Chapter 209: Return to Winterfell
As the heavy, broad silhouette of Winterfell reappeared in his field of vision, Egger breathed a long sigh of relief: he had finally arrived.
The journey to escort the little she-wolf home had been exceptionally smooth—at least for most of the party. They had encountered no blocking lords, no wildlings moving south to escape the cold, nor any of the pirates and raiders rumored to be harassing the coast. Even the weather had cooperated perfectly. It had taken less than ten days to cover the entire distance from the Neck to Winterfell.
As the leader of the expedition, Egger enjoyed the perks of rank: he could ride a horse or a carriage during the day and didn't have to stand watch at night. Theoretically, he should have been the most comfortable person in the group. Unfortunately, due to the presence of Arya and her monthly visitor, Egger had actually ended up as the most exhausted. For the first two nights after the trouble started, the girl insisted he rub her belly before she could fall asleep. Occasionally waking in pain at midnight, she would unceremoniously shove him awake to continue. By the third day, the pain had finally subsided, yet she still crawled into Egger's bedroll as usual, claiming it was simply warmer.
After five days of this, Egger was not only sleep-deprived but aching all over from sleeping in awkward positions. Sniffing slightly, he thought he could still detect a faint scent of blood on his clothes.
Troublemakers are often the most wearing companions, but regardless, once he handed the girl over to her mother today, he would finally be free of this ordeal.
...
The column continued its march, gradually entering the Winter Town surrounding the castle. As winter approached, the town was noticeably livelier than during Egger's previous two visits. The mountain clans, who had no crops to worry about, had already dragged their belongings here early, occupying the sturdiest stone houses to wait out the cold. Since Winterfell was Arya's home and many could recognize her, Egger told her to pull up her hood to avoid being spotted.
Returning Lady Arya to her home was a glorious deed in the North, but it technically compromised the Night's Watch's absolute neutrality. Given that most of the Watch's industrial assets were still in the south, it was best not to let everyone know.
As the party approached the gates of Winterfell, the surroundings grew even more hectic. Egger noticed many soldiers wearing the grey cloaks of House Stark running through the streets of the town, shouting and calling for a muster.
The sight of Winterfell's master-at-arms gave Egger a chance to clear his confusion. He called out, "Ser Rodrik!"
"Er... a brother of the Watch? Good afternoon." The poor old knight had likely never seen so many men in black in his life. He eyed Egger's party with confusion. "Winterfell welcomes you, though... Lord Eddard and his son Robb took most of our men. We have few servants left. At the moment... I fear we cannot host so many of you."
"No matter, we will stay the night in the Winter Town and continue north tomorrow." Egger didn't dare let the elite Westerman soldiers enter a sparsely defended Winterfell, even if the hosts didn't mind. "What has happened here to cause such a stir?"
"Sigh... it's that damned bastard of Roose Bolton's. The boy broke into Hornwood, forced Lady Hornwood to marry him, and seized the castle. White Harbor also covets the Hornwood lands, so they sent men north. Now, Manderly's knights and Bolton's men are fighting in earnest in the Hornwood forest." Ser Rodrik looked absolutely livid. "They show no respect for their liege lord! By order of the Castellan of Winterfell, I am to lead a force to arrest and punish the wrongdoers. But Robb took almost the entire army; I've had to conscript men from the Winter Town again... Ah, that absolute madman."
...
Egger had already heard about the Hornwood affair from the hundred soldiers Robb had assigned to him. It could be summarized in one sentence: a bloody mess caused by a lack of an heir.
The last male of House Hornwood was dead, leaving no children and no clear successor. This led neighbors and distant relatives to eye the Hornwood estates and lands, with the Dreadfort and White Harbor being the most aggressive.
Winter was coming, wildlings and White Walkers were attacking, yet while the North's elite marched south, the remaining houses were still fighting each other over a bit of territory. This example made Egger truly feel the savagery and chaos of this world. It illustrated a vivid truth: in a feudal age of lords and lineage, having a clear heir was of paramount importance.
Roose Bolton's bastard... that would be Ramsay Snow. Egger didn't have time to worry about other people's family drama, but realizing another villain was about to take the stage made him frown. Even with the plot having changed so drastically, why did the villains still pop up to do evil just like in the original story?
Was it simply an unchangeable nature, or some other reason?
"A madman indeed. And as for madmen... they are better off dead." He agreed with Rodrik's assessment of Ramsay. An idea quickly surfaced. "Ser, as a recruiter for the Night's Watch, let me state in advance: the Wall does not want men like that. We don't want to have to guard against threats from our own brothers while we sleep."
"Rest assured, even if you hadn't said it, I don't intend to let the boy live." Rodrik shrugged, then glanced at Arya, who sat on another horse nearby. Because he hadn't seen her in a year and she wore a large hood, the old knight failed to recognize his own lady and quickly looked away. "Lord Chief Logistics Officer, your party seems to have quite a few Northern soldiers?"
"Correct. Robb sent them with me to ensure Ser Jaime Lannister reaches the Wall safely," Egger admitted frankly. "These soldiers will remain under my command until the crisis of the wildlings and White Walkers is over."
"I see. Well, Lord Logistics Officer, might we discuss something? Lend me a portion of these soldiers. Once we take Hornwood and deal with Bolton's wicked bastard, I'll send them to report to you. Does that seem feasible?"
"This..." Egger thought for a moment. The North had urgent business requiring Northern soldiers; as an outsider, he had little ground to refuse. To be honest, feeding these hundred men was a major expense, so he agreed. "Very well. You may pick your men shortly, Ser. Once the matter is settled, just send them to report to Queen's Crown."
"Then you have my thanks. I was worried that the raw recruits wouldn't have enough veterans to lead them."
"You're too kind. The Night's Watch and the North are as one family; it's only right we help each other." Egger subtly ingratiated himself and took his leave. "I'll leave you to your business. I must see Lady Stark, so I shall head into the castle."
"Of course."
After letting the main body of his troops find quarters in the Winter Town, Egger took Arya and a few trusted subordinates into the familiar yet strange halls of Winterfell.
Under the guise of a formal visit, he met with Lady Catelyn and personally returned Arya to her. After urging her to keep the matter quiet, one of the major goals of his northern journey was successfully completed. Accepting their gratitude and the hospitality reserved for honored guests, Egger took a walk through the castle.
Far away from King's Landing—with its complex politics and nests of schemes—he was now in the political center of the North. Within a hundred-mile radius, everyone was either his subordinate or his friend. At worst, they were indifferent strangers or Vale lords who might hold a grudge. There were no longer any great men who could crush him with a flick of a finger, and no potential enemies that required him to be constantly on edge. This feeling of a clear situation and having everything under control was truly wonderful.
Breathing the cool, clean Northern air, a sense of guilt surfaced alongside his relaxation. His ease was built on dumping the entire burden of the Night's Watch industries onto Nina. She was earning money in the south while he spent it in the north... he wondered if that clever girl could manage.
Just as he was thinking of his capable assistant, two small figures appeared in the courtyard, walking straight toward him. The slightly taller one was a young woman, as thin and lithe as Arya. Her long brown hair was tied back, and she was as flat-chested as a boy. Though her figure wasn't traditionally alluring, her gait was elegant and light. The shorter one was a boy of about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in green from head to toe... even the leather of his boots was the color of moss.
"Lord Chief Logistics Officer, greetings." The two youths approached the Night's Watchman. The older girl stared at him with green eyes, offering a friendly smile—and with a single sentence, she shattered Egger's newfound sense of relaxation. "I am Meera of House Reed, and this is my brother Jojen. He heard of your arrival and wished to see you... hm, it is a pleasure to meet you."
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