Chapter 164: Qhorin Halfhand
The Wall
POV of Domeric Bolton
"You're going beyond the wall once again, boy." Qhorin Halfhand said as he brought a glass of wine and sat down beside him.
It was the Rice Wine, Domeric made in his lands. He sent some of it, as well as the Whiskey, to the Night's Watch every month. It was no match for drinks like Arbor Gold or the Dornish Red, but it was the best drink that the men of the Watch could get and far better than the bitter ale they usually served.
"I am," Domeric replied, looking at the logistic report of the expedition army as the men of the Night's Watch and the men he brought with him continued to chatter away around him.
His own men had taken all the seats around him. They were under the guests' right, true, but there was no point in being reckless.
After all, a lot of people in the Night's Watch were sent here by him, and he did not doubt that they still held a grudge against him.
Though he was also pretty sure that Lord Commander Jeor Mormont would have sent those men away to the other castles when the man heard about his arrival.
"The last time you went up North with those thousand men, you were just a boy." Qhorin said as he sipped from the cup, "When I first heard about you, I thought you were just a stupid boy chasing after glory, destined to die in the cold North. That was before I met you." Qhorin chuckled to himself, "Even then, as a boy, you had more sense than many grown men do. And your men; they were well trained to survive the cold."
"They were." He nodded, "They're even better trained this time around. And they've even better equipment."
"It's not your men I'm worried about." Qhorin said while shaking his head, "The last time you came back from the expedition, you became the first man to do so in centuries. You even brought giants and wargs back with you. That probably won you more glory and reputation than winning any war down in the South will ever do for any Northerner."
"What are you getting at, Qhorin?" he asked, putting down the ledger and looking at one of the most accomplished Night's Watch members. The man was almost a legend, if the rumors about him were to be believed.
"Your men are well trained. And they're well equipped. Even more than some of the best rangers in the Night's Watch." Qhorin nodded, "But the others you brought with you are not. They're but foolish boys, wanting to share any glory that you might earn this time around. Tell me. Why did you bring them with you?"
"I didn't have a choice." He replied, and Qhorin snorted into his cup.
"Tell the truth, boy. Others might buy your lies, but I will not. And I'll have Lord Commander Jeor Mormont stop those foolish boys from throwing their lives away if it becomes necessary."
He looked at Qhorin more seriously this time and smiled, "You've become wiser since the last time I saw you, Qhorin. Did losing that hand do that to you?"
"You're also become better at flattery but worse at changing the subject." Qhorin Halfhand said, "Enough with the games, Domeric. Tell me. Why are you taking those boys up North?"
He looked at Qhorin's serious gaze for a moment, using legilimency to find that he was not worried about the lives of the boys but the hit that the Night's Watch's reputation would take if all those heirs died up North.
Since North was the leading supplier of recruits and the greatest supporter of the Night's Watch, losing favor with the Northern lords would be a massive loss for the Night's Watch.
"Because it's necessary." He replied in a tone that signified the end of the conversation.
Domeric couldn't tell Qhorin or anyone from the Night's Watch the truth. At least not until they were north of the Wall.
Whether Qhorin or the Lord Commander believed Domeric didn't matter. Either way, they would cause trouble for Domeric and might even prevent them from crossing the Wall.
If they didn't believe him, they would first ridicule him, then declare that such a quest beyond the Wall was absurd.
If Domeric had gone to the Wall alone with his army, this wouldn't have been a problem. At most, they would have allowed him to cross the Wall after a bit of mocking behind his back.
But the fact that all the lords' heirs in the North were participating in this expedition complicated matters.
And sending them on a journey they deemed impossible was impossible. As Qhorin suspected, if anything happened to the heirs, the consequences for the Night's Watch would be dire.
According to Qhorin and Night's Watch, one of the most dangerous things to do beyond the Wall was to embark on an uncertain journey. If you set foot beyond the Wall with a purpose, there was always the possibility of returning.
Complete your purpose and return. This motto had been a guiding principle of the Night's Watch and all those who had ventured beyond the Wall for years.
But as long as they believed Domeric's actions were a pursuit of something that didn't exist, the Lord Commander would not allow the heirs to go beyond the Wall. This meant Domeric wouldn't be able to obtain permission to go beyond the Wall either.
And the other possibility was even more depressing for Domeric. If he told the Night's Watch the truth, and if, by some miracle, the Lord Commander and the others believed him, it would be guaranteed that he could not go beyond the wall.
The Lord Commander would never allow the heirs to set foot on lands where the White Walkers had walked.
On the contrary, he would swiftly send them back to their strongholds.
That's why Night's Watch couldn't learn the truth. At least not yet. For them, the truth would come when Domeric returned safe and sound from beyond the Wall with the evidence.
There was no other way.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.165: Rebellious Sounds
Ch.166: Squid Boy - I