indeed?" he said softly. "He certainly looks the part with that greasy hair over his face. But Kai ... perhaps he has some doubts. What did Kai say to you about Beau?"
Lynet was confused, but she said, "Only that he might turn out to be a skilled fighter, but I think that was just a cruel joke." Roger's frown cleared, and he nodded to himself. "What is it, Roger?"
"Just that I understand what Kai's doing now," Roger said. Before Lynet could ask, though, Roger turned on her. "But I still don't know what you were
thinking when you refused to tell your name at the gate and at court. What sort of crack-brained notionâ?"
"Haven't you figured that out?" Lynet said, stung by his sharp tone. "You know who my father was."
"Ay, Duke Idres of Cornwall. What's that to do withâ?"
"You may not know it, but my father once rebelled against Arthur!" Lynet said bluntly.
Roger's mouth dropped open, and he stared at her in consternation. "Is that all?" he gasped. "You mean you thought that Arthur might hold a grudge against you on your father's account?" Lynet nodded, and Roger rolled his eyes heavenward. "You goose! Arthur doesn't care a rap about all that!"
"He doesn't?"
"Listen, girl, have you ever heard who led the rebellion your father was part of?"
"Of course I have. It was King Lot of Orkney," Lynet replied.
"Ay. And you know who King Lot's oldest son is? It's Sir Gawain, Arthur's most loyal knight."
Lynet's eyes widened, as she realized that all her secrecy had been pointless, and that she could have told her name after all and been given a real knight as a champion. Because of her refusal to tell her name, she had ended up with a serving boy instead. "Oh," she said.
Roger must have read her thoughts. "Don't worry, lass. Maybe the Beau will work out better than you think. And speaking of him, I suppose I ought to go check on himâsee that he can find his way back to camp."
Lynet smiled wanly, and Roger made his way through the trees where he had told Beaumains he would find the stream. He was gone a long time, but when he reappeared, he brought with him a remarkably different figure. Beaumains's long, greasy hair had been neatly cut over his forehead, and the straggly blond beard had been shaved off. To her amazement, Lynet saw that beneath all that hair, Beaumains was a very handsome young man indeed. His chin was strong, his lips firm, and his eyes a shining blue. Lynet realized that her mouth had dropped open, and she shut it quickly. "You look a bit better, I suppose. Let's hope you smell better, too," she said abruptly.
The next morning Roger took charge and led them southeast. Beaumains argued briefly about their course, but his dispute was clearly only for form's sake. He had no idea himself which way to go, but he resented being led by the dwarf.
An hour later, as they rode along a quiet forest brook, they met their first adventure. A youth, running wildly and gasping for breath, burst out of the
brush before their horses. He wore the simple but neatly cut livery of a knight's personal servant, probably a page. "Sir Knight!" he wheezed to Beaumains. "Thank heaven!"
Lynet started to correct the youth's misapprehension, but Beaumains answered quickly, "What is it, young sir?"
"My master, a goodly knight, is in need of help. He is attacked by six thieves, and they'll kill him if no one helps!" The page pointed behind him. "Right through those trees, in an open clearing!"
"I shall aid your master at once!" Beaumains declared. He drew his sword and raised it high over his head.
"Hold up there, Beau," Roger said. "Think a moment. Even if this lad's not setting a trap, you don't need to be charging full front on six enemies."
"Fie on such cowardly caution!" shouted Beaumains. He spurred his white horse forward and charged through the brush. With a muffled oath, Roger rolled his eyes and urged his horse after the vanishing figure.
Lynet followed. When she arrived at the clearing that the page had
Lynet was confused, but she said, "Only that he might turn out to be a skilled fighter, but I think that was just a cruel joke." Roger's frown cleared, and he nodded to himself. "What is it, Roger?"
"Just that I understand what Kai's doing now," Roger said. Before Lynet could ask, though, Roger turned on her. "But I still don't know what you were
thinking when you refused to tell your name at the gate and at court. What sort of crack-brained notionâ?"
"Haven't you figured that out?" Lynet said, stung by his sharp tone. "You know who my father was."
"Ay, Duke Idres of Cornwall. What's that to do withâ?"
"You may not know it, but my father once rebelled against Arthur!" Lynet said bluntly.
Roger's mouth dropped open, and he stared at her in consternation. "Is that all?" he gasped. "You mean you thought that Arthur might hold a grudge against you on your father's account?" Lynet nodded, and Roger rolled his eyes heavenward. "You goose! Arthur doesn't care a rap about all that!"
"He doesn't?"
"Listen, girl, have you ever heard who led the rebellion your father was part of?"
"Of course I have. It was King Lot of Orkney," Lynet replied.
"Ay. And you know who King Lot's oldest son is? It's Sir Gawain, Arthur's most loyal knight."
Lynet's eyes widened, as she realized that all her secrecy had been pointless, and that she could have told her name after all and been given a real knight as a champion. Because of her refusal to tell her name, she had ended up with a serving boy instead. "Oh," she said.
Roger must have read her thoughts. "Don't worry, lass. Maybe the Beau will work out better than you think. And speaking of him, I suppose I ought to go check on himâsee that he can find his way back to camp."
Lynet smiled wanly, and Roger made his way through the trees where he had told Beaumains he would find the stream. He was gone a long time, but when he reappeared, he brought with him a remarkably different figure. Beaumains's long, greasy hair had been neatly cut over his forehead, and the straggly blond beard had been shaved off. To her amazement, Lynet saw that beneath all that hair, Beaumains was a very handsome young man indeed. His chin was strong, his lips firm, and his eyes a shining blue. Lynet realized that her mouth had dropped open, and she shut it quickly. "You look a bit better, I suppose. Let's hope you smell better, too," she said abruptly.
The next morning Roger took charge and led them southeast. Beaumains argued briefly about their course, but his dispute was clearly only for form's sake. He had no idea himself which way to go, but he resented being led by the dwarf.
An hour later, as they rode along a quiet forest brook, they met their first adventure. A youth, running wildly and gasping for breath, burst out of the
brush before their horses. He wore the simple but neatly cut livery of a knight's personal servant, probably a page. "Sir Knight!" he wheezed to Beaumains. "Thank heaven!"
Lynet started to correct the youth's misapprehension, but Beaumains answered quickly, "What is it, young sir?"
"My master, a goodly knight, is in need of help. He is attacked by six thieves, and they'll kill him if no one helps!" The page pointed behind him. "Right through those trees, in an open clearing!"
"I shall aid your master at once!" Beaumains declared. He drew his sword and raised it high over his head.
"Hold up there, Beau," Roger said. "Think a moment. Even if this lad's not setting a trap, you don't need to be charging full front on six enemies."
"Fie on such cowardly caution!" shouted Beaumains. He spurred his white horse forward and charged through the brush. With a muffled oath, Roger rolled his eyes and urged his horse after the vanishing figure.
Lynet followed. When she arrived at the clearing that the page had
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