Chapter 147: Marching Beyond the Wall

Under the gaze of the heart tree at Castle Black, Benjen patted Daven on the shoulder.

"Daven, with you as our guide into the Haunted Forest, the Northern Army and the brothers of the Night's Watch will surely be able to purge the enemies from the Haunted Forest. Don't you often boast that you can distinguish every tree in the Haunted Forest just by closing your eyes and relying on your nose to smell them?"

Daven was to lead the Captain of the Guard of Winterfell, Jory Cassel, and the Rock-born leader Billy Stane, along with Resson Magnar's one thousand Rock-born warriors, into the Haunted Forest. Daven clicked his wooden teeth and asked in confusion, "Legend says the Rock-born eat people; they won't eat me, will they?"

Resson Magnar smirked, "Old man, you're all skin and bones, why would we eat you? The Rock-born are very picky about their food; it must be fair-skinned and beautiful, with strong muscles and bones, plus cumin, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns, cooked slowly—only then is the taste considered delicious!"

The Old Bear Mormont said, "The Rock-born warriors have returned to the rule of Winterfell and are warriors of the North; they won't eat people, right? Lord Eddard?" The Old Bear looked toward Eddard, clearly uncertain.

Eddard smiled, "The Rock-born eating people is nothing more than a legend, just like the story that Others marry wildlings to produce half-human, half-Other monsters; it belongs to the realm of folklore. The Night's Watch should not fear the Rock-born; the Night's Watch should remember that in history, the Rock-born have even served as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."

These words instantly caused an uproar among the officers of the Night's Watch.

Bowen Marsh frowned, "Such a thing happened?"

Thoren Smallwood pursed his lips, "This is impossible?"

Alliser Thorne said with disdain, "Nonsense! How could a Rock-born become Lord Commander of the Night's Watch?"

Maester Aemon spoke up, "My lords, according to the historical records of the Night's Watch, in the history of the Watch, a warrior of the Crowl clan from Abyss Keep once served as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. A warrior of the Stane clan from Driftwood Hall even served as First Ranger of the Night's Watch."

The Ranger officers were shocked. The leader of Driftwood Hall, Billy Stane, let out a hearty laugh, "I didn't expect our family to have produced a Night's Watch Ranger! Did this Stane patrol while riding a unicorn back then?"

Resson Magnar from King's Hall and Billy Stane from Driftwood Hall brought the Rock-born army to Castle Black; those left behind on Skagos were Donald Crowl from Abyss Keep and other Rock-born tribal leaders.

Donald Crowl was the nephew of the Rock King; to divide the Crowl clan, Eddard had granted Abyss Keep to Donald. The Rock-born were known for being steadfast and strong, but Donald was an anomaly among them; he was ruddy-faced, pot-bellied, and cowardly. Eddard did not doubt Donald's loyalty, but he lacked the capabilities of Resson and Billy.

Now that the Rock King was colluding with the King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder, and the Rock King was roaming the mountains of Skagos, Eddard highly doubted whether Donald could withstand the Rock King's offensive.

Fortunately, there were other tribal leaders on Skagos, such as Aisi Binglong, Gewen Hanshuang, and others. Eddard believed that if these tribes joined forces, it would be difficult for the Rock King to stir up any major trouble.

Under the gaze of the heart tree at Castle Black, Eddard assigned tasks. Jory Cassel, Qhorin Halfhand, the mountain clan leader Black Donald, Liddle, and the big beer-barrel Wull, as well as the Rock-born leaders, were all assigned tasks; only Fellan stood to the side, and Eddard did not ask him at all.

Fellan was somewhat depressed; he stroked his Dragonbone Bow, "Lord Eddard, ever since I followed Lord Eddard, I have faced the Rock-born on Skagos in dozens of battles, large and small, and have never fallen behind. Now, beneath the Wall, facing the wildling army, why does Lord Eddard not send me into battle?"

Eddard put away the map, "Fellan, you are now the husband of Lady Barbrey of Barrowton. When I left Barrowton, Lady Barbrey once urged me that I must take good care of you."

Back then, Lady Barbrey's first husband, William Dustin, had followed Eddard, fought bloody battles, and died beneath the Tower of Joy; Lady Barbrey had held a grudge against Eddard for many years because of this. Now that Barbrey had finally found true love in Fellan, Eddard did not want her to lose another husband.

After Barbrey married Fellan, many of Eddard's policies were expected to gain the support of the Rills and Barrowton. If Fellan were to die or be injured in the war, the passionate and vengeful Barbrey would likely start hating Eddard and Winterfell again.

Fellan was not satisfied with Eddard's explanation, "Lord Eddard, I joined you on the battlefield to kill the enemy; pray tell, whose horsemanship and archery could be stronger than mine?"

As a new noble of the North, Fellan's title and reputation were earned through real combat. Now that he had married Lady Barbrey, the vast disparity in their status made Fellan yearn to establish more merit on the battlefield so he could raise his title and make himself worthy of Barbrey.

Under Fellan's insistence, Eddard had no choice but to agree.

"You will take six hundred scouts, head out beyond the Wall straight to the Fist of the First Men, purge the enemies along the way, kill every wildling scout, and after meeting the army at the Fist of the First Men to establish a camp, you will take your scouts and scout upstream along the Milkwater."

Fellan smiled, "Lord Eddard, rest assured, I will certainly not let you down; these enemies are like mud, to be trampled under my feet."

Eddard frowned, "Do not underestimate the enemy; the enemies beyond the Wall are not just wildlings; there may be Others, skinchangers, and you may even encounter giants. You must make all kinds of preparations. You are not familiar with the lands beyond the Wall; listen to the advice of the guide I have assigned to you."

Benjen said, "I will take the Night's Watch Rangers and scout with Fellan; I can just happen to serve as the guide."

The Old Bear waved his hand, "Benjen, you are the First Ranger; once we reach the Fist of the First Men, there will certainly be other tasks assigned to you; how can you go? Just let Ser Jeremy Lake go instead."

If Eddard had a choice, he would not choose Jeremy Lake; compared to Benjen, the Halfhand, and Daven, this man's abilities were too mediocre. He came from the Lake family of Duskendale and had once served in the City Watch of King's Landing; he relied on his seniority and noble birth to hold a high position in the Night's Watch, and his abilities were far inferior to those of commoner origin like the Halfhand and Daven.

However, since the Old Bear had spoken, Eddard could not directly oppose him; after all, this was a war of cooperation between the Night's Watch and the North.

Eddard said cautiously, "Is Ser Jeremy familiar with the terrain of the Milkwater basin?"

The Old Bear nodded, "Ser Jeremy is experienced, Lord Eddard, rest assured."

With the Great War approaching, some brothers of the Night's Watch went to the sept to pray to the drunken Septon Cellador; Northern soldiers and nobles prayed together before the heart tree, and some brothers of the Night's Watch chose to go to the brothel in Mole's Town to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. The war made everyone feel the threat of death; many people would never return once they set out on the journey.

For the Night's Watch to visit the brothel in Mole's Town was also a violation of their vows, but no one cared. Because the prostitutes' business was so good, they began to raise their prices, and some soldiers even set their sights on the Nurse Corps of Winterfell.

The one hundred female nurses trained by Winterfell accompanied the army; their average age was fifteen. Some soldiers had never seen nurses before and thought these young girls were camp followers.

"Hehe, this little chick is so beautiful! She actually ran to Castle Black to be a camp follower."

The Night's Watch Steward Chett was drunk; he grabbed a nurse by the waist and lecherously groped her up and down.

Steward Chett's face was covered in boils, and there was a pink tumor on his neck, which was very ugly.

Chett was the steward who served Maester Aemon; Maester Aemon was advanced in years, and the responsibility of caring for the ravens and accompanying the army fell to Chett.

Considering that he might lose his life on the battlefield, Chett also wanted to spend money to find a prostitute in Mole's Town for pleasure before the expedition, but unfortunately, he had lost all his money gambling. Penniless, he could only beg for some ale from Septon Cellador and pester Three-Finger Hobb in the kitchen for some beer.

Back then, Chett had been sent to the Wall because he killed the girl he was pursuing. Alcohol gave the coward courage; the drunk Chett saw the Winterfell nurse Shilla, immediately hugged her, and groped her wildly.

"How much is this little camp follower worth? It's been a long time since I've played with such a pretty girl."

Shilla struggled, "Let go of me!"

"Let go of that girl!" Jon Snow rushed over and knocked Chett to the ground.

Shilla was one of the twin daughters of Joseth, the master of horse at Winterfell; Joseth was the deputy to the stablemaster Hullen, and their whole family were servants of Winterfell, very familiar with Eddard's children.

As soon as Jon saw Shilla being bullied, he rushed over and saved her.

Chett stood up dizzily from the ground and glared at Jon Snow, "Who are you? I'm flirting with a camp follower, what business is it of yours?"

Jon Snow said calmly, "My uncle is Benjen Stark."

Shilla tidied her disheveled clothes with disgust, "You're the camp follower! I'm a nurse!"

Benjen Stark was the First Ranger of the Night's Watch; clearly, he was not someone Chett could afford to provoke. Upon hearing that Jon claimed to be Benjen's nephew, Chett immediately became much more respectful.

"Benjen is your uncle? Could you be the heir to Winterfell, Robb Stark?"

Theon, who was on the side, heard this and smirked, "You must be a fool; this is Lord Eddard's bastard, Jon Snow."

Upon hearing this, Chett's face changed immediately, "Pfft! I thought you were a young master of the Stark family! So you're just a bastard! Since you're a bastard, don't pretend to be a young noble in front of me."

Jon Snow was very angry; Chett was swaggering away when a huge figure knocked him to the ground.

When Chett regained his senses, the direwolves Night-Walker and Sunshine had already surrounded him, and sharp wolf teeth left a cut on Chett's face.

"Help!" Chett wet his pants and scrambled away, and the crowd burst into laughter.

Benjen approached Eddard, "Brother, I didn't expect that our House Stark would really possess direwolves. Who is training them? Is it the Master of Kennels Farlan?"

Eddard smiled, "Both little wolves were raised by my own hands; in the future, Sunshine and Night-Walker will produce cubs, and I plan to distribute them to the children."

Under the King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder, there might be skinchangers; when the time came, the Northern and Night's Watch armies might encounter shadowcats, snow bears, wild boars, and other fierce beasts controlled by skinchangers on the wasteland, and Eddard hoped the direwolves could return the favor.

The scouting and deterrent effects of the Direwolf cannot be underestimated; Eddard believes the Direwolf will become one of his trump cards.

Considering that the Nurse Corps might be harassed by soldiers, Eddard ordered Lareza, Jon, Robb, and the wildling woman Osha to take the Winterfell personal guard to protect the nurses.

The wildling woman Osha gripped her Longsword, "Lord Eddard, rest assured, if any man dares to bully the nurse sisters, I will castrate them!"

Lareza gripped her bow and arrow, "I am very happy to protect these kind and lovely nurses."

Eddard told the Night's Watch and the North nobles, "Pass down the order: those who molest nurses will be castrated for minor offenses, and executed for major ones."

These nurses were all trained by Maester Norman, the "White-Headed Old Man" of Winterfell; once on the battlefield, the nurses will use medical alcohol, bandages, and herbs to save the dying and heal the wounded, which is a major advantage for the North.

Because Maester Aemon is too old to go on the expedition and his Steward Chett is illiterate, Eddard chose Domeric to be responsible for managing the Ravens and writing letters.

Domeric looked up at the eagle, "Lord Eddard, if this eagle is truly a skinchanger, I reckon not one of our Ravens will be able to fly back, right?"

Eddard said: "A skinchanger can usually only control one eagle; we can release more Ravens, the eagle cannot catch every Raven."

Although he said this, Eddard actually had no confidence in his heart; who knows how many skinchangers Mance Rayder has under his command?

The next day, on the seven-hundred-foot-high gray-blue cliff of the Wall, the ancient Winter Wolf Horn of the North was sounded; under the gaze of the Weirwood Heart Tree, the Northern Army and the Night's Watch army set off one after another.

The first team to set off was the six hundred Winterfell scouts and a small number of Night's Watch Rangers led by Fellan and Ser Jeremy Lake; they will clear out the enemies from the Wall to the Fist of the First Men and establish a camp on the Fist of the First Men to welcome the arrival of the main force.

The second team to set off was the one hundred Shadow Tower Rangers led by Qhorin Halfhand, two hundred Winterfell cavalry, and one thousand mountain clansmen infantry; they will sweep through the Giant's Stair and Screaming Pass, penetrate deep into the Frostfangs, and drive the wildling army out of the Frostfangs.

The third team was the group heading to the Haunted Forest; this team was commanded by Winterfell Captain of the Guard Jory Cassel, composed of three hundred Winterfell cavalry and one thousand Rockborn infantry, with the Night's Watch Ranger Daven as a guide. This army will clear out the enemies in the Haunted Forest, sweep the wildlings outside Eastwatch and Green Guard, and force the wildling army in the forest to migrate northward.

According to Eddard's instructions, the allied forces of the North and the Night's Watch must kill any wildling enemies who resist with weapons; however, for those wildlings who lay down their weapons and are willing to surrender, they should capture as many as possible and send them back to the Wall.

Wildling captives caught in the Frostfangs are to be sent directly to the Shadow Tower and Westbridge; captives caught in the Haunted Forest, Hardhome, and the Antler River basin are to be sent to the nearest Eastwatch and Green Guard.

If captives are caught by the main force led by Eddard and the Old Bear at the Fist of the First Men and the Milkwater basin, they are to be sent directly to Castle Black.

After everything was arranged properly, Eddard and the Old Bear, leading a main force of more than five thousand Northern and Night's Watch allied troops, passed through the Castle Black tunnel and entered the ice-and-snow-covered Beyond the Wall.

Among them were hundreds of Barrowton cavalry, three hundred Night's Watch soldiers, hundreds of men from House Umber and House Karstark, nearly one thousand Rockborn Warriors, and the rest were all Winterfell cavalry.

The eagle in the sky kept circling and watching over Castle Black; Eddard knew that the skinchanger had seen the movements of the Northern and Night's Watch army through the eagle's vision. Eddard was very curious about what the King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder would think when he saw such a large-scale military operation in the North.

Even if Mance Rayder had many more skinchangers who could gain insight into the enemy's situation, the wildlings' disadvantages remained obvious. The wildlings lacked discipline, lacked armor and Iron weapons, and lacked warhorses; the wildlings' advantage was simply their numbers.

This is the largest Northern Expedition in the history of the North and the Night's Watch, but the number of the Northern Army is still far less than the wildlings. Because the wildlings set out with their families, the number of the wildling army is estimated to be over one hundred thousand; even if the old, weak, sick, and disabled are removed, the number of wildling Warriors far exceeds the allied forces of the North and the Night's Watch.

(End of this chapter)