Sword and Magic and Taxi

Jon didn't know how many words he said, how many orders he gave, and how many wildlings he killed in one night. All he knew was that when dawn came, his hands were completely numb. The bent fingers have lost the ability to move, and they can only slightly change their posture by biting them with their teeth. Ghost moved closer and let Jon put his hands under its fur, warming them with his own body heat. He couldn't use his hands, so Jon could only lean down, bite a bite of snow on the ground, and hold it in his mouth.

Here, Jon, have some hot wine. Sam's voice sounded from his ears. Jon turned around and spat out the remaining ice in his mouth, wanting to say thank you. But his throat hurt so much that he couldn't make any sound, so in the end he didn't say anything and just asked Sam to lift the wine bottle and pour it into his mouth.

Sam's mouth and legs were shaking violently, as were his hands, so a lot of warm wine spilled onto Jon's neck. It doesn't matter, since it has been soaked with sweat, frozen, and melted again many times, so it doesn't matter if there is more wine. Master Yimeng is here. He said he wants to see you.

Jon quickly wiped his mouth and said in a hoarse voice: Take me quickly. Why did you... let the old man come up?

There was a pained expression on Sam's face that looked like crying. Master Aemon said he must come up to see the savage army, but I couldn't help him. His eyes are already healed. He can't see even in the dark. It won't be a problem in the morning. big.

Master Aemon stood holding on to the base of the trebuchet, squinting his eyes hard and looking out. He saw Jon and smiled at him: Come here, your hand needs to be changed into a bandage and reapplied with medicine. I guess you can't move now, right?

It's okay, I can still draw a bow and shoot an arrow, no problem.

Then you have to think about it later. After all, you can't just draw the bow, but you also have to use a sword. Master Aemon said, Stop talking nonsense and stretch your hand over.

Jon obeyed obediently, and when he took off the bandage, he felt as if his skin was about to be peeled off, and he felt excruciating pain. He looked at Master Aemon. The old man's eyes were no longer so cloudy, but the tired look brought about by age was still there. Master Aemon, do we have a future?

I'm afraid I don't have any anymore, but you definitely do. You're still young. Master Aemon took the ointment, smeared it on Jon's hands, and then rubbed it vigorously. Dry skin and wrinkled skin rub together until they are both hot. As long as you are young, you have a future. Even savages have a future.

Jon lowered his head and held back a sob. I'm sorry, he said, wiping his eyes with his fingers. I'm sorry I let you down.

You've done a great job. We've never been disappointed, at least I haven't, and neither has Sam. The old man stretched out his hand, rubbed Jon's black hair, and tugged hard. “What a good lad, a good bunch of lads.”

But, I brought back a female... wildling. She and I... Jon's throat hurt. What he wanted to say was love, but he couldn't say it.

I can see that you two are in love with each other. If you ask me, breaking your oath is a mistake, but falling in love is never a mistake. I have loved many people. Master Aemon said: Don't look at me now I am old, but when I was young I was also a prince, the smartest and most dashing one. I loved the fragrance of flowers in spring, the warmth of summer, the fullness of autumn and the coldness of winter, and they all loved me too. Now, I love them too. You, love this cold city wall, love the people on both sides of this wall. Love is never wrong.

Jon asked in surprise: Both sides of the Great Wall? Master Aemon, do you love wildlings too?

Master Aemon smiled, bent down to take the bandage from Sam's hand, and slowly wrapped it around Jon's hand: Child, my master once told me that a person can only hear one voice in his life. , that is the echo of your own heart. So Jon, the key is not what you hear from me, but what your heart has to say. What you hear from me is just the voice of your heart, what do you think? ?”

I...I feel... Jon closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were full of strength and determination. I feel that the savages are not our real enemy, but the White Walkers are! Of course we cannot let the savages who climb the wall win, but if the White Walkers win, then our efforts today will still be in vain!

Maester Aemon bent Jon's fingers and clenched them into fists. What a pair of young and strong hands, they recover so quickly. He let Sam help him stand up straight, Okay, I'm going to see the other wounded. Jon, Alliser, they are planning to ice all the passages. Seal it up.”

No! Jon had already figured out the key, so he said: If all the wildlings are in the north, then they will all turn into wights and ghosts! You can't seal the door! I would rather fight hard and stupidly than die because of laziness. Die! I must go down now! Master Aemon, you take command. You have dedicated your life to the Wall, and people will follow you.

I am a maester sworn in a choker, and my duty is to serve, Jon. We maesters give advice, not orders.

Someone has to...

And you, you must lead everyone and make a choice. Remember, Qhorin Halfhand chose you, and Lord Commander Mormont asked you to be his steward. You are a child of Winterfell, Benjen Starr Gram's nephew, you are the night watchman, and the brothers all believe in you. Master Aemon patted the back of Sam's fat hand: I only need to command him.

Jon nodded, no longer hesitating. He looked outside the city wall. The savages began to retreat. That's not all, but it's a good sign. I remember my father once said that as long as one savage starts to retreat, then they will all retreat eventually.

Mance Rayder might be able to organize another offensive, but that would be another time. This time, the Night's Watch won the first breath-holding contest with the free folk and got a hard-earned breather. The Night's Watch is scarred, and the free folk even more so. Mance Rayder now knew that victory could not be achieved by storming the Wall. The numerical advantage will be completely wiped out by the tall and cold Great Wall on the frontal battlefield.

So Jon knew that winning next time would not be as simple as this time. The battle will not take place on the front, but somewhere else. And except for the front, the Night Watchman has no advantage at all. Even if the city gate is frozen, it still cannot change the situation. It will only make the night watchmen sit and wait for death. For them, there was only one opportunity left, and this opportunity required a city gate that could lead to the north.

He called the melancholy Eddie over. Eddie, you are the calmest one among them all. Prioritize destroying siege weapons and attacking giants. Use hoe ice scythe for the wild men climbing the wall, and use oil to form a fire zone for the area outside the city gate. I want Go to the city gate below, the Great Wall is yours!

Mine? The sadness on Eddie's face was like ice that could not be melted away.

Watch it, guard it. Jon jumped on the cage, rang the bell, and let the mule below move, and then slowly got down. He looked down once more at the earth, at Castle Black, which he called home. He has already figured out that if he wants to truly protect the Great Wall and make it an insurmountable obstacle to the White Walkers moving south, he must negotiate with the savages. The Night's Watch needs men, the wildlings need a safe home, and both have a common enemy: the White Walkers.

If we can talk, then let’s talk, but what if we can’t? Jon tightened his grip on Longclaw. If we can't talk, then the Night's Watch must win, not the wildlings. Mance Rayder organized the army, and he was the key to it all. He had been a Night Watchman and knew what was going on on the wall, and knew the Night Watch's tactics and weaknesses. Get rid of him, and the savages will fall apart. Maybe some of the savages will surrender to the Night Watch at that time, maybe... maybe there is a one-in-10,000 chance that the Night Watch will accept their surrender and thus strengthen their own strength.

But Jon knew that as long as he drew his weapon, no matter whether Mance Rayder died or not, he would never see that day again.