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Chapter 59 The Wall

In Winterfell's Great Hall, the victory feast had ended. Rewards had been distributed, and Owen had resigned as Captain of House Stark's Guards. Eddard Stark had even provided him with men and supplies to return to Ramsgate and build his new holdfast.

For now, the war was over. Before the Northern army had returned, Stannis Baratheon had sent a raven to Eddard, inviting him to travel to the Stormlands—Stannis intended to negotiate with Renly. Though Stannis resented Renly's claim to the throne, he now had Eddard's support, plus the North and Riverlands as allies. Unlike in the original timeline, he no longer feared Renly's near-ten-thousand-strong army.

As for King's Landing, Stannis planned to deal with Renly first. He refused to waste his strength fighting the Lannisters over a throne of iron. He understood that only power could secure his position.

Thanks to Stannis's truce, House Stark had achieved its original goal: rescuing Sansa. Eddard had no desire to restart the war. Thus, lords were allowed to return to their fiefdoms, and Owen had been granted permission to leave for Ramsgate.

Owen's only wish was to reach Ramsgate quickly and gather men to build fast ships. By his calculations, the White Walkers should already be on the move.

"Lord Owen—Lord Eddard requests your presence," Vayon Poole said, finding Owen just as he was preparing to depart for Ramsgate with his men.

Owen followed Vayon to the training yard, where Eddard stood talking with Greatjon Umber.

"You sent for me, my lord?" Owen said, approaching Eddard.

"Owen, the building of your holdfast will have to wait," Eddard replied. He handed Owen a letter. "Maester Aemon Targaryen at Castle Black sent this. Beyond the Wall, wildlings are massing. Jeor Mormont has taken the Night's Watch rangers out to scout—and Jon went with them."

"He writes that the Night's Watch is shorthanded," Eddard continued, his voice grave. "The Wall is full of gaps; they can't stop wildlings from slipping through. They need help. Worse, Maester Aemon fears the wildlings' movement isn't just a simple attempt to cross the Wall. Something dangerous is forcing them to flee south."

"What would you have me do?" Owen asked.

"Across the North, only Ramsgate—aside from Last Hearth—has the strength and proximity to the Wall to act quickly," Eddard said. "Greatjon and I have agreed: we'll send 500 cavalry, drawn from the soldiers who didn't march south (from Winterfell, Dreadfort, Karhold, and Last Hearth). You'll command them, and deliver food and weapons to the Wall."

"I'll do it, my lord," Owen said, bowing.

"Thank you," Eddard said, his expression troubled. "I hope you understand my predicament. You're the only one in the North with the skill and power to handle this. I won't ask more than this: find out what's really happening beyond the Wall."

"The winter is coming," Eddard added softly.

"You suspect the White Walkers?" Owen asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I can't be certain," Eddard said, his face darkening. "But Maester Aemon's letter reminds me of the Night's Watchman we executed outside Winterfell. He swore he'd seen White Walkers, even as he died. I can't ignore that."

"Rest easy, my lord. I'll uncover the truth," Owen promised solemnly.

Owen was secretly glad for the detour to the Wall. The White Walkers would have to be faced eventually. Better to spread word of their return across Westeros now, rather than wait for Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen to beg for help with a horde of wights at their heels. In his eyes, all the fighting over the Iron Throne was meaningless compared to the war against the White Walkers.