ASOIAF/GOT: Why was Ser Waymar Royce leading the band of Rangers?

Gared was brother of NW for 40 years and Will 4 years. Waymar was brother only for six months, yet he was leading veteran rangers. Why did they put the newbie in charge?

(Written Jan. 22)

 I think there are a few things to consider.

• First of all, Jeor Mormont’s Night’s Watch is not quite the egalitarian meritocracy it pretends to be. There are a lot of examples that point to a general culture of aristocracy that echoes the Westerosi culture to a large extent. (And why wouldn’t it, really? Bit unrealistic to expect otherwise.) Take for example Bowen Marsh’s strident opposition to Jon Snow using Satin as his pool-boy…eh, I mean secretary/squire. Marsh’s objections mainly all come down to the fact that Satin is a low-born male whore.
• Waymar Royce has been trained since birth to command. Trained in the arts of war. Educated. He’s effectively a killing machine with honed instincts. He is brave and has the custom of several thousands years of heroic acts in his own family to inspire him. Even in modern armies, an uneducated soldier can work for 20 years without ever attaining officership, while someone with a bachelor’s degree will be on the fast track to it.
• The fact is Gared and Will are almost certainly illiterate. Having literate officers has all sorts of benefits. An occasional Cotter Pyke will rise to power, sure, but for the most part the lack of education is a very real handicap for the NIght’s Watch. (I think Mormont really should have started a literacy program in the Watch, but he doesn’t really think far enough outside of the box for that.)

Now, that out of the way, I want to defend Waymar Royce. Let’s look at the whole ranging from Waymar Royce’s point of view instead of Gared’s.

He has an assignment to follow some wildlings. He has got two experienced men to guide him but the burden of command is on him. Suddenly, they find some dead wildlings and they want to go back.

What exactly are Gared and Will’s arguments? The Cold Winds are rising?

I mean what would you do? Return to the Wall because these superstitious peasants think some legendary ice monsters that have not been seen for 8000 years outside of fairytales you used to kind of listen to when you were a kid and which everone else told you are not real have come to get ya?

It’s absurd. And yes, I know they all, including Royce, had a creepy sense of foreboding, but frankly I have the same feeling whenever I go to my garage with the lights off. That doesn’t mean I seriously believe there are dead things waiting to eat me up down there.

You are a soldier. You are in charge. You weigh consequences. And you do your duty.

And that is what Royce did. Even to his last moment, when he had the balls to take out his sword and go head-to-head with a legendary ice monster from a horror story. He deserves more respect.