Chapter 359: The End of the Marathon
The Night's Watch patrol, having witnessed the staggering sight of the "wight sea logging," scrambled back to Westwatch-by-the-Bridge in a panic. Upon learning of the situation, Denys Mallister decisively ordered the re-sealing of the Bridge of Skulls.
The reconnaissance north of the Gorge thus began and ended in a flash. It became the command among those issued during Egger's tenure with the fewest executions (exactly once) and the shortest duration (half a day), yet it achieved feedback with an efficiency and speed that could not be surpassed.
For a commander of the Shadow Tower to bypass the Lord Commander and halt an order was procedurally incorrect, but a correct decision was a correct decision. Egger would never doubt a report from a patrol led personally by a veteran as battle-hardened as Qhorin Halfhand. The purpose of re-opening patrols beyond the Wall was to win more warning and preparation time for the final battle through the risks of a few, not to provide fresh recruits for the Night King. Since it was clear that time had run out, the patrols had to be stopped immediately.
Under his command, the Gift had long been preparing for this war, but how much distance remained before they were truly ready? When the army of the dead attempted to force a crossing of the Gorge, could the Night's Watch actually hold them back?
The arrival of this news completely washed away the festive mood brought by the miraculous victory in the Bay of Ice Naval Battle. Although he loathed the bureaucratic nature of constant meetings, the stakes were too high. Egger had to summon the heads of various departments in the Gift who could arrive in time for a final discussion.
The first person he called upon was the logistics supervisor in charge of infrastructure: "What is the status of the deep repairs on the patrol routes along the Gorge?"
Humfrey, who had done his homework, answered immediately: "It is essentially complete. Two horses can safely ride abreast. Aside from the width being restricted by the mountainside and the terrain's elevation changes, which cannot be significantly altered by manpower in a short time, the road itself is as flat and unobstructed as the top of the Wall."
"Very well. Accelerate the stockpiling of wildfire and dragonglass weapons at Westwatch. Furthermore, increase the density and scale of beacon towers and temporary supply depots between the transit fortresses, the Bay of Ice, and the Shadow Tower... The effect I want is this: rangers patrol light. No matter where along the Gorge they find signs of the wight army crossing, they must be able to signal immediately and obtain wildfire and dragonglass weapons on the spot for the first wave of defense." Egger repeated his expectations solemnly. "Then, the nearest reinforcements will depart with minimal equipment, arrive quickly at the signal site, and rely on those same nearby supplies to join the fray. Once the line is stabilized, they will wait for logistics to deliver more heavy equipment."
"That is the ideal plan, but... I fear it exceeds the capabilities of the mountain clans and the New Gift soldiers to execute perfectly," Warner Buckwell noted skeptically. "If everyone had the training level of the Night's Watch or the Queenscrown Guard, it would be fine. But that quality is built over time with money and daily officer supervision; it cannot be rushed."
That was the truth.
Since the former Lord Commander Jeor Mormont took office, the entire Night's Watch had lived a highly regulated military life. Though limited by the quality of recruits, resulting in uneven combat power, their training and discipline were among the best in Westeros. As for the new force Egger brought from King's Landing—now known as the Queenscrown Guard—the core officers were of good background and character, having undergone at least half a year of full-time training and final selection before heading north.
These were traits that the Gift militia, born of mountain clans and Wildlings, lacked. There was no way to bridge that gap in the short term.
"Raise any concerns you have. This may be the last war council allowed for discussion before the Great War. Once we walk out of this door today, we will operate at full capacity to execute the established plan. There will be no more changes to the layout."
"Then I shall speak," said Warner Buckwell. As a noble from the Crownlands, he was not as cautious as commoners like Yam and Humfrey, whom Egger had personally promoted. "I believe the dead do not fear death. The natural barrier of the Gorge holds no psychological deterrent for the enemy. We cannot hold such a long line with only a few thousand men. Rather than wasting manpower and resources to stay spread thin, it would be better to abandon the line, pull everyone back into fortified keeps, and wait for the enemy to come to us."
"Impossible!" Jon, who had arrived from Castle Black, spoke up immediately in stern opposition. "Ser Warner has never fought the dead; his concepts are still stuck on fighting the living. The duty of the Night's Watch is to keep the threat beyond the Wall. If we don't even try to hold the line, what is the meaning of the black we wear? Moreover, the dead do not eat; we don't need to worry about their supply lines being cut. The Wall and the Gift have no value for them to seize. If the Others cross the Gorge and bypass our fortresses to strike directly into the North, wouldn't we be leaving countless residents to face the danger we were meant to shoulder, totally defenseless?"
The rapid emergence of the argument was the result of conflicting perspectives. Egger's currently available and trusted management tier came from three main sources: the original Mormont-era Night's Watch (especially Jon and his friends), a small group of commoner followers he trained himself from the King's Landing industrial park, and a significant number of New Night's Watchmen exiled to the Wall after Stannis took power because they had supported Renly Baratheon.
Among the old-school Night's Watch, almost half the officers were Northmen, so they naturally wanted to fulfill their duty. The employees of the industry branch were paid to be obedient and went wherever Egger pointed. Only the Crownlands noble faction... rather than guarding the Seven Kingdoms, they wanted to preserve the current strength of the Night's Watch and the Gift. They hoped to use it later to push Egger onto the stage of power, using him as a fulcrum to reclaim their stripped status and interests—this was the pie in the sky" Egger had used to win their support through hints.
Fortunately, Egger currently had sufficient control over the Gift, both through soft and hard means.
"Is it certain the enemy will attack from the Gorge? Why not mobilize more troops?" Yam suggested softly, his voice much quieter than the two arguing brothers. "As far as I know, there are still several thousand men in the Gift who could be mobilized."
The communications officer cut in immediately: "Cotter Pyke reports that the de-icing work at Eastwatch is becoming increasingly difficult. It has gradually gone from 'finding ice to clear' to 'only being able to rest in shifts if the timing is right.' I fear they also need more hands."
Egger coughed. "I have other arrangements for the manpower shortage at Eastwatch; we will discuss that later. The Gift indeed has some troops that can still be moved, but one thing Jon said is incorrect: the Wall does have strategic value for the Others—I don't have time to explain the specific reason now, but you all just need to know that the Nightfort is the key. The Others will certainly want to attack and destroy the giant weirwood beneath it to break the magic woven into the Wall, stripping it of its function to shield the Great Other's power. We can essentially confirm the main attack is coming at the Gorge, but I can also guarantee: if we leave no reserves and deploy our entire force at the Gorge, the enemy will inevitably appear elsewhere. Placing one-third of our combatants in an area less than one-tenth of the total line is the limit... Elsewhere, especially Eastwatch, we must still defend, and we must defend with heavy numbers."
Egger had to explain the reasons and goals of his deployment to this core group of subordinates to prevent any errors in execution. "And Warner, you are looking at this purely from the perspective of a conventional war. You say the 'natural barrier' is less a threat to the dead than the living, yet you overlook the fact that the 'dead' are not a normal army. If we do not actively engage them, they will not naturally suffer attrition from marching. Instead, they will snowball, growing more and more numerous... ravaging the Gift and the North, eventually growing five, eight, or ten times in size before turning back to easily wipe us out!"
Warner pursed his lips. "We provided the North with plenty of dragonglass weapons at low prices. They should know how to use them."
Jon didn't hesitate for a second: "How many is that? Not even enough for one per person. And we are the only ones with the wildfire that counters wights most effectively!"
Egger slammed the table to forcibly interrupt their bickering. "Defending at the Gorge is not just about rigidly fulfilling the duty of the Night's Watch. If we abandon this place, the enemy might sneak across one night without us noticing, enter the Gift, and kill us in our beds while we are defenseless... But if we defend, aided by the terrain of the Gorge, even if we can't stop them, we can at least thin out the wight army's strength. More importantly—the start of the Gorge defense will serve as a warning to the entire Gift and the North, giving people enough time to stop outdoor work and retreat into the nearest keeps!" He looked around at all the assembled Night's Watchmen and the mid-to-high level managers of the Gift, ensuring everyone was listening. "Therefore, my vision for the Gorge defensive line must be realized fully and completely. This point is not up for discussion!"
Warner had no intention of arguing with his superior. He shrugged. "Fine, I obey the Lord Commander's decision. However, the fact that training levels and quality haven't met expectations is an unavoidable problem. I propose we immediately organize field drills along the Gorge to test the garrison's reaction speed. In this little bit of time we have left, we should squeeze out as much proficiency as possible."
"That proposal is sound. Arrange it immediately. Start today, and they must run day and night."
No one else had major objections or suggestions. In the time that followed, the group quickly hammered out a feasible drill plan that could transition into actual combat at any time. They also negotiated further details: moving several tribes from the eastern Gift to Eastwatch, deciding to abandon several dilapidated forts along the Wall during wartime, bringing the slow-moving giants to the walls of Queenscrown in advance, and "benevolently" misreporting the situation—issuing an early warning to the Seven Kingdoms, especially the North, that wights were already attacking the Gorge... If one counted the weirwood forest inside and outside the Gorge as part of the defense, it wasn't exactly a lie.
The long but heavy and substantial meeting ended. Egger's most trusted officials departed with their respective tasks. The Night King's super-marathon north of the Wall, lasting several years, had finally reached the finish line. What Egger had to do now was ensure he did not become a trophy for this incredibly persistent runner.
Egger breathed some fresh air for a moment and headed toward his quarters. Before long, he saw Melisandre standing by his door, clearly waiting for him. He walked toward her.
Before he could decide what to say, the witch spoke first, shaking her head slightly. "There are indeed matters we need to discuss, but now is likely not the time. You must go and prepare—to receive Lady Stark."
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