"Is pretending really that amusing? Is it? Is it truly that interesting?"
If Aegor hadn't known that Melisandre truly had some tricks up her sleeve, he might have already picked up a weapon and chased the mysterious woman out himself... But in reality, faced with a sorceress whose powers were unpredictable, he dared not challenge her theatrics.
"I'm all ears, my lady."
"Food doesn't only come from allies. It can also come from enemies." Melisandre sat back down in her chair. "Why not try heading north of the Wall?"
"North of the Wall?!"
Aegor's eyes widened. "It was you who warned me that those who've slain White Walkers will be especially targeted by the God of Cold. And now you're telling me to go north of the Wall to search for food? What a joke. Don't try to lure me out of Castle Black... no, out of the Wall!"
"I don't understand... My lady, please explain."
Melisandre shook her head and reminded him, "The Free Folk have gathered and marched south to attack the Wall. Do you think they came empty-handed?"
…
Of course not. The Free Folk came with their families, herding cattle and sheep, carrying all their possessions on their backs.
"Ah, you mean... the food the wildlings are carrying!" Aegor quickly caught on. "But the Wall barely has enough men to defend itself. There's no way we can take the initiative to attack and loot them."
The situation was more complicated than that. The Free Folk were not a unified army. They wouldn't have gathered all their provisions into one place with guards posted... Instead, each clan and family held on to their own food and livestock. Even if Aegor had a well-trained cavalry unit to dispatch, the efficiency of looting would be extremely low, and they might not even bring back enough to feed both the people and the horses.
"You don't need to steal it. You can simply ask them to... offer it."
"Offer it to me willingly?" Aegor became increasingly confused. Was the witch speaking nonsense? Or did she possess some magic that could hypnotize the Free Folk into handing over their supplies?
Melisandre locked eyes with the Night's Watch officer, giving him a mysterious smile, but didn't answer.
---
Silence often inspired more than words. Aegor began thinking outside the box and quickly came to a realization: the only way the Free Folk would willingly deliver food to their doors... was if the gates were opened to let them in.
It wasn't a new idea. Letting the wildlings through the Wall and using them was already part of Aegor's broader strategy. But some steps couldn't be skipped. He had planned to hold out the Wall's defense for a while longer, to wear down the Free Folk's morale and their misplaced pride in "freedom", allowing the unruliest of them—those full of reckless passion and bravado—to be culled in the battles... and only then, when their 100,000 strong host was exhausted and bloodied, would he begin negotiating.
The peace treaty would be formed as expected, but the side initiating the peace would shift from the Night's Watch to the Free Folk. Only by creating this shift in identity would they be truly subdued.
The Free Folk had lived beyond the Wall for generations and knew they had to store food for winter. However, the environment beyond the Wall was far harsher than the North, and each winter saw catastrophic loss of life... This time, they'd fled south ahead of the White Walkers, with little time to prepare. Their food stores might last three to five months, but after that, how would they feed a population in the six figures?
Melisandre saw through Aegor's doubts and said, "Letting the Free Folk past the Wall will significantly reduce the number of enemies the living will face this winter, and it will weaken the power of my lord's enemies. Not only that, we'll also free up manpower to deal with the troubles in the North... Two birds with one stone. Why not?"
Free up manpower to solve the North's troubles? Indeed, once peace was made with the Free Folk, he could form them into clans and warbands to fight the Ironborn who had invaded the South... Not only could he rapidly expand his influence, but he could also restore the North's logistical support to the Night's Watch.
But Aegor had experience in managing the Night's Watch's operations, and his ability to estimate numbers was better than Melisandre's. After a brief calculation, he reached a conclusion: this was all just prolonging survival. The North's total population was only about a million, and there was no way it could support a sudden influx of 100,000 Free Folk. If winter lasted more than half a year, it would be a catastrophe.
"If we let the wildlings through the Wall, the food they bring might help us hold out for another month or two. If we move quickly to defeat the Ironborn and restore the supply routes from the Gift, we could last another two or three months." Aegor asked, "But what happens after that, Lady Melisandre? You always say the Long Night is coming. So tell me—can this so-called Long Night end within a year?"
There was another question Aegor didn't voice: Even if the winter ended, it would still take time to grow crops again.
"R'hllor has not told me how long the winter will last," Melisandre admitted. "But that means it does not matter. When your heart is at peace, all things are easier. Do not despair. Despair is the weapon of mankind's greatest enemy. No one will starve under your rule... The Lord of Light will provide."
"Can the Lord of Light help me grow food in the snow?"
"Do you take my lord for a farmer?" Melisandre shot him a reproachful glance, clearly displeased with his sarcasm about her faith. "R'hllor will help in other ways. I saw it in the flames—countless ocean-going ships crossing the sea. They carried loads of food across the Narrow Sea, unloading it at a port near the Wall, feeding the countless souls dwelling here."
Across the Narrow Sea? Aegor had never considered that possibility. He stared at Melisandre in confusion, trying to read any hint of deceit on her face, but his skill in this regard was poor. After a while of silent staring, he had no choice but to give up.
Did this witch really see such a vision in the flames, or was she simply making it up to fool him? After considering, Aegor felt Melisandre had no reason to deceive him... But he couldn't make such a decisive choice—to let the wildlings through the Wall—based on the uncertain words of a charlatan.
Not to mention, matters concerning the Wall were not his decision alone.
He decided to take some time to think. Across the Narrow Sea... Essos was likely less affected by winter than Westeros. It might truly have surplus grain to sell. But how much would it cost to transport that grain across the sea to feed tens of thousands of mouths? Could the Night's Watch's assets afford that?
Even if they could afford it, after feeding the wildlings, would there be enough funds left to carry out other plans?
Then he thought of a possibility: borrowing from Braavos. Jaqen's anxious expression upon seeing the wights might indicate the Iron Bank was also concerned about Westeros's current crisis... All he needed to do was tell the bankers: if the Wall falls, Westeros becomes a living hell, and the loans to the Iron Throne will never be repaid. Under such grim reality, they might well offer support.
"Thank you, my lady, for your wise counsel. I'll consider it carefully and discuss it with my brothers."
Melisandre was clearly unimpressed by such perfunctory words. She smiled faintly and shook her head. "Make haste. We don't have much time left. The Long Night is coming, and danger is everywhere. The living... must prepare at once."
(To be continued.)
***
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