Chapter 308: The Second Ironborn Invasion
Since becoming Chief Logistics Officer, Egger had apologized with true sincerity for the first time. For a brief moment, he had even felt a trace of mutual professional respect for Denys Mallister. Unfortunately, that sentiment didn't last twelve hours—at the first light of the next day, Robb Stark summoned him and the Northern lords to publicly announce the news of an Ironborn invasion of the Northern coast.
There were no ravens at IceMark; it was obvious where the message had come from. One didn't need to be a genius to realize that a direct violation of territory was a far more severe threat than the nebulous concerns regarding the Gift settlement plan. In all likelihood, this inspection tour of the Wall was coming to an end right here.
Egger was within arm's reach of the Lord Commander's seat, and the only remaining variables were tied to this tour. Had he known the news earlier, how could Denys Mallister have ever forced him to agree to so many conditions? But that old fox had specifically chosen the previous night—while Egger was still in the dark—to strike the deal that would determine the future of the Night's Watch, walking away with a massive advantage.
Presumably out of a guilty conscience or fear that Egger would renege, the old man had hurried away from IceMark early that morning. This left Egger with no target for his frustration; he could only curse the old man repeatedly in his mind.
(Fine. In business, you can't make a killing every single time.)
Taking a deep breath, he offered himself some internal comfort.
Compared to the monumental tasks awaiting him once elected Lord Commander, obsessing over being slightly outmaneuvered by Denys—or racking his brain for a way to get even—was meaningless and petty. One had to look forward, especially since he was no longer a man of no consequence.
Clearing his thoughts, Egger refocused on the discussion at hand.
The invasion of the North was, theoretically, none of the Night's Watch's business. However, Egger had previously led troops south to capture Asha Greyjoy and repel the first Ironborn invasion, and he was currently escorting the Northern lords... out of politeness and respect for the host, they allowed this man in black to attend this internal Northern council.
"In the declaration sent to Deepwood Motte, Euron Greyjoy not only demands the release of his niece, Asha Greyjoy, but also condemns the North for failing to continue sending troops to suppress rebels for King Stannis, claiming we have betrayed the Iron Throne. He says he has come to dispense justice." Had his own lands not been the target, Robb Stark would have almost laughed at the sheer audacity of the enemy's logic. "The latter claim is obviously just a convenient excuse, but the former... my lords, tell me, should I release Asha?"
"It's all dragon dung. If he wants war, he'll find a reason. If he truly cared for his niece, how could he skip negotiations entirely and start hitting the North to 'ask' for her?" Lord Karstark snorted. "Euron is a madman who acts without rhyme or reason. Dealing with someone like that requires one thing: hitting him hard until it hurts. Don't waste breath on him! We should return immediately, reassemble our host, find those pirates on the West Coast, and slaughter them!"
The old Lord's words echoed the sentiments of most Northern lords present. They nodded in agreement, looking at Robb with expectant eyes, waiting only for his command to pack up and rush home to defend their firesides.
"That sounds reasonable, but if we do that, we play right into the hands of the 'madman' you speak of," Roose Bolton spoke up. "The Crow's Eye is a man who returned to the Iron Islands after years of exile and cowed the archipelago without a shred of prior foundation or influence, seizing the Seastone Chair... you can call him mad, but do not mistake him for a fool. He abandoned the rich, warm Reach—which is currently fighting on two fronts and defenseless—to come to the cold, profitless North while our victorious army is at home. His goal is clear: to drag the Seven Kingdoms into a prolonged civil war, seeking an opportunity to lay hands on the continent and restore the 'glory' of the Iron Islands as it was under House Hoare. I'd wager he hasn't just harried the North; he's likely struck the Westerlands as well—and will probably split his forces to raid the Riverlands. He will use any means to weaken the powers supporting King Stannis, balancing the scales between the factions fighting for the Iron Throne to keep them in endless turmoil... until the strength of the Seven Kingdoms is exhausted and reduced to his level, or lower."
"You always have a mountain of analysis for everything. Even if your judgment is correct, what does it have to do with what we must do now?" Lord Glover interrupted irritably. "We can't just linger here at the Wall and watch him threaten our people."
"Certainly not," Roose Bolton shook his head, offering a calm consolation. "Deepwood Motte is now garrisoned by a hundred more elite troops than when Asha took it by surprise; it won't fall so easily. Lord Glover, do not let your concern cloud your judgment. Haste makes waste. A war is never lost for the sake of a few hours spent discussing a proper strategy. Once every house assembles a massive army and rushes to the West Coast, we fall into Euron's trap..."
"If House Bolton doesn't wish to send troops, say so plainly. We don't need your few pikemen to deal with a bunch of wretches like the Ironborn!"
"That is hurtful, Lord Umber," Bolton replied, shaking his head. "The Iron Islands are small and their people few; they are no match for the North in a pitched battle... even a random passerby knows this, so do you think they don't know it themselves? If we reassemble the great host that answered King Robert's call to crush the Lannisters, by the time we reach the sea, there won't be a single Ironborn shadow left. They have countless longships and skilled sailors; they come and go as they please via the Sunset Sea. They can be at the Stony Shore in the morning and Bear Island by night. Can an army of thirty thousand Northerners chase them? If we act so recklessly, how many months can we endure? When the grain is consumed by the army's men and horses, how shall we survive this winter?"
"The Dreadfort is far from the coast; House Bolton can easily afford to talk. If this is wrong and that is wrong, then tell us—what should we do? Not resist!?"
"Of course we resist. But we must be clear: why do we defend the land? To farm and feed the people. Now, the autumn harvest is complete, winter has arrived, and the soil will soon be too frozen to dig. Even if the Ironborn didn't come, we would soon send the signal for the scattered farmers to gather in the winter towns for the collective season. Withdraw everyone early to castles or garrisoned towns, arm them slightly with the standing guards of each house, and organize a few elite cavalry units for mobility to patrol the coastline and main roads. Expel or burn any ship that dares to land. If the Ironborn cannot raid or slaughter the Northern smallfolk for supplies, they won't dare risk a deep incursion into our heartland or toward Winterfell for fear of having their retreat cut off. Once the snow falls heavier, in just a few months, they won't have the strength to cause trouble even if they wanted to. They'll have to crawl back to their broken islands to starve."
Egger curled his lip. Roose Bolton's logic was sound: as pirates, the Ironborn lacked the ability to crack hard nuts. Normally, an invasion required an immediate military response because there were often seeds just planted or crops not yet harvested, and livestock in the fields needing forage. You couldn't just abandon the land. But currently, the Northern harvest was finished, and no next round of crops had been sown. There were no soft underbellies held by the invaders that necessitated a rescue. They could easily adopt a strategy of leaving the enemy with nothing to bite until they left in frustration.
However... such a cautious play was usually reserved for facing an undefeatable enemy. For a titan like the North to avoid battle with the tiny Iron Islands? That was a massive blow to prestige. Furthermore, Robb was a new warden. During the previous southern campaign, he had been unable to protect his vassals by necessity; if he was now in the North and still stayed huddled in Winterfell, the loss of prestige was something he could not and dared not endure.
For various reasons, though the Old Leech's proposal was the most stable, it was destined not to be adopted.
"Lord Bolton makes a fair point; the Crow's Eye may well be banking on that," Robb nodded, first validating Bolton's theory before inevitably shifting gears. "But to abandon vast stretches of land and let them come and go as they please without even trying would appear too cowardly. Moreover, the migration of the smallfolk to the winter towns requires escorting. And if the Ironborn truly harry the Riverlands simultaneously, the River lords are away fighting with King Stannis; their backyard's safety will fall to us. An army must be summoned... however, let us keep the scale under ten thousand. Each house shall call up only veterans and elites. If we truly cannot find the enemy's main force for a decisive battle, we can reconsider our plans then."
This wasn't a discussion; it was a settled decision. As a vassal, Roose Bolton could not continue to question it and could only let out a helpless sigh. "Since your mind is made up, my lord, then let it be so... But to fight the Ironborn without a fleet is worse than not fighting at all. Before you engage, you must write to the lords of Bear Island and White Harbor, ordering them to bring their navies to assist. We don't expect them to defeat the Iron Fleet, but at least have ships to coordinate with the ground forces, lest we find ourselves in a passive situation where the timing and location of battle are decided entirely by the enemy's whim."
These were all sound pieces of advice, but the Northern lords were currently itching to return and save their homes; who had the time to listen to his lecturing?
"The rest can be discussed slowly on the road," Robb said, not wanting to continue thwarting the will of the majority of his vassals. He waved off Bolton's suggestions and turned to Egger, who had been watching the show from the sidelines. "Lord Chief Logistics Officer, it seems this inspection must end here. From what I have seen, I have reason to believe you can manage these wildlings... well, let us call them the New Gift residents for now. But these are just ordinary people who lived north of the Wall. Your settlement plan didn't just accept them—before I head south to the coast to deal with the Ironborn, I intend to take half a day to see what the legendary giants actually look like. Make the arrangements; we set out today."
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!