Chapter 289: A Minor Disturbance at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea
Several days after the election was suspended, the voting supervisors appointed by Robb Stark arrived at each stronghold along the Wall to implement the new "one man, one vote" campaign model.
To call this an overwhelming victory for the Reformists would be an understatement. The Shadow Tower held 236 eligible voters, and at Eastwatch, that number was 205. Even if not a single one of these 400-plus votes shifted toward Egger, he would lose nothing; conversely, if even one person abstained or abandoned their local commander to support Egger, his advantage would grow, creeping closer to the two-thirds victory line.
The voting in each fortress was conducted in a private booth per Robb's instructions. With the results being anonymous and the counting handled by a neutral third party, one could imagine that the scenario of "everyone voting for their superior out of fear of future retaliation" would be greatly diminished.
Someone would inevitably vote for Egger; no one doubted that. The only question was how many. Yet, Egger never pinned his hopes on people he didn't know or understand. His backup plan—the one he truly counted on for victory—was another front: new votes.
The Queen's Men who followed Melisandre had officially sworn their vows and joined the Night's Watch, becoming black-clad brothers with voting rights. Meanwhile, drawn by propaganda and the promise of better treatment, recruits from the New and Old Gift began to appear in trickles. The number of recruits training in the courtyard of Castle Black grew daily.
With the Master-at-Arms persuaded by Melisandre to support the Reformists, time was entirely on Egger's side. Those recruits already in training would soon be permitted to swear their vows... the day they changed their status would be the day this contest ended.
Through patient accumulation, Egger—the once-unlucky transmigrator—was finally on the verge of a total reversal of fortune.
At the easternmost fortress of the Wall, the cold air flowed wildly. Here, the ice wall grew shorter, eventually vanishing entirely as it extended dozens of meters into the sea. Without the wall to block the howling north winds, and with the damp chill blowing off the Bay of Seals, Eastwatch had long been the most grueling post along the Wall.
Today, however, it welcomed a long-absent bustle. Soldiers gathered noisily in the courtyard, listening as a Winterfell soldier, whose attire stood out sharply from the rest, loudly finished announcing Robb Stark's decision. They immediately fell into hushed, hurried discussions.
"Why bring the voting all the way to Eastwatch? Is there any point? Who else could we vote for besides Cotter Pyke?"
"Vote if we must, but it has to be done in person? No proxies allowed or it's an abstention? So many damn rules!"
"Exactly. It's freezing to death. Thank the gods the dead aren't here to bother us; instead, it's these damn nobles who won't let us be. May the Others take them!"
"Less complaining, more voting. Let's get it over with and get back inside to get warm!"
"Hmph, true enough. But when is this fellow going to finish his rambling?"
Listening to the chatter of the Eastwatch men, Will curled his lip and leaned toward Gared. "Egger has really become something, hasn't he? To think he's actually competing with two commanders for the position of Lord Commander... We were brothers who patrolled beyond the Wall together and escaped the Others as a team. You'll give him a vote, won't you?"
Gared twitched his mouth. "A vote for him? I know exactly what kind of fellow he is. He doesn't have what it takes to be Lord Commander. Don't make me laugh."
"You haven't seen him in nearly two years. A lot can happen in two years. Looking at the supplies the Logistics Department sends to the Wall, he's clearly done well for himself in King's Landing."
"Aye, two years. He comes back to the Wall and doesn't even think to visit an old man like me. I wasted my time looking after that boy."
"The man has duties, Gared. He can't just run to Eastwatch just to see us." Gared's complaint was reasonable, and Will rubbed his head, unsure of what to say. But he felt the dragonglass dagger tucked in his tunic—the one Egger had given him, which he now viewed as a lucky charm. He decided he would vote for his old comrade.
Months ago, when the wildling army under Mance Rayder arrived outside the Wall, small groups had constantly tried to bypass the Wall by raft via the Bay of Seals. Eastwatch, short on men, was in a state of emergency. Upon receiving the plea for help, Jeor Mormont had personally led the majority of the rangers to provide support. Among those dozens of men were Egger's original companions from his early days on the Wall, as well as the newly sworn brothers from the Vale.
When the previous Commander met his sudden end, Cotter Pyke had taken the Vale lords to Castle Black for the election, while the remaining rangers were left behind at Eastwatch, becoming part of the two hundred votes "represented" by their commander.
They should have had nothing more to do with the election, but with Robb Stark's intervention, they regained the chance to vote.
Over a hundred black brothers pushed and shoved toward the voting hut, all wanting to cast their ballots quickly and return to the warmth. But the Winterfell soldier on the platform raised his hand to calm them. "Peace, brothers! There is a lord from King's Landing, a follower of King Stannis, who wishes to say a few words before you vote!"
The Watchmen hissed and booed, but stayed marginally quiet under the restraint of their officers. In this remote corner of the world, the King's authority was nearly non-existent, but the Night's Watch was still part of the Seven Kingdoms. No matter how much they scoffed, they had to show some respect—after all, facing an enemy like the Others, they would eventually need support from the south.
Soon, a man in fine clothes with a flaming heart emblem embroidered on his chest stepped onto the stage. Under the watchful eyes of the Eastwatch garrison, he began a speech that left many scratching their heads.
"Brave and steadfast brothers of the Night's Watch! The night is long and full of terrors. A terrible, evil, and powerful force is gathering Beyond the Wall, a force no mortal can withstand. The Long Night that never ends is coming. Only if all humanity can find the courage you show here and embrace the faith of the Lord of Light..."
"What in the world is he talking about?" Will asked Gared, perplexed. "He sounds like a street preacher."
"It's the Red God again. These fancy-dressed fools... preaching in the villages outside the strongholds wasn't enough, now they come in here to swindle us black brothers!"
"But today we're here to vote for a Lord Commander. What's the Red God got to do with it?"
"There's a reason. Keep listening." Gared stared at the nobleman on stage with contempt. After a moment, he finally heard a familiar name. "See? There it is. Egger. Haha, that boy hasn't changed a bit—not enough skill, but plenty of tricks. This fellow is claiming he's the Prince That Was Promised, the chosen next Lord Commander! That only under his leadership can we defeat the Red God's Great Other and end the winter!"
"Egger is the Prince That Was Promised?"
"Bah! You believe that?" Gared rolled his eyes. "Crock of prophecies, stuff to scare children. I'm surprised the boy has the nerve to use that to get votes. It's a blunder. Anyone with eyes can see that there are far fewer men in black who respect the King and his Red God than there are men who want to get their hands on that Red Priestess bitch. Using prophecy to make his case won't do much."
"You don't believe in anything, so of course it looks like a blunder to you. But I've heard brothers are starting to abandon their old gods for the Red God, huddling around fires all night. At least he'll get their votes."
"Aye, the old gods never answered their prayers, so they try a new one, right?" Gared chuckled. "Wait until they find out the new one is just as deaf. I wonder what they'll think then."
"You've never believed, so how do you know it's fake? And I've heard that Red Woman can actually use magic," Will said, pouting. "Besides, saying Egger is the one from the prophecy... it actually makes a bit of sense to me. Don't forget—when Waymar Royce led us into that trap, Egger was the first to realize something was wrong. Before I went up the tree, he was the one who whispered for me to watch out for the dead. And you admitted it yourself: in the end, he killed the Other and saved your life... can you explain all those unusual things?"
"That was luck! Don't talk rot. Are you going to say that dragonglass dagger he gave you is why you haven't died on a dozen patrols? If that little knife were really that powerful, why haven't you used it to kill all the Others yourself?" Gared snorted dismissively. "Enough, stop letting your mind wander. I'll give my vote to the brat, but if you go around spreading those tall tales, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
Will shut his mouth obediently. Gared had been promoted to patrol leader for his service; he was now not just a senior, but an officer. This veteran, who grew up on the Wall, had been stabbed by an Other two years ago. Master Aemon had to cut away a great deal of frostbitten, necrotic flesh to save him. Due to the missing chest muscle, his prowess wasn't what it used to be, but seniority and experience don't vanish with an injury. Among the rank-and-file rangers, Gared's word carried more weight than some mid-level officers.
His mouth was closed, but his mind wouldn't stop racing. Will had originally just wanted to convince Gared to vote for Egger, but the more he thought, the more everything made sense. Egger's apparent foresight during the first encounter with the Others, the miracle of being chased by such a terrifying enemy yet successfully killing it, and the dragonglass dagger he had given him... True, there were plenty of rangers who survived multiple missions Beyond the Wall, but to be like him—coming into close contact with the dead countless times, even surviving when teammates were wiped out, without a scratch—was unique!
To Will, Egger was no longer just a comrade-in-arms; he was becoming a legend, a symbol, a form of faith. Now that someone was calling him the Prince That Was Promised, explaining his extraordinary nature and clearing away Will's doubts... even if it sounded a bit far-fetched, why not believe it?
Perhaps one of these days, he should try believing in the Red God too?
Gared didn't know, and even if he did, he wouldn't be interested in what was inside Will's head. He was an old fox and his judgment of the other Watchmen's reactions was quite accurate: after the Crownlands noble finished his grand campaign speech, the sounds of mockery and questioning from below were clearly louder than normal discussion. Quite a few people bluntly pointed out that this was a failed piece of public relations.
"Lord from King's Landing!" Eastwatch's Chief Steward was the first to step forward. "Egger West is a competent and excellent lobbyist and logistics officer. Thanks to his efforts, the storehouses of every fortress along the Wall—including the one I manage—are fuller than ever before. If he had come here personally to campaign, even if we chose not to vote for him, we would have welcomed him warmly and with respect. But now, not only does he fail to show up, but he has you use something as ambiguous and open to interpretation as prophecy to hoodwink us. It makes us look down on him!"
The Chief Steward's speech represented the views of many and quickly drew support. "Exactly! I thought he was a capable officer, but now it seems he's just a liar who loves petty tricks. Who knows what lies he told or what he sold out in the south to get those supplies?"
Someone was actually slandering his former comrade, his faith? Will took a deep breath, preparing to push to the front of the crowd to speak, but Gared grabbed him. "What are you doing?"
"They're calling Egger a liar!"
"Whether he's a liar isn't for them to decide. You're a half-wit who can barely string a sentence together; you want to go up there and debate? Egger could curse out Mallister and Cotter Pyke in public because he holds the title of Chief Logistics Officer. Who are you to argue?" The veteran glared at Will. "Stay put. Once that fool of a southerner leaves the stage, cast your vote and be done with it."
Will suppressed the urge to argue and continued to watch from the crowd. The dialogue in the center of the yard hadn't ended; the southerner on stage spoke up to respond.
"I do not take orders from Lord Egger or any Watchman! The Logistics Officer will be the one to lead humanity in defeating the Great Other. This is the conclusion reached by Lady Melisandre through the holy fires, the will of my Lord R'hllor!"
The explanation from the Queen's Man only made the scene more chaotic.
"Tell that witch to crawl back to Asshai! Swaying her hips around the Wall all day spreading her tall tales—we can't even focus on preparing for the enemy!"
"The fellow even said he killed an Other. Now it seems even that was made up!"
"You dare insult Lady Melisandre? She is King Stannis's advisor!"
Eastwatch already had its share of Red God followers. When it came to faith, the lack of tact in some remarks immediately triggered an argument. In the midst of this chaos, Gared—who had just told Will not to stick his neck out—completely forgot his own advice and flew into a rage.
Having lived most of his life, the fact that he and Egger had teamed up to kill an Other was the greatest boast he had. With that achievement as his backbone, he spoke much louder even to nobles and officers. He had boasted to those he knew at Castle Black, and after being transferred to Eastwatch, he continued to boast to strangers... and now, someone was questioning the truth of it? Wasn't that the same as calling him a liar and negating his entire life?
Whether a person is a liar isn't for others to decide. Anyone can say the words to comfort someone else, but keeping one's cool when it's your own head on the block is another matter.
At the very least, Gared couldn't do it.
He suddenly jumped out.
"Bullshit! Who just said Egger killing an Other was made up? Step out!" he bellowed in a gravelly voice. "The Others have pale skin and incredible strength! Their weapons are translucent blades of ice cold enough to shatter steel! Their evil magic can raise the dead to fight for them, and they melt away completely when killed... This was first reported to Commander Mormont by me and Egger, and was later confirmed by the main body of rangers on the Great Ranging! You think we were just lucky enough to guess right?"
"The Others haven't appeared for the first time; maybe you saw those details in some book and brought them here to claim as your own experience." The man who had spoken earlier had a much smaller voice now, but he stammered back: "Anyway, I didn't see you kill an Other. Heaven knows if it's true."
"You didn't see it!" This rogue actually had the nerve to say that. What was he supposed to do? Gared's fire flickered for a second, then he had a flash of inspiration. He turned and looked around at the sea of black-clad Watchmen, pointing his finger at the man who questioned him. "Listen, ranger brothers! Egger and I aren't the only ones who have killed an Other! When Commander Mormont led us all Beyond the Wall to capture a wight, we fought side-by-side and achieved the feat of killing an Other a second time in open battle! This is the collective glory of every ranger! Now, someone says: 'Anyway, I didn't see it, heaven knows if it's true!' What's next? Are we going to debate whether the Others even exist? With one careless sentence, he wipes away the risks and sacrifices of countless ranger brothers over the past few years. Can we allow that?"
Gared had no training in debate, but the skill of recruiting reinforcements during an argument was second nature to him. With a mix of boasting and flattery, he instantly tied himself to every ranger present.
And rangers weren't unique to Castle Black.
Eastwatch and the Shadow Tower were both small but complete, composed of the three main departments: rangers, builders, and stewards. The capture of a wight and its display in the Seven Kingdoms was a feat led by Commander Mormont, involving the elite rangers of all three strongholds—and more—along with some strong new recruits. Gared's shout instantly shifted the dynamic from a religious spat and an attack on Egger's character to a confrontation between "the rangers who risked everything Beyond the Wall" and "the stay-at-homes who talk smack without ever leaving the strongholds." Clearly, the heroes from the front lines held the moral high ground and the advantage of public opinion.
"The Others exist. I was there when we surrounded and killed the second one. I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Frank, you ought to apologize for the stupid thing you just said."
"Sorry... I was just questioning Egger..."
"Questioning requires evidence!" Gared pursued relentlessly. "I know Egger West. He's a clever boy. I don't know if he'll make a good Commander, but based on the courage he showed in charging an Other, I'm giving him my vote!"
"That's right!" Will was not a man of words; getting him to argue in public like Gared was impossible. But joining a trend was easy. He took the opportunity to pull out the dragonglass dagger Egger had given him, holding it high for everyone to see. "This is the weapon Egger used to kill the Other! For his courage, I'm voting for him too!"
On the wooden platform, the Queen's Man and Red God follower—who knew he had nearly botched the job—had already quietly slipped away in the excitement. The Stark guard from Winterfell stepped back into the speaking position, taking the chance to smooth things over. "All right, brothers! It is your right to support whoever you choose! Let's stop the arguing and get to the voting!"
Seeing he had successfully reclaimed the floor, Gared, feeling quite proud of his quick thinking, stopped shouting. He walked back to Will, not forgetting to mentor his junior. "See that? That's how a smart man does it. We can't convince all of Castle Black to vote for someone other than their own commander, but at least now, some among the rangers will consider our Egger... Damn it, put that dagger away before you embarrass us!"
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