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Chapter 108
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 22:20:40 +0000 UTCThis rebellion had drawn together countless secondary characters from the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, all gathered here in the allied armyâs camp.
How many were there in total? Too many to count.
Due to limited time and the constraints of social hierarchy, Aegor couldnât possibly meet all these notable figures. Among them, there were two renowned warriors he hadnât yet encountered: Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, and Brienne of Tarth, the Maid of Tarth.
The former was too high-ranking to approach, while the latter had likely been overlooked due to the unassuming nature of her tent.
Now that the opportunity had arisen to see them both, Aegor couldnât let it pass, even if he couldnât introduce himself. At the very least, he wanted to recognize them if they crossed paths again. Bringing along the visibly excited Kessi, Aegor moved closer to the sparring circle.
Hundreds of soldiers packed into the area, forming an impenetrable wall around the dueling ring. It took significant effort for Aegor to squeeze into a spot where he could see what was happening.
âBeautiful!â
âGet him, Maid of Tarth!â
Amidst the cheering soldiers, Aegor finally caught sight of the two combatants facing off. The taller figure was clad head-to-toe in blue armor, so thoroughly covered that even their eyes were hidden. Opposite stood a man with dark hair and dark eyes, wielding a spear. Aegor guessed that this was Oberyn Martell. Compared to his opponent, the Red Viper seemed nearly unarmoredâwearing only greaves, armguards, a throat protector, a light mail shirt, a battle skirt, and an open-faced helm. Over the mail was a layer of polished bronze scales, but all this barely covered a quarter of his body.
Though Aegor wasnât familiar with the sigil of House Tarth, the soldiersâ chants confirmed that the blue-armored knight was indeed Brienne. Taking a closer look at the âBlue Knight,â Aegor couldnât help but be impressed. Damn, this woman is tall!
Standing before the fully-armored Brienne, Oberyn barely reached her chest. Yet despite the disadvantage in height and gear, the Red Viper smirked, tilting his head with a playful taunt.
âCome on, girl. Iâll admit youâre the toughest woman Iâve ever fought, but surely youâve got more left in you?â
...
Egged on by the crowdâs jeers and shouts, Brienne roared in anger and charged at Oberyn once more, her longsword carving a brilliant arc as it slashed toward him.
Though Aegor had spent only a year as a ranger, he wasnât entirely unfamiliar with swordplay. From this one strike alone, he could tell that Brienneâs skill was no empty boast. Against her sheer strength and ferocity, his old sparring partner at Castle Black, Garryâwho had forty years of experienceâmight have held his own for a few moves. Aegor himself, however, wouldnât have lasted more than a handful of exchanges.
As Brienneâs sword descended, Oberyn twirled gracefully to the side, effortlessly evading the strike. Without even turning to look, he flicked the butt of his spear backward, landing a casual jab against the small of Brienneâs back where her armor was weakest. The force sent her stumbling forward, nearly toppling into the surrounding crowd.
(Brienne isnât a match for Oberyn at all.) Aegor could see it clearly now. Without her armor, Brienne might have had a slim chance. But in a life-or-death fight, the Red Viper only needed a bit of poison on his spear to end things decisively.
âI... yield!â Before Aegor could dwell further on the fight, the towering Blue Knight threw her longsword to the ground in frustration. She pulled off her helm, revealing her flushed and angry face, and stormed off without so much as a backward glance. The crowd of men she shoved through parted like reeds in a river, unable to stop her advance.
...
Thatâs it? Aegor blinked, stunned by the abrupt conclusion. Brienneâs decision to yield after just one exchange seemed out of character. But after a momentâs thought, he pieced it together: the duel had likely gone on for some time before he arrived. Brienne must have endured numerous taunts from Oberyn, and with victory slipping further from her grasp and her opponent dragging out the match, she had felt humiliated. Anger had driven her to throw down her sword and walk away.
The crowd booed at the anticlimactic end, but no one could deny Oberynâs skill. Yielding to him wasnât exactly shameful. Watching Brienneâs retreating figure, Oberyn chuckled softly and called out, âDornish spearmanship is unmatched! Does anyone else dare to challenge me?â
The chatter in the crowd quieted. Some soldiers shoved their comrades forward, but despite all the pushing and shoving, no one stepped up. Aegor scoffed internally. In this camp, the only ones who could stand a chance against Oberyn were either guarding their lords or standing vigil in white cloaks near the king. For someone of Oberynâs stature to lower himself to sparring with low-ranking knights was, frankly, beneath him.
Having achieved his goal of recognizing the Red Viper and the Maid of Tarth, Aegor prepared to leave and scout out any nobles he hadnât yet met. But just as he turned to go, someone grabbed his sleeve.
âWait! Isnât the âWhite Walker Slayerâ here? Let him spar with the prince! Letâs see what the Nightâs Watch is made of!â
...
âWhite Walker Slayer! White Walker Slayer!â The crowd quickly latched onto the idea, their chants growing louder and louder, mingling with cries of âNightâs Watch!â and âChief Quartermaster!â Before Aegor could react, several soldiers shoved him forward, pushing him into the dueling ring.
...
It was no exaggeration to say that Aegor had become a celebrity.
The Nightâs Watchâs Fantastical Adventures had been out for weeks. Though it hadnât sold nearly as well as other âspecialty booksâ released at the same time, even soldiers couldnât read smut all day.
While many of the peasant levies in the camp were illiterate, the assembled nobles and elite troops boasted far higher literacy ratesâpossibly one in ten or more. And even those who couldnât read could still hear about the story from those who could.
As one of the first novels to hit the market, its protagonist wasnât a knight, and its fresh premise had quickly garnered attention. Word of mouth spread fast, and Aegorâs âown storyâ soon became common knowledge.
Aegor had originally hoped the novel would establish him as an outsider to Westeros, someone whose linguistic misunderstandings had inadvertently led to his joining the Nightâs Watch. He also wanted to improve the image of the Watch, showcasing the bravery of his black-clad brothers in their fight against wildlings and White Walkers.
But reality rarely aligned with expectations. Readers ignored the novelâs main themes and instead fixated on the passage about Aegor wrestling a White Walker in the Haunted Forest. That single scene, widely retold, had cemented Aegorâs reputation as a âlegendaryâ member of the Nightâs Watch. Unfortunately, the âlegendâ came with heavy quotation marks.
The bookâs sales had brought Aegor wealth and notoriety, but it also painted a target on his back. Now, standing in the dueling ring and facing one of the finest warriors in Westeros, he realized how much of a burden fame could be.
