A Step Beyond by Nancy M. Bell

Author:Nancy M. Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: king arthur, historical fantasy, canadian author, knights of the round table
Publisher: Books We Love Ltd.

Chapter Eight

Gawain fought to control his thoughts as the grey stallion carried him onward toward Wolf Rocks. Fear curdled his dinner in his stomach with the thought of the Lady Nuina at the mercy of King March. Anger stirred and raised its head when Queen Gwenhwyfar’s fair face crossed his inner vision.

Uneasiness gnawed at Gawain, worried about what would happen when the queen no longer chose to protect the Lady Nuina. March would throw her to his vile men-at-arms for their amusement without a second thought. He hoped with all his heart the queen wouldn’t be so callus toward the lady, who had only done her duty by the queen and her king

Gawain raised a gauntleted hand and wiped at the moisture running down his cheeks. The salt from his tearing eyes crusted on his face and along his lashes. Impatiently, he wiped his face again, set his jaw, and turned his thoughts to strategy.

There was no sign of travel on the track Gawain and his troop followed. If King March was headed to Wolf Rocks, it was by a different route all together. Gawain went over the configuration of the rocks and the surrounding countryside, looking for points of weakness in the area and where the strongest defensible positions were located. Ailim reported Lancelot and Arthur’s troop were flying across the land toward the town at Seven Stones Rocks as fast as the stallions could race. Ailim also relayed the king was blind with rage, and Lancelot was worried for the safety of the queen if the rumours of her dalliance with King March could be proven true. Gawain kept his own feelings on the subject private from Ailim, so there could be no chance of Ailim mistakenly relaying Gawain’s anger and distrust of his queen. Gawain’s loyalty lay firmly and only with King Arthur. The queen was important to him only by her position of rank not the actual personage who filled it. Gwenhwyfar as a person separate from the king did not exist in Gawain’s mind.

The sun was slanting red across the green hills when Gawain stopped his troop on the crest of a high rise. He raised his arm to shade his eyes and was rewarded by the faint purple outline of the Wolf Rocks just visible in the distance. There was no sign of movement or haze of dust that would signify the passage of men and horses. He grunted and reached behind him for the water skin Alain pressed into his palm. Gawain drank and returned the skin to his page without a word. Raising his right hand and bringing it down in the signal to depart, he sent Ailim down the embankment in front of him at a plunging gallop. Alain’s gasp of fear as the stallion careened down the steep slope made him grin with the knowledge the urchin had his eyes squeezed tight shut and was praying to any god the boy thought would help him survive this adventure. Ailim returned his mental chuckle with one of his own.

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