Chapter 153: Circle of Consipiracy
Mance was tensed listening the name Starks but an army trained by Artos Stark, it's a sign that caution must be taken.
"I heard he is The Hand of the King now," Mance said." Quite a jump in the position."
"Aye," Jon answered. "He is also The man who raised the Winterguards to put a defence on North and walls, sent me to the Wall to lead them. He takes it very seriously" Jon smiled and continued " Though they are now doing defense but if You know my uncle well, you might have guessed they are for attacks and fight at front though we are using patience due to respect of Lord Commander but you are testing it." He said smirking.
Tormund looked at the guards behind Jon.
"These are his men?"
"They are."
"And how many more?"
Jon smiled faintly. "More than Enough."
Styr spat into the fire.
"We killed enough of them."
"And lost three times as many Thenns doing it." Jon smirks and enjoying this situation.
Styr rose.
The Winterguards moved instantly, hands dropping to their hilts.
Jon remained seated.
The Magnar towered over the fire, his scarred face rigid with rage.
"My dead will be repaid, crow."
"Then send more men to the Wall. We'll burn them beside the others." Jon looked cold at that" I don't care about how many bodies or men."
Harl drew half an inch of steel before Jon lifted one hand.
"Sit," Mance ordered.
Styr did not move.
Mance looked at him.
"I defeated you three times before you followed me. Don't make me remind you why. Please sit down."
The Magnar stood there for several breaths before slowly sitting again.
Tormund scratched his beard smirking like crazy.
"You have courage, Or no sense."
Jon laughed filled with Arrogance" I raised a fucking direwolf. Been sleeping with many Men my uncle sent to wall, been fighting last year, leading a cut throat army. What do you think I am?"
Tormund burst out laughing.
Even Mance smiled.
Jon looked back toward Styr who still angry and pissed at him.
"I've known other Magnars."
"There is only one Magnar here. It's a tittle not a name you kneeler fool." He spits
"On Skagos, Magnar is a family name. House Magnar rules from Kinghouse. One of them is my cousin, brother really and others are friends of my family."
Styr gave him a contemptuous look.
"Your Skagosi Magnars are kneelers. They abandoned the old ways to bend before Winterfell. It's a disrespect to our Clan" he said in hatred.
"They still worship the old gods, keep their own customs you know ." Jon said.
"They obey a southern lord."
"They chose their place in the North and follow a Northern Lord."
"Magnar is not a family name," Styr said. "It is a title. It means lord in the Old Tongue. Your Skagosi stole the word and forgot what it meant. Because if they remember they wouldn't have used it after kneeling to a Southern Lord." Styr said.
Jon scoffs" We are every bit of Northern. If we live beyond the Wall doesn't mean we doesn't live in the winter that bless and curse us. And you are also kneeling to a King, King beyond the Wall they call him."
"We choose him and did it willingly and we don't bend our knee."
Jon laughed "That's funny because neither do they . And they did choose thier Lords willingly."
Styr stared at him across the flames, but Jon had learned what he wanted. The Thenns felt no kinship with Skagos. Whatever blood or old customs they might share had been buried beneath generations of separation.
Mance watched the exchange with quiet interest.
"You came here with questions," he said. "You've spent most of the meeting telling us how dangerous your family is."
"I wanted you to understand who you were speaking with and you are the one seemed interested in the first place." Jon replied.
"I understand. You're Jon Snow, bastard of Winterfell, guarded by the soldiers."
"And you're a deserter wearing a crown no one beyond the Wall recognises nor they ever will."
Val's eyes narrowed.
Mance leaned back.
"You speak boldly beneath another man's hides."
Jon scoffed " I really don't, I am here to say my peace. I am getting bored of this bullshit that we have been doing for a year. You know that you can't claim win in this war till Wall has reinforcements."
Mance "Don't be so eager...."
Jon cuts him off "Don't even try to fool me or more importantly yourself. It's impossible until we are here. You are an ex Brother,You should know this, this isn't the same Wall you left. It has been improved and reinforced. You aren't a fool to not see this we have established this. Yet you are doing this, makes me curious really."
Mance's fingers tapped against his knee. He gritted his teeth.
"What do you want?"
"The truth —Why are you moving south?"
"Winter is coming." Mance replied.
Jon smirked "I agree, though funnily enough. These are are words of my family. Winter is coming. I know this one quite clearly. "
"No you don't," Mance scoffed "Not this one."
There it was.
Not an answer, but the first break in the wall Mance had built around himself.
Jon glanced around the tent.
Styr watched him with open hatred. Tormund's amusement had faded. Val had gone completely still.
"What is different?" Jon asked.
"The cold," Val said, almost interrupted not letting anyone spoke at that moment.
Mance looked toward her.
She said nothing more.
Jon continued. "Entire villages have been abandoned. Your people have left hunting grounds they fought over for generations. Women, children and old men are marching with your warriors." Jon looked each and every one of them. " And you are telling me this because of the cold "
Styr's hand tightened around the shaft of his axe.
Mance's expression remained calm.
One of the unknown chiefs cursed. Styr began to rise again, but Mance stopped him with a glance.
Tormund stared into his drinking horn.
Mance finally "It isn't the cold we are afraid of but the winter night it comes with"
Jon readied to intervene but Mance made a gesture to stop Jon, "I know what I am saying and It is different boy. When the night will come all will perish that's why we must cross the Wall."
Jon listened to this and was confused really but he reckon he will not get much even pushing them a bit more but his purpose for tonight is to push them as hard as he can and get as much information he can.
"What's this night you spoke of?" Jon asked.
Mance looked at him for a long time.
Then he smiled, though there was no warmth in it.
"You came to gather information."
"I never claimed otherwise." Jon spoke.
"I've learned enough to know you don't truly want a war with the Wall."
Styr growled. "We will break your Wall."
"You haven't broken it yet. Nor you ever will that's a guarantee I give you."
"We will."
Jon turned fully toward him.
"You've spent a year throwing men at stone and losing. Every month, more supplies arrive from the North. Every moon, more men are trained. The Watch is no longer alone, and We are not even given the full support of the Winterguards that army that you will or have fought against."
Mance understood the warning.
The others heard only a threat.
"If you attack in force," Jon continued, "the Wall will bleed you. If you climb it, the Winterguards will wait on the other side. If you somehow defeat them, every lord in the North will call his banners. Then the Starks will come and when they come then the Winter will be coming."
Tormund's eyes narrowed. "You think it frightens us?"
"No. "
The fire cracked between them.
Jon rose."But it should.This meeting has given me what I came for."
Mance remained seated. "You have no agreement."
"I didn't come to make one."
Jon faced the King-Beyond-the-Wall.
"You know what waits at the Wall. Now I know there is something behind you that scares you to death. It's not me who will be desperate King beyond the wall" he mocked Mance, saying in a manner that it held no authority in his opinion and it didn't.
For the first time, Mance's expression hardened.
Jon had struck close.
Not close enough to learn the whole truth, but close enough.
"Then We will meet again, Jon Snow," Mance said. "And when we do, you may find yourself less proud and arrogant."
"No,You may find me with more men who are ready to defend North with thier lives."
Tormund gave it a serious look. Styr with his hatred ones.
Val pulled aside the entrance to the tent.
The meeting was finished.
Jon stepped into the cold with his Winterguards behind him and the wildlings started to form another escort to lead them from the camp.
The wind had strengthened. Snow moved across the dark ground in thin white sheets, hiding the distant mountains.
Somewhere beyond them lay the reason an entire people had abandoned their homes.
Jon still did not know its name.
But for the first time, he knew the wildlings were not marching south because they believed they could win. That's what he had gained. Although it was risky to believe they could have a talk they pulled it off. Though results remain much to desired.
But to his Suprise, A man he hasn't expected has come to talk to him.
"Jon Snow, May we have a talk. " Said the unexpected man.
Jon smirked "Sure, I didn't expect you The Great Magnar of Thenns, Styr himself to come to me." He smiled slyly " To talk ofcourse."
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