Arthur: Legend and Myth Chapter 4

4.

Arthur had more dreams and with it his sleep were deprived. It was always the same dream. He was at a lake and there was the lady standing there on the lake surface. The lady was calling him to come to her. He stood at the lake side and stared at her. He tried to move but he could not. It was then he saw the boat that was on the lake. It carried a body on it. He stared as the boat moved towards the lady. The lady was not calling him but waiting for the boat. The boat flowed towards her and then it stopped. When it did, his dream ended.

It was not his first dream but the many of his nights. Like always after the dream, he will take late walks and soon his paths took on the less travelled ones more so after dusk. He had chosen to wear the simple tunic and but he retained his waist belt with the gladius and pugio secured there. His steps were heavy though the drinking binge had ceased. He saw the streets were devoid of the legionnaires which had set sailed to defend Rome. The Civitaes had taken ownership of the previous Vigiles role then.  It was a bearable transition where the Lords and other wealthy landowners could descent like the hawks with their paid servants or mercenaries. It was the other areas which lacked the patron that have the vigilantes to patrol it or at worse the ones that pretended to be. It was that role Arthur had taken to do the needed then as one of the former for he found concern then. The call for help took his attention. He rushed forth to the far end of the alley and saw the commotion. There were five men landing blows on the one fallen to his knees. They rained blows onto his back and head. The fallen man tried to escape but he was outnumbered. His damaged leg was not made to run then. He crouch his body into a foetal position to avoid the beatings.

“Spare me please. I only seek protectors and not…” The next blow drew blood from his left ears. He could feel the ruptured drums but his regret was it did not do the same for his heart. He still breathed then and heard the shout. The men beating him had taken leave and his body soon felt the coursing pain. He felt the helping hand that assisted him and then it was all darkness.

“Wake up, man.” Arthur prodded the unconscious man. He had chased the attackers off but to his dismay, the man he saved was seriously injured. He had shoulder carried the man to the nearest healer. The later had demanded coins for his services before he would even look at the injured man. All that was done and now Arthur found himself facing the unconscious man with the patches of balms to heal the wounds. He had sought out the Civitaes but none will act on the man.

“He is not one of us.” That was the main excuse given.

Arthur studied the man and saw that he was bronzed in the complexion like the Tharcians or the Spaniards. What intrigued Arthur to stay on with the injured man was the pendant around his neck with the image of a dragon interlocked around the sword. He had stared at it for some time then when the man woke up.

“You are safe here now.” Arthur told him and then offered the man to rest there at the healer’s home.

“I can’t for I am in need to find the protector for my village. I seek the descendants of Bedyr.”

“Bedyr? Whom do you seek?” Arthur asked. He was named Aron Bedyr by his blacksmith father. His father raised him from birth saying his mother had died giving him life.

“Bedyr is our family name. I am named Peter Bedyr. We are descendants of the dragon handlers. Our forefathers used to capture the wild sea dragons then and have them tamed to ride with the Kings then into battle. We also forged great swords for the Kings that they will not fall in battle.” Arthur father had told those tales many times. His father had also trained him on the working of the swords and how to use one in combat. He was destined to join his father in the trade but fate dealt him a cruel blow when the elder was found dead at the woods. The father’s killer was never found but it soon triggered the new phase in Arthur’s life. He was to run off to join the Roman’ Legionnaires with his other two friends. One died and the other was lost after he was transferred to another Legion.

“I seek Bedyr descendants for only they will know how to defend our village. Many generations ago, one named with the Bedyr name had protected us then. Since then all of us were given the name of Bedyr. Just before his death, he had told us that if we ever need protection, we will find his descendants.” The man with the limp explained. “It’s time we call on the name for the village is close to being wipe out. We have been harassed by the invaders ever since the Romans have withdrawn from the lands in the eastern coast. We have fought them initially but how could peasants fare against warriors. Many had perished and we are in dire need to protect the village.”

“And you came to Londinium to seek such assistance?” Arthur asked of the man.

“Aye, the stars guided me. The one shaped like the dragon that soared through the skies.” The limp man then sighed. “It brought me nothing but pain and hardship since I arrived. My last coins were taken by the scoundrels that had taken me as the bigger fool.”

“If that is the case, you need to return to your village. For without coins, you cannot survive here. Nor find your protector also. Londinium have become …” Arthur thought of the words to use. “Demanding for the poor. Rest and then be on your way home soon.”

The injured man then sighed and looked away from Arthur. He was truly saddened that the plight of his will not see any joyous end. He pushed himself up to sit and then asked Arthur for permission to leave.

“Leave now? You can’t for your wounds are not healed.” Arthur held him back to the sleeping berth. “You may leave when you are healed.”

“What is there to heal when only death awaits us at the end?” The man sighed. “My people have lived long and we protect what Bedyr have us do but with our moment of needs, Bedyr descendants are not to be found, we might as well die with the old one.”

“Protect? Protect what?” Arthur was curious then and the familiar voice came to haunt him.

“They are the servants of Bedyr and with them the secret of Excalibur was kept.”

“No, not you again. I thought you had wandered off or at worse, debauch another of your tales to some legionnaire.” Arthur glared at the one that he had removed from his home some weeks ago.

“Debauch? Any of it that appeared in your dreams?” Merlin asked.

“What did you know of … dreams?” Arthur glared at the other.

“I am telling you the truth, Aron Bedyr. You are the protector of the village. Lord Pendragon may try but only ….you shall complete his task. You are the King. The true protector of Wales.”

“Protector? Bedyr descendant? Stop your vile lies. I recalled some weeks ago, you claimed I was Utter Pendragon’s son. Now I am the King. It’s treachery to named King when Utter Pendragon claimed that. I am just Aron of ….” Arthur paused on his words. “Well, the later I may be for that was the name given by my father.” Arthur spoke with pride of his blacksmith father. “Son of Pendragon I am not but with your timely arrival I find some possible lies linked to you.”

“Merlin, it will not be beneath you to set me up with his strange encounter.” Arthur was getting upset at the possibility of him being cornered.

“If it was so, then tell me why are you scared to seek the truth out of me? You have been hiding in Londonium since then when the land title given to you is actually where the village lies.” Merlin replied. “And it ain’t debauchery on my side.”

“You are the Bedyr descendant and so was Utter Pendragon. The Lord had his name changed by his father when he was hunted by the factions of Lords that seek to find Excalibur.”

“Aron Pendragon of Bedyr, your destiny awaits you. You will one day unite the island as one kingdom.” When Arthur heard that line from Merlin, he lashed out with his right arm at the later. He was aiming at the lower torso there.

“I think your spell cannot protect all of you.” Arthur smiled when the later went down clutching his groin. “Now leave me once more and seek me not ever again.”