The Knight. Part 24

"You were down by that time." Woddet pulled at his mustache some more. "That's the trouble with a fight like that. No gentle right. Not that they'd have accorded it to you, I'm afraid."

I did not know what he was talking about, but I said, "I guess not."

"I was fighting you, too. You got me right here." He pointed. "Knocked the wind out. By the time I could stand straight again, they were going for you with swords. I shouted stop, and that's when Yond threw himself on you." I said, "I owe you. I owe my life."

"No, you don't." He shook his head. He was really big, and all that tow-colored hair made his head look about a size eleven. "Master Thope and Master Agr were trying to protect you, too. Some wretch put his blade into Thope's back for striving to preserve the honor of His Grace's household."

"Yeah, I heard about that. I'm going to pay him a visit today." Woddet looked surprised. "Glad to hear you're up to it. I never wanted to kill you. Just thrash you, and I tried. You are a man of your hands, Sir Able."

"Only not of the lance."

Woddet grinned. "No."

"Not yet, but I will be. Why'd you want to thrash me?" He looked at me, trying to size me up. "Are you of gentle blood?"

"Is that like n.o.ble? No."

He shook his head. "n.o.ble blood means an inherited t.i.tle, and lands. Knighthood's not inheritable. Gentle blood simply means your ancestors were never in trade or worked with their hands."

I explained that our grandparents had been farmers, and our dad had run a store.

"I'd really like to tell you I'm some king's lost kid," I said, "but there wouldn't be a 235.

word of truth in it."

He had trouble looking at me. "Well, you see, Able, when someone is of gentle blood--"

"Sir Able," I told him.

"All right. But when someone is of gentle blood, as I am and the others, and someone else who isn't claims it, or claims to be a knight when he is not, for instance ...".

"For instance what?"

"Well, we're supposed to beat him. Not kill him, thrash him. Or if he says someone who is of gentle blood hasn't got it, that's the same thing."

"Okay. There was somebody there that said I wasn't a real knight, and I said I was but he wasn't."

Woddet nodded. "We couldn't be certain you weren't a knight yourself, though none of us believed you. But when you said Sir Hermad wasn't, that loosed the string."

"I see. I really am a knight. If you don't believe me, we'll fight." Woddet smiled. "With lances?"

"Here. Right now. You've got a sword. Are you too scared to use it?"

"Not I!" He drew his sword faster than he stood up, and he stood'up fast. It was just a blur of steel and the point was p.r.i.c.king my throat. He said, "You declare yourself a knight, however. I can't kill an unarmed knight. Gentle right."

"I told you about my folks. I haven't got gentle blood."

"But I do." Woddet sheathed his sword almost as quickly as he had gotten it out. He was trying not to grin. "I'll have to ask His Grace's herald." I said I would rather we were friends.

"I've given you my hand." He shrugged. "Still I wish you had ancestors, Sir Able. It would make everything much easier for both of us."

"I'm an ancestor," I told him.

I went to see Master Thope after that like I had said I would. I was nearly back to my room when I ran into Master Agr and a tall man with a white beard and a red ve lvet cloak. Master Agr was surprised to see me up and around, and said, "Here he is, Your Grace!"

I knew then that the other man was Marder, so I bowed. I would probably ha ve guessed it from his clothes anyway. I had learned enough about clothes by then to know that they had cost a lot of money.

Marder smiled at me. "I'd heard you were bedridden, young man." I said, "I was, Your Grace. I'm better today."

"Much better."

236.

"Yes, Your Grace."

Agr said, "We came looking for you, and found an empty bed. I was afraid someone had killed you and made off with the body. Where have you been?" I explained that I had gone to thank Master Thope. "I wanted to thank you, too, Master Agr, only your man said you were with His Grace. I--you did me a big favor. Anytime you want one from me, a boon or anything, just let me know. I'll probably never be able to pay you back, but I'll try."

Marder cleared his throat. "You know who I am, young man. I know only what Master Agr has told me concerning you, and I'd like to hear what you say about you rself. Who are you?"

"I'm Sir Able of the High Heart, Your Grace. A knight who will serve you gladly and loyally."

"Moneyless, too," Agr added under his breath.

"Not exactly, but I haven't got a whole lot."

Marder nodded. He looked serious. "You have no land? And very little money?

What have you got?"

"These clothes and some others, if my servant hasn't run off with them. Some presents Lord Olof and Lord Thunrolf gave me." As soon as I said that about Pouk my conscience started hurting me, so I said, "I'm wronging my servant, Your Grace. He wouldn't do that, and I ought to learn to keep my mouth shut."

"Nothing else?"

"A s.h.i.+rt of rings, only it's torn, Your Grace. We left it at a place in Forcetti, to be fixed. A steel cap. Sword Breaker, my bow, and some arrows."

"I have his weapons locked away," Agr told Marder.

"Return them to him whenever he asks, Master Agr."

"I shall, Your Grace."

Marder had been studying me. "Should I accept you, you will have no easy time of it, Sir Able."

"I didn't come here looking for a bed, Your Grace."

"You will be sent against my foes. When you return, you will be sent against ot hers. Do you understand me?" I nodded. "I know what you mean, Your Grace. I was a friend of Sir Ravd's." I saw Marder's eyes open just a little bit wider. "Were you with him at the end?"

"No, Your Grace. I was just a boy then, but I would have fought for him. I guess I would have died with him, too."

Marder started to say something else, then bit it back, and I noticed Agr was looking pretty uncomfortable. I said, "He died fighting for you, Your Grace." 237.

Agr cleared his throat.

Marder said, "It has been four years--a long time, I realize, for a man your age. Yesterday you were struck down with the b.u.t.t of a lance. So I hear."

"I got knocked in the head, Your Grace. That's all I know."

"Sir Ravd was my most trustworthy knight, Sir Able. I thought of him as a son." I said that was no surprise to me.

"His squire reported that he himself had his head broken on the field. When he came to himself, he said, wolves were tearing the corpses. Now you say you were a friend of Sir Ravd's?"

"Yes, I was, Your Grace. I was Sir Ravd's guide in the forest." When I had said that, I thought that there probably were other forests, so I added, "Northeast of I rringsmouth."

"You were not with him when he died?"

"No, Your Grace. I was doing something else."

"In that case, you must have spoken with someone who informed you of his death. Who was that?"

"No one." All of a sudden I felt like something had me by the neck. "I found his sword, Your Grace. That's all. It was broken. We killed some bandits, Your Grace. My dog and I did, and a man named Toug. The broken sword was in with their loot. I saw it and picked it up . . ."

"I understand. There were only two of you? You and the man-at-arms that you mentioned?"

"Toug isn't a man-at-arms, Your Grace. Just a peasant."

"How many outlaws did you say there were?"

I had not said, and when he asked I was not sure I could remember. I told him that, and I said, "Ulfa counted them, Your Grace. Counted their bodies. She's Toug's daughter. I think she said twenty-three."

Agr snapped, "You expect His Grace to credit that?"

"I'm a knight," I said. "I wouldn't lie. Not to him."

"Pah!"

Marder motioned for him to shut up. "I hoped you might be able to tell me som ething about Sir Ravd's death."

"I've told you everything I know, Your Grace."

"About his squire's account, too," Marder said. "He is of an age to be knighted." I said, "I think he's probably telling the truth, Your Grace, but I don't know."

"He is Sir Hermad's squire now. Sir Hermad, I believe, is disabled?" When he said that, Marder looked over at Agr. Agr nodded, looking pretty gloomy. 238.

"Well then, he can see to his master for a time. It will give him occupation. Since you guided Sir Ravd in the forests of the north, Sir Able, you must have guided Squire Svon likewise."

I said I had.

"You have no more than that to tell me?"

You can guess what I was tempted to tell then. Only I did not. "Nothing I haven't said already, Your Grace."

"You yourself were stunned in the lists. No one told me about the incident," Marder gave Agr a quick, hard glance, "until I noticed blackened eyes and missing teeth. Not to mention Sir Vidare's broken nose. I made inquiries." Nothing I could think of seemed safe to say.

"You wish to serve me, Sir Able?"

"Yes, Your Grace." That one was easy.

"Without payment, though you have scarcely a scield."

"I've got some, Your Grace. It isn't like I don't have anything."

"You mentioned a manservant. How will you recompense him?"

"Yes, Your Grace, I did. His name is Pouk. He serves me without payment, Your Grace."

"I see. Though he may not. Is he blind? Crippled? Lame? A skin disorder, pe rhaps?"

"Blind in one eye, Your Grace."

Agr muttered, "And cannot see with the other, I'll wager."

"No, sir. Pouk has sharp eyes--a sharp eye, I mean. You and His Grace want to know why he serves me when I can't pay him, and I'd tell you if I knew. But I don't."

"In that case there can be small profit in discussing it. Has Master Agr explained my policy to you? My policy regarding taking knights into my service?"

"No, Your Grace."

"If the knight is of high repute, I admit him to my service at once. He must swear fealty to me. There is a ceremony."

"I'll gladly take that oath, Your Grace."

"No doubt. When a knight of less reputation offers his fealty, I either reject him outright or accept him informally and provisionally until he has had a chance to prove himself. I will accept you now on those terms, if you wish it." I said, "I do, Your Grace. Thank you very much."

"Kneel!" Agr whispered. "One knee." I dropped to one knee and bowed my head. It was sort of like being knighted. "You accept me just to try out, Your Grace, but I accept you as my lord . . . my lord--" What 239.

threw me off was either Uri or Baki. One of the two was watching us and laughing. Marder and Agr could not hear her, but I could. "My lord and master, even unto death." That was how I finished it, but it was pretty weak.

"That is well. You have small equipage, Sir Able." I got up. "I'm afraid that's the truth, Your Grace."

"I intend to send you against my foes, so that you may prove yourself--as I feel sure you will---but for my own honor I cannot and will not send you unarmed."

"I have heard, Your Grace, that it used to be customary for knights to wait at a bridge and challenge any knight who wanted to get across. If I could do that, I could get armor, a lance, and a good horse. All I need."

Agr snorted. "Without horse, lance, or s.h.i.+eld? You'd be killed." I raised my shoulders and let them drop. "Just the same, I'd like to try it." Marder said slowly, "I tried it in my youth, Sir Able. I suppose I was about your age. It is no tournament with blunted weapons. I could show you the scars."

"Well, I haven't, Your Grace. But I've got a scar to show anyway, and a bunch of bruises."

"I had them too, in my time."