Read Online The Lioness and Her Knight by Gerald Morris - Free Book Online
Authors: Gerald Morris
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him right now, but what do you think they'll do to you once they notice you here?"
Ywain lifted the visor on his helm and looked out at Luneta and Rhience. "You think they'll be angry?" They both nodded. "I see," Ywain said. "Will they attack?" They nodded again. Ywain set his lips and allowed his visor to drop. "I'm not afraid."
"You should be," Rhience said. "I hear that Sir Esclados has more than fifty men here."
Ywain raised his visor again. "You think I should leave?"
Luneta sighed with frustration, and Rhience said, "That would be splendid. Do you mind telling me how you intend to do it?"
At last the full significance of his situation seemed to dawn on Ywain. "Oh, yes. The gate's closed, isn't it? Is there another way out?"
"Probably," Luneta said, "but I don't know it. We've only been here one afternoon."
"What should I do, then?"
"I think you should hide," Luneta said, trying to keep her voice calm.
"Hide?" Ywain repeated distastefully.
"Or you could die," Rhience pointed out.
Ywain hesitated, but as it happened, at that very moment a soldier called out, "Send for the rest of the guard!" and Ywain said, "All right. Where should I go?"
Neither Luneta nor Rhience had any immediate ideas for hiding places, but they dragged Ywain around a wall and into the first door they could find. Out of the courtyard was a good first step. And by the time they had Ywain out of immediate danger, Luneta had thought of exactly where to hide Ywain.
"Shh," Luneta said, leading Ywain by the hand down the dark halls of the castle. "I'm nearly sure that this is the right corridor. We're looking for a great door with two candles in sconces on either side of it."
From behind Ywain, Rhience said, "I still think we should have gone down to the cellars, if we could find them. Maybe we could cover him with stove wood or something."
"That doesn't sound very comfortable," Ywain said pleasantly. For one whose life was in danger he seemed amazingly cheerful.
"No, the cellars won't do," Luneta said. "Think for a minute. Even if no one saw Ywain fall off his horseâ"
"I didn't fall; I was thrown."
"Be quiet. Even if they didn't see Ywain, they have his horse and they'll know that he's somewhere in the castle. Before long we'll have search parties, and the cellar is the first place they'll look."
"Maybe," Rhience said, "but isn't this the hall where the bedchambers are? Do you plan to hide him in your wardrobe?"
"That sounds worse than the stove wood," Ywain said.
"Here it is. Now, you two wait in the shadows while I make sure it's empty." Luneta hurried to the door and knocked. After a moment of silence, she pushed it open and looked in at Lady Laudine's bedchamber. No one was there. "Come on!" Luneta called to the others. "Inhere!"
They entered the room and Ywain whistled. "This is your room? They treat their guests well here, don't they?"
"No, it's not mine."
"You want Ywain to hide in a lady's bedchamber?" Rhience asked with exasperation. "Of all the witlessâ"
"You know, it's not such a bad idea," Ywain said. "Last place they would look, and all that. But I don't see any very good hiding places."
"I don't care where you hide," Luneta said sharply. "We're only here to get something. Take off your gauntlet."
"My gauntlet?"
"Yes, your gauntlet. That thing on your hand. Take it off." Luneta opened Lady Laudine's jewelry drawer and began rummaging among the gems.
"I hear voices down the corridor," Rhience said. "Can you crawl under the bed in your armor?"
"Here!" Luneta said, taking up the faery ring triumphantly. She turned to Ywain, who had just finished taking off his armored gauntlet. "Put this ring on, and make it fast!"
"Put on this ring?"
"Do it now!" Luneta snapped, and Ywain took the ring from her and put it on his finger. At once he disappeared.
"By all the gods," whispered Rhience.
Ywain's voice came from the air. "And now, where should I hide?"
"You
are
hidden," Luneta said, taking a deep breath.
Ywain lifted the visor on his helm and looked out at Luneta and Rhience. "You think they'll be angry?" They both nodded. "I see," Ywain said. "Will they attack?" They nodded again. Ywain set his lips and allowed his visor to drop. "I'm not afraid."
"You should be," Rhience said. "I hear that Sir Esclados has more than fifty men here."
Ywain raised his visor again. "You think I should leave?"
Luneta sighed with frustration, and Rhience said, "That would be splendid. Do you mind telling me how you intend to do it?"
At last the full significance of his situation seemed to dawn on Ywain. "Oh, yes. The gate's closed, isn't it? Is there another way out?"
"Probably," Luneta said, "but I don't know it. We've only been here one afternoon."
"What should I do, then?"
"I think you should hide," Luneta said, trying to keep her voice calm.
"Hide?" Ywain repeated distastefully.
"Or you could die," Rhience pointed out.
Ywain hesitated, but as it happened, at that very moment a soldier called out, "Send for the rest of the guard!" and Ywain said, "All right. Where should I go?"
Neither Luneta nor Rhience had any immediate ideas for hiding places, but they dragged Ywain around a wall and into the first door they could find. Out of the courtyard was a good first step. And by the time they had Ywain out of immediate danger, Luneta had thought of exactly where to hide Ywain.
"Shh," Luneta said, leading Ywain by the hand down the dark halls of the castle. "I'm nearly sure that this is the right corridor. We're looking for a great door with two candles in sconces on either side of it."
From behind Ywain, Rhience said, "I still think we should have gone down to the cellars, if we could find them. Maybe we could cover him with stove wood or something."
"That doesn't sound very comfortable," Ywain said pleasantly. For one whose life was in danger he seemed amazingly cheerful.
"No, the cellars won't do," Luneta said. "Think for a minute. Even if no one saw Ywain fall off his horseâ"
"I didn't fall; I was thrown."
"Be quiet. Even if they didn't see Ywain, they have his horse and they'll know that he's somewhere in the castle. Before long we'll have search parties, and the cellar is the first place they'll look."
"Maybe," Rhience said, "but isn't this the hall where the bedchambers are? Do you plan to hide him in your wardrobe?"
"That sounds worse than the stove wood," Ywain said.
"Here it is. Now, you two wait in the shadows while I make sure it's empty." Luneta hurried to the door and knocked. After a moment of silence, she pushed it open and looked in at Lady Laudine's bedchamber. No one was there. "Come on!" Luneta called to the others. "Inhere!"
They entered the room and Ywain whistled. "This is your room? They treat their guests well here, don't they?"
"No, it's not mine."
"You want Ywain to hide in a lady's bedchamber?" Rhience asked with exasperation. "Of all the witlessâ"
"You know, it's not such a bad idea," Ywain said. "Last place they would look, and all that. But I don't see any very good hiding places."
"I don't care where you hide," Luneta said sharply. "We're only here to get something. Take off your gauntlet."
"My gauntlet?"
"Yes, your gauntlet. That thing on your hand. Take it off." Luneta opened Lady Laudine's jewelry drawer and began rummaging among the gems.
"I hear voices down the corridor," Rhience said. "Can you crawl under the bed in your armor?"
"Here!" Luneta said, taking up the faery ring triumphantly. She turned to Ywain, who had just finished taking off his armored gauntlet. "Put this ring on, and make it fast!"
"Put on this ring?"
"Do it now!" Luneta snapped, and Ywain took the ring from her and put it on his finger. At once he disappeared.
"By all the gods," whispered Rhience.
Ywain's voice came from the air. "And now, where should I hide?"
"You
are
hidden," Luneta said, taking a deep breath.
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