Page 33 of The Dragon Ring
“Arthur!’ he shouted back.
Arthur was at the ladder sliding down it to the floor below, as Theodoric and the other nine riders passed beneath us through the gateway. I followed him more sedately, thanks to my long gown. By the time I’d reached the roadway, Theodoric had dismounted, and he and Arthur were embracing one another like old friends.
As they parted, I saw the look on the newcomer’s face. Whatever he was here for, it wasn’t something good.
Arthur had seen it as well. “What is it?” he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Theodoric pulled the long ends of his sandy moustache. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s your father. He’s dying.”
Chapter Nine
The Great Hallthronged with men. I sat completely forgotten on one of the benches, watching and listening.
Arthur and Theodoric, followed by his nine men, had walked up the cobbled road to the Hall, where Arthur called for servants to lead their horses away. More instructions produced food and drink for the warriors. They’d ridden flat out from Viroconium and were travel-stained and exhausted. Now most of them sat at the trestle tables in the Hall, eating last night’s leftovers hungrily, while around them Arthur’s men donned their armor and readied to leave.
Theodoric downed a brimming goblet of wine in one long draught, then held it out for a refill. Dark circles shadowed his startling blue eyes. With his blond hair, he looked different from the rest of the men in the Hall. Could he be a Saxon mercenary himself? His blond moustache glistened red as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Fortified by the wine, he seized a cold haunch of venison and bit into it with strong teeth.
Arthur paced back and forth, his feet scuffing up the dusty reeds. Merlin, coming into the Hall hot on the heels of the party from Viroconium, urged him to caution. “An escort can be ready within the hour. Rushing won’t make it happen quicker.” His gaze slid past his master to rest on me. “And you should take her with you.”
Was that to make sure I didn’t try to sneak back to Glastonbury while they were away? Did Merlin want to keep me where he could see me?
Theodoric’s blond eyebrows rose over the haunch of venison. He looked from Merlin to me, then back again.
“She’s the Lady of the Ring,” Merlin said quickly. Theodoric’s eyebrows went up even further and he stared in open curiosity.
Arthur barely seemed to register Merlin’s words. He didn’t even glance at me. I was no longer important.
“Cei,” he called out to his brother as Cei came striding into the Hall, fully armored, cloak flapping out behind him. “How soon can the men be ready?”
“Quickly. I’m having our horses prepared as we speak.” Cei turned to Theodoric, who was standing beside the smoldering fire, still looking at me. “Well met.” He slapped him on the back. “But I hear you’re the bearer of this bad news.”
Theodoric, eye to eye with him, two big men together, clasped Cei’s forearm with his free hand. “I rode as fast as I could. When it was obvious the king wouldn’t rally, I knew the time had come to fetch Arthur. Cadwy’s already there, of course. Because of that, we had to sneak out like thieves in the night.”
My ears pricked. Why had he been forced to sneak out of Viroconium? Who would have wanted to prevent him coming to Arthur with this news? Cadwy? Arthur’s own brother?
A servant arrived with Arthur’s armor and put it on the table in front of me with a loud clatter. Arthur picked up the heavy quilted tunic lying on top of the pile and pulled it over his head. Stepping up, Cei helped him into the awkward ring mail shirt. His sword lay on the table. Could it be Excalibur? Its hilt lay close to my hand. I could stretch out and touch it if I tried. What would my father have had to say about that?
I didn’t, though, because just then Arthur looked at me, his dark eyes narrowed. I was back in his thoughts.
“Yes, you’re right,” he said to Merlin. “We should take her with us. Can she ride?” He didn’t ask me, and he didn’t wait for an answer. “She’s your responsibility.” He looked back at Cei. “Can you go and hurry things along?” He buckled his sword belt.
“I’m going. The horses were nearly ready as I left them.”
“I’m coming as well,” Theodoric said. “If you’ve fresh horses for my men, we’ll all ride with you. You need to be at full strength.” Looking at him, it was impossible to tell he’d already ridden so far. Only the dark shadows under his blue eyes gave that away. “Do you think you can furnish me with a fresh horse? Mine is spent.”
Arthur gave him a tight-lipped nod. “Take your pick of the horse pens. There should be one there up to your weight. We manage to horse Cei well enough.” And picking up his shield, he swept out of the Hall. Cei and Theodoric followed in his wake, the latter still carrying the now half-eaten haunch of venison.
Merlin turned to me. “There’ll be a horse prepared for you. Can you ride alone? Or do you need to be led?”
He’d only seen me arriving from Ynys Witrin led like a rank novice. I tried not to be insulted. “I’ve ridden for years.”
My mind was churning over plans. Would we be going via Glastonbury? Or near enough for me to persuade someone in the party to take me there? Maybe I’d be able to sneak away unnoticed. It was a pretty feeble idea, but it was the only one I had.
I looked down at my long skirts. “I can’t ride dressed like this, though.”
I expected him to tell me I’d have to, but he nodded distractedly. “Of course. You’ll need braccae if we’re to make good time. It’ll be a hard ride.”
He was right. South Cadbury to Wroxeter is far enough as the crow flies and would be even farther along the roads of Dark Age Britain. I might have ridden a lot in my teens, but I’d barely ridden in the last few years since meeting Nathan and starting work in the library. And it would be on a saddle without stirrups.
