Chapter 235: The Lone Hero
Since ancient times, negotiations have most often involved the weaker party sending representatives into the stronger party's territory; the world of A Song of Ice and Fire is no exception. In the original timeline, Jon Snow was forced to go to the Wildling camp to negotiate peace at a time when Castle Black was utterly incapable of defending against the massive army. This time, however, the Night's Watch could remain safely within their fortress, waiting for the other side to take the initiative.
While the trope of a lone hero entering the enemy den is certainly thrilling, being forced to play the hero is actually a tragic affair. If there were a choice, Egger hoped the protagonist of such a drama would never be himself.
The Wildlings had no choice. Yet, what no one expected was that the person who finally appeared under the gates of Castle Black holding a peace banner, prepared to perform the act of entering the enemy camp alone, was the King-Beyond-the-Wall himself—Mance Rayder.
"Hang this traitor, and the war ends," Bowen Marsh said from atop the King's Tower, looking down at the lean, tawny-haired Wildling dozens of yards away. Mance was currently being searched to ensure he carried no weapons that could threaten the leadership of the Night's Watch.
"That is true. But after that, we would have to watch a hundred thousand Wildlings be hunted and killed by the Others in the Haunted Forest, only to face a dead army of the same size in the future." Egger shrugged. "We can discuss that later. For now, what I want to know is: does anyone recognize this man? How do we be sure this is the King-Beyond-the-Wall and not an impostor?"
"Mance Rayder deserted before I joined the Watch..." Jeor Mormont was old, but he had joined the Night's Watch only after his son reached adulthood to make way for him; he had not grown up on the Wall. He did not recognize the man who had turned cloak during the previous Commander's tenure. "Can we find any veterans at Castle Black familiar with Mance Rayder?"
The First Steward nodded. "We should be able to... Jon, go and gather every veteran at Castle Black who has worn the black for more than twenty years."
"There's no need for such trouble. Even if someone knew Mance in his youth, they might not recognize him after more than a decade," Egger said, shaking his head. "But the Wildlings are a different story. Bind this fellow, then bring up that spearwife we still have in the cells. Tell her we launched a proactive strike, crushed the Wildlings, and captured the King-Beyond-the-Wall. We'll know if he's the real deal just by watching her expression and reaction."
"I see." Mormont pondered for a moment and gave a knowing smile. "A fine idea. Let's do it."
Soon, a bewildered Mance Rayder was pinned down by several Black Brothers and tied to a post in the center of the courtyard, looking for all the world like he was being prepared for execution. Ygritte was then dragged out of her cell, seething with rage. Mormont brought her to a spot where she could see the bound Mance and repeated the lie Egger had concocted.
The Wildlings could never have guessed the Night's Watch would use such a trick to verify the King's identity—especially since the spearwife had been kept in the strictly guarded ice cells of Castle Black and could not possibly have known Mance Rayder had come to negotiate. If she had sneered and told them they had the wrong man, it would mean the newcomer was a fake. If she appeared shocked or utterly despondent, it meant he truly was the King-Beyond-the-Wall.
The principle was simple, and the plan proceeded smoothly, though the subject's reaction went slightly out of control. When Ygritte saw Mance Rayder tied to the post with a gag in his mouth, she suddenly went wild, breaking free of Jon's grip and lunging at Jeor Mormont. Her hands were bound and useless, so she lunged with her teeth, aiming straight for the Lord Commander's face.
Because the distance was so short, Jeor Mormont was completely caught off guard. At the last second, he raised his arm to block, and the spearwife bit down hard on his forearm.
Egger and Bowen, standing beside Mormont, were the first to react, joining forces to pull the woman away and pin her to the ground.
"You crows can go to hell!" Ygritte's face was pressed against the cold earth, but she continued to roar. "If you won't let the Free Folk past the Wall, even if we're killed by the White Walkers and turned into wights, we'll remember to come back for our revenge!"
"What are you doing, Jon!?" Mormont stepped back, rubbing his arm and glaring at Jon with dissatisfaction. "Being gentle with a lady is a fine habit, but this is our enemy! Or is it that you can't even hold a woman?"
Embarrassed beyond measure, Jon hurried over to help pin the spearwife. "My apologies, my lords. I... I didn't expect her to be so strong."
"Take her away!"
Jon grabbed Ygritte, who was still hurling curses, and dragged her away from the officers. Watching his back, Othell Yarwyck shook his head. "That boy... he actually wanted to explain things to the spearwife to calm her down. Preposterous. I fear this woman will tempt him to break his vows. Jeor, how are you? Are you alright?"
"My arm isn't broken; fortunately, the clothes are thick." Mormont quipped lightheartedly, "At the cost of a bite, at least we know one thing—the Wildling who came to negotiate is indeed Mance Rayder. To be honest... it's quite a surprise."
"How should we handle this traitor?"
"Out of respect for his courage, let's give him a chance to speak," Egger said. "If for nothing else, we need the grain in the Wildlings' hands to bridge the gap before the relief supplies from Braavos arrive."
Mormont rubbed the wound on his right arm where the spearwife had bitten him and nodded. "Bring him to the solar."
A short while later, a loosened Mance Rayder was escorted into the common hall by two rangers and seated before the high-ranking officers of the Night's Watch.
"Quite the show of force." A moment ago, the King-Beyond-the-Wall had thought the Watch intended to hang him. Though he was prepared to die, it was impossible not to feel a tremor of unease. After being tossed around, his complexion was terrible. "I find it hard to imagine... that this is how my former sworn brothers treat one who comes to negotiate."
"You still remember we were once your sworn brothers?" Jaremy Rykker sneered. "Then you should know that the Night's Watch has only one way to deal with deserters and oathbreakers."
"After all these years, is the Watch still the same old relic? No wonder you've fallen to the point of needing mountain clan tribes as reinforcements to face the Free Folk's advance."
"Mance Rayder," Egger spoke up. "Is there any point in trading barbs at a time like this? You'd best understand the situation. If the Night's Watch refuses to let you through the gates, then those hundred thousand Wildlings—save for those who already climbed the Wall and fled south—will not survive. Now, you had better lay every chip you have on the table so we can decide whether to hang you or give your people a chance to live."
Mance Rayder's personal arrival had not only caught Mormont off guard but also made Egger somewhat nervous. As Bowen had said, hanging this famous deserter would end the war. If Mormont resolved to take that simple path... then Egger's grand plans would be dead in the water.
Convincing numerous colleagues to abandon a permanent solution in favor of a complicated detour was fraught with difficulty. He now hoped Mance Rayder hadn't come simply to die, but had brought something persuasive enough to give Egger a breakthrough.
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