The Sworn Sword

""Coldmoat was ours, and the Horseshoe Hills, the caves at Derring Downs, the villages of Dosk and Little Dosk and Brandybottom, both sides of Leafy Lake… Osgrey maids wed Florents, Swanns, and Tarbecks, even Hightowers and Blackwoods"".

The edge of Wat's Wood had come in sight. Dunk shielded his eyes with one hand and squinted at the greenery. For once he envied Egg his floppy hat. At least we'll have some shade.

""Wat's Wood once extended all the way to Coldmoat"", Ser Eustace said. ""I do not recall who Wat was. Before the Conquest you could find aurochs in his wood, though, and great elks of twenty hands and more. There were more red deer than any man could take in a lifetime, for none but the king and the chequy lion were allowed to hunt here. Even in my father's day, there were trees on both sides of the stream, but the spiders cleared the woods away to make pasture for their cows and sheep and horses"".

A thin finger of sweat crept down Dunk's chest. He found himself wishing devoutly that his liege lord would keep quiet. It is too hot for talk. It is too hot for riding. It is just too bloody hot.

In the woods they came upon the carcass of a great brown tree cat, crawling with maggots. ""Eew"", Egg said, as he walked Maester wide around it, ""that stinks worse than Ser Bennis"".

Ser Eustace reined up. ""A tree cat. I had not known there were any left in this wood. I wonder what killed him"". When no one answered, he said, ""I will turn back here. Just continue on the west way and it will take you straight to Coldmoat. You have the coin?"" Dunk nodded. ""Good. Come home with my water, ser"". The old knight trotted off, back the way they'd come.

When he was gone, Egg said, ""I thought how you should speak to Lady Webber, ser. You should win her to your side with gallant compliments"". The boy looked as cool and crisp in his chequy tunic as Ser Eustace had in his cloak.

Am I the only one who sweats? ""Gallant compliments"", Dunk echoed. ""What sort of gallant compliments?""

""You know, ser. Tell her how fair and beautiful she is"".

Dunk had doubts. ""She's outlived four husbands, she must be as old as Lady Vaith. If I say she's fair and beautiful when she's old and warty, she will take me for a liar"".

""You just need to find something true to say about her. That's what my brother Daeron does. Even ugly old whores can have nice hair or well-shaped ears, he says"".

""Well– shaped ears?"" Dunk's doubts were growing.

""Or pretty eyes. Tell her that her gown brings out the color of her eyes"". The lad reflected for a moment. ""Unless she only has the one eye, like Lord Bloodraven""."

"My lady, that gown brings out the color of your eye. Dunk had heard knights and lordlings mouth such gallantries at other ladies. They never put it quite so baldly, though. Good lady, that gown is beautiful. It brings out the color of both your lovely eyes. Some of the ladies had been old and scrawny, or fat and florid, or pox-scarred and homely, but all wore gowns and had two eyes, and as Dunk recalled, they'd been well pleased by the flowery words. What a lovely gown, my lady. It brings out the lovely beauty of your beautiful colored eyes. ""A hedge knight's life is simpler"", Dunk said glumly. ""If I say the wrong thing, she's like to sew me in a sack of rocks and throw me in her moat"".

""I doubt she'll have that big a sack, ser"", said Egg. ""We could use my boot instead"".

""No"", Dunk growled, ""we couldn't"".

When they emerged from Wat's Wood, they found themselves well upstream of the dam. The waters had risen high enough for Dunk to take that soak he'd dreamed of. Deep enough to drown a man, he thought. On the far side, the bank had been cut through and a ditch dug to divert some of the flow westward. The ditch ran along the road, feeding a myriad of smaller channels that snaked off through the fields. Once we cross the stream, we are in the Widow's power. Dunk wondered what he was riding into. He was only one man, with a boy of ten to guard his back.

Egg fanned his face. ""Ser? Why are we stopped?""

""We're not"". Dunk gave his mount his heels and splashed down into the stream. Egg followed on the mule. The water rose as high as Thunder's belly before it began to fall again. They emerged dripping on the Widow's side. Ahead, the ditch ran straight as a spear, shining green and golden in the sun.

When they spied the towers of Coldmoat several hours later, Dunk stopped to change to his good Dornish tunic and loosen his longsword in its scabbard. He did not want the blade sticking should he need to pull it free. Egg gave his dagger's hilt a shake as well, his face solemn beneath his floppy hat. They rode on side by side, Dunk on the big destrier, the boy upon his mule, the Osgrey banner flapping listlessly from its staff.

Coldmoat came as somewhat of a disappointment, after all that Ser Eustace had said of it.