Read Online LANCE OF TRUTH by KATHERINE ROBERTS - Free Book Online
Authors: KATHERINE ROBERTS
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give us directions.”
“We’re more likely to run into Mordred’s bloodbeards if we go stumbling about up here in the dark,” Sir Bedivere said. “Best thing we can do is wait for Bors and the others. They should be here soon, and hopefully we’ll be able to work something out before we meet Mordred.” He looked at Rhianna and sighed. “I
thought
I wasn’t imagining things at the Round Table meeting… seems Merlin’s just as much trouble in the body of a bird as he was in a man’s.”
The sun slipped down behind the ridge as they tried to decide what to do next, and it quickly grew colder. Sir Bedivere mumbled something about finding a road. But since none of them had actually been this far north before, nobody seemed to know quite where they were. The men even argued about which side ofthe Wall they were on, Prince Mordred’s or King Arthur’s.
“Where did Mordred say to meet him with the sword?” Rhianna asked.
Sir Bedivere gave her a distracted look. “Don’t even think about it, Damsel Rhianna. We’re in enough trouble, as it is.”
But Gareth looked at her with more interest. “That’s Excalibur, isn’t it?”
For the first time, the knight noticed the bundle tied beside the shield on Rhianna’s saddle. He went still. “Don’t tell me you… oh, this goes from bad to worse! So which sword’s Sir Bors got?”
The friends glanced at one another.
“Just an old one nobody wanted,” Arianrhod admitted. “I found a white jewel in the queen’s treasure chest about the same size as the one onExcalibur’s hilt, and Elphin used his magic to stick it on.”
“You stuck it on with fairy magic?” Sir Bedivere obviously wanted to stay angry. But Rhianna saw the knight’s lips twitch. “I’d love to see Mordred’s face when he realises!”
“Cai’s goin’ to be in trouble when Sir Bors finds out, that’s for sure,” Gareth said with a smirk.
Rhianna wanted to kick the boy, but he was right. Her friends had risked a lot to bring her here with Excalibur. She couldn’t let them down now.
In the end, Sir Bedivere decided to camp in the nearest guard tower for the night so that they would be close to the stones in case Merlin came back, and not too far from safety if they had ended up on Mordred’s side of the Wall.
They gathered heather, and Elphin played a few notes on his harp to light a fire. Gareth gave the Avalonian boy a look that was half contempt, half respect. Arianrhod unloaded food from the pack pony’s bags, and they ate in silence, huddled close to the flames. Sir Bedivere ordered a sentry rota with two men to stay awake at all times. Since they had only three fighting men he included Gareth in this, which cheered the sulky squire up a bit.
Rhianna kept Excalibur near at hand and rested her head on the dragon shield, watching the sparks from the fire fly up through the broken roof of the tower. She felt much too excited to sleep. But the journey along the spiral path must have tired her more than she’d thought. She drifted into a strange dream where the splinters stuck in her father’s shieldglittered like stars in the sky, and the red dragon came alive to fly up through the hole in the roof, shrieking a challenge.
She looked through the dragon’s eyes and saw the dark knight crouched in another of the ruined guard towers below. He brandished the fake Excalibur at her and yelled, “You’re going to pay for this, cousin!”
As she tossed uneasily in her sleep, the shadrake that had chased them across the Summer Lands last year flew up out of Mordred’s tower, and the two dragons – red and black – fought fiercely in the night sky above the North Wall.
5
The Broken Lance
In the northlands a knight did ride
Searching for his dead lord’s bride.
Harp and shield and true words spoken
Can heal the lance that once was broken.
S he woke to feel something pricking her throat. The fire had died to a few embers, and the ruin was full of shadowy figures. At
“We’re more likely to run into Mordred’s bloodbeards if we go stumbling about up here in the dark,” Sir Bedivere said. “Best thing we can do is wait for Bors and the others. They should be here soon, and hopefully we’ll be able to work something out before we meet Mordred.” He looked at Rhianna and sighed. “I
thought
I wasn’t imagining things at the Round Table meeting… seems Merlin’s just as much trouble in the body of a bird as he was in a man’s.”
The sun slipped down behind the ridge as they tried to decide what to do next, and it quickly grew colder. Sir Bedivere mumbled something about finding a road. But since none of them had actually been this far north before, nobody seemed to know quite where they were. The men even argued about which side ofthe Wall they were on, Prince Mordred’s or King Arthur’s.
“Where did Mordred say to meet him with the sword?” Rhianna asked.
Sir Bedivere gave her a distracted look. “Don’t even think about it, Damsel Rhianna. We’re in enough trouble, as it is.”
But Gareth looked at her with more interest. “That’s Excalibur, isn’t it?”
For the first time, the knight noticed the bundle tied beside the shield on Rhianna’s saddle. He went still. “Don’t tell me you… oh, this goes from bad to worse! So which sword’s Sir Bors got?”
The friends glanced at one another.
“Just an old one nobody wanted,” Arianrhod admitted. “I found a white jewel in the queen’s treasure chest about the same size as the one onExcalibur’s hilt, and Elphin used his magic to stick it on.”
“You stuck it on with fairy magic?” Sir Bedivere obviously wanted to stay angry. But Rhianna saw the knight’s lips twitch. “I’d love to see Mordred’s face when he realises!”
“Cai’s goin’ to be in trouble when Sir Bors finds out, that’s for sure,” Gareth said with a smirk.
Rhianna wanted to kick the boy, but he was right. Her friends had risked a lot to bring her here with Excalibur. She couldn’t let them down now.
In the end, Sir Bedivere decided to camp in the nearest guard tower for the night so that they would be close to the stones in case Merlin came back, and not too far from safety if they had ended up on Mordred’s side of the Wall.
They gathered heather, and Elphin played a few notes on his harp to light a fire. Gareth gave the Avalonian boy a look that was half contempt, half respect. Arianrhod unloaded food from the pack pony’s bags, and they ate in silence, huddled close to the flames. Sir Bedivere ordered a sentry rota with two men to stay awake at all times. Since they had only three fighting men he included Gareth in this, which cheered the sulky squire up a bit.
Rhianna kept Excalibur near at hand and rested her head on the dragon shield, watching the sparks from the fire fly up through the broken roof of the tower. She felt much too excited to sleep. But the journey along the spiral path must have tired her more than she’d thought. She drifted into a strange dream where the splinters stuck in her father’s shieldglittered like stars in the sky, and the red dragon came alive to fly up through the hole in the roof, shrieking a challenge.
She looked through the dragon’s eyes and saw the dark knight crouched in another of the ruined guard towers below. He brandished the fake Excalibur at her and yelled, “You’re going to pay for this, cousin!”
As she tossed uneasily in her sleep, the shadrake that had chased them across the Summer Lands last year flew up out of Mordred’s tower, and the two dragons – red and black – fought fiercely in the night sky above the North Wall.
5
The Broken Lance
In the northlands a knight did ride
Searching for his dead lord’s bride.
Harp and shield and true words spoken
Can heal the lance that once was broken.
S he woke to feel something pricking her throat. The fire had died to a few embers, and the ruin was full of shadowy figures. At
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