Sword of the Morning
A thin morning mist drifts between the branches of the ancient trees. Amidst the cries of battle, the ringing of swords and screaming men and horses, a young squire is dueling with a shaggy looking man. Rotten clothes are draped across rusty armor, once golden hair hangs in filthy limps down his face. The stitched scar that gave him his name is curled on his cheeks like a gruesome smirk, while his green eyes, nearly yellow, glint with madness. The squire is nearly the opposite of him, with his shining crimson armor and his lion pummeled sword.
Still, even though they are nearly equally matched in skill, the Smiling Knight has more experience and endurance, and it's not long before he has the squire on his knees.
That is, until a knight steps between them, dressed in white from head to toe, in his hands a sword pale as glass.
The Smiling Knight licks his mutilated lips, a twinkle in his eyes.
Finally, a challenge.
"That sword belongs to me", he says boldly.
"It's yours", ser Arthur answers, calm as the night sky, "If you can beat me."
The two knights perform a dance of life and death. Arthur Dayne is good, but he's tired of previous fights as well, whereas the Smiling Knight still has all his strength. It only takes a few minutes before the Kingsguard's sword is flying from his hand.
The squire watches helplessly, waiting for his hero to be slaughtered before his very eyes.
But ser Arthur only turns his head, and tells him to close his eyes.
The squire does, then opens them again, stubborn as he's always been, and he watches in awe as ser Arthur becomes enveloped in light. It grows brighter and brighter, pulsing from the knight's body, like a fallen star, until the brightness forces the squire to squeeze his eyes shut. Heat burns through him, and then it's gone, and when young Jaime Lannister opens his eyes, the Smiling Knight is no more than a heap of ashes. Arthur Dayne, light slowly fading from his skin, picks up his sword and dusts it off. He turns to the gawking squire with a smile.
"Kneel, Jaime Lannister... unless you don't want to be a knight?"