A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

counterstroke caught Jon on the shoulder. Chainmail crunched, and pain flared up his neck, but for an instant Halder was unbalanced. Jon cut his left leg from under him, and he fell with a curse and a crash.
    Grenn was standing his ground as Jon had taught him, giving Albett more than he cared for, but Pyp was hard-pressed. Rast had two years and forty pounds on him. Jon stepped up behind him and rang the raper’s helm like a bell. As Rast went reeling, Pyp slid in under his guard, knocked him down, and leveled a blade at his throat. By then Jon had moved on. Facing two swords, Albett backed away. “I yield,” he shouted.
    Ser Alliser Thorne surveyed the scene with disgust. “The mummer’s farce has gone on long enough for today.” He walked away. The session was at an end.
    Dareon helped Halder to his feet. The quarryman’s son wrenched off his helm and threw it across the yard. “For an instant, I thought I finally had you, Snow.”
    â€œFor an instant, you did,” Jon replied. Under his mail and leather, his shoulder was throbbing. He sheathed his sword and tried to remove his helm, but when he raised his arm, the pain made him grit his teeth.
    â€œLet me,” a voice said. Thick-fingered hands unfastened helm from gorget and lifted it off gently. “Did he hurt you?”
    â€œI’ve been bruised before.” He touched his shoulder and winced. The yard was emptying around them.
    Blood matted the fat boy’s hair where Halder had split his helm asunder. “My name is Samwell Tarly, of Horn …” He stopped and licked his lips. “I mean, I
was
of Horn Hill, until I … left. I’ve come to take the black. My father is Lord Randyll, a bannerman to the Tyrells of Highgarden. I used to be his heir, only …” His voice trailed off.
    â€œI’m Jon Snow, Ned Stark’s bastard, of Winterfell.”
    Samwell Tarly nodded. “I … if you want, you can call me Sam. My mother calls me Sam.”
    â€œYou can call
him
Lord Snow,” Pyp said as he came up to join them. “You don’t want to know what his mother calls him.”
    â€œThese two are Grenn and Pypar,” Jon said.
    â€œGrenn’s the ugly one,” Pyp said.
    Grenn scowled. “You’re uglier than me. At least I don’t have ears like a bat.”
    â€œMy thanks to all of you,” the fat boy said gravely.
    â€œWhy didn’t you get up and fight?” Grenn demanded.
    â€œI wanted to, truly. I just … I couldn’t. I didn’t want him to hit me anymore.” He looked at the ground. “I … I fear I’m a coward. My lord father always said so.”
    Grenn looked thunderstruck. Even Pyp had no words to say to that, and Pyp had words for everything. What sort of man would proclaim himself a coward?
    Samwell Tarly must have read their thoughts on their faces. His eyes met Jon’s and darted away, quick as frightened animals. “I … I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t mean to … to be like I am.” He walked heavily toward the armory.
    Jon called after him. “You were hurt,” he said. “Tomorrow you’ll do better.”
    Sam looked mournfully back over one shoulder. “No I won’t,” he said, blinking back tears. “I never do better.”
    When he was gone, Grenn frowned. “Nobody likes cravens,” he said uncomfortably. “I wish we hadn’t helped him. What if they think we’re craven too?”
    â€œYou’re too stupid to be craven,” Pyp told him.
    â€œI am not,” Grenn said.
    â€œYes you are. If a bear attacked you in the woods, you’d be too stupid to run away.”
    â€œI would not,” Grenn insisted. “I’d run away faster than you.” He stopped suddenly, scowling when he saw Pyp’s grin and realized what he’d just said. His thick neck flushed a dark red. Jon left them there arguing as he returned to the armory, hung up his sword, and stripped off his battered armor.
    Life at Castle Black followed certain patterns; the mornings were for swordplay, the afternoons for work. The black brothers set new recruits to many different tasks, to learn where their skills lay. Jon cherished therare afternoons when he was sent out with Ghost ranging at his side to bring back game for the Lord Commander’s table, but for every day spent