Chapter 327: Naval Port "Bidding"
Egger possessed no mystical instruments or devices to measure the intensity of magic within the Wall or the density of Great Other energy in the air. Consequently, he could not calculate with any precision exactly when the White Walkers would overcome their aversion or fear of the Wall and launch a forced general assault.
Theoretically, every day could be the last before the attack. The Gift had entered a state of highest combat readiness, and everyone was exerting their wisdom and initiative to add bricks and mortar to this first line of defense, continuously strengthening its fortitude.
However, two major events had yet to occur, leading Egger to judge that he still had some time:
First, Bran Stark had disappeared before the giant weirwood beneath the Nightfort and had not yet returned.
Due to Egger's intervention, the historical trajectory of this world had undergone earth-shattering changes, but the impact north of the Wall was not nearly as strong. Egger could only place his hope in the Greenseer having enough power and means to ensure his successor's safe return to the south of the Wall. As long as Bran lived, he would surely return before the White Walkers could overcome the Wall's repelling effect. In other words, the enemy would only amass enough power to storm the gates after Bran was back.
Second, Daenerys Targaryen had not yet counterattacked Westeros.
Without this conceited and willful little queen donating a dragon, the Night King absolutely lacked the ability to destroy the Wall himself. He would have to wait for that unknown tipping point or find a way to bypass the Wall entirely—a possibility Egger was already guarding against.
Of course, relying on memories of a plot to judge the enemy's timing was irresponsible. All Egger could do was move quickly: handle his business as fast as possible and return immediately to hold the fort in the Gift.
Leading a dozen guards, he traveled light and headed south, galloping day and night along the repaired Kingsroad. In a few days, he arrived at the Northern Headquarters for the West Coast war: Deepwood Motte, the seat of House Glover—the very castle he had once led troops to retake from Asha Greyjoy.
The attack on Robb Stark several weeks prior had sent shockwaves through the entire region north of the Neck. Upon hearing the news, the Northern lords had quickly organized their forces to rendezvous with their liege, searching for and pursuing Euron Greyjoy, who had dared venture deep into the Wolfswood.
Regrettably, by the time thousands of Northmen reached the site of the battle half a day later, the enemy had already finished scouring the field and retreated. They left behind the corpses of six young Northern nobles and hundreds of veterans, along with a direwolf—beheaded, flayed, and thrust high upon a stake as a grim taunt.
Tactically, rhetorically, and psychologically, it was an indisputable catastrophe—or at the very least, a severe defeat. Fortunately, it did not disrupt Robb's strategic planning. Having learned this lesson, Northern military operations on the West Coast became far more cautious. Every movement required sufficient scouts for reconnaissance and advance notice to nearby allies for support and cover. And, of course, they all carried earplugs.
Caution was not without merit; no further Northern units were ambushed and annihilated. However, the consequence was that the efficiency of covering the withdrawal of coastal residents dropped significantly.
Nevertheless, regardless of how many villages were burned or how many casualties were suffered during Euron's invasion, the end result was this: by the time Egger arrived at Deepwood Motte, the West Coast residents had completed their strategic transfer into the nearest winter towns and castles to huddle for self-preservation, despite the harassment of small Ironborn raiding parties.
According to the original plan, once this stage was complete, the Northern lords could leave a portion of elite troops to guard the towns and then return home to endure the winter or head south to protect the coasts of the Riverlands. The only reason they remained gathered here was simple: they were debating—or rather, negotiating—the methods and details of military retaliation.
Moving fast had its advantages. Egger arrived at the headquarters before the Northern lords finished the Bidding for the West Coast Naval Port Location and joined the meeting after being announced.
This was not the first time Egger had been seen at a war council. Not many Northern nobles showed strong opposition to the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch taking a seat. He walked into the hall of Deepwood Motte without a hint of awkwardness and publicly announced his idea for a three-in-one functional naval port consisting of a fleet anchorage, a shipyard, and the Twenty-First Outpost of the Night's Watch. He placed special emphasis on the fact that the Night's Watch would provide free labor and harbor defense.
The Night's Watch has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Seven Kingdoms.
However, when one is the beneficiary of a rule-breaking act, no one is inclined to bring it up. This was an era of war and chaos where rules and systems were collapsing. Faced with a young liege lord who placed less weight on tradition and Northern lords whose minds were filled with revenge and saving face, they did not question the legality of the plan. Instead, they were secretly delighted that someone was willing to take this hot potato off their hands.
No one even tried to outbid Egger for the naval port. Instead, the rough men quickly descended into a noisy discussion regarding the specific feasibility.
"Establishing a naval port at the mouth of the Gorge? Isn't that too far north? Won't the sea freeze and lock the ships in the harbor?"
"No. I have had historical records carefully examined and consulted the fishermen of the Whitetree clans. I have confirmed that large-scale freezing has never occurred in the Bay of Ice." Egger suspected this was likely due to the Frozen Shore blocking cold currents from the north, or perhaps some North Sunset Current helping out. Of course, he didn't voice these guesses; even if he were right, these brutes wouldn't understand. "Being far north has its advantages. The Ironborn would never imagine the North would put a naval port on the coast belonging to the Night's Watch. Even if discovered, the distance from the Iron Islands to the Gorge—combined with our scorched-earth policy on the West Coast preventing the enemy from gathering supplies along the way—would make launching an attack extremely difficult for them."
"What about the timber for shipbuilding? Are there forests in that area?"
"Yes. Not on the scale of the Wolfswood, but absolutely sufficient. We don't need to build a massive fleet like the Ironborn. We only need a few sturdy, enormous warships capable of carrying and protecting soldiers to break the blockade and land on the Iron Islands to end this war at its source. I have even thought of the weapon to use against the Iron Fleet—Wildfire. This unstable substance is usually dangerous, but the climatic conditions of the Bay of Ice during winter make its use in combat possible."
As the favorite incendiary of the Mad King, the name of Wildfire was well-known to the Northern lords. Seeing that Egger had even considered such tactical details for future combat, the worried frowns that had plagued the lords for days finally began to fade. They gradually began to feel a spark of hope for the war's prospects.
Questions continued to follow, and Egger answered each with confidence, solidifying several key points: For the construction of the harbor and shipyard, he would bring experts from King's Landing. The vast majority of skilled shipwrights would be provided by House Manderly of White Harbor; they would travel to Queenscrown after the outpost was initially established and set to work under the protection of the Night's Watch. The soldiers would be provided by House Mormont of Bear Island; they would form the backbone of the future Northern Navy, responsible for training recruits into sailors and serving as captains and first mates on the newly built warships.
Since the days of Brandon the Burner, who put his father's fleet to the torch, the North had not possessed a proper, organized navy for hundreds of years. If they truly intended to rebuild, the details to consider were so numerous they could not be finished in three days and nights. Amidst the clamor, Robb raised his hand for silence.
"Egger, I am grateful that you still keep the North in your heart at a time like this." The Lord of the North, his right arm still in a sling, spoke with a touch of melancholy. "But you have a more important task—to hold the Gift for us, to guard the Wall, to manage the wildlings, and to keep the White Walkers out. I thank you for your willingness to provide land and assistance, but let the Northmen handle the rest of these miscellaneous affairs themselves."
This was a polite criticism of Egger's focus being in the wrong place. Egger spread his hands and took the opportunity to explain.
"No, my Lord, you misunderstand. I did not come specifically for the reconstruction of the Northern Navy. The establishment of this outpost was already part of the Night's Watch's plan to perfect the Wall's defenses. However, the Watch has encountered financial difficulties. My visit is intended to request economic sponsorship and support. Seeing you all troubled by the naval preparations, I offered my help on a whim—consider it a repayment for the many years the North has looked after the men on the Wall."
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