Chapter two
The journey
It had been over 6 months since Justin's fight with Darren Payne who had just recently been knighted. Justin's relationship with Rina was growing, they had been spending more and more time together and Justin had grown fond of her company after the long days of training. Word had reached the keep that Eddard Stark had been named hand of the king and there would be a great tourney to celebrate the occasion. Justin had heard the news from one of the serving girls gossiping in the corner as usual, as his uncle, cousins and the other knights and squires had prepared to leave Justin began to saddle up Thunder, he had seen the coach arrive that would carry the ladies of the house and their handmaidens, it was a beautiful sight oak pained blue with golden swirls decorating the whole of the carriage, he could only imagine the tedious conversations that would take place inside, making him overjoyed to know he would spend much of the journey riding Thunder and sleeping under the stars. It was well past noon when the party had started to move, Justin was excited for the journey, he had never been to Kings Landing before and had only seen a small tourney not at all as remarkable as he expected the hands tourney to be. He wondered if Ser Douglas would allow him to fight in the melee or if he'd have to spend the whole of the tourney watching from the sidelines, over the last six months Justin had grown fond of the old knight, his beatings became less of a regular occurrence, he had taken to training Justin personally teaching him how to joust and fight with larger weapons then a long sword although Justin still preferred fighting with the sword. The knight had even given him a castle forged long sword for his sixteenth name day, Justin had thought it odd at the time that he would get anything from the man for his name day but he was happy all the same.
It was past dusk when his uncle had decided to stop travelling for the night Justin had reined Thunder to the make shift posts some of his uncles guards had set along the camp. Justin found his place by the fire by some of the knights and their squires filling his cup with ale and pulling meat off the carcass of a chicken. He noticed Ser Douglas standing well behind the other knights listening to the stories of old battles and tourneys long since past. "I was at the battle of the trident lad I killed scores of men loyal to the Targaryen prince, but once king Robert had smashed his war hammer down on Rhaegar Targaryen's chest I saw them all cower and retreat back to Kings Landing, no real soldier or knight would have done something like that, if Robert had fallen every man there would fight to his last breath to maintain his honour and die a noble death, not retreat like the cravens they were" the knight has taken a large mouthful of ale before continuing,"then when we had arrived in Kings Landing we had seen what the Lannisters had did in the city, men and women dead in the streets, soldiers looting the houses of men when their bodies weren't even cold yet and the honourable Lannister soldiers raping innocent women, some of whom were younger then you lads sitting here now, and that kingslayer Jaime fucking Lannister the man who betrayed his king and stabbed him in the back, and Robert had pardoned him, kept him on as a kingsguard, if I were in Robert's position I would have hanged him for a fucking oathbreaker, he had already stained his blade with the blood of one king what's to stop him from doing it again?" The knights face was visibly red maybe from the drink or the anger he felt over the war. "But the kings married to Cersei Lannister, I doubt Ser Jaime would leave his niece and nephews fatherless, and Tywin Lannister is warden of the west the Lannisters wouldn't risk a war with the kings brothers over a throne would they?" One of the younger squires who sat closest to Justin had said. "Enough about the war it's fucking depressing, we all know what we saw, we all know what the mad king did, it doesn't matter what side you fought for it was war and war is always a terrible business" Justin had seen Ser Douglas approach the fire he had recognised the voice before he had even seen the mans face. "Aye Ser Douglas is right, what's done is done we can't change the past, we just have to live with the consequences of it" Justin did not recognise the knight speaking but he could tell he was a man of the North.
Justin had decided it was time to retire from the fire and find a soft spot of ground to lay his bedroll on, the days ride had exhausted him and the meat and ale had made him even more ready to sleep. As he laid his bedroll out on the ground he had seen Robin approach, "Oi Stone this is my own little plot of land for the night so don't get ideas of stealing it" Robin just smiled and continued walking towards him laying his own bedroll out next to Justin's. "Do you think what Ser Byrant said is true? I mean do you think the Lannisters would really do the things he had claimed they did in Kings Landing?" Justin's father had told him a few things about what had happened when they had arrived at Kings Landing after the Lannisters but not much, his uncle Rodrick was forced to take the black after killing a Lannister knight who he had found raping a young girl. "Aye I believe it, my father told me a few things about what had happened and told me that my uncle was sent to the wall after he killed a Lannister knight for raping a girl, if a sworn knight was willing to do it I doubt any other men would have a problem doing it" Justin laid down on his bedroll staring up at the stars wondering if anything like what had happened to the mad king could happen to king Robert. "I don't remember much of my father before I left, I know he was a big man, kind, funny and honourable, but I don't know what had happened to him during the war, his wife Lady Kiren hated me and as soon as my father was given a true born heir I was sent off to live with your uncle" Robins eyes looked sad and there was a noticeable upset tone to his voice. "Let's just get some sleep Robin it'll be a long days ride tomorrow and we'll need all the rest we can get" Justin patted Robin on the shoulder and rolled over closing his eyes and trying to get to sleep as the sounds of crickets and the crackling of the fire filled his ears.
The sun had barely started to rise when Justin had been awoken by Ser Douglas, he brushed down, fed and watered Thunder and Ser douglas' horse and was beginning to saddle them when Ser Douglas approached, "where's your sword lad?" Justin turned towards his saddle and pointed it out to Ser Douglas. "It's there Ser I had put it there when we had left I didn't think I'd need it with the knights and men at arms accompanying us" Justin had rested the saddle on Thunders back and had gone to pick up the saddle for Ser Douglas' horse. "You never know when you'll need that sword lad, always remember that, no matter how many men stand at your back they'll always be someone coming from the front" Justin nodded and removed the sword from his saddle strapping it to his waist, Ser Douglas nodded and let Justin continue with saddling up his horse.
As Justin strolled through the camp finding somewhere to sit and eat he had spotted Rina walking towards his aunt's tent he hurried himself along to catch up with her slowing his pace down as he got closer to not make it obvious what he was doing. "Rina could we talk for a while? I've barely had time to see you over the past week" Rina turned around and Justin had noticed she had a black eye. "What happened? Who did that to you?" Rina bowed her head but Justin placed a hand gently under her chin and raised her face to his, "it was nothing just a simple accident Justin, don't worry" Rina tried to look anywhere but directly at Justin causing him to be suspicious. "Rina tell me who did this, I promise you they won't do it again" he could see the tears filling up her eyes before she finally spoke, "I can't, if I did you'd do something rash, you'd get yourself into trouble, enough for Ser Douglas to remove you from his service, since I've known you most of our conversations have been about how you'd want to be knighted soon about how much honour it would bring your family if you were knighted, I can't take that away from you Justin" Justin stared at her for a minute he could now see that she cared more for Justin then she had about her self, she was willing to take a beating and not tell him who did it just to see him realise his dream. "I will find out who did this Rina, it's just a case of you telling me or me finding out from someone else" Rina nodded knowing that Justin was right, "it was Ser Payne he was drunk last night and tried to make advances on me, advances I spurned, when that happened he hit me knocking me to the floor, if it wasn't for one of your uncles guards helping me I believe he would have gone further" she covered her face and began to wail. "Shh shh don't worry Rina, I'll deal with this, wipe those tears from your eyes everything will be okay" Justin wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the forehead before making his way back through the camp.
As Justin made his was through the camp he was determined to find Darren Payne, he would not let him hurt Rina the way he did again, he knew the sigil of house Payne now and was determined to find it gold coins in a checkered white and purple field, Justin had found Ser Payne's squire sitting outside his tent maintaining his armour and shield. "Where is Ser Payne?" The boy did not look up from his work just simply answering the question given to him "I don't know, I woke up this morning and his tent was empty his armour and shield is still here but everything else was taken, I think he intends for me to pay for what he did to that girl, that's what you came here for isn't it? To defend a lady's honour" the boys eyes had met Justin's then, he looked disappointed, knowing that he had been left behind by the knight he had been chosen to squire to. "Why would he leave behind his armour? Surely he'll need it if he intends to join the tourney?" The boy put down the armour and stood up, "he did say he had planned to buy a new set of armour once he reached the capital, maybe that's the point of leaving the armour here, to make everyone including myself believe he had just gone out for a morning ride, I woke up when it was still dark and he was gone, he's riden off without me, I don't think he had any plans to keep me as a squire anyway" the boy sounded almost defeated, realising that he was just a tool for Payne to use. "What do you intend to do now?" Justin sat down next to the boy and examined the armour it was in good condition, pretty much brand new from the looks of things. "I don't know a squire without a knight is useless, I have nowhere else to go and nothing really keeping me here, if Lord Barren finds out that Ser Payne has abandoned me he'll probably run me off and leave me to fend for myself" Justin thought for a minute about what would happen if he was in the same situation if Ser Douglas had left him, would his uncle run him off back to Eaglesend with nothing to his name. "I am not a knight yet so I can't take you on as my squire but there might be something I can do for you lad" Justin stood up and beckoned the young man to follow him, the young man picked up the armour and shield and quickly began to follow Justin through the camp. "What's your name lad? Where are you from?" The boy almost stumbled over the uneven ground. "I'm Dextran Tudbury, what is it you can do to help me?" Justin knew of house Tudbury, they were a noble house in the Stormlands. "I'll show you when we get there" Justin had quickly spotted Ser Douglas and sped up to reach him. "Ser Douglas, may I beg an audience with you in your tent for a while?" Ser Douglas turned to Justin and then to Dextran. "Who's he? What do you want? And who's armour is that?" Justin cleared his throat before answering, "this is Dextran Tudbury, he is, well he was the Squire to Ser Payne, but Ser Payne rode for the capital earlier today and left the boy behind" Ser Douglas beckoned them into the tent before continuing. "What is it you want me to do about it lad?" Ser Douglas filled three cups with wine offering two of them to the young squires. "If it's at all possible Ser could you take him on as your Squire? My uncle will run him off if he finds out Ser Payne has abandoned him" the knight took a sip of his wine and pondered for a minute. "No lad, I've already have a Squire in you, I can't take another one on" Dextran's face seemed to drop at that news. "Ser Douglas please I beg of you, take the lad on look at the condition he kept Ser Paynes armour in, the boy has only been a Squire for a few months, it took me years before I learnt how to maintain armour half as well as he's maintained that" Ser Douglas took another sip of wine before replying, "I've told you once already lad it's a no, you're my squire I can't take another squire on" Justin thought for a minute knowing he had wanted to help the boy before coming up with the perfect solution. "Then knight me, you've seen how well I've been sparring recently, you've seen how well I can ride, you've shown me how to joust and above all you've taught me the true meaning of loyalty and honour, what type of loyal and honourable knight would abandon his squire without reason? Please Ser Douglas, knight me and take the boy on as your own squire" Justin took a large mouthful of his own wine, expecting an angry reply from Ser Douglas. "You would have been my last squire lad, after you I had planned to buy some land somewhere and start a farm, sell my arms and armour to fund it and sell cattle and vegetables to everyone in the seven kingdoms, if I knight you now and take this boy on as my squire I'll be breaking that vow to myself, I'm old lad, I know I don't look it but I feel it, it's getting harder and harder to mount my horse or swing a blade, after you it'll be time for me to hang up my sword and rest" that's when Ser Douglas had run his hand around the pommel of his blade in a rolling motion, he looked lost in thought, as if he was conflicted on what to do. "I won't take the lad as a squire, but you could, its high time I found that farm Justin, you boy find seven knights as quickly as you can, we'll need witnesses for this part" Dextran quickly left the tent almost at a sprint. "Ser are you sure about this? You had said before I was too young to be a knight, that I was not experienced enough" Ser Douglas smiled and looked into Justin's eyes, "I was wrong, knights aren't just supposed to be fighters, they're supposed to protect the weak and fight for what they believe to be a just cause, you've improved dramatically over the last few months as a fighter and you just proved to me that you're willing to fight for a just cause, you didn't have to help that boy, especially since he's the squire to a knight you've had much animosity for over the years I will knight you lad, your family follow the old gods am I correct?" Justin nodded and Ser Douglas continued "well I'll have to use the less conventional words then" Justin smiled at Ser Douglas, he was finally getting his wish he'd finally be a knight. Dextran arrived back with a group of knights behind him. "Ser Douglas, this boy said you had needed our presence immediately, what's going on?" One of the knights who was a least a head taller then Justin had said. "I'm going to knight my squire and as you know wintnesses are needed Ser Duran" the knight nodded and proceeded to move the other knights around the tent. Ser Douglas pulled his sword from his scabbard beckoned Justin to kneel and placed it on Justin's right shoulder "Justin Maxward do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord and your king, to fight bravely when needed and to such other tasks as are laid upon you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?" "I do Ser" Ser Douglas then moved his sword to Justin's left shoulder, "Arise Ser Justin Maxward of Eaglesend" Justin rose to his feet, many of the other knights had began to congratulate him and he felt as proud as he ever could be, he was a knight now something he had wanted for as long as he could remember. "We're riding off again soon lad but tonight we should arrive at the capital and we'll celebrate your knighting properly" Justin smiled and shook Ser Douglas' hand leaving the tent with the biggest of grins on his face.
He had completely forgotten about Dextran before the boy approached him again, "congratulations Ser, from the stories I had been told at the keep your knighthood is well deserved" that's when Justin had remembered his promise. "Thank you Dextran, I gave you my word I'd make you my squire when Ser Douglas knighted me, if you'll have me as your knight of course" Justin smiled at the lad and he had smiled back, he was a small lad for his age, Justin had assumed he would have been on his tenth to eleventh name day, he had short blonde hair and blue eyes, he was thin as a willow, but training and good food would change that. "Well as he's not my knight anymore I have no reason to be lumbering this around with me, you might as well have it Ser" Dextran handed over the armour to Justin Justin looked down at it examining it with his hands, turning it over multiple times, "this should do until I can raise enough money to buy my own armour set, go find Maester Sibas tell him to send a raven to Eaglesend and one to my uncle Ser Rodrick at the wall informing them of my knighthood" the boy nodded and ran off to find the maester.
Dextran returned with his own horse and told Justin he had informed the maester to send the ravens, the two joined the rest of the party as they left, although he was no longer Ser Douglas' squire Justin had decided to ride alongside the old knight, Dexard was near silence through the journey but Ser Douglas and Justin had spent their time laughing and joking as they rode occasionally taking a break to drink from Ser Douglas' wineskin. It was near nightfall when they had finally made it through the city gates and Justin was exhausted, he had asked Ser Douglas about where he had thought the best place to spend the night would be and he had quickly guided him to a small inn, Justin looked up at it it seeing a sign hanging from the second floor window, it was a shabby moldy looking thing the wood was cracking and the paint was faded but Justin could see the name was the blue horns inn. He quickly got down from Thunder handing the reins to Dexard, "take the horses to the stable and make sure they're fed and watered" Dexard nodded and quickly took the reins of Justin's and Ser Douglas' horses. The two men walked inside to the smell of stew and roasting lamb, "rooms are eight coppers a night that includes your food and a pint, if you don't like it I'm sure they've got rooms at the Gargoyle, if you don't mind your throat cut in your sleep that is" Justin turned to see a fat pock marked woman with a large boil on her nose looking back at him chewing on something. "Ah Minerva, as welcoming and beautiful as always" Ser Douglas smiled and approached the woman. "Don't try and charm me you mischievous prick, the price is still eight coppers Douglas" the woman wiped her nose on her sleeve and hawked a gob of phlegm spitting it into a nearby corner. "A place fit for a knight for sure" Justin muttered to himself. "Do you want the rooms or not Douglas, there are plenty of people coming into the city for this damned tourney and they'll be willing to pay a lot more then I'm charging you" Ser Douglas smiled at the wretched woman. "Fine Minerva, still three beds to a room is it?" Ser Douglas pulled his coin purse from his belt and started to count out the coins, "the rooms with three beds are all taken, one bed in each room take it or leave it" Ser Douglas sighed and handed the woman over sixteen copper stars. "Your squire will have to find a comfortable spot of floor I'm afraid Justin, I don't mind paying for you but I won't pay for a squire who's not mine" Justin nodded agreeing with the knight, it wasn't even his duty to do it for Justin anymore but he was still doing it.
Ser Douglas and Justin found an empty table to sit down on whilst Minerva brought them over two mugs of ale, some stew and bread. Dexard had joined them, placing the saddles behind him, "the horses have been fed and watered now Ser, is there any chance of me maybe getting some stew?" Justin looked up at Ser Douglas who simply shrugged. "Best ask the owner lad she's by the spit, do try to be nice, she has a terrible temper" Ser Douglas laughed and took a large swig of ale some of it completely missing his mouth and dribbling down onto his doublet. Dexard nervously walked over to the woman after a loud and angry use of expletives Dexard returned with a small bowl of stew, compared to the size of Justin's bowl it was a pitiful amount. "Here lad have some of this" Justin broke off a large chunk of bread handing it to his squire whilst pulling off a smaller amount for himself and leaving the rest to see Douglas. The three men had finished their meals and Justin had decided it was long past time for him to go to bed, despite Ser Douglas' pleas to stay and go pint for pint with him, he had never been a heavy drinker a few mugs of ale usually had him on his back and he'd already had more than a few, he headed up to the room pushing the door open to see Dexard had already fallen asleep, he had laid out the armour on a table, each piece in order and all newly polished it seemed. Justin removed his leather jerkin, tunic and boots and dropped down onto the bed closing his eyes and falling to sleep.