Chapter 141: Shadows in the Flames
The cavalry that charged into the wildling army were clearly seasoned soldiers. Against such opponents, and caught completely off guard, the wildlings had almost no chance to resist.
The encirclement didn't last long before both sides suddenly stopped fighting.
Just as Jon Snow was wondering why the battle had ended so quickly, he saw several horses slowly riding out from the formation.
One of them carried a man bound on its back.
The riders came to a halt beneath the Wall. A knight with graying hair raised his voice and shouted upward:
"Men of the Wall, hear this! Before you stands the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm—Stannis Baratheon!"
"The King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance, has been captured. Open your gates and allow us entry!"
Hearing the name Baratheon, Jon took a closer look at their banner.
Within the flaming red heart, he could faintly make out the shape of a stag.
He hadn't expected Stannis to abandon his traditional sigil, instead placing the stag within the burning heart to form a new banner.
After embracing the Lord of Light, Stannis had adopted the fiery heart to show his devotion—no wonder Jon hadn't recognized it at first.
With their identity confirmed, Jon had no reason to deny them entry. In fact, he had originally planned to let the wildlings pass through the Wall himself—now it was simply a matter of adding Stannis's army into the equation.
The Night's Watch existed to guard the Wall, to prevent wildlings and White Walkers from crossing south.
Whether Stannis was truly king or not made little difference to them.
---
Stannis's army passed slowly through the tunnel beneath the Wall.
Along with them came Mance and several wildling leaders, while the rest of the wildlings were left outside for the time being.
Once inside, Stannis immediately ordered his men to secure key positions in Castle Black, effectively taking control of the defenses.
Seated in the main hall, he commanded that Mance be brought before him.
The nearly sixty-year-old wildling leader stood tall and unyielding, even with his hands bound.
"Kneel. Acknowledge me as King of the Seven Kingdoms, and order your warriors to join my army," Stannis said coldly. "Do that, and you will live."
"The free folk do not kneel," Mance replied firmly, his chest lifted.
"I will ask you again," Stannis said, his tone unchanged. "Will you kneel?"
"Never."
"Take him out. Bind him to a stake. I will burn him myself."
For the first time, a trace of anger showed on Stannis's face.
Nearby, Jon watched as Mance was dragged away. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
He understood.
Stannis had gone to great lengths—sailing to Eastwatch and circling behind the wildlings—for one purpose: to bring them under his command.
If Mance refused, there was no chance he would be spared.
And Jon knew that, in front of Stannis's army, his authority as Lord Commander carried little weight.
---
In the courtyard of Castle Black, the red priestess Melisandre stood before Mance.
She intended to use his sacrifice to seek visions in the flames.
Holding a torch, Stannis addressed the gathered wildling leaders, including Tormund Giantsbane:
"Mance refused to submit. This is his fate."
"Each day, I will bring forth another leader. Refuse, and you will share his end."
"For every day you refuse, your people will remain beyond the Wall another day."
With that, he stepped forward—
And set the pyre alight.
The flames quickly spread to Mance's feet. He gritted his teeth, enduring the searing pain, but being burned alive was not something anyone could easily withstand. When the fire climbed to his chest, the agony of his skin splitting open became unbearable, and he finally let out a piercing scream.
The wildling leaders watching nearby all showed expressions of anguish, but Stannis Baratheon remained unmoved, staring coldly as Mance was slowly consumed by the flames.
Nearby, Melisandre fixed her gaze on the fire, murmuring under her breath. Within the flames, a shadow began to form—gradually becoming clearer.
Thwack!
Mance's screams suddenly stopped.
With great effort, he raised his burned, unrecognizable face and looked toward the wooden gallery above. Jon Snow stood there, lowering the bow in his hand.
A trace of relief appeared on Mance's face. His head tilted to the side—
And he died.
Stannis glanced up at Jon, frowning slightly. Nearby, Tormund Giantsbane looked at Jon with gratitude.
The ritual had been interrupted. Though unwilling, Melisandre could do nothing. As she looked at Jon, the shadow she had seen in the flames seemed to overlap with him.
Witnessing their former leader burned alive, the wildling chiefs now fully understood Stannis's cold ruthlessness—and Melisandre's disregard for life.
The very next day, Tormund, on behalf of the wildling leaders, submitted to Stannis and requested that the free folk be allowed through the Wall.
Though the wildlings were not as disciplined as Stannis's soldiers, their physical strength was exceptional. Stannis was confident he could train them into proper troops.
Once the White Walkers were driven back, they would be no weaker than his own army.
And then—
It would be time to march south and claim the Iron Throne.
---
As wildlings who had fought the Night's Watch for thousands of years began entering the Wall in waves, many among the Watch were deeply dissatisfied.
Alliser Thorne, who had failed to become Lord Commander, and others like him, grew increasingly resentful.
Some even began blaming Jon for allowing Stannis and the wildlings through.
When they learned that Jon had already planned arrangements for the old, the weak, and the children among the wildlings, their dissatisfaction only deepened.
To them, it seemed he had intended all along to let the wildlings in.
---
The able-bodied wildlings were kept at the Wall, broken up and integrated into Stannis's forces as guards.
The old and the young were sent to settle around the Gift, to farm the land.
The North was vast and sparsely populated—accommodating even two hundred thousand would not be difficult.
---
Though the ritual had been interrupted, Melisandre had still gained something.
What she had seen in the flames—
Was Jon's shadow.
But a shadow alone told her nothing. In her mind, it simply meant Jon possessed an unusual constitution, someone from whom she could draw even greater power.
The thought that the Lord of Light might have chosen someone else never crossed her mind.
She had absolute faith that Stannis was the chosen one.
---
When Melisandre told Stannis about the shadow she had seen, he immediately understood what she intended.
Just like before, when she had used the blood of his brother Robert Baratheon's bastard, Gendry.
The idea made him deeply uncomfortable.
But for the Iron Throne—
He chose to look away.
And allowed Melisandre to seek out Jon.