38.
Arthur paced his walk around the round table with Gawain and his remaining knights looking at him. He turned to look at the two other knights who had remained seated on the side. The duo had returned to the round table but they felt the need to have a distance away. Arthur had found himself unsure whether to forgive those two but his mind was more on the war.
“Arthur, we have the reports that the Anglo Saxon had not been seen for the last few days. Their relentless raids since then had died down.” Lamorak reported in. “Our scouts sent in deep into their land however could report much. They were ambushed or chased out.”
“Perhaps the knights from Pendragon may have more to tell us.” Sir Kay spoke out in smite. Lancelot and Percival were received with coldness since they return to Camelot. They had returned with the messages from Lord Percival to serve with Arthur. Initially, Arthur had wanted to reject the two knights but the presence of a hundred knight bearing Pendragon crest changed his mind. Those extra knights will boost up his army then of two thousands. Arthur looked towards Percival and ignoring Lancelot. He had questioned Percival and forgiven the later but he had not spoken to Lancelot.
“Arthur, I will not stand for such…” Lancelot voiced back in anger but Sir Kay had taken the statement drawing his sword then.
“Then fight me like a Man.” Sir Kay challenged the other. Percival intervened and haled Lancelot from drawing his sword while Lamorak stopped the challenger. Arthur himself had then step in between the two fighting knight and voiced his command.
“We shall not fight among ourselves no more when the enemy is at our gates.” Arthur looked to Lancelot and then Sir Kay. “Take your seats and hear me out.”
It was then Merlin stepped in with urgency written across his expression. He approached the round table and told his findings.
“I found the Early One and his knights.” Merlin still in his usual drab robe began his tale. “In the last few days, I have picked myself to walk among the ones associated with the Anglo Saxon. They do live among us the people for they have been at wars with us for years and there are some who had stayed on. They do not fight us but they aided the Anglo Saxon knights. I for one disguised as a healer found my ways into their homes easily. I tended to the wounded.”
“You aided the enemy!” Lamorak roared out. “I will …”
“Does nothing of that or you will be squeaking for your voice.” Merlin challenged back. “I am after all the druid and being a healer to them was just another task. Anyway in my task, I learned of their numbers and the location of the Early Ones. Incidentally, it’s not one Early Ones but a few of them.”
All the knights turned to him when he walked by. He went past Lancelot and Percival without a glance to them.
“We have been tracking the Early Ones on the assumption he was one but he was actually five of them. They are older now and being taking turns to conduct the raids from their respective hideouts.” Merlin looked to Arthur and then unfolded the drawing he had done. “They are here and here and also there.”
“That was how his raids was so close and yet far in distance. He had convinced the settlers that he was a ghost or some demon to ride so fast.” Gawain spoke up. “But how did we miss those hideouts?”
“They were concealed and more to it, they were protected by the settlers. They were also the descendants of the Anglo Saxon. They hid their ways from the others.”
“How did they hide?” Percival asked from his seat but he was not replied by Merlin until Lamorak asked the same question.
“Oh! Their hideouts are well concealed. It’s in the valley, inside the hills, burrowed deep with the entrance obscure with bushes.” Merlin replied. “They are like the creatures hibernating during the colder days. Not like rabbits but like bears.”
“Bears?” Lancelot muttered to him. He recalled in the Legion, he had seen the bears brought in as participants in the games where the creature was set on by the dogs. The locals had feared the bear for it was the most ferocious predator in the forest. He recalled having seen the Picts and also the Anglo Saxon had worn the bear head as their totem for battles.
“Can you lead us to their hideout?” Arthur asked. Merlin nodded and then he told them,
“I was told the Early Ones are in a meet soon. There were words that the army was ready to invade.” Merlin looked at the knights. “If they are ready as I suspected then it will be the war we have been expecting. They want to win the war they started with Pendragon before the later dies. It’s a matter of honor.”
Finally Merlin convinced Arthur to go and hunt the Early Ones with his knights but with conditions to it.
“You can’t ride in with a thousand knights. Your presence will be reported and there will be no meeting. I would suggest that you ride in with a smaller group. The bear can be killed if you removed the head.”
Lancelot and Percival pulled their horses into the village in the valley. They were dressed like hunters with their weapons wrapped in the catch’s leather skin. The hunted animals pelt was stacked on their horses which was a burden then. They had on the leather head gear that resembled a cap with the flaps over the ears. They went for the tavern as most hunters will do so when they returned to the world of living. They took their seat at a table by the window with a view to the street. They took their drinks and waited. It was not long when they were tested by the settlers there. It was words of the Anglo Saxon spoken to them but Lancelot had his vocals to reply.
“We are here to look for buyers.” Lancelot replied in the local dialect. It was Gaelic then and was acceptable to the settlers. He ignored the one who questioned him and then saw Arthur with Merlin. They were in the disguise as healers. It was most obvious but Arthur walk unlike any healer and he could not leave his sword behind. He had it wrapped and slung over his left shoulder. A short distance behind Arthur was Gawain and his brothers. They were in their best for disguise was not needed. They just donned their old clothes and strolled in acting as traders. Lancelot could not make out where Lamorak and Sir Kay but they were nearby.
Lancelot then turned to the settlers. He started talking about the common things and it was then he saw the person who may know of the Early Ones. That person was seated alone and nursing a drink there but it was the bear tooth he was holding. Lancelot strolled over and spoke to the lone drinker. They shared a common interest; hunting.
“There are no more bears now. They have all perished from the hunters. Before my father, there were many but the raiders came and killed them all.” The elderly hunter then bent forward to nurse his drink once more. “Like the bears, even the brew here had been diluted or the mead undernourished.”
“I am looking for the bears. Could you tell me of some places where they may still exist?” Lancelot pushed the coins over. “I want to add to my wall the bear.”
“You mean the adornment of a dead bear perched over the fireplace. I much preferred the hunter’s head. They should be damned to kill the great beast to nothing.” The elderly hunter muttered out in an upset manner. He then looked at Lancelot. “I know where some of these hunters hide. They think that they are bears themselves.”
The forest was typical of any on the land with the abundance of trees that was covered by the thick shrubs at it base. The shrubs were flowers, fungi and lichens. The later was alga that grew with the fungi and formed a different breed of plants. There were the patches of rocks in between the tree lines and most of it formed paths for the forest travellers. The forest was also inhabited by the presence of the starlings and geese which were roosting on the trees with their watchful eyes on the skies for the red kites. The grounded creatures were out too to prepare for the cold weather then; the squirrels were busy with their hoarding of nuts and the predators were out in force too. The polecats and foxes were busy then with their hunting and with the bears gone, they were the prime predators.
Lancelot kept pace with the elderly hunter on the horses and then on foot through the dense forest area. Percival was close behind but his role was to leave telltale marks for the others who were a distance away. He had taught the legionnaires that during training. Lancelot kept his pace with ever vigilant that he was not followed. They stopped at an oak tree that formed a juncture to different paths. The hunter paused there and then he spoke.
“You can tell your friend to stop leaving the marks.” The elderly hunter turned to look at Lancelot.
“How…” Lancelot tried to reply but the elderly hunter was quicker to continue on.
“I am a hunter. I know my tracking skills.” The elderly hunter glared at Lancelot. “I believed you then at the tavern. Maybe I was taken over by the drink. Now tell me the truth or we stop here.”
Lancelot straightened his body and then looked at the elderly hunter. He was without then any replies but his right hand hovered over the hilt of his dagger. It was a crude one made from the whale bone with the wooden hilt covered with the weasel skin.
“Please do not lie to me.” The elderly hunter spoke up and it was then Percival caught up. The later stopped and looked at the two. He knew something was amiss and figured it out quick. He had his dagger out to open cut the trail on the tree trunks, and without hesitation, he threw the dagger at the elderly hunter. The dagger struck the later in the right shoulder. The hunter reacted in pain and Lancelot moved in with his to stab the hunter in the throat.
Percival reached for his dagger and then faced Lancelot. They had killed in cold blood before and that was only another killing. He cleaned the dagger on is clothes and then looked at the tree. He stepped forth to examine the tree trunk. He reckoned there must be some marks alike other hunter’s tracking signs.
“I found it. I saw the signs.” Percival went to the right of the tree with Lancelot following close behind. He was to mark the tree when Percival sparked him off.
“Lamorak knew the signs too. I have not marked the signs for some trees for some distance.” Percival told him. “Now let us hunt the bears.”
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