Chapter 229: Seeking Counsel in the Flames
"I'm not... having a stomach ache!" Arya sat there wiping her tears and sniffing several times before finally speaking, her eyes red and swollen. "My father... he passed away in King's Landing."
Eddard Stark is dead? He survived Stannis's assault on King's Landing, so how did he lose his life now? While confusion filled Egger's mind, a wave of regret followed. Setting aside personal character or private friendship, if the Lord of Winterfell were alive—whether remaining in the capital as Hand or returning to rule the North—he would have certainly helped when the Wall faced difficulties. For the Night's Watch, he was undoubtedly one of their strongest supporters. Even the Greyjoys likely only dared to strike after hearing news of his death.
That said, Egger was internally full of complaints: I am your sword instructor, not a dear auntie. Your father's death is worth grieving, but what is this about running to me? Seeking comfort? I'm currently frantic over food shortages; I don't have time to deal with a fragile teenage girl who suddenly showed up!
"I'm very sorry, but the dead cannot return..." Seeing as the young girl had lost a parent, Egger's irritation vanished. He sighed, patted Arya's head, and comforted her gently. "No matter how sad you are, you must go on living. Running off like this without a word is far too dangerous!"
"I'm sorry... I know I shouldn't have," Arya said sullenly. "But... I was already dying of sadness, and Sansa spent all day whispering in my ear—saying it was my fault Father died, that I killed him. I couldn't take it, so I ran away."
A sisters' spat, and then the younger one runs away from home to find me? What a mess! Egger felt suspicious. "You killed your father? Why would she say that?"
"Father apparently... died of poison." Arya wiped her eyes again. "They all say he was poisoned while being held by Renly and the Tyrells. Margaery moved his regular servants away and replaced them with her own, and then they struck... Father didn't escape King's Landing with King Stannis that day because he was looking for me. I thought Margaery was my friend... Why—why would she hurt my father?"
Egger had originally wondered: Ned was the lord of a great power, with everyone from guards to cooks being his own men; he shouldn't have been so easily killed. If he was poisoned while in a cell, that made sense. The bloody truth before him served as a warning to Egger: Never fall into the hands of anyone... even those who seem like they won't hurt you. You never know what will happen when you are at someone's mercy.
(But, mathematically speaking, didn't Arya actually cause her father's death?)
Egger almost blurted out: Running around caused trouble last time, and you made the same mistake again!
...
If he hadn't heard that Theon wasn't released to the Iron Islands this time, he would almost suspect—given Arya's destiny for things to go wrong whenever she wandered off—that by the time he sent her home, he'd find a different banner flying over the walls of Winterfell.
"I don't believe Margaery harmed your father. Think about it... what benefit does House Tyrell gain from murdering Lord Stark... other than making your two houses blood enemies forever?" Renly and the Tyrells poisoning Ned Stark? They'd have to be brainless. Littlefinger isn't in Westeros, so this is definitely Varys's handiwork. Egger identified the culprit in a second. "Since you consider Margaery a friend, you should give her a chance to explain. That aside, you rode all the way to the Gift to catch Melisandre, and Winterfell didn't send anyone after you?"
Arya pondered Egger's words and shook her head. "I slipped away after lunch. Even if they noticed, it wouldn't be until night. I'm light and I ride fast; no one can catch me."
"Oh... alright, fine." You win. Egger rubbed his temples, a headache forming. "You stay here for now. I'll find someone to take you back tomorrow morning."
"No, I'm not going back. I... I want to go to Castle Black. I miss Jon."
"Castle Black is currently packed with all sorts of people; is that any place for a young girl?" Egger glared at her. "There's no room for your stubbornness this time. Stay put... I'm going back to Castle Black tomorrow and I'll tell Jon you're here. If he wants to see you, he'll come."
"Fine... okay." In her state of grief, Arya was surprisingly compliant and quiet.
"Good. Come with me to eat. When you see Lady Melisandre later, remember to thank her for escorting you to Queenscrown. Do you hear me?"
"I feel sick, I don't want to eat."
"You have to eat even if you don't want to. You're in Night's Watch territory now, and you have to follow our rules." Egger stared at her. "Who was it that crawled into my blankets when they were in pain and promised to listen to everything I said from then on?"
Arya clearly hadn't forgotten that. She pouted, let out a few sad whimpers, and nodded.
Despite the impending food crisis, Queenscrown had not yet reached the end of its rope. The kitchen did its best to prepare a hospitality that was neither wasteful nor lacking for the arriving reinforcements. Melisandre had not come alone; she brought many followers of the Red God who wore the fiery heart sigil of the Lord of Light over their chests to show their loyalty to R'hllor. Among them were Crownlands lords under Stannis's command, such as Ser Axell Florent.
At a time when their liege had ascended the Iron Throne and was leading the kingdom's host south to quell rebellions, giving up the chance for glory to accompany Melisandre to the far north to fight Wildlings and White Walkers... regardless of their personal morals, their faith in the Lord of Light was truly beyond question.
In addition to the faithful, Melisandre's party also brought a batch of decent recruits for the Night's Watch: Westerners captured when Eddard Stark dismantled the Lannister influence in King's Landing—including some of Egger's former cellmates from his brief imprisonment—and some old-guard Crownlands nobility arrested after Stannis reclaimed the Iron Throne, including key members of the families that had originally backed the Night's Watch industries.
Political prisoners—a troublesome group avoided by everyone in any world—were welcome newcomers at the Wall. Compared to the murderers, robbers, and rapists of unknown origin, these educated men of birth were far superior in both quality and capability. With seven new fortresses reactivated and the new Queenscrown town built, there was a dire shortage of commanders and administrators. Their arrival would significantly ease the staffing pressure.
There were even familiar faces among them whom Egger knew well and could trust. He'd have to ask Mormont for a few; Yam was overwhelmed trying to manage Queenscrown and handle Egger's affairs simultaneously.
...
Political prisoners were not entitled to personal hospitality from the Chief Logistics Officer, so they were not in the dining room. After dining with Melisandre and several prominent Queen's Men, Egger briefly outlined the food crisis facing the Wall and frankly asked for their advice and help.
Ser Axell Florent shrugged regretfully. "The food situation in King's Landing is not optimistic either. The King has worked hard to curb the skyrocketing prices, even taking the heads of two grain merchants... I fear we truly cannot help you."
Egger nodded to show he heard, but turned his face toward another. "Lady Melisandre, do you have any good ideas?"
"I am but a humble priestess; I have no power to conjure food from nothing." Throughout the meal, the Red Woman had barely touched the food, drinking only a few sips of soup. She elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin, paused, and then continued: "But just because I cannot solve the crisis of insufficient food... does not mean my Lord is equally powerless. The Lord Chief Logistics Officer has exhausted himself for the defense of the Wall. As servants of the Lord of Light, we naturally will not stand by. I am willing to look into the sacred fires for the Lord, to see if R'hllor has prepared a path for the Night's Watch."
With that, Melisandre rose from the table and walked slowly to the fireplace. She gathered the hem of her red robe and knelt slightly, staring intently into the crackling, burning logs.
What the hell, can R'hllor actually conjure grain out of the fire? Egger's mind was full of skepticism, while Arya looked on with curiosity. However, the Queen's Men seated around the table ceased all movement and gazed with pious expressions at the priestess communicating with R'hllor by the hearth. Some even closed their eyes and whispered prayers. The dining room fell silent.
A few minutes later, the Red Woman stood up and returned to the table, a confident smile playing on her lips. "The Lord of Light has answered my plea and provided guidance. Would the Lord Chief Logistics Officer care to hear it?"
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