Being a ruler is not an easy task, especially when governing a place like the Gift, which has a complex population structure and countless problems in every aspect. Except for the Night's Watch Industry employees recruited by Aegor from the South, who remain relatively loyal to him, nearly all the current residents of the Gift harbor grievances against him.
Among the Night's Watch and the original Grey Area citizens, many still strongly oppose Aegor's settlement plan. They believe that admitting Wildlings into the Gift is unreasonable, for it not only brings instability to the Gift and the North but also dilutes the welfare and living standards that "their own people" should enjoy, without considering that these benefits come not from the Gift itself but from the Night's Watch Industry. Furthermore, his decision to relocate the Night's Watch headquarters from Castle Black to Crowntown earned him several unflattering nicknames, such as "The Commander Who Does Not Guard the Wall" and "The Commander Who Dares Not Return to Castle Black."
As for the Mountain Clans, who were once invited to help defend the Wall, they generally cooperated and followed Aegor's commands and arrangements, but privately they too complained. Aside from the "basic sustenance" and a stone fortress Aegor had promised, the Wildlings, who had been their former enemies, were granted almost the same treatment as them as soon as they entered the Gift. This so-called "fairness" in legal status and wages greatly diminished their sense of superiority and was seen as a new kind of "unfairness" to them.
As for the people of the New Gift, who make up the majority and hail from dozens of tribes, their problems are even greater. The more intelligent among them have gradually begun to realize that Aegor's willingness to accept them is driven by his desire for cheap labor. While settling in one place under the protection and support of the Night's Watch offers a safer and more stable life, working for resources is far more tedious and arduous than herding, gathering, and hunting Beyond the Wall. They are dissatisfied with being forced to become "kneelers" and angered by the constant interference in their tribal affairs. Some even miss the old and infirm who were willingly sacrificed by Mance Rayder in order to pass the Wall, and they have begun to place blame on the former King-Beyond-the-Wall who had led them to escape the White Walkers.
In short, Asha Greyjoy is far from the only one who, after being well-fed, seeks to cause trouble. Human nature is never satisfied. In this regard, the Gift, Beyond the Wall, and the rest of the world are all the same.
Although the overall happiness of the Gift's residents remains low, thanks to the diligent supply efforts of the Logistics Department and the deterrence of the Night's Watch armed forces, this small society has not yet reached the "red line" of unrest. Aegor has come to deeply realize how unrealistic it is to expect rapid support from the people without cheats or massive wealth, merely by exuding kingly charisma and implementing a few reforms, as so often depicted in stories.
His approach is to remain clear-headed at all times. The Gift's reality dictates that he cannot satisfy everyone or win their affection. He does not crave what he cannot obtain. For now, he is the player, and everyone in the Gift is a piece on the board. He must first win the game against the White Walkers before he can think of anything else.
---
Surveyors from the Construction Department had already explored the coast where the Great Canyon empties into the Bay of Ice and had selected a location for a port stronghold. Aegor had not intended to inspect it before construction began, but with the first generation of Dragonglass Bombs ready for testing at any time, he changed his plans. Taking advantage of the time before the artisans from the North gathered in Winterfell and he traveled there, he decided to make a quick trip himself, walking the newly opened patrol route along the edge of the Great Canyon. If possible, he would also quickly select a testing ground for the new thermal weapons.
This was his first journey heading west and returning to the Wall after being elected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and completing the succession ceremony. After passing through Castle Black, he traveled west along the base of the Wall, stayed the night at the Shadow Tower, held a cordial discussion with Denys Mallister about the current state of the Night's Watch and its future direction, and then set out again the next morning. Accompanied by Colin the Disfigured, the Shadow Tower's deputy commander, he passed Westwatch-by-the-Bridge and set foot for the first time in the lands west of the Wall, the only place Beyond the Wall not separated from Sennett by the great barrier of ice.
Aegor had to admit that the Great Canyon was different from what he had imagined. Before seeing it with his own eyes, his mental image was closer to the aerial views of the East African Rift Valley he had once seen online in his past life: a crack formed by tectonic movement slicing through endless plains, stretching to the horizon, as if split by a god's axe, deep and sheer, an impassable trench.
But in reality? The Great Canyon was not formed by plates shifting. It was originally a rift or depression between two peaks of the southern Frostfangs. Erosion by the Milkwater River gradually deepened the riverbed, causing the unsupported slopes of rock to collapse continuously, forming sheer cliffs. A river flowed below, while treacherous steep slopes rose on both sides. The true appearance of the Great Canyon reminded Aegor more of the Three Gorges carved by the Yangtze River in his past life.
The key difference between a gorge and a rift valley is that its sides are not flat plains. The northern edge is the southern slope of one mountain range, while the southern edge is the northern slope of another. When Aegor first ordered patrols, the path the Night's Watch had to follow was a narrow trail clinging to the mountainside, uneven and dangerous, where a single misstep could send a man tumbling to his death.
What Aegor saw today, however, was a path already trodden and cleared by dozens of patrols.
Horses were useless here, and all walked on foot. Aegor occasionally leaned out to peer down the cliffs, relieved to see that the Frostfangs' rock was not as hard as that of Wushan. The slopes were not perfectly vertical but jagged and covered in vegetation, so even a fall would not necessarily send someone plunging straight to the bottom.
Even so, it was still nearly impossible to climb. Aegor remembered the first time he encountered the White Walkers three years ago. After abandoning Waymar Royce and fleeing, the two terrified young recruits had discussed their future at the foot of the Wall. Gared had suggested going west, skirting the Wall, crossing the Great Canyon, and escaping to the South. If the White Walkers had not chased them, Aegor might almost have agreed.
Now, seeing the Great Canyon with his own eyes, he was thankful he had not fled with Gared. The Milkwater's flow was far weaker than the Yangtze's, so crossing the river itself would have been easy, but climbing the cliffs? Impossible.
No wonder Mance Rayder preferred to assault the Wall rather than go around it. For the living, this was as much a natural barrier as the Wall itself.
"Is there no better path?"
"If you mean the road to the planned military port at the mouth of the canyon, then yes. A few miles south of here, after we cross this mountain, there is a main road leading to the Gift. The Mountain Clans trampled it out along the Bay of Ice coast," Colin the Disfigured shrugged. "But the order you gave, my lord, was to 'patrol the south side of the Great Canyon.' If we took that road, we wouldn't see the situation inside the canyon. Wouldn't that be like patrolling the base of the Wall without watching for climbers?"
Aegor nodded. It was good to know there was a main road. Building a new mountain road here to allow large forces to reach the canyon's mouth would take at least half a year.
"I see how the Great Canyon can guard against the Wildlings." One worry eased, another arose. "But White Walkers and wights are not afraid of falling. If they force their way across despite the steep cliffs, even if patrols spot them, it will be difficult to summon reinforcements in time."
The Wall is an immense barrier of ice reinforced by giant weirwood trees. Its top forms a straight road ten yards wide, better than most roads in the Seven Kingdoms, and even cavalry can ride upon it. When patrols spot climbers, they can signal with horns or fires, allowing nearby castles to send reinforcements swiftly. Defenders enjoy the high vantage of the Wall and its immense terrain advantage.
The Great Canyon, however, was different. To pass through it, one must descend the cliffs, cross the river, and climb up again. Crossing is as difficult as scaling the Wall itself, yet the southern path is so narrow and slow that even if patrols raised an alarm, defenders from the Shadow Tower, Westwatch-by-the-Bridge, or the planned stronghold at the canyon's mouth would struggle to arrive before the enemy crossed.
Would patrols serve only as early warnings?
"My lord, your concern is valid, but the situation is not that dire. Westwatch is more than twenty leagues from the Bay of Ice, but only ten leagues of that distance are as treacherous as this section. Near the canyon's mouth where it meets the sea, the Milkwater widens, and the path on the southern side becomes easier."
"Even if it is easier, it is still a mountain road," Aegor sighed, frowning. "It seems we must establish a midway station along the Great Canyon, stockpiling wildfire and Dragonglass arrows to prepare for sudden attacks."
"That would certainly be the safest," Colin agreed. Though opposed to allowing Wildlings into the Gift, he had no doubts about Aegor's seriousness. For thousands of years, the Night's Watch had been shrinking, its castles abandoned one by one. Yet since this man had appeared, not only were the nineteen strongholds being reoccupied, but as Lord Commander he was even founding new ones, deciding boldly and acting without hesitation. It was difficult not to admire such decisiveness. "But perhaps the situation is not so grim as you imagine. Our patrols have discovered something interesting."
"Interesting? I am not in the mood for tales."
"This is no tale," Colin shook his head. "When the Nightfort was reoccupied last year, we discovered a glowing weirwood beneath the Wall, leading to speculation that the Wall's magic comes from weirwoods. Coincidentally, we have now found that the slopes and floor of the Great Canyon contain the largest weirwood forest in all of Westeros."
Haunted Forest?
Aegor leaned his head over the Great Gorge once more. Sure enough, scattered deep red dots came into view. The blizzard not long ago had covered the North and the Gift in silver, and coupled with the lifelessness of winter, he had initially thought the color came from dead wood buried beneath the snow. But now, upon closer inspection, he realized that on both banks of the Milkwater River at the bottom of the Great Gorge, on the steep slopes along its sides, as far as the eye could see, the mountains and fields were covered in the blood-red hue of weirwood leaves, which even the snow could not conceal.
Could it be that Brandon the Builder, who built the Wall, saw that the terrain of the Great Gorge was unsuitable for construction and simply compensated by planting weirwood trees on a massive scale to prevent enemies from exploiting the gap?
That didn't sound very convincing.
From what was currently known, the Wall possessed an energy field that could weaken and repel White Walkers and wights. Let's call it an "anti-cold god barrier." If this power truly originated from the weirwood trees, then this vast Haunted Forest might indeed compensate for the Wall's defensive weakness where it did not extend across the Great Gorge.
But here lay the problem: if the Haunted Forest could truly block the White Walkers once and for all, then what was the purpose of the Wall? Planting the entire forest with weirwood trees would have been far simpler than building a seven-hundred-foot-high Ice Wall, wouldn't it?
Shouldn't we just curse and say, Brandon the Builder was really an idiot who couldn't even think of this?
...
The only person with supernatural power Aegor had met face-to-face so far was Melisandre. Though they had already shared intimacy, the red witch always remained secretive about magic, never displaying or explaining it casually. Fortunately, even if she didn't speak, Aegor could make his own judgments through observation and occasional conversation. After long study, he vaguely felt that even magic must follow the laws of thermodynamics.
Weirwood trees themselves could not generate energy. Otherwise, the world would be filled with these perpetual motion machines. It could be inferred that they did not possess magic by themselves but were merely carriers and channels for it, much like an antenna that transmits signals while the power comes from the connected device, converted from energy.
The giant heart tree beneath Nightfort had the physical protection of the Wall's ice, but what about this vast Haunted Forest? If Aegor were a White Walker, he would certainly send the dead to destroy and encroach upon it bit by bit. What ability did a tree have to defend itself? Unless this "anti-cold god barrier" was strong enough to directly kill any approaching wights or White Walkers, the trees were ultimately vulnerable.
---
"Don't pin your hopes of fighting the White Walkers on trees. We are the true shield guarding humanity, not the weirwood trees." Although the weirwood trees covering the mountains and fields appeared to thrive and might have existed for countless years, Aegor still shook his head. "Don't let your guard down. Continue the scheduled patrols and begin searching for suitable locations to establish transit points."
"Of course," Colin agreed readily.
...
As they covered more ground, everyone soon fell into the fatigue of a long trek. Conversation dwindled until it vanished entirely. After being a commander for so long, Aegor found it difficult to adjust to the hardships of a soldier's patrol again. Fortunately, the weather was clear and the wind was mild, so it wasn't too bad when seen as exercise. Starting at dawn, they stopped briefly at noon for food before pressing on. When the setting sun bathed the land in red, they picked up the pace for a final push and finally reached their destination before dark—a temporary camp only a few miles from Ice Bay, designated as the new outpost by the site selection team, though no formal facilities had been built yet.
Several tents of varying sizes were set up behind a large rock that blocked the wind. Seven or eight advance party soldiers of the Night's Watch in black cloaks were scattered about, resting or cooking dinner by the fire. They hadn't met their new Commander yet, but after Colin the Disfigured introduced him, they quickly stood up and greeted Aegor respectfully.
"Commander, we've been traveling all day. Should we rest now, or take advantage of the light to inspect the port site?"
...
Aegor looked up. It wasn't fully dark yet. Though his legs ached from walking all day, he sighed. As the leader, rest was truly a luxury.
"Let's go see the port site. If everything goes well, we'll take the main road back tomorrow."
"Understood."
Colin, a Ranger of many years, was not tired after walking dozens of miles. He dropped his small pack, stretched his body, and decisively led the way downhill.
This area on the south side of the Great Gorge, located in the mountains west of the Gift, was geologically an extension of the Frostfangs. However, it was merely an extension, hundreds of miles from the main peaks Beyond the Wall. As Aegor traveled today, the terrain and roads grew progressively flatter and wider after the halfway point. At first, they walked along the mountainside, with towering slopes on their left and a steep gorge on their right. But soon the mountains became lower, the cliffs smaller, and by the end, they were walking on an earthen slope slightly above the river valley.
The temporary camp sat at the end of this gentle slope, on a rocky clearing dozens of meters above sea level, overlooking Ice Bay.
The sun had completely sunk beneath the sea, but the sky still held a faint glow. The towering mountains on the north bank of the valley looked like a massive Wall under the afterglow. The gentle lapping of waves against the shore carried a faint salty tang. Colin led Aegor down from the camp's high ground to the shore of Ice Bay.
The Milkwater River carried little sediment, so its ability to form alluvial land was poor. The scene at its mouth remained unchanged year-round. The river had even washed out a beach so white it seemed to glow in the dim light. If this place weren't so far north, it would have been an ideal summer resort.
At this moment, the area was barren, likely unchanged from a thousand years ago. The sudden openness and the stronger wind made Aegor, who had spent the day walking through mountains, feel momentarily unaccustomed.
"This beach extends into the sea, and the part exposed at low tide has no rocks, making it ideal for launching new ships," Colin explained as they walked along the beach. "Half a league to the south, there's a point of land that juts into the sea. The light is poor now, so you might not see it clearly, but this point forms a natural breakwater, keeping the waves small and creating a small natural harbor. Most importantly, the land under that point is solid rock, not sand, and it stays above water even at high tide. If needed, a fortress and lighthouse could be built on it to defend against enemies from the sea and guide our own ships, saving a great deal of work on land reclamation and dock construction."
"That's quite detailed thinking. Are you from a seafaring family?"
"Seafaring family my arse! That kid over there roasting beef said it. He's a bastard from the Iron Islands." Colin laughed heartily, not taking credit. "Want to go take a look?"
"Yes, let's go take a look."
...
It was high tide now. Aegor stepped onto the protruding headland, walking across moss and shells, and stood at the edge watching the waves crash against the rocky tip.
This natural breakwater beside the white beach formed a sharp triangle, extending about a mile into the sea. To be honest, it was small, but for a temporary military port in a backward world that only needed to accommodate wooden ships of modest displacement, it was more than adequate.
There was no sunlight, so the bottom couldn't be seen, but as long as the depth exceeded three meters at low tide, it would be sufficient for most medium and small ships in Westeros.
Aegor asked, "What's the depth near the shore?"
"Not sure, but we didn't see the bottom even at low tide."
"I'll arrange for a team to come soon to level the top of this breakwater and build a coastal fortress and lighthouse at the tip overlooking the harbor. But whether this shore can serve as a dock depends on the depth." Aegor shook his head. "I don't like answers like 'not sure.' Find a small boat from the Mountain Clans fishermen and conduct a full survey of the water depth in this area, especially within this harbor. We'll only start construction once we confirm it's usable."
"Understood," Colin replied without hesitation.
Aegor looked around. The west coast's terrain was winding, and unintentionally, it had formed a fine natural harbor. Though small, it was deep enough and might only need minor improvements. It was a good start.
"The general layout can be decided. The side facing the beach will be the shipyard, the other side for docking. This will be the military port of the North. Nominally, it belongs to Robb Stark. If the Warden of the North has requests, we'll comply fully. He'll reimburse us anyway. As for the Night's Watch outpost, that high ground is perfect. Build walls and a fortress overlooking the harbor. Normally, it will serve as the patrolmen's station, and in times of attack, it will act as the garrison. Perfect."
"That does sound good," Colin said, rubbing his stubbled chin. "But what should we call this place? We can't keep calling it 'temporary outpost,' can we?"
"What should it be called?" Aegor thought for a moment. The sea breeze chilled his face as he looked around, then a name came to mind. "Facing Ice Bay, right next to the Great Gorge, and a port for the North's navy. Let's not overcomplicate it. Call it Ice Gorge Port."
The name was good, simple, and to the point, both easy to remember and directly indicating its location and function. Colin nodded. "Alright, Ice Gorge Port it is."
After seeing what he needed to see and explaining his plans, with the sky now completely dark, Aegor turned and led Colin and the guards back toward the camp. As they walked, he glanced toward the dark mountains to the east.
He hadn't forgotten his other purpose for this trip.
"You mentioned earlier there's a main road back to the Gift. Can cavalry and wagons pass?"
"Yes. This area has many mountains, but they're not high, and the road winds through valleys. The Mountain Clans often use it to trade livestock with the Night's Watch. With a bit of leveling and widening, small wagons can definitely pass."
"Good. As for the port planning, wait for the experts from White Harbor to arrive. The head of construction will discuss it with them, and I'll review the final plan." Aegor nodded. "Tomorrow we have another task. Along the main road to the Gift, find a place that's open, flat, and far from the coast and any Mountain Clan settlements. I have a special use for it."
"Special use?" Colin frowned slightly. "You mean the patrol transit station you mentioned earlier? But that needs to be on the patrol route to be useful, and there's a mountain between the main road and the Great Gorge."
"It's not a patrol station. It's an experimental site. I've developed some weapons designed specifically to deal with White Walkers. They need to be tested far from human settlements."
(To be continued.)