The Sworn Sword

Bennis had his shield slung across his back, a tall kite shield of unpainted wood, dark with countless layers of old varnish and girded all about with iron. It bore no blazon, only a center bosse that reminded Dunk of some great eye, shut tight. As blind as he is. ""How do you mean to fight her?"" Dunk asked.

Ser Bennis looked at his soldiers, his mouth running red with sourleaf. ""Can't hold the hill with so few spears. Got to be the tower. We all hole up inside"". He nodded at the door. ""Only one way in.

""Until they build some steps of their own. They might bring ropes and grapnels, too, and swarm down on you through the roof. Unless they just stand back with their crossbows and fill you full of quarrels while you're trying to hold the door"".

The Melons, Beans, and Barleycorns were listening to all they said. All their brave talk had blown away, though there was no breath of wind. They stood clutching their sharpened sticks, looking at Dunk and Bennis and each other.

""This lot won't do you a lick of good"", Dunk said, with a nod at the ragged Osgrey army. ""The Red Widow's knights will cut them to pieces if you leave them in the open, and their spears won't be any use inside that tower"".

""They can chuck things off the roof"", said Bennis. ""Treb is good at chucking rocks"".

""He could chuck a rock or two, I suppose"", said Dunk, ""until one of the Widow's crossbowmen puts a bolt through him"".

""Ser?"" Egg stood beside him. ""Ser, if we mean to go, we'd best be gone, in case the Widow comes"".

The boy was right. If we linger, we'll be trapped here. Yet still Dunk hesitated. ""Let them go, Bennis"".

""What, lose our valiant lads?"" Bennis looked at the peasants, and brayed laughter. ""Don't you lot be getting any notions"", he warned them. ""I'll gut any man who tries to run"".

""Try, and I'll gut you"". Dunk drew his sword. ""Go home, all of you"", he told the smallfolk.

"No one moved. The brown knight stared at him, his mouth working. Dunk ignored him. ""Go"", he told the smallfolk once again. It was as if some god had put the word into his mouth. Not the Warrior. Is there a god for fools? ""GO!"" he said again, roaring it this time. ""Take your spears and shields, but go, or you won't live to see the morrow.