When Lancelot took an arrow to the back, many feared he was dead. Jaime and Tyrion even burst into tears.
"Lancelot! Lancelot!"
"Lancelot, don't die!"
Even the wildling woman who shot him was certain of the kill, confident in her archery skills.
But Lancelot stood up again.
"Good thing I wore a breastplate—front and back! Otherwise, I'd be barbecued today."
"Lancelot, thank the gods you're alright!" Jaime Lannister hugged him tightly.
Lancelot was stunned for a moment, feeling a strong fatherly affection radiating from Jaime. He then broke into a smile.
The wildlings suffered heavy casualties; only six survived. The rest were killed by Lancelot's white lion, Hrakkar.
The six survivors, led by the Rattleshirt (Lord of Bones), were bound and brought before King Robert and Lord Eddard.
"Ned, it seems your North isn't peaceful enough! These wildlings from the ends of the earth managed to trek all the way to Winterfell," Robert jested.
"You are right, Your Grace. The North is the second line of defense against wildling invasions. It seems I cannot return to King's Landing with you!"
Eddard Stark attempted to use defending the North as a reason to decline Robert's offer of the Handship.
"Ned, you!"
Robert glared at him with bull-like eyes, falling silent for a long time, fuming.
"Ser Lancelot, thanks to you just now. Otherwise, the Prince and my son might have lost their lives!"
Eddard Stark expressed his gratitude to Lancelot.
Lancelot laughed nonchalantly. "Your precious son seemed to have bumped his head just now. You'd better get Maester Luwin to check him out!"
"Robb has already been taken to the Maester's chambers."
"Then, let the trial by combat continue! Benjen Stark, Mance Rayder, have at it!"
Benjen Stark brandished his long spear on horseback. The spear was incredibly light yet gave off an aura of indestructibility.
Benjen knew it was forged from Valyrian steel, same as Ice, but used even more material.
Just as Benjen Stark and Mance Rayder were about to engage, the captive Rattleshirt spoke up.
"I have something to say."
The duel was interrupted once again.
Benjen looked at Rattleshirt in annoyance.
"What do you want to say now?"
"I accuse you Southerners of murdering our Free Folk. I demand a trial by combat against the killer, the lion-riding Ser Lancelot."
Rattleshirt stared at Lancelot.
He believed the boy must be a skinchanger who used the lion to kill. But the wildlings had stronger skinchangers among them.
Varamyr Sixskins, a small man accompanied by three wolves, a snow bear, and a shadowcat, was the most powerful skinchanger among the wildlings.
His own physical strength was weak; without his beasts, Rattleshirt could take him.
So, Rattleshirt's plan was to prevent Lancelot from using his skinchanger abilities and kill him in single combat.
Lancelot glanced at Rattleshirt's stats.
Name: Rattleshirt (Lord of Bones)
Identity: Free Folk, Wildling
Class: Raider
Strength: 15
Speed: 13
Intelligence: 15
Spirit: 14
Magic: 6
Talent: Bonestripper (Expert at stripping flesh from bone.)
Evaluation: Not weak, but far from the level of a King-Beyond-the-Wall.
"Don't you wildlings worship the Old Gods? Why are you playing by the rules of the Seven now?" Jaime Lannister asked.
"Who cares what gods I believe in? I accuse Lancelot of killing our Free Folk, and you plan to kill our King, Mance Rayder."
"We Free Folk will not yield to you. If you have the guts, let's have a trial by combat. With Mance, we have exactly seven. Do you dare send seven against us?" Rattleshirt challenged.
"Bring it on! You're just wildlings; we're not afraid of you!" Lancelot declared.
"Seven knights. Count me in."
Finally, the seven chosen were Lancelot Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Benjen Stark, Eddard Stark, Robert Baratheon, Jory Cassel, and Ser Rodrik Cassel to fight the wildlings.
The wildlings claimed they were injured and, for fairness, requested time to heal before the duel.
King Robert granted their request.
For the next few days, Robert went hunting with Eddard Stark every day, never resting.
Cersei tried to get Joffrey and Sansa to bond, but Joffrey treated Sansa like a little girl. He preferred mature women, older than himself, and had little interest in someone younger like Sansa.
Although Catelyn Tully also encouraged Sansa to spend time with Prince Joffrey, Sansa somehow always ended up wandering over to Lancelot instead.
During this time, Lancelot rode his white lion around Winterfell every day. His popularity points rose to a thousand again.
Time for another lottery draw.
Lancelot rubbed his hands, washed them, and even soaked in the hot springs. Once ready, he started the draw.
A huge circular roulette wheel appeared in his mind.
Lancelot went straight for a ten-draw pull.
The results were as follows:
1. 100 Gold Dragons
2. 1000 Silver Stags
3. 1 Essence of the Dragon
4. +1 Strength
5. +1 Speed
6. 1 Beast Enhancement
7. +1 Magic
8. +1 Intelligence
9. +1 Spirit
10. 1 Valyrian Steel Shield
After the draw, Lancelot added the points to Strength, Speed, Intelligence, Spirit, and Magic.
He felt his physical fitness and magical damage output increase.
"What is this Essence of the Dragon?" Lancelot examined the reward closely.
Essence of the Dragon: Grants vitality to a dead dragon egg, helping the hatchling break out of its shell.
"Good stuff! But there's only one portion. I have five dragon eggs back in King's Landing. I'll save this Essence for now," Lancelot decided.
He then checked the "Beast Enhancement."
Beast Enhancement: Can enhance a creature with the title of 'Beast' once. The creature will undergo mutation after enhancement.
"Mutation... I hope it's not a malignant mutation!"
Lancelot mused. Then he went to find the white lion, Hrakkar.
Although Lancelot had two excellent horses, Red Hare and Wuzhui, they were ordinary animals, not "Beasts," so the enhancement couldn't be used on them. Lancelot had to use it on Hrakkar.
"Beast Enhancement, Hrakkar, start!"
A red light flew from Lancelot's body, enveloping Hrakkar. Lancelot heard Hrakkar roar—a roar of excitement. It seemed he felt the benefits of the mutation occurring within him.
Continuous roars shook the area, dislodging two stones from the nearby Broken Tower. The direwolves tucked their tails and whined incessantly.
Finally, the red light dissipated, and Lancelot saw Hrakkar's new form.
His body had grown a size larger, comparable to a rhino, and two bull-like horns had sprouted from his head.