Chapter 12 -- Arthur

In the new version Arthur does not play such a huge role....and Tor and Alex's scenes are better xD

12

ARTHUR

 

 

Whenever masses of people, especially educated people, know something- and when what they know is something they greatly fear because they believe it affects virtually everything they do or want to do- then most likely we stand in the presence of a vast falsehood.
- Thomas Szasz

 

 

 

 

On Emma’s twelfth birthday Telliandra gave her homework. “Emma,” she said, “I want you to start thinking about what you want on you shield. You know, your coat of arms. Design something, it doesn’t have to be now, and I will have a shield made for you. That’s my gift for you this year.” Rishka got her a huge jar of sugared candies,

Emma was still fuming the January of next year, mostly because she could not for the life of her think of what to put on her shield. “Homework and sugared candies!” She kept muttering, as she angrily rubbed out yet another stray line of pencil (she said it through a mouthful of candy). “After all I do for her, after all I’ve done for her, and this is my repayment! Homework and sugared candies! Well, blast it all!  Blast the two of them! I shall have the finest shield in history, and Mr. Lemos would have laugh had he tasted these wretched things!” She yelled, and stuck the last one in her mouth.

 “What’s wrong with you? You’re cranky.” Lyulf complained.

“I have every right to be cranky! And it’s none of your business why I’m cranky! It’s just that I have no idea of what to put on this wretched shield!”

 

* * * * * *

 

Tor and Alex were having the same problem.

“Don’t you have any ideas?”

“Tor, it’s your shield, you have to design it.”

“But I don’t know what to put on it!”

“Why don’t you go into the library and look up some symbols?”

“Ha! You’re trying to trick me!”

Alex shook her head at him. “I still don’t understand why you won’t go in there.”

“Because I’ll tempt myself, that’s why.”

“Tor, if you’re going to move to the next level of knighthood shouldn’t you be sure you really want to be a knight first?”

“But I don’t!”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“Why are you?”

She was quiet for a moment.

“I don’t know. I’m not good at anything else, I guess.”

“You’re good at marbles.” Tor told her.

“Oh, yeah, that’s gonna get me far.”

“It’s still something.”

“You never answered my question.”

“Neither did you.”

“I just did!”

“Not that one!”

“Which one?”

“Who are you?”

“What?”

“Who are you? I asked you that the first time I saw you, and you never answered me.”

“Probably because I don’t know how to answer. You’ll have to find out for yourself.”

He sighed, and turned around in his chair to look at her.

“I’m doing it because it’s what my father wanted.”

“That’s not a very good reason.”

“Why not?”

“Tor, we’re living in a time when everyone has to help, and the best way for you to help is, well, to do what you’re best at.”

Tor said nothing.

“Tor, you could be such a spectacular scholar. You love it, and you want to do it, which is what makes you good at it. You told me your mother told you to be a scholar, why can’t you do what you’re mother wanted?”

He grinned at her, his amber eyes sparkling. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Then you’ll do it?!”

He nodded.

“Oh Tor, that’s wonderful! You’ll be wonderful!” she said, and hugged him.

“There are two conditions, though.”

“And what are those?”

He looked her in the eye. “One, if I have to follow my dreams then you have to follow yours.”

“Okay.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure. But I’ll find it.”

“Two, love has to be our first priority, got it?”

Alex smiled at him. “Got it.”

“Good. That still leaves us with the problem of shields, though.”

“Well, scholar, go find us some books.”

 

* * * * * * *

 

“You mean to tell me that Arthur is here, in this city?”

“Uh huh.”

“Wonderful. You could have told us that before we got here, Rishka.”

“He wasn’t here before we got here. He came in last night.”

“And I suppose he’s staying at the same inn we are?”

“Uh huh.”

“Wonderful.”

“It’s not that bad, Telli. The spells will hide us won’t they?” Emma asked.

“Merlin’s with him.” Rishka said quietly.

“Wonderful. And you didn’t tell me this before because…?” Telliandra questioned.

“I assumed you’d assume that he would be with Arthur.”

“Don’t assume anything.”

“Got it.”

“Okay, “ she said, and rubbed her face tiredly, “we’ll just skirt around him, that’s all. Rishka, go tell the Innkeeper we’re leaving. Go pack Emma. Ten minutes.”
”I’m already packed, Telli. You told me to pack this morning.”

“Good, then go get the horses ready.”

          Emma got her things out of her room and went downstairs. Rishka was talking to the Innkeeper, who was going cross-eyed trying to look at him. Sometimes spirits had that effect on humans.

          The stables were devoid of any life but horses and flies. Emma went to Majesty’s stall first and reached up to pull down his tack. Someone pulled it down for her.

          Emma spun around and drew her sword all in one swift movement, the tip of Matathulaz touching the stranger’s neck.

“Who are you, thief?”

“Now, miss, I meant no harm. This saddle just looked too big for you to manage, that’s all.” He said. His voice was silky, the embodiment of what everyone believes a snake would sound like should it ever speak to them.

Emma slowly put Matathulaz away. “I can manage my own saddle, thank you.” She said stiffly, and pulled the thing away from him.

“Your saddle? I happen to know that this horse belongs to a very important person, whom I am trying to find. Would you happen to be Queen Telliandra Lightsword?”

Every inch of Emma’s body stiffened. “And if I was?” she said coolly.

“Then I would have to inform you that you are to leave this city immediately, until my company has gone ahead.”

“And whom would you be, sir, to have power to order such things of a queen?”

“I would be Merlin Halfmagic, and I would like you to bring this message to your Queen, apprentice. Better yet, why don’t I tell you in private?”

          Suddenly her forehead throbbed, and there was a horrible icy feeling in her head. It was like a snake, carefully sliding it’s way through the walls of her consciousness and into her mind.

          Every atom of her body wanted it out, and away. She shoved the walls together, crushing the creature between them.

Merlin staggered a few steps backward. “Wench!” He cried at her. “You Mati slime! You tell your precious Telliandra that she is to leave the city before the sun sets, or I will kill every Mythic that is hiding in this City, and every one in the forest surrounding it!” And he ran out of the stables. 

          Emma leaned up against the stable wall, breathing heavily. She almost couldn’t believe it. Merlin? Had that really been Merlin? She couldn’t believe it. She had come face to face with certain death.

“Why aren’t the horses ready?”

Emma almost jumped out of her skin. “Telli! Oh, Telli, Merlin was here and…”

“Merlin was WHERE?”

“He was here, in these stables, and he knew that I was your apprentice, and he said for me to tell you that we are to leave the city by nightfall, or he will kill every Mythic in the city and in the forest around it. He tried to get into my mind, Telli!”

Telli grabbed her hand. “You didn’t let him, did you?”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t think so. I kind of pushed him out, and he seemed pretty angry so I don’t think he got in.”

Telli hugged her, which was a rare gesture for the Queen. “Oh, child,” She said, “you’re going to make an old woman out of me, you realize that?”

“She’s gonna scare me out of my form!” Rishka said feverishly. Emma giggled.

That was the first time she realized that Rishka cared about her, too.

“Well, its not like we weren’t planning on leaving anyway. I’ll take care of Majesty, Emma Go ready Dancer. Let’s get out of here.”

 

 

* * * * * *

 

 

          Tor lay on the floor of the library, books scattered around him like fallen leaves, a pile of parchment on his left side. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this happy.

          The book he was reading at the moment was talking about animals and what they have come to symbolize over the years. His eyes wandered to one entry on the long list:

 

Crow - the crow is a miraculous creature, a long-time friend of our ancient ancestors. It is usually associated with cunning in battle, a quick wit, and strategic thinking. The crow also stands as a valiant protector of its friends and family, stopping at nothing to keep them safe. The crow can also symbolize a dark past from which a sly and cunning soul has sprung, or deep magic.

 

          Tor tore off a piece of parchment and stuck it into the book to mark his page. He flipped to the section about items. He was looking for a specific thing, the Rook chess piece. After some searching he found what he was looking for.

 

Rook (Chess) – strategic thinking.

 

That’s it? Tor thought. The Rook had always been his favorite piece, though he didn’t know why. He thought about it for a second. Why, of all the pieces in Chess, did he like that one? A castle tower, for Saluna’s sake!

          Then it hit him, like it had been sitting right infront of his nose the whole time. The more he thought about it the more it made him smile. Out of all the pieces in the game of Chess, the Rook was the only one that could go backward or forward as far as it wanted. It symbolized something more than strategic thinking; it symbolized the ability to go forward or backward in life, and the decision is up to you.

          Tor had had that decision, and he had chose to go forward. He had gone forward quite a few spaces. It was almost scary, how close you came, every day, to going backwards. Tor smiled to himself, relishing in his own cleverness. Then he took out a clean piece of parchment and began to draw.

 

* * * * * * *

 

          The streets were completely filled with humans, men, women, and children, even a screaming baby or two. Emma tried desperately to stay close to Telliandra, but it was hard enough just keeping Dancer under control. Soon Telliandra was out of sight.

          The center of the city was almost completely filled with a huge statue of Arthur. It looked nothing like the real person.

          For Arthur Pendragon, King of Great Britain, stood at the statue’s base, Merlin standing in the shadows behind him. At his side were two boys around Emma’s age, one blonde, one dark-haired, the blonde being taller than the other. They wore Arthur’s colors, and swords were strapped to their belts. Apprentices? Arthur had no children.

“Friends!” he called to the humans. “Mighty subjects of the human race! You are all my honored friends! In this city, the mightiest of warriors reside, and I am here to give those warriors a mission! For years we have cowered before the so-called Mythics. Without hesitation we have yielded to their rule. That time is over! Now, now we must fight! Push back the Mythics, and push back their rule over us, the mightiest kingdom of Earth!”

          The crowd went wild. Out of their midst two guards brought forth a struggling slave, a young Mati girl. They shoved her towards a platform, where a noose had been hung…

“TELLIANDRA!” Emma screamed, but her teacher was nowhere in sight. “TELLI!” Emma searched frantically for some way to help, some way to save her.

          Out of the corner of her eye she saw the young boys yelling at their King. Arthur turned on them, pushing them towards Merlin, who tried to grab them. The dark-haired boy escaped his grasp, pushed his way through the screaming crowd. Two guards came towards him, brandishing sticks. The boy drew his sword, slashing it about wildly until he got to the Mati. The girl ducked, obviously afraid he was attacking her. But he didn’t. He cut the rope that was tied around her neck, and pushed her off the edge of the platform.

          She disappeared. Emma fought wildly for control of her stead.

“Emma! Search for magic!” Lyulf yelled at her.

Emma felt for any trace of Magic. Merlin was a dark blue in the corner of her eye. But what she focused on was the bright purple blaze riding away from the platform, the glow of another Mati’s magic beside her, and a dark patch following.

“It’s Telli! Oh, thank Flora, it’s Telli!” She told Lyulf, and turned Dancer in that direction.

 

* * * * * * *

“A crow?” Alex asked, and peered at the drawing Tor had laid before her.

“Yes. A crow stands for strategic thinking and protecting your loved ones, and the rook…the rook stands for being able to make your own choices in life.”

Alex cocked an eyebrow at her friend. “Choices in life?”

“Yeah. You know, how in chess, the rook is the only piece, other than the queen, who can go backward or forward as many spaces as it wants. So, in life you can go backward or forward, and it’s your decision, and I had to make that decision, and I went forward. And maroon stands for patience, black for constancy and also loss, and silver for want of peace, and…”

“I love it, Tor.”

“Really?”

“Really truly.”

“Oh good. I didn’t know if you’d like it or not.”

“It’s perfect. It will look good on a shield.” Alex picked the drawing up off the desk. “A crow holding a rook. Yes, Tor, I think that’s you.”

          Suddenly she had the feeling she was being stared at. Alex peered over the parchment to see Tor doing just that.

“What?”

“You’re beautiful, that’s ‘what’.”

She cocked her head a bit to the side, and Tor smiled because he loved it when she did that.

“Tor Khellesctherh, are you flirting with me?”

“Would you like me to stop?”

“No, I don’t think so. It’s just that you’ve known me for almost two years, and you’ve never called me beautiful before.”

Tor grinned impishly. “Sure I have, just not out loud.”

 

* * * * * * *

 

          The Mati didn’t speak any English, as far as Telliandra and Emma could tell she was from France, and had been brought here.

          The escorted her to a nearby Mythic harbor that had not yet been taken. The Harbormaster promised that she would be ‘handled like a china doll’ her whole way to France. Telliandra paid him more than was the actual cost of the trip for his kindliness.

          When April came Telliandra fitted her for leather gauntlets, and asked her if she had finished her shield.

“No, I haven’t, and I’m not any closer to figuring it out, either.”

Telliandra just smiled. “Don’t worry, Emma. You’ll know when you’ve find the right one.”

          Emma just grimaced. All she could think was that she was only thirteen and someone was asking her to make herself a shield.

          Then she remembered that in six months Ty would be sixteen…