Читать книгу Arthur, King - William Speir - Страница 23

A week after Cai and Bedwyr arrived at Din Eidyn, Merlin invited Arthur to follow him to the stables. “I have a surprise for you, my Prince.”

Arthur followed Merlin, plying questions the entire way. Merlin just smiled and said nothing. When they arrived at the stables, a groom led a horse out of its stall. It was dark brown with a black tail and mane. Arthur stared wide-eyed at the horse and back at Merlin with a curious expression on his face.

“It’s yours, my Prince,” Merlin said as he handed Arthur the reins of his new horse.

Arthur hugged Merlin. “Thank you, Merlin! I love it! What’s he called?”

Merlin beamed. “You’re welcome, my Prince. He’s yours to name. What do you want to call him?”

Arthur stroked the horse’s neck for a while. The horse responded by nuzzling Arthur, which made the young prince laugh. “I’ll name him Titus.”

“Why Titus?”

“Because Titus was the companion to a saint. This horse is going to be my new companion, so… Titus.”

Arthur looked at the horse in the eye. “Do you like the name Titus?”

The horse whinnied loudly.

“Does that mean he likes his name?” Arthur asked the groom.

The groom nodded. “Yes, my Prince. I believe he likes his name very much.”

When Cai and Bedwyr joined Arthur and Merlin at the stables, Arthur introduced them to Titus.

“You named your horse?” Bedwyr asked. “I never thought to do that.”

“Neither did I,” Cai said.

“You should name your horses,” Merlin said. “They need to know when you’re calling them.”

“I know what I want to name my horse,” Cai said.

“What?” Arthur asked.

“Maximus, after the emperor Mascen Wledig who led the Legions out of Britain. I grew up hearing about the stories of Maximus, and I’ve always loved the name.”

“Good name,” Merlin noted. “Why don’t you see if your horse likes it?”

Cai walked over to his horse’s stall. “Hello, Maximus,” he said as he stroked the horse’s nose.

The horse whinnied. “He likes it!” Cai called back.

Bedwyr walked to his horse’s stall. The horse acted excited to see him and placed its head on Bedwyr’s shoulder. Bedwyr whispered in his horse’s ear, and the horse whinnied like the others. Bedwyr stroked the side of its head for a few moments before rejoining the others.

“What did you name him?” Arthur asked.

“Atlas,” Bedwyr replied. “When we first set out for Din Eidyn, he wasn’t used to having someone on his back, and it took a while for him to settle down. I guess he finally got used to carrying my weight, so that made me think of Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

“That sounds like the perfect choice,” Merlin said.

Horses in Britain were a hearty stock, strong and capable of running for long periods of time. The Romans took many horses from Britain and sent them back to Rome to be used as cavalry horses, as well as for chariot and wagon teams. They were coveted – especially by owners of horse teams that raced in the hippodrome.

In between their studies with Merlin and Galerius, Arthur and his new friends went riding around countryside. It took Arthur a while to get used to riding, but soon he was as proficient on horseback as Cai and Bedwyr. They were escorted by ten guards wherever they went, and both Merlin and Galerius warned them not to go anywhere without their escorts.

“The three of you will be kings someday,” Galerius reminded them. “That’s too tempting a target for an enemy to pass up. Stay safe; stay with your guards. They’re there to protect you.”

Galerius began teaching the three princes how to fight. As he demonstrated each weapon, he instructed the princes about its function, how to use it when fighting one-on-one, and how to deploy it in combat with an army. Then he taught the princes the various fighting techniques of the weapon itself.

“Why are we starting with the spear?” Arthur asked as Galerius laid three spears on the ground in front of the princes.

“Because it’s the most common weapon used by your soldiers,” Galerius replied. “The spear is used by foot soldiers and mounted soldiers alike. The mounted soldiers use a larger spear because they’re on horseback and need a longer weapon to reach an enemy. Foot soldiers typically use a smaller spear for stabbing or throwing, but they also use larger spears when going up against cavalry.

Galerius demonstrated how foot soldiers hold their spears against enemy cavalry. Then he demonstrated how the spears were carried and used when fighting against other foot soldiers. Finally, he showed the princes how to throw a spear against a mounted or standing enemy.

Galerius instructed the princes to practice throwing their spears at a target that he’d set up a short distance away. The princes didn’t do very well, and soon they couldn’t stop laughing at how bad they were. The spears were heavy and designed to be used by an adult. None of them managed to hit the target; in fact, none of their spears landed anywhere near it. Even Galerius began laughing after a while.

“Don’t worry if you don’t hit the target today.” He grinned as they retrieved their spears. “Few soldiers hit it their first time trying.”

He gestured for one of the nearby guards to come and join him. “I’m now going to demonstrate hand-to-hand combat using spears.”

The guard took one of the spears and demonstrated as Galerius explained the basics of spear fighting. “Jabbing your spear is called a ‘thrust.’ Blocking a thrust is called a ‘parry’. Which thrust to use depends on how the enemy is holding his spear. Which parry to use depends on how you’re holding your spear and which thrust the enemy uses. It’s similar to sword fighting, but there are fewer maneuvers to remember. That’s why we’re starting with spears and saving swords for last.”

The guard took a defensive position, holding his spear near the middle of his body and pointing it toward Galerius. Galerius took his spear and held it the same way. Then he began calling out commands, and the two men approached each other and alternated between attacking and defending with their spears.

The wood shafts clacked loudly against each other as Galerius and the guard demonstrated spear fighting techniques to the three wide-eyed princes. The clanging of the spearheads rang across the training grounds. When Galerius and the guard were finished, the guard bowed to Galerius and returned to his post.

Galerius brought up two princes at a time and had them face each other. Then he walked them through thrusting and parrying. The princes thrust and jabbed clumsily, and they accumulated an impressive collection of bruises. This went on until just before sunset.

“That’s enough for today,” Galerius said, retrieving their spears. “You’ve learned a lot, and we’ll keep working with the spears until you master them. Then we’ll move on to the next weapon.”

The princes were exhausted as they walked back to the great house.

“I had no idea it would be so hard to learn to fight with spears,” Cai said. “I’ve watched my father’s soldiers for years. They make it look so easy.”

“They’ve been practicing for years,” Bedwyr pointed out. “We’ve only just started.”

“Why are we going to learn all of the weapons that our soldiers use?” Cai asked.

“Merlin explained that to me,” Arthur said. “When you’re in battle, weapons break and slip from your hands. If you’re fighting with a spear and it breaks, then you draw your sword. If your sword falls or breaks, you draw your dagger. If you lose your dagger, you fight with your hands until you can find another weapon. We have to be able to use whatever weapon we pick up in a fight.”

“Then why learn archery?” Cai asked.

“Have you ever been hunting?” Bedwyr asked. “You can’t kill every animal with a spear.”

“It’s a very precise way to kill a single person,” Arthur added. “And when hundreds of archers fire their arrows at the same time in battle, they can hit hundreds of the enemy, doing damage from very far away.”

“I’d like to see that!” Cai said.

Every morning after breakfast, the princes reported to Galerius for more spear practice. In time, their aim improved, and their spears managed to land closer to the target. The princes gradually improved their thrust and parry exercises, although they still found it difficult to remember all of the commands.

Merlin was busy dealing with matters regarding the kingdom, so he had no time to continue his lessons with the princes. “I promise that I’ll start teaching you letters next week. A king must know how to read and write. Once you learn that, it’ll be easier to teach you everything else that you’ll need to know.”

Two weeks after they had started training with the spear, the three princes awoke to discover that Galerius and the soldiers in the hillfort were gone; only the hillfort’s guards remained. “The Picts have crossed Strathclyde’s northern border,” Merlin explained. “Galerius left with the cavalry this morning, and the foot soldiers are following as fast as they can. I suggest that you continue with your spear practice this morning, and if you want to go riding this afternoon, just be sure to take your guards with you.”

The three princes crossed the training grounds to retrieve their spears from the armory. Arthur looked around the hillfort’s walls and noticed that the guards were deployed differently because the soldiers were gone.

“I have an idea for this afternoon that’s better than riding,” Arthur said.

“What could be better than riding?” Bedwyr asked.

“Exploring the cliff steps,” Arthur replied.

“I’d almost forgotten about them,” Cai said. “What about the guards?”

“Look around.” Arthur gestured at the guards along the walls. “They’re deployed at different posts because the soldiers aren’t here.”

“But what about the blacksmith and the groom?” Bedwyr asked. “We still have to get past one of them.”

“I don’t know about the blacksmith, but the groom is no problem,” Arthur said confidently. “I had Atlas placed in the stall with the secret door. We’ll go to the stables this afternoon like we’re visiting the horses, and then we’ll slip through the door in Atlas’ stall. The groom will never see where we’ve gone.”

Cai and Bedwyr grinned and nodded. “Good plan, Arthur,” Cai said.

“Let’s hurry up and finish our spear practice,” Bedwyr suggested. “I can’t wait to go exploring.”

Immediately after lunch, the three princes grabbed apples from the kitchen and walked to the stables to check on their horses. They visited Titus first and then Maximus, giving both horses an apple to eat. Then they entered Atlas’ stall and gave Bedwyr’s horse an apple. The groom was busy cleaning out the stalls while the cavalry horses were away; he never saw the princes slip through the secret door.

Arthur led them through the space between the stables and the north wall. As they approached the west end of the hillfort, they heard the blacksmith working in the smithy. Arthur silently pointed out the secret door in the back of the smithy when they passed it.

When they reached the door in the north wall, Arthur slid open the bolts and lifted the door, hooking the handle to keep the door open. Then Arthur led Cai and Bedwyr through the earthworks to the cliff.

The three princes looked at the view from the cliff. It was a cloudless summer day, and the hills to the north of the village were plainly visible.

“What’s that hill there?” Bedwyr asked, pointing to a large hill about two miles away that towered over the village.

“It’s called Alauna,” Arthur replied.

“That would make a great place for a fortress,” Bedwyr said. “I don’t see how an enemy would ever be able to take that hill.”

Arthur led the other two princes to the steps carved into the cliff. “Here are the steps.”

“Let’s go down,” Cai suggested.

“Should we have a rope?” Bedwyr asked, looking over the cliff at the steps. “I don’t see anything to hold onto.”

Arthur walked down the first few steps. “There are handholds cut into the cliff,” he reported.

Arthur started down the steps with Cai close behind. Bedwyr hesitated for a moment, and then he followed his friends.

Arthur remembered his conversation with Merlin. At least I’m not exploring the steps alone. But I do need to make sure that no one sees us.

“Let me know if you see anyone below the cliff,” Arthur said to his two companions. “We have to make certain that no one notices us and discovers the steps.”

It took a long time to climb down the cliff to the village below. The steps were in good shape, but several were covered in a slick moss due to years of non-use. The princes had to tread carefully to keep from slipping and falling.

When they finally reached the bottom of the cliff, Arthur looked up at the hillfort. “You can barely see the steps from down here.”

“I want to explore the village,” Cai said.

“How will we find the steps again?” Bedwyr asked.

Arthur looked around. There was a cluster of three trees close by. “Those trees are the landmark,” Arthur said, pointing.

The three princes headed for the village.

As they passed the first shop, Arthur was recognized. “Good afternoon, Prince Arthur,” the elderly shopkeeper said pleasantly. “Is there something that you’re looking for?”

Arthur shook his head. “We’re just exploring, thank you.”

The shopkeeper nodded and gestured for the princes to look around.

They left the shop and continued exploring the village with Arthur in the lead. I knew that it would be easy to slip out of the hillfort with Galerius and the army gone to fight the Picts in Strathclyde, but I didn’t realize that the village of Din Eidyn would seem so empty.

Several of the shops were closed because the owners had left with the soldiers. After a while, the princes decided that it was time to return to the hillfort.

Arthur led them back toward the steps, but he stopped when he saw men cutting down trees at the base of the cliff. The three trees that Arthur had designated as the landmark for the steps were gone, and even if they had still been there, it would be impossible to climb up to the hillfort unseen.

“What do we do?” Cai asked.

Arthur looked around. “We can’t wait until the woodcutters leave; we’d be climbing up the steps in the dark. And we can’t stay down here until morning. Merlin will turn the hillfort and the village upside-down looking for us. We’ll have to walk around the hill and go up the causeway to the main gates.”

“Won’t the guards wonder how we got outside the hillfort without our escort?” Bedwyr asked.

“Probably,” Arthur replied. “We’ll just have to deal with that if it happens.”

By the time they reached the top of the causeway, the sun was low on the horizon and the hillfort’s gates were about to close for the night. The guards recognized Prince Arthur as he approached, and they saluted and held the gates open for the three princes.

As the princes approached the great house, they saw Merlin waiting for them. He leaned on his staff on the front steps of the great house, and he looked concerned.

“What were the three of you doing outside the hillfort without your escorts?” Merlin demanded. “What if something had happened to one of you?”

“I’m sorry, Merlin,” Arthur said. “It’s my fault.”

Merlin scowled at Arthur. “You went out the secret door in the north wall, didn’t you?”

Arthur and the others nodded.

Merlin shook his head. “Did you remember to lock the door again?”

Arthur shook his head. “We made it down to the village unseen, but there were woodcutters working at the base of the cliff when we tried to come back. There’s no way we could climb up unseen, and I promised you that I wouldn’t let anyone see me climbing the steps. That’s why we came back up the causeway.”

Merlin nodded. “Thank you for keeping your promise. So the door’s still unlocked?”

“And open,” Arthur said.

“What?!” Merlin demanded. “You didn’t close the door behind you when you went through it?”

Arthur shook his head, looking embarrassed.

“Go close it now,” Merlin ordered. “What good does it do to close the gates if you leave the back door open?”

Arthur headed for the smithy with Cai and Bedwyr close behind. Merlin hobbled after them. The blacksmith raised an eyebrow at Merlin. Arthur headed for the secret door in the far wall and twisted the sword that served as the latch. Merlin held up his hands and nodded to reassure the blacksmith that everything was all right. The three princes and Merlin went through the door.

In the dim light, Merlin saw the open door ahead. Arthur unhooked it, lowered it into position, and slid the locking bolts back into place.

Merlin led them back to the secret door in the smithy. He held the door open as they walked through, and he slammed it shut behind them. The princes jumped at the sound. The blacksmith, who was putting away his tools for the night, nodded to Merlin and wished the princes a pleasant evening.

“I hope you never do that again, my Prince,” Merlin said as he escorted the princes back to the great house. “There are several places in the surrounding hills where that door is visible when it’s open. I understand that you can’t lock it from the outside, but you must always close it behind you.”

“I understand, Merlin. I’m sorry.”

“Good. Now tell me about the steps. Did you have any problem getting down?”

Arthur and the other two princes told Merlin about their afternoon adventure. “Bedwyr wanted to use a rope to hold onto on the way down,” Arthur said, “but I found handholds cut into the rock.”

“Were any of the stone steps chipped or broken?” Merlin asked.

“No, but some were moss-covered. They were slippery to walk on.”

Merlin nodded. “Did you have fun in the village?”

“Yes, but a lot of the shops were closed because the men were heading for Strathclyde.”

“I have a question,” Bedwyr said. “If the men were heading for Strathclyde, why were there woodcutters working below the cliff? Shouldn’t they have been with the soldiers, too?”

Merlin stopped abruptly. “The lands below the cliff belong to the king, and no one may cut there without the king’s permission. How many woodcutters were there?”

“Five, I think,” Arthur replied.

“Six,” Cai corrected him.

Merlin shouted for the Captain for the Guard.

A moment later, the guard captain arrived. He snapped a salute to Merlin and the princes.

“Prince Arthur saw six woodcutters chopping down trees at the base of the cliff below the north wall this afternoon. Find them, and find out why they were cutting trees there without permission.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the guard captain replied. He turned shouted orders to his guards.

Squads of guards headed down the causeway to the village by the time Merlin and the princes reached the great house. Merlin tried to hide his concern from the young princes.

“Do you think we should be worried, Merlin?” Arthur asked.

Merlin looked at Arthur. “You’re certain that no one saw you climb down the steps? You didn’t see any woodcutters or villagers anywhere near the cliff when you reached the bottom?”

Arthur and the other princes shook their heads.

“Then it’s probably nothing to worry about.” Merlin sounded convincing. “You three should go ahead and have your supper. The Captain of the Guard will let us know who they are when he finds them.”

The princes nodded and left Merlin at the entrance to the great house.

I hope they were just woodcutters who forgot that they need my permission to cut trees down there. But what if they’re not woodcutters? What if they saw Arthur and the others climbing down the cliff steps?

Merlin walked to his chamber to check on Niniane and Anna. I wish Galerius were here.