Ides of the May (Children of the May 2 - updates weekly)

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Breaking the Thread

Elia grinned. ‘Oh that’s alright, chum, I didn’t hear anything interesting. Nothing at all, no sir.’

‘Elia,’ said Melwas, ‘were you not listening to Dr –’

‘Shush,’ said Elia.

‘I was asking you to –’

‘Shush,’ said the bard. Her head jerked to one side, and she pointed to the dunes to the north west. ‘There’s someone coming. Fast. One rider. Big.’

Almost before the words were out of Elia’s mouth, Melwas was on her way. She drew her swords as she went, her green cloak flowing behind her in the first light of dawn. Mordred was up almost as quickly, but the Gaul was so fast that the distance between them would widen before it narrowed. Elia and I chased after them, and very soon I too heard the pounding of hooves.

Melwas reached the top of the dune and threw herself to the sand. The horse sounded like it was coming straight towards us, as indeed it was. A moment later a huge white horse leapt over the top of dune, clearing Melwas’ body by three feet, and galloped straight towards Elia and me. Melwas turned to give to chase, but Mordred held his hand up and cried ‘Hold!’

For a moment I couldn’t understand why he was letting this attacker through to us. I thought for a horrible moment that three of them weren’t who they claimed to be at all, but rather some agents of Arthur’s wearing glamours. But then I felt something familiar in the rider of the horse. The first ray of sun caught the head of a silver hammer that dangled by her side, and lastly I saw the bluff face of the rider. She pulled up her horse and smiled.

‘It’s a fine morning for a ride, lad, and lovely country too,’ said Martha.

* * *

‘I took Lady Nemue back to the Lake just as I said,’ Martha told us when we had retreated to their hiding place behind the dunes. ‘Lady Nerina tried to lock the Lady of the Lake in her chambers, but she only stopped trying to move when we let her down to the well. I suppose that must be home for her.’ Martha shrugged sadly. ‘Nerina offered me the chance to stay, said she’d revoke my exile, but I turned her down. I headed north again to catch you up, only to meet Lady Neave on her way south with your nephew. She told me that you’d left Orkney and were sailing down here. Someone was following them, trying to steal that spear I thought, so I guarded them down to the Cave of the Dragon.’

‘They’re at the cave now?’ said Mordred.

‘Aye, aye, they were when I left them. It was a couple of days before I caught sight of the lad following them – it was that Moor with the coat – Brunor. He never approached us, mind, but I decided given how much Dragon’s breath Neave was breathing she’d be fine. A lad like him would have had little chance against her before, and none at all now her powers are increased.’

‘Brunor?’ I said. ‘He was trying to take the spear?’

Mordred shook his head. ‘I asked him to keep an eye on them; make sure they were safe, and keep lookout when they got to the cave.’

‘Why didn’t you tell Neave that?’ said Martha. ‘Could have saved me a load of bother and worry.’

Mordred opened his hands to her. ‘My experience of Drift’s family is that they’re quite proud. I didn’t think Neave would respond very well to a watchman.’

The blacksmith burst out with a peal of laughter that seemed to shake the sands. ‘Aye, aye, that’s probably true enough, lad.’

‘Do you know if she managed to make contact with King Hermaunce of the Fiery Mountain?’ asked Elia.