Bent-backed man
| Bent-backed man | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | House Roote (possibly) |
| Culture | Rivermen |
| Book | A Storm of Swords (appears) |
A bent-backed man is a ferryman at Lord Harroway's Town in the riverlands.[1] His given name is unknown.
Contents
Appearance and Character
The ferryman is a grizzled grey-haired man with a hunchback. He lives with his kin in a roundtower along the Trident. He manages "Old King Andahar's two-headed water horse,"[N 1] a flat-bottomed boat with a dozen oars and a pair of carved wooden horse heads mounted fore and aft. The ferryboat also has a sod-roofed wooden house on its deck.[1]
Recent Events
A Storm of Swords
When Sandor Clegane and the disguised Arya Stark arrive in Lord Harroway's Town, Sandor demands passage across the flooded Trident. The bent-backed man offers to ferry Sandor, his horse, and "the boy" in exchange for three golden dragons—an extremely high cost, as the ferryboat itself would normally be worth that much. Sandor, displeased with the fee, threatens the man, who agrees to be paid after the crossing. During the difficult voyage, the bent-backed man controls the rudder. Once across, the ferryman demands to be paid six dragons, and Sandor pays him with the written promise of payment he received from Lord Beric Dondarrion. The ferryman and his crew are angered, but can do little but curse and throw stones as Sandor gallops away.[1]
The ferryman later encounters members of the brotherhood without banners who are seeking Sandor and Arya.[2]
Quotes
Ferryman: Six dragons. Three for the passage, and three for the man I lost.
Sandor: There. Take ten.
Ferryman: Ten? What's this, now?
Sandor: A dead man's note, good for nine thousand dragons or nearabouts. Ten of it is yours. I'll be back for the rest one day, so see you don’t go spending it.
Ferryman: Writing. What good's writing? You promised gold. Knight's honor, you said.
Sandor: Knights have no bloody honor. Time you learned that, old man.[1]—Ferryman and Sandor Clegane
Notes
- ↑ Sandor Clegane says that Lord Roote "stables" the "water horse", so the boat may belong to House Roote rather than to the bent-backed man.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 47, Arya IX.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Epilogue.