Chapter 436: Coals in the Snow
The miraculous success of the two dragonsteel bombs meant that the Battle of Queenscrown could be described as brief. Whether it was the reserves of wildfire, dragonglass, or ordinary bombs, enough remained to sustain one or two medium-intensity engagements; the only concern was the number of "Lightbringers" and soldiers fit for a sortie.
Attempting to recover dragonsteel shards scattered across the snow and the remains of wights was a fool's errand, but the intact Lightbringers could be found because of their gold-wrapped shafts and unique design. Due to the actual difficulties of fire and chaos, the soldiers managed to scavenge only nineteen arrows after a rough search. Counting the six decoys made of ordinary Valyrian steel and the dozen or so still kept in the unfallen fortresses along the Wall, the Night's Watch ultimately had over thirty weapons left that could be used to directly confront the Others.
In a defensive siege, the lightly wounded, adolescent boys, sturdy middle-aged women, and even mobility-impaired giants could participate. However, if they were to launch an active offensive, they required adult humans who were completely healthy, physically strong, military-trained, and capable of understanding tactical commands. Even after slightly loosening the criteria during the screening process, only a little over three thousand in Queenscrown met the requirements. Considering the possibility of the enemy doubling back and the need for basic security and stability within the town, a certain number of reliable men had to stay behind. In the end, only three thousand were available for deployment.
Fortunately, another two thousand could be scraped together from the remaining fortresses along the Wall. All told, Egger had a usable force of approximately five thousand for this southern pursuit.
Logically, the safest plan was to wait for the units along the Wall to converge and for the Queen to return with her dragons before setting out. However, the remaining wights and Others would not wait, and Daenerys's three dragons could not carry thousands of soldiers. With every moment of delay, the enemy moved an inch further from Queenscrown and a step closer to the increasingly populated heart of the North—making the hope of intercepting them before they could slaughter civilians to replenish their ranks even slimmer. The main force from Queenscrown had to set out immediately with war materiel and supplies, leaving small squads from across the Wall to catch up light-weighted, while the flying Queen met them en route. Only then could they maximize the use of time and raise the odds of victory.
After mobilizing every available beast of burden in Queenscrown to transport gear and grain, and sending ravens to order elite units from the fortresses to head south along the Kingsroad with the remaining dragonsteel arrows, Egger gathered the soldiers selected for the pursuit in the snow outside the East Gate to assemble.
What was the downside of accepting the mantle of a hero and the Prince That Was Promised?
Setting aside the minor annoyances, there was one undisputed drawback: when true disaster struck, the hero had to grit his teeth and stand up to shoulder the burden—regardless of whether he could actually carry it.
As the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and the Lord of the Gift, Egger could easily send men to patrol beyond the Wall, de-ice Seal Bay, freeze in the Great Gorge, or even help the Northmen build ships in Ice Bay. Relying on his immense fame and prestige, any order he issued or any plan he devised could be transmitted and implemented with double the efficiency, turning vision into reality.
But he could not let someone else play the lead in the final act: defending Queenscrown and pursuing the remaining Others.
These were not trivial administrative tasks; they involved the fundamental difference between saying Go on! and Follow me!
Had he stayed in the inner keep during last night's defense of Queenscrown to command remotely, a garrison of varying quality and divided loyalties would never have fought beyond their limits. If he delegated the pursuit of the fleeing enemy to a subordinate general rather than leading it himself... it would be a struggle to get the chosen soldiers to willingly go to their deaths. And even if they won—the credit would not be his. Once people began to ask, "What exactly did you, the Prince That Was Promised and the legendary hero, actually do?", could he answer with the daily paperwork, the procurement of grain, or the military logistics that were his duty anyway?
In this world, if you want the glory, you eventually have to pay the price.
Clad in full armor, Egger sighed inwardly with resignation, but as he faced the three thousand elites of Queenscrown huddled together, his face quickly settled into an expression of solemn righteousness, looking every bit the man ready to sacrifice himself for a noble cause.
This time, what they were doing was not passive defense but an active sortie—extra content that had not been in the original protocols. A pre-battle mobilization was essential.
"Brave warriors of the Gift!" Egger shouted with all his might, ensuring his voice reached everyone. "Last night, we worked together to win a great battle, the likes of which human history has never seen! We repelled an inhuman foe ten times our number and inflicted casualties exceeding the total population of the Gift! We gave those monsters a slap they will never forget!"
"But today, I have to make a difficult but necessary decision... After only a few hours of rest, I am dragging you heroes back into the fight—to go on the offensive, to pursue the remnants of the enemy we broke last night!"
Amidst the uproar of surprise and discussion from the soldiers, Egger raised his volume again: "But I want to emphasize: this peril-laden southern campaign is not for the sake of saving or protecting anyone else. It is for ourselves!"
To speak to the wise, use wisdom; to speak to the crude, use plain talk. Trying to preach the grand righteousness of serving the people of Westeros to this rough crowd of mountain clans and freefolk would be a waste of breath—the army might dissolve in minutes. Egger chose the most direct analysis of interests to explain the reason for the move.
"Like all of you, I long to hide behind the walls of Queenscrown and sleep in peace, hoping to wake up to the good news that the White Walkers have been completely wiped out. Unfortunately, that is impossible!" Egger's tone turned one of pained sincerity. "Those soft 'southerners' have no idea of the power of the enemy they are about to face! Psychologically, physically, and even in terms of tactics and equipment, they are utterly unprepared! As much as I wish it weren't true, the fact is—on this continent, and in this entire world, only we are capable of defeating those damned ghosts!"
This boast—which, in a sense, was mostly the truth—successfully stirred the pride of the soldiers. Many warriors beat their chests and cheered, drowning out the murmurs of doubt and fear.
"Many here are New Gift residents who have been fighting these monsters north of the Wall for years. No one knows our enemy better than you. Those damned demons, as long as they are not completely destroyed, even if one remains, they will only grow more and more numerous... If we covet a moment of comfort today and let them head south, thousands of southerners will be killed tomorrow and turned into new enemies. No matter how foolish, soft, stubborn, or incompetent a corpse was in life, they are all equally troublesome once they become the walking dead! If we don't want to wake up one day months from now to find ourselves drowned by hundreds of thousands of wights, we must grit our teeth and pursue them today, and defeat them utterly!"
"This battle is not for my glory as Lord Commander, nor for the subjects of some great lord or king in the south. It is to protect ourselves, our wives, and our children—to ensure our descendants still have the right to breathe and bask in the sun on this land!" Egger drew his sword and pointed it toward the sky, concluding his brief mobilization. "The enemy wants to freeze our land, harm our kin, and enslave our bodies... we will destroy them completely! Leave not one alive!"
"Leave not one alive!"
"Leave not one alive!"
Led by the logistics officers who had long since blended into the crowd to act as shills, the soldiers present—willing or not—raised their weapons in response. The air outside Queenscrown's walls suddenly rang with a chorus of shouts that, while not perfectly synchronized, were full of momentum.
The clamor lasted for ten, twenty seconds... Egger began to wave his hands for silence so he could formally order the departure. But for some reason, the scene just wouldn't quiet down. A minute passed and people were still talking excitedly; if anything, the volume was increasing, leaving Egger feeling both awkward and bewildered. It was understandable that morale was high after a great victory, but this pursuit was incredibly dangerous—why were these rough men so cheerful, as if his mobilization speech had been some kind of comedy routine?
A few seconds later, at the prompting of a nearby guard, Egger realized the reason. In the southern sky behind him, three black dots had appeared against the backdrop of the gray, overcast clouds. In the dozens of seconds they had been shouting, the dots had approached close enough for their shapes to be clear. The soldiers' sudden, passionate reaction was not for his unscripted brilliant speech, but for the Queen—or rather, the three dragons—who had appeared just at the most critical moment, a true case of coals in the snow.
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