Chapter 79: Queenscrown Recruitment

Defeating the Free Folk is not difficult; the difficulty lies in ruling them. The Free Folk despise those who kneel and are free-spirited and undisciplined, but Eddard will not demand that the Free Folk kneel; he believes there will surely be a way when the time comes.

Once the lands Beyond the Wall are annexed, the Frozen Shore people who ride in bone chariots, the Hardfoot people who walk barefoot in the snow, the Thenn people clad in bronze scale armor and wielding bronze weapons, the Wildling skinchangers who can control beasts, and the giants who ride mammoths and stand four meters tall—all can serve Eddard.

A Wildling army; the mere thought of it excites Eddard. The giants could even help Eddard build castles, as giants can easily move massive stones. Legend has it that Brandon the Builder relied on the help of giants to build the seven-hundred-foot-tall The Wall.

Helen Pyke, the "Iron Bitch," was wearing a green linen coat and a sable fur cloak, yet she was still shivering from the cold. "It is truly too cold here; it is well-named the end of the world."

"This is the coldest place in the Seven Kingdoms, yet for the Wildlings, it is the warmest place." Eddard pointed with his finger at the forests and mountains covered in ice and snow before them. "It is summer now, and Beyond the Wall still looks like this; come winter, it is simply unimaginable. The Wildlings envy the black soil of the North."

Theon smiled and said, "Lord Eddard, the Wildlings are nothing but uncivilized savages. Although the lands Beyond the Wall are barren, the territory is vast enough. Give me one thousand well-trained soldiers, and I could wipe out all the Wildlings."

Benjen Stark disagreed. "Theon, you clearly have never dealt with the Wildlings. Among the Wildling raiders, not a single leader is easy to handle. The likes of Rattleshirt, 'Crow-Hunter' Alfyn, 'The Weeper,' and 'Dog-Head' Harma are all fierce warriors."

Theon was unconvinced. "These Wildling raiders only know how to steal chickens and dogs, and snatch women and children. How can they compare to the Ironborn? Historically, the Ironborn controlled the entire Sunset Sea, from Bear Island in the Bay of Ice in the north, down to the Redwyne Straits, Oldtown, and Fair Isle in the south—a vast territory. These places either paid tribute or submitted."

Helen Pyke agreed. "In those days, the Ironborn followed the Old Way; neither Seagard nor Lannisport could contend with the Ironborn. They could even occupy the Shield Islands of the Reach and sail up the Mander River to threaten Highgarden. The ancient Gardener Kings and the descendants of Garth the Greenhand could only tremble."

"The Wildlings should count themselves lucky that their lands Beyond the Wall are far from the Iron Islands; otherwise, the King of the Iron Islands on the Seastone Chair would have long since led the Ironborn fleet to conquer the entire region Beyond the Wall, and the Wildlings would have become bondmen and salt wives to the Ironborn."

Domeric frowned. "What use would the Ironborn longships be in the frozen wastes Beyond the Wall? Many coastlines are frozen over; if the Ironborn arrived Beyond the Wall, I fear they would rust."

Jon Snow looked at the frozen wastes Beyond the Wall and said nothing. Benjen led the group toward the east. Taking advantage of the fact that only he and Eddard were nearby, Jon said, "Father, when I come of age, I want to join the Night's Watch."

Even though Jon had proven himself on Skagos and had captured the son of the leader of the Stern Clan, earning military merit, he was still a bastard after all. Jon knew there was no place for him at Winterfell, because Catelyn and her children were there; he was Snow, not Stark.

Eddard patted Jon on the head. "Jon, don't be foolish. Winterfell is your home; I will not allow you to join the Night's Watch."

Jon tried to argue further. "But, I... Lady Catelyn, she..."

"Stay put in Winterfell. I am the master of Winterfell; Lady Catelyn cannot do anything to you." Eddard whispered in Jon Snow's ear, "One day, I will tell you who your birth mother is."

Jon Snow was instantly relieved. He nodded and said, "I understand, Father."

The next day, Eddard left Castle Black with his attendants and arrived at Queenscrown. Eddard summoned the Captain of Queenscrown, Tomard. Together, Eddard and Tomard selected soldiers from among the garrison troops.

Many of the garrison soldiers at Queenscrown were recruited from Winter Town, while others were criminals—thieves, robbers, and poachers—who had been exiled there. Queenscrown was located in the Gift, less than a day's ride from Castle Black, but it was, after all, not The Wall.

Hundreds of soldiers and residents of Queenscrown gathered around.

Tomard shouted loudly, "Lord Eddard is recruiting soldiers to rebuild the castles at The Wall and serve as soldiers there."

Upon hearing that Lord Eddard was recruiting soldiers to garrison The Wall, the garrison troops were all frightened, and the soldiers began to whisper among themselves.

"When we came here, it was agreed that we would be soldiers for House Stark of Winterfell. Why are they sending us to The Wall? They aren't going to make us join the Night's Watch, are they?"

"The Night's Watch doesn't allow men to take wives or have children; who would do such a job that cuts off one's lineage?"

"Exactly, that hellhole of The Wall—your manhood would freeze right off."

"Serving in the garrison, as long as there are no Wildling raiders, is just farming. If we go to The Wall, we might actually have to fight! Those Wildlings are not easy to deal with."

Tomard shouted for a long time, but no one responded to the call. He looked at Eddard helplessly.

Eddard raised his hand, and the surrounding soldiers and commoners immediately fell silent.

"Going to The Wall, you remain soldiers of Winterfell, not the Night's Watch. Going to The Wall is for you to repair the castles. The castles are south of The Wall; you will have no chance to go outside The Wall, and in all likelihood, you will not encounter Wildlings. If the Wildlings attack, the Night's Watch will hold the line!"

The crowd looked at one another, but still, no one stepped forward to enlist. Eddard said, "These castles are used to store food. In the future, Northern fishing boats will catch fish at sea, and these castles on The Wall will have more seafood and meat than you can eat; whoever goes will be able to feast to their heart's content. For those who serve as soldiers at the fortresses of The Wall, Winterfell will pay you an extra ten copper coins each month."

Although ten copper coins were not much, the soldiers in the garrison only earned a salary of fifty copper coins a month, and the extra ten copper coins made some people feel tempted.

"Seafood and meat, that sounds pretty good!"

"The pay has also increased; maybe it's worth a try."

Some people began to sign up, but only a few dozen people registered, and more were still waiting and watching.

Eddard continued, "In the future, relying on the castles of The Wall, Winterfell will open up manors, and beautiful young women will go there to settle down. If you go there to serve as soldiers, you will have the chance to take a wife and have children. The Night's Watch at Eastwatch, Castle Black, and the Shadow Tower do not have such treatment."

"I know that many of your ancestors were farmers, fishermen, or woodcutters. You all want to change your destiny by serving as soldiers for Winterfell; kill the enemy and perform meritorious service, and you will have the chance to earn more money and change your fate."

Eddard summoned the archer Fellan. "Fellan, what did you do before?"

"A poacher."

The commoners and soldiers nearby were all shocked. Today, Fellan was dressed in a magnificent velvet coat, covered with exquisite chainmail, and draped in a sable fur cloak with gold thread—he looked every bit the aristocrat.

Ordinary soldiers wore wool or coarse cloth coats and were grimy; seeing Fellan's style, they could not help but feel envy, jealousy, and hatred.

"How does he look like a former poacher?"

"This poacher not only wasn't sentenced to have his hand cut off, but how did he become a warrior?"

Eddard smiled and said, "Fellan was a poacher and was originally going to be sent to The Wall, but I pardoned him. He fought bravely on the battlefield, and on Skagos, he captured the leader of the Stern Clan alive, earning military merit. Because of this, I rewarded him with gold dragons and a manor."

A single gold dragon could buy a herd of plow horses; for common soldiers and ordinary people, this was a huge sum of money.

Eddard patted Fellan on the shoulder. "Choose to serve Winterfell, and you will have the chance to become the next Fellan!"

"I want to sign up to be a soldier at The Wall!"

"Lord Eddard, take me in!"

The excited soldiers and commoners rushed forward, eager to sign up.

Eddard smiled; in this way, there would be no shortage of recruits for The Wall.

(End of chapter)