Chapter 78: Night's Watchman Kon
To avoid the prying eyes of the Gold Cloaks, Egger and Yoren specifically chose a spot outside the city walls for this illicit transaction. Once the question was posed, a sudden silence fell over the group. In an era where literacy rates were in the single digits, someone who can read and write was a resource that wasn't exactly scarce, but certainly wasn't abundant. If you added basic arithmetic to that, you were looking at a bonafide talent. Usually, the only members of the Night's Watch who met those criteria were voluntary recruits like Benjen Stark and Jon Snow, or unlucky high-born bastards like Alliser Thorne who were forced to take the black after picking the wrong side in a war. But this was a time of peace; how could such a person be here, led toward the Wall by a mere Wandering Crow?
Among these dozen or so recruits, absolutely no one was literate—except for Jaqen H'ghar.
Without suspense, after a few seconds of quiet, a mild male voice spoke up slowly.
"A man happens to know some letters of Westeros."
...
A man, a man... can't you just say "I" like a normal person?
Despite the internal urge to snark, Egger understood that Jaqen wasn't doing this to pose, but to hide his Braavosi identity. He had infiltrated King's Landing disguised as a Lorathi noble, and in Lorath, the upper classes considered the use of "I" or "me" to be incredibly uncouth, substituting it with "a man."
Though annoyed, Egger—currently playing the role of a noble himself—could only feign ignorance of the Faceless Man's affectations. The fact that Jaqen had spoken up proved that his mission did not lie at the Wall; he didn't want to take a round trip to the Far North before coming back.
"You're literate?" Egger West played his part diligently, pulling out a slip of paper and holding it near the cage. "What does this say?"
"Office... Night's Watch?" Jaqen squinted at it and gave the correct answer: "Night's Watch Office."
"Very good." Egger tucked the paper away and turned to Yoren. "What was this man's crime?"
You damn well know, Yoren thought, rolling his eyes. However, having accepted a gold dragon, playing along wasn't asking too much. As a Wandering Crow, he was far sharper than most of his brothers. "Peeking at the King's books."
"Peeking at the King's books?" Egger raised an eyebrow and looked at Jaqen. "Which books?"
"Books concerning dragons. A man has been curious about such powerful magical creatures since he was a boy. Valyria is destroyed; only in Westeros might there be information regarding them."
The answer was broad and its truth unverifiable. "And for that, he's being sent to the Wall?"
Yoren didn't know how to follow that, so he simply shook his head. "Who knows? I don't make the laws."
"Since he's not a murderer, he'll do." Egger feigned a look of satisfaction. Heaven knew how many people Jaqen had killed—likely more than everyone else present combined. But as long as he didn't target Egger, who cared? Everyone just needed a graceful way out. "But before I let you out, I need a few guarantees. I believe books are meant to be read; your crime isn't exactly heinous. If the day comes that you wish to leave and go home, we can talk. But until I hire someone else capable, you must assist me earnestly at the office... Furthermore, before you intend to leave, you must tell me and pay a suitable ransom. Do you agree?"
"A man agrees."
"Good. Swear it."
"A man swears by the Old Gods and the New—"
"Stop. I'm not of Westeros; I don't believe in your gods." Egger had a sudden flash of inspiration. "There is only one true god in this world, and that is Death. Swear to the God of Death using your name. And add one more thing: that you will never harm the interests of the Night's Watch."
Under Egger's gaze, Jaqen hesitated visibly for a moment before slowly speaking: "A man—Jaqen H'ghar—swears to the God of Death that he shall never harm the interests of the Night's Watch. Before he must leave, a man will serve the Night's Watch to the best of his ability, and promises to inform the Order and pay a ransom before his departure."
...
(Well now, so this lad's game is a ransom? Clever. Compared to a ransom of dozens or hundreds, one gold dragon is pittance!) Yoren fumed inwardly as the realization hit him, but knowing that gold wouldn't go to a Wandering Crow regardless, he bit his tongue.
Egger didn't know what his brother-in-black was thinking; he only noticed that Jaqen had subtly altered the oath—Before he must leave? Heaven knew if Jaqen had to leave immediately for that mysterious mission. He might come find Egger before nightfall, say he must leave, drop some coin, and vanish.
However, the fact that the man played with the details of the oath suggested he didn't intend to treat it as a total joke. Egger never planned on keeping him forever and had low expectations, so he turned a blind eye to the clever wording. He could have forced Jaqen to swear eternal loyalty, but he knew from his own experience: when forced into an unreasonable oath, a man finds a reason to break it.
And for a high-level Braavosi agent, changing a name and claiming Jaqen is dead would technically fulfill the oath's end anyway.
"Fine, let him out."
Since when am I your subordinate? Yoren gave Egger another look and handed over the keys. "Open it yourself. I have to watch the other two." With that, the Wandering Crow drew a sword. "Anyone tries to run, I'll gut 'em! Steel has no eyes!"
Egger took the keys. Before his transmigration, the other two in the cage might have genuinely terrified him, but he was now a Night's Watch soldier who had stood guard on the Wall and killed wights in the Haunted Forest. A year as a ranger had transformed his physical and mental fortitude. With an armed comrade nearby, if he was still afraid of two prisoners in heavy chains, he'd have been a soldier for nothing.
Looking the three in the eye, Egger walked calmly to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open.
Jaqen stooped to exit the cage, hopping down to stand firmly on the ground. The other two prisoners growled from the back of their throats, making as if to rush out, but were driven back into the corner by Yoren's gleaming sword tip. Egger locked the door with practiced calm, removed Jaqen's shackles, and tossed the keys back to Yoren as he sheathed his blade.
...
"Put on the black clothes." Egger tossed a pre-prepared bundle to Jaqen. "From now until you leave, you are a member of the Night's Watch. You're lucky you won't have to guard the Wall against the things beyond it, but you'd best change that name you used in the dungeons... hm... let's call you Kon. How about that?"
"A man has no objection."
"Good... Well then, Yoren, and the rest of you future brothers, I wish you a safe journey." Egger bid farewell to the remaining recruits, swung himself into the saddle, and prepared to head back.
"My lord, do you need more help? I can't read, but I can do anything else!" one of the recruits shouted. No one knew exactly what the Wall was like yet, but even a fool knew life there would be harder than in King's Landing.
Do anything... To sweep floors and guard doors, Egger would much rather hire a local with a clean record than a petty thief. He smiled and declined the offer. "Let's go, Kon."
...
Egger hadn't brought a second horse for Jaqen, so the two had to share the ride back to the city. Riding double with a Faceless Man was a unique experience: even knowing he wasn't a threat at the moment, you couldn't help but wonder if the man behind you was about to produce a dagger and slide it into your gut. By the time they reached the office in the east of the city, Egger found his legs were a bit shaky as he dismounted.
Leading his new—and likely temporary—subordinate into the office, he found quite a few people waiting for him.
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