LANCE OF TRUTH (4 page)

She couldn’t think straight. “But I thought we were going to try contacting Lancelot using the spirit magic?” she said, her stomach doing strange things. “Surely he’ll answer if my mother’s in danger?” She rested her hand on
Excalibur’s hilt, daring them to stop her from trying the magic.

The knights glanced at one another.

Sir Bedivere put his hand over hers. “No, Rhianna,” he said. “We’ve changed our minds. If Mordred’s got hold of Lancelot as well, and we use the spirit magic to summon him, we’ll be as good as inviting the dark knight in here. We can’t risk it.”

She closed her eyes, trying to think. What had Sir Agravaine said? Mordred wanted the Sword of Light in exchange for her mother’s life… If he did have the Lance, that would give her cousin two of the Lights. Which was more important, her mother or her quest?

Her hand trembled on her sword hilt. Sir Bedivere slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. “Don’t worry,
Damsel Rhianna,” he said. “It might not be necessary to actually give the sword to Mordred. We’ll work it out, you’ll see.”

Rhianna shrugged him off, her head spinning. “Where’s Elphin? He should be here. He’ll help us if Mordred tries any dark magic. He did before.”

The knights muttered uneasily. Sir Bors sighed, and said, “We’ve decided it’s best to keep the contents of this message to ourselves. The Avalonian boy might pass it back to his father, and who knows what the fairy lord might do to stop us takin’ the Sword of Light to Mordred. Cai told us what happened at midwinter.”

Rhianna frowned. The last time Elphin had played his harp at a Round Table meeting, he’d stopped the magic so that they could not contact Merlin or anyone else. Then he’d led her into the
snowy woods, where the Wild Hunt had surrounded them and tried to take Excalibur. Only the timely arrival of Cai and Arianrhod with the squires and damsels had stopped Lord Avallach from forcing her to give up the sword.

“Elphin won’t try that again,” she said. “He didn’t understand. He thought he was protecting me.”

“We can’t risk it,” Sir Bors insisted, shaking his head. “The fewer people who know, the better. We wouldn’t have told you, except we’re goin’ to need to take Excalibur with us when we ride.”

“But I’ll be…” Rhianna looked at their faces. And then she knew. They meant to take Excalibur with them when they rode north to rescue her mother, and leave her behind in Camelot with the other damsels.

Not if she could help it!

She tightened her fist on Excalibur’s white jewel and eyed the circle of sky above the Round Table. A cloud crossed the sun, plunging the hall into shadow. “Hurry up, Merlin,” she muttered, hoping he hadn’t been distracted by a mouse.

“I’m sorry, Damsel Rhianna,” Sir Bors began. “But we’ve already decided. Now sit down, and let’s discuss this sensibly…”

Just then there was a flutter of wings, and the merlin spiralled down through the hole in the roof to land on the back of Sir Agravaine’s chair. She watched the bird in relief, wondering whether to draw her sword to help the knights hear him.

As the men chuckled, distracted from their business, Merlin hopped on to Sir Agravaine’s shoulder and peered at the collar. “Hmm,
mmm… that fool Mordred never could spell to save his life… ah, I see… clever little devil. I smell Morgan Le Fay’s hand in this…” He fluttered down on to the table and tried to turn the collar over to read the scratches on the other side, but his beak was not strong enough to lift the blood-soaked leather.

He spread his wings and muttered a spell. Nothing happened.

“Curse the witch,” he grumbled. “I need my druid staff for this work.”

Rhianna fought a smile as Sir Agravaine scowled at the little hawk and shooed it away. “Damn birds, making a mess everywhere. Is that your falcon, Damsel Rhianna? Get hold of it before it fouls the Round Table. This would never have happened in Arthur’s day. If it’s scratched the stone, we’ll be in trouble.”

He turned the collar over to check underneath. Merlin winked at Rhianna and immediately started reading the other side, avoiding Sir Agravaine’s annoyed grabs at him.

“Hurry up, Merlin!” she hissed.

The knights frowned as the little hawk flew low over their heads. Sir Bors got to his feet with an irritated expression. “Damsel Rhianna, if you don’t get hold of that bird right this moment, I’ll—”

But she never found out what he’d do, because Sir Bors’ eyes widened when the merlin landed on his head and whispered in his ear. Sir Bedivere was giving the bird a wary look. Merlin flew over to his chair and whispered to him, too. The young knight started.

“All right, Rhianna,” the druid said. “You can use the sword in the table now. Carefully.”

She hesitated. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Want to see your mother, don’t you? If these idiot knights are going to go tramping all the way up to the North Wall with Excalibur, it makes sense to know if the queen’s actually in trouble first. Go on. Mordred can’t hurt you while I’m here.”

She kicked off her boots, stood on her chair and stepped barefoot on to the table. “Very well,” she said to the knights, “if you won’t let Elphin in here, then I’ll just have to try the magic without him.” She drew Excalibur in a hiss of silver sparks and held the shining blade over the sword-sized hole at the centre.

“No, Damsel Rhianna!” Sir Agravaine leaped to his feet.

She closed her eyes and lowered the sword. Energy fizzed up her arms. The knights scraped
their chairs, and she heard mutters of anger.

Warily, she opened her eyes. The last time she’d opened the spirit channel in here with Excalibur, her cousin Mordred’s shadow had sat in one of the chairs and told her King Arthur would not wake for thousands of years.

This time, her cousin did not appear. Instead, a ghostly lady occupied the seat Rhianna had just left. Hair the colour of dirty flames fell in tangles across her face. Freckles dusted her nose. Her eyes, though red-rimmed from crying, were a fierce green. Rhianna swallowed. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing an older version of herself, complete with dirt and bruises as if the ghost had just ridden in a joust, too. A long chain circled one wrist and stretched away into the shadows at the edge of the hall.

“Queen Guinevere!” Sir Bors cried, leaping to his feet. “Don’t you worry, my lady, we’re comin’ to rescue you as soon as we can.”

“Sir Bors… is that you? Is that the Round Table?” The queen stared around at the knights in confusion. “But Arthur’s dead, so how…?” Then she looked up and saw Rhianna holding Excalibur. Her eyes widened. She reached out a ghostly arm, the chain clanking. “
Is that my Rhianna?
” she whispered. “Oh God, I thought Mordred was lying to me! You’re meant to be safe in Avalon… It’s true, then.”

Rhianna discovered her throat had closed. She swallowed. “Mother?” she managed in the end. “Where are you?”

The queen took a deep breath. “I’m not sure. A tower on some godforsaken moor. It’s always misty outside. There’s some enchantment on it,
I think. Mordred says you’ll never find it.”

“We’ll see about that,” Sir Agravaine growled. “Where’s that idiot Lancelot? Is he dead? Because if he’s still alive and he let Mordred take you, I’ll…”

The queen’s gaze shifted, and she looked at something beside her that they could not see. She stiffened and shouted, “Don’t come, Rhianna darling! It’s a trick—”

Shadows rippled across her face, which blurred and shifted, making Rhianna dizzy. Excalibur twisted in her hands. Those knights who had sat down leaped to their feet again.

“Rhianna Pendragon!” Merlin’s voice commanded. “Put that sword away. Now!”

With some relief, Rhianna returned the blade to its scabbard. The shadows and her mother’s image vanished. She shivered, suddenly cold.

“Right,” Merlin muttered. “Time for a bit of hunting, I think.”

The merlin flew up towards the roof and freedom. But as he went, she heard the druid call, “Don’t let them leave you behind, Rhianna Pendragon. The message on the back of the collar says you’re to carry Excalibur to the North Wall in person. Seems young Mordred’s rather more stupid than I thought.”

T
he meeting broke up soon after that. The knights rushed off to prepare for their journey to the North Wall, leaving Rhianna sitting alone and forgotten in the Great Hall. She touched the carved arms of her chair where her mother’s ghostly hands
had rested. She even imagined she could smell a flowery scent, though that must be impossible. Queen Guinevere had been a spirit image, summoned by the Sword of Light to Camelot’s enchanted table. Her body was still in Mordred’s prison.

Tears sprang to Rhianna’s eyes when she thought of the chain around her mother’s wrist. She felt tempted to use the sword to call Guinevere again, but that would be stupid without anyone there who could deal with her cousin’s dark magic. At least they knew the queen was still alive. The knights were right. They must rescue her mother as soon as possible, and maybe she could look for the Lance of Truth at the same time.

Don’t let them leave you behind, Rhianna Pendragon.

Well, she wouldn’t. But she’d need help.

She found Elphin grooming Evenstar. Her friend’s dark curls flopped into his eyes as he brushed his mist horse’s shimmering tail. The silver spiral she’d given him for Christ’s mass – the pathfinder from the end of Merlin’s staff that she’d got back from the shadrake during the battle – dangled from his neck, glinting in the dusty sunshine that came through the high window. Evenstar was enjoying the attention, his head bent round to watch his rider. Rhianna wondered if the mist horse was talking to him.

Of course he is
, Alba whinnied, nudging Rhianna with her nose over the top of her stall.
Where have you been? I need grooming, too!

Elphin looked up. “Rhia,” he said quietly, his violet eyes searching hers. “Are you all right?”

Rhianna nodded. “I’m fine. But you’ve got to help me, Elphin! That message was from Mordred. He’s kidnapped the queen, and the knights won’t let me ride with them—”

Elphin held up a hand, his six fingers spread. He slipped out of Evenstar’s stall to join her. “I know. Hush. Cai’s somewhere about, and he’s really excited about going with the knights when they ride north.”

“Cai’s going?” Rhianna was a bit upset that the gossip had got around already. If Cai knew, then by now no doubt half of Camelot also knew that she was meant to stay behind, protected in her tower like a helpless princess.

“Yes.” Elphin fiddled with the spiral around his neck. “They want him to carry Excalibur. It’s supposed to be a big secret, but Merlin flew in here and told me everything… he’s still loose,
I’m afraid. I offered to take him back to his perch, but he said he was hungry after all that magic and was off to hunt in the woods.”

In spite of her annoyance with the druid for abandoning them at a time like this, Rhianna laughed.

“He spoke to the knights as well. You should have seen Sir Bedivere’s face!” She told him about the merlin flying in to read the message on the collar, and Sir Agravaine being worried that he would foul the Round Table. “Sir Bors still wants to leave me behind, though,” she added, sobering again.

Elphin smiled. “Don’t worry. Cai’s on our side. Just give him Excalibur when the knights tell you to, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Rhianna scowled at him. “I’m not giving Excalibur to anyone, and certainly not to Cai!
He’ll probably drop it in the first muddy puddle he sees.”

“I seem to remember you dropping Excalibur in the mud last year, Damsel Rhianna,” a voice said, making them both jump. “Didn’t hurt it any.”

The human boy has been listening
, Alba informed her, flattening her ears as the squire peered over the stall at them.

Rhianna frowned. She had only dropped Excalibur once, when Gareth had knocked it out of her hand after she’d splintered his wooden sword during training – a stupid day she’d rather forget. She had been showing off. She’d grown up a bit since then.

“You’d better do what Elphin says,” Cai went on. “’Cause we’re riding out first thing, and Sir Bors isn’t going to let you come. Him and Sir
Bedivere just had a fight in the courtyard. Sir Bedivere said the merlin had spoken to him in the meeting, but Sir Bors said it was his imagination, and the stupid bird had just got loose. I thought they were goin’ to kill each other! They actually drew their swords.”

Rhianna’s stomach fluttered. “They didn’t…?”

“No, of course not. But Sir Bors ain’t in a good mood, I’m warning you now. He’s talking about making sure you stay behind, putting you under guard in your room so you don’t try to follow us.”

“If he does that, I’ll climb out of the window!”

Her voice, not soft at the best of times, had risen. Some of the other squires, grooming the knights’ horses, looked round.

“Hush, Rhia,” Elphin said. “It’s all fixed.

Just give Excalibur to Cai, and trust me.”

Rhianna gave her friend a suspicious look. “Like I trusted you at midwinter?”

Elphin’s eyes whirled purple. “I only did that to protect you, you know that.”

“Sir Bors is trying to protect me, too. By taking Excalibur from me, the only person who can work its magic, and giving it to Cai here, who doesn’t even know how to use a wooden sword. Great plan!”

Cai flushed and mumbled something about it not being his idea.

“Rhia…”

“Just get out,” she said. “I need to groom Alba, and I can hardly think with you two idiots breathing down my neck!”

Cai and Elphin looked at each other. But they went.

Alba snorted in relief.
I am glad you made them go. My stall was getting very crowded.

Rhianna pressed her face into her mare’s sweetly scented mane and closed her eyes. Could she trust Elphin? She knew he would never hurt her. They’d grown up together in Avalon, where he’d been like a brother to her. But that meant he might want her to stay behind in Camelot where she’d be safe, just like the knights did.

She clutched her mist horse’s mane in frustration. “Oh, Alba, what shall I do?” she whispered.

Just groom me
, the mare answered, nudging her.
That joust made me sweat. I have an itch behind my ear.

Rhianna smiled. Still trying to think of a way to persuade the knights to let her go with them, she obliged the little mist horse
by brushing energetically behind her ears.

By the time she had finished grooming the mare, she had a plan. She’d work on Sir Bedivere, who had heard Merlin at the meeting and stuck up for her in the courtyard. She would remind him that only a Pendragon could work Excalibur’s magic, and between them they would talk the other knights into letting her ride with them.

Since they were unlikely to listen to a scruffy girl, she climbed the winding stair to the Damsel Tower and let Arianrhod help her bathe and wash her hair. When, after supper, Sir Bors called for her to bring them Excalibur, she felt strong enough to go down and face the knights again.

But to her disappointment, Sir Bedivere was
not there. Instead, Sir Bors had brought two men she didn’t recognise, armed with lances. They gave her awkward looks.

“Ah, there you are, Damsel Rhianna!” he said, running an approving eye over her green dress – which was actually getting too warm for the weather but was still her favourite. “Have you brought Excalibur?”

“Yes, Sir Bors,” she said, swinging aside her skirt to show him the sword in its red scabbard.

He eyed the sword warily. “Right. You’d better wrap it in my cloak so Cai can carry it safely. Wouldn’t want it burning the poor boy, would we?”

Rhianna ignored the cloak he held out to her and rested her hand on Excalibur’s hilt. “Since I’ll be riding with you tomorrow, I won’t need to wrap it.”

Sir Bors sighed. “No, Rhianna, I’m sorry but this time you’re not getting your way. It’s much too dangerous to take you that far north. I know you made a treaty with the Saxon chief Cynric, but there are other barbarians raiding the northern coasts… Jutes and Scots, and God knows what other riff-raff. To say nothin’ of your cousin Mordred and his bloodbeards up there in the wilds. No, you stay here with your fairy friend and Arianrhod, where you’ll be safe.”

Rhianna set her jaw. “The message says I have to carry the sword to the North Wall myself. If I don’t go, Mordred won’t give up my mother. I know he won’t.”

The big knight frowned at her. “How do you know the message says you’re to carry it?”

“Merlin told me, so there’s no use lying
to me. He spoke to you, too, didn’t he? I know you heard him! Sir Bedivere heard him as well. He thinks I should go, doesn’t he? Cai told us you had a fight in the courtyard, earlier.”

“That boy’s tongue is going to get him into a lot of trouble one day.” Lips pressed tight, Sir Bors tugged the blood-soaked slave collar from his belt. “Did Merlin tell you what else the message said? That we’re to hand you over to Prince Mordred with this thing fastened round your neck… I’m not the only one who thinks there’s dark magic on this collar. We’re goin’ to burn it before we leave, so nobody’s going to be wearin’ it, least of all the Pendragon’s daughter!”

Rhianna swallowed. She felt a bit sick. “I’m not afraid,” she said. “I’ll be all right with Excalibur.”

Sir Bors eyed her determined chin and her hand gripping the white jewel. He glanced at the two sentries. “Sorry, Damsel Rhianna, but we really haven’t time for this. We can do this easy or hard, it’s up to you. But one way or another, you’re giving me that sword tonight.”

His hand rested on the hilt of his own sword. Her heart thumped. She didn’t want to fight the big knight, but she couldn’t let him take Excalibur.

Sir Bors was watching her closely. “We’re not plannin’ on giving Mordred Excalibur, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said more gently. “We just need it to get close to him and find out where he’s keeping Guinevere. Do you want us to be so worried about you we daren’t lift a finger to rescue your mother? I know you don’t frighten easy, but in this case it’s not
a question of bravery. It’s the queen’s life we’re talking about.”

He laid the cloak on the floor between them and pointed. The sentries watched her sword hand warily.

Rhianna remembered what Cai had said about Sir Bors putting her under guard in the Damsel Tower, and sighed. She had to avoid that, whatever happened. She’d give him Excalibur now and get it back later. Dropping her gaze, she unbuckled her sword belt and wrapped both sword and scabbard in the scarlet cloth.

He picked up the bundle and grunted. “Good girl. Now then, we ride at first light, as you no doubt know, since young Cai seems unable to guard that tongue of his. It’s a fair way up to the Wall. Even on good horses without any bother from the Saxons, it’s goin’ to take us
the best part of a month to do the round trip. Sir Bedivere’s in charge here at Camelot till we get back. Anything you need, you go to him, understand? But don’t pester him. His job is to look after you till we’re back here with Lancelot and the queen, or—” He broke off, then added, “We’ll rescue her, don’t you worry. Mordred’s not gettin’ away with this.”