Chapter 7 - To the Wall
The road from Winterfell to the Wall stretched long and empty before Matt. He rode beside Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch, with ten black brothers following behind. The forests on both sides were wide and deep. The trees grew taller the farther north they travelled. Snow still clung to some branches, even though the sun sat high in the sky. The North always reminded Matt that summer never stayed long here.
Benjen rode in silence, watching the land, while Matt kept looking ahead. But his thoughts were not on the road. They were on the Northern Council and everything that had happened the night before.
Manny remembered the moment he told the gathered lords about the plan to settle the wildlings inside the Wall. The reaction had been almost violent. Every lord in the room had jumped to his feet at once, voices rising like a storm.
Lord Umber had shouted that wildlings had killed his men for centuries.
Lord Karstark slammed his fist on the table, calling the free folk mad hunters who could not be trusted.
Lord Bolton spoke quietly but sharply, reminding everyone that some wildling tribes were man-eaters.
Lord Manderly complained about their customs, saying they respected no lord, no rule, and no order.
Many other lords joined in, the room filled with noise. They all said the same thing: We have a history of thousands of years fighting them.
We cannot accept this.
Free folk do not obey.
They are barbarians.
He remembered watching them argue. He had not said a word. He only looked at each lord as they raged. Even Ned Stark had rubbed the side of his head, as if fighting a growing headache. Matt had almost smiled at that.
When the noise finally softened, after the lords ran out of breath, silence slowly settled over the solar.
He had looked at them and said, very calmly, "I do not know if you all are qualified lords or not. Maybe you people have a short memory. You have all forgotten what we talked about earlier. The White Walkers use the dead. If the wildlings remain outside the Wall, what chance do they have against the dead?"
The lords had blinked, confused. One of them muttered, "What do we have to do with saving the wildlings from the Walkers?"
Matt looked at him as if he had asked the most foolish question on earth.
He said, "Even if you do not care about whether they live, think of what happens after they die. Their bodies will rise again. They will join the White Walkers' army. Then they will march toward you. They will fight without fear, without hunger, without pain. Tell me, do we really have nothing to gain by keeping the wildlings alive?"
The council chamber had gone silent again, this time with understanding. They did not want to accept wildlings as people. But they also did not want thousands of dead wildlings marching as wights.
Between the two choices, the answer became clear.
So Matt had continued. "Lord Benjen will take me with him. We will speak to the Lord Commander. I propose that the wildlings be settled on land that belongs to no Northern house."
That was when Benjen had said, "You speak of the Gift."
Matt nodded. "Yes. The land that was once taken from the North and given to the Night's Watch."
It was done by Queen Alysanne Targaryen more than two hundred years ago. She convinced King Jaehaerys to give land twenty-five leagues south of the Wall to the Watch. It was meant to help the Watch feed itself.
Matt asked, "Is it being used?"
Benjen had agreed. "No one uses it now. We do not have enough men to man all the castles. Only three castles stay operational; Castle Black, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, and the Shadow Tower. The rest are empty."
"So, is it not better for everyone? The Gift is empty. It belongs to no lord. Wildlings can settle there. They can grow food. They can build homes. And most important, they will not die beyond the Wall and become more soldiers for the White Walkers. Also they will stand with us in the fight against the Dead."
The lords had looked at each other, thinking. The logic was simple. It was not soft. It was practical. And it was something they could not argue with.
Benjen had added, "I still doubt they will agree."
Matt had answered, "Leave that part to me. But we cannot let the enemy gain thousands of more bodies to use against us."
At that moment, Lord Ned had asked, "What do you need from us?"
Matt remembered standing straight and saying, "A letter. You must write a letter to the Lord Commander. Explain everything we discussed. Put your signatures and seals. I need something official."
Lord Reed was the one who suggested, "Let every lord sign it. It will carry more weight."
The others agreed. Even Lord Bolton nodded. A rare thing.
Maester Luwin had written the formal document, describing the purpose of the Northern Council and the decision they reached. Ned Stark wrote his own letter to the Lord Commander, giving his full support.
Matt turned to Lady Maege Mormont. "Lord Commander is your brother. Can you write to him as well? He will trust your judgement more than any of ours."
Lady Mormont had crossed her arms and nodded. "He will accept whatever Lord Stark says. But you are right. If I write, he will accept faster. I will send a letter."
That was where the meeting had ended.
Matt pulled himself back to the present. The road stretched before him, long and cold. The air grew sharper with every mile. The North felt different when one neared the Wall. The trees grew closer together, the wind felt older, and even the sunlight looked pale.
Benjen finally broke the silence. "You are quiet today."
Matt looked at him. "Just thinking."
"About the council?" Benjen asked.
"Yes, they did not like the plan. But they agreed. That is enough for now."
Benjen gave a small smile. "They are Northmen. They will shout first. Then they will think. And if the plan is good, they will follow it."
Matt nodded. "I hope so."
The Wall appeared faintly in the distance. It was an enormous blue shape rising from the land, towering above everything. Even from far away, it looked endless.
The brothers behind them murmured. Some pointed. The Wall always inspired awe, even for those who had seen it before.
Matt felt something else. A strange heaviness. As if the Wall remembered the past and waited for the future.
Benjen said, "When we reach Castle Black, I will take you straight to the Lord Commander. He must hear your plan directly."
Matt nodded again. "And he must hear it soon. Time is shorter than anyone in Westeros understands."
Benjen turned his eyes to the Wall. "Then let us hope he listens."
Matt watched the rising ice and whispered, "He will. He must."
The horses kept moving north, the air turning colder with every step.
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End of Chapter 7 - To the Wall