Comrades of the Smiling Knight

On the shooting range of the "Wolf's Den" camp, the longbow instructor was teaching Gendry archery. The target was made of hay and straw, with the bullseye fifty yards away.

"Call me Dick! Kid!" an old man in a green robe with pale hair said to Gendry, looking at him approvingly. "It's been a long time since the Wolf Pack has seen any new faces. I even thought I'd never take on an apprentice again. The Wolf Pack prefers Westerosi, and with all the rules, we've never been a large group."

"Alright!" Gendry took the longbow, a tall bow made of purpleheart wood. He was a bit surprised that the archery instructor wasn't Black Billy, the Summer Isles expert, but another old man.

"Good lad, I've never seen such a fine natural build. But remember, even good steel needs to be forged!" Dick said. Warriors should be well-built, with broad chests and full muscles.

"Too many people focus on swordsmanship and neglect archery, which is out of date! In many cases, whether it's a longbow, greatsword, or morningstar, use whatever you have at hand, whatever works best! Don't overthink it, just seize the position and attack."

Gendry put on his gloves, feeling the longbow. Bows and arrows were dangerous. If you used just your bare hands, it was easy to get your fingers or fingernails injured by the bowstring.

"Good, right now!" Gendry nocked an arrow, drew the bow, and aimed at the target in front of him. Gendry's mind was as steady as a rock. He caught the breath of the wind and let fly a beautiful arrow, which missed the bullseye by a bit.

"Not bad, kid!" Dick followed Gendry and drew the bow smoothly, like summer silk, then let it fly, hitting the bullseye.

"How about that?" Dick stepped back and asked.

"Amazing!" Gendry clapped his hands. The old man's archery was truly eye-catching.

"The wind, pay attention to the direction of the wind, kid. You've got good eyes and a steady hand. I rarely see such a promising young talent. But the battlefield is chaotic, and you must quickly sense the wind direction. Hitting the target isn't the skill; being fast and accurate is what makes a master!"

"Now, shoot a few more arrows. Don't push yourself. Stop before you strain your muscles and let me see how much strength you have!" Dick looked at Gendry expectantly.

Gendry then took up the longbow and shot several times in a row, his breathing steady and his form unshaken. Although Gendry didn't hit the bullseye, he landed on the target, and Dick's eyes grew brighter.

"Alright, kid, you don't need to shoot anymore!" Dick said happily. "I've truly seen a genius, a natural-born warrior. You have better strength and more endurance. You can shoot several more rounds in battle than others!"

"You need a good bow, kid! A good hand can't be without a good bow. It's our life!" Dick declared.

"The best bows are dragonbone bows and the goldenheart bows from the Summer Isles. Unfortunately, both are incredibly expensive. The next best are purpleheart, weirwood, or ordinary animal bone. I'll have to get you a good bow."

Dick then taught Gendry the shooting posture to avoid straining his muscles. He didn't hold back with this natural warrior.

After practicing for a while, Dick let Gendry rest. There were benches for resting next to the shooting range.

"I heard you're from Westeros?" Dick asked. "Be more specific."

"Yes, King's Landing. Are you too?" Gendry was curious.

"Yep, I also fled from Westeros! Have you heard of the Brotherhood Without Banners?"

"I have!" Gendry was pleased. "They're a bunch of lawless bandits, and their stories are still told in King's Landing!"

Gendry had also heard ballads about the Brotherhood. In the small taverns of King's Landing, he had once heard wandering singers sing:

"The wandering Brotherhood Without Banners, they say we're thieves.

We take the forest for our castle, the earth and sea for our home.

No gold can escape our blades, no maiden our grasp.

Oh, the wandering Brotherhood Without Banners, feared by all who see..."

"Smiling Knight, Big Belly Ben, White Stag Wenda, and Long-Neck Osney, who survived three hangings!" Dick listed them like he was counting his treasures.

Gendry thought for a moment. There seemed to be a Dick in the Brotherhood as well. Gendry looked at the old man, thinking it was just a coincidence. "Are you the Dick from the Brotherhood?"

Gendry was filled with respect for him. This was truly a god of archery. Dick the Maker was born in a village near Stonehelm. He had taught Ulmar how to use a bow and was revered by some as the greatest archer of all time.

"Yes!" Dick nodded nonchalantly. "I was once a member of the Brotherhood, a remarkable bandit. Now, I'm just an instructor making a living in a foreign land! Except for Ulmar, my partners are probably all dead."

The Targaryen dynasty had already fallen, and he could have easily returned to Westeros, but most of his companions were gone, and even the leaders who had once hunted the bandits, like the White Bull and the Knight of the Morning, were mostly dead. Going back would only be a place of sorrow.

"Didn't the Brotherhood Without Banners get wiped out by the Knight of the Morning?" Gendry asked curiously.

"There was indeed a significant battle in the kingswood. Jaime Lannister, the Knight of the Morning, Arthur Dayne, and the fearless Barristan Selmy encountered some of my most famous brothers, including the Smiling Knight and the leader, Simon Toyne. Barristan killed Simon Toyne, and Arthur Dayne killed the Smiling Knight. Later, White Stag Wenda, Long-Neck Osney, who survived three hangings, and 'Big Belly' Ben were also captured during the breakout, but not me. I was in the Stormlands at the time, looking for valuable wood to make longbows for them. When I heard the news of the Smiling Knight's death, I fled to the other side of the Narrow Sea."

Dick the Maker mused. That was already over a decade ago! The people in Dick's story had become part of the past.

"Smiling Knight? And the Knight of the Morning!" Gendry was very interested in these two legendary figures.

"Smiling Knight had the build of an ordinary man but twice the madness. Despite his lunacy, he was still a good swordsman. As for the Knight of the Morning, I can't even imagine him dying mysteriously in the wilds of Dorne. He was the strongest of our generation!" Dick reminisced.

"Any promising young talents in Westeros lately?"

"Loras Tyrell!" Gendry thought for a moment, but he hadn't heard of many rising stars. It was still the likes of the fearless Barristan, Jaime Lannister, and Bronze Yohn.

"What do they matter! As long as you're willing to accept the training at the Wolf's Den, they'll all be your underlings!" Dick said disdainfully.

"I've seen plenty of pampered pretty boys. The Smiling Knight once killed a rose."

"Alright, old man, you're telling the young ones about your past again?" "Handsome" walked over and saw Gendry and Dick on the bench. Handsome seemed to know about Dick's nostalgic stories and even called him out on it.

"Come on, kid, the captain has assigned us a new mission!"

After saying goodbye to Dick, Gendry left. These days, he had undergone a series of training sessions with the Wolf Pack, including archery, swordsmanship, and horsemanship. It seemed that now was the time to go into battle.