GOT: Chapter 231/232

Chapter 231: Take from the Enemy

"Is pretending really that amusing? Is it? Is it truly that interesting?"

If Aegor hadn't known that Melisandre truly had some tricks up her sleeve, he might have already picked up a weapon and chased the mysterious woman out himself... But in reality, faced with a sorceress whose powers were unpredictable, he dared not challenge her theatrics.

"I'm all ears, my lady."

"Food doesn't only come from allies. It can also come from enemies." Melisandre sat back down in her chair. "Why not try heading north of the Wall?"

"North of the Wall?!"

Aegor's eyes widened. "It was you who warned me that those who've slain White Walkers will be especially targeted by the God of Cold. And now you're telling me to go north of the Wall to search for food? What a joke. Don't try to lure me out of Castle Black... no, out of the Wall!"

"I don't understand... My lady, please explain."

Melisandre shook her head and reminded him, "The Free Folk have gathered and marched south to attack the Wall. Do you think they came empty-handed?"

…

Of course not. The Free Folk came with their families, herding cattle and sheep, carrying all their possessions on their backs.

"Ah, you mean... the food the wildlings are carrying!" Aegor quickly caught on. "But the Wall barely has enough men to defend itself. There's no way we can take the initiative to attack and loot them."

The situation was more complicated than that. The Free Folk were not a unified army. They wouldn't have gathered all their provisions into one place with guards posted... Instead, each clan and family held on to their own food and livestock. Even if Aegor had a well-trained cavalry unit to dispatch, the efficiency of looting would be extremely low, and they might not even bring back enough to feed both the people and the horses.

"You don't need to steal it. You can simply ask them to... offer it."

"Offer it to me willingly?" Aegor became increasingly confused. Was the witch speaking nonsense? Or did she possess some magic that could hypnotize the Free Folk into handing over their supplies?

Melisandre locked eyes with the Night's Watch officer, giving him a mysterious smile, but didn't answer.


---

Silence often inspired more than words. Aegor began thinking outside the box and quickly came to a realization: the only way the Free Folk would willingly deliver food to their doors... was if the gates were opened to let them in.

It wasn't a new idea. Letting the wildlings through the Wall and using them was already part of Aegor's broader strategy. But some steps couldn't be skipped. He had planned to hold out the Wall's defense for a while longer, to wear down the Free Folk's morale and their misplaced pride in "freedom", allowing the unruliest of them—those full of reckless passion and bravado—to be culled in the battles... and only then, when their 100,000 strong host was exhausted and bloodied, would he begin negotiating.

The peace treaty would be formed as expected, but the side initiating the peace would shift from the Night's Watch to the Free Folk. Only by creating this shift in identity would they be truly subdued.

The Free Folk had lived beyond the Wall for generations and knew they had to store food for winter. However, the environment beyond the Wall was far harsher than the North, and each winter saw catastrophic loss of life... This time, they'd fled south ahead of the White Walkers, with little time to prepare. Their food stores might last three to five months, but after that, how would they feed a population in the six figures?

Melisandre saw through Aegor's doubts and said, "Letting the Free Folk past the Wall will significantly reduce the number of enemies the living will face this winter, and it will weaken the power of my lord's enemies. Not only that, we'll also free up manpower to deal with the troubles in the North... Two birds with one stone. Why not?"

Free up manpower to solve the North's troubles? Indeed, once peace was made with the Free Folk, he could form them into clans and warbands to fight the Ironborn who had invaded the South... Not only could he rapidly expand his influence, but he could also restore the North's logistical support to the Night's Watch.

But Aegor had experience in managing the Night's Watch's operations, and his ability to estimate numbers was better than Melisandre's. After a brief calculation, he reached a conclusion: this was all just prolonging survival. The North's total population was only about a million, and there was no way it could support a sudden influx of 100,000 Free Folk. If winter lasted more than half a year, it would be a catastrophe.

"If we let the wildlings through the Wall, the food they bring might help us hold out for another month or two. If we move quickly to defeat the Ironborn and restore the supply routes from the Gift, we could last another two or three months." Aegor asked, "But what happens after that, Lady Melisandre? You always say the Long Night is coming. So tell me—can this so-called Long Night end within a year?"

There was another question Aegor didn't voice: Even if the winter ended, it would still take time to grow crops again.

"R'hllor has not told me how long the winter will last," Melisandre admitted. "But that means it does not matter. When your heart is at peace, all things are easier. Do not despair. Despair is the weapon of mankind's greatest enemy. No one will starve under your rule... The Lord of Light will provide."

"Can the Lord of Light help me grow food in the snow?"

"Do you take my lord for a farmer?" Melisandre shot him a reproachful glance, clearly displeased with his sarcasm about her faith. "R'hllor will help in other ways. I saw it in the flames—countless ocean-going ships crossing the sea. They carried loads of food across the Narrow Sea, unloading it at a port near the Wall, feeding the countless souls dwelling here."

Across the Narrow Sea? Aegor had never considered that possibility. He stared at Melisandre in confusion, trying to read any hint of deceit on her face, but his skill in this regard was poor. After a while of silent staring, he had no choice but to give up.

Did this witch really see such a vision in the flames, or was she simply making it up to fool him? After considering, Aegor felt Melisandre had no reason to deceive him... But he couldn't make such a decisive choice—to let the wildlings through the Wall—based on the uncertain words of a charlatan.

Not to mention, matters concerning the Wall were not his decision alone.

He decided to take some time to think. Across the Narrow Sea... Essos was likely less affected by winter than Westeros. It might truly have surplus grain to sell. But how much would it cost to transport that grain across the sea to feed tens of thousands of mouths? Could the Night's Watch's assets afford that?

Even if they could afford it, after feeding the wildlings, would there be enough funds left to carry out other plans?

Then he thought of a possibility: borrowing from Braavos. Jaqen's anxious expression upon seeing the wights might indicate the Iron Bank was also concerned about Westeros's current crisis... All he needed to do was tell the bankers: if the Wall falls, Westeros becomes a living hell, and the loans to the Iron Throne will never be repaid. Under such grim reality, they might well offer support.

"Thank you, my lady, for your wise counsel. I'll consider it carefully and discuss it with my brothers."

Melisandre was clearly unimpressed by such perfunctory words. She smiled faintly and shook her head. "Make haste. We don't have much time left. The Long Night is coming, and danger is everywhere. The living... must prepare at once."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 232: Old Acquaintances

After speaking with Melisandre, Aegor felt he had gained a great deal of useful information, but he couldn't be sure how much of it had actually come from the witch, and how much he had simply imagined on his own. After leaving the welcoming feast, Aegor decided to focus on something more practical.

…

After escorting Arya back to her assigned room, he hurried to the guest quarters to visit the prisoners who had arrived with Melisandre and her followers. The dungeons in Queenscrown had not yet been constructed, and even if they had, political prisoners who had already been assigned as "new recruits of the Night's Watch" wouldn't be held there. In a dormitory meant for ordinary residents, Aegor met two men whose names he recognized.

Warner Buckwell, the former captain of the Old Gate and nephew of the Lord of Antlers. On the day Renly stormed King's Landing, Warner was the first to lead his trusted men to abandon their post and turn back to capture the Red Keep, leaving Stannis no route of retreat and forcing him to surrender the Iron Throne to his brother Renly.

What a pity… He had only enjoyed the status of a hero for about a month before Renly's sudden death sent him plummeting from the heights of power to the Wall.

Returns and risks are always proportional, and one must be prepared to accept failure.

As a key member and heir to his family, Warner could not have risked mutiny without the tacit approval and support of his kin. If the royal army that had gone west to destroy the Lannisters had not "delayed returning to the king's service," Warner would never have dared to betray the man seated on the Iron Throne. In theory, Lord Buckwell, who was more familiar with Aegor, should have also donned black. But those old noble families were airtight: no matter how deeply Stannis's Master of Laws investigated, he could find no proof that Lord Buckwell "ordered his nephew to commit treason." The delay in the army's return was "legitimately" caused by various unforeseen troubles. And after Renly's death, they quickly changed allegiance and pledged themselves to Stannis...

In the end, the Buckwell family escaped annihilation by sacrificing one of their own, just as they had done the last time they backed the wrong side—paying a heavy price, but surviving.

Jarman Buckwell wasn't rescued, and Warner was sent in his place. The Buckwells truly had no luck... The lord of Antlers was now in the same situation as a handful of other noble houses.

The other acquaintance was Aegor's old cellmate from when he was imprisoned for aiding Tyrion's escape—Humphrey Hill, a bastard from the Westerlands who had managed the Lannister family's accounts in King's Landing.

...

...

Unlike the royal territories, the Westerlands had avoided the conflict by declaring neutrality during and after the siege of King's Landing... After Renly's death, Tywin personally wrote to Stannis, offering a large sum of gold in exchange for the Western lords captured by Eddard during the uprising.

Stannis, who was preparing to march south against the Golden Company and the Tyrells, accepted the deal under the heavy pressure of military expenses.

Judging by the ransom, which was clearly higher than normal, Tywin was in fact showing goodwill to Stannis—paying a kind of protection fee. But only nobles were fortunate enough to return to the Westerlands. Bastards like Humphrey, or commoners, weren't so lucky.

…

"Who was it that said back then, 'Anyone who wants to go to that damn place called the Wall can go'?" Aegor teased Humphrey. "So why did you change your mind and come here yourself?"

"Damn it, anyone with a bit of status was ransomed by Tywin, and Stannis didn't want to keep us. He planned to send us to mine on Dragonstone." Humphrey scowled. "I grew up in Lannisport. How could I survive that? You can't even escape Dragonstone. Better to gamble on the Wall. Even if I die here, it'll be quick." He shrugged and admitted, "Of course, hearing that you came back to the Wall was the main reason. I came here to seek your protection. Whatever you say goes."

"Haha… Don't worry. I won't mistreat a former cellmate. I'll speak to Mormont on your behalf. No matter what, I'll get you into logistics."

"I'm no leader. I'm only good at managing accounts."

Queenscrown, especially the settlement around it, was in desperate need of someone to manage the books. Yam was clever, but he came from a miner's family and had never received formal training. He was handling countless matters alone, managing everything himself. Aegor had seen how exhausted he was and had long hoped to find someone to share the burden. Now that the right person had shown up, it couldn't be better.

"Lord Aegor has a keen eye," Warner said sarcastically. "With the support of House Stark, you're practically ruling here like a king handing out land. If you knew Stannis would win, why didn't you tell us?"

"The Night's Watch is neutral. I'm not sure what Ser Buckwell means."

"Come now, stop pretending. You stormed the Red Keep that day and took away that little servant girl right in front of me. Do you think I couldn't guess who she really was?" Warner snorted. "I didn't recognize her at first. But when Renly and Margaery came to King's Landing looking for Lord Eddard's youngest daughter, I got suspicious and considered reporting it... But I told my father first, and he personally instructed me to act as if I'd seen nothing. Otherwise..."

Is there more to this story?

Aegor felt a chill down his spine, but then thought: who knows if he's telling the truth? If he had really known Arya's identity, he would've used it earlier to blackmail Aegor for more benefits from the Night's Watch in King's Landing. Why wait until now to bring it up? It was more likely that Warner only recognized Arya after seeing her again in the Gift two days ago and remembered what had happened. He probably made this story up just to make Aegor feel indebted.

There really is no such thing as an impenetrable wall. If that brat Arya hadn't been running around, the secret might've stayed buried for a lot longer... Now, I can't even risk dealing with the Riverlands. The thought reignited the anger smoldering in Aegor's gut.

"What are you talking about?" Humphrey Hill asked, confused.

There was no point in discussing it further. Aegor was now focused on winning over future sworn brothers. He shook his head and said, "Alright, let's not talk about messy matters. We've known each other for a while. Now that we're at the Wall, I'll look after you. Ser Buckwell… once you've taken the black, you'll hold the status of a knight. You'll likely join the Rangers or be appointed as commander of a newly reopened fortress. That's outside my jurisdiction. But if you have any troubles in your daily life at the Wall, come to me. If I can help, I will."

Warner sighed. He did hold a piece of leverage over Aegor, but Renly was dead, and the Tyrells were in danger. Even if he told the truth, would King Stannis grant him a pardon? And he was now in someone else's territory. His future livelihood would likely depend on this man... With that in mind, his shoulders drooped. "Thank you."

"Don't be disheartened. We're all brothers here. I'll even share something with you two." Aegor hadn't forgotten the main reason for his visit. "Two years ago, I was shipwrecked at sea and drifted to Westeros. After I came ashore, I was so hungry I stole two potatoes. That's how I ended up on the Wall. Ever since I put on black, I've been thinking about how to leave the Night's Watch legally and shed this identity."

"Haven't you already done that? And yet you still returned."

"Yes, I've achieved that part. Most people might be content enjoying a cushy post as Chief of Logistics in King's Landing, but I'm not most people. I have ambition. I have dreams. I have family waiting for me at home... I want to take off my black cloak with honor, own a strong, ocean-going vessel, and sail west at sunset to return home." Aegor spoke without hesitation. "And now, through hard work, I'm closer than ever to that goal. One day, I will achieve it."

"Wow," Humphrey said. "And what does this have to do with us?"

"What I want is to create a complete and universal system for Night's Watchmen to resign. Once it's established, every man forced to take the black will have a chance to reclaim his life..." Aegor glanced at Ser Buckwell's expression and continued. "But we can't do this without first resolving the current crisis facing the Wall. I have a plan for that, but it requires unity. Only by working together can we survive and see the goal through."

Humphrey shrugged. "I came here because I had nowhere else to go. Of course I'll support you."

Aegor nodded to his old cellmate, but turned to look at Ser Buckwell. Humphrey was a scarce talent in the settlement, but he could only represent himself. Warner Buckwell, however, could influence many of the royal nobles forced to wear black... more than a dozen future mid-level officers in the Night's Watch.

Warner frowned at Aegor. He had swum in the muddy waters of King's Landing long enough to sense what was happening. They were all going to swear their vows soon, and once they were sworn brothers, they would naturally help and protect one another. There was no need for Aegor to go out of his way like this unless...

(Aegor is trying to recruit me. The Chief of Logistics is one of the Corps' highest-ranking officers, and he wants to bypass the Lord Commander to form his own faction among future officers. He has serious ambitions!)

…

"It's easy to say there should be a mechanism for resigning from the Night's Watch. But how? Can people like us, who've offended the king, benefit from it too?"

"That's a secret for now." Truthfully, Aegor had no idea yet, but expanding his influence could only help. From Melisandre, he'd learned that keeping secrets and playing mysterious often produced miraculous results. "But I promise, the system will apply to every Night's Watchman. And I'm getting closer to success every day."

Having witnessed Aegor build the Night's Watch enterprise in King's Landing from the ground up, Warner couldn't doubt his confidence. "Understood... I, and the friends who came here with me, will be your loyal, secret supporters as Chief of Logistics."


---

People with desires are the easiest to sway. Thankfully, not everyone was like Jaime, who truly wished to be a good Night's Watchman and refused to budge... Humphrey and Warner both accepted the promises Aegor offered and agreed to spread them among the royalist nobles and displaced Westerlanders.

At this point, Aegor's influence and voice among the Night's Watch had caught up with the top-ranking officers. He had finally lived up to his title of "Chief." But he wasn't content to stop there. Today marked a strong first step toward forming his own faction.

After handling this important matter, Aegor let out a sigh of relief, bid farewell to his old acquaintances, stepped into the cold night air of Queenscrown, and quickly returned to his quarters. He took off his coat, added a few logs to the fire, and prepared for sleep.

"Master, where have you been? Why are you just getting back?"

Aegor was startled by Arya's voice. He looked around, only to find no one in sight. Then he spotted the girl buried beneath the quilt, only her head sticking out. She was rubbing her sleepy eyes, clearly just waking up.

Still sleeping in my bed? Aegor glared. "Didn't you say your stomach wasn't hurting anymore? What are you doing here now?"

"I... the fire was going out. It was cold."

"If it was going out, add firewood. Why do you need someone else to do everything for you?"

"But I couldn't find any firewood."

"Oh… fine." Aegor paused. It was clear Yam hadn't arranged things properly. But with so much on his plate, it was hard to blame the mayor for such a minor oversight. He walked over and tucked the blanket around Arya, reminding himself she was a little girl who had just lost her father. No need to get angry. Be gentle. "Is the quilt warm enough?"

"Yes."

"Alright. You can stay here tonight." Aegor patted her head. "But there are things we need to talk about."

"Mm." Arya's nose and mouth were buried under the covers, her bright eyes fixed on Aegor.

"Running away from home is dangerous. It might seem fun, but it causes those who care about you to lose sleep from worry. I'm very angry, and I want you to promise—no more of this. No matter where you go, who you're with, or what you're doing, you must tell your family. Ideally, you should bring someone along to protect you, just like when you took sword lessons in King's Landing, alright?"

Arya knew she had gone too far. She nodded obediently. "I promise."

"Good. Second thing—you're a girl. Don't sneak into my bed, or anyone else's, for something so trivial. It's not just dangerous for you, it could also cause trouble for others. I'm serious, do you understand?"

"Oh... I'm sorry, Master. I understand."

"Right. If you do it again, don't call me 'Master' anymore." Aegor didn't know how long she'd remember the lesson, so he could only hope the warning would stick. "You stay here tonight. I'll find another room."

"Huh?" Arya poked her head out of the quilt, seemingly embarrassed for taking his bed. "You don't have to. Let's just share it—just for tonight."

It would certainly be a charming experience to have a noble girl warm his bed, but with so many people now in Queenscrown, Aegor wasn't about to risk his future for something so foolish. "Didn't we already agree last time it would be the last night? If you're cold, stay in bed." He walked to the door, put his coat back on, turned, and said, "Good night."

(To be continued.)