Aegor’s words revealed the other party’s true intentions. Mance Rayder was left speechless. He crossed his arms on the table and remained silent for a moment. Then, wearing a grim expression, he finally spoke.

“The days grow shorter, the nights colder, and the wights in the woods grow stronger. Not only are they moving closer and closer to the Wall, but even fire and dragonglass are becoming less effective against them. If we don’t find a way to pass through the Wall, my people and I will all die in the Haunted Forest and become puppets of the White Walkers…”

Choked by the truth, Mance finally opened with a more honest statement. Jon stood to the side, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The senior officers of the Night’s Watch all turned their attention to Mance. The chief ranger shrugged and said calmly,

“That’s truly good news. From now on, the Night’s Watch and the people of the Seven Kingdoms will no longer have to worry about the wildlings.”

“I admit the Wall’s defense is well organized. If you don’t let us through, the Free Folk could never breach it on their own.” Mance ignored Jeremy’s words and continued. “But the fact that I dared come here today means I came fully prepared. Aren’t you curious why I chose Frostfangs, so far from the Wall, as the rallying point? And why it took so long to reach the Wall after gathering a hundred tribes? Guess what my people and I were doing north of the Wall during that time?”

“Weren’t you slowed down by hauling too much baggage?” Mormont said with displeasure. “Months ago, Qhorin Halfhand from the Shadow Tower tortured some captured prisoners and warned me you might be seeking some mysterious way to breach the Wall. I had planned an expedition to investigate, but gave it up for a number of reasons… Enough about that. Let me give you a suggestion first—don’t use riddles in your answers. We’re not here to chat.”

“Alright, alright.” Mance Rayder raised his hands in helpless acknowledgment and quickly revealed the truth. “Qhorin Halfhand was right. As my former commander, he knows me too well. I led a hundred tribes slowly south along the Frostfang Mountains and the Milkwater River. We dug deep into the ground and opened countless barrows along the way, all to search for a legendary item—the Horn of Winter. Some call it Joramun’s Horn. According to the songs, Joramun, a former King-Beyond-the-Wall, once blew it a thousand years ago to awaken the giants sleeping beneath the earth. It’s said that if sounded near the Wall, it could bring the Wall down.”

“Tsk.” Jeremy sneered. “I’ve heard that tale too. But if the horn really existed, why didn’t Joramun blow it back then? Are you trying to say you found the horn, and if we don’t let you through or release you, someone under your command will blow it and bring down the Wall? Do you think the Night’s Watch are fools?”

“I’ve always had my doubts about stories in songs. Who knows if the horn works unless we actually blow it?” Mance shrugged. “One of my men wanted to try it, but I stopped him. If the Wall really falls, what would stop the White Walkers from heading south and wiping out humanity? No matter what happens, I don’t want those ghostly things crossing the Wall and destroying the human world…”

Mormont chuckled. “So, you found a legendary horn, you’re not sure if it works, and you don’t plan to test it… So how is that different from not having it at all?”

“Because I know what truly matters. I know what’s more important—my own safety, or the survival of mankind.” Mance said, “Yes, I was once a brother of the Night’s Watch, but I eventually deserted the Shadow Tower and joined the Free Folk. According to your rules, I’m a traitor. But what about the many Free Folk beyond the Wall? They have parents, lovers, and children. They eat and drink like everyone else. How are they any different from the people south of the Wall?”

“What’s the difference?” Bowen Marsh interrupted in disgust. “People south of the Wall don’t cross it like raiders, killing and stealing women.”

…

…

“That’s because the climate south of the Wall is milder and the resources more abundant. You can live well without risking your lives!” Mance’s voice suddenly grew louder. “Even under such harsh conditions, raiders are only a small part of the Free Folk! A few passionate men cross the Wall for plunder, to prove their courage and improve their lives… How is that any different in essence from those who take the black in pursuit of honor, or those forced to join because they can’t survive or have committed crimes? And besides, most of those men died in the attack on the Wall. The ones who remain are mostly innocent! Why would you rather let the Free Folk die and rise as enemies of the living than give us a way to survive and join you in fighting death itself?”

“It all sounds nice. It’s easy to open the gates and let you in. But what then? Will the fortresses along the Wall turn into molehills? Will giants camp among the ruins of Winterfell? Will cannibal tribes butcher the mountain clans and take the Wolfswood? Will raiders march south to White Harbor and the Neck, stealing daughters and raping wives?” Bowen snorted. “The Night’s Watch doesn’t need outside help to keep the White Walkers out of the Seven Kingdoms!”

“That may be true, but it’s the thousands of mountain clansmen backing you that give you that confidence.” Mance didn’t respond directly, but changed the subject. “Your allies played a major role. But I have skinchangers among my ranks. They can enter the bodies of eagles, soar over the Gift and the North, and use their eyes to observe. With their help, I know that while you rely on the mountain clans to defend the Wall, you’re under enormous food pressure. And right now, the North is struggling too, and can’t continue to support your supplies…” He looked solemn. “Since you already know the real enemy exists, why cling to old prejudice and hatred, and refuse new allies who are willing to fight death alongside you? Let us in. We’ve brought all our winter stores. Even if we share some with you, it will be enough to feed everyone for a while.”

—

Aegor let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Mance had chosen to appeal with hardship and reason. When he heard Mance mention the Horn of Winter earlier, Aegor thought the King-Beyond-the-Wall had foolishly chosen to threaten the Night’s Watch. If he had, the negotiations would have collapsed. No matter how much Aegor wanted to bring the wildlings under control, and no matter how much influence or innovative ideas he had, he couldn’t change the outcome. His words carried weight, but the Night’s Watch wasn’t a one-man show. After all, the Watch was a military order. Even if the Horn of Winter were real, the men of the Watch would never accept threats and open the gates to let the enemy in.

“No one here would rather see you die than gain your help.” Mormont listened closely. “But there are two questions. First, who can guarantee the wildlings will behave after crossing the Wall? Second, it’s said there were one hundred thousand of you. Even with that much food, you’d struggle to feed yourselves. How much have you stockpiled to claim you can feed everyone for long?”

“I never had control over one hundred thousand wildlings. Maybe there were that many north of the Wall. But by the time the Free Folk realized what was killing us in the woods and began to band together, hundreds were already dead, and many more had fled, never to be found…” Mance answered the second question first. “When I finally gathered a hundred tribes in the Frostfangs—that number is also just an estimate—we had around seventy thousand. Some joined along the way, but at our peak, we never reached eighty thousand. And after this long period of attrition, only half remain.”

“You lost forty thousand during the assault on the Wall?” Mormont asked. “We suffered few losses.”

“Only a few died in the assault. The greater threat was those things that lurk by day and move by night.” Mance’s face grew uncertain, as if recalling the terror of those attacks. “To avoid them, we had to move close to the Wall. But to avoid being spotted from atop the Wall, we had to keep some distance. Even though we learned how to fight the wights, the White Walkers still led nightly raids. If we were lucky, we repelled them and cremated the bodies in time. But if chaos broke out in the dark and we couldn’t win quickly, then we’d have dozens or even hundreds more enemies the next day… Casualties were one part of it. More were those who deserted out of despair and fear.”

Though Mance’s tone remained steady, everyone present could hear the fear and hopelessness in it. Fortunately, they were not the ones outside the Wall facing the White Walkers.

“So you have fewer than forty thousand now?”

“These days, seeing that breaching the Wall was hopeless, and to give the next generation a better chance of survival, I made a painful decision—those wounded, sick, or elderly had to take their own lives to lessen the burden.” The King-Beyond-the-Wall wore a blank expression. “This isn’t new. Every winter, some who couldn’t go on would walk into the forest and give themselves to the old gods. But this was the first time it happened in such numbers. To avoid becoming wights, we used poisoned fruit, and the living burned the bodies afterward. Now, thirty thousand remain.”

“I see.” Mormont nodded. “But you haven’t answered the other question. How can you guarantee the wildlings won’t cause trouble or invade the North after crossing?”

“I believe I already answered.” Mance said. “Thirty thousand, with no elders left, but there are children and babies. With so many warriors dead in the assault, we can’t threaten the North. And when the assault failed and a few thousand fled, I proposed that those who might drag others down end their lives, and hundreds did so. What does that show? It shows authority and control. I can, and will, lead my people well.”

—

The wildlings reduced their numbers by suicide and kept them at a manageable level, ensuring their remaining food would be enough. Mance thumped his chest and promised the Night’s Watch he could help relieve the food crisis at the Wall.

After hearing that, the senior officers in the hall fell silent. Some, like Chief Steward Bowen Marsh and Chief Ranger Jeremy Rykker, were shaken by the wildlings’ ruthless and tragic decision for survival. Others, like Jon Snow and the younger brothers with no hatred toward the wildlings, couldn’t help but feel sympathy.

Only Aegor was struck by something else—the wildlings had actively eliminated the old, sick, and weak who could no longer fight or contribute. In any civilized society, such a thing was unthinkable. But they had done it, and Mance, the one who proposed it, wasn’t torn apart by his own people.

Think about it: a high-quality labor force made entirely of youth, incredibly cheap, with no retirement costs for ten or twenty years… This was the kind of nation many rulers could only dream of.

Most importantly, if Mance was telling the truth, the wildlings’ numbers had dropped to a level the Night’s Watch could control, and the logistics department could rely on food from Braavos to support them.

And now, the chance to bring this nearly ideal group under his control was right before him.

Mance Rayder had no idea that his words had unknowingly roused one of the most influential figures in the Night’s Watch. He had shown all his cards. Now, it was up to them.

“You do hold great sway among the wildlings. No one here doubts that,” the chief ranger said. “That’s exactly why I fear you might use that influence to turn on us once you’re past the Wall.”

“The wildlings followed me because I promised them refuge in the south,” Mance replied. “But in the end, I couldn’t do it. I had to negotiate and ask you to let us through. Under these conditions, I have no power to convince the Free Folk, after all they’ve endured, to take up arms again… If you’re truly worried, then leave me at Castle Black as a hostage.”

“Allow me to interrupt.” Aegor raised his hand. “There’s something I don’t understand—why hasn’t anyone mentioned this yet? I don’t think the wildlings are qualified to negotiate with us. I’d use another word to describe this conversation—a surrender ceremony.”

“Does it matter? Peace talks, surrender—call it what you want. I only ask that my people and I be allowed to pass through the Wall.”

“No, it makes a big difference.” Aegor smiled. “If the wild… Free Folk want to surrender to the Night’s Watch, then I believe we have the right to impose terms. Mance Rayder, if you can agree to the following two conditions, I can support letting you and your people through, on behalf of the Night’s Watch’s logistics division.”

“Speak.”

“First, you must hand over all weapons before crossing the Wall. The Night’s Watch will keep them. Second, after crossing the Wall, you’ll become new residents of the Gift, and must fully abide by the laws established by the Night’s Watch and obey our administration.”

“Handing over weapons is negotiable, but the law?” Mance laughed. “The Free Folk have their own ways. They don’t kneel. Even if I agree, I can’t make them obey.”

“This isn’t a debate over which laws to follow. And they don’t have a choice this time.” Aegor didn’t smile. “If they won’t follow the Gift’s laws, they can stay outside the Wall and die with that damned ‘freedom.’ If they want in, they’ll accept our terms. Completely.”

…

Mance wiped the smile from his face and stared at Aegor. Judging by the fact that none of the other officers interrupted, the logistics officer’s words held weight, confirming the fragmented intel his scouts had gathered.

“I’m saying, even if you agree, you won’t be able to enforce it.”

“The law has punishments for disobedience. Once you agree, it’s up to the law enforcers to make it happen. That’s not your concern.”

“If you’re that confident, then I agree. When will the gate open?”

“He’s not the Lord Commander,” Bowen interjected. “If it’s to be decided by vote, then as the Steward of the Night’s Watch, I oppose allowing the wildlings through.”

“I also believe it needs further discussion,” the chief ranger said. “But I respect the commander’s judgment.”

Mormont and the chief builder said nothing. Aegor suddenly had an idea and whispered in Mormont’s ear,

“Commander, agree for now. Once the wildlings gather outside Castle Black waiting to enter, we’ll control the terms of the Gift. We can even decide whether to let them in at all… or simply attack and take their food.”

The two had already discussed this in a previous conversation. Mormont nodded subtly, pretended to hesitate for a moment, then gave the final word of the Night’s Watch as Lord Commander.

(To be continued.)

***

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