In early 299 AC, beneath the White Tower and on the garden balcony, Gendry and Ser Barristan watched the Knights below, brandishing their swords.
The sword duel currently captivating the Lords, Knights, and squire was between Ser Brynden and the Knight of the Blue Robe.
Gendry held the Old Knight in high regard; Barristan was a legendary Knight. His martial prowess and character were exceptional, and having experienced countless battles and high-level political operations, he could serve as a great general. Ser Barristan also knew many past events of Westeros, like a living history and gossip machine by his side. The history and stories known by such firsthand witnesses were often more detailed and nuanced than those of Maesters, as Maesters were not directly involved in politics, nor were they high-ranking figures, let alone understanding warfare.
"Clang! Clang!" Below the balcony, in the garden, was the sound of swords clashing, steel meeting steel. Ser Brynden and the young Knight of the Vale fought in the garden, surrounded by white statues. Though advanced in age, the legendary Knight was still robust. With his red and blue cloak and grey chainmail, Ser Brynden quickly broke through, parrying the young Knight's sword and preventing the Knight of the Blue Robe, representing the Vale, from claiming victory.
"Hey!" The young Knight in the sky-blue cloak wore a look of embarrassment, picking up his blunted sword and shield and regretfully withdrawing. Then, other Knights eagerly stepped forward. Ser Brynden was a renowned Knight; defeating him in a longsword duel would greatly help a young man make a name for himself.
Tourneys and wartime victories were the best ways for Knights to distinguish themselves, especially by challenging famous Knights.
"Ser Brynden won," Gendry said to Ser Barristan. A Tourney competition was different from a trial by combat; it emphasized honor and direct confrontation. In a trial by combat, the young Knight of the Blue Robe could naturally run in circles, first leveraging his physical endurance. But the Knight of the Vale was, after all, a Knight of the Vale; they preferred direct clashes over cunning maneuvers.
"I'm afraid the Knights of the Vale won't be willing to accept defeat; they are proud Knights," Ser Barristan said with a frown.
Indeed, the Knight of the Vale swordsman, Ser Lyn Corbray, could not resist entering the fray. This young swordsman, as thin as a longsword yet very dangerous, had hair the color of Rust. Lyn drew his blunted sword in challenge, and Ser Brynden also drew his. The two danced, creating a flurry of sword shadows, and everyone cheered loudly.
"Lyn!"
"Lyn!"
"Ser Brynden!" There were significantly fewer calls for Ser Brynden, as Lysa's affair was a hurdle. This incident was destined to be an unbridgeable shadow between House Arryn and House Tully.
"It seems Knights are more popular than blacksmiths," Gendry said, watching the boisterous Lords, Knights, and servants from the Vale, all looking excited. The infiltration of Ando culture into Westeros culture made Knights the main force in the wars of the Seven Kingdoms, and Knight culture became a part of their culture. Except for the North, the Iron Islands, and Dorne, which were not heavily permeated by Ando culture, the other kingdoms highly praised Knight culture.
Gendry now felt that King Robert's spending on Tourneys was not without effect; everyone loved a spectacle. The excitement of Tourneys and the King's generosity contributed to the King's reputation and affection from others, though the debt gap grew ever larger due to uncontrolled spending.
"Your Highness, the Knights in a Tourney are not the Knights of war; these Knights will eventually understand. I have witnessed hundreds of Tourneys and far more wars than I wished to see. No matter which Knight, no matter how strong, how swift, how precise he is, as long as he is human, he will ultimately have limits," Ser Barristan said, watching the swordsmen duel.
"Ser Barristan, ordinary Knights naturally have limits, but before a dragon, before many impossibilities, I believe you will find the world's limits far deeper than you imagine," Gendry said to the Old Knight, as he himself was breaking through the limits of a warrior.
The strength of a Knight is limited, but the power of bloodline and magic can make a person comparable to a god.
After the magic tide, the laws of Westeros would shift from low magic to high magic; the era of magic was arriving. Unearthing the secrets of bloodlines and faith, and breaking through human limits, was not impossible. The magic of the Wights was something Gendry had to confront; he knew that at least Crows Eye might have found an opportunity to break through human limits.
"Magic is a hiltless sword, impossible to wield, and besides, all good men and women curse magic," Ser Barristan warned, for everyone knew that the secrets of magic lay in blood for blood, fire for fire, and the Bloodraven was reeking of magic.
Gendry smiled but did not reply, instead comparing the weapons on the field.
"In a confined space, the length of an arakh becomes a disadvantage," Gendry said to Ser Barristan, watching Ser Brynden and Lyn, two swordsmen, fight. This was something he had pondered during combat. If the space was too small, an arakh was difficult to maneuver; an arakh was better suited for wide, sweeping movements.
Gendry caressed the dragonbone-hilted valyrian steel arakh at his waist. This weapon was best for slashing, capable of inflicting deep, long wounds on an opponent from horseback. Coupled with Gendry's height, long legs, immense strength, and flying blade, he swept through the battlefield like a hurricane, overwhelming many with sheer force.
"Look, Ser," Gendry drew his arakh and presented it for Ser Barristan's careful inspection. The Old Knight's hair was white, and deep crow's feet surrounded his pale blue eyes, yet age had not bent his straight back, nor had it dulled his exquisite martial skill.
Ser Barristan held the arakh—a dragonbone hilt, a dark blade with ripples, a deep, somber black, which was the color of most valyrian steel weapons. If a skilled blacksmith were to do it, the ripples could also be made golden or red, but the difficulty increased significantly.
A valyrian steel weapon with golden ripples would shine immensely on the battlefield, and gold was also one of the colors of the Durrandon family and House Baratheon.
"Indeed, a valyrian steel weapon, lighter than I expected, just as the legends say. Only this one metal in the world can be forged so thin yet retain its deadly power. These ripples are the marks of countless hammerings during its forging," Ser Barristan said.
"Prince Gendry, you have two choices." Ser Barristan played with the arakh for a moment, then handed it back to Gendry. "The first is to melt this blade. The Qohor are our allies and can forge a new valyrian steel sword. However, arakhs are even rarer than longswords, which would be a pity. The second is to acquire another valyrian steel sword, but that difficulty is too great; many great Lords do not possess one."
The most common valyrian steel weapons were longswords and daggers. valyrian steel axes and arakhs were very rare (Kaggo of the Windblown held one such arakh, and the Celtigar family's treasures reportedly included a valyrian steel axe). As for the most precious valyrian steel armor, it had yet to appear in the world.
"That's true. This valyrian steel arakh is rarer than a longsword, and I'm reluctant to melt it. A knife is a knife; it represents killing, while swords and warhammers seem more common and better represent kingship. If I could get a few more valyrian steel swords, that would be great," Gendry's tone held a strong desire.
For valyrian steel, it's better to buy than to make, and better to seize than to buy. This arakh was a trophy obtained by killing Bloodbeard. If Gendry could acquire one valyrian steel blade, he still had a chance to get two longswords.
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