very grave insult.
Tyrion merely shrugged. This was all posturing, an attempt at intimidation, to unsettle Tyrion and put him in a frame of mind where he would make a mistake. Tyrion looked at Korhien who nodded, and Iltharis who was studying him closely in the way a gambler might study a horse before a race. Tyrion wondered if Iltharis had made a bet with someone and whether it would be for or against him.
It would have to be a bet for me, Tyrion decided. The odds against me would not make risking gold worthwhile. You could get good odds on me winning. That was the decision he himself would have made at least.
‘For or against?’ he asked. Iltharis seemed to understand at once what he meant. He smiled ruefully.
‘For,’ he responded.
‘How much?’
‘Ten gold dragons.’
Tyrion whistled. It was a hefty sum.
‘Your confidence is inspiring,’ Tyrion said.
‘I got excellent odds.’
‘I thought you would. What were they?’
‘You sure you want to know?’ Tyrion understood the question. It might damage his confidence if he knew how little was expected of him.
‘Absolutely.’
‘Fifty to one.’
‘I wish I had known. I would have asked you to put something on for me. It would be a good bet. If I win, I get to spend the winnings. If I lose, I don’t care.’
‘You will not lose,’ said Korhien. He did not sound entirely confident of that, but it was heartening that he cared.
‘You are right,’ Tyrion said, with sudden absolute confidence. ‘I will not.’
Iltharis said, ‘Larien has a tricky feint. He will mount a strong attack high and right and then will stab for the stomach. He will try to get you into the rhythm of defending against the flurry and then switch when you think you see an opening yourself.’
‘I will bear that in mind,’ Tyrion said. He would too, but he would not put too much faith in it. He preferred to study his opponent for himself and work on his own observations.
‘He will use the early parts of the fight to feel you out,’ said Korhien. ‘He will pretend to be slower than he is, so he can take you off guard with the killing strike.’
Tyrion smiled at them both. ‘I thank you for your advice.’
‘But you have had enough of it,’ Iltharis said. ‘I recognise that tone.’
‘I will win this for myself.’
‘Never refuse any advantage you might get in a fight,’ Korhien said. ‘It can make the difference between life and death.’
‘Even if it’s dishonourable?’ Tyrion asked.
‘Especially if it’s dishonourable,’ Iltharis said with a grin. Korhien shot him a warning look. The other seconds were coming forward now. The duel was about to begin. All sixty warriors were forming in a circle, presenting their blades, points towards the centre. The duel would take place within a ring of sharp steel. The warriors would strike down any contestant who tried to flee from the battle.
The formalities were already gone through. Larien was not willing to retract the insult. Tyrion felt that honour must be satisfied. The seconds had done their best to make sure the quarrel had been settled amicably. Duty was done. The fight could begin. Both participants stripped to the waist and took up their weapons.
‘I shall kill you slowly and painfully,’ said Larien, as they walked down into the depression and took their places in the flat space below.
‘The way you think,’ said Tyrion and smiled brightly.
Larien looked hard at him.
‘Slowly and painfully,’ Tyrion said, to make sure Larien got the point.
Things were obviously not going the way he expected. Tyrion’s nonchalance had evidently surprised him. He had come expecting to kill a nervous boy. He had found someone more self-possessed than he was. Tyrion decided that in part this fight was to be won in the mind. He suspected that most individual combats were. It was as much about the attitude of the fighters as it was about skill.
‘I am of the Blood of Aenarion,’ said Tyrion, simply, as if he were explaining something to someone slow of mind. It was an attack designed to increase Larien’s unease and make him less sure of himself.
‘I will soon see what that looks like,’ said Larien. ‘I am guessing it is the same colour as anyone else’s.’
It was a good response and Tyrion smiled at it as if hearing a joke he enjoyed particularly.
‘Shall we begin?’ he asked, looking from Korhien to Larien’s chief second. The two of them nodded. They stepped back to take their places on the edge of the ring.