The Sworn Sword — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

It never went beyond a kiss or two, but… it was Addam she wept for after the Redgrass Field, not the husband she hardly knew. She blames Ser Eustace for his death, and rightly so. The boy was twelve"".

Dunk knew what it was to bear a wound. Whenever someone spoke of Ashford Meadow, he thought of the three good men who'd died to save his foot, and it never failed to hurt. ""Tell m'lady that it was not my wish to hurt her. Beg her pardon"".

""I shall do all I can, ser"", Septon Sefton said, ""but tell Ser Eustace to bring her Bennis, and quickly .

Elsewise it will go hard on him. It will go very hard"".

Not until the walls and towers of Coldmoat had vanished in the west behind them did Dunk turn to Egg and say, ""What words were written on that paper?""

""It was a grant of rights, ser. To Lord Wyman Webber, from the king. For his leal service in the late rebellion, Lord Wyman and his descendants were granted all rights to the Chequy Water, from where it rises in the Horseshoe Hills to the shores of Leafy Lake.

It also said that Lord Wyman and his descendants should have the right to take red deer and boar and rabbits in Wat's Wood whene'er it pleased them, and to cut twenty trees from the wood each year"". The boy cleared his throat. ""The grant was only for a time, though. The paper said that if Ser Eustace were to die without a male heir of his body, Standfast would revert to the crown, and Lord Webber's privileges would end"".

They were the Marshalls of the Northmarch for a thousand years.

""All they left the old man was a tower to die in"".

""And his head"", said Egg. ""His Grace did leave him his head, ser. Even though he was a rebel"".

Dunk gave the boy a look. ""Would you have taken it?"""

"Egg had to think about it. ""Sometimes at court I would serve the king's small council. They used to fight about it. Uncle Baelor said that clemency was best when dealing with an honorable foe. If a defeated man believes he will be pardoned, he may lay down his sword and bend the knee.

Elsewise he will fight on to the death, and slay more loyal men and innocents. But Lord Bloodraven said that when you pardon rebels, you only plant the seeds of the next rebellion"". His voice was full of doubts. ""Why would Ser Eustace rise against King Daeron? He was a good king, everybody says so. He brought Dorne into the realm and made the Dornishmen our friends"".

""You would have to ask Ser Eustace, Egg"".