The Knight Behind the Pillar

by John Pateman-Gee

  I choose west as maybe they were just on the other side of the fort by the river and the training field, but then before I had made the horse take a single step I wondered why take a horse at all? I turned the horse around again. There was the fourth direction of give up and return to the stable, but just before I was about to confirm my failure, I spied two figures on horseback coming out from the shadow of a tree to the north. They were approaching my rock outcrop. They were in no rush, mainly as Merlin appeared to be sticking to a slow trot while Arthur was almost circling him. This at least meant I had a chance to catch up and again with no need to gallop hard. My bruises were thankful for that and I set off, pleased at the willingness and response from Sir Ector’s horse. I could only hoped Sir Kay’s horse was of the same stock as his would be the one I would care for the most in the future.

  On reaching my rocks I could see now that Arthur and Merlin had just gone beyond the horizon and entered the next valley beyond. I continued to follow, not thinking much on how to follow without being seen, just hoping I was far enough back. The road disintegrated and became a rough track very quickly after the initial rocks. This was the point the old Romans decided not to bother going any further with any sort of road and no one else even thought to try.

  Soon instead of continuing to go up, I too had entered the next valley and was going downhill. Large rock formations began to form a staggered hillside and part of the wider sides of the valley. Mountains loomed far ahead, the top of most were covered in cloud. In the shelter of had quickly become a shallow gorge the trees returned and just before I descended further along the overgrown path I could see the tops of the trees forming a green and brown swaying ocean ahead. I had lost sight of Arthur and Merlin in the trees, but this meant they could not see me either.

  As luck would have it the ground underfoot had become soft and wet and I could follow their tracks on occasion. I was also confident given the terrain to the sides that mountain climbing was not their intention and they would be travelling north for a time to come.

  Glimpses of the sun through the trees, not nearly as thick as I feared, told me reasonable time was passing by. Strangely as time moved on, my own mind drifted. Just riding, being alone, doing nothing else was a taste of something I had never felt before. Even if that feeling was false as I knew what the truth of the situation was and understood my commitments. Despite all this, this moment was a taste of freedom. A moment of freedom was the only true type there was because otherwise you were imprisoned by physical constraints or even restraints you held against your own mind. To follow the tracks of two almost strangers was not likely to form much sense to anyone else, but there was nothing to remind me of my life, at least for just this moment. I could pretend to be anyone, a knight patrolling his land, a scout finding somewhere new or just a no one which is as free as you can be. This ride was a mindless moment of freedom.

  More time passed and it was the point when you wondered if a lot of time had passed or you were just thinking it had when it had only been mere minutes. The path weaved and changed levels as we travelled through the valley, but it had also dried out making finding evidence of recent travellers harder to find. I knew I was not a trained tracker with years of experience. The best I could offer was my time as a boy with my father hunting deer or boar in the local forests. In truth he was not hunting with me, he wanted to teach his joy of the hunt to my older brother and I would join them hoping my father would notice me as well. I would work hard on trying to track a beast and find its direction before my brother just to seize a scrap of the attention my father was giving out. Any awareness of me from him was rare. My achievements were never more than a distraction, a quick well done with an air of disappointment that my brother Aglovale had not got there first. That was a time before I had decided my place was not at my father’s side, before I no longer saw the point of chasing the scraps and before my brother had gone.

  Increasingly I began to realise that I had seen no real signs of Arthur or Merlin for a while. The valley you could travel along was widening and it was becoming clear I could no longer assume I was going the right way. Sadly there was nothing I could do and it became a familiar choice to carry on or turn back. Unwilling to make the choice to turn about just yet, I went on and noted the land was going slightly up hill again. Perhaps half a mile later I found trees were thinning out, clearings were becoming common.

  Suddenly through another group of trees the wider landscape opened up and dropped away before me. I stopped at once to take in the sight and Ector’s horse instantly sought the grass now underfoot given the opportunity. Still surrounded by distance hills and mountains, before me was a rare open grassland and to my relief there was Arthur and Merlin riding away across it.

  The landscape was stunning and vast with no signs of man except for us, three small insignificant creatures given the scale of everything else. The problem now within the truly breathtaking location and its exposed views across for miles, was the lack of cover. From the top of this new valley I could see in the far distance a lake that was itself a huge expanse of water. So broad it was of a size you might have found in Northumberland. It was like a polished steel blade as it reflected the sky, but not as straight. Instead it curved like a half moon and just as bright as if it was a clear winter’s night as it mirrored the white clouds above.

  To the western shore the land was raised up and the embankment included dense tree cover. The lake itself curved its inner half moon around the base of this higher land. Opposite and eastward beyond the lake the land was once again an open plain with the odd haphazard great oak tree. Why so few trees around in that direction or why they had abandoned the grassland Merlin and Arthur were enjoying was a mystery.

  I drove my heels in and pulled my reluctant horse away from her grass. West was the logical direction for me, it was the only direction the trees maintained their stand around the edges and I could keep under cover. I could not risk travelling across the open grass and had to retreat to the edges to avoid being seen by my prey directly. Now I would need to quicken my pace to just keep up, but this was not enough and instead I urged my ride to go on faster as I intended to pass them and get ahead.

  In moments I had lost sight of them both as I returned to the trees, but I carried out. From the top of the valley I had planned out my route and was unconcerned at not seeing them for now. Bedivere had said I failed to plan ahead, well I had decided to do better and this was my moment to try out some forward thinking. I could make it to the tree covered hillside adjacent the lake on the hill and with luck I would be high enough to see Arthur and Merlin arrive and see what they were going to do once they got there. If they did not intend to reach the lake, then any forward plans were a waste. I guess I should have thought of that before I began my race through the wood, but if the lake was not the end of this journey where else could it be!

  My fears were short lived as perhaps half an hour later a gap through the trees revealed them both below arriving at the southern shoreline and were dismounting. I was higher now, but also had to abandon my horse as the terrain became too steep. I was forced to go on foot. A few minutes later I climbed around and down the side of the embankment, holding on to exposed roots to find a good position to see out. At a point that rocks embedded themselves into the soil and trees had not taken over I obtained a clear view across the waters to Arthur and Merlin. Except I was surprised to now see they had left the shore and boarded some boat they had found. It was the size of a two man fishing vessel, but longer in length than width and not designed for two to sit side by side. In this barge Merlin had sat to the back with a paddle in hand, they made slow process across the lake. Arthur was looking ahead and despite their distance I was just close enough to make out his face that was grave and full of expectation. I stayed low to avoid being seen on the bank, pleased I had the thought to leave my red tunic back with the horse to avoid being obvious and get too covered with dirt.

  Soon I would lose sight of them if and
when they passed me and I would need a better position. Thinking ahead some more I climbed the deep mud bank and reached a mature oak. It among many others protruded out of the side of the bank and its branches joined a green veil of timber and leaves high above a good part of the water’s edge. It was ideal to climb with large branches at different levels that spiralled upwards. I clambered up and was soon crawling outwards along a branch and above the lake.

  Finding a good spot to see was not difficult. In this short time I had not been watching the boat had made little process, but was still heading my direction. I kept low and only parted leaves on occasion to gain a glimpse on what was happening. High up I could also now see all of the lake as it stretched around the hill as well as to the opposite shoreline.

  Movement below me and further along the shoreline unexpectedly caught my eye. A bird or animal perhaps, but looking I saw a woman. I froze and willed myself to blend into the wood I held, yet inside my heart went from nothing to racing. She was dressed in a white loose flowing long dress with nothing of interest added as a pattern. Long dark coloured hair that was not tied reached her waist and she had just come from the wood beyond the bank. I watched as she kicked off some shoes and yet still wearing the unadorned dress treaded carefully into the water.

  I was sure she had not seen me and I decided to watch for a moment rather than give myself away. I was confident I was not simply witnessing a lady about to bathe. If this were the case I would have alerted her at once to my presence. Or at least I think I would? Before I lost focus on the present I decided to work out if I was lying to myself or not later. Instead I was very curious to the fact that has she turned I could see she had a stick in one hand and clearly a sword within its scabbard in the other. Warily, nervously and to my continued amazement she began to head into reeds that occupied the edges of the lake on this side.

  In no time she was up to her waist in water and then she lifted up the stick I realised then was actually also a reed. She quickly submerged herself, but avoided making too much splash. All that remained was the short reed I could see moving further across and until a while later it stopped. An ambush I feared, but what could I do? I twisted back to find where Arthur had got to and found that soon they would be coming around the bend in the lake and would then be in view of now motionless water reed amongst the others. I could warn them, but something stopped me.

  I looked back towards the reed. It had gone, or I had foolishly lost it amongst the others!

  Then Merlin’s voice floated across the water, he was calling out and I looked back his way again. “Hear me lady of the lake, answer our will as we seek thee.” He summoned loudly.

  I altered my grip and balance again to look where I had last seen the reed, still nothing.

  Returning to the boat, it had floated far enough along for its sailors to see the rest of the lake now. Merlin was talking to Arthur, but despite silence in a valley with no one except us around, the slightest wind, rustling of leaves and bird song was enough disappointingly to drown out any words. Merlin had stop paddling and the boat drifted on.

  The water was very still with only little distortions to the reflections it captured. I looked back again to the empty waters where the reed had been, where had she gone? Growing apprehension gripped me and I searched for any sign of the woman, and then I saw a sight I would never forget.

  The tip of a scabbard, which I was sure was the same I had just seen in the woman’s hand moments before, emerged slowly from the waters. I could not understand how it was so steady, but without effort it smoothly raised up. Soon the covered blade, being a wrought iron scabbard with gemstones inset down one side, was in full view. In the corner of my eye I saw Merlin began to urgently paddle forward once more towards it. The hilt then also revealed itself and so did the bare hand of the woman I had just seen. She held it aloft high above the water surface, but never allowed more than just her arm above the water.

  The boat approached the arm and I watched as Arthur reached out. As he grasped the sword and scabbard, her hand released them and quickly sunk below the waters. Arthur went to lean out further and look into the water, keen to see the bearer of the sword. Merlin had other ideas and paddled the boat around and away with purpose fast enough to cause Arthur landed back in the boat with a bump. Some words were exchanged, but I did catch them.

  I was stunned, amazed at what I had just witness. More importantly I was shocked at the lie! I understood a little about what had just happened for my concerns over Merlin to be confirmed entirely, but why and well, why! Did Arthur believe he had just seen some magical hand from a spirit just give him a sword? I quickly stretched further out to try and see Arthur’s face as the boat continued around, but slipped as I lost my grip. A burr of green and white light and the next moment I was hanging upside down from the branch, having at least retained a precarious hold to the branch with just my legs.

  Taking a breath I stopped myself swinging and allowed my vision to adjust to seeing an upside down world. Merlin was quickly paddling Arthur away and I could now only see their backs. Not surprisingly Merlin seemed to want to rush away and quickly I lost sight of them as branches got in the way.

  A quick exit would minimise the chance Arthur would question the scene created for his illusion I decided. I hope he had not been fooled, why trust a man who has done what he has done in the past. It was certain now that Merlin was a fraud, a trickster and had somehow and for some reason had set up this scene I had just witness.

  Perhaps it not knowing why and what Merlin was up to still stopped me shouting out to Arthur. Fear that Merlin might be dangerous motivated my lack of action, not because I was afraid of him, but because at this precise time Arthur was alone in a boat with him and I did not even know if the king could swim! Besides, who else might be hidden in the woodland! I did not expect a woman in white to appear for a start and who else might there be? Not that I was much use to anyone now hanging upside down in a tree. None of it made sense!

  I reached to pull myself up and failed to swing far enough for the branch for fear of losing my only grip being upheld by my legs. Instead of trying again I looked for the woman in white again. Just how long could someone hold their breath? Success was quick as I noticed the short reed had reappeared and was once more bobbing up and down. Very soon a figure waded out of the waters and onto the shore no doubt completely out of sight of the retreating boat. The only magic here will be if this servant of Merlin did not die of cold later today from being in the ice cold waters. Reclaiming her shoes she disappeared into the woods and by doing so joined the growing list of mysteries.

  My head hurt with so many puzzles, unless it was the blood rushing to my head from being upside-down for too long. I needed to get down. I swung again and caught the branch after a bit of heart stopping scrambling to gain a hand hold. Only I was stuck as I had no energy or upper body strength to work my way around the top end of the branch, but to my dismay now my legs slipped off and dropped down. I bit my lips to stop myself cursing out loud at the shock of almost falling and fought the sudden weight my hands needed to support. I was trying hard not to make a sound as I did not entirely know how far away Arthur, Merlin or the strange women were.

  I was only partly concerned that the branch was shaking enough to draw attention, but there was nothing I could do to stop it and had more pressing problems. My fingers were desperately fighting for grip. The strain from holding my own weight burned along my arms and was racing towards unbearable pain at an increasing pace. My resistance to such pain was somewhat battered already from my body’s recent suffering. Looking down beyond my now helpless and dangling legs that hung in mid air, I quickly reminded myself that it was a good distance to fall and began to pray for extra strength and grip. Why in the short time I had known Arthur did I keep finding myself in situations like this! Below me I spotted another thick branch and I was hit by a bright, probably more of a desperate, idea. Judging the gap I swung out, I let go, hoped and dropped.

 
; I missed.

  While I may have missed it, I certainly knew when I failed to land on it as it collided with my side ribs on the way down to ensure I knew my mistake. I ricocheted off another solid branch and then after hitting and passing through my fill of vegetation, I finally landed on a far lower branch of the tree that broke my fall. It certainly did not feel like it had done me a favour. To my disappointment this part of the tree continued to bend down with me along for the ride before it too snapped under the strain and I fell for another distance towards the ground. The remaining short distance as it turned out was not enough to kill me, but it was a long enough drop to hurt a great deal, and that was regardless of knee high deep wet mud of the embankment I had finished badly diving into.

  It took a while to pull myself out and I spent the whole time complaining why I could not have at least landed in the cleaner water a little further out. Finally, I managed to free myself and trudged wearily back to Ector’s horse. By now I noticed that the sun was getting low and it was darker still within the wood when I reached the horse. My shirt was wet through and mud covered; well all of me was covered in mud and dirt from head to toe. The shirt was certainly too damp to wear, as I moved renewed jolts of cold fabric touched my skin. I took it off and rolled it up to place behind the saddle. While I had been wise to leave my red tunic with the horse to avoid tearing on branches or be seen as easily, it was short sleeved and putting it on alone was only marginally warmer that my damp shirt. I still had the journey back to consider and that would be long, dark and colder still. I let out a fed up sigh to myself before untying the rope from the tree to free my unbothered companion in this. At least I had not lost this horse I consoled myself as I took another deep breath and got back on the saddle.