GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond the Ice

Woo—Woo—Woo

The horn blew—once, twice, and then a third time.

One sound meant brothers returning home, two meant wildlings were approaching, but why was it still blowing?

It had been thousands of years since the Night's Watch had blown the horn three times. The meaning behind it was so obscure that most of the black brothers had forgotten. But Aegor hadn't.

When that third, piercing sound, higher and longer than the first two—split through the freezing air atop the Wall and bored into his ears, Aegor's heart sank. He was on duty at the time, having just drawn lots to stand watch. Hands trembling, he gripped the icy wall and gazed out from its northern edge.

What he saw chilled him to the bone, a sight so terrifying he wished he could forget it for the rest of his life.

---

Aegor woke up in a cold sweat, his back drenched.

That same nightmare haunted him again, a vision of the White Walkers, figures that should only belong in legends thousands of years old. The haunting had started the moment he joined the Night's Watch. Back then, when he was just a recruit, standing sentinel for the first time had rattled him. Even now, after becoming a full-fledged ranger, the fear lingered.

Some might find it laughable to be so troubled by ancient myths. But Aegor knew better than the others: many of the stories about the White Walkers were true.

He knew because he was a traveler—a soul displaced in time.

Aegor wasn't a man of this world. He had come from another, one far removed from this fantastical, brutal place. Yet, rather than achieving greatness, rising to power, or forming a harem as one might in stories, his journey led him to the Wall—a remote, desolate place. Here, he swore an oath not to marry, not to inherit land, not to father children. He was to be a shield that guards the realms of men, defending Westeros from the ancient dangers lurking in the Far North.

What a noble, selfless cause! A hero's ambition that transcended worlds.

If only that were the truth.

In reality, Aegor hadn't taken the black by choice.

His story began a year ago. Back then, he wasn't "Aegor" at all. He was an ordinary college graduate, living a humdrum life in another world. After finishing his degree, he'd taken a job in the quality control department of a large company—"a job slightly related to his field of study," as he often described it. It wasn't glamorous, but the pay was steady, and he lived comfortably enough.

Then one day, everything changed.

Aegor woke up shivering in the wilderness, dressed only in his pajamas. Disoriented and freezing, he wandered aimlessly through an unfamiliar landscape. For hours, he trudged without finding shelter until, at last, he stumbled upon a village.

But to his shock, the people in the village were not like him. They spoke a language he couldn't understand, and looked at him like he was an alien.

Unable to communicate and starving, Aegor resorted to stealing food, potatoes from a field and clothes to stave off the cold. He even considered taking some eggs from a chicken coop but was caught in the act by the villagers.

For his petty crime, the local official—an impatient man who looked like a farmer himself, presented him with two options: lose a hand or don the black cloak of the Night's Watch. The message was delivered with a crude display of body language.

Faced with the prospect of maiming on his very first day in this world, Aegor reluctantly chose the latter. The villagers called him "Aegor" after the nickname they had given him during his capture, and it stuck. Thus, Aegor was sent to Castle Black as a criminal, joining the ranks of the Night's Watch.

The first time he laid eyes on the Wall, it took his breath away. Its sheer size and majesty were overwhelming. The towering, 200-meter-high structure of ice loomed over the landscape like no mountain he had ever seen. In that moment, Aegor realized where he was: the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. Or maybe it was the Game of Thrones universe. He didn't have enough information to say for sure. All he knew was that he was trapped in this harsh, merciless world.

---

"Awake?"

Gary, his roommate, was already up, packing by the window. The older man glanced over at Aegor and shook his head. "Get ready early. Otherwise, you'll be the first one complaining about forgetting something once we're out there."

Gary was a veteran of the Night's Watch. He'd joined as a boy after losing his parents, and though he wasn't yet fifty, he had served for over forty years. The Night's Watch was his home in every sense. Despite his gruff demeanor and tendency to lecture, Gary had looked out for Aegor, helping him adjust to life in the Watch.

With a resigned sigh, Aegor climbed out of bed, shaking off the damp quilt, and began dressing for the day.

As a modern man with a college education, Aegor prided himself on his adaptability. It hadn't been easy, but in the year since he arrived in this world, he had learned to blend in. Aegor now communicated fluently with his fellow brothers of the Night's Watch.

That had been no small feat. The Common Tongue of Westeros wasn't English. It resembled English only slightly in grammar and structure, and Aegor's knowledge of the language had been no help here. The months of struggling to learn had been frustrating, but he'd managed.

---

After a quick breakfast with Gary, Aegor packed his gear and joined three other rangers for their patrol. Together, the group made their way to the stables, mounted their horses, and approached the tunnel leading through the Wall.

The iron gate creaked as it rose, revealing the dark, frigid passage beyond. Sir Waymar Royce, the leader of their party, entered first, his back straight and his head held high.

The tunnel was cold and silent, save for the occasional whistling of the wind. They passed through three iron gates, each heavier than the last, their way lit only by flickering torches. When they finally emerged on the other side of the Wall, the forest loomed ahead of them—a dark, endless expanse known as the Haunted Forest.

The Haunted Forest was a vital part of their patrol. Though it stretched all the way to the Land of Always Winter, the Night's Watch kept the woods closest to the Wall clear of trees. This deforested "buffer zone" prevented wildlings from using the cover of the trees to launch sneak attacks. However, with the dwindling numbers of the Night's Watch, maintaining this practice had become increasingly difficult.

Aegor glanced back at the Wall, now behind them. The massive structure seemed to weep as it melted in the summer heat, drops of water trickling down its icy face. It was a welcome sign. At least for now, the temperature was bearable, and they wouldn't have to worry about freezing during their patrol.

The horses trudged forward, their hooves crunching through the snow. The group crossed the deforested buffer zone and entered the Haunted Forest. Aegor shivered. No matter how many times he ventured into these woods, they never failed to unnerve him.

---

The year was 297 AC—three years before the War of the Five Kings would tear Westeros apart. In Winterfell, Eddard Stark still muttered, "Winter is coming," as he enjoyed the company of his family. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen was still a frightened girl living under the shadow of her brother. The White Walkers, though stirring in the Far North, had yet to unleash their full terror upon the world.

For now, the realm was at peace. It wasn't the worst time to find oneself in Westeros, if you had the luxury of avoiding danger. But as a ranger of the Night's Watch, Aegor had no such luck. He couldn't simply hide behind the Wall and hope for safety.

Instead, his duty demanded that he go beyond it, facing the dangers of the Far North head-on.

The irony wasn't lost on him.

When he'd first arrived at Castle Black, Aegor had tried to prove himself as a man of intellect. He hoped to catch the attention of Lord Commander Mormont or Maester Aemon, earning a position as a steward or scribe. At the very least, he'd hoped to avoid being sent beyond the Wall.

But his plans had failed spectacularly.

No one cared about his education or wit. To the Night's Watch, he was just another recruit—a thief with no noble name or connections. He lacked the pedigree of men like Benjen Stark or Jon Snow, and so his fate was sealed.

Aegor had been assigned to the Rangers, the elite soldiers of the Watch. It was an honor most men would envy, but for him, it felt like a death sentence.

Here, he wasn't the hero of a grand tale. He was just another expendable pawn in the fight against the darkness beyond the Wall.