Chapter 233

Two lightly wounded wildlings were dragged out of the cells, fed a proper meal, and given the message they were to deliver. The Night’s Watch lowered them from the Wall, and once the prisoners reached the ground, they bolted, sprinting away into the vast, shadowy Haunted Forest. Their figures quickly disappeared into the trees, overwhelmed by their newfound freedom.

With the three major keeps of the Night’s Watch and seven newly restored forts now manned and fortified, the defense line stretching from the Gorge to the Wall was finally complete. The frequency and intensity of skirmishes remained high, with casualties mounting daily, but the wildlings’ hope of breaking through the Wall into the Gift was dwindling. Despite their wargs’ ability to scout the Night’s Watch’s movements through birds and beasts, their forces—underequipped and undisciplined—were no match for the Watch’s formidable defenses.

Mance Rayder had already accomplished a near-impossible feat by uniting over a hundred Free Folk tribes and leading them to the Wall. But as a former deserter of the Watch, his abilities had reached their limit. There was no way for him to muster a force capable of breaching the heavily guarded and constantly patrolled Wall.

If the message that the Night’s Watch was willing to negotiate reached the "King Beyond the Wall," even with his doubts and reluctance, Mance would have no choice but to grasp this olive branch and respond.

The initiative lay firmly with the Night’s Watch.
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The reinforcements brought by Melisandre and her followers were quickly inducted into the Watch and assigned to various roles. So far, Aegor’s “Logistics Department” had no real subordinates apart from Aliser Thorne, who was nominally his King’s Landing representative but was in truth completely sidelined. Perhaps out of a sense of guilt, Mormont readily approved Aegor’s request for staff, assigning Humphrey Hill to the logistics team.

At last, Aegor had a proper subordinate within the organization. He promptly appointed Humphrey as the "Chief Logistics Officer of Crown’s Rest," tasked with assisting Yarm in managing the town and developing the Gift’s trade market to alleviate Yarm’s growing burden.
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After several busy days, Aegor finally welcomed the long-anticipated emissaries from the Iron Bank.

Three Braavosi arrived at Castle Black, escorted by a fully armed group of rangers. They rode through the newly constructed gates and dismounted in the courtyard.

“Gentlemen, welcome to Castle Black, the headquarters of the Night’s Watch,” Aegor said, stepping forward to greet them. “I am Aegor, the Chief Logistics Officer of the Watch. This,” he gestured to the towering figure beside him, “is Lord Commander Jeor Mormont.”

The leader of the Braavosi, a tall and lanky man wearing a purple felt hat, stepped forward and spoke with a slight bow. “Taicho Naestos. These two are my guards. On behalf of the Iron Bank, I have come to offer assistance to the Night’s Watch.” He removed his hat and inclined his head. “Thank you for your hospitality and the escort. I hope we haven’t inconvenienced you.”

“Not at all, Master Naestos,” Mormont replied with a genuine smile. “You are most welcome. Would you prefer to warm yourself with some hot soup and a meal, or would you like to see the top of the Wall? Castle Black boasts the highest section, offering an unparalleled view of the Haunted Forest.”

“I’m sure the view is spectacular,” Taicho replied, “but we’ve already experienced it at Eastwatch. Seeing it from a few dozen feet higher won’t change much. After a long day of riding, I’d much prefer a warm, quiet room to discuss the purpose of our visit.”

Mormont nodded knowingly. “Very well, to my study, then. Jon—fetch some food and hot spiced wine.”
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The fire in Mormont’s study had burned low, but the room was still far warmer than the frigid air outside. The Lord Commander’s raven cawed, “Corn! Corn!” as everyone hung their cloaks and gathered around his desk.

Once the guests were seated, Aegor began, “What a coincidence. Just a few days ago, I was preparing to travel to Braavos myself to request a loan from the Iron Bank to weather these difficult times. I never imagined the Iron Bank would send representatives to us instead. May I ask what brings your lordship here?”

“Please, don’t address me as ‘Lord.’ I am but a humble servant of the Iron Bank,” Taicho replied, though his posture and tone betrayed a sense of superiority. “Our purpose is simple: the great powers of Braavos have heard of the Wall’s troubles and have instructed the Iron Bank to provide assistance. We are prepared to offer the Night’s Watch an interest-free loan to help you through these challenges.”

Aegor and Mormont exchanged incredulous glances. This was... unexpected. The Iron Bank’s motives were clear—they must have learned of the wights through someone like Jaqen H’ghar and feared that the White Walkers’ advance could destabilize the Seven Kingdoms, jeopardizing their loans to the Iron Throne. Offering help was understandable, but for a bank to arrive so eagerly, unprompted, and offer an interest-free loan?

It defied logic.

Aegor’s mind raced. Could this have something to do with the “ransom” Jaqen had promised before he departed? If so, the Iron Bank’s willingness to waive interest might be the repayment Jaqen had mentioned. He scrutinized the three Braavosi before him, wondering if one of them might even be Jaqen wearing a new face.

“Of course, there are conditions,” Taicho continued. “We require the Night’s Watch to pledge its enterprises as collateral and allow our observers to oversee the use of the funds. Additionally, if you intend to purchase supplies from beyond Westeros, you must prioritize Braavosi merchants.”

Was the Iron Bank using this loan to gain a foothold in Westeros or to seize control of the Night’s Watch’s assets? Aegor couldn’t be certain. But with the Wall’s supply lines near collapse and thousands of lives at stake, he had no choice but to accept the Bank’s terms.

“That’s reasonable,” Aegor replied carefully, “but we have one request: instead of providing us with gold, we’d prefer the loan to be issued directly in the form of grain.”

Taicho raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You’re asking the Iron Bank to purchase food for you and ship it to the Wall?”

“That would be ideal,” Aegor said with a faint smile.

The Braavosi emissary chuckled. “They say the Chief Logistics Officer knows how to exploit every opportunity. Seeing you in action, I must agree.”

Aegor shrugged. “I’ll take that as a compliment. So, do you agree?”

“My orders are to provide as much help as possible within reason. This arrangement can be negotiated... but we’ll need to finalize all the details.”

“Of course.”
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After hours of negotiation, Aegor and Taicho reached an agreement. The Iron Bank would provide a loan of up to 100,000 gold dragons, which would be used to purchase grain and transport it to Eastwatch. However, the costs of shipping, wages, and any unforeseen expenses—including compensation for lost cargo in case of shipwreck—would all be deducted from the loan amount. In the end, the Night’s Watch would likely receive grain worth around 50,000 gold dragons, but they would owe the Bank 100,000, payable over the next twenty years.

As Mormont signed the agreement alongside Aegor, he muttered uneasily, “Are you sure about this? We’re essentially paying double for the grain.”

“They’re merchants, not philanthropists,” Aegor replied pragmatically. “And honestly, this deal is more generous than I expected. The grain will save lives, and we have twenty years to pay it back. For now, that’s enough.”
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Stepping out into the cold air of Castle Black, Aegor felt the weight of his decision. There was no turning back now. Deals with kings could be renegotiated, but breaking an agreement with the Iron Bank was tantamount to signing your own death warrant.

The path ahead was clear. The long-term grain supply was secure, but the immediate challenge remained—finding enough food to last until the first shipment from Braavos arrived. For that, he would need to negotiate—or fight—the Free Folk.