Mance Rayder’s hands are bound by hempen rope and a noose is tied around his neck. The other end of the rope is looped about the saddle horn of Ser Godry Farring’s horse. Jon has pleaded with Stannis to spare Mance’s life, but Stannis has remained unmoved. The law is plain; a deserter’s life is forfeit. Mance is dragged toward a deep pit filled with logs, leaves, and kindling. Godry, along with a dozen men-at-arms, heave Mance into a wooden cage suspended over the pit. On a wooden scaffold above the pit Melisandre addresses the wildings enclosed within the stockade. She denounces Mance as a king of lies who sought to bring down the Wall. Two of the queen’s men bring forth the Horn of Joramun. Mance had uncovered the horn high up in the Frostfangs beneath Joramun’s grave. It is black and banded with old gold, eight feet long from end to end. Runes are carved into the golden bands in the writing of the First Men. The horn bursts into flames before it is pushed into the pit. Within the cage Mance screams, claws at the noose around his neck, and denies his kingship. At Jon Snow’s command four black brothers let loose four arrows. One arrow takes Mance in the chest, one in the gut, and one in the throat. The fourth strikes the cage’s wooden bars. Mance dies before the flames consume him. And now his Watch is done, Jon murmurs softly.
On the wood scaffold Stannis unsheathes Lightbringer, to demonstrate for the wildings the strength of R’hollor. The sword glows red and yellow and orange, alive with light. Westeros has but one king, Stannis cries out. He promises food, land, and justice for those who would bend the knee, elsewise the wildings are free to return to the haunted forest. The gates of the stockade are opened and the wildings are forced to choose: go south and swear allegiance to Stannis and the Lord of Light, or return to the wild. Those who choose Stannis are each handed a piece of white weirwood; they must throw the piece of wood into the fire pit and renounce the old gods. Most of the free folk submit. Among those who kneel before Stannis is Sigorn, the new Magnar of Thenn. Rattleshirt, as well, throws his weirwood branch into the flames, followed by Halleck, brother of Harma Dogshead, and Alyfn Crowkiller’s son.
Afterwards Jon orders Bowen Marsh to break apart the stockade for firewood and to throw any corpses into the flames. The Lord Steward counsels Jon to seal the Wall’s gates; to fill the tunnels with chunks of stone and pour water through the murder holes. Jon promises to consider his proposal. Craving company, Jon decides to take supper with the men. The men of the Night’s Watch take their meals in the stone cellar below the armory. Pyp is making the men laugh with an impression of Melisandre when Jon walks into the room. Jon chastises Pyp, telling him it is dangerous and foolish to ridicule another’s religion. Grenn promises to make sure Pyp behaves himself, and asks Jon if he will join them to eat. Jon hesitates, recalling the words of his father: a lord may love the men that he commands, but he cannot be a friend to them. Another day, he replies, and leaves the dining room.
Outside again, Jon walks to the rookery. He knocks and enters. Inside he shares a cup of mulled wine with Clydas and discusses the day’s events. Jon tells Clydas about a passage he has read from the Jade Compendium, that told of Azor Ahai. Maester Aemon had instructed Jon to read the book before he left for Eastwatch. The passage described how Lightbringer was never cold to the touch – in battle the blade burned fiery hot. Jon notes that the sword that Stannis yields is cold.
Back in his bed chamber behind the armory, Jon writes two letters. The first is to Ser Denys, the second to Cotter Pyke. Halder and Toad he dispatches west to Shadow Tower, Green and Pyp to Eastwatch. He has sent away all of his friends, save the Old Bear’s raven. This is my lot, Jon realizes, from now until the end of my days.
No comments:
Post a Comment