The Knight. Part 47

"Nothing complicated. A giant had caught him and had his slaves chain him up. We know all about chains, but we had to go back to Aelfrice for tools, and then come back up here, and then find him again because they had moved him. Where's your cat, by the way? Have you lost that, too?"

"He's with Lady Idnn."

"He isn't." Mani jumped to the top of a boulder. "He was with Idnn when she waved, but that other knight came running, and I thought the least I could do was come down here to meet you. She didn't want me around right then anyway."

Uri said, "I am surprised you knew it."

405.

"Meaning I'm intruding on a tete-a-tete between you and my own dear much admired master, the renowned knight Sir Able of the High Heart. He has only to ask me to leave, and I'll vanish in a flash of black far lovelier than your own dingy whatever-it-is color. Master?"

"You may remain if you choose."

"A lawful decision." It was Mani's turn to grin. "The law being that the cat may do whatever he wants. You are his slave, young woman? I believe I overheard you say that."

"Yes."

"Well, I'm his cat, a much higher post."

I motioned to Uri. "Uns is coming around that last bend, so unless you really don't care if he sees you--"

She slipped off the stallion and stood under its head. "Baki is returning our tools, and I came to tell you your dog is free."

"Is he coming back here?"

"No thanks for a hard task well done? I told her you'd be ungrateful."

"I'm grateful. Very grateful. But I'd hoped to thank you both together, and we haven't much time."

"I'll run down and see to it that Uns falls over me," Mani suggested. Uri sneered. "He cannot see two strides ahead. Just look at him." I did, and he was bent nearly to the ground. "I'll put the saddle back on the horse when he gets here."

"He is a true man, at least, just as I am a true Aelf." Mani made a cat-noise of contempt.

"But your dog is something more, Lord, and this cat is less natural than I."

"The Bodachan gave Gylf to me," I said, "he says they raised him from a puppy."

"But was he theirs to give? They fear cold iron."

A hundred steep strides down the War Way Uns called, "Master! Sar Able!

Wait up!"

406.

CHAPTER 60.

WHAT DID YOU SEE?.

H e had sounded out of breath, and it occurred to me that he might have been calling like that without my hearing him for an hour or more. "I'm waiting," I yelled, "and we'll put that saddle back on him when you get here." I looked around for Uri.

"She skedaddled," Mani told me, "though I wouldn't be surprised if she's hanging around to spy on us."

"I wanted to ask her whether Gylf was coming back," I explained. "As a matter of fact, I did ask her. She just didn't answer."

"I can," Mani declared. "Ask me."

"You can't possibly--" I looked down the road again, but saw only Uns. "All right, I will. Is Gylf coming back here?"

"Of course not. I know you won't take my information seriously, but no, he isn't."

I just stared at him.

"You want to know how I know," Mani continued. "Well, I know the same 407.

way you ought to yourself. I know because I know your dog. Better than you do, obviously. You sent him to find this Pouk?"

"Yes. You were there."

"So was Sir Garvaon, so you two didn't talk. But if you sent that dog to hunt Pouk, he'll hunt Pouk 'til you tell him not to. Or until he loses the trail completely and has to slink back and report his failure." Uns caught up with us soon after that; and I took the saddle from him, put it on the lame stallion, and mounted. Mani had jumped onto the saddlebow while I was tightening the cinch.

"You need a rest," I told Uns. "I'm going to join Lord Beel and his daughter, and Sir Garvaon, in the pa.s.s. After that, we'll come back down. I want you to wait for us right here."

Uns shook his head stubbornly. "My place's wid you, Sar Able. Be long quick's I kin."

"As you like," I told him, and touched my heels to the stallion's sides. He made off at a limping trot; and when Uns was no longer in sight, I said, "I suppose you think I'm mean."

"Well, he is crippled," Mani conceded, "but I have a firm policy. Never feel sorry for birds, mice, or squirrels. Or for men, women, or children save for a few close friends."

"It's because he's crippled that I treat him as harshly as I do," I explained.

"He could have gone on living with his mother, and done little or no work, and his brother would have continued to take care of him when she was gone. That was why he left."

"I know the feeling," Mani said. "Every so often you want to get outside and hunt for yourself."

"Exactly." We were nearly at the pa.s.s, and I slowed the stallion to a walk.

"He wants to be useful--to do real work, and sweat and strain and share his master's fortunes."

Mani remained silent.

"I've made myself a knight. That's high up for a poor kid that lost his folks early. Uns is scared he may never have a spot at all. I'm trying to show him that he's got one--that somebody wants him around for what he can do, and not just because they feel sorry for him."

408.

"Over here, Sir Able!" It was Beel's servingman. "His Lords.h.i.+p is waiting for you."

I neck-reined the limping white stallion, who picked his way reluctandy among the rocks.

"Were you speaking to me before I hailed you, Sir Able? If so, I couldn't hear you. I apologize for it most humbly, Sir Able."

"No. I was talking to my cat. You have nothing to apologize for as far as I know."

"Thank you, Sir Able. That is most gracious of you. They're over there, Sir Able, by the rill. Perhaps you see the horses."

I nodded. "His Lords.h.i.+p didn't want to camp where Pouk had, I take it."

"Pouk is the gentleman--?"

"He's my servant." I had to touch the white stallion with my spurs. "He camped here to wait for me."

"Ah. I see, Sir Able. His Lords.h.i.+p felt it might not be wise for us to cook and sleep and--and to live, so to speak, Sir Able, in the area in which he had his vision." Very softly and politely the servingman cleared his throat. "I myself was not privileged to witness it, Sir Able. From what His Lords.h.i.+p and Her Ladys.h.i.+p have said in my hearing, it was most impressive."

"It was," I agreed.

The servingman's voice fell. "His Lords.h.i.+p is eager to consult you concerning it, Sir Able. You may wish to prepare your mind." Beel was seated on a stone, as I could see by then. He seemed to be deep in some discussion with Idnn, seated upon another, and with Garvaon, who stood behind her holding the reins of his horse.

A moment later Beel looked up, waved to me, and rose. "The horse I gave you was hurt in the fight last night. Sir Garvaon has told us. I wish I could give you another."

I dismounted. "I wish you could, too, My Lord. There are few horses and mules left, though, and a lot of those that are left are in worse condition than mine. He has a bruise and it's tender and sore, but I don't think the bone's broken."

"You beat them, though." Beel smiled.

409.

"We didn't, My Lord. We fought them. That's the most that can be said. Our men--I mean Sir Garvaon's, and yours--are proud of that." I paused to let him talk, but he did not.

"It doesn't hurt them," I continued, "and may do good. But as for me, I don't think it's enough to have fought. I'd rather win."

Idnn said, "You killed four. That's what Sir Garvaon just told us." Beel added, "An amazing feat."

"Two knights and twenty archers and men-at-arms--"

"Twenty-two," Garvaon put in.

"Thanks." I nodded. "So six of us for each we killed. We should have done much better than that."

"That's not fair!" Idnn exclaimed.

"Of course not, My Lady. This was a battle. Nothing was said about fair."

"I mean you're not being fair to Sir Garvaon and his men!" She looked angry. Garvaon started to lay a hand on her shoulder, but did not. "Sir Able slew one single-handed."

"Then he's not even being fair to himself!"

Beel said, "Did you, Sir Able? If you did, you deserve much more than that stallion I gave you."

"It was dark, My Lord. I couldn't see how many of us were fighting him."

"Did you see any others?"

"That isn't the point. My Lord."

"Answer my question, Sir Able. Were you aware of anyone besides yourself engaging the Angrborn you slew?"

"No, My Lord."

"There isn't a knight in Thortower who wouldn't preen himself on such an exploit, Sir Able." Beel looked toward Idnn and Garvaon for confirmation, and got it. "Yes, by Holy Skai! And paint one of the Angrborn on his s.h.i.+eld, too, with frost on his beard and a club in his hand."

"Then I'm glad I'm not a knight of Thortower, My Lord. As for my s.h.i.+eld, Pouk has it. It's plain green, and it will stay like that 'til I do something better than I've done so far."

Idnn rose, her hands on her hips. "Listen to me."

"I have before now," I said, "and I'll hear you gladly again." 410.

"Fine! You were both away when they came. The men-at-arms and archers had to fight without you, but they didn't run like the servants did, they fought as well as they could. How long did it take you to get down there from here? An hour, I swear!"

"Less than that, My Lady."

"An hour, and riding fit to break your necks, both of you. But you plunged in, horse and man, and you did all two men could do, fighting in the dark against giants as tall as that rock."

"Not quite." I sighed. "My Lady, I don't want to argue with you." Beel chuckled. "But you will, Sir Able, just the same. Before you do, I have one question for you. I have asked it of Sir Garvaon already, and he has answered. Will you answer too, fully and fairly, this time without a bribe?"

"I didn't ask for a bribe, My Lord."

"Without setting conditions. Will you?"

"Yes, My Lord. If I can."

"Did you fight horsed, or on foot? Horsed, I'd think, since your horse was injured."

"On foot, mostly, Your Lords.h.i.+p. Mostly with my bow. May I ask why you want to know?"

Beel's smile faded. "The day may come, Sir Able, when I have to lead a hundred knights against the Angrborn. I hope it doesn't, and in fact I'm resolved to do everything in my power to ensure that it doesn't. And yet, it may. I'll try to lead them bravely, but it would be well to lead them wisely, too--if I can." Idnn said, "You knights care little whether you live or die. We have to care more than you yourselves do. I said we, but I mean men like my father and my brother."

"You," Beel told her, "if ever you are a queen." I saw Garvaon's jaw drop when he heard that. As quickly as I could, I said, "I rode into the fight, My Lord, but it seemed like the Angrborn I was after could see my horse, so I got off. That was when my horse was hurt. After that I shot arrows, trying to hit his eyes."

Beel nodded thoughtfully.

Idnn asked, "How many Angrborn were there? Does anyone know?"

"I don't, My Lady."