The Forest of Adventures (#1 of The Knight Trilogy) by Katie M John Page B

have got wet
too. Take off your wet clothes if you want to feel the
benefit.”
    Even though almost all of my
blood had retreated towards my vital organs, a small amount still
seemed to be reserved for blushing. He handed the small pile of
warm dry wool over and turned his back to me.
    “No peeping, I promise,” he
said through a mischievous smile.
    I was so cold already that
standing half naked in the woods didn’t make any difference but the
feel of the dry wool against my damp skin was a welcome relief. I
wound the scarf round and at last managed to feel a tiny spark of
warmth.
    “Better?” he asked.
    I nodded and we walked on. When
we came to a fallen log, he held his hand to help me over and then
seemed to forget to let it go again. I was miles away, revelling in
the contact with his hand. I let my hand read his, imagining how it
would feel for other parts of our naked flesh to be pressed
together.
    Suddenly I was thrown behind
Blake’s back, protectively shielded from whatever it was in front
of him.
    “Not here, not now. I’m not
alone.” Blake’s voice boomed through the silent woods.
    “Bl..” I began, confused and
terrified all at once.
    “Ssh Mina! Don’t speak. I don’t
want them to know you’re here.” I could hear the panic through his
whisper. “My Lady, what are you doing in the woods alone at night?
Where is your chaperone?”
    “Sir Beldevier, I have been
sent out to tell you my Lady requests an audience.” Her voice
seemed almost to be singing.
    “Name your lady,” Blake
demanded.
    “My Lady, Sir, is Morgan of
Gore.”
    “Tell me whose shield it is
that you carry?”
    “You mean to tell me that you
do not recognise your brother’s shield?”
    “I recognise it fair enough my
Lady, I wanted to know if you did. Why do you have it?”
    “My Lady desires to speak of’t.
You must come at once. Dangerous peril awaits your delay. Bring the
girl - my Lady is curious.”
    I pinched myself to check that
I wasn’t hallucinating through some form of hypothermic episode. It
hurt. Still, I couldn’t match these events with reality.
    “Blake. What the hell is going
on?” I shout-whispered under my heavy breath.
    “Its fine, we’re in no danger
from Morgan, she’s sort of an old family connection. I’d better
warn you though she’s not that great with newcomers. I’ll explain
later.”
    As he un-hid me, letting me see
who he’d been speaking with I gasped. Blake’s torch caused a flood
of white light that pulled everything forward into a stark black
and white focus. In front of us, leading us through the woods was a
lady dressed in a plain white fitted dress, shield in one hand and
lantern in the other. Her dress wasn’t old costume or modern
fashion but it was a timeless garment and beautifully made so that
it accentuated every contour of her figure. Her long fair hair was
held by a thick braid that stretched all the way down to the base
of her spine. Even though she didn’t have wings, she looked like a
fairy woman and I shook my head aware that I was probably on the
borderline of being seriously unwell.
    We walked for about quarter of
a mile alongside the hill, moving further and further away from the
car and when at last we stopped, we were faced with a dreamscape.
It was a sight that at once confirmed my the belief that I had
stepped over into an imaginary land for in a small clearing of the
trees a blood-red pavilion had been erected and on either side of
the door stood two stunningly handsome men dressed from the neck
down in the shinning armour of a medieval knight, sword in one
hand, helmet in the other and shield resting against their leg.
    I squeezed my eyes shut hoping
that when I opened them it would all have disappeared but it
didn’t. The lady in white moved through the folds of the fabric
into the tent to announce our arrival. She reappeared almost
immediately to signal us in.
    Morgan was a goddess stretched
out on a low bed of fur throws. She wore a startling dress