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Authors: KATHERINE ROBERTS
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What would a girl in the world of men want with armour? “I thought it looked pretty,” she finished.
“Common thieves, then,” the bloodbeard growled, losing interest in her. “Shame it looks too small for me. Does a good job, it seems – unlike your champion here.” He kicked Sir Bors in the ribs, making the big knight grunt in pain.
Rhianna eyed the fallen arrow. Its head looked bent. Her Avalonian armour must have saved her life. At least its magic and Elphin’s harp seemed to work in this world, even if they had lost Merlin. She breathed a bit easier. As long as their captors did not discover who she was, they might get a chance to escape.
The bloodbeard captain turned his attentionto Sir Bors. “Take them to the Saxon camp,” he ordered. “Chief Cynric will want to question this knight once I’ve loosened his tongue. We might not have smoked Arthur’s cowardly lot out of their hideout yet, but ten to one he knows where it is. We can trade the maid and the two boys for a couple of boats to dredge for the sword – Saxons are always after slaves. The plump one won’t need much feeding.” He poked Cai in the stomach with Sir Bors’ sword and the squire moaned in fear.
As the men marched them at spear point towards the Saxon camp, their leader glanced at Elphin’s horse, which had given up trying to mist for now. “See if you can find that other white pony. They don’t look up to carrying much weight, but Cynric’s men can always eat them if this siege drags on into the winter.”
Rhianna glared at the bloodbeard captain. Eat Lord Avallach’s mist horses? How dare he even suggest such a thing? “Run, Alba,” she whispered. “Stay free.”
6
Saxon Camp
Together the king and Mordred fell,
Excalibur blooded by a spell,
The saddest day in all the land
When the field went to the Saxon band.
S oon I’ll wake up, Rhianna told herself, and all this will be nothing but a bad dream. Except she knew it wasn’t a dream, and her legs trembled at the thought of meeting her father’s enemies. Nobody in Avalon had ever fired an arrow at her, or jabbed her with a spear everytime she opened her mouth to talk to her friends. If the world of men was like this, no wonder the queen had sent her to live with Lord Avallach.
Their captors separated Sir Bors and dragged him off with the two horses, making her afraid they might never see him again. She wondered what the bloodbeards would do to her friends if they found out who she really was. But as the smells and noise of the Saxon camp surrounded them, her fear turned to anger. These men had been responsible for her father’s death. If they hadn’t joined forces with Mordred, her cousin would never have got close enough to kill the king.
She looked hopefully back at the hill where she’d seen her father’s ghost, but got another prod from a bloodbeard’s spear. “Don’t even thinkabout rescue, lassie,” he chuckled. “Your knights ran off. Cowards, the lot of ’em, now they’ve lost Arthur.”
Rhianna saw Elphin’s warning glance and bit off her angry words. Their only hope of getting out of here would be to get her friend’s harp back. Until then she had to remember to act like a meek village girl so their captors would think her no threat. Easier said than done.
That evening Rhianna stood in the Saxon chief’s tent fuming with helpless rage. The Saxons had taken her armour and replaced it with an old sack that hung raggedly around her knees. Her braid had come unravelled so that her hair frizzed to her waist. A leather slave-collar , which had been buckled around her neck, was rubbing her chin and making it sore.Elphin and Cai wore similar collars, although they had at least been allowed to keep their own clothes. The Avalonian armour, her father’s dragon shield, Cai’s dagger, Sir Bors’ sword and Elphin’s harp made a glittering pile on a rug before the chieftain’s feet. It seemed neither of her friends had seen King Arthur’s ghost
“Common thieves, then,” the bloodbeard growled, losing interest in her. “Shame it looks too small for me. Does a good job, it seems – unlike your champion here.” He kicked Sir Bors in the ribs, making the big knight grunt in pain.
Rhianna eyed the fallen arrow. Its head looked bent. Her Avalonian armour must have saved her life. At least its magic and Elphin’s harp seemed to work in this world, even if they had lost Merlin. She breathed a bit easier. As long as their captors did not discover who she was, they might get a chance to escape.
The bloodbeard captain turned his attentionto Sir Bors. “Take them to the Saxon camp,” he ordered. “Chief Cynric will want to question this knight once I’ve loosened his tongue. We might not have smoked Arthur’s cowardly lot out of their hideout yet, but ten to one he knows where it is. We can trade the maid and the two boys for a couple of boats to dredge for the sword – Saxons are always after slaves. The plump one won’t need much feeding.” He poked Cai in the stomach with Sir Bors’ sword and the squire moaned in fear.
As the men marched them at spear point towards the Saxon camp, their leader glanced at Elphin’s horse, which had given up trying to mist for now. “See if you can find that other white pony. They don’t look up to carrying much weight, but Cynric’s men can always eat them if this siege drags on into the winter.”
Rhianna glared at the bloodbeard captain. Eat Lord Avallach’s mist horses? How dare he even suggest such a thing? “Run, Alba,” she whispered. “Stay free.”
6
Saxon Camp
Together the king and Mordred fell,
Excalibur blooded by a spell,
The saddest day in all the land
When the field went to the Saxon band.
S oon I’ll wake up, Rhianna told herself, and all this will be nothing but a bad dream. Except she knew it wasn’t a dream, and her legs trembled at the thought of meeting her father’s enemies. Nobody in Avalon had ever fired an arrow at her, or jabbed her with a spear everytime she opened her mouth to talk to her friends. If the world of men was like this, no wonder the queen had sent her to live with Lord Avallach.
Their captors separated Sir Bors and dragged him off with the two horses, making her afraid they might never see him again. She wondered what the bloodbeards would do to her friends if they found out who she really was. But as the smells and noise of the Saxon camp surrounded them, her fear turned to anger. These men had been responsible for her father’s death. If they hadn’t joined forces with Mordred, her cousin would never have got close enough to kill the king.
She looked hopefully back at the hill where she’d seen her father’s ghost, but got another prod from a bloodbeard’s spear. “Don’t even thinkabout rescue, lassie,” he chuckled. “Your knights ran off. Cowards, the lot of ’em, now they’ve lost Arthur.”
Rhianna saw Elphin’s warning glance and bit off her angry words. Their only hope of getting out of here would be to get her friend’s harp back. Until then she had to remember to act like a meek village girl so their captors would think her no threat. Easier said than done.
That evening Rhianna stood in the Saxon chief’s tent fuming with helpless rage. The Saxons had taken her armour and replaced it with an old sack that hung raggedly around her knees. Her braid had come unravelled so that her hair frizzed to her waist. A leather slave-collar , which had been buckled around her neck, was rubbing her chin and making it sore.Elphin and Cai wore similar collars, although they had at least been allowed to keep their own clothes. The Avalonian armour, her father’s dragon shield, Cai’s dagger, Sir Bors’ sword and Elphin’s harp made a glittering pile on a rug before the chieftain’s feet. It seemed neither of her friends had seen King Arthur’s ghost
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