The Sworn Sword — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

""A hedge knight named Ser Arlan of Pennytree took me on to squire for him when I was just a boy. He taught me chivalry and the arts of war"".

""And this same Ser Arlan knighted you?""

Dunk shuffled his feet. One of his boots was half unlaced, he saw. ""No one else was like to do it"".

""Where is Ser Arlan now?""

""He died"". He raised his eyes. He could lace his boot up later. ""I buried him on a hillside"".

""Did he fall valiantly in battle?""

""There were rains. He caught a chill"".

""Old men are frail, I know.

I learned that from my second husband. I was thirteen when we wed. He would have been five-and-fifty on his next name day, had he lived long enough to see it. When he was half a year in the ground, I gave him a little son, but the Stranger came for him as well. The septons said his father wanted him beside him. What do you think, ser?""

""Well"", Dunk said hesitantly, ""that might be, m'lady"".

""Nonsense"", she said, ""the boy was born too weak. Such a tiny thing. He scarce had strength enough to nurse.

Still. The gods gave his father five-and-fifty years. You would think they might have granted more than three days to the son"".

""You would"". Dunk knew little and less about the gods. He went to sept sometimes, and prayed to the Warrior to lend strength to his arms, but elsewise he let the Seven be.

""I am sorry your Ser Arlan died"", she said, ""and sorrier still that you took service with Ser Eustace. All old men are not the same, Ser Duncan.

You would do well to go home to Pennytree"".

""I have no home but where I swear my sword"". Dunk had never seen Pennytree; he couldn't even say if it was in the Reach.

""Swear it here, then. The times are uncertain. I have need of knights. You look as though you have a healthy appetite, Ser Duncan. How many chickens can you eat? At Coldmoat you would have your fill of warm pink meat and sweet fruit tarts. Your squire looks in need of sustenance as well. He is so scrawny that all his hair has fallen out.

We'll have him share a cell with other boys of his own age. He'll like that. My master-at-arms can train him in all the arts of war"".

""I train him"", said Dunk defensively.

""And who else? Bennis? Old Osgrey? The chickens?""

There had been days when Dunk had set Egg to chasing chickens. It helps make him quicker, he thought, but he knew that if he said it she would laugh. She was distracting him, with her snub nose and her freckles.