RoWE - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Demanding a Person (Part 1)

"Tyrion," the commander-in-chief nodded at the dwarf from behind his desk. As the former lord of Bear Island and a noble of the North, his seniority and status were sufficient to address the other by name, "Are you enjoying your stay at the Wall?"

"Thank you for your concern, Commander. Apart from a numb butt and shivering in the cold at night, everything is fine." Tyrion sat down with a smile on the opposite side of the desk, "But I must admit, being ambushed by a group of wildlings on the road from the wolf woods to the New Gift was a novel and stimulating experience."

"It's the Night's Watch's responsibility to keep the wildlings from crossing the Wall. Please accept our apologies."

"Alright, I forgive you." Tyrion shrugged indifferently, adjusting his position to make his butt more comfortable, "After these few days, I've gained some understanding of the Night's Watch's current situation, and I really can't bring myself to blame you. But speaking of responsibility, no matter how short-staffed you are, stopping the wildlings is your duty. This time, I was attacked, but thanks to Benjen and the others, I was protected. But what if one day the wildlings roam into the heart of the North, attacking the subjects or even members of houses like Umber, Karstark, or Stark? That would be a big problem. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, wildlings slip through the gaps between the three forts, climb the Wall, sail past our two-boat defense line from Seal Bay, and sneak across the Great Gorge in groups from the Shadow Tower. The Night's Watch tries to stop them all, but we're powerless." Mormont's brows furrowed, "I've already had Maester Aemon send warnings to the lords of the North, and Lord Stark has promised to gather a force for me to use temporarily, but I don't know when it will be assembled and ready."

"Lord Stark is a good lord. Unfortunately, even a god couldn't stop the decline of the Night's Watch. Seeing the legendary shield that guards the realm of men fall to such a state, it truly pains me." Tyrion feigned a look of regret, "So I've decided to provide financial support to the Night's Watch."

"Huh?"

Even someone as composed as Mormont couldn't help but be taken aback. The population of the Gift and New Gift, under the jurisdiction of the Wall's garrison, was less than ten thousand, far from enough to support the Night's Watch, which numbered close to a thousand. Therefore, whether admitted or not, "support" had gradually become the main source of provisions for the black-clad soldiers.

Asking others for help was something the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was already adept at in fact, he was contemplating finding an opportunity to plead poverty and lament his plight to the Queen's brother. He didn't expect the other party to offer help before he could even speak, and in his excitement, he even changed his form of address, "That. would be wonderful, my lord. The Night's Watch will be grateful for your generosity and consideration of the bigger picture!"

"Hold on, there's an additional condition I want to specify someone to come with me to King's Landing to receive my 'support.'"

"Who?"

"Aeg, the ranger from beyond the Sunset Sea, whom you recently sent to Winterfell."

"A reasonable request," Mormont calmed down instantly, staring at Tyrion for a moment, probingly saying, "But the rangers are short on manpower now. He needs to return quickly."

"I haven't finished yet." Tyrion quickly added, realizing that Mormont had seen through his true intentions, "He will not only receive my support but also stay in King's Landing to continue gathering supplies for the Night's Watch."

..

Mormont was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Tyrion, the status of a member of the Night's Watch is for life. No one can join and then leave."

"I understand and respect this tradition or rule." Tyrion took over, "He will be stationed in King's Landing as a quartermaster for the Night's Watch, providing continuous support for the Wall. King's Landing, as the largest city and capital of Westeros, is home to countless dignitaries. It's easy to secure support there."

Mormont shook his head, "Tyrion, I don't understand why you're helping him so much, but please allow me to be blunt. The Night's Watch is short on everything right now, but most of all, we're short on manpower. Our logistics are indeed strained, but if we just stay within the Wall to guard it, we can scrape by for a few more months by piecing things together and tightening our belts. The lords of the North would never let the Night's Watch starve.

"But manpower. is truly in a state of severe shortage." The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch poured out his grievances to the Queen's brother, "We have less than a thousand men left, six hundred stationed here, two hundred at the Shadow Tower, and even fewer at Eastwatch. Among these, less than a third are truly capable of fighting. The Wall is three hundred leagues long. Please consider, if enemies attack, I can only assign three people per league to defend."

"Three and a third," Tyrion yawned, "Not even that. I suppose you won't miss just one. Besides, King's Landing has a population of five hundred thousand. We can easily fill the intact towers of Castle Black by pulling a few people from the slums inside and outside the city. Moreover, rangers like Yoren are often away from the Wall. Why can't Aeg do the same?"

"It's different. The rangers have been with the Night's Watch for a long time. They're no longer as strong as they once were and can only contribute in this way. They're rooted here, with nowhere else to go. And when we provide food, lodging, and travel expenses, we've calculated it to ensure they can't wander outside for too long after completing their tasks."

Commander Mormont changed his tone, "But Aeg is different. A young, strong, and quick-witted fellow like him can thrive anywhere. Once let go, it would be hard to get him back, even if we sent people to chase him." He muttered, "Besides, the Night's Watch doesn't lack for slum kids these days. Most of the new recruits are of this sort. not stable boys, but thieves or rapists. These types can fill the ranks when we're short on manpower, but the problem is that there are too many of them, and we lack the core strength to train, manage, and suppress these scoundrels. The Night's Watch currently has only about thirty literate men, and even fewer who can think, plan, or lead, Tyrion. I'd even consider asking you to stay at Castle Black to help, but you're asking us for a person."

"You flatter me. If you don't mind, I'd be happy to bring you every dwarf in Westeros."

The old man really didn't want to nor was in the mood to exchange witty banter with the other party, shaking his head, "Please forgive me for not being able to accept your conditions. I won't insist on the support, and I ask you not to mention taking anyone away again."

***

Damn, the old man should be more muddled and slow, not as sharp as the person in front of me? Tyrion grumbled inwardly. He never went back on his word and hated disappointing his friends. After some thought, he could only play his trump card, "Commander, how about this? I guarantee on the honor of House Lannister that Aeg will not run away. If I cause you to lose a capable soldier. I promise to compensate you with more than a dozen. not thieves or rapists, but men who can train, manage, and suppress those scoundrels for you. How does that sound?"

Mormont sighed helplessly. His refusal had been clear, but the other party not only refused to give up but also brought up the honor of his family. It seemed like a noble and beautiful offer, but Mormont, born into a noble family, understood the subtext: I must take the person with me, please give me face. This was almost…. no, it was coercion.

The implication was simple. If he didn't agree, he would offend the other party.

*** 

Buckle up guys.

T-minus 16 hours!