Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione by Chuck Black Read Free Book Online Page A

tournament.”
    Kendrick looked hard at Duncan. “I never planned on being tournament champion, no matter what scenario we faced.”
    “What do you—You mean you would throw the championship round? Why?”
    Kendrick raised an eyebrow, and Duncan shook his head in disbelief.
    “Winning this tournament would only draw attention to us, which is something we don’t want to happen. But beyond this, when I knelt to become a Knight of the Prince and understood my purpose in His plan, all the accolades of others and the prestige of tournament trophies became pale and worthless to me.” Kendrick pointed to the tournament grounds not far away. “This is all silliness when compared to the incrediblemission of saving human souls from the clutches of the Dark Knight by the power of the Prince.”
    Duncan stared at Kendrick, took a deep breath, and nodded. “I understand … I think. But won’t your withdrawal bring attention also?”
    “You will report to the tournament officials that urgent news from a friend has called me away. That isn’t unusual. They will probably deduce that a family member has died.”
    “As you wish.” Duncan left to find the officials.
    Kendrick continued preparing Thunder for travel instead of battle, but his mind was already on the road north. What would he and Duncan encounter there?
    Sir Casimir was truly a powerful knight and a dangerous adversary. But Kendrick suspected that someone or something far more powerful—and more evil—awaited him and Duncan in the city of Bel Lione.

THE MYSTIQUE OF BEL LIONE
    Kendrick and Duncan traveled north toward a snow-peaked mountain that seemed a hundred-day ride in the distance. Although Mount Quarnell was not the tallest mountain in Arrethtrae, it certainly was one of the most majestic, for it rose dramatically out of the plains and seemed to stretch high enough to pierce the sky itself. A range of smaller foothills clustered around it, and before it lay a beautiful, crystal-clear lake, fed from the crisp streams of the mountain range.
    As they neared the mountains three days later, their progress slowed. Bel Lione was nestled in the northern foothills of the range, and it took Kendrick and Duncan another full day just to travel to the opposite side of the range.
    They entered Bel Lione late one afternoon and were struck by the beauty of the town. Had they not suspected Bel Lione was a potential source of concern for the Knights of the Prince, they would have thought the whole place had been lifted from the pages of a fairy tale.
    A small river flowed from the mountains down through the center of the town, spilling over a number of gentle waterfalls along its way.The scent of evergreen and wildflowers filled the air. The shops that lined the immaculate streets had been constructed beyond mere functionality; clearly they were intended not only to embrace the beauty of the surroundings but to add to it. Decorative moldings and ornate wooden carvings trimmed the gables, windows, and eaves of all the shops—shoemakers, tailors, barbers, bakers, butchers, taverns, a blacksmith—and most of the homes. The living conditions of the average citizen seemed quite beyond what Kendrick and Duncan were used to seeing in towns of similar size.
    In spite of the town’s beauty and apparent affluence, Kendrick sensed a slightly forlorn spirit among the people of Bel Lione as he watched them carry on with their work. Had the living conditions been poorer, Kendrick would have thought nothing of it, but the melancholy seemed out of place in such a picturesque setting. He cautioned himself against reading too much into his perceptions. Still, he was sure that something was amiss.
    “Where do we start?” Duncan asked as they rode down the cobble-stoned thoroughfare.
    “Where stories are told that are grand, seldom true, and sometimes based on a few threads of fact,” Kendrick replied.
    “The tavern.”
    “Right.”
    They guided their steeds into the center of town to