Chapter 4: Sunrise

The Young Man

After a couple blinks of his eyes, everything still seemed rather hazy. He was unsure of where he was, why he was laying-down, and why the only sounds he could hear were men and a few women cheering and crying. Around him, he seemed to hear a bit of both the cheering and the crying actually.

"You crazy son of a bitch, you're awake!" Rae Sand said.

"R, rrr, Rae? Why are you hear, where's Abe? What happened?"

"I'm visiting as many of our wounded brothers and sisters as I can, all of the commanders are actually. As for Abe, he just went outside to take a piss. I told him he couldn't stand by your bedside until he pissed all over the ground. The maesters wouldn't take too kindly to that, now would they?"

"No, I suppose not…Abe!"

"My brother, I thought I'd lost you for a moment back there! Do you know what you did? You're a bloody fucking hero!"

"The last thing I remember was realizing that the Windblown were going to light the whole damn field on fire and I had to get you and everyone else out of the way."

"Well you dumb fucker, you did. You not only saved my life by pushing me out of the way of the fire that was about to begin, but you saved half a dozen other lives too. Thank the Gods you jumped when you did, otherwise you'd have been burnt alive in your armor."

"So, that's why my back feels like it's on fire…"

"Yes you piece of shit for a squire, that's good though! That means you'll be able to heal fully. The maesters said it would be good for you to feel pain."

"This really fucking hurts though…"

"I'll get a maester to give you some Milk of the Poppy. I'll be right back," said Rae Sand.

After a couple gulps of Milk of the Poppy and about half an hour more bedrest, the young man was back on his feet, albeit a bit intoxicated and unbalanced. He, as ordered to by Abe, got fully dressed, and proceeded to the gathering with the rest of his brothers and sisters that could make it. After every battle, they were addressed by the Captain-General and the various unit commanders that formed the leadership of the company. This was no different in structure, but vastly different in tone since the Captain-General died in battle along with a staggering amount of their brothers and sisters.

"As most of you probably already know," began Infantry Commander "Homeless" Harry Strickland, "Captain-General Toyne has died. Blackheart was a ferocious man with an aptitude and appetite for war that I quite frankly cannot match even in my wildest of dreams. He was a good man though, never forgetting where he came from. Not for a day did he ever forget that even though he was born from a noble house, he rose his way through our ranks from common infantry soldier to knight, to leading a platoon, to leading a unit, to becoming the youngest Captain-General in the history of our noble company after King Maelys of the House Blackfyre, first of his name, rightful ruler of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men, Protector of the Realm, was slain in battle. It is today with great sadness that we shall add his skull to our banners, dipped in gold to preserve it for all eternity. Before we do this, first we must name a new Captain-General and honor with knighthood those that deserve it, which there are many after this battle. So, who shall step-forward to bestow this honor amongst a new brother worthy to join our ranks in anointment as knights?"

One-by-one, many of the surviving knights in the company stepped-forward to bestow knighthood on one of their brothers they deemed worthy. The night grew less hazy as this procession continued and day was on the verge of breaking forth. Eventually, after many other knights had stepped forward, the young man began to notice many of the eyes of his brothers and sisters upon him. He'd been told he'd done something quite brave back in the battle by not just his friend and the knight he squired for, Abe, but even by Rae Sand. Many others had given him – quite painful – pats on the back, shoulder, and head when they saw him for this gathering, but this was strange. Why was everyone looking at him? What he'd done was more a stroke of luck rather than skill. Nonetheless, he was happy to have saved the lives he did and was grateful for the praises he'd gotten thus far in this space between the end of night and the beginning of this new day. Then, not just Abe Dracarys, but Rae Sand stepped-forward together as the young man watched them walk to the front of their brothers and sisters.

Abe began to speak saying, "There are many among us who have earned knighthoods over the course of this past night. All of these men, our brothers, are deserving of admission into this fraternity. All have done deeds this past night to show their selflessness, willingness to protect those unable to protect themselves, and all will continue to live their lives in this manner not just today while the holy oils are still fresh upon their heads and their vows burning fresh in their minds and hearts. We are here, together, however to bestow this honor on one of our brothers that many of you have routinely put-down, doubted, and behaved barbarically towards. Rather than lash-out at you, he continued to stand unbowed, unbent, and unbroken by your abuses and rose to accomplish great feats of heroism. There are seven of us here today, including myself, that are alive due to him pushing us out of the way of the burning pitch released by the Windblown. He did this while prepared to sacrifice his own life in an ultimate act of selflessness. I saw this, many of you saw this too. Rae, if you'd please get the oils prepared, I'd like to call forth my squire."

Dumbfounded, the young man began to make his way to Abe and Rae at the front of the company. A million and one thoughts crossed through his mind, most of which were negative. He surely did not deserve this great honor. He'd done what anyone would have done in that situation, right? He just did what he thought was right, what he thought was just, and what he saw as his duty to his knight and his brothers in arms. Yet, here he was, being called forth to be knighted, it seemed not just by his knight and friend that he'd squired for these past six months, but with assistance in the ceremony from Rae Sand as well. That really made him doubt his worth of this honor. Nonetheless, he made his way to the front as his remaining brothers and sisters applauded voraciously for him. Now, this was a scene he'd never in his wildest of dreams thought possible, but it was happening.

"Draw your sword and kneel before me," Abe spoke in a commanding voice.

"Don't worry, you deserve this, Abe told me you'd be nervous, but you definitely deserve this. I wouldn't be helping with this if I didn't think so," said Rae in a sweet, comforting, almost sisterly voice."

Abe then drew his own sword and placed it on the young man's right shoulder while Rae picked-up vials of the seven holy oils. Together they both stood-up a bit straighter and took a deep breath. Then, Abe began to speak, not just going through the quicker version of the vows that most of the other knights gave to the newly knighted, but he began to go through the full vows.

"In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to defend the young and innocent. In the name of the Maiden, I charge you to protect all women. In the name of the Smith, I charge you to create peace where you go. In the name of the Crone, I charge you to bestow wise council unto those who seek it from you. In the name of the Stranger, I charge you to only end life when there is no other way to continue championing goodness. Do you accept these charges?"

"I do," spoke the young man.

"Please place each of the seven holy oils upon his head," spoke Abe as Rae began to anoint the young man in each oil. He looked at Rae as she put the oils upon his head and couldn't shake the feeling that she was looking at him the same way his sister used to all those years ago when she was proud of him. Daylight broke rapidly across the horizon and the members of the Golden Company began to chant in a thunderous chorus, "SUN RISE! SUN RISE! SUN RISE!"

"Arise no longer my squire, but as Ser Quentyn of House Martell, Prince of Dorne!"