The Sworn Sword

Dunk led the way on the ascent, with Bennis just behind. He could see Egg above them, standing on a jut of rock in his floppy straw hat.

They reined up in front of the little daub-and-wattle stable that nestled at the tower's foot, half hidden under a misshapen heap of purple moss. The old man's gray gelding was in one of the stalls, next to Maester. Egg and Sam Stoops had gotten the wine inside, it seemed. Hens were wandering the yard. Egg trotted over. ""Did you find what happened to the stream?""

""The Red Widow's dammed it up"".

Dunk dismounted, and gave Thunder's reins to Egg. ""Don't let him drink too much at once"".

""No, ser. I won't"".

""Boy"", Ser Bennis called. ""You can take my horse as well"".

Egg gave him an insolent look. ""I'm not your squire"".

That tongue of his will get him hurt one day, Dunk thought. ""You'll take his horse, or you'll get a clout in the ear"".

Egg made a sullen face, but did as he was bid. As he reached for the bridle, though, Ser Bennis hawked and spat. A glob of glistening red phlegm struck the boy between two toes.

He gave the brown knight an icy look. ""You spit on my foot, ser"".

Bennis clambered to the ground. ""Aye. Next time I'll spit in your face. I'll have none o' your bloody tongue"".

Dunk could see the anger in the boy's eyes. ""Tend to the horses, Egg"", he said, before things got any worse. ""We need to speak with Ser Eustace"".

The only entrance into Standfast was through an oak-and-iron door twenty feet above them. The bottom steps were blocks of smooth black stone, so worn they were bowl-shaped in the middle.

Higher up, they gave way to a steep wooden stair that could be swung up like a drawbridge in times of trouble. Dunk shooed the hens aside and climbed two steps at a time.

Standfast was bigger than it appeared. Its deep vaults and cellars occupied a good part of the hill on which it perched. Aboveground, the tower boasted four stories. The upper two had windows and balconies, the lower two only arrow slits. It was cooler inside, but so dim that Dunk had to let his eyes adjust.

Sam Stoops' wife was on her knees by the hearth, sweeping out the ashes. ""Is Ser Eustace above or below?"" Dunk asked her.

""Up, ser"". The old woman was so hunched that her head was lower than her shoulders. ""He just come back from visiting the boys, down in the blackberries""."

"The boys were Eustace Osgrey's sons: Edwyn, Harrold, Addam. Edwyn and Harrold had been knights, Addam a young squire.