GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond The Ice

It was impossible for Aegor to return to the Wall and personally oversee the mission to capture a wight. So, how could he remotely guide the Night's Watch to pull off such a daring feat without having any direct command authority? That was a question that required careful thought and planning.

Fortunately, Mormont had written specifically to request more men and supplies, making it clear that the Lord Commander had no intention of launching the expedition immediately. Aegor still had some time to devise a plan. For now, he would set the matter aside and focus on the tasks at hand.

---

Over dinner, Aegor passed along the instructions from the letter to Yoren. The old recruiter had been planning to enjoy a few more days in King's Landing with a pocket full of coin, but the sudden order to return north left him both shocked and disappointed.

"You can take your time on the road," Aegor advised. Having served as a brother of the Night's Watch himself, he fully understood Yoren's reluctance to leave. "When are you planning to set off?"

"Taking it slow sounds tempting, but I can't linger here after receiving an order like that," Yoren replied glumly. "We've gathered more than a dozen recruits, and everything's ready to go. I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Alright, then I have a favor to ask before you go. Let me take one of the recruits off your hands, the one we talked about before, Jaqen H'ghar. The man who was caught stealing a book. Leave him with me."

"That dangerous one?" Yoren looked at Aegor with disbelief. "What do you want him for?"

"He's spent several nights in the Red Keep's library. He must be literate," Aegor explained. "The office could use someone who can read and write."

"It's rare enough to find a girl with a cock, let alone a man who can read," Yoren joked, laughing at the absurdity of the situation despite himself. Then his expression turned serious. "Aegor, that man's a slippery one. He was only caught because he was cornered. If you release him from the cage, he'll vanish before you can blink. I've already decided not to let him or the other two murderers out until I reach Castle Black and hand them over to Alliser."

Aegor understood Yoren's concerns and agreed with his decision in principle. But the truth was, Jaqen H'ghar would escape eventually, no matter how closely he was guarded. Even a skilled fighter like Barristan Selmy had only managed to capture him by locking him in a room.

By freeing Jaqen early, Aegor could at least claim some credit for doing the man a favor. It wouldn't hurt to build a connection with someone as resourceful and unpredictable as Jaqen.

Saying no more, Aegor pressed a round, gleaming coin into Yoren's hand. "Don't overthink it. If you let him stay, this should cover all your travel expenses, with enough left over to eat and drink well on the way to the Wall. And when you come back to King's Landing, I'll make sure you leave with ten more recruits."

"Ten more? You'll be lucky if half of these don't bolt before the next time I'm here." Yoren snorted but pocketed the gold coin all the same. After a moment of consideration, he nodded. "Fine, take him. But be careful. Don't let the Kingsguard find out the man they caught is roaming free, and don't let him kill you while you're at it."

"I'll be careful," Aegor promised.

---

Tyrion's enthusiasm for their venture showed no signs of waning. The dwarf rose early every day, heading out to oversee operations. He and his brother Jaime couldn't be more different: Jaime, the heir chosen by their father, was obsessed with chivalry, honor, and public recognition. Meanwhile, Tyrion, despised by his father and dismissed as a liability, craved his family's approval and sought to prove his worth.

Aegor suspected Tyrion's zeal wasn't entirely about the money; it was also a way to earn his father's respect.

Stop worrying about other people's problems, Aegor, he told himself. Focus on your own business.

Clearing his thoughts, Aegor dressed and left his room. After washing up, he met Yoren over breakfast to confirm the timing of the handoff. Then he headed to the Night's Watch office to begin his usual routine.

Not long after the sun had risen, Arya arrived, full of energy as always. But today, Aegor was already preparing to leave to rescue Jaqen H'ghar.

"Master!" Arya called cheerfully. "Wherever you go, I'm coming too!"

"No, I'm escorting Yoren and his recruits back to the Wall. They're just a bunch of scoundrels and rapists, not something worth seeing. Stay here or go back to the Red Keep," Aegor said, shaking his head. He had no intention of letting Arya witness him freeing one of the prisoners.

"I want to go too!" Arya protested.

Aegor raised an eyebrow. "Stop being difficult and listen to me."

Arya glared at him for a few seconds, then relented with a sigh. "Fine… I'll wait for you here. How long will you be gone?"

"I'll be back before sunset," Aegor reassured her, his tone softening. "Take care of the office while I'm gone, and I'll have a reward for you when I get back."

"Alright!" Arya beamed.

Satisfied, Aegor nodded. The first step in training Arya to follow instructions had gone smoothly.

Humans, after all, were just animals. And compared to adults, children were even more instinct-driven. Smart "animals" were highly moldable. By using rewards and punishments to guide their behavior, Aegor could shape their habits and responses. Over time, Arya would learn when it was worthwhile to push for what she wanted and when it wasn't.

She had already picked up on the expression Aegor had shown earlier, one that left no room for negotiation. And just as he expected, she stopped pushing as soon as she realized it wouldn't work.

Of course, saying these principles is one thing, but implementing them at the start was no easy task. Aegor had benefited from Arya's good character and the fact that she saw him as a master. He wasn't afraid of offending her and relied on three firm rules to suppress the innate arrogance of the Stark princess. The speed of his success had clearly startled the Winterfell guard tasked with escorting Arya. The gray-cloaked soldier's eyes nearly popped out of his head: Since when has our proud little lady become so obedient?

---

The first Night's Watch stronghold in the south was conveniently located opposite the East Camp of the City Watch, one of King's Landing's two "police stations." With nothing valuable or irreplaceable in the office yet, Aegor was comfortable leaving Arya behind after a quick explanation. Confidently leaving the office door open, he rode northwest through King's Landing.

After passing through the Gate of the Gods and following the King's Road for a few miles, Aegor soon found Yoren and his party waiting for him by the roadside.

Two carriages were parked under the shade of a large tree. One held a wooden cage for the prisoners, while the other carried condiments, medicines, and spices that Yoren had purchased. Thanks to the supplies provided by Tyrion and Aegor, Yoren's preparations for the journey were far less stressful than they might have been. Without their assistance, he would have spent days running around procuring provisions for the trek to the Wall.

In addition to the carriages and their horses, there were five or six donkeys and a dozen people gathered in the shade. Yoren himself was seated on the driver's seat of the supply wagon, while the orphans he had lured with promises of "full bellies and warm clothes" squatted or stood nearby, looking bored. Together with the prisoners forced to join the Night's Watch, they stared curiously at Aegor as he approached on horseback.

Even a fool could tell that, despite his black garb, the man riding toward them carried an entirely different air from the others. Perhaps he was an officer of the Night's Watch?

The more astute among them were already calculating how to win favor with their apparent superior, but Aegor didn't give them the chance to waste their energy. Riding straight to Yoren, he greeted him briefly, prompting the old recruiter to climb down from the wagon.

"You haven't changed your mind?" Yoren asked skeptically.

"Why would I?" Aegor replied with a snort before turning his attention to the three prisoners locked in the wooden cage.

It was no surprise that Yoren was wary of these three. One of them was a man with no nose, just a gaping hole in the center of his face. Another was a fat, bald man with sharp, animalistic teeth, a face covered in pus-filled sores, and a feral glint in his eyes. The last one, however, stood in stark contrast to the others. He had regular features, was neatly dressed, and wore an air of calm gentleness. That incongruity alone made him the most unsettling of the three.

So ordinary, Aegor thought as he studied the third man. Nothing like the cool, mysterious image from the show. Had Jaqen H'ghar not been locked in the cage, Aegor doubted he would have been able to pick him out of a crowd. As a spy and assassin, Jaqen had clearly mastered the art of blending in with a "common" appearance.

Still, Aegor couldn't help but wonder: was this even Jaqen's true face? Did the Faceless Men rely on human skin masks, or was there some kind of magic involved in their transformations?

He didn't let his gaze linger on Jaqen for too long. Instead, he deliberately looked around the group and raised his voice. "The Night's Watch office needs someone who can read and write. Can any of you read?"

***

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