THE SHIELD OF LOCKSLEY

PART TWO: THE TOURNAMENT OF YOUTH

This is still a part of CHAPTER 19.

It’s the same thing I did in PART ONE, where I divided the fourth chapter into sections. I can’t really say why I did this. I just know that I saw it in a book somewhere, or maybe thought that I saw it in a book, and said to myself: Hey, what a cool idea to just label the section breaks I’d normally put in with an asterisk. It’s different, because you still get the idea of the story. I’ve got it down for all five parts of the book. PART THREE is about ten sections, making the chapter 39 or maybe 40 pages long. The best part is that you think you’re looking at the chapter in a certain way, like this part, but it turns the story right on its head. You don’t expect what happens, to happen. It moves the story in different directions, keeps the action flowing.

Now, the story so far…

At breakfast the next morning, Grummer says that they have to sort out the whole…‘Getting his armour part,’ and Locksley asks him what he’s talking about; the King has promised to help. Grummer says the King just said that to save face. They will have to find the money to hire the Blacksmith downstairs to make him a new suit of armour… (His was lost when Turquin’s Keep came down and buried it under the rubble.) Locksley tells Grummer that Brennis saw the White Woman yesterday, and Grummer explains that she holds the title of the new Myrddin the High Priestess of Avalon… And then the Orkney Knights appear: Gaheris, Agravaine, and Modred; it does not end well, and the Orkneys’ leave the Common Room…

(I’m supposed to warn you Sharron, if you remember the Horse scene in THE GODFATHER, well, this isn’t like that…)

Eric the Dane, the King’s Blacksmith (picture from Pinterest by Peter Meseldzija)

  i

  HIS HORSE

“Ye did yer Da proud,” Grummer said with a nod, watching as the three men stepped out of the room.

Locksley worked his knife out of the table and stood up, walking to the open door. He watched the three Orkney Knights descend the stairs and make their way across the yard to the stable as he slowly sheathed his knife. The blade was as long as his forearm, both thin and tapered and he was grateful to have it.

“An’ think ye they believed me?” he asked, turning to look at Grummer who was watching him over the rim of his wine goblet. Locksley stood in the light of the doorway and Grummer leaned back on the bench until he found the wall behind him. He smiled.

“Aye. I believed ye meself,” he said, he said with a laugh. “T’was well thought of, what ye said.”

“Methinks, or mayhap, I shoulda stood upon my promise,” Locksley said, turning briefly to look over his shoulder at the sounds of shouting.The three brothers were fighting among themselves as they crossed the yard.

“T’was best ye didna slay him. Nay here at least,” Grummer added after some thought. Locksely was surprised to hear it, knowing how much Grummer hated them, and for good reason he thought, considering all that had happened in the past month.

“An’ wherefore is that?” Locksley said, smiling, turning back to look at Grummer.

“With their uncle bein’ the True King, ye ask me that? I canna say ‘ow ye’d fare standin’ fer yerself an’ arguin’ the facts as they’d bring ‘em out.”

“An’ what of yer own word in witness?” Locksley asked, turning to look as the three men entered the stable. He could hear Blacksmith’s hammer stop, the last echoing of the working melody fading into memory. He could hear the sound of raised voices in the distance, and then the scream of a horse that was loud, shrill, and sounded in pain.