GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond The Ice

Aegor was grateful for Oberyn's mercy during the duel, but now that he had surrendered and the outcome was decided, he should count himself lucky that Oberyn hadn't mocked or humiliated him. As the Prince of Dorne, why would he bother flattering him? How could a mere logistics officer of the Night's Watch, with mediocre martial skills, be qualified to discuss life with him?

Wasn't this... a little too strange? Aegor looked at Oberyn in confusion, only to see the prince wink at him again. Suddenly, a thought struck him, Oberyn was known for certain preferences. Could it be...?!

"Well... the Night's Watch has been busy lately, so I won't trouble you. We'll have a chance to discuss this after the battle." Aegor felt a chill run down his spine and quickly excused himself. He hadn't traveled through time and space just to end up... violated!

No one could stop an opponent from surrendering. Though the onlookers clamored for the fight to continue, they eventually let Aegor leave the training yard.

Suppressing his unease, he forced himself to walk off the field, only to run into Yoren, who was approaching him. Before leaving King's Landing to join the royal army, he had written to the Wall, requesting that they send someone to take over his tedious duties as a Night's Watch officer. But the Watch was as miserly as ever, they refused to send even one extra man south. Instead, they had Yoren come alone, forcing him to juggle both roles.

If Robert managed to break through the Bloody Gate, Yoren would be responsible for escorting the black-clad lords of the Just Alliance back to the Wall. And if the rebellion failed… well, either way, they planned to ask Aegor for another batch of recruits, so it would be a win-win situation.

Although Aegor knew why Yoren had come, he had just surrendered in the ring under the pretense of entertaining his comrades. With who knew how many people still watching him, he had no choice but to keep up appearances.

"Yoren! You must've had a rough journey!" Aegor greeted him with a bright smile, holding his breath as he pulled the older man into a hug. "When did you get here?"

"Just now. This camp is massive, I thought it'd take some time to find you. But turns out, you're a celebrity! All I had to do was ask around." Yoren was taken aback by Aegor's uncharacteristic enthusiasm, but he didn't dwell on it. He assumed the younger man was simply enjoying his comfortable life in the south and was in high spirits. "You brat, living the good life, huh? You even have time for tournaments?"

It had been months since they last saw each other, and Yoren was as unkempt as ever. He was still wearing the summer clothes Aegor had bought him back in King's Landing, likely the only warm-weather attire he owned. He looked Aegor up and down with a grin. "Oh, no, wait—I should be calling you Chief Logistics Officer now!"

"Forget that title, it sounds ridiculous." Aegor was eager to leave. He grabbed Yoren and hurried toward his tent. "You came at the perfect time. I'll leave this place to you. I need to get back to King's Landing and start training new recruits as soon as possible."

"Hm?" Yoren raised a brow. "Training new recruits? That's Mormont's job, isn't it? Why would he need you for that? And if you're handling it, what's the point of keeping Ser Alliser?"

"It's complicated," Aegor said. "You know how hard it is to recruit men. The Watch is desperate for new blood, so I decided to hire some help." He led Yoren through the Antlers' camp, gradually leaving the tournament grounds behind. "But the commander-in-chief is worried that hiring outsiders would affect morale, so he's set a rule, they can't be taken to Castle Black for training."

T/N: I have been using "deer horn/stag horn," which should have been "antlers." Sorry about that.

"Which means if they go to the Wall untrained, they'll just die," Yoren concluded.

"Exactly. And I can't afford to hire mercenaries, so I have to train them myself."

"I see."

"The plan was set in motion a while ago, but then King Robert ordered me to serve as a Night's Watchman with the army. I've wasted months on this nonsense and haven't even begun training the recruits." Aegor's frustration was evident, but with an Antlers' soldier leading the way, he forced himself to hold back from complaining too much. "Thankfully, you're here now. I can finally free up my hands and try to send some men your way before you head back."

As the two Night's Watchmen walked, they spoke in hushed tones about the situation at the Wall. From Yoren, Aegor learned that the Rangers were already attempting to capture wights, though they had made little progress. That was good news… Without stopping, they soon arrived back at Aegor's tent.

"Thank you for your trouble. Here, take this and buy yourself some wine." Aegor smiled at the soldier who had led Yoren to him, slipping a few silver stags into his hand before ushering the Yoren into the tent.

"I'll be leaving for King's Landing soon. You'll stay here," Aegor told Yoren before tilting his head slightly and giving an order. "Casey, pack my personal belongings. Don't bother with anything that can be bought in King's Landing leave those for Yoren."

If they set out in the afternoon, they would reach the Crossroads Inn before nightfall. The road back to King's Landing was the wide and open Kingsroad, with plenty of villages and towns along the way. Lodging and food wouldn't be an issue.

"Yes, ser!" Casey had just watched his master fight toe-to-toe with the famous Prince of Dorne, and his admiration for Aegor was at an all-time high. He worked even harder now, eager to serve.

"When you're done, go saddle the horses and wait for me outside the tent."

"Yes, ser!"

That kind of task could be left to the boy. Aegor's hands were still a bit numb from the duel he wanted to help but couldn't. With everything settled, he led Yoren back out of the tent.

"Anyway, your safety, food, and lodging are now the responsibility of Lord Buckwell. Before I leave, I'll take you to meet him. But first, I'll show you around the camp so you know where the temporary market is. If you ever want good food, a warm bath, or… other entertainment, you'll find it all there."

"Temporary market?" Yoren chuckled. "I'll pass. I might know where it is, but I don't have the coin to waste."

"That's fine. The Night's Watch isn't short on money these days." Aegor smirked. "I'll cover your expenses until you head back to the Wall."

Since Mormont had sent Yoren on this errand, it was likely they'd be working together in the future. The old crow was rough around the edges, but he wasn't a bad sort. It was worth spending a few coins to build goodwill.

"How many men are in this camp?" Yoren asked as he followed Aegor, his eyes widening as he took in the sheer size of the army. He had never seen so many soldiers in one place. "The king has such a massive force. If he sent even a fraction of them to the Wall, it'd be a game-changer. Why does he have us scrambling to recruit men?"

Most of the soldiers weren't Robert's, but Aegor had no interest in explaining the intricacies of noble politics to a man like Yoren. It would be a waste of breath.

"There are about forty thousand left now. If you include the logistics personnel, the total is closer to sixty thousand," Aegor said with a helpless shrug. "And that's only because we're fighting on home soil, where we don't need as many camp followers and supply lines aren't being harassed. There were even more men before the army split up."

"But no matter how many there are, none will be sent to the Wall. There's loot, ransoms, and war reparations to be gained from taking the Bloody Gate. What reward is there for fighting wildlings at the edge of the world?" Aegor scoffed. "Guarding the Wall is a thankless task. That's why it's dumped on us Black Brothers. But enough of this bullshit, let's just focus on fending for ourselves. Come on, I'll take you to see Lord Buckwell."

Most of the soldiers from Antlers Castle recognized Aegor. They knew their lord held this Night's Watchman in high regard, so when they saw him approaching, they merely nodded in greeting and didn't bother stopping him.

Inside the large command tent, the old lord was seated at his desk, studying what looked like a ledger.

"Lord Buckwell."

"Aegor." The elderly noble looked up and offered him a warm smile. "The man beside you arrived not long ago. I sent someone to fetch you, but it seems you weren't far."

"Thank you for the trouble, my lord." Yoren stepped forward without hesitation. "I didn't introduce myself earlier, I'm Yoren, If your dungeons at Antlers hold any scums in need of disposal, I'll take them off your hands."

Do you know how hard it is to improve the Night's Watch's reputation? Could you stop calling them scum for once? Aegor rubbed his forehead, exasperated. He quickly changed the subject.

"My lord, the Watch has sent someone to take over my post. I'll be heading back to King's Landing soon. I leave Yoren in your care."

"That won't be a problem," Lord Buckwell nodded. "But right now, I have a bigger issue, actually, the entire rebel army does. You've always been quick-witted. Why don't you take a look and tell me what you think we should do?"

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