Ser Duncan the Tall, known as Dunk to most, and his squire, Egg, find themselves in the middle of a war over water. Not only has the ruthless Red Widow been stealing Ser Eustace's water, but now she demands blood in exchange for an attack by another of Eustace's knights on one of her people. Pledged to Ser Eustace, lord of a handful of peasants and farmers, Dunk must get Ser Eustace's water back as bloodlessly as possible, make amends for the attack on the Red Widow's' people, and avoid war at all costs. But when it comes to the Red Widow and Ser Eustace, Dunk is about to find that nothing is as it seems.