Read Online LANCE OF TRUTH by KATHERINE ROBERTS - Free Book Online Page A

first she thought she was still dreaming. Then one of the shadowy figures bent down to lift her hair from her face, and her heartpounded in terror as she realised that the prick at her throat was the sharp end of a spear. She saw Arianrhod held captive by the wall. Another man had hold of Elphin. Sir Bedivere and Gareth had also woken to spears at their throats.
    “This one’s a damsel wearing armour, sir!” the man standing over her said, lowering his guard.
    It was all the chance Rhianna needed. She rolled over, snatched Excalibur out of its bundle and sprang to her feet.
    The sword’s sudden gleam dazzled her. The man who had touched her hair staggered backwards in surprise, shading his eyes. The men holding her friends captive dragged them further away, while the two guarding Gareth and Sir Bedivere stiffened.
    “Drop that sword, damsel, or your friends die!” called a commanding voice from the door.
    Rhianna’s heart sank as she realised the sentries outside must have been overpowered, too. But having only just got Excalibur back, she wasn’t about to let anyone take it from her that easily.
    She whirled the blade through the air to make her attacker back off so she could pick up her shield, and retreated step by step until her back met the wall. A glitter on her arm caught her eye. The splinters stuck in the shield were glowing, just like they had in her dream… no time to think about that now.
    She put her back to the wall and faced the strangers. By Excalibur’s light, she warily checked their faces but saw no blue spirals marking them as Mordred’s men. They worearmour similar to Arthur’s knights, and they didn’t seem to have killed anyone – yet. Their leader was a tall, handsome knight with shoulder-length hair almost as silver as her sword. He took a swift stride towards her, and she tensed. But when he saw the Pendragon shield, he froze.
    “Arthur’s shield!” he breathed, looking round in confusion. “God’s breath, is that Soft Hands down there…?”
    “Yes, it’s me,” spluttered Sir Bedivere from the floor. “You are an idiot, Lancelot! What on earth are you doing creeping along the North Wall like thieves in the night?”
    Sir Lancelot.
    Rhianna’s arm trembled with anger. She gripped Excalibur tighter and took advantage of the knight’s distraction to put her blade tohis throat. “You let Mordred take my mother!” she said. “Tell your men to let my friends go, or
you
die.”
    Everybody stared in horror at Excalibur, shining at the champion knight’s throat. Lancelot’s men started towards her, but backed off when the silver-haired knight raised a hand. Now she had a problem because she could not blood the blade if she wanted to keep Excalibur’s magic pure. But hopefully Sir Lancelot didn’t realise that.
    “I’ll do it,” she said. “I’m not afraid to use this sword.”
    “I can vouch for that,” Sir Bedivere said. “She fought a dragon and Mordred’s bloodbeards with it last year.”
    “And saw off Lord Avallach’s Wild Hunt,” Elphin added.
    Sir Lancelot gave Rhianna a wary look. “Don’t do anything you might regret, damsel,” he said. “I want to get the queen back just as much as you do. We’re on the same side here.” He signalled his men to let Sir Bedivere and the others go. “Truce?”
    Sir Bedivere pushed his attacker’s lance away and dusted himself off. Gareth scowled and did the same. Arianrhod rushed across to hide behind Elphin, whose harp rippled gently into the night, breaking the tension.
    Relieved she wouldn’t have to carry out her threat, Rhianna sheathed Excalibur.
    While Gareth and Elphin coaxed the fire back to life with a mixture of human skill and Avalonian magic, Sir Bedivere and Sir Lancelot warily clasped hands. Then the men sat down around the fire to exchange information.
    Rhianna watched the silver-haired knight with mixed feelings. She hated him for taking her mother all the way to this wild place and letting Mordred