Read Online Camelot by Colin Thompson - Free Book Online Page B

one with the tail.’
    â€˜Ah, yes, you could be right,’ said Sir Barkworth. ‘Jolly complicated things, horses, aren’t they?’
    â€˜Indeed they are, master,’ said Nymrod as they finally set off towards The East.
    By then it was getting dark so fifty metres down the road they stopped for the night. They did not take rooms in an inn. There wasn’t one. They did not put up a tent. They didn’t have one. They simply stopped in the middle of the road and fell asleep in their saddles.
    It rained during the night and it rained on the knight.
    â€˜Gosh, that was handy,’ said Sir Barkworth when they woke up. ‘Won’t have to waste time having a wash.’
    â€˜Indeed, master,’ said Nymrod as he wrung Sir Barkworth out.
    As they left the valley and rode into new and exciting bits of Avalon, Sir Barkworth wondered if and when he would ever see his home again. 40
    â€˜I wonder, master,’ said Nymrod, ‘if we shall ever see our homes again.’
    â€˜Well, I’ve never actually seen your home, so probably not,’ said Sir Barkworth. ‘And to tell the truth, I can’t remember what mine looks like. Got a door, I think, and a bit of a roof and some window thingies. And if memory serves, think there might be a couple of sprogs and of course my beloved, um, er, hairy thing, barks a lot?’
    â€˜A dog?’
    â€˜No, no, the um, the good lady wife, yes, er, Lady Barkworth. What were you saying?’
    â€˜Nothing, my lord.’
    â€˜Quite so.’
    They rode on in silence until they came to a field of sheep, which Sir Barkworth insisted on greeting one by one.
    â€˜Fine fellows,’ he said as they continued their journey.
    That night they did stop at a wayside inn – The Pickle and Coughdrop – where, as luck would have it, there were four Brave Knights also in residence.
    â€˜I say, you chaps,’ said Sir Barkworth, ‘I am by way of sort of being a Royal Messenger, sent by the King no less, and I am looking for a Brave Knight to battle some big lizardy things. Any chance you chaps might be sort of interested?’
    â€˜How much?’ said the first Brave Knight.
    â€˜Quite a lot, actually,’ said Sir Barkworth. ‘In fact, to be honest, incredibly.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Dangerous. Incredibly dangerous.’
    â€˜No problem,’ said the second Brave Knight. ‘Dangerous is my middle name.’
    â€˜No it isn’t,’ said the third Brave Knight. ‘It’s Kevin.’
    â€˜I meant, how much would we get paid?’ said the first Brave Knight.
    â€˜Ah, well now,’ said Sir Barkworth. ‘The prize is a jewel beyond price, the hand of the King’s sister, Morgan le Fey, in marriage.’
    Like everyone in Avalon, the Brave Knights had heard about the legendary beauty of Morgan le Fey. Unfortunately they had also heard about the legendary independence of Morgan le Fey. So they knew there was no way she would marry any of them unless she actually wanted to. The King might be offering her hand, but there was no way he had the power to offer the rest of her to go with it.
    â€˜Well, it’s like this,’ said the first Brave Knight. ‘Normally yes. I mean, any one of us, or even all of us, would be only too happy to come to the aid of our glorious King Arthur and have the chance of marrying his beautiful sister, but…’
    â€˜Master, have you told them that there’s a set ofdinner plates depicting famous heroes of Avalon and a lovely tabard as well as the princess?’ said Nymrod, omitting to mention the gold that was on offer in case the opportunity came to reward himself with it.
    â€˜Oh yes, absolutely, gorgeous stuff,’ said Sir Barkworth.
    â€˜Well, you do indeed paint a tempting picture,’ said the first Brave Knight, with the other three nodding in agreement. ‘But I fear we are already on a great