Chapter 294: Priorities
It was not out of a desire to make a grand entrance that Maester Aemon arrived only at the final moment of such a significant event. Having served multiple Lord Commanders and being so old that even Denys Mallister had to admit to being his junior, the Maester's health had been steadily declining since the death of Jeor Mormont. After months of the election process, he was now so frail he could no longer walk. Although the farce in the courtyard had been raging for quite some time, he had only just managed to reach the scene, carried by two men under Samwell Tarly's guidance.
The old man's arrival caused great unease among the officers of Castle Black who were familiar with his condition. "Maester Aemon, you are unwell. You should rest in your chambers. We can handle the situation here ourselves."
"Thank you for your concern, but I've stayed indoors long enough. If I don't come out to soak up some sun, I'll start to grow moldy." Aemon gave a weak smile and shook his head slightly. "The shouting out here is quite loud. Could someone be so kind as to tell me what has happened?"
There was no sun in the sky, only dense gray clouds and a biting wind, but no one intended to correct him on that point. A steward quickly brought over a high-backed chair, and the blind Maester sat down with effort under the concerned and puzzled gazes of the crowd. After Sam engaged in a series of questions and answers with the onlookers, Aemon finally grasped the situation.
"Mmm... so that is how it is. By rights, indeed, only the highest officer of the Night's Watch... has the authority to decide the fate of the King-Beyond-the-Wall. But rules are static, while people are living... Since a Commander has not yet been chosen, I shall play the part of the meddling elder and offer my perspective, overstepping my bounds though it may be." Maester Aemon spoke in a trembling, low voice, his words falling upon everyone's ears as Sam repeated them loudly.
"Castle Black has been renovated; it now has walls and the capability to defend against attacks from the south. However, as a result, its footprint and space have shrunk considerably. At a time when we face a great enemy and should be utilizing a fortress to its full potential, we are setting aside an entire tower and wasting manpower and space to house... cough... accommodate Mance Rayder's family, while many of our own brothers are forced to scrape by, crowded into single rooms. It is, indeed, somewhat improper. Now that someone has raised the issue, why not change our approach? Let us simply throw this headache to Queenscrown—let the Logistics Department worry about it, and save the strength of the brothers on the front lines. What do you all think?"
"We haven't caused any trouble, how are we a 'headache'!" Val muttered with dissatisfaction. However, knowing the old man's prestige within the Watch was unparalleled, she only complained to Jaime and was not so insolent as to speak aloud.
Ginger is best when aged, as the saying goes. Even though he was so weak he could barely speak clearly, Maester Aemon had found the only solution to avoid conflict within the shortest time of arriving on the scene, even providing a bridge for everyone to cross back from the brink.
The three high-ranking officers of Castle Black thought for a moment and immediately understood: as long as transferring Mance Rayder's family was a decision passed by a consensus of all high-ranking officials, then Jaime's unauthorized action effectively ceased to exist. The Eastwatch faction no longer had a reason to block the way; everyone could lower their weapons with a clear conscience, and no one would lose face.
Jaremy Rykker, who had always remained neutral and had not intervened in the struggle between the Progressives and Conservatives, was the first to speak: "Maester Aemon is right. In my name as Chief Ranger of Castle Black, I support the transfer of Mance Rayder and his family to Queenscrown. Lord Marsh, Lord Yarwyck, what are your thoughts?"
With a veteran of many reigns like Maester Aemon stepping in to smooth things over, who wouldn't seize the opportunity? Regardless of what happened, everything could be pinned on Aemon—they weren't backing down; they were merely agreeing out of respect for the old man!
The situation reversed in an instant. The arrogant and overbearing actions of Jaime Lannister were suddenly transformed from a breach of discipline into the will of the majority.
In this way, the leverage they had seized could no longer be used, and it would be impossible to make a fuss later or use this incident to launch a counterattack against the Progressives. Egger was going to achieve a total victory!
How could Yohn Royce agree to this?
He immediately straightened his back, intending to refute Maester Aemon's suggestion... but he forgot that he was not the one in charge of blocking the path today; it was Cotter Pyke.
The Commander of Eastwatch, who had been dazed by Jaime's two bouts of mockery, finally returned to reality. He looked around and strained to understand what had transpired in these few moments: everyone in Castle Black qualified to make decisions had chosen to compromise for the sake of the big picture, legitimizing Jaime's actions. If he continued to hold out, he and his followers would likely become the sacrificial lambs of stability for nothing, and eventually be branded as mutineers.
"Didn't you hear Maester Aemon and the lords?" Cotter Pyke said through gritted teeth. He did not fear death, but he couldn't lead the brothers who followed him into a pit where they wouldn't even make a splash. "Sheathe your steel. Let them pass!"
Under the loud dismissals of the Big Three, the crowd dispersed. Over a thousand pounds of meat were signed into the storehouses, and the visitors from Queenscrown finished unloading. After a brief stay, they left Castle Black with Mance Rayder and his family... while from the direction of the kitchens, the rich aroma of roasting fat began to drift.
A conflict that had nearly resulted in a catastrophic upheaval ended without a single drop of blood being shed. On the surface, the high-ranking officers of Castle Black had unanimously agreed to the plan to move the King-Beyond-the-Wall's family, and the outcome was a happy one. But in reality, any brother of the Watch with a brain could see that in this arm-wrestling match between powerful men, the Chief Logistics Officer—who hadn't even made an appearance—had won another round.
Egger had demonstrated the power he wielded through practical action and proved to the Watchmen that even before becoming Lord Commander, he could make the Night's Watch... run according to his ideas to a certain extent!
Of course, the matter could not simply end there. Fuming with annoyance at being forced to compromise publicly, the high-ranking officers of Castle Black had already recorded the details of the incident. Raven-flown messages were sent to Nightfort to complain to Robb Stark. Meanwhile, their plans thwarted and having reached a total impasse, Cotter Pyke and Yohn Royce retreated to their tower to discuss their next move.
Yohn Royce threw his things onto the table in a rage. "This boy is simply lawless! If he is elected Lord Commander, the Night's Watch will sooner or later be destroyed in his hands!"
"Don't talk as if your feelings for the Night's Watch are so deep; you didn't exactly put on the black by choice." Cotter Pyke washed his face, his disheveled state greatly reduced, though his face was still slightly swollen. "Don't have any more grand ideas. Tell everyone to pack up; we return to Eastwatch tomorrow."
"Just like that? To go home with our tails between our legs—like that old man Mallister?" Yohn was still unwilling. "Everyone will think we've admitted defeat."
"What capital do we have left to not admit defeat! Can you think of any other way to deal with him—short of killing him? Look at the way that coward acts, practically wanting to take a squad of bodyguards with him just to go to the privy. Who could find an opportunity to strike?"
Cotter Pyke had been defeated before. Eastwatch sat right next to the Bay of Seals; in addition to wall-climbers, the garrison often had to deal with wildlings crossing on rafts, and sometimes sparred with overseas travelers coming by ship. Frequent and diverse combat had created many good fighters, including talented lads who could challenge even their commander after some experience. Cotter was never so arrogant as to think himself invincible, but—to be toyed with like a child, bullied to the point of having no room to fight back?
This was absolutely the first time in his life. If he hadn't experienced it personally, he wouldn't even have believed a master so refined in combat could exist in the world.
In terms of brains and calculation, he had long ago conceded. But today's fight had shattered the advantage he took pride in—his confidence in his martial prowess.
Cotter never hid the fact that he was a brute, but having commanded Eastwatch for years, he was by no means a brainless one. Such a crushing setback had instead woken him up: he didn't have a son who had been killed by Egger. Why should he let Yohn lead him by the nose, risking everything just to oppose that man? It was lucky that Maester Aemon had intervened today, but if he kept going like this, he would eventually bury himself!
At Castle Black, a place far from his home turf, he had no advantage left. There was no point in staying.
"Then—are we just going to accept it?"
Accept? If he meant admitting they couldn't beat the man, then yes. But if he meant sitting back and watching Egger become Lord Commander? Impossible!
"I haven't forgotten the day that boy insulted me in public. He can forget about me ever serving him! Once I'm back at Eastwatch, I'm going to find out exactly who is voting for him. Whether it's influencing the election results there to delay his victory, or tripping him up once he takes office—isn't that better than staying at Castle Black to lose both face and substance?"
Castle Black was only a dozen leagues from Nightfort. A messenger raven arrived in an instant, reaching the destination even before the Northern inspection party and the Chief Logistics Officer leading them.
But the complaints from the Castle Black high command never reached Robb Stark's hands; instead, they fell into the hands of the person they were complaining about. At Nightfort, and indeed at all other strongholds along the Wall except for the three major fortresses, the maesters and those managing the ravens were appointed by Egger West—the man responsible for reactivating those castles.
Not only were they under his command in name, but in reality, they were drawing salaries from him. From head to toe, inside and out, they were his people.
Egger gave the sprawling, page-long report and accusation—written at the behest of the three Castle Black chiefs—a cursory glance. He gave a cold laugh, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it aside.
The arrangement to transfer the King-Beyond-the-Wall's family had been a safety precaution. But seeing the violent and rapid reaction from Yohn Royce and Cotter Pyke... that wildling girl Val's instincts were quite sharp indeed.
Today, his caution had helped him dodge another crisis, but there were many follow-up matters to attend to. He had to handle his current business first... before he would have the time to deal with his colleagues back at Castle Black. If he couldn't win over the Northern inspection party, no amount of wits used against those sworn brothers would matter.
Egger quickly straightened his clothing and his mood, then turned to walk toward the center of Nightfort's courtyard. Behind him, the thin crumpled ball of parchment slowly turned to ash in the coals of Nightfort's smithy.
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