The Knight

Beel was seated on a stone, as I could see by then. He seemed to be deep in some discussion with Id

A moment later Beel looked up, waved to me, and rose. “The horse I gave you was hurt in the fight last night. Sir Garvaon has told us. I wish I could give you another.”

I dismounted. “I wish you could, too, My Lord. There are few horses and mules left, though, and a lot of those that are left are in worse condition than mine. He has a bruise and it’s tender and sore, but I don’t think the bone’s broken.”

“You beat them, though.” Beel smiled.

“We didn’t, My Lord. We fought them. That’s the most that can be said. Our men—I mean Sir Garvaon’s, and yours—are proud of that.” I paused to let him talk, but he did not.

“It doesn’t hurt them,” I continued, “and may do good. But as for me, I don’t think it’s enough to have fought. I’d rather win.”

Id

Beel added, “An amazing feat.”

“Two knights and twenty archers and men-at-arms—”

“Twenty-two,” Garvaon put in.

“Thanks.” I nodded. “So six of us for each we killed. We should have done much better than that.”

“That’s not fair!” Id

“Of course not, My Lady. This was a battle. Nothing was said about fair.”

“I mean you’re not being fair to Sir Garvaon and his men!” She looked angry.

Garvaon started to lay a hand on her shoulder, but did not. “Sir Able slew one single-handed.”

“Then he’s not even being fair to himself!”

Beel said, “Did you, Sir Able? If you did, you deserve much more than that stallion I gave you.”

“It was dark, My Lord. I couldn’t see how many of us were fighting him.”

“Did you see any others?”

“That isn’t the point. My Lord.”

“Answer my question, Sir Able. Were you aware of anyone besides yourself engaging the Angrborn you slew?”

“No, My Lord.”

“There isn’t a knight in Thortower who wouldn’t preen himself on such an exploit, Sir Able.” Beel looked toward Id

“Then I’m glad I’m not a knight of Thortower, My Lord. As for my shield, Pouk has it. It’s plain green, and it will stay like that ’til I do something better than I’ve done so far.”

Id

“I have before now,” I said, “and I’ll hear you gladly again.”

“Fine! You were both away when they came. The men-at-arms and archers had to fight without you, but they didn’t run like the servants did, they fought as well as they could. How long did it take you to get down there from here? An hour, I swear!”

“Less than that, My Lady.”

“An hour, and riding fit to break your necks, both of you. But you plunged in, horse and man, and you did all two men could do, fighting in the dark against giants as tall as that rock.”

“Not quite.” I sighed. “My Lady, I don’t want to argue with you.”

Beel chuckled. “But you will, Sir Able, just the same. Before you do, I have one question for you. I have asked it of Sir Garvaon already, and he has answered. Will you answer too, fully and fairly, this time without a bribe?”

“I didn’t ask for a bribe, My Lord.”

“Without setting conditions. Will you?”

“Yes, My Lord. If I can.”

“Did you fight horsed, or on foot? Horsed, I’d think, since your horse was injured.”

“On foot, mostly, Your Lordship. Mostly with my bow. May I ask why you want to know?”

Beel’s smile faded. “The day may come, Sir Able, when I have to lead a hundred knights against the Angrborn. I hope it doesn’t, and in fact I’m resolved to do everything in my power to ensure that it doesn’t. And yet, it may. I’ll try to lead them bravely, but it would be well to lead them wisely, too—if I can.”

Id

“You,” Beel told her, “if ever you are a queen.”

I saw Garvaon’s jaw drop when he heard that. As quickly as I could, I said, “I rode into the fight, My Lord, but it seemed like the Angrborn I was after could see my horse, so I got off. That was when my horse was hurt. After that I shot arrows, trying to hit his eyes.”

Beel nodded thoughtfully.

Id

“I don’t, My Lady.”

Garvaon said, “My men have told me there were a score or more. I’m not sure, myself, that there were so many. When I saw them in your father’s bowl they seemed fewer, though more than ten.”

“You saw them in my bowl?” Beel asked eagerly.

“Yes, Your Lordship. So did you, I’m sure.”

“No—no, nothing of the sort. I’ve talked about this with Id

“My wife’s deathbed.” Garvaon’s voice was without expression. “She died in childbirth, Your Lordship.”

Beel nodded. “I remember.”

“Her bed, and me kneeling beside it. The midwives had taken my son. They were trying to revive him. I was praying for Volla when one came in to tell me he was dead, too.” The slightest of tremors had entered Garvaon’s voice; he paused to rid himself of it.

“At that point Sir Able said we were seeing the past.”

“Yes, I recall that.”

“What I was seeing in the bowl changed. I saw our camp instead, and Angrborn coming out of the hills to attack it. More than ten. But not a score. Thirteen or fourteen, they might have been.”

Id

I shook my head. “I didn’t. Sir Garvaon looked up and told us to listen, then ran for his horse. It wasn’t hard to guess what he had heard.”

“What did you see, Sir Able?”

Chapter 61. All Of You Must Fight

“Nothing you would think important, My Lord. I saw myself receiving the accolade , then my servant and a woman I know beaten by one of the Angrborn ...”

“Yes?” Beel said eagerly. “What is it?”

“There was one thing then that may be worth telling you about, My Lord. A big building—a lot of thick towers with pointed roofs off in the distance. Maybe it matters, because the Angrborn who beat Pouk and Ulfa seemed to be going there. Do you know what it could have been?”

For a second it seemed Beel would not reply. Then he said, “Utgard, I believe. Utgard is King Gilling’s castle. I have never seen it, or even spoken with anyone who has. But there are rumors. A mighty castle on a plain? A castle without a wall, guarded by a wide moat?”

“I didn’t see the moat, My Lord. It was too far away for that.”

“His Majesty has a plate with a picture painted on it. No doubt you’ve seen such plates?”

“With pictures? Sure.”

“It is supposed to have been painted by an artist who had spoken with a woman who had escaped from it.” Beel looked thoughtful. “I came here to make peace with the Angrborn, Sir Able. No doubt I have told you that before.”

“You mentioned it, My Lord.”

“Did I say that it was a last, desperate effort? No? Well, it was. We’ve tried to talk with them before. All those talks failed, perhaps only because we could not speak with anyone in authority. That was His Majesty’s thought, Sir Able, and I concurred. My daughter and Sir Garvaon have heard all this before. They will have to excuse me.”

Garvaon said, “Gladly, Your Lordship.”

“Because I wish to say it one more time, now that I’ve failed. We hoped th at coming in peace and bearing rich gifts for King Gilling, we might make contact with his Borderers and be given an escort to Utgard. Now those gifts are gone.”