The Knight

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 velvet 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 have 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.”

“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 yourself. 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 shirt 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 others. 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.” 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 butt 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 Irringsmouth.”

“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 something 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.