The cremation ended.
Aegor had originally planned to wait until Maester Aemon's ashes were collected before proceeding, but it would take more than ten minutes for the pile to cool enough to touch. Continuing to stand in mourning during this time felt unnecessary, yet simply standing idle was too awkward. A thought struck him, and he decided to make a small adjustment to his plan on the spot, making use of the gap.
"Never has the Night's Watch faced the crisis we face today!" Aegor's loud opening quickly quieted the Castle Black courtyard. After a pause, he emphasized again, "Never!"
The crowd quickly realized this was his inauguration speech. One after another, they looked up at the new Lord Commander, curious to hear what he would say.
"The Night's Watch was founded after the War for the Dawn. Our purpose was to be ready to act immediately and stop the enemy's attempt to destroy humanity the moment they returned. No one expected that this wait would last thousands of years. Until now, when we have declined to the point of almost disappearing, we who were about to watch the black-clad order fade into history have encountered this damned second coming of the White Walkers!"
Countless brothers of the Watch had grumbled this in their hearts. Hearing the Commander voice it openly immediately shortened the psychological distance between him and many of them.
"This time, we have no Children of the Forest wielding magic as allies, nor a legendary hero like Azor Ahai to lead us in a decisive battle against demons and monsters." He raised his hand high, pointing to the Wall behind him. "But unlike the pioneers who fought the White Walkers in the War for the Dawn, today you have this seven-hundred-foot Ice Wall, and you have me, a new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch!"
"Beyond the Wall, the Haunted Forest, the Frostfangs, the Frozen Shore, and the Land of Always Winter have completely fallen under the control of those creatures. Countless dead, beyond numbering, are commanded by the White Walkers, casting hungry eyes toward the Seven Kingdoms. And within the Wall, the kings and lords of the South are still locked in bitter struggle over an iron chair, with no thought to other concerns. At this critical moment, the Wall's defenders have successively lost excellent and respectable brothers like Benjen Stark, Jeor Mormont, and Maester Aemon. We even spent months just to barely resolve our differences, end the election, and select the Commander who will lead us in the coming war."
"Next, we face more than a dozen ancient castles in ruins awaiting reconstruction, long stretches of the Wall that have gone unrepaired and uncleared for decades, and tens of thousands of New Gift People who are difficult even to feed. If Commander Mormont were still alive, he would likely frown and declare, 'The situation is not optimistic.' But I will not use noble rhetoric to gloss over peace and conceal the truth. I must tell you plainly: the darkest hour has arrived!"
Aegor suddenly raised his voice. That long list of grim facts had all been for this final turn: "But we will not back down. We will fight to the end! We will fight the enemy at the Great Canyon, we will fight the enemy in the ice and at Seal Bay, we will fight the enemy on the Wall and within the castles, shedding our blood if necessary to stop them from crossing!"
"Even if this greatest defense is breached, we will continue to fight the enemy in the mountains, rivers, swamps, and fields of the Gift, the North, and even the Riverlands and Crownlands. As long as we hold our faith and stand united, we will build another Wall with our flesh and blood until the last man falls, or until we drive those damned creatures back to where they came from!"
Before crossing over, he had disliked overly bureaucratic, drawn-out speeches and reports. For his own inauguration, he had long planned to limit the time spent on empty words. Besides, Maester Aemon's ashes were still outdoors in falling snow, so lingering too long was unacceptable. After a brief pause, he moved quickly to conclude.
"We are isolated and without aid. Even with the most optimistic estimate, it will likely take a few thousand of us to protect tens of millions in Westeros, the Seven Kingdoms. In human history, there has never been a war in which so few have had to protect so many of their own kind. How unfair is that! But we will still fight to the bitter end without hesitation. Why? Because we are the Night's Watch! We are the swords in the darkness, the watchers on the Wall. We are the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men!"
He ended with the latter half of the Night's Watch oath, aiming to stir a response and awaken resonance. His trusted aides, scattered in the crowd, were the first to begin reciting. His supporters joined next, then the neutrals. More and more voices rose, reciting an oath that all knew by heart. By the last line, the entire castle roared as one: "I give my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come!"
---
No one disrupted the speech, but Aegor still felt the atmosphere fell short of his expectations. The black spot in his vision from the earlier blinding light had not faded, making it impossible to see the faces of the soldiers below. The thought crept in that many of them might not have been listening fully, but were instead staring at the sword at his waist, waiting for him to draw it again to strengthen his words.
Although the performance had its effect, judging from the volume of the oath's final roar, his dissatisfaction with Melisandre's unauthorized act only deepened.
But that no longer mattered. A passionate speech could spark temporary fervor, but the White Walkers were not attacking tonight. The outcome of the long war ahead would depend on the quality of soldiers, equipment, and logistics.
And in most of these, the responsibility lay with him, the Commander and decision-maker.
After the speech, Aegor ordered Maester Aemon's ashes to be collected. Once the area was cleared, he began publicly announcing the immediate changes he would make to the Night's Watch.
First, a significant increase in stipends and subsidies for all brothers of the Night's Watch, with amounts varying by post and duty, from two to five times the current rate.
It was not the most important change, but he chose to announce it first because it was tangible and the easiest way to win hearts.
The so-called stipend was essentially pocket money. The Watch provided food, shelter, and equipment, so in theory, no one should need extra. But people had needs beyond bare survival, and the stipend was meant to cover them.
The order had no steady income, so the stipend amounted to only a few coppers a day. It was barely better than nothing. Ordinary brothers often had to save for weeks to afford something they wanted. A man could trade with the Gift's villages for eggs, meat, or cheese to cook a meal. He could go to Mole's Town tunnels for a woman and ease his needs. Or he could save for something bigger, like new clothes, shoes, or even a better weapon.
The obsidian Aegor had used to craft his dagger, which later performed a miracle, had been bought with three months of saved stipends. To have his friend at Eastwatch keep an eye out for such goods from merchant ships, he had spent another two weeks' stipend treating him to a meal.
Because the base amount was so low, even increasing it to two to five times sounded large but placed little strain on the Night's Watch industry.
In theory, a man joining the Watch was bound to guard the Wall whether or not he received a penny. But with the Gift resettlement plan underway, a strange problem had begun to emerge: although the Free Folk gave up almost all property when becoming New Gift People, if they were strong, clever, and lucky enough to find steady work in Crown Town, their wages quickly gave them more ready coin than ordinary brothers of the Watch. If they managed their money well, their lives would soon be more comfortable than those sworn to the Wall.
Aegor was a brother himself. If he let this go on, he would soon be branded as favoring outsiders. Poverty was not the danger, but inequality. When a garrison's morale soured, the consequences could be serious.
Second, changes to the organizational structure.
Internal strife in the Watch had peaked after his sudden rise and decisive seizure of command. Although Crown Town's strength now outweighed the combined power of Castle Black, Shadow Tower, and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the Watch itself was like a critically ill patient at death's door, unable to withstand violent treatment.
He dared not consolidate power through large purges or sweeping replacements.
Since it had been agreed that the Commanders of Shadow Tower and Eastwatch would remain, Aegor went further: no mid- or high-level officers anywhere in the Watch would be replaced. Instead, he would use a gentler way to dilute the old guard's influence.
He would create many new positions.
He announced that the sixteen newly reactivated castles would be elevated to the same level as Shadow Tower and Eastwatch, each to have its own Castle Commander, First Ranger, Steward, Artisan, and Quartermaster. The appointees were named on the spot.
For now, these officers, all his allies and supporters, were Commanders without men. But he planned to raise the Watch's numbers to around two thousand, assigning the new recruits to these castles. Each would eventually have 50–100 brothers, plus the Mountain Men and New Gift People settled there, locking his control of the Watch into place.
Because he had not removed or stripped any old guard positions, nor taken their men, no one had grounds to object. Even if they saw his aim to reduce their influence, they could do nothing. It was an open conspiracy.
Third, relocating headquarters.
Aegor declared that, effective immediately, Crown Town would become the headquarters of the Night's Watch and the center of the Gift, serving as the office and residence of the Lord Commander.
This naturally led to a related change. Castle Black would be downgraded to an ordinary castle, on par with the sixteen upgraded castles plus Shadow Tower and Eastwatch. This freed another Castle Commander post, which he gave to Jon Snow.
This arrangement would surely earn him the label of "favoring cronies," an unflattering term. But the reasoning was simple. In this chaotic world, if you promoted someone, would you choose strangers or enemies over trusted allies? Only a fool would risk losing control for the sake of an empty reputation.
Some asked, "The Lord Commander will not be based at Castle Black, but hiding in Crown Town? How will he lead the defense if he is not at the Wall?"
He had expected the question. "By that logic, when we fight the White Walkers, is it also cowardice not to march beyond the Wall to meet them face to face? I came from the Quartermaster's ranks. I believe only a strong Gift can sustain the war to protect mankind. Stationing myself in Crown Town is precisely to build that strong rear support. Jon Snow has both courage and wisdom. His experience may be limited, but with three seasoned chiefs at his side, I have complete confidence in entrusting Castle Black to him."
Crown Town was not King's Landing. It was only a day's journey from the Wall, hardly far from the front. Though many brothers felt uneasy about the change, opposition was mild. Besides, under Night's Watch law, the Lord Commander did not have to seek approval from his men to give orders.
Without addressing further questions, Aegor pressed on. "For now, these are the three changes that concern everyone. The fate of all mankind rests with us. Whatever the road ahead, I am honored to fight at your side and walk it together. Dismissed!"
The black-clad crowd slowly dispersed, wearing various expressions of satisfaction, excitement, or doubt. Aegor turned his head and exhaled. "Go, summon Cotter Pyke and Yohn Royce."
(To be continued.)
***
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