"Meera, Jojen—nice to meet you. You can call me Aegor."
Aegor pretended to be unaware of the two siblings and smiled calmly, but his heart was already in turmoil. It seemed he had relaxed too soon, while the North might no longer have anyone who could restrain him, it still held "inhuman" extraordinary powers.
Compared to the Old Gods and the Cold God, Renly and the others were mere minor figures.
Now, Jojen Reed wanted to meet him. Was it simply a boy's personal curiosity about the "famous Night's Watchman," or had he been sent by the Greenseer… or even the Old Gods? What message was he meant to convey?
"We've all heard about the disaster happening beyond the Wall. My father originally wanted to send men north to help, but the war in the south broke out suddenly, and Robb Stark took away too many of our forces. The ones left behind could barely defend themselves," the girl explained, a bit embarrassed. "So we couldn't send troops, but we still gathered as much food and fodder as possible and sent it to the North, as a small contribution to the defense of the Wall."
"That's very kind. Please allow me to express my gratitude to House Reed on behalf of the Night's Watch." Aegor replied with formal courtesy and smiled at the girl, locking eyes with her until her cheeks flushed.
The way Meera looked at him reminded Aegor of Nina. Over time, it had become instinctive for him to act like a man of status. His attire and demeanor made him seem important, and coupled with the exaggerated rumors about him, it was easy to earn admiration from young girls. "You've just come from the south. Are you heading to the Wall to help deal with the wildlings and the White Walkers?"
Deal with the wildlings and the White Walkers? Of course, it would be ideal if the issue could be solved. But he hadn't left King's Landing to be some kind of hero. Aegor nodded solemnly. "That's right. The Wall faces an unprecedented crisis. As a member of the Night's Watch, I naturally can't remain in the south, enjoying a comfortable life while the realm is in danger."
The girl seemed to believe him completely. "With a legend like you guarding the Wall, the people of the North can breathe a sigh of relief. On behalf of all the descendants of the First Men, I want to express our gratitude and admiration to the Chief Logistics Officer."
Meera must have read The Adventures of the Night's Watch. She looked shy and quietly delighted to meet a hero… just like a little girl. Aegor knew she wasn't a key figure, so he chatted with her amiably for a few more words, then turned his gaze to Jojen, locking eyes with the boy who possessed the "greensight."
...
...
Jojen was a boy of thirteen or fourteen, yet mature and serious far beyond his years. The two of them stared at each other silently for a while, without speaking. Aegor found those green eyes unsettling. To break the silence, he had to speak first. "I wonder, what brings the two of you to Winterfell right now?"
It was a meaningless question. In fact, Aegor already knew what the Reed siblings were doing in Winterfell. Because he had driven Littlefinger away with a note, many events that were supposed to happen had either not occurred or were significantly delayed, including Theon's betrayal and the fall of Winterfell. These two youths in front of him were likely waiting for the right moment to "abduct Bran and take him beyond the Wall."
There was no doubt about it. As the second son of House Stark, and crippled, it would be nearly impossible for Bran to slip away unnoticed and flee north of the Wall. The Greenseer beyond the Wall was likely growing impatient.
Meera stammered, "Uh… we're here, serving the Lord of Winterfell, Bran Stark—"
"I saw you in my dream, Night's Watch," Jojen interrupted her hollow explanation. "A bloody blizzard is about to sweep across the North. Only a Night's Watchman from a foreign land can stop it. Your place is at the Wall, not here. You must head north as soon as possible."
Aegor looked at Jojen in surprise.
The boy in front of him was undoubtedly a spokesperson and servant of the Greenseer. But there was one thing Aegor couldn't tell—had the Greenseer activated Jojen's prophetic power, giving him some of the Greenseer's abilities? Or had he merely implanted visions and sensations into his dreams, making him think he could see the future?
This distinction mattered greatly. Was what Jojen said truly a vision of the future, or just the Greenseer's manipulation, meant to confuse and influence Aegor through the boy's mouth? Was it possible the Greenseer feared he might do something reckless again, like the incident where he nearly stopped Bran from falling and had therefore sent someone to quickly confront him upon arrival in Winterfell with cryptic warnings?
"I plan to head north tomorrow," Aegor said after a moment of thought. Though countless thoughts swirled in his mind, he found no definitive answer. Still, he quickly replied, "Boy, I don't believe in your dreams… But I will go to the Wall—not because of what you said, but because I am a man of the Night's Watch."
"I hope so. Just remember: 'Your place is at the Wall.' Don't stray again," Jojen said solemnly. He then turned and walked away. "We'll disturb you no more."
"I'm sorry, my brother is always like this. But he dreams green dreams—dreams that are bound to come true. So please, don't dismiss what he says." Meera gave Aegor an apologetic look, then turned and chased after her brother, quickly vanishing from the Night's Watchman's view.
What did it all mean? Aegor was confused. The Greenseer had sent Jojen, but all he'd said was one sentence, without context or reason. What was he really trying to do? Couldn't he have been more clear—like the prophecy from the lizard to the Dragon Queen—so he'd have something to ponder and analyze?
He was already heading to the Wall as planned. So why go to the trouble of urging him? Was it because the Greenseer still held a grudge over what happened last time and had prepared some kind of trap in the North? Was this a way to lure him in? But hadn't Melisandre said the Red God had marked him, and that the Old Gods would not dare harm him lightly?
Full of doubt, Aegor continued toward the gates of Winterfell. Though Catelyn had arranged a room for him, he had decided to stay at an inn in the winter town instead. First, it would make it easier to coordinate with his people. Second, he was wary of Arya—who didn't seem to know fear—doing something outrageous like sneaking into his bed in the middle of the night. Winterfell was not like the road north; if House Stark found out he had slept with one of their daughters, even if nothing happened… it wouldn't be easy to explain.
As he neared the gate of Winterfell, a conversation between some guards caught his attention. He pretended to chat with them, quickly gleaning explosive news with the help of his Night's Watch uniform and the goodwill it inspired.
Renly Baratheon had been assassinated on the eve of the Northern Alliance and Stannis's counteroffensive at King's Landing. The Stormlands and the Reach had erupted into internal conflict… With the help of the Northern forces, Stannis had retaken King's Landing without much effort and reclaimed the Iron Throne!
"Another major victory. They say there were so many prisoners, they couldn't even fit in the dungeons. If Randyll Tarly hadn't arrived in time with his troops, I hear even the Tyrell girl would've ended up in Lord Robb's bed!"
"Randyll Tarly is known as a great general. The southerners praise him endlessly… but when he faces us Northerners, he always loses, doesn't he? Look, he's fought us twice and both times barely managed to escape. Hahaha…"
"But it's strange, isn't it? They say Loras was Renly's man. So why would he kill his own lover?"
"Maybe seeing his lover marry his sister and sleep with her every night made him jealous. Maybe he lashed out in anger."
"Makes sense—"
Aegor was stunned as he listened to the guards' conversation.
Renly's death had been expected. The fact that Stannis had waited a full month before letting Melisandre take action was surprising. As for Loras killing his lover, that was clearly nonsense—but now, Aegor found himself in a dilemma. He had gone north to avoid being dragged into Renly's doomed political ambitions. Now that the source of trouble was gone, should he turn back south to King's Landing and continue working for the Night's Watch's expansion, or keep going north to the Wall, as he'd just promised Meera?
Jojen had come just now and told him, "Your place is at the Wall." It turned out that was guidance for the very choice he now faced!
As Aegor walked out of Winterfell's gates, his mind was in chaos. When he reached the inn where his team was staying and saw his men drinking and chatting, a wave of clarity washed over him. He was no longer a powerless nobody—he was the leader of a force. He had responsibility now, followers depending on him. Why, then, did he suddenly revert to being the same uncertain, scatterbrained man when it came to extraordinary beings?
If the Greenseer wanted to harm him, there was no need to send Jojen with a warning. If he wanted to be cautious, the best choice was simply to stay vigilant. As for heading north or south—why must he decide right this moment, based on Jojen's cryptic message?
With his current power and the resources the Night's Watch industry could provide to the Watch, he could go to the Wall, report to Lord Mormont about the past year's work, and—if he changed his mind later—he could always return south to King's Landing. Who could stop him?
If he couldn't understand what the Greenseer wanted or what tricks he might play, then he might as well act as if the man didn't exist. He would go north as planned, inspect Queenscrown, oversee the base's construction, and participate in defending the Wall. As for what came next… he'd decide that once these two matters were done.
(To be continued.)
***
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