After spending the night, Aegor took the Kingslayer and left Golden Tooth.
He traveled east along the River Road, picked up his "little squire" at Riverrun, and then rendezvoused with the logistics train waiting for him in the town of Lord Harroway. With him were Jaime Lannister, who had twice slain kings, Arya Stark, who had caused great upheaval and was still scheming to escape her betrothal, along with one hundred Northerners and fifty Westerners. This strangely assembled company set off on their journey north to the Wall.
To avoid potential conflicts along the way, Aegor simply handed out dozens of sets of armor donated by Tywin, equipping the logistics troops in advance. Thanks to prior dyeing done in Golden Tooth, the black clothing and armor worn by the Night's Watch logistics soldiers didn't appear out of place. In this way, aside from the Northern soldiers sent by Robb, everyone in the party was clad in black. Jaime and his guards were dressed identically to Aegor's men, blending seamlessly into the group.
Aegor couldn't help but admire Tywin's meticulous foresight: by having Jaime wear black from the start, unless someone was determined to kill the Kingslayer alongside the Night's Watch, it would be difficult to locate their target in the chaos of a surprise attack.
…
His father had launched a war that gambled the future of their house, and after paying a steep price, he had "won" the right to don black and be exiled... Following this disgrace, Jaime Lannister seemed broken and dispirited. After leaving Golden Tooth, he merely trailed behind the group in silence, speaking only when necessary. He was even more tight-lipped than Jaqen.
As for Arya... she was likely still stewing after being spanked by Aegor. She neither spoke nor caused trouble along the way. Occasionally, when their eyes met, she would immediately snort and turn away. In a child's world, "ignoring you" is probably considered a cruel punishment. She likely never imagined that, in truth, adults wished she could remain this quiet and worry-free forever.
The two troublemakers caused no disturbances, and the Northern soldiers sent by Robb did not clash with the Western "volunteers" already in black. In this relatively peaceful atmosphere, Aegor felt content and relaxed, leading this odd mix of black and gray all the way to their destination without delay.
---
The North and the West had never shared a border in history. Before Jaime assaulted King Robert, the nobles of the two regions had never clashed directly. Their relations could be described as "minding their own business." There were many reasons for the poor relationship between the two, including differences in faith and culture. But ultimately, it came down to the Riverlands' proximity and the prevailing impression that "Lannisters have no honor."
…
…
Despite his notorious reputation, Jaime had never truly harmed Northern interests. Furthermore, during the war between the Six Kingdoms and the Westerlands, he had remained in Casterly Rock, recuperating, and never took up arms. In this timeline's version of Westeros, the Lannisters did not hold King's Landing, and Jaime had no irreconcilable enmity with the people of the North. These were the actual reasons Robb Stark ultimately agreed to a truce with the Westerlands, and none of his principal bannermen objected.
The Old Wolf was still alive, and the authority of the Young Wolf's decisions was greater than expected. Though much occurred as they crossed the Riverlands toward the Neck, no noble brought troops to openly obstruct or threaten Aegor and Jaime. Once they passed through the Neck into Westerland territory, the risk of Jaime being killed dropped significantly. After all, if even Riverland lords—whose lands and grain had been burned by the Westerland army—could allow Jaime to pass, then Northern lords, who hadn't suffered directly, had little reason to kill a kingslayer.
This was only Aegor's judgment. Even if the nobles didn't act, danger could come from other quarters: in the North, more and more wildlings were crossing the Wall heading south. To the east, pirates from the Narrow Sea occasionally landed to raid and plunder. And with Northern nobles and elite troops moving south in droves, local bandits and small-time thieves were growing in number. Though far from the battlefield, the North too was filled with peril.
Out of caution, Aegor kept his soldiers fully armed and vigilant. But what he never expected was that trouble would emerge right beside him—in a form he couldn't have anticipated at all.
…
The North was vast and sparsely populated. After passing Moat Cailin, heading further north meant crossing a barren region of ancient barrows and hills. It stretched hundreds of miles with barely any settlements, the most desolate part even in the sparsely populated North.
The group moved forward in slow, orderly fashion. Arya, who had been giving Aegor the cold shoulder for over ten days, suddenly approached him with a pale face and startled him by saying, "Master... I... I think I'm going to die."
"What nonsense is that?" Her words were so baffling that Aegor thought the girl was up to something again. "What happened?"
"I... I'm bleeding."
"Where? Let me see."
Arya didn't move. She only sniffled, face flushed with embarrassment.
Aegor stared at her in confusion for a few seconds, then drew a sharp breath. His pupils gradually widened. "Is it… down there?"
"Yeah." Fear overpowered her shame, and Arya looked confused and panicked. "It's been a few days. At first it was just a little, but today… it started flowing a lot. My pants…"
How much blood? Her pants? Aegor glanced down and saw the dark gray cloth stained red near the seat and thighs, forming a blackish blotch. He could smell the faint scent of blood.
Aegor swallowed hard. Since coming to this world, he had faced life-and-death struggles and hardships building a foundation… and survived them all through luck, effort, and the help of friends. But this time, he was truly at a loss.
The girl in front of him was going through a major physical change. Normally, Arya should be with her mother or at least an older woman like Septa Mordane. They would tell her this was a normal process, patiently explain how to handle it, and teach her what to be careful about…
But now?
Aegor held his head and looked around helplessly. The men nearby were all Northerners or Westerners, and among the logistics troops, only a few even knew who Arya was. There probably wasn't another woman within dozens of miles.
Was it normal for an eleven-year-old girl to start this early? Had her sword training triggered early development? What was he supposed to do?
Arya looked up at him pleadingly. Aegor's thoughts were in chaos, and he even began regretting accepting this "escort mission." But his rational mind seized on the crucial point amid the panic: no matter what, he had to act immediately—for Arya's health and to keep her identity a secret.
…
As a straightforward man, his gender severely limited his imagination and knowledge. Faced with something as mysterious as menstruation, Aegor had no idea what to do beyond "drink hot water" and "keep warm." But at this moment, he was the only one Arya was familiar with. Even if he had to bite the bullet, Aegor had to deal with this trouble that came neither too soon nor too late, but exactly at the most inconvenient moment.
…
"Have the group stop. Make camp early today," Aegor shouted to a nearby guard leading the team. "Get the tents up first!"
He told Arya to find a place to sit and rest while he personally led the others in setting up. The sun was still high, and it would be another two or three hours until dusk. Most were puzzled by the early stop, but no one objected to the extra rest. Before long, Aegor's tent was the first one ready.
"All right, don't overthink it and don't panic. Bleeding… is normal. It means you're growing up. Stay inside. I'll bring you some hot water. Wash up and change your pants later." Aegor pushed Arya into the tent, pulled the flap closed, and whispered, "And remember to put a towel under your pants!"
(To be continued.)
***
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