On his journey to a tournament being held at Ashford, Dunk buries his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and takes Arlan's sword, shield and three horses. At an inn, a belligerent drunk noble says he dreamed of Dunk, and a bald child Dunk takes for a stable boy asks to squire for him at the tournament, but Dunk refuses. Ashford's steward, Plummer, tells Dunk someone must vouch for his claim that Arlan knighted him before dying, so Dunk seeks out Ser Manfred Dondarrion, whose father Arlan served, but Manfred refuses to vouch for him.
Dunk befriends the squire Raymun Fossoway and Ser Lyonel Baratheon, and watches Tanselle perform a puppet show with a fire-breathing dragon. Back at his campsite, Dunk again meets the clever bald boy, who calls himself Egg. Dunk names himself Ser Duncan the Tall and makes Egg his squire, and the two see a shooting star, which Egg claims will bring good luck.