The Sworn Sword by George R. R. Martin Read Free Book Online Page B

informed me of what had been done to my poor Dake, I swore a holy vow that I would never set foot inside that castle again, unless to take possession. So you see, I cannot go there, Ser Duncan. Not to pay the blood price, or for any other reason. I cannot .”
    Dunk understood. “I could go, m’lord. I swore no vows.”
    “You are a good man, Ser Duncan. A brave knight, and true.” Ser Eustace gave Dunk’s arm a squeeze. “Would that the gods had spared my Alysanne. You are the sort of man I had always hoped that she might marry. A true knight, Ser Duncan. A true knight.”
    Dunk was turning red. “I will tell Lady Webber what you said, about the blood price, but . . .”
    “You will save Ser Bennis from Dake’s fate. I know it. I am no mean judge of men, and you are the true steel. You will give them pause, ser. The very sight of you. When that woman sees that Standfast has such a champion, she may well take down that dam of her own accord.”
    Dunk did not know what to say to that. He knelt. “M’lord. I will go upon the morrow, and do the best I can.”
    “On the morrow.” The fly came circling back, and lit upon Ser Eustace’s left hand. He raised his right and smashed it flat. “Yes. On the morrow.”
     
    “ Another bath?” Egg said, dismayed. “You washed yesterday.”
    “And then I spent a day in armor, swimming in my sweat. Close your lips and fill the kettle.”
    “You washed the night Ser Eustace took us into service,” Egg pointed out. “And last night, and now. That’s three times , ser.”
    “I need to treat with a highborn lady. Do you want me to turn up before her high seat smelling like Ser Bennis?”
    “You would have to roll in a tub of Maester’s droppings to smell as bad as that, ser.” Egg filled the kettle. “Sam Stoops says the castellan at Coldmoat is as big as you are. Lucas Inchfield is his name, but he’s called the Longinch for his size. Do you think he’s as big as you are, ser?”
    “No.” It had been years since Dunk had met anyone as tall as he was. He took the kettle and hung it above the fire.
    “Will you fight him?”
    “No.” Dunk almost wished it had been otherwise. He might not be the greatest fighter in the realm, but size and strength could make up for many lacks. Not for a lack of wits, though. He was no good with words, and worse with women. This giant Lucas Longinch did not daunt him half so much as the prospect of facing the Red Widow. “I’m going to talk to the Red Widow, that’s all.”
    “What will you tell her, ser?”
    “That she has to take the dam down.” You must take down your dam, m’lady, or else . . . “Ask her to take down the dam, I mean.” Please give back our chequy water . “If it pleases her.” A little water, m’lady, if it please you. Ser Eustace would not want him to beg. How do I say it, then?
    The water soon begun to steam and bubble. “Help me lug this to the tub,” Dunk told the boy. Together they lifted the kettle from the hearth and crossed the cellar to the big wooden tub. “I don’t know how to talk with highborn ladies,” he confessed as they were pouring. “We both might have been killed in Dorne, on account of what I said to Lady Vaith.”
    “Lady Vaith was mad,” Egg reminded him, “but you could have been more gallant. Ladies like it when you’re gallant. If you were to rescue the Red Widow the way you rescued that puppet girl from Aerion . . .”
    “Aerion’s in Lys, and the Widow’s not in want of rescuing.” He did not want to talk of Tanselle. Tanselle Too-Tall was her name, but she was not too tall for me.
    “Well,” the boy said, “some knights sing gallant songs to their ladies, or play them tunes upon a lute.”
    “I have no lute.” Dunk looked morose. “And that night I drank too much in the Planky Town, you told me I sang like an ox in a mud wallow.”
    “I had forgotten, ser.”
    “How could you forget?”
    “You told me to forget, ser,” said Egg, all innocence.