the first days after ashford were terrible. the pain in his body, his swollen eye, the constant slow thud of the horse's hooves jostling his injured stomach... but above all, the knowledge that he was now responsible not only for himself but for egg as well. he found work, though not very dignified, nor very well paid. sometimes it was enough just to get a meal for him and the boy. they slept under trees, covered with threadbare blankets, and rose at dawn—he having to pretend that his body didn't ache. but arlan had told him once that being a knight meant getting used to constant pain. there was always some worrying wound or bruise.

that was how he came to the house of this lord, who very quickly paid him to protect a specific person. the work wasn't heavy, but it wasn't permanent either. they could stay, at least, if they did their job satisfactorily. for him, that was more than enough. though he wondered who he was supposed to guard—why they were paying a hedge knight with no fame or glory, in a patched tunic and unadorned armor.

"come on, egg. we'll have to introduce ourselves, and try to be very polite, no matter how they speak to us," the knight whispered. he shifted uneasily in front of the door, suddenly feeling very, very aware of how dirty his tunic was. the holes in it that he hadn't had time to mend. gods, he hoped they wouldn't notice—or wouldn't care. at least his mail was clean and shining, without a spot of rust. egg was good at cleaning it.

"well, here we go." with the boy at his side, he opened the door and stood there, one hand behind his back, the other gripping the pommel of his sword too tightly, his knuckles white beneath his gloves.

"good morning. let me introduce myself. i am ser duncan the tall, and i've been hired to protect you from any harm that might come your way. this is my squire, egg. it's a pleasure."

he bowed deeply, and egg did the same, both of them knowing that this was a new chapter in their lives.