Wildlings thieves

[Jovem Corvo]

I'm afraid this is not the most clever of questions, but I can't understand something in the prologue of AGOT.

Assuming that the Night's Watch rangers don't go following every person they see around by the lands past the Wall, why would Ser Wyman Royce and his crew chase a bunch of wild men for days and days with no apparent reason?

It's said they stole something, but as the rangers are not cops they wouldn't go there to solve simple robbery of the free folk UNLESS the wildlings stole something from the Night's Watch. That seems what happened to me. But what would the stolen object be? It must have been something important for a week worthy of such persecution or perhaps Sor Wayman just wanted to prove his leader capacity in his first leading mission. Either way, I really wonder what was stoled.

For some time I tought it was an axe of two blades that every time is being mentioned or described in the chapter but if it were, Will would have recognized when he saw it at the wildlings (now, wigths) camp. The thing is that he doesn't recognize it, nor he report the axe to Waymar when he comes back in the first time, so I don't thing the wildlings stole the axe.

I am aware that my question has no importance whatsoever for the overall facts of the book but I honestly can't get it out of my mind every time I reread this prologue. :drunk: Please, is there something I am missing? Is it said somewhere what it was stolen?

[lionhead]

Its not said but its in the watches interest to keep accurate intelligence on the wildings, where they are, numbers, organisation, strength etc.

Hence send the rangers out there every now and again to gather intelligence.

Just trying to think if the following could be a spoiler at this stage of the book so will try to be careful how i put this:

Reports may even at that early stage be reaching the wall that the King Beyond the Wall could be plotting something so again it would be a good idea to send rangers out to see what those pesky wildings are up to, again intelligence.

<think i avoided a direct spoiler there>

[Jovem Corvo]

Yeah, I agree with you that the rangers were there in a sort of reconnaissance mission. They probably do this a lot, indeed.

I am curious about the stolen object but as you say it was never mentioned. Perhaps not even the author thought much about it, he just needed a reason for the guys being in that place... It's kind of frustrating. :leaving:

[Woftis]

I don't think there's any significance in what was stolen or why they were there. Ultimately, IMO GRRM was just looking for a way to introduce the Others.

The way I read it, the only reason they were out there was (as you mentioned) Ser Waymar wanted to prove he wasn't 'green' and earn a name for himself.

[rustypaladin]

Ser Waymar Royce was trying to prove himself. We may never find out what the wildlings 'stole' but we do know that Royce is headstrong, ambitious and perhaps a bit overzealous. He wanted to return to the wall having been a success at hunting down his first wildlings, even just for the sake of doing it.

Rangers track the wildlings in hopes of keeping them subdued (they are 'wild' afterall).

[Bad Hound!]

It is mentioned somewhere in AGOT that the Nights Watch was originally set up as an army guarding against the Others, but with the passage of time and centuries, it has forgotten its original purpose and now only deals with wildlings (as no Other has been seen for centuries if not millenia).

So it would make sense that they chase wildlings and keep tabs on them, since they wouldn't have much else to do if they didn't do that.

[Glom]

I think that the Nights watch set out to catch every wildling band that makes it over the wall and back. the Nights watch can´t tolerate that the wildlings manage to do that over and over again. So this time they are close enough to follow them, probably hoping to find a lair or something.

[Woftis]

I think that the Nights watch set out to catch every wildling band that makes it over the wall and back. the Nights watch can´t tolerate that the wildlings manage to do that over and over again. So this time they are close enough to follow them, probably hoping to find a lair or something.

I'm not sure about this theory as it assumes that the NW men were south of the wall, Later in the book, Benjen is sent North to find the other two.

This also begs the question of how the 3rd NW man made it south of the wall to be beheaded by Ned. I kind of assumed he climbed the wall like many wildlings have done before him.

I can't remember exactly, but I don't think there's any mention of them being to the south - apologies in advance if it was mentioned.

[Glom]

I'm not sure about this theory as it assumes that the NW men were south of the wall, Later in the book, Benjen is sent North to find the other two.

This also begs the question of how the 3rd NW man made it south of the wall to be beheaded by Ned. I kind of assumed he climbed the wall like many wildlings have done before him.

I can't remember exactly, but I don't think there's any mention of them being to the south - apologies in advance if it was mentioned.

True!

I assume that the wildlings have been south of the wall, raiding, but now is on the run northward (on the north side of the wall). The Nights Watch are sent out to find them, my guess is that they have followed them from the wall and North.

When I first saw the series, and then read the book, I wondered how that crow could get south of the wall. I also wondered what it possibly could be that those wildlings stole from that side of the wall. How to pass the wall is explained in later books.

[Woftis]

True!

I assume that the wildlings have been south of the wall, raiding, but now is on the run northward (on the north side of the wall). The Nights Watch are sent out to find them, my guess is that they have followed them from the wall and North.

When I first saw the series, and then read the book, I wondered how that crow could get south of the wall. I also wondered what it possibly could be that those wildlings stole from that side of the wall. How to pass the wall is explained in later books.

Ahh sorry, I've re-read your comment and realise I misunderstood it first time around - yep a raiding party on their way back is entirely plausible from what we know of the wildlings,

[BlackBrother55]

I think that the Nights watch set out to catch every wildling band that makes it over the wall and back. the Nights watch can´t tolerate that the wildlings manage to do that over and over again. So this time they are close enough to follow them, probably hoping to find a lair or something.

I assume that the wildlings have been south of the wall, raiding, but now is on the run northward (on the north side of the wall). The Nights Watch are sent out to find them, my guess is that they have followed them from the wall and North.

How could the wildlings get south of the Wall, it goes from coast to coast across the north and goes 700 ft up, and is patrolled by the night's watch. The wildlings probably stole something from a ranger or something.

[Sordelor]

It is mentioned somewhere in AGOT that the Nights Watch was originally set up as an army guarding against the Others, but with the passage of time and centuries, it has forgotten its original purpose and now only deals with wildlings (as no Other has been seen for centuries if not millenia).

So it would make sense that they chase wildlings and keep tabs on them, since they wouldn't have much else to do if they didn't do that.

I tought they attacked westeros 8000 years ago.