Chapter 387

Don’t be fooled by how confident Aegor sounded when outlining his battle plans for the Gift to Beric Dondarrion. It was only when faced with the chaos of a real-life test that he was harshly reminded: the people he governed were not disciplined soldiers, but a collection of unruly refugees.

The New Gift settlers, having come from beyond the Wall, were raised in an environment devoid of law and moral education. They were never reasonable or virtuous by nature. The Night’s Watch had kept them under control through a combination of rewards and punishments, targeted crackdowns, and deliberate separation by tribe to prevent infighting. But as the war forced the population to regroup in closer quarters, the true nature of some of these people quickly revealed itself, showcasing just how foolish and malicious humans could be.

Spreading baseless and morale-destroying rumors within the Gift’s capital of Crown's Rest… committing crimes during what they thought was a White Walker attack… even fleeing south illegally into Northern lands, seeking death in the process… Were these the actions of rational beings?
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Before leaving half a month ago, Aegor had anticipated the possibility of rumors and unrest stemming from his absence. Yet he had no better choice—announcing openly that he was traveling to King’s Landing for business was far safer than slipping away in secret. He could have informed his core commanders and asked them to keep quiet, but that risked sparking paranoia among his leadership. If even one key figure started doubting him, the consequences could have been far worse.

Had he been present during the false alarm, only a handful of people would have dared to cause trouble. In other words, much of the recent unrest was directly tied to his absence. Yet Aegor felt no guilt over this. Just as a victim of harassment shouldn’t be blamed for dressing "provocatively" or being out too often, his decision to leave didn’t absolve these people of responsibility for their actions. Logical accountability came first, no matter the circumstances.

Instead of guilt, Aegor felt a certain relief. The false alarm, while unfortunate, had exposed many hidden problems early. It was far better to root out troublemakers now than to let them cause greater harm during a real crisis. For instance, had the fleeing tribe attempted to desert during an actual White Walker assault, Crown's Rest would never have had the time to recover them.

Now, Aegor found himself facing the inevitable fate of every ruler: an impossible decision.

Over a hundred people had fled—not in rebellion, but out of panic. They weren’t soldiers, so they couldn’t be dealt with through military law. When confronted by Warner Buckwell’s forces, they hadn’t resisted and had willingly returned to Crown's Rest. This was nothing like the Thurl tribe, who had killed Commander Mormont and fought to the death when captured. Aegor couldn’t justify executing them all; only the tribe’s leader could be punished.

But punishing the leader meant deciding how to handle the fallout that would inevitably follow.

It was akin to a king dealing with a rebellious noble: executing the leader risked destabilizing the realm, while sparing them risked emboldening dissenters. It was no wonder the Night’s Watch—an institution built on banishing troublemakers—had survived long after the White Walkers disappeared.

Aegor lacked the experience of a king, but he couldn’t show uncertainty before his subordinates. Thinking quickly, he decided to stall.

“This tribe has a hostage in Crown's Rest, correct?”

“Yes, a twelve-year-old boy. He’s under guard.”

“Tell the boy that his family abandoned him during the most dangerous moment,” Aegor said, feigning confidence. “Give him the night to think it over, then bring him to me tomorrow. I’ll ask him directly how he thinks I should deal with his father.”

“Yes, my lord.”

While this seemed like a chance for the boy to reflect, it was just as much a chance for Aegor to weigh his options overnight. With a plan forming in his mind, he allowed himself a faint smile. “You’ve all done well to maintain order amidst such chaos. It proves my trust in you was not misplaced. But now isn’t the time for rewards. Let’s all keep working together to overcome this crisis and carve our place into the annals of history.”

“Thank you, my lord. Your timely return is the best way to dispel these rumors,” said a weary Humphrey, forcing a tired smile. “At least now, we’ll face less resistance in our work. But there’s still one more matter to address: when the beacons were lit, the remaining tribes within a day’s travel of Crown's Rest flooded into the town. Many refused to leave, despite the false alarm. To maintain order and resume production, we had to forcibly expel them. It wasn’t easy at first, but with help from Buckwell and a few hundred men from Castle Black, we managed to resolve the situation peacefully. However, the expelled tribes have now set up camp outside the walls, becoming a new source of instability. How should we proceed?”
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Crown's Rest was no ordinary town. From its inception, it had been designed to accommodate living quarters, industrial production, and wartime defense. It could comfortably house 5,000 people while maintaining normal operations.

That was the official limit. In emergencies, the town could hold far more—but only by halting non-essential functions. This was why Aegor had established a tiered alert system, separating evacuees into two waves.

The first wave consisted of those living far from the fortresses, who couldn’t be evacuated quickly in an emergency. They were relocated early to strongholds like Crown's Rest. The town now housed 3,000–4,000 evacuees, in addition to its permanent residents. While the residential areas were crowded, the industrial sector was still functioning.

The second wave included those who could reach the town within a day during a real attack. If the White Walkers arrived, these evacuees would double Crown's Rest’s population, requiring the industrial zones and schools to shut down to make room. This system ensured maximum efficiency while prioritizing survival.

Because of the false alarm, the second wave had arrived prematurely. But the industrial zones couldn’t shut down early—dragonglass weapons and explosive production couldn’t afford delays, and reforging Dark Sister into the new Lightbringer depended on the forge’s operation.

“The problem isn’t kicking them out,” Aegor said after a moment’s thought. “The problem is that next time, they’ll hesitate. They’ll waste time deciding whether to evacuate, and by then, the White Walkers could turn them into part of the undead army.”

He stroked his stubbled chin, then shook his head. “Prepare a proclamation. Tribes within ten miles of Crown's Rest are to be forcibly returned home, but compensate them for their trouble. As for those farther out, let them stay outside the walls if they refuse to leave. Station guards to patrol the camps, ban tents within 100 meters of the gates, and provide one free meal a day to calm their dissatisfaction.”

“Yes, my lord.”
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With that resolved, Yarm raised one final concern. “My lord, the inner keep is running out of rooms. You instructed me to find private quarters for Lord Dondarrion and Tobho Mott earlier, but in truth, we don’t have enough space. I’ve vacated my own room for them tonight, but this will be an ongoing problem once the industrial sector shuts down and we need to house technical staff inside the keep. I recommend reorganizing room assignments to create additional space.”

“Don’t bother with the soldiers’ barracks,” Humphrey interjected. “You can share my quarters for now, Yarm. Just bring your own bedding.”

“I can give up my room too,” Arya suddenly chimed in from the corner, her tone righteous. “I’ll just sleep with my master—if there’s not enough space, we can squeeze in together.”

Aegor nearly choked. “No one asked for your opinion!” He shot her a sharp glare, only relaxing when the others laughed it off as a joke.

“Fine,” Aegor said after a moment. “Yarm, you can stay with Humphrey tonight. I’ll review the housing situation and issue a new plan tomorrow.”
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