Arthur; The Legend and Myth Chapter 44

44.

“We cannot hold them!” The call was echoed in the hall by the guards and it was scaring the servants. Lancelot had climbed the barricade by the wall opening. He looked out to see the events outside. He saw the invaders have done their looting and were approached by the one with the bear head.

“Storm the Hall. We must find the lady. She cannot be Queen.” The leader with the bear head called out. “Do it now!”

Scores of the invaders rushed towards the barricaded doorway. They began hammering it with their weapons on the wooden surface and then a wagon appeared with the fir lit on the bales of hay. They pushed the wagon towards the wooden gates and then stood back.

“They are burning the doors.” The guard hollered out and it caused the others to react in panic.

Lancelot tried to calm them but they were all rushing for any cover they could find then. He then came upon the discarded shield and the iron ball on the handle. The flair was a crude weapon but effective in the close combat. The iron ball has spikes on it which on impact was bloody. He replaced his sword into the scabbard and flung it over his shoulder. He picked up the shield and iron ball. He went to the barricade at the wall opening and tore at it to create an opening to climb out. He pushed himself out with the weapons and dropped onto the courtyard. He saw facing him was two intruders armed with hammers. Lancelot held up the shield to block the oncoming hammer blows while he swung the flair with his right arm. The swing from the right hit the intruder on the left side of the head and toppled the figure. Lancelot pulled his arm back and went for another swing at the other intruder. The ball on the flair got snagged on the hammer wooden handle. Both of them pulled hard at it when Lancelot moved in with the shield to push the later back and off his feet. Lancelot followed through with the swinging flair at the fallen intruder on the chest. He then saw the other intruders were coming at him.

He was alone against five more.

The call for retreat was sounded. The intruders were leaving then for their scouts have reported of the return of the knights. It was a hasty retreat burdened by the sacks of loot and Lancelot was not giving up then. He rushed towards the retreating intruders and swung the flair at them. He fought his way to reach the one holding his father’s gladius. The guards in the hall have also joined in the routing of the intruders then and soon Lancelot caught sight of the one holding the gladius.

“Who are you?” Lancelot confronted the figure with the bear head. The face was covered with the dark shades to mask the identity but Lancelot could make out the figure was an older person with deep scars on the face. The scarred figure looked at Lancelot and then bolted to join the others. He called on two of the intruders to fight Lancelot. Both the intruders were armed with hammers and shields. They blocked the path to allow their leader to leave.

“Get out…” Lancelot swung the flair at the two but it was deflected by the shield of one and the other swung the hammer at Lancelot. He had to side step to avoid the blow and used his shield to cut at the hammer handle like a sword. It was a bold move for it exposed him to the second intruder who thrust the hammer at Lancelot. The thrust hit Lancelot in the left thigh causing him to fall. When he fell on the ground, Lancelot rolled away to avoid being hammered by the intruders. He let loose of the flair and shield to get away. Then he stood up and faced the two intruders with his drawn sword.

Lancelot swung the sword from the right in a series of thrusts at the intruders. The sword named Arondight cut into the shield with its sharp blade making dents on the wooden shields.  The two intruders were retreating from the fierce moves by the knight and it was then they realized that they were soon to be outnumbered. They turned to join up with their retreating friends but their path was shortened when the knights led by Duke of Cador arrived at the main moat bridge. They were cut down by the spears wielded by the knights and the castle was once more secured.

“How did my family fare?” Duke of Cador asked the guards who had emerged from the hall. Their replies were well received and then the Duke approached Lancelot.

“I was given a message to rescue Lord Meleagant at the far valleys but it was a fake call of assistance. The Lord himself had already left for his own land. It was then I rode back here to secure the castle.” The Duke explained. “Are you well, Sir Lancelot?”

Lancelot could find no fault with the Duke and just nodded on that question. He then enquired on the intruders and was surprised by the reply.

“They are a mix of Anglo Saxon who had stayed on after the last war. They have been harassing the villages but this is the first time they have shown such bold attempt to raid here.”

“Do you know of their leader with the Bear head? And why was this told to the King so that we could send you more knights?” Lancelot queried back.

“I did not request assistance as we were capable of handling it by ourselves. You saw how we have survived for so long without the King’s offering. Cador may be a vassal of the King but we are able to fight our own wars.” With that Duke of Cador strode off to see his family. It was then Lancelot saw the beautiful figure stepping into the courtyard. She stood out among the others with her walk and the figure that was above the others in beauty. She was accompanied by an elderly lady with stains of blood on her dressing.

“Ate, Guinevere is a beauty but also a witch if you were to ask me.” The lady servant voiced out to Lancelot when she saw him staring. The servant was one of the chamber maids and in her right hand she held a dagger.

“Guinevere? Is that the lady who was to wed the King?” Lancelot asked of the lady servant.

“Yes, she is. I am ever glad that she leaves us soon or this dagger of mine may find her bosom than the bastard who died trying to violate me.” The servant then came to her shock and dropped the dagger. She then rushed off to join the others who were in the same state of shock then. They were at the far end with the elderly ladies offering them the assistances and shoulders to cry on. Lancelot still staring at the lady he was to bring to Camelot was taken by surprise when the lady he was staring at approached him.

“Sir Lancelot, I am ever grateful to you for saving us all.” Guinevere spoke to him. “I am Guinevere of …Cador I guess.”

Guinevere let off a snigger and despite the earlier battle, she was all calm then. She then introduced the bosom lady as her caretaker and friend.

“Lady Elise had been with me for a long many years.” Guinevere smiled at the other. “She was ever grateful to you too.”

Lancelot gracefully accepted the ladies gratitude and then escorted them back to the hall. Once he had seen them to the safety of the hall and away from the scenes of blood and flesh, he then turned to look at the courtyard. There were bodies strewn there and the Duke’ knights were arranging the burial. It was then he saw the Duke back in the courtyard. He approached the Duke but was halted by the knight named Blackthorn the aide of the Duke. The later was a huge armored figure with the large battle axe in the hands. He was also an elderly in the age and held the look of a brawler.

“The Duke ask me to assist you.” Blackthorn replied. “You are not used to this?”

“I have seen my battles but I like to know more on them.” Lancelot pointed to the dead intruders. “Who …”

“Guinevere? She is the guest here. She had been for over two years now. Her parents were from Nornandy and she held the blood of the French.” Blackthorn spoke of the beauty. “She is how may I placed it, plague with issues. Some believe her to be bewitched and some a saint in the flesh.”

Blackthorn laughed out loud before he continued

“Before her arrival here to this sanctum, we had peace on the land but since then we were invaded and then more raids by those which you have fought against. Could it have been her who brought them here? We don’t really know. But the words are that she is Anglo Saxon too.” Blackthorn sighed. “Nevertheless, the Duke had consented to her stay and we have to fulfill our vow to Pendragon. May the Gods protect him as we did for him here.”

“Truly tell me who is she?” Lancelot mocked the other and was given a glare.

“She is to be locked away. Just only recently, we had to evict a young lord who had sneaked in here to see her. She had to be the one what enticed him here and if things had gone wrong, a war would have started. Like Helen of Troy if you have heard of the tale by the story tellers in the tavern.” Blackrhorn added in with a serious tone. “A mistaken child in mistaken role like Helen.”

Lancelot had his fill of Helen of Troy from maiden to vixen and called on the war that even the Gods were involved. He had himself sympathized with Helen for she was just falling in love and that started off a way. Truly a Greek tragedy when the love of one had caused so many deaths.  With that thought in mind, Lancelot stepped away to find a more useful task with his hands. In his mind the raging image of Guinevere still burned and while his earlier quest for his father’s gladius was forgotten.