Chapter 248: Sharpening the Knife

"Jon, no one could've predicted that Commander Jeor Mormont would meet an accident at this moment. I'm not here to discuss whose responsibility it was or who's at fault. The dead are gone, but the living must carry on. It's no exaggeration to say the Night's Watch is now in unprecedented danger… and I need your help."

Ghost, Jon's direwolf, had grown so large he resembled a white-furred calf. Aegor might have been genuinely afraid of him if they hadn't already known each other well. The beast crouched silently beside the bastard, its red eyes fixed on Aegor with curiosity. Compared to the calm wolf, its master still seemed dazed, overwhelmed by the news of Jeor Mormont's sudden death. Jon looked at Aegor, who seemed ready for battle, and swallowed. "Is it… really that serious?"

Aegor nodded. "Yes. The Gift resettlement plan has staked almost everything the Night's Watch and the Night's Watch Industry possess. Once it began, there was no turning back. After Commander Mormont's funeral, the election for the 998th Lord Commander will begin. What do you think will happen if someone who opposes the Wildlings gets elected and overturns the resettlement plan his predecessor started?"

"Then a lot of what we've done will be wasted." Jon's expression became alert. "But… the Wildlings—uh, the New Gift People—have already entered the Wall. If the plan is scrapped, what will the new Commander do with them?"

"That's the problem. I want to integrate them into the Gift and make them citizens of the Seven Kingdoms. That's the ideal solution. But do you know what Bowen Marsh is thinking? He wants to take their food and then drive them back Beyond the Wall!"

"That's impossible."

"Of course it is. From the Wildlings' perspective, it's the same as sentencing them to death. Their weapons have been confiscated, yes, but they'll still fight us with clubs and stones. And from the Night's Watch perspective, sending them back just increases the White Walkers' numbers. I'd rather kill them all than let them return Beyond the Wall."

"Kill them all?" Jon was stunned. "But we've already let them inside the Wall. Even though we didn't give them bread and salt… in a way, they're our guests, right? Violating guest rights brings a curse!"

"A curse… heh. That's true in theory. But think about it. These 'guests' had barely been in our 'house' a few days before they stoned the host to death. Who violated guest rights first?"

"That's different. Only one—or a few—of the New Gift People killed Lord Mormont. To treat all thirty thousand of them as enemies… isn't that…" Jon grew flustered, even stammering, unable to find the words.

Aegor had only meant to scare him. Seeing Jon's reaction, he waved his hand. "You're right. Unfortunately, the Black Brothers who hate the Wildlings won't listen to reason. Few people can remain calm in times like these. People like you and me… we're rare. To most Black Brothers, 'Wildlings' killed Commander Mormont. And in a way, that's true. You can't blame them for thinking so. That's why the most important thing now is to get someone clear-headed, someone on our side, elected as the new Commander."

Jon nodded quickly. "That makes sense. What can I do?"

"Commander Mormont had been grooming you as his successor. I haven't been at the Wall long, so I don't know the inner workings… I need you to tell me honestly. If you ran for Commander right now, how much of a chance do you have?"

…

"Not even one percent," Jon answered bluntly. "Lord Mormont taught me how to lead, but knowing how isn't enough. The vote is what decides everything. Noble birth, years of service in the Watch, ability, connections, charisma… these are what matter. I barely qualify on any of those. There are plenty more qualified candidates than me. Ser Denys Mallister at the Shadow Tower, Cotter Pyke at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea… even Bowen Marsh at Castle Black. They all ran against Lord Mormont last time. He only won because he ruled Bear Island, had high status, and extensive experience. I can't compete with them."

Aegor considered his words and quickly understood what Jon meant by "half a point." In the eyes of others, he was Eddard Stark's bastard—noble blood, but not a true noble. That counted as half. Beyond that, he'd only served in the Watch for about a year. In terms of achievements, under Mormont's and Aegor's shadows, the boy had never had a chance to prove himself. Commander Mormont had indeed intended to train him, but his death came too soon.

This child couldn't be relied upon. In the original story, Jon had only become Commander thanks to Samwell's maneuvering and Stannis's backing. But Stannis wasn't here. So who could Aegor turn to among those in the Watch who supported his plan?

...

"Aegor…" Jon hesitated, then offered, "Why don't you run? You haven't been here long, true, but everyone sees how much you've done. Many of the Brothers say life's been easier since you became Quartermaster. You've even killed White Walkers. All that helps your case. I'll nominate you. I'll tell my friends to vote for you."

Run himself? That was certainly one option. But the same problem remained. Since returning to the Wall, he hadn't built up enough support among the Black Brothers—because Mormont had already supported him. Could he really expect two-thirds of the Watch to vote for someone who wasn't noble, had served barely two years—one of which he'd spent enjoying himself in King's Landing?

It was pure fantasy.

Even if he managed to win, becoming Commander would complicate things. The vows of the Night's Watch were for life. The position of Lord Commander was also for life. Combine the two, and the restrictions squared. Escaping the Watch would become far more difficult.

Just imagine: if Lord Commander Aegor Westerling issued new rules allowing the Watch to be joined or left freely, and then he was the first to benefit from them—how would the other Brothers see it? How would the rest of the Seven Kingdoms?

"I'll go think about it." Aegor couldn't yet weigh whether the gains outweighed the costs, so he set the question aside and turned to a more pressing issue. "There's something you can help me with right now. Someone must take the blame for Commander Mormont's death. If we don't provide a target, the Brothers will eventually blame me, the one who planned the whole thing. I've decided to make an example of the tribe the killer came from. If all goes well, this crisis ends there. But the risk is just as great—if the rest of the New Gift People think we're turning on them after they've settled in, it'll create a huge mess."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Go visit the villages. Talk to the tribal leaders. Tell them what happened and what's at stake," Aegor said solemnly. "I want them to come forward on their own and declare their support for the Night's Watch. We need them to cooperate with the search for the killer."

"Understood."

"To make it easier, bring a Wildling with you… where's your little girlfriend? Ygritte. Bring her."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Fine, my apologies." Aegor waved it off. He wasn't in the mood to joke with Jon. "One probably isn't enough. How many Wildlings do we have at Castle Black?"

"Aegor… actually, wouldn't it be best to get Mance Rayder involved? He's the King-Beyond-the-Wall. The Free Folk listen to him."

"Don't count on that!" Aegor turned serious. "Even we in the Watch don't know where things are headed. Why should Mance trust me? Why should he help me calm the New Gift People? For all we know, he might take this chance to stir rebellion and overthrow us. No matter what happens, he must not leave Castle Black!"

"Alright," Jon nodded.

"But you reminded me—Mance can't go, but his family can." Aegor thought for a moment. "Take his wife's sister. Val, the so-called 'Wildling Princess.' I've heard she's clever. Before you set out, talk to her. Make sure she understands how tense things are, and work with her to convince the tribal leaders."

"She's not a Wildling Princess. Wildlings don't have princes or princesses."

"Oh—" Aegor rubbed his forehead. Jon really didn't know when to let things go. "I know there's no royal class Beyond the Wall, but if everyone knows who you mean when you say 'Wildling Princess,' how is that any different? Let's not waste time on semantics. One more thing—tell the New Gift People, subtly, that the Night's Watch is about to elect a new Commander. If a conservative wins, it'll be a serious threat to them. Let them know I'm doing my best to stop that."

"But… how does that help us? Only Black Brothers can vote in the election. Unless you change the rules and give Gift citizens a vote, which you can't do unless you're Commander first. Isn't that a contradiction?"

If some democratic Gift were created, those savages would probably crown Mance Rayder as Lord Commander. Just the thought was ridiculous… Aegor didn't know if it would help either. It was simply his instinct to leave himself more options.

"I haven't figured that part out yet. Worst case, it's just a wasted effort. Go get ready. I'll assign ten men to protect you, but be careful. And… wear a helmet."

(To be continued.)

***

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