Returning to the north is opposite to the trip that left the Great Wall and went south more than a month ago. When Ige returns to the Great Wall, he will inevitably experience the uncomfortable feeling of the temperature getting lower and lower, the road getting narrower and the people getting scarier. . Three days after leaving Winterfell, farmland villages gradually disappeared. As they approached the no-man's land between the Great Wall and the jurisdiction of the Northern Warden, the trees in the Wolfwood became deeper and denser, and the King's Road gradually turned into a forest path. ...
The mountain is to the west, and the road goes to the northeast. The weather has become colder than before. The temperature at night has already dropped below freezing point. Whenever the wind blows, it cuts like a knife into their tightly wrapped sheepskin clothes. Not only that, but the howls of distant wolves can also be heard in the forest. The little white direwolf that Jon brought with him would prick up his ears every time he heard it, but he never responded.
A week after they set out on the road, they met up with the Night's Watcher Yoren the Crow, who was waiting in a wooden manor just before entering the new land grant at the edge of the Wolf Wood. The so-called Wandering Crow is actually the clerk in the Night's Watch who is responsible for recruiting people... He gets his name because he often travels across the country to bring all kinds of scum and desperate people back to the Great Wall and becomes what the savages call "crows".
This Yoren does not look as loyal and honest as in the original drama. The ferocious expression and the thick beard and hair that almost cover his facial features can scare children to tears at first glance, but one look at him and you can tell that he is a tough guy who is not easy to mess with. He brought two ragged peasant boys from the Five Fingers Peninsula.
"Rapist." No matter how fierce the rogue was, he was just a steward. Yoren nodded to the two rangers and briefly introduced the identity of the two recruits. Westeros has a very simple and crude way of punishing criminal civilians, especially in the north. Whatever is used to commit the crime will be chopped off. Hands will be cut off for stealing, and tongues will be cut out for speaking nonsense and slandering others. If you get dizzy and stand in the wrong team, then But you have to lose your head. Two rapists... Obviously, no matter how hard the life on the Great Wall is, it is still much better than becoming a eunuch.
After the two groups merged, they became nine people and one wolf. Jon Snow couldn't help looking at Yoren and his two gloomy companions all the way, their expressions became weird, and they became silent and confused unknowingly. Egg saw the boy's change in his eyes, and of course he understood the reason: the bastard had only seen Uncle Benyan and himself as two night watchmen, and he obviously mistook the Black Legion for all decent people. He must not know that Egger got the opportunity to join Winterfell because of his good looks, good knowledge of books, and clear mind and eloquence.
Apparently, Yoren and the two rapist recruits were a startling wake-up call for him. Egger felt sorry for him. The path he chose, or was forced to choose because of his identity, was a difficult road...
***
No matter whether he was in or out of camp, Tyrion could not help. He was so small that his limp would only get in the way. So every time he stopped to settle down, the dwarf would take advantage of others to build tents, take care of horses, and light fires to keep warm. He would wrap up in his leather clothes and carry a wine bag and go aside to read alone.
That night, after everyone was busy setting up camp, Egger habitually found Tyrion at the edge of the camp.
"What are you reading?"
"A book about dragons. I took it out from the library of Winterfell with the permission of Lord Eddard Stark. I have to return it after reading it quickly." Tyrion said He put the book down on his knees and showed the content to Egger: "What I saw today is the record of the Battle of the Wrath." "
What is that?"
"One of the battles in which Aegon conquered the Seven Kingdoms. , King of Casterly Rock Laurent Lannister and King of the Reach Menn Gardener allied forces to resist the Targaryen conquest. The two armies totaled 600 lords, 5,000 cavalry, and more than 50,000 mercenaries and infantry. The Targaryen side Their military strength is only about one-fifth of that of their opponents, and most of them are recruited from previously defeated enemy armies, so their loyalty is worrying." The dwarf knew that Egg had only mastered the writing of Westeros not long ago and still had difficulty reading, so he introduced it to him. Contents of the book: "The two armies met in the flat and fertile fields along the river bend. The coalition forces launched a charge. The Targaryen army immediately scattered and fled. In just a few minutes, the article said - 'Years of conquest seemed to be coming to an end. On the rest... But this was only the few minutes before Aegon Targaryen and his two sisters entered the battle."
Egger had already guessed the follow-up development: "Then the dragon joined the battlefield, and the battle situation turned around in an instant, seven Everyone in the country doesn't know about it."
"Yes, but this is the only time in history that the three dragons of Vhagar, Meraxes and Balerion attacked at the same time. On this day, more soldiers were burned to death by dragon flames than There were even more other battles in the entire war of conquest. After the two famous battles of 'Fire of Fire' and 'The Burning of Harrenhal', the other kings gradually understood that they could not win either by defending the city or taking the initiative, so the Northern Territory The Stark family and the Arryn family in the valley surrendered without a fight, and the Seven Kingdoms quickly unified the Six Kingdoms." "The
dragon side was completely crushed, and the battle was just for the eyes, without any military reference value."
"Of course, I just looked at the picture for fun. Why do you need military reference value?" The dwarf glanced at Egger inexplicably. Thinking that the other person was a Night Watch soldier, he was quickly relieved: "The Gardener family was defeated in this battle. The group was destroyed, and the Tyrell family became the rulers of Highgarden...Thanks to the gods, my ancestors escaped from the dragon's mouth and surrendered decisively in this battle, so that I can be here today to recall this battle across time and space."
Egger was unfamiliar with many terms in this world, and it was only then that he realized that among Aegon's opponents in the Battle of the Wilderness were the Western lords of the Lannister family... No wonder Tyrion paid special attention to this battle.
"Why are you reading a book again?" Jon Snow also walked over, his face still gloomy. The chief ranger was his elder, and the Night's Watch Rogue Crow and other recruits were completely different from what he had imagined. They felt different from the people around him. The misfit boy could only talk to Egg and the dwarf at this moment.
"Is there any problem with reading?" Egger spoke before Tyrion spoke. "Jon, how old are you this year?"
"Fourteen."
"You are only fourteen years old, but you are twenty years older than many farmers' children. Why do you think this is so tall and strong even at the age of fourteen?"
"Maester Luwin said that illegitimate children grow up faster than other children."
"You are fourteen years old and you still believe this kind of lie to children?" Egger said indifferently. He sneered covertly: "Who is older, you or Robb?"
"About the same age." Jon's expression immediately dropped: "I don't know my exact birthday. Robb should be slightly older."
"You are the same age, but It seems to me that Robb is taller than you. Did you say that the bastards will grow up faster?" Egger smiled and said, "Let me tell you, you are taller and stronger than your peers because you are taller than this. Most people in the world eat well! Many children from farmers' families cannot keep up with nutrition during the most critical stage of development, and they will never be able to grow to your height and body shape in their lifetime, but you can have fish and meat every day, and Various vegetables grown in the glass greenhouses of Winterfell..."
"Under my father's management, almost no one in the north will go hungry!"
"Eating well is different. If it's just one meal, eating a large meal with a balanced diet is as effective as eating whole grains and porridge to fill the stomach. The same, but after fourteen years, the difference will be obvious."
"Really, but what does this have to do with reading."
"It doesn't have anything to do with it, but there is a saying in my hometown of Caina: Every bite you eat Things become a part of your body." Iger said, "The following is - every book you read becomes a part of your soul; every friend you make becomes a part of your social circle. ."
"The body, soul, and social circle, and maybe a little luck, are actually all a person has." He concluded: "So, I will try my best to eat well, I will try to read as many books as possible, and I will Try to make friends with people worth dating...Don't ask others why they are reading again. Lord Tyrion may be shorter than you, but his soul is much thicker than yours." The
young man blinked a few times and nodded thoughtfully. nod. The dwarf on the other side had a strange expression. He was often flattered by others, but very few people could express flattery so artistically and benefit themselves. He looked at the other person again with great interest, and found the night watchman more and more interesting: "Egg, you know, at first I thought you were an accountant who handled the night watchman's accounts, but after a while I thought you were like a braggart. Liar, then you became an adventurer from another continent... Now you become a philosopher again."
Egg smiled: "Yes, but these identities do not conflict with each other."
He is now However, he never forgets to get close to Tyrion at all times. Whether he can leave the Great Wall without escaping now depends on whether the little dwarf will take him seriously. However, although what he just said was to please the other party, it was not made up randomly. Eat well, read good books, and make friends with good people. These were his rules of conduct before time travel. Although the dwarf in front of him has a weak body and a bunch of bad habits, he is undoubtedly one of the most worthy people in the world to befriend.
***
Jon was still young. Although he felt that what Egger said was reasonable, he was still far from being able to have a sense of identity and inner resonance. After being told a lot of truth by Egg, he felt a little hungry. He looked in the direction of the camp and said, "Dinner should be ready soon. Let's go back and have a look." "
Well, let's go. The good goods brought from King's Landing are still there. I haven't finished the drink, but I don't know if there is enough meat to go with the wine."
…
The campground is already a happy scene: people have built shelters from the wind around an old wall, the horses have been fed, and the campfires are lit. Rising, Yoren sat on a rock skinning his fresh kill. The aroma of thick soup was wafting everywhere. Tyrion shuffled to the side of the servant Maurice who was stirring the hot soup. He took the long-handled spoon and tasted it before handing it back.
"Add more pepper."
Egger walked to the temporary small dining table and sat down, ready to enjoy dinner, but as soon as his butt touched the ground, several whooshing sounds suddenly sounded, followed by several shots falling to the ground and even shooting through the cooking pot. They were attacked by arrows flying from the cauldron of soup.
"Enemy attack!"
Yoren threw down the skinned prey and drew his sword with a roar.