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Authors: Gerald Morris
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guiding us on our journey," Lynet said. She wondered again why no one seemed to recognize Roger, while the dwarf seemed to know everything about everyone in Arthur's court.
Terence nodded a friendly greeting, then gestured behind him. "I don't suppose any of you are hungry, are you? I've just eaten, and I have these three rabbits on the broil."
"Exactly the right number," Lynet said musingly. "What a coincidence! And yes, I am famished. I would be delighted toâ"
"We need none of your food, squire!" Beaumains said abruptly.
Lynet, who had already begun to dismount, stopped
and stared. "What are you talking about, flickerwick? We're out of food! You know that."
"I'll not be beholden to this lackey!"
Lynet looked apologetically at Terence. "Don't mind him. I suppose manners are not taught to kitchen knaves." She looked back at Beaumains. "Tell you what. You stay there and pretend to be a knight, and I'll have something to eat. Roger?"
The dwarf's lips twisted in a lopsided smile. "I'd as soon be moving on myself, but that surely smells good." He dismounted.
The rabbit was very good. Lynet was amazed at how tender and succulent the meat was. Terence kindly explained to her which herbs to use for flavor, and she and Roger ate their fill while Beaumains sat aloofly on his horse at the edge of the trees.
When Lynet had eaten enough, she looked up at Terence, who was reclining patiently against a tree. "Squire Terence?"
"Yes, my lady."
"I don't believe that it was a coincidenceâyour being here with food just when we needed it."
Terence grinned. "Lady Eileen asked me to look in on you and see that you came to no harm. She took quite a fancy to you, you know."
Lynet smiled with pleasure. "Oh, I'm glad. I liked her too. But how did you know where to find us?"
Terence did not answer at first, and Lynet looked
into his eyes. They lit with inner laughter, and one lid dropped in a quick wink. "An old friend told me. He ... ah ... saw your camp last night when he was gathering herbs in the moonlight."
Lynet smiled back. So this squire knew Robin. She felt suddenly warmed as she realized that she was surrounded by protectors who, for some reason, had chosen to care for her.
"Is your master with you?" asked Roger suddenly.
"Do you know my master, friend Roger?" Terence asked politely.
"Everyone's heard of Sir Gawain," Roger said, his face taut.
Terence looked curiously at Roger, to the dwarf's evident discomfort, but all he said was, "Nay. He's gone off alone on family business."
Trying to distract Terence from his scrutiny of her friend, Lynet said hastily, "Something about his brothers, I think you said back at court?"
Terence looked away from Roger. "Ay, that's it. His youngest brother Gareth made a vow and rode off to fulfill it. Then another of his brothers, Gaheris, went off to find Gareth. Neither one's been heard of since. So Gawain's gone to look."
"Oh," Lynet said suddenly. "I've heard of Gaheris before, but I didn't know he was Gawain's brother. In factâ" Lynet remembered that Roger had served Gaheris and glanced at the dwarf, but Roger shook
his head sharply. Lynet hesitated. "In fact, I heard a knight named Sir Dinadan speak of him. He did not seem to think that Gaheris was a very skilled knight."
"He was right," said Terence quietly, "but Gaheris is worth a dozen of Dinadan anyway." Lynet peeked at Roger, who was staring at Terence. The squire stood and stretched, like a cat. "Well, I know you questing ladies have to keep moving. Give this other rabbit to your champion, will you? He may be hungrier later. I'll be off now, but if you don't mind I'll check on you again."
"I'll look forward to it," Lynet said, smiling. And then Terence disappeared into the forest. Lynet looked at Roger, puzzled. "Why didn't Terence know you, Roger, if you used to serve this Gaheris?"
"I was only with him a short time on one of his journeys," the dwarf said.
"But still, you might have been able to tell
Terence nodded a friendly greeting, then gestured behind him. "I don't suppose any of you are hungry, are you? I've just eaten, and I have these three rabbits on the broil."
"Exactly the right number," Lynet said musingly. "What a coincidence! And yes, I am famished. I would be delighted toâ"
"We need none of your food, squire!" Beaumains said abruptly.
Lynet, who had already begun to dismount, stopped
and stared. "What are you talking about, flickerwick? We're out of food! You know that."
"I'll not be beholden to this lackey!"
Lynet looked apologetically at Terence. "Don't mind him. I suppose manners are not taught to kitchen knaves." She looked back at Beaumains. "Tell you what. You stay there and pretend to be a knight, and I'll have something to eat. Roger?"
The dwarf's lips twisted in a lopsided smile. "I'd as soon be moving on myself, but that surely smells good." He dismounted.
The rabbit was very good. Lynet was amazed at how tender and succulent the meat was. Terence kindly explained to her which herbs to use for flavor, and she and Roger ate their fill while Beaumains sat aloofly on his horse at the edge of the trees.
When Lynet had eaten enough, she looked up at Terence, who was reclining patiently against a tree. "Squire Terence?"
"Yes, my lady."
"I don't believe that it was a coincidenceâyour being here with food just when we needed it."
Terence grinned. "Lady Eileen asked me to look in on you and see that you came to no harm. She took quite a fancy to you, you know."
Lynet smiled with pleasure. "Oh, I'm glad. I liked her too. But how did you know where to find us?"
Terence did not answer at first, and Lynet looked
into his eyes. They lit with inner laughter, and one lid dropped in a quick wink. "An old friend told me. He ... ah ... saw your camp last night when he was gathering herbs in the moonlight."
Lynet smiled back. So this squire knew Robin. She felt suddenly warmed as she realized that she was surrounded by protectors who, for some reason, had chosen to care for her.
"Is your master with you?" asked Roger suddenly.
"Do you know my master, friend Roger?" Terence asked politely.
"Everyone's heard of Sir Gawain," Roger said, his face taut.
Terence looked curiously at Roger, to the dwarf's evident discomfort, but all he said was, "Nay. He's gone off alone on family business."
Trying to distract Terence from his scrutiny of her friend, Lynet said hastily, "Something about his brothers, I think you said back at court?"
Terence looked away from Roger. "Ay, that's it. His youngest brother Gareth made a vow and rode off to fulfill it. Then another of his brothers, Gaheris, went off to find Gareth. Neither one's been heard of since. So Gawain's gone to look."
"Oh," Lynet said suddenly. "I've heard of Gaheris before, but I didn't know he was Gawain's brother. In factâ" Lynet remembered that Roger had served Gaheris and glanced at the dwarf, but Roger shook
his head sharply. Lynet hesitated. "In fact, I heard a knight named Sir Dinadan speak of him. He did not seem to think that Gaheris was a very skilled knight."
"He was right," said Terence quietly, "but Gaheris is worth a dozen of Dinadan anyway." Lynet peeked at Roger, who was staring at Terence. The squire stood and stretched, like a cat. "Well, I know you questing ladies have to keep moving. Give this other rabbit to your champion, will you? He may be hungrier later. I'll be off now, but if you don't mind I'll check on you again."
"I'll look forward to it," Lynet said, smiling. And then Terence disappeared into the forest. Lynet looked at Roger, puzzled. "Why didn't Terence know you, Roger, if you used to serve this Gaheris?"
"I was only with him a short time on one of his journeys," the dwarf said.
"But still, you might have been able to tell
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