Game of Thrones: King of Magic

Chapter 33

Jon Snow. Near the Wall.

Our advance to the North was going very smoothly. We were walking fast, as the number of men in the group and the lack of supplies allowed it to be. From time to time we came across patrols of the Night's Watch and houses subject to the Starks, which we safely bypassed, remaining undetected.

We reached the Twilight Tower, one of the castles of the Night's Watch. It stood at the foot of the mountains, with the Wall at its end. The snow-covered Twilight Tower was relatively small, with a tall tower and flags on the roof, and lights in its windows to show that it was still active and on duty. The entrance was on the side with a low staircase leading up to it and guarded by a low gate.

Cid stopped our group in the woods almost adjacent to the Tower and, hiding behind the trees, ordered us to wait.

- We need to go near the castle," Mara said, not turning her head and somehow noticing my lack of understanding, but obviously addressing me, "There's a hidden path right behind it that bypasses the patrols and goes straight to the Bridge of Skulls, as you call it.

- I see," I nodded, "But why are we waiting? I don't see anyone.

In response, Cid silently pointed with his head a little east of the Twilight Tower. Nothing changed for a few seconds, the same snow-covered landscape, but then the lights of torches appeared in the distance.

After waiting a moment longer, I saw a group of three brothers of the Night's Watch, apparently making their rounds. They were exchanging a few words with each other, laughing or pausing from time to time, but doing their duty, though without much sensitivity or focus.

- How did you know that they would come out of there and now? - I whispered to Sid.

- The order and route of the patrols change every two months," Mara answered for him, 'It's useful to be 'silly savages', you know. You worshipers are, to put it mildly, blind and stupid.

Well, she's partly right. Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms is used to seeing and portraying wildlings the way Mara described. No one but the Night's Watch, I suppose, has thought about how wildlings cross the fabled Wall.

On the other hand, even if the Night's Watch raises the issue, there's nothing they can do about it. Remembering what Lord Stark has said about its current state, this is not surprising.

The current roster is for the most part made up of political criminals, deserters, murderers, rapists, and other such rabble. Only a small fraction of men join the Night's Watch for the noble purpose for which it was formed.

In addition to this problem, there is another, at least there was. It takes money to supply the brothers of the Night's Watch with weapons, armor, and food. Robb, who once substituted for my father and at that time knew of my intentions, told me and the rest of the siblings that the amount of money allocated by the Crown for the needs of the Night's Watch is extremely small. And the Starks, as the ruling house of the North, are taking on the task.

Well, in any case, none of this makes Mara's words any less right.

- Well, that's just the way it is," I shrugged. "I guess we wait for them to pass and then we move out?

- Yes." Sid said, and then he stopped talking.

A couple minutes of silence passed while the patrol disappeared into the Twilight Tower. We came out from behind the trees and followed Sid. Just as he had said, we passed dangerously close to the castle walls, about two hundred paces away.

From this position, I revised my opinion on the size of the castle. It now seemed tall and massive, and the night sky made it look intimidating and mesmerizing.