Chapter 40 Chapter 39 Tyrion

"Do you want to eat it?" asked Maud, with thick fingers, glaring at him while holding a plate of boiled beans. Tyrion Lannister, hungry though he was, would not let the rough man enjoy the pleasure of torture. "It would be nice to have a leg of lamb," he said, sitting on the dirty straw in the corner of the cell. "Perhaps a plate of green beans and onions, with freshly baked brioche, and a jug of warm wine Wash down the food. If it's not convenient, beer is fine, I've never been too picky." "Only beans," said Maud. "Here." He held out his plate.

Tyrion sighed.The jailer was fat and clumsy, with rotten brown teeth and small dark eyes.The left half of his face is covered with scars, which are the marks left by the ear and part of the cheek cut off by an axe.Stupid and ugly as he was, Tyrion was hungry.He reached for the plate. Maud giggled and moved the plate away. "Here," he said, holding the plate out of Tyrion's reach. The dwarf stood up stiffly, every joint screaming. "Do we have to play this stupid game every time we eat?" He reached for it again. Maud staggered back, grinning with rotten teeth. "Here, dwarf." He stretched out his hand and placed the plate in the air at the end of the cell. "You don't want to eat? Here, come and get it."

Tyrion's arms were too short to reach the plate, and he wasn't going anywhere near the edge of the cell.Maud had only to push him with his big white belly, and he would be a disgusting red stain on the top of Longsky, like so many prisoners of the Eyrie through the centuries. "Come to think of it, I'm not very hungry," he announced, retreating to the corner of the prison again. Maud let go of his fat fingers with a grunt.The strong wind blew the plate away, tumbling over and over as it fell.Food flew out of sight, and a few beans were blown back.The jailer laughed, his stomach shaking like a bowl of pudding.

Tyrion could only feel angry. "You fucking son of a bitch," he spat, "hope you bleed to death from your seven orifices." For his words, Maud kicked him hard as he went out, and the steel boot caught Tyrion in the ribs. "I take it back!" he gasped, falling on the straw. "I'll kill you myself, I swear!" The heavy iron door slammed shut, and Tyrion heard the key turn. He had the misfortune of having a very dangerously large mouth for a small man of his size, he thought as he crawled back into the corner, how ridiculous the Arryns called this their 'dungeon'.He curled up under the thin blanket—that was his only bedding—looking out at the blindingly empty blue sky and the misty peaks that seemed endless, thinking to himself if he still had the shadow lynx fur cloak, How nice it should be.The cloak was picked up by Marillion from the corpse of the bandit leader, and later the singer lost the dice bet with him, and it fell into his hands.Although the lynx fur smelled musty and bloody, it was warm and thick.It's a pity that Maud snatched it as soon as he saw it.

The wind, sharp as claws, tugged at his blanket.The cell was too small even for a dwarf like him.If this was really a "dungeon," there would have been a wall less than five feet away.Instead, there is the junction of the end of the floor and the sky.Though the air was fresh and the sun was bright by day, and the stars and moon were bright at night, Tyrion would have traded the darkest, dankest pit at the bottom of Casterly Rock. "You fly," Maud had assured him earlier when he had pushed him in. "After twenty days, thirty days, at most fifty days, you will be able to fly."

In all of the Seven Kingdoms, only the dungeons of House Arryn encouraged escape.On the first day he came in, it took Tyrion several hours to get up the courage to lie on the ground, slowly climb to the edge of the cliff, and stick his head out to look down.Six hundred feet directly below lay Longsky Castle, with nothing between it and his cell but air.If he craned his neck, he could see other cells to the left and right of him.He was a bee in a stone hive with his wings broken. The cell is extremely cold, the mountain wind howls day and night, and the worst thing is that the floor slopes outward.Although the range is not large, it is enough for him to suffer.He didn't dare to close his eyes, for fear that he would fall off the cliff while sleeping, and then wake up in mid-air in horror.No wonder Sky Prison drives people crazy.

The gods save me, a prisoner who lived here before scribbled such words on the ground with something that looked like blood, and the blue sky called to me.At first Tyrion wondered who this man was and what had become of him; thinking about it later, he decided that he might as well not know. If only he kept his mouth shut... It all started with that damned imp who sat high on his carved weirwood throne, flying the Crescent and Falcon banner of House Arryn above his head, staring down at him.Tyrion had often been belittled in his life, but it was the first time he had been treated like this by a six-year-old with sticky eyes and a normal height who had to sit on thick cushions. "Is he the bad guy?" the kid asked while hugging the doll.

"It's him." Lady Lysa sat on a smaller throne next to him, dressed in blue, powdered and perfumed to satisfy her suitors. "He's so small." The Duke of Eagle's Nest said with a chuckle. "This is Tyrion, imp of House Lannister, and it was he who murdered your father." She raised her voice, and her words echoed throughout the Great Hall of the Eyrie, echoing from the creamy white walls and slender pillars, and everyone was shocked. can hear. "He killed the king's prime minister!" "Oh, so I killed him too?" Tyrion asked like an idiot.

At that time, he should have lowered his head and shut his mouth obediently.He should have thought of the seven hells, but he didn't know it at the time.The meeting hall of Aylin's house was long and simple, with blue-patterned white marble walls, and there was an unapproachable chill, but the faces of the people around were really chilling.Here Casterly Rock is beyond reach, and there are few Lannister-friendly people in the Vale of Arryn.Generally speaking, a submissive attitude and keeping silent is really his best defense. However, Tyrion was in a bad mood at that time, so he couldn't care about his reason.At the end of the day-long climb to the Eyrie, his stunted legs were too much for him to walk, and he had to be humiliated to have Bronn carry him up the mountain.The humiliation he suffered at this moment undoubtedly added fuel to his already burning anger. "It seems that I'm really a busy little guy," he sneered bitterly, "I don't even know where I find the time to kill this and that."

He should have remembered who he was facing.Lysa Arryn and her half-crazed feeble imps were notoriously disliked by wit, especially against them, and it was well known at Court. "Little devil," Lysa said coldly, "You'd better keep your broken mouth tight and be polite to my son, or you'll regret it. Don't forget where you are, this is the Eyrie, you All around me are knights of the Vale, all loyal and devoted to Jon Arryn, and each of them would sacrifice their lives for me." "Mrs. Arryn, if anything happens to me, my brother James will definitely be happy to take care of them." The moment the words came out, Tyrion realized that it was stupid to say so.

"Lord Lannister, can you fly?" Lady Lysa asked. "Do dwarves have wings? If not, you'd better swallow all other threats." "I don't mean a threat," said Tyrion, "but a promise." Little Lord Robert jumped to his feet at these words, and lost his dolls in a rage. "You can't do anything to us," he screamed. "No one dares to mess around here. Mommy, you tell him, tell him no one wants to come here and play wild." The little boy began to convulse. "No one can break the Eyrie." Lysa Arryn announced calmly.She pulled her son towards him and wrapped her plump, white arms around him. "Baby, the little devil is just bluffing, and the Lannisters are all liars. No one should try to bully my little darling." Although she is hateful, she is indeed right.After witnessing the dangerous terrain here, Tyrion can imagine how difficult it would be for a knight in full armor to brave the rain of falling stones and arrows pouring down from the mountain, and have to deal with the oncoming enemies every step of the way thing.To say that it was a nightmare is probably not enough to describe it. No wonder the Eagle's Nest City has never fallen since ancient times. Even so, Tyrion couldn't stop his tongue. "It's not that it can't be broken," he said, "but it's not very easy to break through." Little Robert pointed at him with trembling fingers. "You're a liar. I want to see him fly, Mummy." Two guards in sky-blue cloaks grabbed Tyrion by both hands and lifted him off the ground. If it weren't for Catelyn Stark, only the gods in the sky would know what would happen next. "Sister," she stood under the throne and called to Lysa, "please remember, he is my prisoner, please don't hurt him." Lysa Arryn looked at her sister coldly for a moment, then got up and walked towards Tyrion, her long skirts trailing behind her.He was afraid that she would beat someone, but she ordered him to be let go.Two guards threw Tyrion to the ground, and he fell to the ground with his feet in the air. His ugly appearance must have been very ugly; but when he was struggling to stand up, his right foot convulsed, and he collapsed on the ground again.There was a roar of laughter in the hall of the Arryns' house. "My sister's little guest is too tired to stand," Lady Lysa announced. "Ser Vardis, please take him to the dungeon. A rest in the sky will certainly do him good. .” The guards jerked him up.Tyrion Lannister kicked feebly between them, his feet dangling in the air, flushed with shame. "Let's wait and see." Before being taken away, he said to the whole hall. So far, he sees no solution. At first he reassured himself that the imprisonment would not be too long.Lysa Arryn was just trying to humiliate him.She will pass him on again soon.Even if she hadn't, Catelyn Stark would have come to question him.This time he will be careful with his words and not talk nonsense.They couldn't kill him now, anyway, he was a Lannister from Casterly Rock, and if they killed him, it would mean war.At least, that's what he told himself. But now he wasn't so sure. Maybe they only planned to let him die here, because they were afraid that they didn't even have the strength to die for a long time.He was getting weaker and weaker, and it was only a matter of time before Mord kicked him seriously injured.This is also based on the premise that the jailer did not starve him to death first.A few more nights of hunger and cold, and the blue sky will call to him. He couldn't help wondering what it was like beyond the walls of the cell (although there were no walls at all).Duke Tywin will definitely send an envoy after receiving the news.Maybe James has brought the army across the Bright Moon Mountain Range now... Or he is directly dealing with Winterfell?Beyond the Canyon, who would have guessed that Catelyn Stark had kidnapped him here?He was curious what Cersei would do when he heard the news.The king could order him to be released, but would Robert listen to his queen or his Hand?How deep the king's affection for his sister is, Tyrion knows it all. If Cersei is willing to think carefully, she should insist that the king himself try Tyrion.In this way, even Ned Stark can't object, otherwise it will damage the king's reputation.For Tyrion, the opportunity to have a public trial is something he wishes for.Whatever charges they had charged him, so far he hadn't seen them produce any strong evidence.Let them try this case before the Iron Throne and the lords of the world, and they're doomed.If only Cersei was this smart... Tyrion Lannister sighed.My sister is a bit clever, but she is often blinded by her arrogance.She would only regard this incident as a great shame, but she could not see the opportunity hidden in it.As for James, who is headstrong, reckless and impulsive, let alone.When encountering a knot, as long as it can be cut into two pieces with a sword, my brother will never use his brain to untie it. He wanted to know whether it was his brother or sister who sent the little thief to kill that Stark kid to silence him, and he was also curious about whether Lord Arryn's death had anything to do with them.If the old man was really killed, he did a clean job.It was not uncommon for people his age to suddenly fall ill and die.On the other hand, finding a goose with a stolen knife to kill Brandon Stark would be ridiculously stupid.Thinking about it, it's really strange... Tyrion shuddered.It's a nasty possibility.Maybe the direwolf and the lion weren't the only beasts in the forest, and if so, someone must have taken him for dead.Tyrion Lantister hated nothing more than being taken advantage of. He needs to get out of this damn place, the sooner the better.Fighting Maud was out of the question, and no one was likely to bring six hundred feet of rope to help him escape, so he had to rely on his three-inch tongue to get away.His bad mouth got him in jail, and it's sure to get the hell out of him. Tyrion stood up, trying not to notice the sloping ground beneath his feet that gently dragged him toward the cliff's edge.He knocked on the door with a fist. "Maud!" he cried, "porter! Maud, I want to talk to you!" He pounded ten minutes before he heard footsteps.Just before the iron door slams open, Tyrion jumps away in time. "It's noisy," Maud growled with bloodshot eyes.He held a thick and wide leather belt in one fat hand, folded in half and grasped it in the palm of his hand. Don't let them know you are afraid, Tyrion reminded himself. "Do you want to get rich?" he asked. Maud beat him.He swung the belt lazily backhand, hitting Tyrion on the upper arm.The force made him unsteady on his feet, and the pain made him clenched his teeth. "Short melon, don't make noise." Maud warned him. "Gold," Tyrion pretended to laugh, "there's gold everywhere in Casterly Rock... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...' Maud pushed hard this time, and the belt popped from his hand onto Tyrion's ribs, He knelt down and moaned in pain.He forced himself to look up at the jailer. "As rich as the Lannisters," he said breathlessly. "Don't they all say that? Maud—" Maud grunted, and the belt cut through the air, hitting Tyrion right in the face.He was so dizzy that he didn't even remember how he fell.When he opened his eyes again, he found that the man was lying on the cell floor, his ears were ringing, and his mouth was full of blood.He stretched out his hand to find a support to get up, but what his fingers touched was... nothing.Tyrion withdrew his hand quickly, holding his breath as if burned.He just landed on the edge of a cliff, inches away from the blue sky. "Say more?" Maud grabbed one end of the belt in each hand, and yanked it so hard that Tyrion jumped with a snap, and the jailer laughed happily. He dare not push me off, Tyrion told himself desperately as he scrambled back from the edge.Catelyn Stark wants to keep me alive, he will never dare kill me.He wiped the blood on his lips with the back of his hand, and said with a grin, "Maud, that move just now was really exciting." The jailer squinted at him, not sure whether it was irony or the truth. "I need someone as strong as you." The belt came, but this time Tyrion ducked away. "I'm talking about gold," he repeated, scrambling back like a crab, "gold you can never use up in your life, you can buy land, women, good horses...you can still be a nobleman. 'Lord Maud,' doesn't it sound good?" Tyrion coughed up a mouthful of blood and goo, and spat it into the sky. "No gold," said Maud. He is hooked!Tyrion thought. "They took my purse when they caught me, but the money is still mine. Catelyn Stark caught my people, so she wouldn't condescend and take my money. It's okay to do that kind of thing." Glory. If you will help me, all the gold in it will be yours." Maud's belt came at him again, but only with a careless flick, slow and contemptuous.Tyrion reached for the belt, and now he was his prisoner. "You don't have to take any risks at all, just send me a message." The jailer withdrew the belt from Tyrion's hand. "A message?" he said, as if he had never heard the word before.When he frowned, many deep indentations appeared on his forehead. "Yes, Lord Maud, listen to what I say, and go tell your wife. Tell her..." Tell her what?How to impress Lysa Arryn?Tyrion Lannister had a sudden epiphany. "...tell her I intend to plead guilty." Maud held up his hand, and Tyrion braced himself for a beating, but the jailer hesitated.Suspicion and greed war in his eyes.He wanted gold, but was afraid of being cheated; it seemed that he had been tricked a lot before. "Liar," he murmured darkly, "the short melon lied to me." "Why don't we put it in black and white," Tyrion swore. Some illiterates have a particular aversion to writing, while others deify it superstitiously, as if it were a kind of magic.Fortunately, Maud falls into the latter category.The jailer put down his belt: "Write gold, lots of gold." "Oh, lots and lots," Tyrion assured him, "my purse is just a hors d'oeuvres, dear friend. My brother's armor is all gold from top to bottom." In fact, Jaime's armor It's made of steel, just plated with gold, but the donkey's egg can't tell the difference anyway. Maud played with the belt, but finally compromised and fetched paper and ink.After writing, the jailer frowned suspiciously at the paper. "Go and deliver my message now," Tyrion urged. He was shaking in his sleep when they came to him late that night.Maud opened the door without saying a word.Ser Vardis Egan wakes Tyrion with the toe of his boot. "Little devil, get up quickly, my wife wants to see you." Tyrion rubbed sleepiness from his eyes, pretending to be displeased. "Of course she wants to, but how do you know I want to see her?" Ser Vardis frowned.He had served as Captain of the Prime Minister's Guards in King's Landing in his early years, and Tyrion was impressed by him.The fellow had a plain, broad face, silver hair, a stocky build, and no sense of humor. "Why do you want to do nothing with me. Get up quickly, or I will ask someone to take you away." Tyrion scrambled to his feet. "It's cold to-night," he said nonchalantly, "and the hall is so draughty that I don't want to catch cold. Maud, if you would do me a favor, get me my cloak." The jailer squinted at him with a bewildered expression on his face. "My cloak," repeated Tyrion, "that lynx-skin cloak you kept for me, remember?" "Bring the bloody cloak," Ser Vardis said. Maud dared not say a word.He gave Tyrion a look that seemed to promise him some future revenge, but he did it anyway.As he draped the cloak over his prisoner, Tyrion smiled, "Thanks, I'll think of you when I put it on." He wrapped the long, drooping edge around his right shoulder, and for the first time in days he felt warmth. "Ser Vardis, please lead the way." The great hall of Arryn's house was brightly lit, and fifty torches shone brightly on pedestals along the walls.Lady Lysa wore a black gown with a crescent and falcon embroidered in pearls on her chest.Since she wasn't planning to join the Night's Watch, Tyrion supposed, the only thing she thought fit to hear a confession was mourning.Her long reddish-brown hair was pulled into a delicate braid and hung obliquely over her left shoulder.The higher throne next to her was empty. The young duke of the Eyrie must be shaking in his sleep at the moment.It's always better without him. He bowed deeply and took the opportunity to look around at the people present.Madam Ayrin did as he wished, and summoned her knights and attendants to listen to his confession.He saw the weather-beaten face of Ser Brynden Tully, and the good-natured Lord Nestor Royce.Beside Nestor stood a younger man with a sharp black mustache who must be his heir, Sir Albar.Most of the canyon's leading nobles were represented.Tyrion saw Ser Lynn Corbray, thin as a sword, Lord Hunter, with a gouty leg, and the widowed Lady Waynwood, surrounded by hordes of sons.There were also some family emblems that he did not recognize, such as the Broken Lance, the Green Viper, the Burning Tower, and the Winged Chalice on a pink background. Some of the nobles in the canyon were companions who came with him.Ser Rodrik Cassel was still wounded and pale, and beside him stood Ser Willy Ward.Marillion the Bard has acquired a new wooden harp.Tyrion couldn't help smiling. Whatever happened tonight, he didn't want to keep it private, and there was no one better to spread the word than a minstrel. At the back of the hall, Bronn was lying languidly under a pillar.The wandering warrior's dark eyes were fixed on Tyrion, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword.Tyrion looked at him meaningfully, thinking... Catelyn Stark spoke first: "I heard that you intend to make a public plea." "Yes, my lady," Tyrion replied. Lysa Arryn smiled at her sister. "The sky prison can make anyone submit. In the sky prison, the gods in the sky can see clearly, and there is no dark place to hide in." "But he doesn't look like he's giving in," said Mrs. Caitlin. Lady Lysa ignored her. "Speak," she ordered Tyrion. It's time for all or nothing, he thought, glancing back at Bronn. "Where do I start? I admit I'm a little wretch. My lords and ladies, I've committed crimes beyond count. I've slept with whores, not once but hundreds of times. I've secretly wished my lord father Go to hell, I also had the same idea for my sister, our beautiful and gentle Queen." A chuckle came from behind, "Sometimes I am not very good to my servants. I have gambled money, and it made me blush What's more, I'm still playing tricks. I have said many bad things about the noble ladies and gentlemen in the court, and made many dirty jokes about them." As soon as these words came out, everyone burst into laughter. "One time I—" "Shut up!" Lysa Arryn's round pale face flushed with anger. "Dwarf, what do you think you are doing?" Tyrion tilted his head: "Oh, I'm pleading guilty, ma'am." Catelyn Stark took a step forward. "You are charged with the assassination of my sick son Bran, and of plotting against the King's Hand, Lord Jon Arryn." Tyrion shrugged helplessly. "I'm afraid I can't plead guilty to these charges. I don't know anything about murder." Lady Lysa rose abruptly from her weirwood throne. "Don't try to make fun of me. Little devil, you've had enough trouble. You must have had a good time. Sir Vardis, take him back to the dungeon... this time find him a room with a smaller floor and a more sloping floor .” "Is there any justice in the Vale of Arryn?" Tyrion roared so loudly that even Ser Vardis was stunned. "Could it be that there is no honor within the Blood Gate? You accuse me, but I deny it, and you throw me into the dungeon to starve and freeze." He raised his head so that everyone could clearly see Maude on his face. Scars left behind. "Where is the king's justice? You said someone accused me of guilt, well, I demand a fair trial! Let me have the opportunity to defend myself, and let the gods in the sky and the people on the earth decide the truth of what I said." There were whispers all over the hall.Tyrion knew he had her.He came from a high family background, the son of the most powerful nobleman in the country, and even the younger brother of the current queen.In any case, no one could refuse his request for a trial.A few guardsmen in sky-blue cloaks moved towards Tyrion, but Ser Vardis motioned them to stop and looked back at Lady Lysa. A smile played on her small mouth. "If the trial proves that you are guilty, you will be dead by the king's law. But, Lord Lannister, we have no executioners in the Eyrie. Open the Moon Gate!" The crowd of onlookers retreated to both sides.There was a narrow weirwood door between two slender marble columns, with a crescent moon carved in white wood.Two guards strode over, and those near the door hurriedly backed away.One of the guards moved the heavy bronze latch, while another pulled the door inward.The blue cloaks of the two were immediately blown up to their shoulders by the howling strong wind, making a crackling noise.Outside the door, it is covered with cold and ruthless stars, and it is a void night sky. "According to the king's law, we hold a trial." Lysa Alyn said.Along the wall, countless torches fluttered like banners, and the torches blown out by the wind rose and fell one after another. "Lysa, I think this is an unwise move." Catelyn Stark said.Black wind churned in the hall. Her sister ignored it. "Lord Lannister, you want to be judged, well, I will let you be judged. My son will listen to what you have to say, and then you will accept his sentence. And then...you can either go through the gate, or you can go through this out the door." She looks so smug, Tyrion thought.No wonder, since the trial was presided over by her frail and sickly son, how could she disobey her wishes?Tyrion glanced at the moongate.Mommy, I want to see him fly!That's what the kid said.How many people did this brat, who couldn't even wipe his nose clean, send out through that door? "My dear lady, I am very grateful for your kindness, but I don't think it is necessary to disturb Lord Robert." Tyrion said politely: "The gods in the sky will clear my innocence, and I will let them judge, not by the hands of the world. .I demand a trial by combat." Thunderous laughter resounded in the hall of Aylin's house.Lord Nestor Royce snorted, Sir Willie laughed, Sir Lynn Corbray burst into laughter, and the others were laughing and crying.Marillian clumsily stretched out his broken-fingered hand to strike a joyful note on the new harp.Even the gust of wind howling from outside the Moon Gate sounded mocking. Only Lysa Arryn's watery blue eyes were full of doubt, and it was obvious that he had surprised her again. "Of course you have that right." The young knight with the green poisonous snake embroidered on his coat stepped forward at this moment, knelt down on one knee and said, "Madam, please allow me to fight for you." "This honor should belong to me," said old Earl Hunter. "For the sake of my respect and love for your husband, let me avenge him." "My father served Lord Jon faithfully and served as Grand Master of the Canyon," said Albar Royce Lang, "Please let me fight for his son." "The gods favor a man who stands with integrity," said Sir Lynn Corbray, "and such a man is the best swordsman. And we all know who this man is." He smiled modestly. A dozen or so people spoke at the same time, trying to overwhelm others.Tyrion was dismayed to see so many people eager to take his life.Perhaps in the end, this idea is not as clever as originally expected. Lady Lysa raised her hand for silence. "My lords, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I believe that if my son was present, he would be equally grateful. Throughout the Seven Kingdoms, no one can match the loyalty and bravery of our Canyon Knights. If I can let you all have this honor, I don't know how good it would be. Too bad I can only pick one." She gestured. "Ser Vardis Egan, you have always been my husband's right-hand man. I ask you to be my acting knight." Ser Vardis had remained silent. "Ma'am," he said solemnly, kneeling on his knees, "please leave this burden to someone else, I really don't want to fight. This man is not a warrior, look at him, a dwarf, only half my height, and lame, Killing such a person is called upholding justice, which is too shameful." Oh, wonderful, thought Tyrion. "I agree." Lysa glared at him. "You are the one who asked for the referee of the tournament." "At this moment, I have to find myself a proxy knight like you. As far as I know, my brother James will be happy to fight for me." "Your great kingslayer is hundreds of leagues away," Lysa Arryn snapped. "Send a bird for him. I'd be glad to wait for him." "You shall duel Ser Vardis tomorrow." "Singer," Tyrion said, turning to Marillion, "when you make this into tune, don't forget to say how Lady Arryn forbade the dwarf from having a knight by proxy, and made him limp and bruised. to deal with her best knight." "How can I not be sure?" Lysa Alyn said.Her tone was sharp, clearly exasperated. "Little devil, if you have the ability, you can choose a proxy knight... If you think someone will be willing to die for you." "To be honest, I'm looking for someone to kill for me." Tyrion scanned the hall.No one moves.After a long time, he couldn't help wondering if this was a big mistake. Then there was commotion at the back of the hall. "I'll help the dwarf," cried Bronn.