GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond The Ice

"The Commander took a few of us near the village of the Wildlings—no, the 'New Gift People'—near where Lady Meera Reed was almost abducted, to investigate who was responsible." The Ranger who had accompanied Commander Mormont during the incident stood before the Night's Watch leadership, nervously recounting the events. "At first, everything was normal. The villagers came out of their dugouts and tents to watch us, but they just stood at a distance, staring coldly, refusing to answer when the Commander questioned them. Then someone shouted, 'That old crow who ordered the gate shut is here,' and everything changed. The villagers who had been standing far away suddenly rushed at us, yelling things like, 'Don't let him get away' and 'Pay with your life.' Some of us realized something was wrong and tried to escort the Commander back to Nightfort. But not long after we turned around, a stone flew over…"

"Seems our Commander is at fault for not wearing a helmet. From now on, even on our own lands, the Night's Watch will need to be fully armed and on highest alert, won't we, Chief Logistics Officer?"

Bowen Marsh's sarcastic jab was the first time Aegor found himself unable to answer. The impact of Commander Mormont's death on the entire plan was nearly catastrophic. His radical proposal had more opponents than supporters, and it had only gone forward because of the Commander's endorsement. Now the commander of the Watch, the one who stood with the radicals, had been killed by the very Wildlings he had personally ordered let through the Wall. How could the Wildlings be defended now?

How many conservative members of the Night's Watch would secretly curse Commander Mormont as having "gotten what he deserved"? And how many would seize on his death as a weapon to attack Aegor's resettlement plan?

"'Pay with your life,' was it?" Aegor suppressed his panic and asked expressionlessly. "Was the village the Commander visited one of the tribes that entered last, on the day of the wight attack?"

"I think so."

Aegor recalled the detail the moment he asked. He had been present during the planning phase. He and Commander Mormont had specifically discussed how, in each tribe that passed through the Wall during the wight attack, some were left behind when the gate was closed. Fearing these tribes might become unstable from grief and rage, they had taken extra care and prioritized settling them. These tribes had been placed near the ten reactivated strongholds, under the direct oversight of the Night's Watch and their most trusted allies—the Mountain Clans. Among them, the Flint Clan stationed at Nightfort had the largest numbers, so the greatest share of New Gift People from Beyond the Wall had been placed under their watch.

The arrangement had been carefully thought out, yet it was this very group that had stirred up trouble. Aegor suddenly felt as if he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot. He was confused for a moment, then furious. He had gone to such lengths to persuade Commander Mormont to let the Wildlings in, had worked tirelessly to feed them and manage them, yet these damned savages not only showed no gratitude, but turned around and caused such a disaster just days after settling in?

---

Though the Gift resettlement plan was Aegor's idea, the final decision and the issuance of direct orders had been Jeor Mormont's. Leaders, while enjoying authority, must also bear responsibility. And this time, the Wildlings who had lost friends and family in the wight attacks clearly blamed the old Bear.

Commander Mormont, the head of the Night's Watch and a man of great importance, had gone to personally track down the culprit among a newly resettled Wildling tribe. Could he not have brought thirty or fifty guards with him and been more cautious?

Aegor's heart was full of regret and resentment, his emotions a chaotic tangle. Then suddenly, he remembered something else. "Wait, what about the Reed siblings and Bran Stark? The ones the Commander had gone to retrieve—where are they?"

The Ranger shook his head. "I don't know… That morning, the Commander had already invited the Stark boy out of his quarters. He planned to return to Castle Black with them after the investigation and give Lady Meera an explanation. But before noon, the incident happened. We were all focused on rescuing the Commander. In the chaos, those three children vanished. We searched the entire Nightfort and couldn't find them. It's too strange. There were plenty of Mountain Clansmen guarding the exits, and it's hard to believe that three children and a giant man just walked out. Could a cripple and a simpleton really have climbed the wall and escaped?"

The suspicion was confirmed. The Ranger's words made clear that if not for the attack, Commander Mormont would have already brought Bran Stark back to Castle Black. Aegor felt a sudden chill. On the surface, it seemed like a tragic incident caused by reckless New Gift People, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt like the work of the Greenseer, designed to stop the Commander from preventing Bran from heading Beyond the Wall.

It was a conspiracy theory, yes. But it made sense. And wasn't that why Aegor himself had hesitated to get involved in the first place? Because he feared something like this would happen?

…

"We don't have time to worry about those three children," said the First Ranger grimly. He looked at his subordinate. "Was the one who threw the stone caught?"

"No. If we hadn't retreated quickly, I'm afraid the rest of our Rangers wouldn't have made it out alive. How could we have stayed behind to chase anyone?"

Aegor returned from his thoughts to the grim reality. The incident had already occurred. Whether it was caused by dark forces or simply chaos, it no longer mattered. The Wildlings hadn't fully accepted their identity as New Gift People. The Night's Watch and the Mountain Clans hadn't fully adapted to coexisting with them. If this crisis wasn't resolved quickly and decisively, it could easily become the spark that ignited full-scale conflict, even civil war, in the Gift.

If that happened, not only would they fail to use the New Gift People to help the North drive out the Ironborn, Aegor himself would be left with a catastrophe that might force Robb Stark to abandon his southern campaign to come clean up the mess.

Instead of a hero, Aegor would become a historical disgrace. All his ambitions and innovations would be undone by the reckless actions of a few Wildlings.

"We must capture the culprit and punish them. If we can't establish the Night's Watch as the ruling authority in one decisive stroke, if we can't make the law of the Gift something these New Gift People fear, then we'll never have peace here."

"You still think those Wildlings can be saved?" Marsh sneered. "If you ask me, now that the food's already in our hands, we should just gather our forces and drive all those savages back Beyond the Wall. Let them fight the White Walkers themselves."

"Ser Marsh, I respect your right to speak your mind," Aegor said without backing down, "but carrying out your proposal isn't something just anyone can do. Only the Commander holds that authority. For now, at least, we agree on one thing—the one who killed Commander Mormont must be punished, swiftly and severely."

---

The first high-level Night's Watch meeting Aegor attended without the Commander present had concluded. Though he maintained a calm demeanor as Chief Logistics Officer, inwardly, he was in full panic. Since returning to the Wall, he had focused all his attention on the Gift resettlement plan. Because Commander Mormont supported it, he hadn't worked hard to win over the rest of the Night's Watch.

Now, the key figure supporting his efforts had died unexpectedly. And Aegor hadn't built enough influence to keep the plan alive.

If a conservative were elected Commander, they could overturn everything he had built, even shut down Night's Watch operations in the Gift. All his efforts would be for nothing.

Despite the panic, Aegor quickly made the decision that best served his interests: he had to resolve the Mormont incident before the new Commander was elected. Remove the problem. Claim the credit. Do not let this event become a weapon for his enemies.

The First Ranger remained neutral between radicals and conservatives. At Aegor's strong recommendation, the senior officials eventually sent Ser Warner Buckwell to pursue the killer. The murder of the Night's Watch Commander by New Gift People was an unforgivable crime. In troubled times, harsh measures were necessary. Without swift and firm retaliation, order could not be restored. Aegor planned to make an example of the tribe responsible, to assert Night's Watch authority and redirect the anger of conservatives toward the Wildlings.

To do that, he needed someone ruthless, decisive, and unafraid. No one fit the role better than Ser Buckwell—the man who had captured the Red Keep for Renly, helped take King's Landing during the Stag conflict, and had even dared to betray a king.

Moreover, most of the Night's Watch didn't know that Warner Buckwell had a private agreement with Aegor. If Buckwell succeeded, the credit and the influence he earned would also belong to Aegor.

…

"In addition to the Rangers, I'll transfer a hundred more men from Crown Town to you. You can also borrow as many warriors from the Flint Clan as needed. This pursuit won't be easy. If the tribe dares resist, show no mercy…" Aegor pulled Ser Buckwell aside and instructed him with a grave expression. "One sentence—'No matter how many people die, I'll cover you.' It doesn't matter if the one caught is the actual killer. What matters is that the matter ends here and now."

Warner Buckwell, a man well-versed in the politics of King's Landing, quickly understood Aegor's plan—to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. He nodded. "Understood. But I must remind you, you made a promise to us nobles from King's Landing. If you don't take the Commander's seat now, or at least put someone loyal to you in it, we may not be able to hold out much longer."

Of course, Aegor understood. But becoming Commander was no simple task. He masked his unease with confidence, spoke a few more words to Warner, then departed to find someone.

(To be continued.)

***

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