Read Online The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf by Gerald Morris - Free Book Online
Authors: Gerald Morris
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going to sleep that night. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Beaumains's startled expression and heard again his plaintive question, "Have ye still no gentle words for me, my lady?" At that moment she believed she had seen the real person beneath his assumed self-confidence, his stilted courtly language, his exaggerated respect for Sir Lancelot. She had made little of his moment of triumph, and her scorn had laid him open as no wound could have. But when she had relented, all his ridiculous bravado had returned, and the real human being had retreated again into his borrowed armor.
At last Lynet slept, but it seemed only a minute before a stirring in the night woke her. She sat up in her blankets and looked around. All was still. "Roger?" she hissed. "Did you hear something?" There was no
answer, and she looked more closely at the dwarf's bed. Roger was gone.
As before, when she had noticed the dwarf's absence at Camelot, Lynet felt a queer sense of loss. How were they ever to find their way to the Castle Perle without him? Wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, she rose and tiptoed across to Roger's blankets. They were neatly laid back, and a small black opening in the bushes seemed to point the direction he had gone. Without hesitation, Lynet stepped into the forest.
The sky was clear, and the light of a half moon silvered the spaces between trees. Lynet walked slowly in her bare feet, a strange excitement growing inside her. She saw no sign of Roger, but she did not hesitate. At every turning, she knew which way she was to take. After a few minutes, she came to a tiny clearing in the forest. In the center of the clearing was a circle of deep shadow, standing by itself.
As she approached, the dark patch began to expand and change shape. In a moment, it had taken the form of a small man, though a hint of tiny horns amid the tousled hair was distinctly nonhuman. "Hallo, Lynet," said a chuckling voice.
To her surprise, Lynet realized that she was not afraid. "How do you know my name?" she asked calmly.
"Well, at first I wasn't sure. You see in that blue silk dress I took you for a lowly servant girlâ" The voice
trailed off in an explosion of uncontrollable giggles. Lynet recognized the voice now. It was the same personage who had helped her through the Red Knight's camp on the first night of her quest, the one that Lady Eileen had said was a faery.
"Are you ... are you a faery?" Lynet asked.
"But of course, my lady. You may call me Robin."
"Good evening, Robin. I want to thank you for helping me through the Red Knight's camp. I'm afraid I was very foolish."
"No more than any other mortal," said the little man with a laugh.
"But I've learned a little since then."
"Not as much as you're going to, Lynet. That's why you're here tonight."
"I beg your pardon?" asked Lynet.
"Can you not feel it? Tonight is a night for enchantments. And you, my lady, whether you know it or not, are going to learn about enchantment." Robin paused, but Lynet did not answer, so he continued. "Do you see the moon? The night of the half face is a night for good magic. Everything good is half light and half dark, you see. Come here, and look at this plant. This is called feverfew, a very useful herb indeed."
Robin sounded like a teacher beginning a class. "Why are you telling me these things?" she asked.
Robin's voice was serious when he answered. "Lynet, my dove, you are intended for much, and
much is expected of you. But you have far to go first."
Lynet stepped closer. She felt so wide awake now that she wondered if she was dreaming, but she only said, "What do you do with feverfew?"
For an hour or perhaps twoâtime seemed elastic in the faery's presenceâRobin told her about herbs and spells and charms and much more. Lynet listened intently, drawn by an innate interest as well as by the sense of awe that grew upon her at being tutored by a faery. At last Robin sent her away to get her rest, promised that she
At last Lynet slept, but it seemed only a minute before a stirring in the night woke her. She sat up in her blankets and looked around. All was still. "Roger?" she hissed. "Did you hear something?" There was no
answer, and she looked more closely at the dwarf's bed. Roger was gone.
As before, when she had noticed the dwarf's absence at Camelot, Lynet felt a queer sense of loss. How were they ever to find their way to the Castle Perle without him? Wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, she rose and tiptoed across to Roger's blankets. They were neatly laid back, and a small black opening in the bushes seemed to point the direction he had gone. Without hesitation, Lynet stepped into the forest.
The sky was clear, and the light of a half moon silvered the spaces between trees. Lynet walked slowly in her bare feet, a strange excitement growing inside her. She saw no sign of Roger, but she did not hesitate. At every turning, she knew which way she was to take. After a few minutes, she came to a tiny clearing in the forest. In the center of the clearing was a circle of deep shadow, standing by itself.
As she approached, the dark patch began to expand and change shape. In a moment, it had taken the form of a small man, though a hint of tiny horns amid the tousled hair was distinctly nonhuman. "Hallo, Lynet," said a chuckling voice.
To her surprise, Lynet realized that she was not afraid. "How do you know my name?" she asked calmly.
"Well, at first I wasn't sure. You see in that blue silk dress I took you for a lowly servant girlâ" The voice
trailed off in an explosion of uncontrollable giggles. Lynet recognized the voice now. It was the same personage who had helped her through the Red Knight's camp on the first night of her quest, the one that Lady Eileen had said was a faery.
"Are you ... are you a faery?" Lynet asked.
"But of course, my lady. You may call me Robin."
"Good evening, Robin. I want to thank you for helping me through the Red Knight's camp. I'm afraid I was very foolish."
"No more than any other mortal," said the little man with a laugh.
"But I've learned a little since then."
"Not as much as you're going to, Lynet. That's why you're here tonight."
"I beg your pardon?" asked Lynet.
"Can you not feel it? Tonight is a night for enchantments. And you, my lady, whether you know it or not, are going to learn about enchantment." Robin paused, but Lynet did not answer, so he continued. "Do you see the moon? The night of the half face is a night for good magic. Everything good is half light and half dark, you see. Come here, and look at this plant. This is called feverfew, a very useful herb indeed."
Robin sounded like a teacher beginning a class. "Why are you telling me these things?" she asked.
Robin's voice was serious when he answered. "Lynet, my dove, you are intended for much, and
much is expected of you. But you have far to go first."
Lynet stepped closer. She felt so wide awake now that she wondered if she was dreaming, but she only said, "What do you do with feverfew?"
For an hour or perhaps twoâtime seemed elastic in the faery's presenceâRobin told her about herbs and spells and charms and much more. Lynet listened intently, drawn by an innate interest as well as by the sense of awe that grew upon her at being tutored by a faery. At last Robin sent her away to get her rest, promised that she
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