Chapter 16: Caravan
Oswin had been accepted as Magnar by the entire tribe after his performance in the attack and subsequent pursuit of Thenn's people. It wasn't that a vote was taken or anything, but the entire tribe followed his orders.
The tribe used to go by what the majority wanted and anyone could refuse a request, but now the Magnar had the final say, and if they wanted to disobey him, they would have to leave the tribe.
Blake also had a good position within the tribe, he managed the food, housing, clothing, and even weapons. So, although Oswin gave the orders, it was Blake who said how they would be carried out.
Over the next week, they gathered more food, finished building the huts, distributed the clothing, and made progress on building the wall.
Blake also built a hut for himself and Ygritte after spending an uncomfortable night watching his father "fight" with two tribal women. While it wasn't the first time Oswin had brought a woman to the cabin, it was the time Blake felt the most uncomfortable.
The new cabin, Blake decided to make larger, to facilitate his night work. The huts Blake had made so far for the tribe were triangular in design, with six logs used as central columns, but this one he made square, more like a modern cabin.
Blake also began the so-called "guard shifts," where six men of the tribe would take turns during the night, bow in hand and with torches, stand guard in case of attack.
At the end of the week and seeing how the tribe was looking better and better, Oswin thought it would be a good time to make the trip to Shadow Tower that he had postponed for a dozen days.
The goods were ready and prepared, and Blake had even made another batch of goods when he had free time.
This time not only Oswin, Wymond, and their sons would go, but ten fully armed warriors would be part of the caravan.
The other warriors would stay behind to protect the tribe.
"You are left in charge of the tribe, son."
The tribe gathered to bid farewell to the Magnar, and Oswin publicly left Blake in charge.
After the farewell, Blake gathered the women and children over the age of six in the tribal center and taught them how to make crafts. He taught them how to braid baskets, how to dry stalks to make rope, how to make glue from resin and charcoal, and he also taught them how to carve.
His idea was that these non-combatants who also did not go out hunting would have work to do, even in case of a storm they could continue working in their huts and thus maximize craft production.
Of course, women could be warriors and hunt like any man, but not all of them had the courage or strength to do so, and this would give them some utility within the tribe.
As for making clothing from the skins, Blake would wait for them to show their skill and select the best, as it was a very important product and could not be wasted at this time.
Blake carved wooden shovels and ordered rocks to be brought from the riverbank to make paths connecting the interior of the tribe.
He also ordered a group of three tribal warriors to search for wild goats in the frozen tusks to augment the herd. As for how to feed them, he asked all the hunters who knew the enchanted forest best where he could get the necessary fodder.
Gradually the tribe improved its infrastructure, and after a week the caravan sent to Shadow Tower returned.
To Blake's delight, his father managed to bring back two Aurochs from this exchange, though Oswin didn't seem too happy to be without his prized horse.
"Perhaps next time, Father."
"Yes."
"Yes, maybe next time..."
Blake and Ygritte comforted their dejected father and stowed the burden.
"You've done a good job."
Oswin looked at the wall that surrounded ¼ part of the tribe and congratulated his son.
"We'll finish the wall soon, then dig a ditch around it to maximize security."
Oswin nodded and replied.
"When I was young and stupid, I scaled the wall to loot some southern town, there was a big town called Mole's Town, what you are doing here reminds me a bit of that place."
"You scaled the wall?"
Blake raised an eyebrow questioning his father.
"I'll tell you the story next time."
Oswin put a hand on Blake's head and went back to his cabin.
Blake watched his father leave and shook his head. He was sure he just wanted to sleep and fornicate with his women.
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(POV Denys Mallister)
"THAT CRAZY BASTARD!"
Denys shouted, banging his desk loudly.
"DOES HE WANT TO START A WAR!"
On the desk could be seen a letter mentioning the betrayal and subsequent execution of Rickard and Brandon Stark. Among those executed was Jeffory Mallister, his nephew.
Denys Mallister's eyes were red with pent-up rage.
For a second he thought of pulling his men out of Shadow Tower and marching to King's Landing. But those thoughts vanished as quickly as they came.
He was commander of Shadow Tower, but if he wanted to remain so he had to follow the rules of the Night's Watch, Qhorin as second in command, would not allow such insubordination among his brothers.
Denys slumped back in his chair, gritting his teeth so hard they felt as if they would break.
After nearly an hour, he managed to calm down and wrote a letter to his brother in Seagard giving him advice.
"Sire, Oswin has come with goods from beyond the wall!"
Who opened the door was Qhorin, his second in command and leader of the scouts.
"So he's not dead."
Denys touched his temples listening to the arrival of the savage.
This had been one of his headaches before he received the news from King's Landing.
Oswin had been a savage he had traded with for over a year now.
He was incredibly punctual and reliable. And he had managed to dress all his boys in good furs thanks to him.
He had also traded much of his old miscellaneous items, and the rest he had sent to the other fortresses as a show of good faith or sold in Mole's Town for a few coins.
At first, he hesitated to trade with savages, but the news had long since reached him that at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the Night's Watch had traded with savages by restocking their store cupboards.
Why should he leave his boys out in the cold when those pirate bastards were having a good time ashore?
At first, almost as a revenge, he had traded the savage some food in exchange for some trinkets and crudely stitched furs.
But as time went on the goods were getting better and better, until they reached the quality of good craftsmen, and he even brought in more savages increasing the amount of goods he could bring in over time.
As he had never been more than a couple of days late during this year, and was now almost two weeks behind schedule, Denys thought the savage had died somewhere along the way.
"Come on, let me see what he brought."
Denys went down the tunnel to see Oswin, behind him followed by Qhorin without a word.
When Denys met the savage he was slightly surprised by the men accompanying them.
"I tell you Oswin, bring that boy of yours at once, he'll make a good Night's Watch, I'll take good care of him."
Denys listening to the conversation between Mance Rayder, one of his scouts, and Oswin, frowned.
It was not uncommon for the Night's Watch to take young orphaned wildlings to bolster their ranks. Mance Rayder himself was one of them. But if the stories Oswin told about his son were true, he would not know what to do with the boy.
Oswin had claimed that the fur robes made by his son were capable of scaring off wild beasts. And he would only have laughed at this had it not been for the reports of several scouts where they claimed to be ambushed by dire wolves or shadowcats, and that these beasts fled after smelling them.
Oswin also said that all the carvings and clothing he brought were made by his son, and if that was true, the boy had a monstrous speed of work, worse still, more and more items were arriving.
North of the wall there were many legends, secrets, and strange things going on, and for him, Oswin's supposed son had become one of them.
Denys finally arrived near Oswin, Mance, and the other wildlings showing his presence.
"I thought you died of cold on the road and the wolves ate your carcass."
"No, but I had to delay a few days as my tribe received an attack from some of Thenn's men who deserted."
Denys saw Oswin show a somewhat weary face as he recounted what had happened.
The men of Thenn were one, if not the, strongest tribe north of the wall.
If they received an attack from them they were understandable to struggle for a few days, that was little compared to dying after all.
"What did you bring this time?"
Denys finally entered the stores and Oswin began emptying the backpacks and taking out all the goods.
Denys saw that the quality in detail of the products continued to improve, but there was more crafting and carving than furs, which were his main interest.
"Even though the crafts are very good, there's not as much clothing and furs, did something happen?"
Denys watched as Oswin made a sign of resignation and shook his head.
"We have already brought almost all the furs from the tribe, for now, this is all we have, but my son is already thinking of something to get more furs."
Denys nodded but waggled an eyebrow at the mention of Oswin's mysterious son again.
"While I would have liked you to bring more robes, the goods are still of excellent quality, I have something you will like."
Denys could sell all this for a good amount of silver stag, so he was not stingy and gave two Aurochs, along with some spices and food in exchange for everything.
"When will you give me that horse I've been asking for so much?"
"Maybe next time if you bring better things."
"Maybe next time..."
Oswin walked away back to his tribe, and Denys could hear a certain tone of reluctance in his last words, shaking his head.
Though he didn't give him a horse, the Aurochs were male and female, they would be more useful to him than an old horse north of the wall.
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