Chapter 299

Aegor had never personally sailed across the Narrow Sea, but he had heard plenty about its treacherous weather and harsh conditions. Moreover, the journey from Braavos to the Gift was far longer than a mere crossing of the Narrow Sea. Even if the ships successfully braved the storm-ridden waters of the northern Narrow Sea, they still had to navigate the vast Shivering Sea, hugging the eastern coast of the North for over a thousand miles before reaching Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the easternmost point of the Wall.

In this era, a voyage of several weeks was exhausting for any captain or crew. No ship, having endured the arduous journey, would willingly linger offshore because the intended recipient of their cargo couldn’t secure the port—especially when their freight fees had already been paid by the Iron Bank.

The Braavosi grain ships were undoubtedly on their way to Eastwatch, and Aegor needed to ensure not only that the loaned grain was unloaded smoothly but also that it wasn’t seized by conservative factions. The grain needed to reach Crown's Rest and bolster the Gift’s granaries, which were vital to the settlement effort. The free folk might not all revere the "King-Beyond-the-Wall," but every one of them needed food. A disruption in the grain supply would lead to chaos far greater than any assassination attempt on Mance Rayder.

The real challenge was that, until Aegor officially won the title of Lord Commander, he was not in command of Eastwatch’s garrison. At present, he could only request cooperation as the Chief Logistics Officer, an equal in rank. This meant that if Cotter Pyke wanted to cause trouble, he could openly defy Aegor without even needing a plausible excuse.

Two paths lay before Aegor: negotiate with his rival, offering concessions to avoid trouble, or neutralize him entirely to eliminate the threat.

Logic dictated that he should at least attempt negotiations, but instinct brought his mind back to an unrelated incident.
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Back in King’s Landing, when the Night’s Watch enterprise clashed with the City Watch commander, Ser Janos Slynt, Tyrion Lannister had deployed his signature “nobleman’s” or “politician’s” tactics. Through careful maneuvering, he gradually cornered Slynt, step by step. It was a textbook display of political strategy.

But the outcome?

Just when victory seemed certain, Slynt made a desperate counterattack, nearly turning the tables. Aegor himself had almost lost his life in the chaos and only survived thanks to the intervention of allies and some luck.

The lesson was clear: cautious, conservative strategies didn’t always work, especially when failure was not an option.

Negotiation meant placing half the outcome in the hands of the other party. Neutralizing an opponent, however, meant retaining full control. While the merits of each approach depended on the situation, this time, an inner voice guided Aegor to make an immediate decision.

He would take the initiative.
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“Joy, pour our friend a drink,” Aegor said, leaning back in his chair and gesturing for the messenger to remain seated. “Give me a moment to think it over.”

The Night’s Watch messenger, a subordinate from Crown's Rest, sipped his drink nervously as Aegor closed his eyes and began constructing a plan. Time dragged on for the waiting man, but Aegor finally stirred after what felt like an eternity.

“Did the Iron Bank’s emissary inform Castle Black about the grain ships’ imminent arrival?” Aegor asked.

The messenger hesitated before explaining, “The current emissaries are the ‘observers’ mentioned in the loan contract. Their task is to ensure that the loan is being used to defend the Wall and not embezzled by the Watch’s leadership. There are eight of them, split into pairs stationed at the three main castles and Crown's Rest. The ships themselves, however, are under the command of a Braavosi shipping company, outsourced by the Iron Bank.”

“So, the news of the grain ships came as a personal reminder from one of the observers stationed in Crown's Rest, not an official notice from the Iron Bank?”

“That’s correct. The observer explicitly stated that their transport ship and the grain ships are unrelated—they didn’t depart on the same day or from the same port. It was just a friendly warning to help us prepare.”

Excellent. If that were the case, Aegor could optimistically assume that Cotter Pyke at Castle Black hadn’t yet received this information. Given that Pyke had spent the morning dueling Jaime Lannister and would need time to recover and prepare, it was unlikely he would brave the freezing weather to travel back to Eastwatch at night.

Furthermore, since any raven-sent messages needed to go through a maester, Pyke was unlikely to use official channels to coordinate underhanded actions. This left Aegor with a precious window of opportunity.
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“How much grain are we talking about?” Aegor asked.

“I’m not certain of the exact amount, but the emissary estimated it to be worth ten thousand gold dragons. It should last the entire Gift two to three months.”

Ten thousand gold dragons’ worth of grain was a massive shipment. Combined with local hunting, foraging, and whatever could be purchased from the North and the Riverlands, this could sustain the Gift for six months. Failure wasn’t an option.

Aegor lifted his head and looked at the Night’s Watch employee standing before him—a man he had personally brought from King’s Landing. The face was somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall the name. Realizing he had been somewhat impolite, he corrected himself, “Very well, lad. What’s your name?”

“Kent, my lord.”

“Kent, ravens do not fly at night.” Aegor’s expression was stern. “If Yarm sent you on horseback to deliver a message, it means he trusts you as a reliable man. Now, I have a difficult task for you—an opportunity to prove your worth. It will require you to travel through the night without rest. Are you ready?”

This was his first time speaking face-to-face with the master himself, and he was already being entrusted with a critical mission. The young man’s blood surged with excitement. He clenched his fists and sprang to his feet. “I am honored to serve, my lord!”

“Sit down.” Aegor reached for paper, ink, and his wax seal as he continued, “I will draft several orders and letters of authorization. You will ride back to Crown’s Rest at full speed and deliver them to Yarm and Humphrey, along with the details of my plan.” As he spoke, he swiftly penned the first document. “This one instructs Yarm to mobilize every available soldier in Crown’s Rest—veterans and recruits alike. The more men, the better. Under cover of night, they will march north along the Kingsroad and encircle Castle Black before dawn. The gates must be blocked, the perimeter secured. Not a single rat is to escape before I return from escorting the northern lords on their inspection.”

“What?” Kent was startled. He had assumed his ‘difficult task’ was merely relaying another urgent message, but this… this looked like an armed coup. His voice stammered with anxiety. “B-But, my lord, what are we doing? Are we going to war with the Night’s Watch? Castle Black may only have five hundred men, but they are seasoned veterans. Crown’s Rest is no match for them!”

“We don’t need to be a match. This is not an attack—it is a lockdown.” No matter how skilled the soldiers, an army without leadership was nothing more than scattered sand. And the garrison at Eastwatch? Hardly a dragon to begin with. Aegor shook his head. “We need a justification for this. We will declare that it is a direct order from Robb Stark, Warden of the North. No one is to leave Castle Black until Lord Stark himself arrives to deal with today’s Night’s Watch infighting.”

“The Stark lord… actually gave this order?”

What a foolish question. Aegor rolled his eyes but held his tongue. Now was not the time for berating stupidity. “No, he did not. But I could say I thought he had implied it. That I misunderstood his intent.” His tone sharpened. “Listen carefully. Under no circumstances should our men engage in combat. That is the most crucial point. As long as there are no casualties, I can clean up any mess! Tell Yarm that Jaime Lannister may be present to lend legitimacy, but a cautious and level-headed commander must lead the operation. There can be no mistakes!”

Kent shivered but nodded rapidly. “Understood. But what about the Wall itself? Even if Castle Black is surrounded, Lord Cotter Pike could still take the ice bridge across the top and return to Eastwatch.”

A fair point. Perhaps this lad wasn’t as dim as Aegor initially thought.

“That is not a problem. Your second task is to send word to the two mountain clans stationed at Queen’s Gate and Shadow Tower. They are to seal off the Wall’s eastern and western passages, blocking all movement across the top.” Aegor acknowledged Kent’s sharp observation with a nod before setting to work on the second letter. “It’s not just about preventing Cotter Pike from returning to Eastwatch—I want no word of what happens at Castle Black to spread beyond those walls.”

“I understand.” The nervous energy in Kent’s voice began to settle. Aegor’s decisiveness was infectious, filling him with renewed confidence. He nodded firmly. “But Castle Black has many ravens. If they can’t leave on foot, they can still send messages.”

“There are nineteen castles along the Wall. I control the raven lofts in sixteen of them. The only potential problem is Ser Mallister’s Shadow Tower… but that old fox is wiser than most of the Night’s Watch combined.” Aegor narrowed his eyes. “I expect he will recognize which way the wind is blowing. But if he does not, I will have my own way of explaining things to Robb Stark. That is not your concern.”

Aegor had made up his mind. At tonight’s Flint clan banquet, he would start laying the groundwork—subtly informing Robb Stark about the Iron Bank’s incoming grain shipment and voicing concerns that a certain handful of disgruntled individuals might try to tamper with the food supply. That way, if word of the blockade reached Stark prematurely, Aegor would have a plausible explanation ready.

But that was a problem for later. For now, he finished drafting the third order.

“This one concerns Eastwatch. When you reach Crown’s Rest, Yarm will gather the troops to encircle Castle Black, and Humphrey will organize a supply convoy. Under the pretense of supplying the garrison, they will set out for Eastwatch with a fresh shipment of meat. Along the way, they are to recruit as many mountain fighters as possible from Shadow Tower and Sentinel Stand. Eastwatch has two hundred men; we need roughly the same to secure the harbor.” Aegor continued, “If we march in force, they may grow suspicious. So we will use the supply convoy as cover—let them enter Eastwatch first. Once inside, they will secure the gates… and the harbor. One way or another, we must ensure that when the grain ships arrive, we control the docks.”

Every castle along the Wall was walled off. That meant that while Aegor could easily trap Cotter Pike inside Castle Black, he also risked being unable to enter Eastwatch himself. For now, he would have to bet that striking first would be enough of an advantage.

“Now, repeat my orders.”

Kent straightened and recited, “First, ride through the night to Crown’s Rest and warn the two mountain clans near Castle Black to cut off access to the Wall’s ice bridge. Second, upon arrival, instruct Lord Yarm to mobilize his forces and lock down Castle Black, preventing Cotter Pike from returning to Eastwatch. Third, inform Lord Humphrey to organize a transport convoy, infiltrate Eastwatch, seize control of the harbor, and ensure the grain shipment arrives safely.”

“Good. Remember—our troops are there as a deterrent. I do not want bloodshed. If conflict is unavoidable, minimize casualties at all costs.” Aegor’s tone hardened. “Tell Yarm and Humphrey: do not use the New Gift settlers for this mission. Recruit only from our logistics staff, the mountain clans, and trusted Night’s Watch employees.”

“But… if we need to intimidate them, we’ll need at least a thousand men. Crown’s Rest and the eastern mountain clans don’t have that many, do they?”

“Then find some clever, trustworthy New Gift settlers and have them pose as mountain fighters. They look similar enough. But publicly, they are to be called mountain warriors. I won’t have anyone claiming I not only let wildlings in, but armed them against their own brothers.”

“I understand.” Kent’s expression grew solemn, though he still hesitated. “But my lord… it’s just grain. Do we really need to take such a risk? You are already leading in the election. This might make many Night’s Watchmen see you as reckless, costing you votes.”

A valid concern—but a leader must never show hesitation before his men.

“If I were feeding four hundred men, occasional grain shipments from King’s Landing would suffice. If I were feeding four thousand, the North and Riverlands could support us. But I must feed forty thousand. Do you understand what that means?” Aegor’s voice was like ice. “If this grain shipment fails, the Gift will collapse into starvation and chaos. Yes, this is risky. Yes, it jeopardizes my election. But compared to the alternative? I will take that risk. Now—execute my orders. Understood?”

Kent straightened his back, saluted, and declared, “Yes, my lord! I will depart at once!”