The Brave Apprentice by P. W. Catanese Page B

they were waiting for something to happen before the attack would begin.
    As he spoke, the men gathered around to listen, forming a half-circle in front of the fire. Except for Addison, who was still perched on his chair, leaning on his sword.
    Ludowick spoke first when Patch was done. “Are you certain about this, apprentice?”
    “I am, my lord,” Patch said.
    Mannon crossed his arms and scowled. “Hold on—are we really going to take the word of a boy and an imbecile?”
    “What if he’s right, though?” another knight said.
    Other men began to cry out, shouting to be heard over one another.
    “Even if he is, what can we do to stop it?”
    “I heard about what they did at Half!”
    “What did Basilus have to do with all this?”
    “We need more soldiers!”
    “Now that the traitor’s dead, perhaps they’ll go away!”
    Milo raised his hands. “Quiet!” he shouted, and theclamor died at once. The king rubbed his closed eyes with the tips of his fingers. He turned his back to the men once more and stared into the flames. “Addison,” he called loudly, without turning around.
    Addison looked up, roused out of some weighty thoughts. “Yes, my king?”
    “Have you ever known our kingdom to face a greater threat?”
    The question surprised Addison. “Not like this. Not ever.”
    “Not ever,” Milo repeated, turning around. “So we can’t play games anymore. We can’t and we won’t.” He pushed through the half-circle of men, strode past the table, seized the curtain, and gave it a mighty pull. It tore away from its long wooden rod and fell to the floor. The men in the great hall gasped as the queen was revealed, sitting in the hidden chair.
    Cecilia was halfway out of the seat and poised to run, but froze when she realized that she’d certainly been seen. She lowered herself deliberately into the chair again and looked out at the men, her eyes wide and glistening. Milo went to her and held out his hand. “No more hiding, Cecilia. No more notes. No more secret meetings. This is all too important. I need you by my side. My wisest, most trusted adviser.”
    Cecilia stood and allowed the king to lead her to a seat at the table. The rest of the men stood about, clearingtheir throats and glancing at one another. They turned to watch as Addison stood up, walked to the table, and sat next to the king. Ludowick sat down next, and Mannon lumbered over and sank onto a chair. And then the rest followed. There was no sound except the wooden feet of chairs scraping against stone.
    Patch was still standing by the fire. He glanced down at Will Sweeting and could swear he saw a hint of a smile on the old man’s mouth as he sat there, gently rocking.
    All eyes were on Cecilia, and she began to speak. “Good men of the court. We know that there will be an attack on Dartham. We know not when, but we must assume that it will come before long. So whatever we do, it should be done soon.”
    As she spoke, the queen looked at each of the men in turn. “Like you, I am deeply troubled by the treachery of Basilus. And I yearn to know what the hunter would have told us. But we have learned something that may be our salvation.
    “Do you remember what Griswold taught us? He said that trolls are solitary creatures. For them to invade as a group is not merely unusual—it is unprecedented in all our chronicles. Something is holding this ugly horde together. And from the fool Simon, who was once their prisoner, we may have learned what it is: Hurgoth, the wisest and strongest of them. He herds the rest like sheep. And perhaps, without the shepherd…”
    “The flock would disperse,” said Milo.
    “You’re suggesting we destroy Hurgoth?” Addison said. “But how?”
    “We have an idea,” said Cecilia. “That is, the apprentice has an idea. Tell them, Patch.”
    Patch gulped as every head in the room turned his way.
    The shirt that Basilus had torn was still stained with blood but the rip was healing under Patch’s