The Brotherhood Without Banners had taken Meg and her friends, as well as the Hound, to their secret hideout inside a hollow hill. To Meg's surprise, she recognized two of the outlaws there, Harwin and Seamus. They had been members of her father's household guard. They recognized her too. "Meg Griffin?" Harwin exclaimed. "What are you doin' here?"
"I was about to ask you the same question," she said.
"Arr," said Seamus. He had two wooden legs and two wooden arms. "Lord Griffin sent twenty of 'is own men out with Lord Beric Dondarrion that day. Harwin an' I was two of 'em. Now, besides us, there's only four others still alive, an' they're scattered to the four winds. But as long as we're still alive, we won't stop resistin' the Lannisters."
The two men who had captured the Hound, Blubs and Durland, had bound his wrists with hempen rope, strung a noose around his neck, and pulled a sack down over his head, but even so there was danger in the man. Now Blubs and Durland were being questioned by a man in armor who looked like a scarecrow. A thicket of red-gold hair hid most of his face, save for a bald spot above his left ear where his head had been smashed in. One of his eyes was gone, and he had a dark black ring all around his neck.
"How did you take him?" the scarecrow knight asked.
"Our dogs caught the scent," said Blubs.
"He was sleepin' off a drunk under a willow tree, if'n you believe it," said Durland.
"Betrayed by his own kind." The scarecrow knight yanked the Hound's hood off. "Welcome to our humble hall, dog. It is not so grand as Robert's throne room, but the company is better."
"Who is that guy?" Meg whispered to Seamus.
"That's Lord Beric hisself!" Seamus replied.
"That can't be him. I remember seeing him at a tournament back in King's Landing and he was handsome then."
"Arr. Well, dyin' an' comin' back ter life five times in a row is bound ter take a toll on yer appearance."
"Untie me, why don't you?" the Hound shouted.
"First you must be judged for your crimes," said Beric, "and if you are found guilty, you'll be hanged."
"What crimes have I committed?"
"Murder is a crime," said Thoros, the red priest.
"Who did I murder?"
"Lord Lothar Mallory and Ser Gladden Wylde," said Harwin.
"My brothers Lister and Lennocks," declared a guy named Jack-Be-Lucky.
"My friends Bebe Stevens and Annie Knitts," said a young girl named Heidi Turner.
"My dad," said another girl named Gaz Membrane.
Tom Sevenstrings took up the count. "Alyn of Winterfell, Joth Quick-bow, Little Matt and 'is sister Randa, Anvil Ryn. Manly Dan Corduroy and 'is daughter Wendy. Lord and Lady Northwest, that was so rich…"
"Enough." The Hound's face was tight with anger. "You're makin' noise. These names mean nothin'. Who were they?"
"People," said Lord Beric. "People great and small, young and old. Good people and bad people, who died on the points of Lannister spears or saw their bellies opened by Lannister swords."
"It wasn't my sword in their bellies. Any man who says it was is a bloody liar."
"You serve the Lannisters of Casterly Rock," said Thoros.
"Once. Me and thousands more. Is each of us guilty of the crimes of the others?" Clegane spat.
"I am a just lord," Beric told him. "Prove your innocence with a blade, and you shall be free to go."
The Hound laughed a long rasping laugh that echoed off the cave walls, a laugh choking with contempt.
Blubs sliced apart the ropes that bound Sandor Clegane's hands together. "I'll need sword and armor," the Hound said.
"Your sword you shall have," declared Lord Beric, "but your innocence must be your armor."
Clegane's mouth twitched. "My sword against your breastplate, is that the way of it?"
"Edric, help me remove my breastplate." A boy stepped up to undo the clasp that fastened the battered steel about Lord Beric.
Gendry sucked in his breath. "Mother have mercy." Lord Beric's ribs were outlined starkly beneath his skin. A puckered crater scarred his breast just above his left nipple, and when he turned to call for sword and shield, Meg saw a matching scar upon his back. It looked like a lance had gone through him at some point.
Another boy named Dib fetched Lord Beric his sword belt and a long black surcoat. It was meant to be worn over armor, so it draped his body loosely, but across it crackled the forked purple lightning symbol of House Dondarrion. He unsheathed his sword and gave the belt back to his squire.
Thoros brought the Hound his sword. "Does a dog have honor?" the priest asked. "Lest you think to cut your way free of here, or seize some child for a hostage… Anguy, Blubs, Durland, feather him at the first sign of treachery." Anguy, Blubs, and Durland picked up bows and notched their shafts.
When the Hound made to step toward his foe, Thoros stopped him. "First we pray." He turned toward the fire in the center of the cave and lifted his arms. "Lord of Light, look down upon us."
All around the cave, the BWB members lifted their own voices in response. "Lord of Light, defend us."
"Lord of Light, protect us in the darkness," said Thoros.
"Lord of Light, shine your face upon us," said the others.
"Light your flame among us, R'hllor," said the red priest. "Show us the truth or falseness of this man. Strike him down if he is guilty, and give strength to his sword if he is true. Lord of Light, give us wisdom."
"For the night is dark," the others chanted, Harwin and Seamus as loud as the rest, "and full of terrors."
"This cave is dark too," said the Hound, "but I'm the terror here. I hope your god's a sweet one, Dondarrion. You're goin' to meet him shortly."
Unsmiling, Lord Beric stuck his sword into the fire pit, and set it on fire!
"Burn in seven hells," the Hound cursed. "You, and Thoros too." He threw a glance at the red priest. "When I'm done with 'im you'll be next, Myr."
"Every word you say proclaims your guilt, dog," answered Thoros, while Lem and Gaz and Jack-Be-Lucky shouted threats and curses. Lord Beric himself waited silent, calm as still water, his sword burning in his hand. He stood so still he might have been carved of stone.
But when the Hound charged him, he moved fast enough.
The flaming sword leapt up to meet the cold one, long streamers of fire trailing in its wake like ribbons. Steel rang on steel. The fire swirled about Dondarrion's sword and left red and yellow ghosts to mark its passage, until it seemed as if he was standing in a cage made of fire. "Is it wildfire?" Meg asked Gendry.
"No. This is different. This is…"
"…magic?" she finished as the Hound edged back. Now it was Lord Beric attacking, filling the air with ropes of fire, driving the bigger man back on his heels. He touched the Hound with his burning sword and set his arm on fire!
But then suddenly the flame burned out. The blade collapsed in a pile of ashes and Beric was left holding the handle.
The Hound flashed an evil grin and drove his own sword into Beric's chest. The blood came rushing out in a hot black gush. Beric fell down, seemingly dead.
Sandor Clegane jerked backward, still burning. He dropped down and rolled in the dirt to smother the fire running along his arm. "Please," he rasped, cradling his arm. "I'm burned. Help me. Someone. Help me." He was crying. "Please."
Gaz spat. "I say we take him back to Stoney Sept and put him in a crow cage."
Harwin sighed. "R'hllor has judged him innocent."
"Who's Rulore?" Meg couldn't even say it.
"The Lord of Light. Thoros has taught us…"
"I don't care what Thoros has taught us!" Gaz yanked Harwin's dagger from his belt and spun away before he could catch her. "I'll finish him off myself!" Tom Sevenstrings and Heidi Turner were helping the Hound to his feet. Gaz ran at him. "You go to hell, Hound! You just go to hell!"
"He already has," said a voice scarce stronger than a whisper. It was Beric Dondarrion! Thoros had brought him back to life again!
Gaz cursed as Lem Lemoncloak grabbed her wrist and twisted, wrenching the dagger away from her.
Then a Mossflower robin came flying into the cave. "Hello, Chibb," said Beric. "What news do you have for us?"
"Ahem, harrumph. I've seen several members of the Bloody Mummers in a septry not far from here. We could, ahem, 'scuse me, sneak up on them and take them by surprise."
"Well done, Chibb," said Tom. "'Ave a few bags of candied chestnuts."
