In the hall where Aegor was once interrogated as a deserter—and where generations of the Night’s Watch had convened their councils—another emergency meeting was underway. What set this time apart from all the times he had previously entered this chamber was his position: Aegor now sat behind the raised platform at the front, in the second seat to the left of Lord Commander Mormont. This position marked him as fifth in command of the Night’s Watch, ranking just after the Lord Commander, the First Ranger, the First Steward, and the Master of Arms. For the first time, he looked down from above at the assembled officers and black brothers of Castle Black, a dark mass seated below.

Some nobles and knights of the Alliance of the Righteous, exiled to the Wall by Robert after the Vale Rebellion, were also present. Though of noble birth, most now held middle-ranking positions among the Rangers… But at this general assembly, they could only sit at the long table below. They might despise Aegor, but they could do nothing against the Chief Logistics Officer seated far above them. The feeling was entirely different from being in King’s Landing—here, “the combined forces of potential enemies were far weaker than their own, and the situation was fully in hand.” It was truly satisfying.

“I am fully aware of everything that happened at Castle Black while I was away. Thank you, brothers, for defending our base in the absence of the Rangers.” Mormont cleared his throat and continued, “In addition to commending those who participated in the battle, this meeting is also about something important: how we should deal with the wildlings’ continued attacks.”

…

“The Chief Logistics Officer brought two canisters of wildfire to Castle Black some time ago, and they performed admirably in the defense. If we could secure a steady supply of the substance… the wildlings would never get near the Wall.” The Chief Steward turned and spoke.

The Master of Arms agreed. “If wildfire isn’t available, then large quantities of pitch and lamp oil could achieve a similar effect.”

“Bowen, Othell, you’re off topic,” Maester Aemon coughed and shook his head. “What Lord Commander Mormont meant by ‘responding to future wildling attacks’ concerns the defense of the entire Wall, not just Castle Black’s gate.”

Mormont nodded, confirming the blind maester’s interpretation. “Those with keen eyes may have noticed that I did not return with all the Rangers I took to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Why? Because Eastwatch was also attacked before and after Castle Black, and the number of wildlings there exceeded those we faced here. Fortunately, that seaport fortress had stone walls built decades ago to prevent seaborne attacks. With those defenses, and no assault from the north side of the Wall, we managed to hold. Thanks to the hard work of our brothers and the Rangers’ proactive defense, we repelled the attackers, though we suffered more than a dozen casualties. To strengthen Eastwatch’s defenses, I left twenty Rangers behind and brought only half of our forces back. Jeremy Lake, report on the defense to the west of Castle Black.”

“Wildlings have been spotted everywhere. Dog-Headed Hammer showed up at Deep Lake, Rattleshirt appeared at the Nightfort, Weeper was seen at Icescar, and there are bands scattered all along the Wall. Sometimes they climb near Queen’s Gate, other times they smash against Greyguard’s walls… But every time we get there and mount the battlements, they retreat and reappear elsewhere the next day.” Jeremy said, “Fortunately, the Shadow Tower garrison obeyed your orders and didn’t abandon their post. Otherwise, the western end of the Wall might have fallen… Mance’s goal was to spread us thin, and he nearly succeeded.”

Though the Wall had held under Mormont’s command, the Old Bear found no relief in it. “That’s the situation along the Wall. We’re now completely tied down. The number of wildlings who’ve crossed into the Gift probably exceeds our own numbers. Their training and equipment are lacking, so they don’t pose a direct threat yet. They’re roaming across the Gift. We can’t ignore them, but we don’t have the strength to deal with them either. The Night’s Watch must both guard the Wall and defend the Gift. We are the stewards of this land, yet we’re so short-handed that we dare not even patrol our own territory south of the Wall. If we can’t find a solution, I fear our watch will end before winter even truly begins.”

“The Night’s Watch can no longer solve this problem alone,” Aegor said. “We must appeal to the king and to the Lord of Winterfell for aid. The war in the south is over. King Stannis will surely come north to support us.”

“I’ve sent out every raven I could,” Maester Aemon said calmly. “But they’ve only returned with bad news. Storm’s End has been attacked and captured by an unknown force. The occupiers raised the dragon banner of the old dynasty and claim to be Rhaegar’s son.” As a Targaryen, his tone remained composed. “The Reach has accepted his claim and allied with him. I fear King Stannis will now lead his army south to retake his castle.”

Damn it, what’s going on? Aegor’s heart sank. This was another completely unforeseen variable. Since returning to the Wall, he had already grasped the situation. Without the two hundred elite Rangers who were sent away, defending the Wall had become slightly more manageable. But even that would only buy them a few extra days. Without outside aid, this war of one thousand against a hundred thousand would inevitably end with the wildlings breaking through the Wall and pouring into the North. If that happened, his plans and ambitions would all be for nothing—a wasted effort!

“What about the lords of the North? They can’t all be too busy to spare men, can they?”

“It’s the last harvest before winter. Even if they have the manpower, they’ll need every hand to bring in the crops. How can they send us help?”

This was disastrous. The reason he had chosen to come north to Castle Black after Stannis took King’s Landing was precisely because he saw the wildlings’ immense, unclaimed labor force… These days, every time he climbed to the top of the Wall and looked toward the Haunted Forest, what his fellow black brothers saw as “enemies” were, to him, the world’s cheapest, most available workforce.

But these people were no tame kittens who would join his army with a wave and a smile. To subdue the Free Folk, the first step was to defeat them with overwhelming force. Only then could they be tamed, slowly and methodically…

Stannis, who once declared that he would save the realm and claim the throne, had actually put those words into action when he failed to take King’s Landing… But now that he had succeeded and sat upon the Iron Throne, he couldn’t make the same sacrifice to defend the realm?

Could you please stop being so self-righteous!

The side effects of a runaway plot always show up at the most inconvenient time. Aegor clenched his teeth and pressed on. “What about Lord Eddard Stark? He’s Warden of the North. He can’t ignore his own lands’ safety, can he?”

“The Northern army has followed Stannis south to Storm’s End. Ravens have wings, but men do not. Even if they ended the war and turned around this instant, they wouldn’t reach the Wall in under a month. And I’m afraid we won’t last that long,” Aemon said.

The maester’s report shattered all of Aegor’s plans. He frowned, mind clouded with thoughts on how to break the deadlock.

…

Jon stood from the lower benches. “We should negotiate with the wildlings. Strike a deal with them. Let them in, and they’ll follow our laws. We share a common enemy. In the coming winter, the Wall will need every living soul it can get.”

“Let the wildlings into the Wall?” The voice of opposition came at once. “I think you’ve been bewitched by that wildling woman!”

Jon ignored his old rival’s provocation and looked directly at the Night’s Watch leaders seated above. “Commander Mormont, we captured several wildlings who attacked Castle Black. After interrogation and persuasion, one agreed to confess Mance’s plan—but she insists on speaking publicly.”

“She? Just as I thought. It wasn’t persuasion. More like sleeping with her…”

Mormont slammed the table, silencing the jeers from those who disliked Jon. “Enough. Bring the wildling up.”

—

The hall, filled with hundreds, was still buzzing with noise. Jon stood and left. Ten minutes later, he returned with the shackled and handcuffed wildling woman.

Everyone turned to look.

Ygritte was not as beautiful as in the tales. She had a plain round face, a stubby nose, wide-set eyes, and uneven teeth. Only her fiery red hair and clear blue-gray eyes lent her any charm… Even so, in Castle Black, where women were absent for years, she was far prettier than the whores in Mole’s Town and still stirred the lust of many black brothers.

Mormont studied the captive for a moment, then asked, “Wildling girl… What’s your name?”

“Ygritte.”

“Very well, Ygritte. Jon says you’re willing to reveal Mance Rayder’s plan to attack the Wall. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“You wished to speak publicly. Nearly everyone at Castle Black is here. Go ahead.”

…

(Something’s not right.) Aegor, observing Ygritte, soon sensed a problem. He had assumed that Jon and Ygritte were destined to meet, and that his “knows-nothing” boy could easily convince her to share Mance’s plans. But looking at her now—did she look like someone confessing her crimes?

If anything, she resembled a revolutionary martyr standing on the gallows, proud and defiant, ready to die heroically.

If Aegor didn’t know better, he would almost suspect she was about to detonate a bomb and blow up the Night’s Watch leadership—so her wildling comrades could slip past the Wall.

…

Ygritte scanned the room, ensuring most of the Watch was present. Then she lifted her chin and proudly declared, “You crows who kneel can’t defend this Wall. If I were you, I’d open the gates, throw away the black, and surrender to Mance—maybe then you’d have a chance to live.”

Mormont waved a hand to silence the uproar. His expression grew dark. “I recall you came here to confess Mance Rayder’s attack plan. If you continue spewing nonsense, you’ll go back to the ice cells. And this time, no furs.”

The threat seemed to work. Ygritte hesitated and swallowed her words.

“I’ll admit, you crows are tougher than expected.” She deliberately snorted, then moved on. “But don’t think you can stop the Free Folk. There are too few of you, and too many of us. This attack on Castle Black was just a test. Before we left, Mance told us—if this assault failed, he wouldn’t waste more troops. He’d send ten thousand to the east to build rafts and cross the Bay of Seals to attack Eastwatch from behind. Another ten thousand would head west, cross the Great Canyon lightly, and strike the Shadow Tower from the south. The rest would split up with mammoths and start digging through the sealed gates of your abandoned forts. Once they’re through, they’ll pass the Wall easily. Even if you can fight ten times your number, you’ll be overwhelmed!”

“Half of them would drown in Seal Bay. Half of the rest would fall to their deaths in the canyon.”

Ygritte scoffed. “I’m not good at numbers. But if half of one group lives, and half of the other does too, that still gives us ten thousand behind your Wall.”

“A clever plan. If it works, you’d be unstoppable,” Mormont said, unfazed. “So why haven’t you done it already?”

“Mance hopes you’ll see reason and agree to talks!” Ygritte said contemptuously. “In return, the King-Beyond-the-Wall guarantees safety for all crows. I know it’s unlikely, but you’d best think about it. If you want to talk, I can deliver the message—”

“Talk your mother’s judgment!” blacksmith Donal Noye roared, standing up and hurling a cup of water at her. “As long as one of us still lives, you savages will never cross the Wall or set foot on our land!”

“Your land?” Ygritte shouted, dodging. “The Free Folk have lived here for generations. You show up, build a wall, shut us out, and now you say it’s your land? What else is that but theft?”

“Enough!” Aegor snapped back to reality and stood, his voice cutting through the rising chaos. He asserted his authority and stopped the shouting before it spread.

No wonder Ygritte agreed so easily. She wasn’t revealing Mance’s plan—she was making a statement. Unfortunately, the Free Folk had the strength to be arrogant. The idea of negotiating and subjugating them, which he had implanted in Jon’s mind, had just been dashed by her provocations.

In truth, if Stannis didn’t come north, what Aegor needed to consider wasn’t taming the wildlings, but how to hold the Wall.

“Ygritte, I have some questions. Why are you camping so close to the Wall? Is it because of the White Walkers?”

“We call them White Walkers,” Ygritte admitted. “Yes, the Free Folk camped near the Wall because we found that the closer they get, the weaker they become. So far, no one’s seen them come within a league of the Wall. Even the wights rarely appear.”

Another guess confirmed. Aegor felt a flicker of hope: was their close proximity to the Wall the reason he was able to kill that White Walker?

“Let me guess. You didn’t try to dig through the Wall because you didn’t have time.” Aegor stared at her. “The base of the Wall is over a hundred feet thick and has a stone foundation. First you’d have to find the blocked gate. Then you’d need to dig through stone and ice filled with water that freezes solid. Even if you could dig, it would take too long—and if we harassed you, you’d be delayed even more. But as winter deepens, the White Walkers are growing stronger. Soon, they’ll be powerful enough to ignore the Wall’s effects. And when that happens, even sticking close to the Wall won’t protect you. They’ll storm into your camp and slaughter everyone. Am I right?”

Ygritte fell silent, glaring at Aegor for a moment before snorting, “You know nothing, Crow.”

“Sure, I know nothing,” Aegor said, snapping his fingers casually. “But I know this—while you have the numbers, time is on the side of the Night’s Watch.” He looked at Jon. “If there’s nothing else useful she can say, take her away.”

(To be continued.)

***

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