LANCE OF TRUTH (19 page)

But the queen rested a hand on his horse’s rein and smiled up at him. “Sir Lancelot,” she said, her voice back under control. “I’m pleased to see you’ve captured Prince Mordred. But, as your queen, I order you to get that wound properly treated before you fight any more duels, do you hear me?”

“Yes, my lady,” Lancelot said just as formally. “I’m pleased to report that the Lance of Truth’s magic is working again and the Pendragon’s
honour is safe. With two of the Lights at Camelot and Mordred as our prisoner, we have nothing to worry about this summer.”

The queen gave the lance in Cai’s hand a doubtful look. She shivered as the sun disappeared behind a bank of cloud. “Looks like a storm brewing. Someone take the prisoner to the dungeons, and let’s get back inside. Rhianna, come to my chamber tomorrow when you’ve changed for the feast. I’ve got something for you.”

Everyone went to bed early that night, tired out after all the excitement. Thunder grumbled around the castle. Rhianna lay awake, turning the events at the lake over and over in her head. Had she done the right thing by knighting Cai and sparing Mordred’s life? Thinking of her
cousin locked in the dungeons below her room only a few flights of stairs away, she drifted into an uneasy dream.

The dark knight dragged his crippled leg up the stairs. She watched in terror, unable to move, as he pushed open her door and limped over to her bed. He looked down at her, then reached across and slid the black mirror from under her pillow.

“Think you’re clever, don’t you, cousin?” he hissed. “Getting your hands on two of the Lights? They won’t do you any good without the Crown of Dreams, you know.”

He turned the mirror to face her. It flashed jewel colours into her eyes, and she saw Morgan Le Fay lying on a shadowy bed. The crown from Merlin’s song-pictures glittered in the witch’s dark hair…

Rhianna woke in a sweat. Lightning lit up her room. For a heartbeat, she thought she saw the dark knight standing over her. But it was just a shadow cast by her father’s dragon shield, which Arianrhod had hung on the wall to decorate her room. She shook her head, feeling silly. She hadn’t kept the dark mirror under her pillow since she’d used it to contact Mordred. Only a summer storm.

She padded barefoot to the window and stared out into the night. Another flash lit up the sky, and she glimpsed a winged shape flying over the river. Despite the heat she shivered, worried about Merlin. Could birds fly in storms? What if the little falcon had got struck by lightning on its way home? Would Merlin be able to manage the spirit transfer into another body? Last year he’d spirit-ridden the
shadrake to make it bring them his druid spiral, but she didn’t think he had the strength to control a dragon again. She thought uncomfortably of how she’d challenged the creature to come to Camelot.

It was still very hot. Giving up on sleep, she sat on the edge of her bed with Excalibur across her lap. Slowly and carefully she polished the blade, making sure it was clean of every smudge of dirt. The action calmed her. She slid Excalibur back into its scabbard and put it under her pillow.

Feeling a bit safer, she dozed off again and dreamed of the dragon flapping around the castle walls, trying to get in but failing.

She woke with a start to hear voices arguing
outside her room. She quickly dragged on her Avalonian tunic and leggings, her heart pounding. If Camelot was under attack by dragons, she didn’t want to be caught half dressed.

“I’m telling you, you can’t go in there! She’s still asleep, poor thing. Worn out by that silly duel up at the lake yesterday.”

“And I’m tellin’
you,
Damsel Rhianna will want to know her hawk’s returned! I’m the Pendragon’s champion now, so I’m allowed to wake her up if I need to.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re only a squire.”

“I’m not just a squire any more. I’m a knight now – ask Damsel Rhianna!”

“You?” There was a snort of laughter. “Pull the other one!”

Recognising Cai’s and Arianrhod’s voices, she relaxed.

“It’s true. And I carry the magic lance. So are you going to let me in, or do I have to use this thing on you? I’ve already unhorsed Mordred with it.”

Rhianna fought a smile. “Arianrhod!” she called. “Let him in! I’m dressed.”

The door burst open, and Cai charged into her room with the Lance of Truth. Arianrhod followed, clinging to his sleeve. “I’m sorry, my lady, but he just barged right in here…”

“It’s all right, Arianrhod,” Rhianna said, sheathing Excalibur. “Did I hear you say my merlin’s back?”

“Must’ve flown in overnight!” Cai said. “We found it in the courtyard when we went to feed the horses, with its poor little wings spread out and feathers everywhere. I thought it was dead.”

Rhianna thought of the winged shape she’d seen over the river during the storm. She frowned at the open door, where some of the girls had gathered in their nightclothes. They peered in at Cai and giggled. She closed the door in their faces.

“Is Merlin’s spirit still inside?” she said softly.

“I think so,” Cai said. “I took him to his perch and gave him water and something to eat.”

“Good.” Another rumble of thunder distracted her. She glanced out of the window. The storm clouds were heavy and black, and the first few drops of rain splashed into the courtyard. “He must have just made it before the storm broke.”

“Yeah, it’s going to be a good one! Kept me awake all night.” Cai went eagerly to the 
window, making Rhianna and Arianrhod duck as he swung the Lance of Truth around.

“You don’t have to carry that lance with you everywhere, you know,” Arianrhod grumbled. “There’s nobody to fight in the Damsel Tower.”

“Sorry,” Cai said. “But I don’t like to leave it lying around, what with Mordred and them Saxons about. Sir Lancelot said to put it somewhere safe, and this is the safest place I could think of…”

Rhianna barely heard. “I’ll be in the hawk mews,” she said.

Ignoring Arianrhod’s protests that she hadn’t brushed her hair or had any breakfast, she took Excalibur down to the mews and pulled the little hood off the merlin.

The bird blinked sleepily at her. It looked so tattered and thin, her stomach fluttered.
What if they’d lost the druid’s spirit? Who would help her get the Lights back through the mists to her father’s body in Avalon then?

“Merlin?” she said, gripping Excalibur’s white jewel. “Can you hear me?”

The merlin turned its back on her and stuck its head under its wing.

“
Merlin
!”

The head came out again. “Not so loud, Rhianna Pendragon!” the bird scolded. “I was having a nice dream.”

She giggled in relief. “What was it about? Hunting mice? You must have hunted quite a few of them, the time you’ve taken to get back here. I’ve been worried.”

The bird fluffed its feathers and eyed her. “Druids do not share their dreams. What do you want?”

My father alive again. My mother to love me. To be a girl in Avalon again with Elphin.

Rhianna sighed. All those seemed impossible right now, so she said, “I need some advice. Mordred’s in the dungeon and Cai’s got the Lance of Truth—”

Merlin gave her a sharp look. “Yes, Cai told me all about your little escapade up at the lake yesterday. Are you completely mad, child?”

“I didn’t know Cai could talk to you!” She frowned, forgetting what she’d been about to say. She hadn’t exactly expected the druid to congratulate her on her plan that had almost gone so very wrong. But she’d thought he would at least be pleased they had got the lance back.

“That boy will talk to anything. Ponies, birds, trees, rocks… it’s never difficult to find out what’s going on when young Cai’s around.
And now it seems Camelot has a new champion, the youngest and most inexperienced knight who ever lived.”

The merlin cocked its head at her. “If I’d known about your feather-brained scheme to get the Lance of Truth back from Mordred, I’d have returned sooner. I thought you’d be too tired after your trip north to get up to much while I was gone. I should have known better. You’re a Pendragon, after all.”

Rhianna smiled and gripped Excalibur. “Yes, and don’t you forget it. Where have you been, anyway?”

“Dragonland. I had some unfinished business with the shadrake. Then Mordred’s
blood-beards
came galloping across the border like the Wild Hunt was after them, yelling about some duel by an enchanted lake, King Arthur coming
back from the dead with his knights who had died on the Grail Quest, and Mordred being taken prisoner by the Saxons. I got back here as soon as I could. Whatever made you think it would be a good idea to invite the dark knight to Camelot?”

Her flush deepened. “It was all I could think of to get the Lance of Truth off him. My father’s not back from the dead, though. I don’t think two Lights are enough to heal him. It was just his ghost they saw.”

“Hmm, of course. Yet it seems Arthur’s getting stronger, so you must have done something right.” The merlin sighed and fluffed its feathers again. “So tell me everything, and then maybe we can sort out this mess.”

She told him, and he blinked a blue eye at her.

“Oh, child. You’re as reckless as Arthur ever was! I didn’t know whether to believe Cai’s account. That boy’s famous for his stories. But it’s worse.”

“Worse how?” Rhianna frowned. “Mordred’s in the dungeon, and we have the Sword of Light and the Lance of the Truth…”

“So you keep saying. But Mordred can’t stay here in the castle. It’s too dangerous. His witch-mother will find out where he is eventually, and then she’ll use him to get to you.”

Rhianna thought uneasily of her dream. “Then what should we do?”

The merlin’s reply was lost in a crash of thunder. All the hawks turned their hooded heads to the door, listening to the storm. Merlin hopped to the end of his perch and buried his head back under his wing.

“Merlin!” She scowled at the bundle of shivering feathers. “I saw the shadrake last night over the river. Was it chasing you? Do you think it’ll find Mordred? What were you doing in Dragonland…?”

“Go away, Rhianna Pendragon,” the merlin grumbled from under its feathers. “Stormy weather’s very upsetting for birds. I need to think about all of this, and I can hardly remember my name with that racket outside. Go and enjoy your party. Come back tomorrow.”

She could get no more out of the bird. She shook her head in frustration. As usual, talking to Merlin had left her with more questions than answers.

Remembering last year, when the shadrake had attacked her mist horse, she hurried through the passage to the stables. Like the
hawks, all the horses were restless. Elphin sat cross-legged in a corner of Evenstar’s stable, softly playing his harp to soothe them.

“It’ll be over soon, my darling,” she promised Alba, slipping into the mare’s stall and stroking her soft nose. “A bit of thunder can’t hurt you.”

The mare snorted.
I do not like getting wet.
The sky is very bad today.

“You won’t get wet,” Rhianna promised. “We’re not going out riding today. I’ve got to be the princess for a little while.” She looked over the partition at Elphin. “Do you think we should check on Mordred?”

He stopped playing and his eyes darkened. “No. The guards will keep a good eye on him, don’t worry.”

“But Merlin said it’s dangerous to keep 
him here, and last night…” She shook her head, not wanting to remind her friend about the mirror. “Never mind.”

Elphin watched her carefully. “All the more reason to stay out of that dungeon! I don’t think you should go down there while he’s in there, Rhia.”

“But what if he escapes?”

Elphin sighed. “He’s crippled and alone, underground, behind bars and a locked door, with armed guards posted outside. What do you think he’s going to do? Walk through the wall?”

Rhianna thought uneasily of her cousin’s shadows last year, but she sighed. “No, you’re right. He’d probably throw something at me.”

“And that wouldn’t be good just before your mother presents you to your people!”
Elphin smiled. “I hope you’re not planning on wearing that sweaty old tunic to the feast?”

“No.” She pulled a face. “My mother and Arianrhod have been planning my dress ever since they got back! She wants to see me beforehand, so I suppose I’d better start getting ready soon. It’s just… I think I saw that shadrake again last night. What if those bloodbeards come back?”