Chapter 108

This rebellion had drawn together countless secondary characters from the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, all gathered here in the allied army’s camp.

How many were there in total? Too many to count.

Due to limited time and the constraints of social hierarchy, Aegor couldn’t possibly meet all these notable figures. Among them, there were two renowned warriors he hadn’t 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 couldn’t let it pass, even if he couldn’t 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.

“Beautiful!”
“Get him, Maid of Tarth!”

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 unarmored—wearing 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 wasn’t familiar with the sigil of House Tarth, the soldiers’ chants confirmed that the blue-armored knight was indeed Brienne. Taking a closer look at the “Blue Knight,” Aegor couldn’t 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.

“Come on, girl. I’ll admit you’re the toughest woman I’ve ever fought, but surely you’ve got more left in you?”

...

Egged on by the crowd’s 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 wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with swordplay. From this one strike alone, he could tell that Brienne’s skill was no empty boast. Against her sheer strength and ferocity, his old sparring partner at Castle Black, Garry—who had forty years of experience—might have held his own for a few moves. Aegor himself, however, wouldn’t have lasted more than a handful of exchanges.

As Brienne’s 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 Brienne’s back where her armor was weakest. The force sent her stumbling forward, nearly toppling into the surrounding crowd.

(Brienne isn’t 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.

“I... yield!” 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.

...

That’s it? Aegor blinked, stunned by the abrupt conclusion. Brienne’s decision to yield after just one exchange seemed out of character. But after a moment’s 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 Oberyn’s skill. Yielding to him wasn’t exactly shameful. Watching Brienne’s retreating figure, Oberyn chuckled softly and called out, “Dornish spearmanship is unmatched! Does anyone else dare to challenge me?”

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 Oberyn’s 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 hadn’t yet met. But just as he turned to go, someone grabbed his sleeve.

“Wait! Isn’t the ‘White Walker Slayer’ here? Let him spar with the prince! Let’s see what the Night’s Watch is made of!”

...

“White Walker Slayer! White Walker Slayer!” The crowd quickly latched onto the idea, their chants growing louder and louder, mingling with cries of “Night’s Watch!” and “Chief Quartermaster!” 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 Night’s Watch’s Fantastical Adventures had been out for weeks. Though it hadn’t sold nearly as well as other “specialty books” released at the same time, even soldiers couldn’t 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 rates—possibly one in ten or more. And even those who couldn’t read could still hear about the story from those who could.

As one of the first novels to hit the market, its protagonist wasn’t a knight, and its fresh premise had quickly garnered attention. Word of mouth spread fast, and Aegor’s “own story” 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 Night’s 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 novel’s 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 Aegor’s reputation as a “legendary” member of the Night’s Watch. Unfortunately, the “legend” came with heavy quotation marks.

The book’s 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.