Tales of Dunk and Egg

Tales of Dunk and Egg is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of
his A Song of Ice and Fire novels. They follow the adventures of "Dunk" (the future commander of
the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and "Egg" (the future king Aegon V Targaryen), some 90 years
before the events of the novels.
Three novellas have been publishedThe Hedge Knight (1998), The Sworn Sword (2003), and The
Mystery Knight (2010)and Martin has stated his intention to continue the series. A collection of the
existing three novellas, with illustrations by Gary Gianni, was published as A Knight of the Seven
Kingdoms on October 6, 2015.
Upon the death of a nomadic 'hedge knight', Ser Arlan of Pennytree, his squire Dunk adopts Ser
Arlan's armor as his own, as well as his equipment, three horses, and remaining money, in hope of
becoming a knight at the town of Ashford, under the name of 'Ser Duncan the Tall'. En route, he
gains his own squire in a boy nicknamed 'Egg'. At Ashford, Dunk sells one of his horses for a suit of
armor by the smith Pate, and befriends Ser Steffon Fossoway's squire and cousin, Raymun
Fossoway. Without proof of his knighthood, he is nearly barred from competition until Prince Baelor
Targaryen vouches for him. Forbidden to use Ser Arlan's coat of arms, Dunk commissions a
puppeteer to paint a new one, while he watches the first day of competition, with Egg on his
shoulders. After several spectacular tilts, Baelor's nephew, Prince Aerion Targaryen, disgraces
himself by killing Ser Humfrey Hardyng's horse.
When Dunk retires into the Fossoways' tent to drink with Raymun, Egg reveals that the puppeteer is
being beaten by Prince Aerion. Dunk therefore attacks Aerion; and when the royal guard arrests
Dunk, Egg identifies himself as Aerion's brother, Prince Aegon. After meeting Prince Baelor again,
Dunk chooses trial by combat rather than mutilation for his attack on Aerion, who demands a 'Trial of
Seven' (in which two parties of seven knights contend on horseback). Steffon and Raymun, and later
Aegon, promise to acquire Duncan's partisans; and Aerion's brother Prince Daeron, called the
Drunken, warns Dunk that his father will have three knights of the Kingsguard fight in the trial.
Dunk is met again by Pate, who presents him with a new shield. At the morning of the trial, Raymun
brings Ser Humfrey Hardyng and Ser Humfrey Beesbury to Duncan's side; and Aegon brings Ser
Robyn Rhysling and Ser Lyonel Baratheon (called the "Laughing Storm"). Steffon sides with the
accusers for the reward of a lordship; and Raymun begs to be knighted and fight in Steffon's place.
Dunk hesitates, because his own knighthood is dubious, and Lyonel grants Raymun his knighthood.
Finally, Prince Baelor announces that he will champion Dunk himself. In the resulting joust, Dunk is

unhorsed by Aerion, but beats him into submission, and Aerion recants his accusation. The fighting
costs the lives of both Humfreys; and Baelor himself dies of a blow to the head. Prince Maekar later
offers Dunk a position in his household to train Aegon; but Dunk insists on permission to travel, and
takes Aegon as his squire, under his former alias of 'Egg'. Thereafter Dunk and Egg set out to Dorne.
The story begins in the Reach with Duncan the Tall sworn to Ser Eustace Osgrey of Standfast, and
illuminates several aspects of the feudal system of Westeros. A series of flashbacks narrated by Ser
Eustace relate the events of the Blackfyre Rebellion and its conclusion at the Battle of the Redgrass
Field.
At the fort of Standfast, Dunk and Ser Eustace's other sworn sword, Ser Bennis the Brown, discover
that a dam has been built across the local stream, by peasants in service to Lady Rohanne Webber
of Coldmoat. Bennis reacts angrily, cutting the cheek of one of the peasants. Upon hearing the
news, Ser Eustace realizes that Lady Webber will be angered by Bennis's actions against her
servants, and orders Dunk and Bennis to train levies from his three villages. For a peaceful solution,
Eustace sends Dunk to Coldmoat, where Dunk learns that Lady Rohanne stands to lose her lands to
a male cousin if she does not take a fifth husband by the second anniversary of her father's death.
Her castellan, the haughty Ser Lucas Inchfield (known as the "Long Inch" for his 6-foot 7-inch
height), is her most insistent suitor, but she has already refused him. Dunk fails to change the Lady's
mind on either the dam's construction or seeking justice for her servant, and Rohanne informs him
that Ser Eustace is a former traitor, who supported the usurper Daemon Blackfyre, and has therefore
been stripped of most of his lands; whereas she was once in love with his youngest son, who died at
Redgrass Field.
Shocked by the news of Ser Eustace's past treason, Dunk returns to Standfast to leave the old
knight's service. That night, Ser Eustace's forest is burned, and Duncan recalls Lady Rohanne's
threat of "fire and sword" to destroy Standfast. He therefore disperses the levies, and promises to
oppose Lady Rohanne himself. At the river, Dunk rides into the ford to parley with Lady Rohanne
where the noise of the water will prevent anyone on either bank from overhearing them. Before he
enters the stream, Ser Eustace suggests that Dunk should kill Lady Rohanne at this meeting.
Instead, Dunk offers his own blood to Lady Rohanne by slicing his cheek. This pays the debt for the
wounded peasant; and for the claim that Lady Rohanne had the forest burned, she demands
requires apology or vindication, and all agree upon trial by combat between Dunk and Ser Lucas, to
be fought in the stream as the only neutral ground present. In the fight, Dunk is nearly outfought by
Ser Lucas, but drowns him and nearly drowns himself, but is resuscitated by Lady Rohanne's
maester. When he awakens, Dunk learns that Ser Eustace and Lady Rohanne are now married, to
reconcile their debts. Before Dunk leaves, Rohanne offers him her finest mare to make amends; and
when he refuses, Lady Rohanne insists that he take something to remember her by, and he pulls her

into a passionate kiss, and takes a length of her hair as a keepsake. Thereafter he and Egg ride to
the Wall.
The story begins with Dunk and Egg leaving Stoney Sept, to ask service with Lord Beron Stark
against Greyjoy raids on the northern coast. On the way they encounter a septon beheaded for
preaching treason; and later a group of knights and minor lords traveling to a tourney in honor of the
wedding of Lord Butterwell of Whitewalls to a Frey of the Crossing, wherein the victor's prize is
a dragon egg. Dunk takes a dislike to Gorman Peake, whom he believes the killer of his own
mentor's former squire. Egg tells Dunk that Peake's arms of three castles on an orange field is
because the Peake family owned three castles, but forfeited two to the Crown when Peake sided
with Blackfyre. During the journey Dunk befriends three other itinerant knights: Ser Maynard Plumm,
Ser Kyle the Cat of Misty Moor, and Ser Glendon Ball who claims to be the bastard son of the
famous knight Quentyn "Fireball" Ball, who fought for Daemon Blackfyre.
The wedding is set at Whitewalls and Lord Frey arrives with his four-year-old heir, Walder Frey, and
his fifteen-year-old daughter, who weds Lord Butterwell. Egg becomes increasingly suspicious when
he sees that most of the competitors belonged to the rebel party. During the wedding Dunk is drafted
by John the Fiddler to carry the bride to the bedchamber. Dunk does so and later hears from John
that the latter once saw Duncan himself, in a dream, in the armor of the royal guard. Dunk enters the
first match of the joust under the name of 'Gallows Knight' (for a new shield acquired after the loss of
his own); but is defeated in the first tilt by Ser Uthor Underleaf, known as the Snail Knight for his
sigil. Duncan later gives Underleaf his armor and horse as forfeit, and Underleaf informs Dunk that
someone bribed him to kill Dunk in the final tilt. Before the jousting continues, word spreads through
the castle that the dragon egg is missing, and the blame is placed on Ser Glendon Ball, who is
imprisoned by Peake. In search of the absent Egg, Duncan is wounded by Alyn Cockshaw, who
claims to have bribed Uthor Underleaf, and throws him into a well. Maynard Plumm comes to
Duncan's aid, and it is discovered that Plumm is one of Bloodraven's many spies (or possibly
Bloodraven himself), and that John the Fiddler is the eponymous son of Daemon Blackfyre. Dunk
finds Egg in the sept with the cowering Lord Butterwell, who on discovering Egg's true identity is
terrified for his life. Lord Butterwell's son-in-law Black Tom Heddle tries to kill Egg to incite a war, and
is killed by Duncan, who thereupon tells Egg to flee with Butterwell. To buy time for Egg's escape
Dunk confronts the younger Daemon Blackfyre, and accuses Gorman Peake of falsely charging Ball
with the theft of the dragon egg.
Daemon allows Ball to prove his innocence in trial by combat, in which Ser Glendon soundly defeats
Daemon. By this time a large army under the King's Hand Brynden Rivers encircles Whitewalls, and
Daemon is captured. Dunk and Egg meet Bloodraven, and Egg demands that Bloodraven reward
Glendon, Duncan, and the other hedge knights. For surrendering to Bloodraven without a fight, Lord
Butterwell is spared his life and allowed a tenth of his wealth; but his fortress is forfeit to the Iron

Throne and torn down. Bloodraven, at Egg's request, gives Dunk the gold to ransom his armor.
When Dunk asks Bloodraven what became of the dragon egg, Bloodraven tells Dunk it was taken by
an agent of his (implied to be one of the performing dwarfs at the wedding).