The Lioness and Her Knight Page 5

  Luneta had now spent enough time with her hostess to think it very unlikely that she was making a joke—Lady Laudine didn't seem the sort, somehow—but she glanced sharply at her all the same. All she saw in Lady Laudine's face was impish excitement. "What's magic about it?"

  "Try it on," Lady Laudine said.

  Giving her hostess one more suspicious glance, Luneta slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. "There," she said. "What's so magical?"

  "Don't you see?" Lady Laudine said, suddenly smiling broadly. "Oh, I made a joke! I said, 'Don't you see?' Get it?"

  Luneta fought back the urge to step away from her suddenly incomprehensible hostess. "No, I don't."

  "Of course you don't see!" Lady Laudine said, her eyes bright. "Look at your hand, Luneta!"

  Luneta looked down, and something jolted in her stomach. She knew that she was holding her hand out before her, but it simply wasn't there. She moved her hand from side to side. There was nothing. No hand. No arm. She looked down at her legs and body. Nothing was there. "Where am I?" she managed to whisper.

  "Now take the ring off so I can see you again," Lady Laudine said. Luneta felt for her finger and drew off the ring. At once she was visible again.

  Luneta looked at the ring in the palm of her hand. "Per deas!" she said breathlessly. "A real magic ring."

  Lady Laudine nodded quickly. "Isn't it exciting? The only thing is, it's not very useful. I don't know how many times I've thought that this ring would be just the thing to wear with a certain gown, but of course it wouldn't be, because once you put it on, no one could see how well they went together—or anything else, for that matter."

  Luneta, who had no trouble thinking of uses for such a ring, reluctantly put it back in the jewelry drawer. "Yes, of course," she murmured absently. Then she looked up, puzzled. "But Lady Laudine, how came you by such a thing?"

  Lady Laudine's mouth opened slightly. "Didn't your mother tell you?"

  "Tell me what?"

  "Why, that I'm an enchantress!"

  Luneta sat alone in her room, staring into the fire, her eyes glowing with excitement. To have arrived for an indefinite stay in this luxurious castle, where she would wear the finest clothes and most of all get to know a real enchantress, was more than she could ever have hoped for. It made her drab and relentlessly humdrum childhood at Orkney Hall seem like a dark and unpleasant dream. Her plain and ordinary mother couldn't have known that Lady Laudine was an enchantress, or she would never have let her come here for a visit. Luneta wondered if she could persuade Lady Laudine to teach her some magic.

  A soft tap came from her bedchamber door, and Luneta said, "Comein."

  The door opened, and Rhience's face appeared. "There you are!" he said with a sigh, stepping into the room. "What a rabbit warren this castle is!"

  "Have you been looking for me?"

  Rhience didn't answer for a moment. One eyebrow rose expressively as he surveyed Luneta's clothes. "I thought I was, my lady, but I was mistaken. Please, do you know where I might find the Lady Luneta?"

  Luneta giggled and stood so as to show off her gown of rich purple silk. "Isn't it beautiful?"

  Rhience frowned. "There's something missing," he said pensively. "Ah, yes, I have it!"

  "What? What's missing?"

  "An elderly lady to wear it."

  "Asinus," Luneta replied without rancor. "I think it's gorgeous, but my mother would never let me wear such a thing."

  "Ah," Rhience replied. "I gather that your mother is a woman of taste."

  Luneta stuck out her tongue at him. "You're not funny, you know."

  "That's all right," he replied with a grin. "You're funny enough for both of us. So, aside from your sartorial finery—"

  "What's that mean?" Luneta demanded.

  "From the Latin, of course. Sartor, tailor. Refers to clothes. Apart from that, are you comfortable here?"

  "Oh, yes, Rhience. It's beyond everything great! Have you ever seen such a room?"

  Rhience glanced around ruefully. "Not recently, I can tell you that."

  Luneta's eyes widened as she remembered their different positions. "What about you? Where are you quartered?"

  "Quartered is right. I have about a quarter of a room down in the servants' hall. But that's not so bad. It has a bed, after all. No, the bad part's the company down there. In those infernal regions of the castle, we are all ruled by Sir Stiffus Rumpus."

  "That steward fellow that Lady Laudine's afraid of?"

  Rhience nodded. "And for some reason he's taken a dislike to me. Even after I was so solicitous for his health!"

  Luneta was almost afraid to ask. "What did you say to him?"

  "I only mentioned that I'd known someone who walked the way he did, but once the boils on his bottom cleared up he was much better and didn't look quite so silly anymore."

  "And he took offense at that? Imagine!"

  "I even offered a remedy. You sit in a bucket filled with mashed turnips for two days, and the boils go right away. Was he grateful? Not at all!"

  "I can't help but think it might have been wise to hold your tongue," Luneta said. "Especially if he's such a tyrant."

  Rhience's shoulders began to shake. "Yes, indeed. I should follow your example and be quiet and demure."

  "I've never told anyone that he walked as if he had boils on his bottom, anyway," Luneta said tartly.

  "No, instead you jabbed me in the bottom with a hairpin. Much more civil!"

  "I was lancing a boil," Luneta replied with a sniff. "Seriously, are your quarters that bad?"

  Rhience shook his head. "Nay, my lady. I'm comfortable enough, and after all, I'm free to leave when I want. It's your comfort that matters here. How do you think you'll get along with Lady Laudine?"

  "Famously!" Luneta said. "Oh, and Rhience, you'll never believe it, but she's an enchantress!"

  Rhience looked skeptical. "Are you sure? She doesn't seem to have the look."

  "I promise you! She has a magical ring, and I've seen it work! I'll admit that I thought the same as you at first. I mean, the only enchantress I've ever even seen is Morgan Le Fay back at Camelot, but Lady Laudine certainly doesn't seem to be like her."

  "Except for their beauty," Rhience commented. "Well, you appear to be pleased with this discovery, and that's what matters. I say, have you met the master of the castle yet?"

  Luneta shook her head. "No. Lady Laudine said he spends his time in his own chambers, but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, shouldn't the master of the castle greet a guest?" Rhience nodded. "Have you met him?" Luneta asked.

  "Nay, and I've heard the same as you. He spends his time in his rooms mostly. None of the servants dislike him, but they fear him. When his bell rope rings, it's a wonder to see how they run to answer."

  Luneta stifled a feeling of disquiet and said practically, "Well, if he stays in his own rooms he can be as fierce as he likes, and it won't make any difference to me."

  "Very true," Rhience said, smiling. He stood. "I'd best be off. I'm supposed to perform at dinner tonight. Mayhaps we'll meet the elusive lord of the land then."

  Rhience was right. Luneta got her first glimpse of the master of the castle, Sir Esclados, at dinner that night, and all she could do was stare at him with dismay. It wasn't that he was disfigured or ugly. In fact, considering the matter dispassionately, she admitted that Sir Esclados was quite handsome for someone of his age. But that was the problem. Lady Laudine was not too many years older than Luneta herself—certainly no older than twenty-five—but Sir Esclados was fifty if he was a day. Trying to hide her revulsion, she cast her eyes to the floor and dipped a very proper curtsy to her host, but he barely glanced at her on his way to the great chair at the head of the table. "Yes, love," he growled to his wife. "Malvolus told me your visitor had arrived. Earlier than you said, ain't it?"

  Lady Laudine blushed like fire and seemed unable to speak. Out of sympathy for her tongue-tied hostess, Luneta said, "Indeed, sir, I am early. I hope that it
is not an inconvenience. An opportunity to make the journey sooner arose, and I had no time to send a courier ahead to warn you."

  Now Sir Esclados turned his eyes to her, his gaze direct and stern. Luneta had a sense that he was unused to people speaking to him until he had spoken to them first. He looked at her in silence for a moment; then his gaze sharpened. "What's this, my love? Isn't that one of the dresses that I gave you?"

  "Y-yes, my dear. I ... I was sure you wouldn't mind if I let dear Luneta wear some of my ... my clothes. Her own dresses were not ... not..." Lady Laudine trailed off helplessly.

  Sir Esclados scowled. He said, "They're yourdresses. You do what you like with them. It has nothing to do with me." From his tone, though, it was clear that he was displeased.

  Lady Laudine embarked on a string of inarticulate apologies, but no one was listening. Sir Esclados had turned to his food, and Luneta's attention had been attracted by Rhience. The fool had been standing in a corner of the dining hall, waiting for his call to perform, but he had moved behind Sir Esclados and was clearly trying to convey a message to Luneta. He kept jerking his head at Sir Esclados and then pointing at himself, and his eyes were wide with dismay. Luneta had no idea what he was trying to communicate and was just beginning to wonder if she could excuse herself from the table for a moment to speak with him when dinner came to an abrupt end.

  Since it was late spring, there was still light even at seven in the evening, but suddenly the room become almost as dark as night. Luneta barely had time to wonder what had happened when the most ear-splitting crash of thunder that she had ever heard shook the table and overturned some of the crystal goblets. That crash was followed immediately by a second, and rain began to fall in cascades against the roof. Sir Esclados leaped to his feet so sharply that his great chair fell over behind him, and he uttered a shocking oath, called for his steward, and ran from the room, followed by all the servants. Lady Laudine, Rhience, and Luneta were left alone in the great dining hall, but Lady Laudine hardly counted, because she had covered her ears and closed her eyes. Luneta turned her eyes to Rhience, who looked grim. Once he tried to speak, but his words were drowned out by the thunder.

  It didn't matter, though. Luneta understood. This was the storm from the Storm Stone. Ywain had put the water into the basin and summoned the storm. Luneta also understood what Rhience had been trying to tell her. When he had pointed at Sir Esclados and then back at himself, he had been pointing at the scar on his neck. Sir Esclados was the red knight, the man who had defeated Rhience and made him vow to be a fool for a year, the man Ywain had come to challenge.

  In a few minutes the storm passed, as quickly as it had come, and Luneta assumed what she hoped was an expression of curiosity and said to her hostess, "My goodness, Lady Laudine, do you often get such storms in these parts?"

  Lady Laudine hesitated, but only for a moment. "I'm not really supposed to say, but I must tell you. This land is afflicted with a dreadful magic. Not far from here is a magical spring, and if people disturb it somehow or other it causes these storms to come up. They're just awful! And the magic also says that the master of the land is bound to this castle, never to leave so long as the storms might come, and he has to defend the land against these storms. That's where my husband went, you see. Whenever someone disturbs the spring, he has to go out and fight them and make them promise never to do so again. It's dreadful, I tell you." She shuddered. "I've never liked storms at all, and these storms are ... they're horrible!" She rose shakily to her feet. "Please excuse me, Luneta. I must go and ... oh, I am always so afraid when the storms come and Sir Esclados goes off to fight!"

  Luneta patted Lady Laudine's hand reassuringly. "I understand. You go compose yourself. I'll find my own way back to my room."

  Lady Laudine smiled gratefully, her eyes bright with tears, and then hurried away.

  "Well," Luneta said, "this is a pretty mess."

  Rhience began to smile, then to shake with silent laughter. "Ay, lass. You could say that. I should have known that your cousin wouldn't be able to wait long by the spring before trying it." He frowned with sudden concern. "I hope old Ywain is all right out there."

  Luneta stood. "Don't you think we should go down and wait for Sir Esclados to come back? Ywain might get hurt and need our help."

  Rhience nodded, and together they went down the long stairs to the main courtyard. There they watched a crowd of well-trained soldiers take positions just inside the front gate. Luneta looked but saw no sign of Lady Laudine. Minutes passed slowly. Some of the soldiers began to look at one another and shuffle their feet nervously.

  "How long do fights like this usually last?" she whispered to Rhience.

  "The longer it goes, the better for Ywain. It means he's holding his own. I can tell you that my own fight with Sir Esclados didn't take this long."

  A lookout on the castle wall shouted something to the servants waiting below, and immediately two of them drew their short swords and climbed up on either side of the open gate.

  "They're getting ready to cut the ropes holding up the portcullis," Rhience said. "That's odd. Usually you just lower the gate slowly. It looks as if they need to close it in a hurry."

  "What does that mean?" Luneta asked.

  "I scarcely dare think it, my lady," Rhience said.

  "What? Scarcely dare think what?"

  "It almost seems as if Sir Esclados must be running back to the castle and they need to close the gate behind him, because—"

  "Because he's being chased?" Luneta demanded. Rhience nodded, and then Luneta heard the pounding of horses' hooves approaching from across the plain.

  Everything happened at once. A great horse ridden by a knight in red armor—Sir Esclados, Luneta supposed—burst into the castle with a clatter and then a bang as the red knight fell heavily from the horse's saddle onto the flagstones. Luneta saw blood spattering the stones, but she had no time to look because the servants with the knives had cut the ropes holding up the great iron portcullis and with a shriek it began to fall. Just before it fell, though, a second horse leaped through the gate. Luneta recognized Ywain's armor and horse, and they nearly didn't make it. When the portcullis crashed down, it left a long gash in Ywain's horse's flank. The horse stumbled, and Ywain was thrown violently to one side, bouncing against a wall. The horse scrambled to its feet—which meant it had no broken bones—but it was maddened with pain from its wound, and it joined Sir Esclados's mount in rearing and slashing with its front hooves at anyone who came within range. Servants dodged and screamed and called for help. One of them had managed to pull Sir Esclados's helm from his head, and Luneta's stomach felt sick and empty at the gory sight that was there. Then Rhience plucked her sleeve.

  "Come on, my lady, we've got to get Ywain."

  Luneta looked blankly at Rhience for a second, then nodded and ran with the fool to where Ywain had been thrown by his falling horse. By the time they arrived, he had already risen to his feet and was holding his sword out before him in readiness.

  "Halt!" he called to them, seeing them approach. Then his sword lowered. "Luneta? Rhience? Oh, Lud, you don't mean to tell me that the red knight is ... of course he is. He's your host! Well," he said, straightening up and sheathing his sword, "that settles it. I won't finish him off, after all."

  "From the looks of it, I'd say you already had," Rhience commented.

  "Think so? I couldn't be sure with his helm on. But I won't fight him any more now. To be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to, anyway. A bit awkward to attack someone lying in a courtyard surrounded by people tending his wounds, you know."

  "Ywain," Luneta said impatiently, "will you please shut up and think for a moment? What are you going to do now?"

  "I just told you. I'll not continue the fight."

  "And then what? Ywain, what are you going to do if he dies?"

  Ywain lifted his chin. "He attacked me first."

  Luneta nearly screamed with impatience. "Who cares, Ywain? Do you see all those s
oldiers gathered around Sir Esclados? They're busy with him right now, but what do you think they'll do to you once they notice you here?"

  Ywain lifted the visor on his helm and looked out at Luneta and Rhience. "You think they'll be angry?" They both nodded. "I see," Ywain said. "Will they attack?" They nodded again. Ywain set his lips and allowed his visor to drop. "I'm not afraid."

  "You should be," Rhience said. "I hear that Sir Esclados has more than fifty men here."

  Ywain raised his visor again. "You think I should leave?"

  Luneta sighed with frustration, and Rhience said, "That would be splendid. Do you mind telling me how you intend to do it?"

  At last the full significance of his situation seemed to dawn on Ywain. "Oh, yes. The gate's closed, isn't it? Is there another way out?"

  "Probably," Luneta said, "but I don't know it. We've only been here one afternoon."

  "What should I do, then?"

  "I think you should hide," Luneta said, trying to keep her voice calm.

  "Hide?" Ywain repeated distastefully.

  "Or you could die," Rhience pointed out.

  Ywain hesitated, but as it happened, at that very moment a soldier called out, "Send for the rest of the guard!" and Ywain said, "All right. Where should I go?"

  Neither Luneta nor Rhience had any immediate ideas for hiding places, but they dragged Ywain around a wall and into the first door they could find. Out of the courtyard was a good first step. And by the time they had Ywain out of immediate danger, Luneta had thought of exactly where to hide Ywain.

  "Shh," Luneta said, leading Ywain by the hand down the dark halls of the castle. "I'm nearly sure that this is the right corridor. We're looking for a great door with two candles in sconces on either side of it."

  From behind Ywain, Rhience said, "I still think we should have gone down to the cellars, if we could find them. Maybe we could cover him with stove wood or something."

  "That doesn't sound very comfortable," Ywain said pleasantly. For one whose life was in danger he seemed amazingly cheerful.