Enchanted Forests by Katharine Kerr Read Free Book Online

Christian monarch!"

    More man twenty knights and ladies echoed her plea as SOOB
    as the general laughter died down. Gawaine hid his blush by re-
    filling his mug from a large chalice of mead, gulping the pooriy
    fermented honey liquor. "At least Arthur didn't laugh," Agri-
    vaine whispered to Gawaine, showing a rare moment of sympa-
    thy.

    Though a smile curled the corners of the King*s mouth, he did
    not look ready to summon the food. At that moment Gawaine's
    belly growled again, not quite so loudly, and many other stom-
    achs rumbled in sympathy.

    Gawaine set aside his mead cup, and rose to his feet. In a ring-
    ing voice he cried out, "Uncle, send for the food, and I shall tell
    you and this assembly of a right marvelous adventure that hap-
    pened to me before I became a knight!"

    "So be it!" said Arthur with a tired smile. He signaled to his
    hulking butler.

    Cheers and the clanking of cups raised in impromptu toasts to
    the king. Sir Gawaine, and the food itself filled the great hall
    with noise. A line of scarlet-clad scullions bearing wooden plat-
    ters heaped with steaming cuts of venison, boar, and mutton pa-
    raded into the room. Two brawny cooks pushed a small cart
    carrying a cauldron of bubbling turtle soup toward me center of
    the hall, and small page boys offered polished wooden bowls and
    spoons to all who wanted them. After placing at least one meat
    platter on each table and trestle, the servers returned to the kitch-
    ens, only to reappear in a few minutes carrying trays covered
    with hot, roasted chickens and ducks. Some of them brought ba-
    sins filled with bunches of purple grapes and ripe red apples
    which they placed on every table.

    Sweet grape juice trickled down Gawaine's cleanshaven chin
    as he reached out with his dagger and nabbed a whole roast
    chicken from the center of the table, just instants before
    Dinadan's blade thwocked into the empty wood. "My apologies,
    Din! I did not mean to rob you." Gawaine extended the prize to-
    ward the smaller man, but Dinadan waved it off and took another
    slightly smaller bird instead. "To the victor . . ." Dinadan
    laughed. Gawaine pulled the hen back to his plate, sawed off a
    drumstick, and took a huge bite.

    40                    Ken St. Andre

    Agrivaine dipped a chunk of hot bread into a puddle of dark
    pork gravy, and lifted it like a scepter. "Better than the Christmas
    cod feast back in Orkney, eh, brother?" He gloated for a moment
    before biting into the sopping loaf.

    "Christmas at home," mused Gawaine. He stopped chewing
    and his eyes clouded with memory. "Remember the time that
    Merlin feasted with us. Thanks, brother, I think I know what tale
    can pay for this supper."

    An hour later, the feasting slowed. Men groaned happily and
    loosened their belts while ladies wiped their lips and discreetly
    adjusted their girdles. Sir Dinadan rose on his bandy legs, wiped
    the grease from his bushy mustache with his sleeve, lifted his
    cup high, and called out a toast, "Drink we now to Sir Gawaine,
    the courteous knight, for he has once again saved this court!"

    "Keep now your promise. Nephew, and justify this feast with
    your tale," commanded the king.

    Gawaine arose- hi two steps he passed the bard and deftly
    plucked the harp away from him. The minstrel started to protest,
    but an exaggerated wink from the knight calmed him without a
    word. Gawaine staggered up to the high dais (hours of imbibing
    made it slightly difficult to keep his balance) and hammered on
    me strings until the hall fell silent. "Hearken, my lords and la-
    dies! I shall tell you of my first meeting with Merlin, the great
    enchanter, and a marvelous adventure that came of it."

    "I was just a lad of twelve summers when Merlin the Prophet
    visited our court. He brought with him a break in the snowstorm
    that had blown for all the twelve days of Christmas, and for that,
    my father decided to honor him with a three-day feast.

    "Merlin proved to be a popular