The Crying Pennant

Part 7

  So grumpily Sid and Biggs helped Arthur to get on the rope that led up to the dangerous room.  He climbed up steadily, hand over hand until he got to the top then motioned for the other two to come.  When Sid finally climbed out, and after looking back into the well he turned and looked at the fully armoured war-horse.” What a lovely creature,” he said, “what’s his mane?”

  “Mane, mane.  Surely you mean name?” Said Arthur as he pulled a funny face trying to understand the dwarf’s reasoning.

  “Sorry, I do Spoonerisms sometimes without knowing,” said Sid apologetically.

  “We haven’t decided on a name yet,” said Biggs. “What do you think?”

  “What about Fawh, for fully armoured war-horse?” suggested Arthur a light seeming to ping on in his brain.

  “A bit of a stupid name for one so good looking isn’t it Arthur?” said a sarcastic Biggs not realising that he had also paid Arthur a compliment.

  “Go on then, you think of one,” retorted Arthur.

Biggs thought for a moment then said in a resigned manner, “Oh never mind, we’ll call the dumb animal Fawh.”

  “Who said I was a dumb animal?” said the fully armoured war-horse.

This shocked Biggs, Arthur and Sid because they hadn’t expected a talking fully armoured war-horse.

  “We could put him on guard duty, or do the circuses, ‘Biggs, Arthur, Sid and the talking horse’,” said Sid the dwarf.

  “Look Author, why do you insist on ending my speech invariably on ‘said Sid the dwarf’? You don’t say Biggs the human or Arthur the good looking one,” said Sid the dwarf. 

  “That’s it, you said it again. If you don’t stop I’ll not continue with this adventure,” threatened Sid as he thumped his battle-axe on the floor in anger.

  “Oh come on Sid, I’m just trying to get a few laughs,” I said as I continued to type, hoping that he wouldn’t poke his battle axe through the screen to give me a nasal haircut.

  “I bet you’re just picking on me because I’m short,” Sid.

  “Oh no I’m not,” author.

  “Oh yes he is,” Biggs and Arthur.

  “Right you lot if you don’t pack it in I’m going to stop typing!” I said taking my fingers off the keyboard.

  Biggs cajoled Arthur, “That’s it Arthur, reach out and touch that keyboard. See if you can type us out of here.”

  Arthur started to type, because after all he was the tallest of the three.

  arthr bigs an sid an faw went up. Typed Arthur just as the author came back and slapped his hands.  Arthur had done something though. They had all returned to the surface and could now see the rest of the castle rising up into the sky, its granite walls steadfastly assaulting the sheep puff clouds, small plants trying to grow in its nooks and crevices. Birds flitting and flowing in the wind.

  “Whew! I don’t remember that,” said Sid.