Page 95 of The Road to Avalon
Ahead, Medraut and his companion wrenched their horses to a halt to stare back at Arthur and Cinbelin. For a moment that seemed to stretch out forever, they didn’t move. Then Medraut’s legs swung out. His heels thumped into his horse’s sides. I had no need of the Sight to work outhisthoughts. He’d seen a way to turn the tide of battle.
“No!” I shouted.
Cei’s horse leapt forward. Enfys went with her. I drummed my heels against her flanks as her hooves ate up the open ground between me and Arthur.
“Stay back!” Cei shouted at me. “Don’t get in the way.”
Ahead of us, so far away and out of reach, Excalibur sliced the air and Cinbelin’s head shot back as blood fountained from his throat. His horse took off with him still on board, held firm by the horns of his saddle, his body jerking back and forth with every stride and his almost-severed head lolling like a broken puppet’s, blood spraying everywhere.
A horse breasted mine and the rider reached out and grabbed my reins beside the bit, yanking Enfys to the right. I swung my sword and the rider ducked.
“It’s me, milady,” Llawfrodedd shouted. “I’ve got orders to keep you safe.”
“Let go!” I screamed at him, as he dragged Enfys to the right, away from where Arthur had already turned to face Medraut’s charge. “I have to help Arthur.”
His eyes met mine. “He told me to keep you safe.”
“Let me go!” Furious, I tugged at my reins but to no avail. Llawfrodedd had them tight and was slowing both horses down.
Arthur. Medraut.My head turned sharply to look where I couldn’t go.
Arthur had thrown aside the remnants of his broken shield. Excalibur glittered in the autumn air, pale sunlight shimmering across the bloodied blade.
Medraut was galloping toward him, unholy glee lighting up his hated face. Had he thought the battle over and done with and his men defeated? He must see this as a God-given opportunity to reverse his defeat. His legs hammered his horse’s sides.
Arthur urged Taran toward his nemesis. Cei wasn’t far behind.
As Medraut passed a fallen horse, his right hand reached out and grabbed the skyward-pointing shaft of a spear, just as he’d been taught in our practice ground, preparing for this day. He jerked it free and swung it up, the point leveling at Arthur all in one swift movement.
They were so close, I had only a moment to see what he intended.
Medraut wasn’t aiming the spear at Arthur.
It took Taran full in the chest, driven deep into her heart by the momentum of both horses’ speed. Arthur’s sword arm swung, Excalibur flashed, but as he struck what should have been a killing blow at the now weaponless Medraut, Taran crumpled under him. Her legs buckled as her heart stopped, and her head went down. Arthur vanished as she crashed head-over-heels and skidded along the bone-hard ground.
Paralyzed with shock, all I could do was stare in horror.
Medraut, who’d badly overshot his foe, was turning his horse to ride back to the hump of Taran’s body.
Get up, Arthur. Get up and fight him.
I found my voice. “Let me go!”
Llawfrodedd, too, had been paralyzed by what he’d just seen. His hand slipped off my reins.
Nothing moved by Taran’s body.
Medraut’s other companion, who must be Bran, thundered past Taran and Medraut to meet Cei’s headlong charge.
Medraut hauled his horse to a skidding halt close to Taran and flung himself off, the Sword of Destiny flashing in his hands.
Where was Arthur? My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I gathered my reins and turned Enfys’s head toward them. Had the fall killed him?
I threw a desperate glance at Llawfrodedd. “We have to help him!”
Llawfrodedd’s honest eyes regarded me in anguish. “He said I was to keep you safe…”
“I don’t care,” I gasped. My eyes fixed on the spear attached to his saddle. “He didn’t knowthiswould happen. Give me that spear.”
