The so-called decision made by the mountain clans on how to proceed essentially ant, "He won't interfere anymore. Let Aegor handle it himself." Although not all goals were achieved, at least the bottom line was upheld, and the promise to Asha was kept. It wasn't a total loss—of course, even if he had broken his promise, a captive wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.
As he watched the Young Wolf Lord's retreating back, Aegor suddenly realized: the boy now had the bearing of a Lord.
Identity, status, and experience can quickly alter a person's thoughts and how they deal with others. It was true for him, and it was true for Robb Stark.
...
By the ti Caitlin Bay surrendered, it was already evening. The Northern army, stationed dozens of miles south of the fortress, naturally didn't have ti to return ho imdiately via the long causeway. The next morning, at dawn, over ten thousand Northn broke camp and spent most of the morning traversing the final stretch of the Neck and crossing Caitlin Bay. After a hearty lunch, the victory celebration began.
Winter was already approaching, but the temperature in the Neck—the boundary between North and South—was still above freezing. The Northern army's gathering point a few miles north of Caitlin Bay was bustling with activity. Over ten thousand Northn had assembled in this familiar and safe place north of the Neck. Exhausted, they completely let down their guard, feasting, drinking, and bragging to anyone who would listen about the battles they'd fought alongside their lord.
These were veterans who had taken part in nurous sieges: Golden Tooth, Stagsfell, Oxcross, Burning Brand, and Crag. They had defeated the Tyrell army three tis in field battles at Ryamsport, King's Landing, and Coppergate. They had plundered mining regions in the Westerlands, and had even looted villages and towns in the Reach on their way north from Storm's End.
The Northn returned laden with gold, provisions, and glory. Though several thousand fewer than when they set out, every survivor was fortunate.
Even Aegor's Gift Army gained so recognition for having participated in the war. If word got out that the Night's Watch had ddled in the internal affairs of the Seven Kingdoms, it would be scandalous. However, after Robb Stark confird the official statent that the "mountain clans volunteered to fight" and deliberately omitted the fact that half of them were Wildlings, the Northn's affinity toward this ally from the Gift was genuine. After weeks of failed assaults, no sane soldier or commander wanted to keep gnawing on a atless, hard bone like Caitlin Bay. The sudden appearance of the Night's Watch and the Kraken's Daughter they brought, along with the successful surrender negotiations, ca as a massive relief to everyone.
---
The celebration lasted from noon until midnight. Aegor road through the Northern army camp, drinking and chatting with countless Northn and lords, picking up bits and pieces of news—so he didn't know, and so that differed slightly from what he thought he knew.
Lord Hoster Tully had passed away. Nearing seventy and bedridden for years, his death was not unexpected. This ant Robb's uncle, Edmure Tully, was now Lord of the Riverlands.
The "Last Targaryen," Daenerys Targaryen, seed to be doing quite well in Slaver's Bay, far across the sea. Not only had she avoided the dire straits she faced in ereen in the original tiline, but she was said to have taken control of Astapor and Yunkai, forming a kind of city-state alliance with ereen. The latest reports said this Dragon Queen was currently engaged in negotiations and confrontations with several external forces that sought to help the great slave masters retake their cities—and was apparently enjoying herself.
As her three dragons continued to grow, the situation seed to be stabilizing day by day, with little suspense.
Not only had the Westerlands refused to lift gold controls after the war, but Tyrion Lannister had seized the opportunity to expand his bank during the postwar rebuilding. anwhile, Ser Barristan Selmy loyally served as captain of the Kingsguard under Stannis Baratheon… And yet, without either of them, Daenerys was faring even better? Could it be that this Targaryen girl had more political talent than the two of them combined?
After deeper conversations with soldiers returning from the South, Aegor learned the reason: Petyr Baelish, the man he had sent across the Narrow Sea with a letter, had sohow beco Daenerys's Hand of the Queen!
Without a doubt, when it ca to helping an exiled princess reclaim her kingdom, Littlefinger was more effective than the Imp and the brave old knight combined. But how had that co to pass?
The world was truly descending into chaos. Aegor felt a wave of dizziness, unsure whether it was from the wine or the wholly unexpected news. But he quickly lost the energy to think further. After a few more drinks, the Northn beca even more enthusiastic, while the lighter drinkers fell into drunken stupors that soon turned to lust.
After finally shaking off a group of Northern n who insisted on calling him "brother," and dealing with a few drunken knights who tried to sneak into his camp to get a glimpse of the "Kraken's Daughter"—and perhaps do worse—this chaotic, lively day finally drew to a close.
...
The next day, the Northern army resud its journey north. Along the way, like a rocket shedding boosters, lords and their forces gradually split off and returned to their lands: Manderly, Karstark, Locke, Dustin… One family after another, one contingent after another, broke away from the main host. By the ti the army passed the Barrowlands and neared Seven City, most of the massive host had already dispersed. Even with Aegor's Gift Army and the captives counted, fewer than ten thousand remained.
This developnt had far more aning to Aegor than news of the new Lord of the Riverlands, or even Daenerys's rising power in Slaver's Bay: the war between Stannis Baratheon and the possibly false Aegon Targaryen still raged in the South, yet Robb Stark had disbanded his army. This ant that the North would not march south again to fight for the Iron Throne after reclaiming its own lands.
Though Aegor believed Varys was the one who poisoned Eddard Stark, it was, at least publicly, the Tyrells who had killed Robb's father. Would the Young Wolf Lord truly abandon his quest for vengeance? Would the other Northn accept that? In this era—especially in the sparsely populated North—raising an army was far slower than one might imagine. With Robb disbanding now, even if he wanted to call his banners again, it would take at least a month.
Without the North's involvent, and with the Lannisters of the Westerlands licking their wounds and turning inward, even with the Riverlands and the Vale continuing to support Stannis, the royalist forces were no longer strong enough to crush the Riverlands or wipe out the rebels. As winter approached, the war could not continue indefinitely. Even without detailed analysis, Aegor could sense it: Westeros was heading irreversibly toward a split into two.
Was this good or bad for his own plans? Aegor wasn't sure, but he was certain of one thing: if Robb Stark hadn't impulsively proposed to the Freys back then, and had instead approached the Tyrells cautiously and ford a marriage alliance, this war might never have had the chance to escalate in the first place. Of course, considering that he himself had enjoyed the Freys' fine food and drink, and even the "generous services" of their servants and cooks at the feast celebrating the victory over the Ironborn, he had no real right to criticize others for marrying the wrong in-laws.
Carrying heavy thoughts and worries, Aegor led his Grey Area citizens, trailing behind Robb Stark's Northern army, and once again arrived before the gates of Winterfell.
(To be continued.)
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