"What are your plans next?" As the tavern emptied out, Old Bain found a moment to rest and sat across from Linde, asking with concern.
Linde pondered for a moment before asking, "Old Bain, do you have connections in the guard of Red Lake City?"
"Do you want to join the guard in Red Lake City?" Old Bain furrowed his brows, looking down at his maimed palm and leg, and said in a deep voice, "Being a guard is no easy task."
Old Bain had once been a guard in Red Lake City, even serving as a captain. He had traveled to Highgarden with the head of the Klenian family and met most of the nobility of the Riverlands, witnessing the wider world.
Unfortunately, his luck ran out during an operation organized by the Klenian family to deal with bandits in the Red Lake Forest. He was ambushed and severely injured. Had it not been for Linde's father happening upon him, he might have died at the hands of bandits, which is why Old Bain treated Linde so kindly.
Though he had been retired for a long time, he still had some connections in Red Lake City, and introducing someone to join the city guard wasn't particularly difficult.
Old Bain reminisced about his past, then asked Linde, "Why do you want to be a guard in Red Lake City? Didn't you want to be an outstanding hunter like your father?"
"I want to see the world outside." Linde found an excuse, saying, "I don't want to die only knowing White Village and the Red Lake Forest. I want to see Highgarden, visit King's Landing, and meet the legendary Wall in the North. If I continue to stay in White Village, I fear I will never see what I wish to see until the Stranger comes for me."
Old Bain looked at Linde and said, "It seems this injury has had a big impact on you. You've changed."
Linde, leaning on his crutch, stood up and followed.
Indeed, a passing bard from White Village had recorded Linde's story, planning to compose a song to spread it.
After dismissing the possibility of Linde obtaining his advanced dual-wielding swordsmanship through normal means, the only explanation was Linde's own – the blessing of the Warrior, one of the Seven, allowing someone completely unversed in swordsmanship to become a master swordsman.
Linde felt a slight panic at this but showed no outward sign of it.
Hearing this, joy arose in Linde's heart, yet he maintained a calm demeanor on his face.
The knight's sword, well-maintained just like the broadsword, had no rust on its surface. The emblem on the hilt of the knight's sword had been polished away, indicating it was probably a trophy of Old Bain's from his younger days. However, the craftsmanship suggested the original owner was at most a knight's squire or a hired knight, not a person of renown.
The two went to the backyard, where Old Bain gestured for Linde to wait. He returned to his house and fumbled under the bed for a while before emerging with a broadsword and a round shield reinforced with iron.
Just as Old Bain was about to correct Linde's misconception that more weapons were better, Linde, who needed a crutch to walk, suddenly moved swiftly, propelled by his legs. He executed slashes and thrusts with the two swords in his hands in a perfectly coordinated manner.
Old Bain, having been the captain of the guard in Red Lake City, possessed exceptional sword and shield skills himself and had witnessed many knights' duels and tournaments. His standards were naturally high, yet Linde's swordsmanship reminded him of those renowned knights' duels.
"I've told a few," Linde answered.
"Who else have you told about this?" Old Bain asked further.
In Linde's view, whether the Seven existed or not, his oath was unproblematic since, in a sense, his "golden finger" truly was a warrior's blessing.
However, Linde was not satisfied with his current performance. After a couple of swings, he stopped and turned to Old Bain, asking, "Old Bain, could you give me another sword?"
Because Linde was someone Old Bain had watched grow up over the last fifteen years, Linde had never shown any aptitude for swordsmanship before, fitting the profile of a typical hunter from White Village. The sword skills Linde displayed earlier were not just advanced for a fifteen-year-old, but even seasoned knights might not possess such expertise, which requires long, uninterrupted training to achieve such proficiency and power. Linde had never had the time for such training.
Seeing Linde's clumsy attempts with the broadsword, Old Bain wasn't surprised. To him, this was the expected skill level of someone unfamiliar with longswords.
The Faith of the Seven is the official religion of the Seven Kingdoms, and the Riverlands predominantly follow it, but Old Bain was not a devout follower of the Seven.
"You're qualified." Old Bain, calming his troubled heart, affirmed Linde's ability and then curiously asked, "When did you learn this swordsmanship? I've never seen it before."
Exaggeration aside, Old Bain felt that even if he were fully armed, he would likely struggle to fend off Linde's dual-sword attack, as Linde targeted the weak points in armor, difficult spots to defend against.
Linde didn't put down the broadsword; instead, he set aside the shield, taking up the knight's sword, adopting a dual-wielding stance.
Famous knights could double their combat effectiveness by wielding two weapons, but for ordinary people, dual wielding would only lead to their demise.
"Besides you, I haven't told anyone else," Linde earnestly assured Old Bain. "I felt the matter was too incredible to share, fearing negative repercussions. But it's different with you; you're the person I trust most in this world, so I have no issues telling you."
Seeing Linde handling both the knight's sword and the broadsword, Old Bain was stunned. Though dual-wielding knights existed in Westerosi history, they were legendary figures capable of taking on ten men each.
Linde set aside his crutch and casually swung the sword and shield. When he tried to execute the swordsmanship he remembered, a strong sense of discomfort made his movements awkward and rough.
Old Bain was puzzled, thinking Linde wanted to switch weapons because the current ones felt awkward, so he fetched another knight's sword.
Linde made a prayer gesture at his chest, then said with utmost sincerity to Old Bain, "While I was unconscious from my injuries, I met the Warrior, one of the Seven, who, impressed by my vengeful hunt, blessed me with the martial skills of a warrior, allowing me to wield these combat skills as if I were a true fighter." He added regretfully, "Sadly, my physical condition is too poor, allowing me to master only this dual-sword technique. The rest of the combat skills remain locked in my mind, awaiting my body's recovery and growth to reacquire them."
Linde paused, not because he had demonstrated all his swordsmanship, but because his body had reached its limit. Continuing could risk reopening his old wounds.
"At least there will be more opportunities than now," Linde responded.
"Is what you're saying true?" Old Bain asked seriously.
Seeing Linde panting, Old Bain considered that perhaps the blessing from the Warrior might be real.
"Is this swordsmanship designed specifically for knights?" Old Bain quickly speculated.
"You must leave the knight's sword behind; it will only bring you trouble," Old Bain advised. "Moreover, if you aim to be a mere guard, my broadsword will suffice. But if you seek greater prospects, crafting your own weapon suited to you is essential. A set of gear tailored to you can make surviving on the battlefield easier and earning distinctions more likely."
Although Linde could leave White Village alone for any part of Westeros, doing so would mean losing his civilian status, becoming a refugee. Once labeled a refugee, turning one's fortunes around becomes difficult; one might end up rotting in a city corner, turning to banditry, or, in the worst case, being captured by some nobles to mine or secretly sold as a slave across the Narrow Sea.
Old Bain had witnessed how corrupt clergy of the Faith of the Seven misused the name of the gods for nefarious deeds, how nobles secured the support of the church by concocting so-called miracles of the Seven, and how some merchants packaged worthless items as holy relics of the Seven to sell to devout followers, draining the last coin from their already impoverished pockets. Thus, he didn't truly believe in the Seven but merely pretended to be a follower.
The reasoning behind the Warrior's blessing seemed entirely plausible, especially since legends had never mentioned a fifteen-year-old boy hunting a bear as large as a small hill by himself. The tale of Linde seeking revenge for his father was worthy of being immortalized in song by bards.
Becoming a guard in Red Lake City, getting close to the world of nobility, and seeking opportunities there seemed the best path Linde could think of.
Hearing Linde's words, Old Bain's bushy beard couldn't hide his pleased smile, and he inquired, "Is your desire to see the world also because of this incident?"
Old Bain continued, "While I can recommend you, and Will might give you a chance to test due to my referral, whether you can become a guard in Red Lake City still depends on your own abilities."
Now, someone very familiar to him claimed to have received a blessing from one of the Seven, the Warrior, which seemed absurd and instinctively felt like a falsehood to Old Bain.
"Understood," Old Bain nodded. "Once you're healed, I'll go to Red Lake City to recommend you. But before that, you need to forge two weapons."
"Indeed, death can truly change a person's character; I experienced this myself," Old Bain mused, providing an explanation for Linde's transformation. Then, he seriously asked, "Do you think becoming a guard in Red Lake City will allow you to see and do what you wish?"
"I swear by the Seven, everything I've said is true," Linde pledged, placing his hand on his chest as if taking a devout oath.
"Old Bain... do you think... my current... abilities... are sufficient... to qualify as... a guard?" Linde, using the swords to support his weary body, asked breathlessly.
Linde had already contemplated Old Bain's question while demonstrating his dual-wielding swordsmanship and smoothly presented his prepared answer upon being asked.
"Are the swords I'm holding not suitable?" Linde questioned, looking at the knight's sword and broadsword in his hands.
Old Bain was utterly taken aback by Linde's incredible response, which was nothing like what he had anticipated.
Old Bain watched Linde for a while before slowly saying, "The current captain of the Red Lake City guards is Smiling Will, who used to be under me. Our relationship is still quite good, so I should have no problem recommending you."
"Come with me," Old Bain stood up, signaled Linde, instructed the tavern staff, and then headed towards the backyard.
Linde's calm demeanor earned Old Bain's appreciation. In the past, although Linde also maintained a stoic face, he didn't hide his emotions well, and others could easily read his mood from his facial expressions. Now, he seemed like a changed person, keeping all his feelings inside, which made Old Bain reflect again on the impact of Linde's brush with death.
"The abilities you mentioned are..."
Climbing the social ladder as an ordinary civilian was already challenging enough, and becoming a refugee would make it exponentially harder. Even with Linde's talents and "golden finger," he wasn't sure he could achieve the power and status he desired as a refugee.
"Here, give these a try," Old Bain approached Linde, offering him the sword and shield.
Linde, agreeing with the sentiment, nodded. Though he had adeptly wielded the two swords thanks to the swordsmanship that had become part of him, he still felt a sense of discomfort. Crafting a pair of swords suited to him would undoubtedly enhance his combat effectiveness.
After understanding this, Linde asked, "Can the village blacksmith forge them?"
"He can only forge scythes and horseshoes," Old Bain scoffed dismissively, then reassured Linde, "Leave this to me. The five gold dragons you have with me are enough to forge two decent swords."