Knight Me

Chapter 10

Fighting your first battle is something you can never forget.  The adrenaline rush that consumes you forces your brain to kill without a second thought, get rid of the threat.  Tripping over the half dead bodies begging you for death, their eyes pleading as they suffer.  Killing.  Something I had never done before, and now, it seemed like second nature.

"Get up!" Lancelot ordered at someone, "Come on, show some muscle!"

I rolled my eyes in his direction and leaned over to Tristain, "When do you think he'll take a hint?  Maybe when no one stops laughing at him?"

Tristain was trying to conceal his laughter, failing terribly.  We had been making Lancelot a little more miserable than was probably necessary, but desperate times called for desperate measures.  Now, as Lancelot modeled the 'kick me' sign ignorantly on his back, we realized how good it was to laugh.  Tristain leaned over to my ear, "Yeah, he's oblivious."

I let out another giggle and watched as he stared some of us down, "What are you laughing at?"

They tried to staunch their laughter.  Lancelot wasn't actually a bad man, he could be nice, but then again, he could be a real pain in the ass.

"What?!" Lancelot yelled again, "Will someone please enlighten me?"

"Lancelot!" Someone called.  Silence fell over us as Arthur's page parted the crowd frantically, "Arthur is in need of you immediately," he turned to me, "and you as well, Sir Gareth." he said with a small nod of his head.  What could he want with Lancelot and me?

I felt him grab my arm and pull me along.  I turned to look back at Kay and he had a worried look on his face, but I managed to give him a small smile.  Lancelot walked beside me, his posture rigid and demanding as usual.  We walked to the corner of the camp and found Arthur's tent.  I walked cautiously to the entrance and knocked on the tent support outside lightly.  Lancelot sneered, "Just walk in, he's expecting us if he had us summoned."

I fought the urge not to follow the sign's instructions and kick him anyway.  With a silent role of my eyes, I followed him into the tent.  It was similar in design to mine, but a nerve wracked Arthur was pacing the dirt floor.  He didn't acknowledge our entrance, so I kneeled in front of him and cleared my throat, "Sire, you called me."

He didn't meet my eyes, "Stand up, Gareth, I am your friend, regard me as no more than that."

Lancelot walked to a table in the center of the room, one littered with hundreds of tiny pieces.  He picked up a long stick with a flat piece at the end and began moving the pieces around, like a game of chess against an invisible enemy. I found myself approaching him without realizing it.

"We are the blue, the enemies red," Arthur whispered, "they're everywhere, invading from every side, I've been planning all morning.  I called for your thoughts," he added, joining us at the table, "If they are smart enough to avoid our army in the east, then they sure as hell will find our weakness in the southwest."

Lancelot nodded, "Have we backed up the army by the river?"

"Not yet, I await more troups," Arthur murmered softly, "The king won't let me have more yet, he needs another win to assure him we know what we're doing."

I sutdied the pieces, they seemed positioned all wrong, "What if we moved an army down to the valley, would they chase us?  You said they found your eastern army, they must have followed you blindly, there's no water where you led them.  If you lead them away and have half your army cut back through the woods every night, they won't suspect."

Arthur's intrigued stare met my own, "What was that?"

"Lead them right where you want them, they're blood thirsty, all they want is a fight."