Armies of Summer

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Castle Black - Courtyard

"Leg, shoulder, leg. Left foot forward. Good. Now pivot as you deliver the stroke. Put all your weight behind it." Jon was cut off as he almost his Grenn in the face because the man was distracted by whatever was going on behind Jon. And when Jon turned to look he understood why.

"What in seven hells is that?" Grenn mumbled as he started at the very large man in very poorly fitting armor. The man, honestly looked like a pig to Jon, and he couldn't quite figure out why he was here.

"They'll need an eighth hell to fit him in." Pyp whispered over to them and Jon had to stifle his laughter.

"Tell them your name." Alliser growled out as he practically threw the lad toward the group of men.

"Samwell Tarly, of Horn Hill. I mean, I was of Horn Hill. I've come to take the black."

"Come to take the black pudding." Rast grumbled.

"Well, you couldn't be any worse than you look. See what he can do." Rast stepped forward from where he was standing, sneering at Tarly before he began to whack his sword against the poor man, who dropped to the ground, covering his head with his head, trying to avoid the hits that were raining down on him.

"I yield! Please, no more!" The man yelled, trying to escape the continuing hits from the bully.

"On your feet. Pick up your sword. Hit him till he finds his feet. It seems they've run short of poachers and thieves down south. Now they send us squealing bloody pigs. Again, harder." Thorne was instructing as Sam tried to defend himself but again yielded as he fell to the ground.

"Enough! He yielded." Jon said, stepping forward, blocking Sam from Rast, who was still advancing.

"Looks like the bastard's in love. All right then, Lord Snow. You wish to defend your lady love, let's make it an exercise. You two. Three of you ought to be sufficient to make lady piggy squeal. All you've got to do is get past the bastard." Grenn and Pyp cautiously stepped forward to stand next to Rast, raising their swords gingerly as they looked at the man who had been beating their asses for almost a week now.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jon asked as he raised his sword as well.

"No." Grenn says while Pyp shakes his head, but after seeing the glare from Thorne, all three men rush Jon, who easily dispatches all of them, Grenn being the last to fall.

"Yield yield yield! I yield!" Grenn yelled as he rose his hands to block his face from Jon's incoming sword, which never landed.

"We're done for today. Go clean the armory. That's all you're good for." Thorne said in disgust as he left the boys alone.

"Well fought!" Pyp teased Grenn, mocking his face when he yielded.

"Piss off." Grenn said as Jon turned to help Sam off the ground.

"Did he hurt you?" Sam asked nervously, as he accepted the help and hauled himself to his feet.

"I've had worse."

"You can call me Sam... if you want. My mother calls me Sam." Jon just stared at the strange man in front of him for a moment before speaking.

"It's not going to get any easier, you know? You'll have to defend yourself." Grenn and Pyp moved to stand beside Jon, looking over the fat man in confusion.

"Why didn't you get up and fight?" Grenn growled out, frustrated with the days turn of events.

"I wanted to. I just couldn't."

"Why not?" Grenn asked again.

"I'm a coward. My father always says so."

"The Wall's no place for cowards." Jon said, trying to convince the man to leave.