Tower of the Hand

Benfred Tallhart spits on and insults Theon while being held by Stygg and Werlag. Aeron says he must die for it. Aeron takes him down to the shore and drowns him. Theon looks down on his men, including Tymor, Urzen, Black Lorren, Todric, Maron Botley, and Gevin Harlaw, as they loot the dead and finish off the wounded. Todric gets into a fight over loot, and Theon has Wex fetch his bow and gives Todric an arrow in the belly. Theon returns to Sea Bitch. He ponders the battle. They raided the fishing village before dawn and burned it to the ground. Benfred and his men came down the road, singing, without a single scout deployed. The ambush made quick work of them. Dagmer hails Theon from his ship, Foamdrinker. Theon had left him to guard the ships so that he would not get credit for the victory. Theon says they must talk, and Dagmer invites him aboard his ship. Theon says that they should not be doing reaving work and that he means to do something that will place them in the songs. He also flatters Dagmer by calling him the greatest warrior of the Iron Islands. Dagmer demurs, stating that he is old and Andrik the Unsmiling, a warrior in service to House Drumm, now has the most skill and renown, but it is clear he is interested. Theon plans to give Aeron six longships and have him continue the raiding. At the same time, Dagmer will take most of their men and pretend to besiege Torrhen's Square to draw Ser Rodrik away from Winterfell. Theon will then take the defenseless castle.