"Lord Commander! I ask! Do you believe in White Walkers and Children of the Forest?"
Mako spoke calmly, as if discussing something ordinary.
"No problem!...Huh? I'm sorry! What did you say?"
The Old Bear, Jeor Mormont, had initially agreed without thinking, assuming Mako was talking about going to the top of The Wall to have a look.
But after a moment's thought, he realized something was off and quickly questioned Mako again.
Chief Steward Bowen Marsh chuckled upon hearing Mako's words, thinking Mako had suddenly become interested in these things after reviewing those documents today.
He then chimed in, saying to Mako, "Lord Mako! White Walkers and Children of the Forest are just legends...MD! What the hell is this?"
Bowen Marsh felt like he was going crazy because he saw a dwarf girl with golden eyes, and the girl's skin was actually dark brown.
"Is this girl from across the Summer Sea? She's so dark! Wait!!!"
Bowen Marsh thought to himself, but then, after a moment of careful consideration, he suddenly realized that this "golden-eyed dwarf girl" strongly resembled the Children of the Forest from the legends of the North.
"This! This! This is impossible! Lord Mako! You must be joking, where did you find this girl?"
Bowen Marsh stammered, his heart a mix of emotions: excitement, disbelief, and fear!
The Marsh family was located southeast of Karhold. Because they lived close to the Milkwater, Bowen Marsh had grown up hearing tales of the Children of the Forest.
But like most Northerners, he had dismissed these stories as mere legends once he grew up!
Yet today, when the legend appeared before him, he was filled with disbelief and excitement. His round face flushed red, making him look even more like a "pomegranate"!
It turned out that while Bowen Marsh was answering questions, Mako had suddenly pulled Moonshadow's hooded cloak down.
Feeling the top of her head exposed, Moonshadow also looked at Mako curiously. Mako gently stroked her head, his expression full of affection.
Then, he spoke to "The Old Bear," who was already dumbfounded:
"Your esteemed Commander-in-Chief! You haven't answered this one's question yet? Do you believe?"
The Old Bear finally reacted, saying to Mako:
"Lord Mako! I don't know! Where did you find this...um! 'girl'? What are you trying to say? Or what is your purpose? Are we witnessing a legend?"
Seeing the composed Commander-in-Chief, Mako gently shook his head, the cloak's hood swaying with his movement.
Seeing that Moonshadow hadn't fazed "The Old Bear" Jeor Mormont, Mako changed his tone and said to him:
"Commander-in-Chief! Then let's put it another way! Do you believe in the existence of gods? Do you believe in divine revelation?"
After speaking, he didn't wait for the Old Bear to reply, instead continuing on his own:
"Initially, someone just wanted to go to King's Landing to take a look. But unexpectedly, the ship encountered a storm, and someone was brought to the North by 'The Lord'.
Under the guidance of 'The Lord', someone saved this lovely 'little sister' in Wolfswood, near Last Hearth. And there, someone also discovered the White Walkers and Wights.
Lord Commander! 'Winter is Coming'! No one can escape it, and someone has also received divine revelation to go Beyond the Wall to eliminate the servants of the foreign gods!"
After hearing Mako's words, "The Old Bear" Jeor Mormont and Bowen Marsh were completely stunned!
They were so shocked by this information that they couldn't speak for a long time, seemingly unable to accept the information Mako had conveyed.
Mako saw that he had already shaken them and pressed on:
"To fight against those servants of the foreign gods, from now on, someone's family's merchant ships will send supplies to the brothers of the Night's Watch at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea from time to time. You can arrange the personnel yourselves."
"My Lord Commander! If one hasn't died Beyond the Wall, one will go to House Stark before the summer arrives to discuss the matter of fighting the White Walkers!"
"Wait a moment! Lord Mako!"
Jeor Mormont suddenly interrupted Mako's words. He seemed to have regained his composure and returned to his usual wisdom and calmness.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the restless emotions in his heart, and said to Mako:
"Lord Mako! Have you made a mistake? The White Walkers are just a legend, and this 'little girl' beside you just looks a little strange! She's not a Child of the Forest at all! You! Have you been deceived?"
He seemed conflicted when he said this, because he was afraid that his words would offend this generous new friend!
They in The North didn't know much about the people from Essos, but Mako had always expressed goodwill after coming here.
Seeing Mako's reverence for his "god," Jeor Mormont was afraid of accidentally angering this new friend.
Mako shook his head, patting Moonshadow's small head. He spoke calmly to Jeor Mormont:
"Lord Commander! Perhaps you believe the Night's Watch's only enemies are the Wildlings Beyond the Wall. However, I can tell you with certainty: the White Walkers are not a myth, and they are growing stronger!
And in a way, their growth is partly your doing. My 'sister' says that you are tainted with the scent of kinslayers, and broken undead wail around you."
"This! This! Impossible! What does this mean!..."
Upon hearing Mako's words, Jeor Mormont exclaimed, agitated. But then, he seemed to connect the dots, and instantly fell silent.
He remembered visiting a certain place in the Haunted Forest half a month ago, to see that scum.
Every spring, Jeor Mormont would visit "him," bringing iron tools and novelties, hoping for assistance when the Night's Watch soldiers were in trouble.
He just hadn't expected Mako to bring this up, and to directly accuse that scum!
Just a sliver of hope remained in Jeor Mormont's heart. He didn't want Mako to confront that... thing. But Mako's next words shattered even that tiny hope.
"Your actions offend the gods. Tell me, does your true god condone incest and kin-slaying by a former follower?"
Mako, having gauged Jeor Mormont's expression, immediately seized upon the weakness he saw there, loudly questioning him.
The Old Bear, Jeor Mormont, was rendered speechless by Mako's question. Bowen Marsh, seeing his superior officer falter, became instantly agitated.
In his eyes, The Old Bear, Jeor Mormont, was a true knight, a loyal member of the Night's Watch, the person he admired most!
He retorted excitedly to Mako, "Lord Mako! You don't understand, The Old Bear's alliance with Craster is..."
"Silence! Bowen!"
The Old Bear, Jeor Mormont, roared at Bowen, seemingly blaming him for speaking out of turn.
Mako sneered, saying,
"Craster, the wooden houses by the stream, nineteen wives, a bastard of House Stark. It seems the servants of the Others still favor that family!"
Hearing Mako mention Craster's dwelling and name, Jeor Mormont was completely stunned. He couldn't understand how someone "from the continent of Essos" could know these things.
He also couldn't understand why Mako would know so much about the man, even though Craster's affairs were no secret in Beyond the Wall.
However, Jeor Mormont didn't think Mako would travel all the way to Beyond the Wall just to kill him. Such things weren't a big deal among the nobles of Westeros!
Swallowing hard, he said nervously to Mako,
"He! He saved many of our Night's Watch brothers! He..."
Before he could finish, he was frozen in place. He saw a giant, luminous winged figure standing behind Mako, appearing and disappearing, giving off a very holy feeling.
It turned out that while Mako was "pleading" on behalf of Jeor Mormont, he had secretly opened his spellbook and activated the Blessing Ritual, a unique magic for knight heroes.
The giant angel phantom looked even more imposing in the confined space, as if it had emerged from Mako himself.
Taking advantage of the moment, Mako, drawing out his syllables and intonation, addressed Jeor Mormont: "Winter is Coming! The dead shall not die! Slay all!"
The drawn-out syllables, combined with the effects of the Blessing Ritual, made him appear as though he were possessed by a deity.
After the magical effects faded, Mako immediately switched to a weak tone, saying, "Someone's Lord! Is very angry! Tomorrow! Someone will depart for Beyond the Wall, to eliminate the fallen who offer sacrifices to the false gods.
Your true god has granted me this mission through his followers! The 'Lord' has also given someone the right to do so! You cannot stop me!"
Moonshadow, standing to the side, looked at Mako, who was feigning weakness, with a strange expression. She could feel that Mako's body was perfectly fine, without any signs of damage.
Fortunately, The Old Bear and Bowen Marsh hadn't seen her expression, or the charade would have been blown!
However, at this moment, "The Old Bear" Jeor Mormont was completely stunned, his mind blank. What he had witnessed tonight had truly overturned his world view.
Although he was also a follower of the old gods, in a certain sense, the Lord Commander only regarded the gods as a source of comfort.
Bear Island in The North was very poor and constantly harassed by the Ironborn and Wildlings. In The Old Bear's eyes, the gods did not exist.
Because, no matter how devoutly he prayed, the gods could not change the suffering his family and his people endured.
However, "The Old Bear" Jeor Mormont was, after all, a seasoned leader. After a brief moment of blankness, he quickly recovered.
The old commander took a deep breath and reorganized his thoughts, hoping to salvage the situation. He then said to Mako:
"Sir Mako! Our warriors have always been helped by him. He is our ally, we..."
"That's your problem, Lord Commander! Someone genuinely hopes that you, the guardians of humanity, will be friends and doesn't want you to suffer unnecessary losses."
Someone's advice is to quickly gather your troops. The defense of the Wall is the most important thing. Of course, someone here has obsidian weapons, which are a sharp weapon against the servants of the Others. It's up to you whether you need them!
You can also consult Maester Aemon about how to deal with the White Walkers! Someone will lead the team to depart tomorrow. The Wildlings should also be starting to move. I believe you should have received some intelligence!
That's all someone has to say. It's up to the Lord Commander to decide! Good night! Both of you!"
After saying this, Mako bowed to the two of them! Then he pulled up Moonshadow's cloak hood and led the "little girl" out of the bedroom on the third floor.
When they went out, it was snowing again outside Castle Black. A thin layer had already accumulated. Mako's leather boots made a "creak creak" sound when he stepped on it!
Although Castle Black was somewhat dilapidated, there were still many houses here, after all, it could accommodate more than 3,000 people in the past.
To show his gratitude to Mako, he was assigned to a small building next to the King's Tower.
Because there were no women among Mako's party, Mako's "sister" was assigned to a small room next to Mako's by Bowen Marsh, the First Steward.
These rooms had been arranged in advance, so Sas Ting and the others had already tidied them up.
Mako entered his bedroom, did a quick tidy, and prepared to rest. Just then, a loud "bang" echoed out as the door was suddenly slammed open by a huge force.
A massive figure appeared in the doorway. Cold wind swept in through the open door, making Mako, who had just unbuttoned his shirt, shiver!
Upon closer inspection, it was Moonshadow and her animal companion, Shadowcat. Moonshadow was still wearing the cloak Mako had given her.
She dismounted from Shadowcat's back and hurried to Mako. She spoke to him using the Source Language:
"There are so many souls crying in this area! They're too noisy! I can't rest! Only here is the quietest place, they don't dare to come here!"
Mako patted her head, walked over to close the door, and found that the bolt had been broken.
Helpless, Mako had to move a box to block the door. While moving the box, he met Sas Ting and the others, who had come to check on the situation.
After a few simple words with them, Mako blocked the door, under the strange gazes of his subordinates.
Mako shook off the snowflakes on his body and suddenly realized that the smiles on the faces of his subordinates seemed a bit mischievous!
He shook his head helplessly and slowly walked to the fireplace. The fire was burning brightly, and the entire room was warm.
Moonshadow was already asleep on the back of the shadow lynx, which was lazily warming itself by the fire, its tail swaying back and forth.
Upon hearing Mako's approach, it opened its beastly eyes and glanced at him sideways, seemingly disdainful.
Mako was also quite helpless with this little ancestor. After waking Moonshadow, Mako asked her:
"Go rest in bed? I'll sleep here. Rest early! We can set off to find your people tomorrow!"