章節 73: Qhorin's Decision #73
Emerging from within the shack, Tormund and Qhorin surveyed the area, their expressions taut as they noticed the scouts positioned around the tree line. Not privy to the ongoing situation outside during their intense interrogation, Qhorin instinctively reached for his sword, but Tormund swiftly halted him.
"Hold, Halfhand. They don't seem like enemies..." Tormund interrupted, his hand raised to dissuade the ranger's actions. "Unbelievable as it sounds, let's opt for questions first," he added with a chuckle, striding toward Gale, who observed them with an amused glint in his eye.
They converged near the bonfire, and Qhorin initiated the conversation. "Friends of yours, lad?" Qhorin inquired, a note of curiosity in his tone.
Gale shrugged, his eyes scanning the scouts. "Rayder's scouts. They're here to investigate their missing people, under Harma Dogshead's command," he clarified, attempting to offer clarity amidst the unfolding scenario.
Tormund stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Aye, they're here at the right time. They'll need to know what we've uncovered," he remarked with a contemplative air.
However, Gale had a different plan in mind. "Let's hold that thought for now. Harma should hear this directly from you," Gale suggested, rising to his feet. "Guide us to her," he directed his attention toward the leader of the scouts, signaling their intent to proceed to Harman's location.
...
Within the confines of the newly established wildling encampment nestled within the Haunted Forest, Harma cast a quizzical gaze upon witnessing Gale and his companions entering her tent.
Tormund took the initiative in greeting her.
"How fares you, Harma?" Tormund offered a greeting, but Harma's response was laden with weariness.
"As well as can be expected, considering the circumstances. I'm spread thin between fortifying the camp, searching for the vanished folk, and the cunts that vanished them," she explained with a sigh, her tone revealing the weight of her responsibilities.
"My scouts bring word that you've stumbled upon something crucial that might lighten my load. Something you intend to share soon enough, maybe?" Her tone held a note of expectancy.
Tormund glanced at Gale, who simply shrugged in response. They had privately discussed the matter of revealing information, and Gale was steadfast in his decision to keep the details about the ritual and the failed attempt to create a white walker confidential.
Tormund questioned the wisdom in withholding information and didn't fully understand his decisions but still chose to defer to Gale's judgment on the matter.
Gale cleared his throat, ready to convey all they had uncovered—from the peculiar battleground bereft of corpses to the trails leading to the caves west of the same site and the subsequent capture of the cave dweller.
Harma attentively listened, nodding occasionally and seeking clarification whenever the details seemed obscure. As the conversation shifted to the captive, Harma's inquiry loomed.
"And what revelations have you extracted from this captive of the cave dwellers?" Harma inquired, her brow furrowing in anticipation of the response.
Tormund stepped in to elucidate. "We've learned that they were the ones to ambush people Rayder sent to make camp in the Haunted Forest," he relayed, his tone tinged with a mix of calmness and annoyance.
"Moreover, they've been collaborating with the Weeper and the traitors he snatched from under Rayder's nose," he added, his expression contorting into bewilderment.
"How that weeping fool struck an alliance with the cave dwellers without speaking a word is beyond comprehension," Tormund remarked, shaking his head with a hint of exasperation.
Gale couldn't conceal his exasperation, rubbing his forehead as he spoke. "Well, as luck would have it, it did happen. Now, we have to deal with a few thousand cave dwellers, hundreds of turncoats under the Weeper's command, and more traitors lurking within Rayder's camp," he explained in a resigned tone.
Frustration permeated his words as he continued, "I had a gut feeling that watery-eyed bastard would be a pain in my ass... and here we are."
The situation had indeed tested Gale's patience, aggravation evident in his demeanor at being proven right about the Weeper's disruptive capacity.
"A few thousand men is nothing compared to the tens of thousands of warriors under Rayder's command..." Harma calmly said. "Why do these cave dwellers think they stand a chance? Have you uncovered the reason behind their foolish actions?" She asked, turning to Tormund.
"The bugger we tortured was either delusional or too tough for his own sake..." He said with a shrug. "Yet, he exuded a strange confidence... spat right in the Halfhand's face, he did..." He added with a chuckle, gesturing toward Qhorin.
"Aye, the man had a strange confidence about him. He believed his companion would barge through the door and slaughter us all to the last moment..." Qhorin commented, rubbing his chin in thought. "That level of confidence suggests these cave dwellers have something perilous up their sleeves..." He added with a sigh.
Harma frowned and paused for a moment to think. "Then we'd have to stop them as soon as possible..." She said after a brief pause. "I'll have my men marching on the cave--" She said, only to halt mid-sentence as Gale interrupted her.
"No. The cave system is overly complex. We'd be like dogs running in circles chasing our tails..." He said, shaking his head. "Those cave dwellers are like borrowing rats, but there's a way to deal with them effectively... We smoke them out..." He firmly added.
Considering Gale's suggestion, Harma shook her head after a brief contemplation. "It's a plausible plan, but those caves are too extensive with numerous exits," she countered. "My men would be spread too thin trying to block every escape route."
"Aye, we can ask Rayder to send more men, and the issue might be resolved," Gale remarked casually, his expression nonchalant. "We could also request riders from the Watch; they'd help hunt down anyone who slips through the cracks," he suggested, adding another point to his plan.
"That's a plausible approach. It will buy us time to search for survivors," Harma said, her tone reflective. "We'll station lookouts near the caves to make our presence known. The very knowledge should delay any sinister plans the cave dwellers have in store," she asserted confidently.
Gale nodded in agreement. "For the time being, that seems our best option," he conceded before turning to Edd. "I'll need you to return to Castle Black. Ask the Lord Commander for reinforcements," he directed Edd, moving toward the central table in the tent.
"I'll prepare a list of names. Make sure each of them is sent with the reinforcement," Gale continued, his expression twisting into grim determination.
Approaching Gale, Qhorin glanced at the list he was writing and noticed Alliser Thorne's name at the top. "What's this about, lad?" he inquired, puzzled by the unexpected inclusion.
Gale continued writing without pause, his voice calm yet resolute. "It's a list of potential troublemakers and dissenters. It's time to clean up the Night Watch," he explained, his eyes reflecting a determined resolve.
In the tense atmosphere of the tent, Qhorin exchanged a glance with Gale, sensing the weight of his intentions. However, he chose to maintain his silence, cognizant of Gale's resolute stance.
Ser Alliser Thorne had been a longtime comrade of Qhorin, and that very connection restrained Qhorin from raising any objections. Intimately familiar with the old knight's demeanor, Qhorin recognized that Thorne's vehement disdain for the wildlings could jeopardize the prospect of forging an alliance between the free folk clans and the Night's Watch.
If Thorne were allowed free rein, his unwavering animosity might fester and turn into something dangerous, endangering the Night's Watch at a crucial juncture.
With a bitter shake of his head, Qhorin made a conscious decision to turn away willfully ignoring the situation unfolding before him as more and more familiar names made their way to Gale's list.
Despite his history with Thorne, Qhorin acknowledged his foremost duty lay with the welfare of Westeros's people. He couldn't afford to let personal ties and emotions hinder the greater good.
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