last he threw the covers off, rose, crossed the room towards the fire. His eyes were drawn to the book again and he took it from the shelf.
Once again that feeling as if meeting an old friend enveloped him and he sat side to the side of the fires glow and read. He turned past the page read before to find a page with just two sentences. 'As they are lived. So shall they be written', and under this, 'Chapter one; the coming of Arthur'. He read, hungry for words, a tale the like of he had never heard.
'? And as Arthur lay dying Sir Bedivere came to his side. "Take my sword," he said to Sir Bedivere. "?And cast it into the lake."
Sir Bedivere protested but Arthur was adamant; so he took the sword to the lake but as he was to throw it, he was overcome with its beauty and could not cast it in to the dark depths. So he hid the sword in the bushes and returned to Arthur saying. "It is done sire."
"And what did you see?" Arthur asked.
"I saw a great splash," he said.
"Traitor," said Arthur angrily. "You have disobeyed your king. I order you to cast Excalibur into the lake."
Again Sir Bedivere went to the edge of the lake and prepared to cast the sword but as he was about to throw it he was overwhelmed with the reputation it command and could not cast it in to the dark depths. This time he hid the sword inside a hollow log and returned to Arthur saying. "It is done sire."
"And what did you see?" Arthur asked.
"I saw sink below the ripples on the surface of the lake."
"Liar," said Arthur in fury "You have disobeyed you king. I order you to cast Excalibur into the lake."
A third time Sir Bedivere went to the lakes edge and prepared to cast the sword, but as he was about to throw it he was overwhelmed with the power it presented and could not cast it in to the dark depths. He looked at the sword and knew the king would know if he refused again. This time Sir Bedivere prized the most glorious gem from the pommel, and hid it under a stone, so that he may at least have a part. Then he threw Excalibur as far as he could out into the lake. He watched as it fell towards the still water and then a wondrous thing happened. The sword turned in the air and fell hilt first until as it was about to splash into the water, whereupon it slowed. At that moment slender fingers emerged from the lake; reached up and grasped the handle, drawing it beneath the surface. Sir Bedivere watched until Excalibur's tip disappeared and there was nothing more to be seen. Sir Bedivere returned to Arthur and said. "It is done sire."
"And what did you see?" Arthur asked.
"I saw nothing my lord, but the hand of the lady of the lake, come take back what was hers."
And Arthur passed from this place, and was taken to the Isle of Avalon to wait until the stone is joined and the king is returned? '
Nicholas turned the page entranced at the story, but it was blank, there was nothing written there. He turned the next that too was a clean sheet of paper. He turned another, and another, and another. They were all the same, right to the last page, where again was written. 'As they are lived, so shall they be written.'
Nicholas heard Harriet moving. She came through the doorway and smiled, looking refreshed and well, as she made her way toward the alcove that obviously served for meal preparation.
Nicholas put the book back in its place, as his thoughts turned to the young woman. He realized that although he had only known her for such a short while, he had feelings about her that none of the village girls had ever stirred within him.
"Harriet can I ask you some little thing?" He said nervously. Gone had the confidence of last night as the old clumsy feeling returned?
Without turning from her work she replied. "You may, and if it pleases me to tell you, I may answer."
She was not going to make this easy. "I was wondering... if you were... err. Betrothed..."
"Betrothed." she repeated the words slowly.
"?Or spoken for... in any way." He added quickly thinking he heard a trace of a giggle. But still she did not turn.
There was a silence and then she turned looking at him coyly she replied. "Master Nicholas. What is the purpose of your question?"
I? last night?" He suddenly lost what courage he had. "It is not important." He said deflated.
But instead of turning back she held his gaze, now he realized with rising joy that she welcomed it. Her expression was warm as she spoke. "It is not important," she said softly. "For a moment I thought you were?" She stopped as Eridani walked through the doorway from the outside.
He had kept rugged up the previous evening so Nicholas had not seen him clearly, but this morning he was not as they remembered. His hair was unkempt; his clothes were rags, torn and badly fitting. Making him look shorter than he probably was. The dwelling and the man did not match.
"Good morning," he said. "It is a fine day to continue on your journey. The sky is clear and the air is washed fresh; but first, breakfast."
When he had seen them fed, he took them outside.
The saddles were on the horses, and they were ready to be away, pawing the ground restlessly, and blowing the sharp air through their nostrils.
They followed Eridani through the trees to the edge of the road and he helped them climb on the animal's backs. Nicholas looked down. "Thank you friend for I believe this would have been a sadder morn if it had not been for the meeting of you."
"Then till we meet again; may your journey succeed," he said with an air of certainty.
"Strange that such a man should live such a life." Harriet said puzzled as back on the road they began to trot towards Lakesend.
Strange it was too, thought Nick, as he glanced back to see if Eridani was still there, and saw no trace of the path that had showed so clear in the lantern light.
It was as Eridani had forecast, a beautiful morning. It didn't even seem as cold, but that may have been because of the sight of the orb rising; painting the tops of the mountains pink.
They were far higher than they had been when the light failed the previous night, and although peaks still rose above, and about them, most of the mountain range had been surmounted.
Alongside them in a narrow deep chasm ran the now almost peaceful river. It was hard to imagine that it would soon become the foaming white torrent they had seen the previous day.
After a while wagons began joining the main road from lesser ones that now began to intersect it.
It was towards midmorning, in building traffic, and while rounding a bend that they came to see the wall. It blocked off the entire chasm, and towering above curved away from them: its sides seeming to grasp around a blue pool at its foot. To either side jutted out a massive tube, each discharging a great plume of water and spray. Nicholas would never have believed that from this, the great river was born.
Harriet could see him stare in wonder. "Impressed?"
"Never have I seen anything so awesome; at least not made by the hand of man."
"Then take a deep breath Nicholas Day for we are entering a new land, and into the embrace of the city of Quone where wonders abound."
He grew kind of accustomed to the sight as they continued up and reached the level of its top. But here another incredible vista awaited him. Behind the wall, contained by the adjacent ranges, then broadening and stretching as far as the horizon was an immense body of water; lake or sea he had no idea. Sunlight glinted off the deep blue of its surface, and it was dotted with sails of all shapes. Nicholas had never seen so much water.
Harriet said nothing but she smiled again at his stare.
A road ran over the top of the Crete wall. Nicholas was not sure that he was comfortable crossing the structure. It was plenty wide enough, but the sight of so much clear fresh water: a man or two's height below on one side, and a sheer drop into the chasm the other, unsettled his stomach. He at least was glad when they were over, and standing on the other side. From here they could see Lakesend; set in an almost enclosed bay that was iced over. Tiny dots spread over its surface and Nicholas surmised these were people fishing through ice holes.
/> As they entered the narrow streets people and wagons were everywhere: if it could be believed even more than there had been in Riverslee.
The house they arrived at was similar to the one in Riverslee, minus the stables. Set in a group of ten, two lanes behind a particularly large and noisy tavern.
They were welcomed by a middle-aged couple, the man introducing himself as Bertram. They were told that Colen had arrived the previous evening and had been out most of the day. Bertram said that the horses were to be tended to for the night, at the local stable, on the corner of the lane. Nicholas offered to take them, and on his return to the house was shown to his room by Bertram.
Bertram's sister Alice; provided dinner. Apparently neither had ever been married and Nicholas wondered why: especially in Alice's case, for she was a wonderful cook. Colen said he would visit the tavern and asked Nicholas to accompany him with a sly wink. Nicholas declined, preferring the company of Harriet. They sat around the grated fire talking until late, and were thinking of retiring when Colen returned in an excited state.
"I have very good news," he said animatedly. "A cousin of mine has just this day returned from Quone, He is a lower house servant in the Marshals household and has overheard some of their planning; you must come and meet with him."
It struck Nicholas that Harriet seemed too skeptical at this fortunate news. "What are these plans Colen?" she asked doubtfully.
"He says it concerns the
Love: Over Before it Began Page 2
