Arthur II Book III Chapter 17

 

17.

 

Kay was an unrestraint woodcutter and wanderer of the lands found himself stifled by the walls of Gurnion. He enjoyed the hospitality and wenches but he needed to be out in the open. He stood at the walls and looked to the forest.

“Do you miss it, Kay?” Kay knew that his good friend and then Lord of Gurnion seen his plight.

“I do, Belvedere. I miss the old days.” Kay smiled. “I was carefree and with no homes to return to, anywhere was my home.”

“I share with you. I was a mercenary at a tender age. I serve the Chiefs and then the Lords before I became Auxiliaries under the …”

“Auxiliaries? Is that a rank?” Kay cut in.

“We were the recruited mercenaries paid by the Legion.” Belvedere continued. “We were the ones at the front-most times before the Legionnaires. If we win, we get first to grab off the loot.”

“Tell me, my friend of your earlier life.”

“Then it will be over the mead and meat.” Belvedere pulled his huge friend to the Hall.

Belvedere recalled his past. He was from the land. I am Welsh. He lived a normal life with his family until that fateful day, the raiders of Anglo Saxons. He was young then and his training with the sword was crude. He was knocked unconscious before he was led away to be sold as a slave.

It was a short journey before the raiders were hit by the Vikings. He was taken by boat across the sea. He ended up being traded to the Normandians there. As he was young and strong, he was out to the fields. He worked hard and found a mentor among his masters.

“Young boy, be my squire. It was then Belvedere found a new master. He followed his master to the battlefields and waited for his master's return. At times, the master returned with wounds which Belvedere will tend with herbs and bandages.

“You are a fine lad, Belvedere. I will teach you how to fight.” It was the break that Belevedere needed and he trained hard. With the bruises and cuts, he survived the training but not his master. The elderly knight was fatally wounded and soon succumbed to his injuries. Belvedere was then without a master but he wields a sword and shield. He joined the mercenaries to fight for coins.

What he may lack in skills, he made up with his strength. It was in a battle with the Gauls, he got the small ae that he wore on his belt.

“Aye, your tale matched with mine but I was no slave. I was an orphan of the war and rose by a woodcutter who wanted me to do nothing but chop woods. I did until some idiot called me to a fight. I did and never looked back. Neither did the one who called me the idiot. He lies dead in some unmarked grave.” Kay told his tale.

“I wandered the land and fought or cut my wood but I was no one’s slave. I had the company of some friends who were with me to battle the Chiefs or the raiders for fun but most times for coins.” Kay told Belvedere. “I met the Ghost a few times but he was no friend. He was just another warrior to fight with or against.”

“We are all orphans of the war, and warriors to the end.” Belvedere roared.

“I say if the battle cannot come to us, let us find one then.” Kay roared. The Welsh and the Irish picked their swords to ride when the servant of Arthur arrived.

“Sir Belvedere, you are needed at Camelot.”

“Aye, I will be there,” Belvedere replied.

“Sir Belvedere? I like that” Kay said. “It adds a rank to your name.”

“And will you come with me, Sir Kay?” Belvedere addressed the other.

“I believe I will. After all, two Sirs are better than one.” Sir Kay roared.

If two or more was the preferred number, Gawain was not agreeable. He rode on his own and looked at his life with no sight of the future. He heard the sound of battle and rode towards it. He saw a carriage surrounded by fighting men. He counted eight of them, and five were against three on foot. He could not see who was in the carriage but those three were defending it hard.

Gawain rode hard and reached the battle scene. The defenders were down to two while the third was done with the wound on the chest.

“Stop the fight. I am Gawain of Camelot. I will fight if you continue.” Gawain's call was not heeded. The defenders were dressed with the red armor on their chest and wield gladius. He had heard of them; they the personal guards of the Pope. The others were bandits looking for loot. He charged at the nearest one with his sword. He deflected the sword and turned his right and plunged the sword into the left ribs. The bandit went down, and Gawain was onto the next bandit. It was a simple attack from the rear with the hilt of the sword on the back of the head.

Two bandits and then three for the third one were killed by the defenders. The odd has changed then and the remaining two bandits withdrew.

“Thank you, Sir. I am Thassus of the Vigiles of Rome. We were escorting the priest on Britannica.”

“Gawain of Camelot. I was with the …. Sorry, I am with the Legio VI Victrix.”

“Thank you for your help.” The Vigiles handed out his hand towards the Legionnaire.

“And my sincere thanks to you, my son.” The priest stepped out of the carriage. He was a tall figure dressed in a red robe with a short cape that covered his shoulders to the elbows and wore a square red cap with four peaks surmounted by a turf at the top.

“I am Bishop Benedict.” The figure in red announced. “I am thankful for your help. God may have answered my prayers for help.”

“And I meant no offense to you, Vigiles of Rome. I am also indebted to you.” The Bishop smiled. “It’s obvious that this land needed some guidance. Violence will never solve the issues of Man.”

“Why not, Priest?”

“I am the Bishop, my son. I am above the rank of that.” The Bishop reached out towards Gawain. “You hold nobility in you. Perhaps you can join me to know each other.”

Gawain's life was to take a new horizon.

Percival did then. He found solace with the lady. He took her to the place of her choice.

“It’s the castle of a friend, Lord Erec of Lac. I was more of his lover’s friend, Enide. They were the next nearest thing to a family to me.” Lady Angharad told him. They rode to the castle which they did after two days and nights. During that journey, Percival knew more of the lady. He was intrigued by her innocence and sincerity. He developed a fondness towards her.

“Welcome to my home. I am Erec of Lac. Join me in the feast.” Erec invited the knight to the Hall.

“Have we met?” Percival asked for the other looked familiar.

“You may have met me when I was at Camelot for a short time. Let me tell you the tale but we need the mead and food.”

Erec’s tale begins not long after Arthur was crowned King and his wedding with Guinevere. He was not a legionnaire but a warrior of the locals. He was unknown for he held no alliance to any Chief of Lords. He just rode to battle and fought with them, just as he had joined in their feasts and the occasional hunts. He was without any armor but the sword and shield.

It was a stag hunt with Arthur in the lead. Guinevere had chosen to remain back at the camp.

“Leave the ladies behind. We will ride on.” Arthur took his knights with him leaving the Queen with a handful of guards including Erec. They were fine until a knight with a maiden and a dwarf approached the camp.

“We need food and drinks.”

A couple of guards attacked the knight. The fight was brief and there was only Erec standing there. The knight held back then.

“You are brave, warrior. You deserve to be a knight.”

Erec was not a knight and the knight with the maiden and dwarf left.

“Pursue them. Then report to Arthur.” Guinevere was upset and sent Erec to trail the knight. His trail took him to a village where the knight lived. The knight's name was Yder. The maiden was Enide.

“Enide is my daughter.” The old chief of the village told Erec. “Yder holds her hostage. He has a pet; the sparrow-hawk.”

“I need…. armor.” Erec looked at the old Chief. “I am not a knight.”

“I have armor. I will give you mine. Be the knight to rescue my daughter and you may marry her. She is my only daughter.”

Erec wore the armor and challenged Yder. The battle was short and with the sword loaned to him, Erec killed the other knight. He retrieved the sparrow-hawk and the lady.

“You will marry my daughter. Take here to your home.” Erec did but Enide was without any new gown. When they were introduced to the Queen, she offered her best gowns to Enide.

“You must dress well for your wedding.” It was a great wedding arranged by Guinevere. Erec left with Enide back to her village and with his new lover, he had forgotten his knightly duties. It was of recent times, that Erec took to his chivalry tasks. His quests were many and he made a name as the knight.

“I am proud to be called a knight. And with a castle, I was bestowed.”

“And a lover wedded to you.” Percival cut in. “I envy you.”

“You may marry Lady Angharad. She is alone now.” Percival was told by Erec.

“May? You don’t own her as well as I. More to it, I am not ready to have a lover. I am happy being free and will be for some time.”

“If you refused her now, then I can’t promise you another time,” Erec told him. “But do take care of her till she is claimed.”