Chapter 259: From Daughter of the Kraken to Persuader
Asha stood at the tent entrance, clutching her chains and dragging her shackles, staring at Egger with fury. Her eyes blazed and her body trembled slightly, giving the illusion that she might spring forward at any moment to strangle him with those iron links.
The two guards gripped their spears warily, and the atmosphere turned cold and sharp.
After a standoff lasting dozens of seconds—perhaps over a minute—the woman backed down under the Night's Watchman's calm but unyielding gaze. Before her was a man capable of forcing Wildlings to shout "Long live Winterfell"; he clearly possessed neither bottom lines nor honor. Asha had no doubt: if she continued to resist, he would carry out his threat.
Gritting her teeth, Asha walked back to the center of the tent and sat heavily on the round stool she had previously refused. Suppressing her rage, she asked, "You win. But the Ironborn inside Moat Cailin are not my crew; they hold no respect for me. I'd like to hear how you plan to solve that? And aren't you worried that once I go over there, I won't come back, and will join the defense of the Moat instead?"
"Not come back? You and I both know that's impossible. Within that small fortress, over a hundred men whom you barely know are waiting to die, surrounded and without hope of victory. Suddenly, a woman appears. Even if I told you not to come back, would you dare spend a night inside Moat Cailin?" Egger relaxed his taut facial muscles and smiled easily. Compared to the effort of spinning lies, this feeling of winning through sheer pressure and psychological maneuvering was far more satisfying. "I'd wager that if you dared close your eyes, you'd have been had by every man in the Moat by daybreak. I want you to bring them an offer they cannot refuse, and they must choose today: continue to resist and die in battle, or surrender and take the black."
Asha frowned with impatience. "Keep talking. Do I have to beg for every word?"
"I want you to enter Moat Cailin now and tell them: surrender before sunset, and the Night's Watch will guarantee their safety. If not, the two armies from the north and south will attack simultaneously. Not a single Ironborn in Moat Cailin will see tomorrow's sun."
"Bold words. Robb Stark has attacked that fortress with twenty thousand men for over a fortnight and failed to take it. What makes you think that the moment your mob of peasants arrives, you can take it before dark?"
"By the wildfire that burned on the wet silt that night on the beach. Green fire is rare; I trust you haven't forgotten it? That substance burns anywhere and cannot be shaken off. If I use catapults to hurl dozens or hundreds of jars into Moat Cailin, what do you think will happen? Moat Cailin isn't Deepwood Motte; it's just a small stronghold blocking the causeway. If it burns, it burns—rebuilding it only takes a few days." Egger continued, "Furthermore, whether I can take Moat Cailin in a day is my problem. Convincing the Ironborn inside that surrender is their only way out... that is your problem."
"You mean you want me to help you deceive the Ironborn in the Moat?"
"I didn't say that." Egger maintained his thin smile. "I only want you to find a way to make the garrison surrender. As for the method... you choose. Whether you tell them the truth—that I've brought a pack of peasants—or lie and say Northern elites have flanked them, is up to you. My personality is simple: I seek results, I don't question the process."
"I can see that. You'd do anything for a result." Asha nodded. "It is precisely because I've experienced your 'lack of scruples' that I don't believe you can guarantee their safety. If even I cannot trust you, how do you expect me to convince them?"
"Previously, our two sides were at war. I was a logistics officer who needed to ensure the survival of the Gift's residents and the entire Night's Watch; you were an Ironborn commander whose invasion of the North cut off our food supply. If I didn't break the stalemate, the Gift would have become a graveyard, a living hell, and the defense of the Wall would have collapsed. The Others would have breached an unmanned Wall, marched south, and extinguished humanity." Egger explained patiently, "Under those circumstances, I believe achieving victory by any means is acceptable. Regardless of how you accuse, insult, or despise me, I will not admit fault or repent."
After speaking, Egger paused before continuing, "But now, here, I am making a guarantee as a man to a lady: the ultimate fate of the surrendering Ironborn is indeed not entirely up to me, but I will do everything in my power to persuade Robb Stark, Warden of the North, to let me honor the terms offered. What you are hearing now is a 'promise,' not a tactical deception for victory. To believe or not—the choice is in your hands."
"She's just a prisoner, why waste your breath? The choice is in her hands? My foot!" Ser Wylis Manderly grunted. "Her very life is in our hands; she has no choice at all!"
The fat man's words were crude but true, as Asha had to admit.
Since this cursed crow had already brought up her fifty-three crewmen, he truly didn't need to explain so much to her. Although she hated his actions to the core, at least his words sounded somewhat sincere.
And even if they weren't sincere, what then? Fifty-three loyal subordinates were in his hands; she had no choice.
"I don't care about the lives of those in the Moat," Asha said after a long silence, punctuating every word. "But you must guarantee the safety of my fifty-three crewmen. If you break your word, I promise you—as long as I live, you will never sleep soundly. Let's not talk about trust. Tell me exactly what I must do."
Regardless of how furious Asha was, Egger was pleased to deal with someone sensible who understood the situation, even a captive. "Shortly, I will have the cooks prepare a hearty lunch for you. After you eat, you will immediately take a peace banner to Moat Cailin. I will give you a written document proving the Night's Watch has agreed to accept the entire garrison into the black. Your job is to convince them... whether you use the truth or 'slight rhetorical flourishes' is up to you. An hour after you enter, I will launch a single jar of wildfire into the center of the three towers to prove we have the capability to reduce the fortress to ash. Use that as support for your argument, and tell them to be ready to put it out. Finally, remember one thing: either have them raise the white flag before sunset, or find a way to leave. The northern and southern armies will launch the final assault at dusk."
"A truly simple and effective plan," Asha said sarcastically. Both knew the hardest part was the persuasion, yet Egger was leaving the "how" to her. Most troubling of all, she only had an hour or two to construct her speech. "I want a weapon for self-defense. Many of my uncle's crew are not good men, and given that my uncle has abandoned them to lead the Iron Fleet south... they are likely to act irrationally."
"I will instruct my men to return your weapons," Egger nodded readily. "Not right this second, of course, but at the same time we unshackle you and hand you the banner. If there are no other questions, you may raise them now."
"If you're certain you want me to organize the rhetoric myself... then I have no more questions."
For Egger, crafting a speech for surrender would have been effortless. But he was no longer that penniless transferee who had nothing but his words. Rather than worrying about how to trick two hundred—perhaps fewer—inconsequential Ironborn, he preferred to save his mental energy for dealing with more important people and events. "Very well. Then I wish you success in your persuasion, Miss Greyjoy."
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