Capture of Winterfell

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Battle of Winterfell
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 AC
Place Winterfell
Result Greyjoy victory
Combatants
House Stark House Greyjoy
Commanders
Bran Stark Theon Greyjoy
Strength
very few castle garrison (Rodrik Cassel took most of them) 20
Casualties
Alebelly+
remaining castle garrison
Winterfell captured
fake deaths of Prince Bran+ & Prince Rickon Stark+
2 ironborn

The Battle of Winterfell is a daring raid that ends in the capture of Winterfell, the ancestral home of House Stark for millennia. It marks a turning point in the War of the Five Kings.

Prelude

As Theon Greyjoy planned, after Dagmer Cleftjaw laid siege to Torrhen's Square as a diversion, Ser Rodrik Cassel raises Winterfell's levies and marches with six hundred men, leaving Winterfell defenseless.[1] Theon travels inland with twenty ironborn to Winterfell, planning to take it by surprise.

Battle

The ironborn descend on the few remaining Winterfell guards. Theon has his best swimmers cross the moat and go over the walls with grappling hooks. From there they sneak up on Alebelly, who they slay at the gate, and open the gate to let the rest of the ironborn in. With speed and surprise they take the remaining garrison unawares.[1]

Aftermath

Theon declares himself the Prince of Winterfell and takes Osha and Ramsay Snow, (disguised as "Reek"), as retainers. Bran Stark, Rickon Stark, Little Walder Frey, Big Walder Frey, Meera Reed, Jojen Reed and Beth Cassel are all kept as hostages.[1] However, the Stark and Reed children escape. To avoid embarrassment, Theon has Ramsay kill two boys in place of the Starks and announce to the world that they are dead.[2][3] The grief over this news causes King Robb Stark to seek solace in Jeyne Westerling's arms and, ultimately marry her. Realising that he is in danger of losing the North, Robb's army begins its march home, a route that will require crossing the Twins.

References and Notes