horses at the front of their men.

After collecting and burning the corpses against the judgement of the men from the Night's Watch, Lord Bolton gave the order to move out in case the fire attracted any more tribes as they were practically in enemy territory.

He still didn't understand why Lord Bolton had been so insistent on burning all the corpses but if what Lord Bolton had told them about the reason for this expedition was true then he could understand.

And even though the Night's Watch member themselves didn't seem to believe the rumors about White Walkers, they had not protested too much when Lord Bolton brought out the topic of burning the dead, only looking uneasily at each other.

"How was it?" Smalljon asked "Do Lord Bolton's soldiers only bark or do they bite as well."

"It was… as slaughter." Glover said and let out an involuntary shudder. "I don't know if these Wildlings were particularly bad but after watching them slaughtered so easily… I don't think I want Lord Bolton and his men as my enemy."

"It can't be that bad." Theon said with a frown and Galbart Glover laughed.

"Oh but it was." The Glover paused and shook his head "It's… hard to explain."

" Hard how?" Jon asked. Galbart Glover paused to give his bother a glance that his people usually save for bastards. His heart burned with anger at that.

Jon will always be his brother. And the fact that people looked down on him for being a bastard never sat right with him.

Maybe that was another reason why he respected Lord Bolton so much. Because the Bolton treated Jon like he treated any other person. With respect even if it was mired by his attitude of casual disinterest and indifference at mostly everything.

"Hard as…" Galbart cupped his chin and thought about a proper response "Have you ever seen a wave crash against a cliff?" he asked at last.

Most of them shook their head. Dacey and Theon were the only ones who nodded.

"Well, it was like that." Galbart nodded to himself "At first the wave seemed large and powerful and dangerous. Like if you stand in front of it then it would sweep you away along with it. That is how the 500 wildlings charging at us looked like. But then they crashed against the Bolton men like a strong wave crashes against a rocky cliff." Galbart Glover shook his head once again "The Wildlings never stood a chance."

Robb glanced backward and looked at his own 500 men marching behind him. Wondering how they would have fared against the Cave Dwellers.

He was sure that they would have emerged victorious in the battle but he doubted that any army would have come out as unscathed as Lord Bolton's army did.