The Knight

“Right. I won’t be there. I’m going to find Pouk and get back my horses and the rest of my stuff. When I’ve done it, I’ll take my stand someplace in these mountains. That’s what I promised Duke Marder I’d do, and it’s what I’m going to do.”

“You aren’t going to stay?”

“I’m not even going as far as King Gilling’s stronghold, if I find Pouk before we get there. Do you still want your boon? What is it?”

“You’re younger than I am.”

“Sure. A lot.”

“You’re bigger, too, and you’re better-looking. I know all that.”

“I’m a knight with no reputation at all,” I reminded him. “Don’t leave that out. If you’ve wondered why I’m so hot to find Pouk, one reason is that he’s got everything I own with him. You’ve got a manor called Finefield, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“A big house with a wall around it.”

“And a tower,” Garvaon said.

“Fields, too, and peasants to plow and plant and herd your cows. I don’t have anything like that.” All the time we were talking, I was thinking about what Idnn had said about Beel giving her to King Gilling, but I could not tell Garvaon and I would have been afraid of what he might do if I did. And underneath those things I kept thinking over and over that if Idnn really wanted to be rescued, here he was.

Garvaon said, “You wish me to name my boon. This isn’t easy for me.”

“I think I can guess it, so you don’t have to.”

“I want you to give me your word, your word of honor, that you’ll do nothing else to lessen me in her eyes. You’re a better bowman than I, and everyone knows it. Let it be enough.”

“I will.”

“If she rejects me, I’ll tell you. But until she does, and I tell you so, I want you to promise you won’t try to win her for yourself.”

Chapter 58. Back To The Ashes

You’ve got my word.” I offered Garvaon my hand.

He took it; his own was like he was, no bigger than most but hard and strong. “You want her, naturally.”

“I don’t.”

“She’s beautiful.”

“She sure is.” I nodded. “But she’s not the one I’m in love with.”

“She’s the daughter of a baron, too.” For a moment Garvaon looked ready to give up. “His only daughter.”

“You’re right. Beel won’t make it easy.”

Garvaon squared his shoulders. “I have your word, Sir Able. What was it you wanted to ask about foining?”

“What should I do when the other man foins? How can I guard against it?”

“Ah.” Garvaon stood and picked up his shield. “That’s a good one. First you need to know that it’s hard to guard against. If he likes it, you’ve got to take that very, very seriously.”

“I will.”

“Second, you need to know when he’s most likely to do it. Do you still have that shield you used last night?”

I shook my head. “I gave it back to Beaw.”

“Then take mine.” Garvaon got out the sticks that were our practice swords.

“Don’t we need more light?” I put Mani down.

“We’re not going to fight. I just want to show you a couple of things. You remember what I said about not coming at your man right leg first? Another reason is that if he knows much about foining, he can stick his sword in it.

“That’s right, square up. Now I’m not going to put my point in your face or your leg, which is what I might do in a real fight. I’m just going to foin your shield. I want you to stay squared up, but back away until I can’t foin your shield without taking three or four steps toward you.”

I took a couple of short steps backward, still on my guard.

“That it? Get set.” Before Garvaon finished the last word, the tip of his stick hit the shield.

He sprang back. “Did you see what I did? I was leading with my left leg a trifle. I took a long step with my right. Add the length of my arm to the length of my blade and it’s as tall as I am.”

“It was like magic,” I said.

“Maybe, but it wasn’t. You’ve got to practice that long step. It isn’t as easy as it looks. Also you’ve got to hold your shield up over your head when you take it. You’re wide open to an overhand cut, if your man’s fast enough.”

“I’d like to see that,” I said.

Garvaon glanced at the doorway. “It’s brighter out there. I’ll teach you how to make anybody back off, then we’d better call on His Lordship.”

With his shield on his arm, he demonstrated the thrust and had me do it. At the third, I felt Mani tugging my leg.

“Ready to go?” Garvaon asked.

“I should go back and dig out my helmet,” I told him. “Lord Beel will want to see me wearing it. Tell him I’ll be along in a minute or two.”

Back in the pavilion, I stooped to talk to Mani. “What is it?”

“I ran over to Idnn’s to watch the preparations,” Mani explained, “and he’s going to do it right there. He ought to go back to where the ashes were. Tell him to put some ashes in the bowl, too.”

―――

The front of Beel’s pavilion was lit with a dozen candles. The stony ground had been smoothed, and a carpet laid over it. Beel sat cross-legged on the carpet with a wineskin, a gold bowl, and a gold cup before him. Idnn was in a folding chair in front of the silk curtain, with Garvaon standing beside her. “There you are,” Beel said. “Now we can begin.”