described, the battle had already begun. At the far end of the meadow, a wounded knight leaned against a tree, holding his sword weakly before him, while Beaumains slashed and shouted at several leaping figures. Two were already sprawled
on the grass, and as Lynet watched a third fell before Beaumains's sword. He wheeled his horse to face the last two.
Roger, who sat on his horse a few feet away from Lynet, said suddenly, "Six! The boy said there were six!" Lynet blinked, and then understood. One was missing. "Oh, blast!" Roger said suddenly. "I hate doing this!" He fumbled behind him on his saddle for his sword, managed to pull it out, then booted his horse into a run, across the meadow toward a small stand of trees. Peering into those trees, Lynet saw what Roger had seen: the sixth man, carefully aiming his longbow at Beaumains's back.
Beaumains charged the remaining two that were in the open, and Roger rode yelling at the man in the trees. The dwarf's charge distracted the man enough that his arrow missed Beaumains, and then Roger and his horse were in the trees. Lynet saw the hidden archer reel backwards, struck by the horse's shoulder, just as a low branch swept Roger off his horse's back. He tumbled into a heap, and Lynet kicked her mare into a gallop. When she arrived at the dwarf's form, though, he was sitting up, winded but unhurt. She looked quickly around the meadow. The battle was over. Four men lay dead before Beaumains, and the remaining two had evidently made good their escape, disappearing into the forest.
Lynet dismounted, then stalked furiously across the
field toward Beaumains. "You crack-brained lunatic! Didn't you hear what Roger said? You just about got yourself killed, and Roger too for all your pains! Do you have any idea what almost happened to you?"
"A true knight does not think of death!" Beaumains snapped.
"Especially after he's dead!"
The wounded knight who had been leaning against the tree removed his helm and looked at Beaumains and Lynet. "Pardon me," he said, "but I, um, want to thank you, Sir Knight, forâ"
"He's not a knight!" Lynet said. "He's a kitchen boy, dressed up in borrowed armor, playing silly games!"
"But, my lady," the wounded knight protested. "He did save my life."
"I'm very glad that you were saved," Lynet said, "but it was an accident. If this fellow Beaumouth hadn't come on your attackers by surprise and made a few lucky swings, he'd have been killed right away. And if that dwarf hadn't charged when he did, he'd be a kitchen knave with an arrow through his back."
Lynet turned challengly toward Beaumains, but he was silent. Turning on her heel, Lynet strode back to where Roger was gingerly picking himself up. "Have you seen my sword?" asked the dwarf. "I seem to have lost track of it."
"What, again? You really ought to hold on to it tighter," Lynet replied.
"Shut up and help me look," muttered the dwarf. They searched in silence until they found the sword in the tall grass. As Roger put it back on his saddle, he said softly. "My lady?"
"Yes?"
"The Beau
was
brave, you know. Charging six at once like that."
"Brave? Or stupid?"
Roger shrugged. "I've never been sure where brave stopped and stupid began, myself. Give me a boost here, won't you?"
Since Beaumains had led Lynet the wrong direction at first, Roger decided to leave the paths and cut through the forest. His shortcut failed, however. Before they had ridden twenty minutes they came to a river, far too broad and swift for them to cross on horseback. They had to follow along the riverbank until they came to a passable ford. After an hour, Roger's mutterings were growing blisteringly obscene. Lynet had learned several new words.
At last they came to a passable ford, where the river widened somewhat. On the opposite bank were two knights on horseback, both holding lances.
"Hello, good knights!" called Roger. "Can you tell us if this ford is as shallow as it seems?"
"It is a fair crossing," replied
on the grass, and as Lynet watched a third fell before Beaumains's sword. He wheeled his horse to face the last two.
Roger, who sat on his horse a few feet away from Lynet, said suddenly, "Six! The boy said there were six!" Lynet blinked, and then understood. One was missing. "Oh, blast!" Roger said suddenly. "I hate doing this!" He fumbled behind him on his saddle for his sword, managed to pull it out, then booted his horse into a run, across the meadow toward a small stand of trees. Peering into those trees, Lynet saw what Roger had seen: the sixth man, carefully aiming his longbow at Beaumains's back.
Beaumains charged the remaining two that were in the open, and Roger rode yelling at the man in the trees. The dwarf's charge distracted the man enough that his arrow missed Beaumains, and then Roger and his horse were in the trees. Lynet saw the hidden archer reel backwards, struck by the horse's shoulder, just as a low branch swept Roger off his horse's back. He tumbled into a heap, and Lynet kicked her mare into a gallop. When she arrived at the dwarf's form, though, he was sitting up, winded but unhurt. She looked quickly around the meadow. The battle was over. Four men lay dead before Beaumains, and the remaining two had evidently made good their escape, disappearing into the forest.
Lynet dismounted, then stalked furiously across the
field toward Beaumains. "You crack-brained lunatic! Didn't you hear what Roger said? You just about got yourself killed, and Roger too for all your pains! Do you have any idea what almost happened to you?"
"A true knight does not think of death!" Beaumains snapped.
"Especially after he's dead!"
The wounded knight who had been leaning against the tree removed his helm and looked at Beaumains and Lynet. "Pardon me," he said, "but I, um, want to thank you, Sir Knight, forâ"
"He's not a knight!" Lynet said. "He's a kitchen boy, dressed up in borrowed armor, playing silly games!"
"But, my lady," the wounded knight protested. "He did save my life."
"I'm very glad that you were saved," Lynet said, "but it was an accident. If this fellow Beaumouth hadn't come on your attackers by surprise and made a few lucky swings, he'd have been killed right away. And if that dwarf hadn't charged when he did, he'd be a kitchen knave with an arrow through his back."
Lynet turned challengly toward Beaumains, but he was silent. Turning on her heel, Lynet strode back to where Roger was gingerly picking himself up. "Have you seen my sword?" asked the dwarf. "I seem to have lost track of it."
"What, again? You really ought to hold on to it tighter," Lynet replied.
"Shut up and help me look," muttered the dwarf. They searched in silence until they found the sword in the tall grass. As Roger put it back on his saddle, he said softly. "My lady?"
"Yes?"
"The Beau
was
brave, you know. Charging six at once like that."
"Brave? Or stupid?"
Roger shrugged. "I've never been sure where brave stopped and stupid began, myself. Give me a boost here, won't you?"
Since Beaumains had led Lynet the wrong direction at first, Roger decided to leave the paths and cut through the forest. His shortcut failed, however. Before they had ridden twenty minutes they came to a river, far too broad and swift for them to cross on horseback. They had to follow along the riverbank until they came to a passable ford. After an hour, Roger's mutterings were growing blisteringly obscene. Lynet had learned several new words.
At last they came to a passable ford, where the river widened somewhat. On the opposite bank were two knights on horseback, both holding lances.
"Hello, good knights!" called Roger. "Can you tell us if this ford is as shallow as it seems?"
"It is a fair crossing," replied
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