Chapter 55: Fortifying the Wall
A month later—
The major houses of the North had arrived at the Wall with their levies. Combined with the blacksmiths and masons sent from King's Landing, Castle Black—once bleak and half-empty—had grown crowded and busy.
Once everyone had assembled, Eddard Stark called a council to determine how best to restore the abandoned castles and arrange the defenses. After lengthy discussion with Lord Commander Mormont, they finalized their assignments.
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Bolton Forces
Roose Bolton was placed in command of six hundred Bolton soldiers.
He was tasked with patrolling and defending:
Sentinel Stand
Greyguard
Stonedoor
Alongside more than one hundred masons and one hundred farmers, his men would oversee the restoration of Greyguard. Bolton himself would station the bulk of his force there, while Sentinel Stand and Stonedoor would receive only basic repairs and light garrisons for observation.
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Umber Forces
Greatjon Umber led seven hundred Umber soldiers.
Their responsibilities covered:
Frostfang Heights
Icemark
Long Barrow
With over a hundred masons and one hundred farmers assigned to them, the Umbers would focus on restoring Icemark. The majority of their troops would hold that position, while Frostfang Heights and Long Barrow would be lightly refurbished and minimally manned.
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Manderly Forces
Wyman Manderly, too heavy to campaign in person, entrusted command to his eldest son, Wylis Manderly.
Five hundred Manderly soldiers were assigned to:
Deep Lake Hold
The Queen's Gate
Supported by over a hundred masons and one hundred farmers, they would prioritize the restoration of Deep Lake Hold. Wylis would maintain his main force there, while Queen's Gate would undergo light repairs and be left under a modest guard.
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Karstark Forces
Rickard Karstark brought eight hundred Karstark soldiers.
They were charged with patrolling and defending:
Oakenshield
Lakeshore
Sable Hall
With more than one hundred masons and one hundred farmers attached, their primary restoration target would be Lakeshore. The bulk of the Karstark troops would garrison there, while Oakenshield and Sable Hall would receive only essential repairs and limited watch forces.
---
With these deployments, the once-deserted stretches of the Wall were slowly returning to life. Towers long silent rang once more with hammer and chisel. Watchfires burned again along battlements that had stood empty for decades.
The North was preparing.
Whether it would be enough—only winter would decide.
Glover and Allied Forces
Galbart Glover of House Glover took primary responsibility, joined by Medger Cerwyn of House Cerwyn and Hother Umber of House Umber. Together, they commanded six hundred soldiers assigned to patrol and defend:
Crystal Gate
Long Barrow Tower
The Beacon Tower
With over a hundred masons and one hundred farmers attached, their main restoration effort focused on Long Barrow Tower. The bulk of their force would remain stationed there, while Crystal Gate and the Beacon Tower would undergo light repairs and be left with small garrisons for observation.
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Night's Watch Deployments
Westwatch-by-the-Bridge and the Shadow Tower were entrusted to Qhorin Halfhand, who commanded five hundred seasoned rangers of the Night's Watch.
Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and the Greenguard were placed under Cotter Pyke, also leading five hundred rangers to patrol and defend those sectors.
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Castle Black Garrison
The remaining five hundred soldiers—drawn from the forces of:
Maege Mormont of House Mormont
Halys Hornwood and his son Daryn
Barbrey Dustin of House Dustin
—joined the thousand Winterfell men led by Eddard Stark in defending Castle Black itself.
They were reinforced by the remaining five hundred Night's Watch brothers under Lord Commander Mormont, including several hundred newly arrived criminals from King's Landing who had yet to complete their training. These men would serve as a mobile reserve, ready to reinforce any threatened sector along the Wall.
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Forging Dragonglass Weapons
Twenty blacksmiths and a hundred apprentices remained at Castle Black, working day and night to forge dragonglass weapons.
At the same time, Stannis Baratheon's fleet delivered a shipment of obsidian to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. The material was immediately transported inland without delay.
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Saelen at Queenscrown
Saelen and his thousand men were assigned to restore and defend Queenscrown. Their primary mission was to monitor the wildlings once they passed south of the Wall. If the Wall itself came under direct threat, Saelen's forces would serve as rapid-response reinforcements.
With assignments finalized, the lords and their banners departed Castle Black for their respective strongholds. The once-crowded fortress quickly emptied.
After parting with Eddard and Robb, Saelen set out for Queenscrown with Gendry and over two hundred masons and farmers. His core troops were already stationed there in advance.
Because the laborers had no horses, the journey took more than a day. Word had preceded them, and Lawrence Vale was waiting by the roadside with a small welcoming party.
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Lawrence Vale
Lawrence had been born a commoner. "Vale" was a surname he chose for himself. Once a hedge knight and sellsword, every piece of armor he owned had been stripped from fallen foes on the battlefield.
Years earlier, Saelen had noticed him at a tourney in the Riverlands. Lawrence fought like a man with nothing to lose—reckless, relentless, and fearless. At the time, Saelen's own foundation was thin; he needed capable men. After a period of quiet observation and testing, he recruited Lawrence into his service.
Over the years, Lawrence proved loyal and dependable. He married a minor Riverlands noble's bastard daughter and fathered two children—a son and a daughter. Saelen granted him a small estate near Castle Edd, ensuring his family was settled close by. Only then did Saelen entrust him with command authority.
"You've had a long journey, my lord," Lawrence said respectfully.
Saelen nodded and followed him into the newly established temporary camp. Aside from scouts patrolling the perimeter, most soldiers had removed their armor and were clearing debris from the ruined settlement.
Saelen gave no grand speech. Instead, he entered the command tent and ordered Emil to arrange quarters for the masons and farmers. They had marched an entire day and were exhausted. They would rest tomorrow and begin work the day after.
Emil, an assistant to Maester Rosmund, had been assigned to handle ravens and correspondence. Now he would also assist in managing Queenscrown.
After Emil departed, Saelen turned to Lawrence.
"It's been a while. Is everything well at Castle Edd?"
"Rest assured, my lord. Under the maester and stewards, operations run smoothly. The workshops have increased output severalfold. By your instructions, Maester Rosmund has been purchasing grain across the south. The new cellars and granaries are already full. He estimates the stores will feed the entire castle for four to five years."
Saelen nodded with satisfaction.
In the North, poor harvests were the norm. Improving yields was nearly impossible. Changing the climate? Absurd. Developing cold-resistant crops through selective breeding? Westeros lacked the knowledge—and Saelen himself was no farmer.
If the North could not grow enough grain, then it would have to buy it.
"Good," Saelen said. "And what of Ser William?"