and the others Sir Agravaine led them south off the road to a ruined villa whose gardens stretched down to the river.
“Bors said to stay out of sight,” he explained. “If there’s trouble, he’ll send a messenger.”
Rhianna stopped Alba and looked back the way they had come. She could just see an arched gateway, where the Roman road passed under the Wall heading north. A track led across the moor to meet it.
“Don’t even think about it, Damsel Rhianna!” Sir Agravaine growled, grabbingAlba’s reins. “Get down off that fairy horse right now, and be sensible for once. We might still have Excalibur. But until we know exactly where the queen is, and how many men Mordred has brought with him to this duel, we can’t risk an all-out battle with his forces. If he’s made new allies in the north…” He and Sir Bedivere exchanged worried glances. “Our best hope is that Lancelot manages to kill the traitor.”
“Can’t we watch?” Gareth said, trying to see the fort, his eyes shining. “It should be a good fight.”
Rhianna clenched her fists. “Don’t any of you care about my mother? You don’t understand! If I don’t speak to Sir Lancelot before the joust,
he’s
the one who’s going to get killed, and then Mordred will come after us, anyway.”
But it was no good. Short of galloping off to the fort alone – which even she had to admit would be stupid with Mordred’s bloodbeards swarming all over it – there wasn’t much she could do until Sir Bors and the others came back.
She dismounted with a sigh. She tried to tell herself that she was worrying about nothing, and soon Sir Lancelot would come riding into the villa with the queen sitting behind him on his white stallion and the Lance of Truth shining proudly in his hand. Then the knights would see off Mordred’s forces, Merlin would be waiting for them at the stone circle, and they’d all return safely to Camelot with her mother and the two Lights, where she’d find her father’s ghost waiting to congratulate her on completing the second stage of her quest…
Horse comes!
Alba warned, pricking her silver ears.
Heart racing, Rhianna stared through the broken gates to the north. It had stopped raining, and wisps of mist rose from the river to hide the moor.
“Is it Lancelot’s stallion?” she asked the mare.
Not the white
, Alba said.
He is trapped in the between place.
Before she could work out what her mare meant, one of Sir Bors’ men came galloping through the gates on a sweaty horse, shouting for Sir Agravaine. “Prince Mordred tricked us!” he said. “He’s brought an army with him, and the queen’s not with them, as far as we can tell. Lancelot’s insisting on jousting with Mordred, anyway. But there’s some kind of dark magic atwork up there. Bors says to bring Excalibur…”
“Told you, didn’t I?” Rhianna shouted. She vaulted back on to Alba, glad she hadn’t unsaddled the mare. Calling for Elphin to follow, she drew her sword. “Take me there. Now!”
Sir Bors’ man looked startled at her commanding tone. But seeing Excalibur gleam in the mist, he nodded and turned his tired horse.
“Wait, you fool!” Sir Agravaine said. “The damsel’s not in charge here.”
Rhianna set her jaw. If he tried to stop her this time, she’d fight. But he looked at the blade shining in her hand and sighed. “We’re coming, too.”
They rode at a gallop across the moor, the knights’ horses thundering beside the two mist horses.
This is fun!
Alba said, flattening her earsat the stallions. Cai and Gareth urged their ponies after them, determined not to be left behind. Arianrhod stayed at the villa with the wagon and the two faithful sentries who had followed them from Camelot. Rhianna hoped they’d look after her friend as well as they’d guarded her.
The ruined fort Mordred had picked for the duel perched on the ridge, open to the sky. Its walls framed a rectangular area with two entrances – an archway on their
“Bors said to stay out of sight,” he explained. “If there’s trouble, he’ll send a messenger.”
Rhianna stopped Alba and looked back the way they had come. She could just see an arched gateway, where the Roman road passed under the Wall heading north. A track led across the moor to meet it.
“Don’t even think about it, Damsel Rhianna!” Sir Agravaine growled, grabbingAlba’s reins. “Get down off that fairy horse right now, and be sensible for once. We might still have Excalibur. But until we know exactly where the queen is, and how many men Mordred has brought with him to this duel, we can’t risk an all-out battle with his forces. If he’s made new allies in the north…” He and Sir Bedivere exchanged worried glances. “Our best hope is that Lancelot manages to kill the traitor.”
“Can’t we watch?” Gareth said, trying to see the fort, his eyes shining. “It should be a good fight.”
Rhianna clenched her fists. “Don’t any of you care about my mother? You don’t understand! If I don’t speak to Sir Lancelot before the joust,
he’s
the one who’s going to get killed, and then Mordred will come after us, anyway.”
But it was no good. Short of galloping off to the fort alone – which even she had to admit would be stupid with Mordred’s bloodbeards swarming all over it – there wasn’t much she could do until Sir Bors and the others came back.
She dismounted with a sigh. She tried to tell herself that she was worrying about nothing, and soon Sir Lancelot would come riding into the villa with the queen sitting behind him on his white stallion and the Lance of Truth shining proudly in his hand. Then the knights would see off Mordred’s forces, Merlin would be waiting for them at the stone circle, and they’d all return safely to Camelot with her mother and the two Lights, where she’d find her father’s ghost waiting to congratulate her on completing the second stage of her quest…
Horse comes!
Alba warned, pricking her silver ears.
Heart racing, Rhianna stared through the broken gates to the north. It had stopped raining, and wisps of mist rose from the river to hide the moor.
“Is it Lancelot’s stallion?” she asked the mare.
Not the white
, Alba said.
He is trapped in the between place.
Before she could work out what her mare meant, one of Sir Bors’ men came galloping through the gates on a sweaty horse, shouting for Sir Agravaine. “Prince Mordred tricked us!” he said. “He’s brought an army with him, and the queen’s not with them, as far as we can tell. Lancelot’s insisting on jousting with Mordred, anyway. But there’s some kind of dark magic atwork up there. Bors says to bring Excalibur…”
“Told you, didn’t I?” Rhianna shouted. She vaulted back on to Alba, glad she hadn’t unsaddled the mare. Calling for Elphin to follow, she drew her sword. “Take me there. Now!”
Sir Bors’ man looked startled at her commanding tone. But seeing Excalibur gleam in the mist, he nodded and turned his tired horse.
“Wait, you fool!” Sir Agravaine said. “The damsel’s not in charge here.”
Rhianna set her jaw. If he tried to stop her this time, she’d fight. But he looked at the blade shining in her hand and sighed. “We’re coming, too.”
They rode at a gallop across the moor, the knights’ horses thundering beside the two mist horses.
This is fun!
Alba said, flattening her earsat the stallions. Cai and Gareth urged their ponies after them, determined not to be left behind. Arianrhod stayed at the villa with the wagon and the two faithful sentries who had followed them from Camelot. Rhianna hoped they’d look after her friend as well as they’d guarded her.
The ruined fort Mordred had picked for the duel perched on the ridge, open to the sky. Its walls framed a rectangular area with two entrances – an archway on their
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