The horn sounded twice.The wildlings had arrived.
A giant, four meters tall, rode a woolly mammoth to the base of the city wall. His large, furry hand held a seven-to-eight-meter-high flag with seven-colored stripes, and he let out a thunderous roar.
The multicolored striped flag symbolized peace.
The wildlings had accepted the negotiation proposal Daenerys had made the day before.
"Your Grace, it's enough for me to represent you," Barristan said worriedly in the main keep's hall. "The wildlings are cunning and savage; we can't be sure they won't suddenly turn hostile."
Daenerys shook her head and refused. "The two dragons are guarding the walls. If something unexpected happens, they can swoop down in an instant. Fully armed knights like us should at least be able to hold out for a few breaths, shouldn't we?"
Barristan thought about it for a moment and reluctantly agreed.
"And you all?" Daenerys looked toward the leaders of the Night's Watch. "Who among you will represent the Night's Watch and come with me?"
"Without a Lord Commander, we've decided that Castle Black, Shadow Tower, and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea will each send one representative," said the steward of the pomegranates, stepping forward and introducing them one by one. "Ser Mallister will represent Shadow Tower, Ser Glendon Hewitt, the master-at-arms of Eastwatch, will represent Eastwatch; and lastly, Jon Snow will represent Castle Black."
"Why Jon?" Barristan frowned. "The boy is fine enough—resolute, brave, and skilled with a sword—but isn't he a bit too young?"
In truth, he wanted to say: yesterday you were still putting him on trial as a prisoner, which shows his standing here isn't very high—can he really represent Castle Black?
The one-armed Donal explained, "Actually, Jon was Commander Mormont's chosen successor. Everyone knows why the Old Commander made him his personal steward. And Jon has proven himself—knowledgeable, loyal, and unmatched in martial skill among the younger generation of the Watch."
Jon had three major supporters at the Wall: Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, Maester Aemon, and Master Blacksmith Donal.
These three were also his mentors throughout his growth.
Jon's appointment as Castle Black's representative was inseparable from the support of Aemon and Donal. Of course, Daenerys suppressing Alliser Thorne and Janos Slynt last night had also removed two major enemies and competitors for him.
"Alright," Daenerys nodded. "I won't interfere with the Night's Watch's internal decisions. As long as you confirm he can represent Castle Black, that's enough."
The gates opened. Glendon, Todder, and a dozen Night's Watch brothers carried high-backed wooden chairs through the twisted, narrow passage and out the gate. Under the giant flag bearer's watchful eyes, they carried the chairs about 400 meters outside the wall—roughly midway between the Wall and the wildling camp.
They arranged the chairs in a circle ten meters in diameter. Behind four chairs were planted flags: one of black with a red three-headed dragon, and three black flags with similar designs.
The Night's Watch, dressed entirely in black with black cloaks and carrying black flags, had distinguished the three castles with different designs—simple outlines of each castle painted in gray.
After the Watchmen planted the flags and withdrew, the giant with the colorful flag also rode his mammoth back to the wildling camp.
About ten minutes later, the morning sun dispelled the last traces of mist. Under the clear sky, a hint of spring warmth could even be felt.
Leading the way was Daenerys, clad in a black-striped shadowcat cloak, followed by Barristan, Jon, the tall Glendon, and the gray-haired Ser Mallister.
At the same time, the palisades of the wildling camp opened. A middle-aged man in a tattered black cloak stepped out first, followed by a dozen others—some wrapped in animal pelts, some in rusty chainmail, and others clad in strange armor made of beast bones.
Across the wide snowy plain, the two groups slowly advanced toward each other.
Under the blue sky, amidst the snow and warm sunlight and the gentle breeze, Grenn, peering over the wall's parapet, tugged at his collar and realized he was already sweating underneath.
He took a few nervous breaths and complained to Edd beside him, "The wildlings are so sneaky. We only have five people, but they've brought sixteen."
"Yeah, if a fight breaks out, we're at a huge disadvantage," Edd gulped and stared wide-eyed at the wildlings, as if trying to read their expressions.
Yet, even as both sides finally sat down on the wooden chairs in the center of the snowy field, no one drew a blade.
Daenerys removed her helmet. The warm breeze stirred the fine strands of her bangs.
"I am Daenerys Targaryen," she said.
The leader of the wildlings pulled down his hood, revealing an ordinary-looking, gray-haired middle-aged man. He had an obvious smile line at the corners of his mouth, suggesting he often laughed.
Seeing the beautiful queen shining under the sun, a flash of undisguised admiration crossed his eyes, and the smile lines deepened.
"You are truly beautiful, Your Grace," he said.
Ser Mallister frowned. "Mance Rayder, aren't you being overly cautious, bringing so many people? Why didn't you bring the giant too?"
Mance Rayder glanced around and shrugged. "Each of these chieftains commands their own large tribe; their status is about equal to mine. If Giant Mag hadn't been captured by you, I would have brought him too."
Daenerys sat down in her chair. Barristan, fully armed, stood behind her. Mance sat opposite her.
There weren't enough chairs, and soon the wildlings began arguing and cursing. Two bearded men even started wrestling over a chair, leaving Daenerys and the others dumbfounded.
"Now I believe you when you say they have about the same status as you," Daenerys said dryly, glancing at the grim-faced King-Beyond-the-Wall. "I thought you were the King-Beyond-the-Wall, someone whose word was law."
She truly hadn't intended to set up any "two peaches kill three warriors" schemes. The Night's Watch had brought twelve chairs, using only four for themselves, leaving eight for the wildlings—which should have been more than enough. She hadn't expected them to bring so many people.
"Those without chairs, stand behind me," Mance growled.
Even the wildlings seemed a little embarrassed. The few who had managed to claim chairs scolded loudly, while those left standing glared resentfully at their companions, faces flushed with anger.
They couldn't very well accuse the Night's Watch of being unfair and not providing enough chairs—after all, only five Night's Watchmen had come, taking just four chairs.
While the remaining eight wildlings hesitated, a red-haired, red-bearded man tossed an oak shield onto the snow, sat on it with a thump, and shouted, "Mance, I, Tormund Giantsbane, am not your bodyguard! I'm not standing behind you!"
"Fine, fine, sit wherever you want," Mance waved his hand helplessly.
Following his lead, the others copied him: some sat on shields, some squatted, others rolled up snowballs to sit on.
After about seven or eight minutes of shuffling around, once everyone was seated, Mance Rayder cleared his throat, looked at Daenerys, and asked, "Has House Targaryen reclaimed the Iron Throne yet?"
"No," Dany shook her head.
Mance frowned and asked again, "Then which dukes' support have you gained?"
"In Westeros, none of the dukes from the Seven Kingdoms openly support me. But once we deal with the wildling threat, I will take Dragonstone," Dany said.
"Then how can you represent the King of the Seven Kingdoms in these negotiations?" Mance said angrily.
"Hiss—" Drogon let out a roar.
"Hiss—" Rhaegal followed with a loud cry.
Dany said nothing, simply sweeping her gaze over Mance and the other wildlings, who were looking fearfully up at the Wall.
"Sigh," the King-Beyond-the-Wall let out a helpless breath. "I remember dragons were thought to be extinct for hundreds of years. Where did yours come from?"
"Dragons may be gone, but dragon eggs still exist!" Dany said with a smile.
"Dragons aren't invincible," Tormund Giantsbane shouted.
Dany nodded in agreement. "Of course dragons aren't invincible, especially since mine are still young. If you hit them in the eye or the neck with one of the maesters' poison scorpions or a giant's longbow, you might be able to kill one."
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"But you don't have scorpion bolts, and giants are few. Your camp is far too spread out.
Giants, with their enormous size, are easy targets. My dragons could easily avoid them and then unleash their flames on your wives, children, and livestock."
"Wildlings are no cowards, nor do we fear death," Mance said, casting a sidelong glance at Jon Snow. He spoke with a hint of threat in his voice. "Chameleon, you know we are looking for the Horn of Winter, don't you?
I'll tell you: I've already found Joramun's tomb and the horn buried beneath a glacier near the Frostfangs. If your dragons burn our camp, I'll blow the horn and bring the Wall down."
"Are you joking?" Dany looked at the King-Beyond-the-Wall oddly. "You think you can scare me with such nonsense?"
"You've never heard of the Horn of Winter?" Mance's stern face cracked slightly.
"No," Dany said honestly.
"It's a magical horn. According to legend, King-Beyond-the-Wall Joramun blew the Horn of Winter to awaken the giants beneath the earth and end the Night King's reign. Wildlings believe the Horn of Winter can bring down the Wall," Ser Melisandre whispered.
Dany rolled her eyes. "Blow it, then. Blow as hard as you like—your lies won't fool even a child. Do you think I have a turnip growing out of my neck?"
Mance's face twisted in frustration. He almost wanted to rush back and blow the horn—if he really had it.
Dany didn't believe there was a horn capable of collapsing the Wall, unless it contained the spirit of Meng Jiangnü herself.
But the wildlings believed it. Mance had even led thousands of followers to rob hundreds of graves near the Frostfangs, hoping desperately to find the legendary Horn of Winter.
He did find a giant aurochs horn—but it was unearthed from a giant's tomb, not Joramun's.
Seeing that Dany wasn't fooled, Mance gritted his teeth and threatened again, "I'll scatter my people. The Wall is 500 kilometers long, and there are plenty of places to climb."
"Climbing the Wall isn't foolproof. Many will die," Jon Snow said.
When he had infiltrated the wildling raiders, he had climbed the 200-meter-high Wall using iron spikes and ropes. But ice fell from the Wall, killing and crushing nearly a quarter of the wildlings during the ascent.
If not for his quick reflexes, both he and Ygritte would have died then and there.
"I know," Mance nodded heavily. "We lost thousands of old and weak crossing from the Windy Gap to reach the Wall. If we try to climb it, perhaps half will die again.
And even after crossing, hunted by the Night's Watch, by dragons, by Northmen, more than half of the survivors would die too. But at least as free folk, there would still be hope. Some of us would survive.
If we stay north of the Wall and wait for the true winter, we will all perish."
"White Walkers?" Dany asked.
A wildling draped in snow bear fur cursed loudly, "Those bastards have been trailing us all the way! Every morning we wake to find empty tents—the people taken by the White Walkers!"
"It's not just the White Walkers. It's the cold and hunger too. We must cross the Wall, even if you had a hundred dragons—you still couldn't change that," Mance said firmly.
"The wildlings have always longed to cross to the other side of the Wall. But do you even know what's there?" Dany sighed.
The barefoot leader of the Thenns stared at Dany greedily and shouted, "There are women, food, clothes, warm houses for winter—everything we need!"
Ser Melisandre gripped the arms of his wooden chair, leaning forward like an angry lion about to pounce, and roared, "No! In the North there are swords, spears, armored knights—and even the women carry bows. The Stranger waits for you there!"
A cave dweller, his face painted blue, spat loudly and mocked, "Are we supposed to fear a bunch of kneelers? Hahaha! My grandmother was an old spearwife, and she could easily kill three kneelers by herself!"
The wildlings were originally the First Men who had crossed the sea from Essos ten thousand years ago. Unlike those south of the Wall, they retained pure First Men blood and had not been influenced by Andal culture. In essence, they were not so different from the Northmen.
The wildlings called themselves the "free folk," while those south of the Wall were derisively referred to as "kneelers."
After all, the people of the Seven Kingdoms were required to kneel to lords and kings.
Dany glanced casually at the cave dweller, then said to Mance, "You are different from the other wildlings—you at least understand how the political situation in the Seven Kingdoms could affect your invasion.
But sadly, Westeros has changed drastically over the past few years. You're a little behind on the news."
(End of Chapter)
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