LANCE OF TRUTH by KATHERINE ROBERTS Read Free Book Online Page B

deserve a magic sword. The Pendragon’s power is
mine
.”

4
Spiral Path
    Long ago druids walked this land
    Where giant stones in circles stand
    And ancient powers there await
    Merlin’s ghost to open the gate.
    N ine days after the knights had ridden north with her sword, Rhianna sat astride Alba in the courtyard impatiently waiting for the guards to open the gates.
    Merlin perched on her wrist, wearinga hood like the other hawks and gripping tightly with his claws. He’d flown back into her room yesterday as if nothing had happened. She couldn’t talk to him without Excalibur’s magic. But it was obvious the silly bird had been roaming free in the woods, while she’d been escorted about Camelot like a prisoner, having nightmares about what her cousin Mordred might be doing to her mother.
    “Ow,” she muttered. “Don’t hold on so tight. I won’t drop you.”
    To her frustration, their ‘picnic’ had turned into a major outing. When they’d heard about it, all the squires and damsels wanted to come, and Sir Bedivere had to find extra men to escort them. With so many hungry mouths to feed, the cooks had to pack extra food and drink, and that meant they needed ponies to carry it all.And then Sir Bedivere insisted they should take King Arthur’s pavilion, too, in case it rained. The poles and folded canvas travelled in a wagon drawn by two oxen, which was sure to slow them down still further.
    “I don’t mind getting wet,” Rhianna said, scowling at the cart. “We got wet enough on our way here from Avalon. Anyway, it’s not going to rain.”
    For once, the sky looked cloudless and the sun felt warm on her arms, making her even more impatient to get out of this courtyard. If she had to spend one more day trapped behind walls, she would scream.
    “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Rhia,” Elphin said. He sat calmly beside her on Evenstar, his harp in its bag slung across his back. “Weather in the world of men seemsvery unpredictable. Let them bring the tent. We might need it.”
    “Why?” Rhianna said. “We haven’t time to camp, or we’ll never catch up with the knights.”
    “Shh.” Elphin glanced at Arianrhod, who rode in the wagon with the other damsels. “It’s all taken care of, I promise. Trust me.”
    Rhianna scowled again. “You’ve been saying that for nine days already!” But she held her tongue. The last thing she wanted to do was to make her guards suspicious and have them lock her back in her room.
    Without Excalibur, she felt undressed. At least she had been allowed to wear her armour and bring her father’s shield. Sir Bedivere had actually told her to, in case of Saxon trouble. But he wouldn’t give her a replacement sword as well. She saw Gareth – who did carrya sword – smirking at her, and set her jaw.
    At last the gates opened, and Sir Bedivere led them out into the spring sunshine. Alba gave a little buck of excitement, nearly unseating Merlin from her wrist.
    Let us gallop on the river and leave the humans behind!
the mare said.
    Rhianna smiled. It was very tempting. Let Sir Bedivere and her guards and the squires and the stupid cart try to follow them! With their enchanted horseshoes that allowed their mist horses to gallop across the surface of water, she and Elphin could be away into the hills long before the others reached the bridge.
    Elphin must have read her thoughts, because his hand closed on her rein. “Not yet, Rhia,” he said. “Wait until we get to the stone circle.” He fingered the druid spiral as he rode,and again she got the feeling he was hiding something from her.
    But with the sun shining and Alba prancing under her, it was difficult to stay angry for long. They crossed the bridge and turned on to the Roman road. The damsels and squires laughed and chattered as they rode through meadows full of wildflowers. They passed a village, where the people paused in their work to stare at her. “Princess Rhianna!” they called. “It’s the