The Quest (The Sons of Camelot Book 2) (8 page)

“Only twice as sweet,” Merlin added with a chuckle.

If the others had been paying the magician’s expression any attention, they would have seen the wide grin of mirth on his face slowly melt away into a look of dread. Shivers had gone down his spine at the mention of Nimueh’s name.

How was this even possible? Mab had banished her for what she had done to Merlin many years before, so how was it that she was back on Earth? As he rode along with a myriad of thoughts clouding his mind, Merlin couldn’t help but remember everything that had happened between Nimueh and him.

***

After the war, Morgana le Fae, Queen Mab and Merlin the sorcerer had warned Arthur, his men and their Sons of the Round Table that there was still too much unfettered magic loose in the kingdom. Many of the skirmishes had seen deserters and after the Battle of Camlann, there had been wounded soldiers, both human and elven, who had taken refuge in the dark places and forests of Cumbria.

Eventually, with persistent patrols, these threats had been eradicated but what none of them had anticipated was that several magical entities who had been banished at one time or another to the realm of Arcadia had found the breach Oberon had created and slipped through to Earth. The majority of these refugees had returned by choice to Arcadia, being unfamiliar with Earth and having no desire to stay. However, some had been exiled to Arcadia from Earth and took the opportunity to sneak back home, escaping their prison sentence.

One such prisoner was Nimueh. A long time ago, she had been a revered and beloved being in the realm. That was before Arthur had become king and united the fractured clans and people to form one country, under one king; the Kingdom of Britain. Before Lancelot had become one of the Knight of Arthur’s Round Table, he had been orphaned and it was Nimueh who has fostered him and raised him into adulthood. She had served as protector to many magical objects under the guidance of the Glastenning Sisterhood and for Queen Mab, she had been a source of justice to wrongdoers.

It had been Nimueh who had presented Arthur with the enchanted sword, Excalibur. She appeared to him with the sword on three different occasions before finally allowing Arthur to keep it. By doing so, she had announced her approval of his kingship.

All that had been long before Nimueh had earned the wrath of Avalon and Eon and been banished to Arcadia for her wrongdoings against Arthur’s favorite; Merlin, the magician.

In the entire kingdom of Britain, only one creature had ever been able to catch Merlin's eye and that had been Nimueh, the Lady of the Lake. She was incredibly beautiful and young, but most importantly, Nimueh was a creature of magic, just like Merlin was.

It wasn’t long before Merlin, the greatest wizard in the kingdom, was completely in love with her. More and more, Merlin sought out opportunities to be with Nimueh and the more saw of her, the greater his desire grew, until he became completely obsessed.

He spent an outrageous amount of time courting her and seeking her attention. As could be expected, Nimueh soon became annoyed with his constant advances. Seeing as she shared no such feelings for Merlin, his attentions were overbearing and irritating and she wanted only to rid herself of him. However, quite aware of Merlin’s outbursts of unfettered rage, Nimueh feared what might happen if she turned him down openly.

As benevolent as she could be in her role as the Lady of the Lake, so also could Nimueh be conniving and selfish. So, instead of being forthright with Merlin, she decided to pretend she shared his love and proceeded to use him to teach her his magic and all of his secrets. Nimueh’s hope was that one day, she might be more powerful than Merlin and never have to fear him again.

When Nimueh thought that she had learned all there was to learn from Merlin, the magician, she invited the wizard on a leisurely stroll through the forest together. She pretended that there were still many things she wished to learn from him and that was the tip off to Merlin. He knew that she had mastered everything he knew and was sure that Nimueh had a plan up her sleeve, but he was so in love with her that he could not resist.

Nimueh wasted no time on their walk. She carried with her an enchanted book and quill and asked Merlin to review some of the most powerful spells he had taught her. As Merlin spoke, the pen wrote down every word that he said onto the blank pages of the book. Soon, they came to a cave which Merlin had previously told her was a place of great power. Though he was surprised that they had happened upon the place so suddenly, Merlin was glad of the opportunity to show it to Nimueh, if she wished to explore it. Nimueh agreed, delighted at the chance to see the magical place. Merlin entered the cave first and as soon as he stepped through the opening, Nimueh cast a spell that immediately sealed the mouth of the cave shut.

Merlin was trapped and even though he tried many spells to open the cave and set himself free, none were successful. Nimueh had used was one of his own spells against him and so not even his great magic could not break it.

When Merlin had tried everything, he fell into a deep sleep and while he was in that dream state, he reached out to Arthur and told him everything that had happened. Morgana le Fae and Arthur went to free Merlin while Queen Mad arrested Nimueh and exacted the punishment of exile on her.

No one had heard from her since. Until now…

Merlin the magician said nothing to his travel companions about any of this, but he knew well enough how important it was that they proceed on their quest to locate and rescue Sir Jofrit of Leeds with extreme caution.

Chapter Ten

It wasn’t until the meal was served that Jofrit realized how hungry he was. He’d been fairly well fed while he was with the Pict men but their idea of food was far from what he was used to finding on his table in Leeds and even on the barracks table in the Shetlands during his years there.

Nimueh, it was certain, knew how to entertain her guests well. There had been no trouble that was spared in the preparation of the meal brought before them. Roasted fowl and boar basted in delicious sauces and seasonings. Stewed rabbit rich with root vegetables and sage. The bread was fresh, soft and hearty and served with a huge bowl of yellow, creamy butter; the kind that the highlands was known for.

Then there was the ale. It was sweet with honey and strong from the grain; a bad combination if one wished to keep their wits about them. It was soon evident that that was not Nimueh’s plan for Jofrit. As they reclined by the fireplace, she kept his goblet full of ale and his ear full of her fantastical stories. They laughed and talked until the late hours of the night.

When she was sure that he was quite incapacitated with drink, Nimueh spoke in a soft, hypnotizing voice. “So, Jofrit,” she started, “would you give up your handsome steed to secure your freedom from here and free passage through the Cairngorms to the south and on to your home in Yorkshire?”

His answer surprised her.

“If I were to leave my horse behind, my lady, tell me how would I get home?”

His answer was a little too sober for her liking. She was getting angry with Jofrit.

“I am not that inhospitable, sir. Surely, I would provide you with another.”

“I meant no offense. But I would much rather to keep my own.”

“I think you have misunderstood me. I was not asking what you preferred. I was giving you the opportunity to procure your freedom from me at the price of the horse.”

“Am I to understand that I am your prisoner here?’

“I think you may finally be getting the true nature of the predicament that you are in, Sir Jofrit,” Nimueh said with a coy smile on her face. “The Pict men kidnapped you so they could ransom you to Leeds for a handsome sum of money. I delayed their efforts by commanding them to bring you here to me first so that I may weigh the political implications of such an action. I mean, what kind of a leader would I be if I allowed a group of silly men to undermine the safety of all who reside here?”

“True. It is your responsibility to protect these creatures.”

Perhaps she was getting through to him after all.

“So, will you allow them to keep you a prisoner for ransom or will you give me the horse in purchase of your freedom and leave the mountains?”

“I will leave the mountains,” Jofrit said.

Nimueh smiled. “Well, in that case…”

“But,” Jofrit interjected, “not without Guerrero.”

Nimueh’s face turned a deep shade of red as the anger and frustration rose in her veins. Never had a man denied her. It was true that she had had her way with men much stronger than this knight; men of magical beginnings and strengths. Who did he think he was to refuse her?

“So be it, Jofrit of Leeds!”

Nimueh stood up and waved her right hand once over her head. Immediately, an invisible force pulled Jofrit to his feet. He was frozen in place as stiff as a board and even though he tried to resist the unseen power, he could not help himself.

Nimueh turned her palm to the ceiling and raised her hand slightly and with that, Jofrit was raised four inches from the crystal floor and floated across the room to the opening that led outside the cave. Nimueh followed his floating body closely as they walked across a wide field. The pasture led to the edge of a high cliff that overlooked the waters of a lake. In the middle of it was a small mass of land with a single oak growing on it.

Nimueh stopped at the cliff’s edge but moved her hands away from her body in the direction of the lake and Jofrit’s body floated over the water to the small island in the middle of it.

When he arrived there, the trunk of the oak tree opened up and received the block of ice which contained the frozen Jofrit inside. Then it wrapped its trunk around the solid pillar and held it as if it were cradling a small child.

“Well, since you wish to be selfish, Jofrit. Since the horse means more to you than ever seeing your family, your son, again. Let the tree feed you and hold you until someone comes to rescue you and when they do, I will use the opportunity to dismantle Camelot and bring this country to its knees. They will sing songs about you, Jofrit. No one in my new England will be allowed to forget how a new kingdom deposed an old one all because of selfish Sir Jofrit.”

When Nimueh returned to the crystal cave she kicked the knight’s traveling bags toward the sleeping figures of Dunmor and his brothers.

“Take those for your troubles so far!” she cried. “That ridiculous man won’t be needing them anymore.”

“Is he contained then, Lady Nimueh?” Dunmor asked.

“Yes, he is, Dunmor. He refused to give me the horse in exchange for his freedom.”

“What should we do with it then? The horse, I mean.”

“Put him in my pasture of course. It doesn’t matter that Jofrit didn’t give him to me; he is mine anyway. I’ve taken him.”

“Very well, my lady.”

“And in the morning, I will need you to set up your usual patrols, use a little of the mists if you have to. I want to know as soon as there is sign of his rescue party arriving in our country. Delay them while you send word to me as well. It is important that I am properly prepared for their arrival. Especially for Merlin, the magician.”

***

Leaving Gyme’s Dyke was, indeed, leaving the civilized world behind. Houses and farms were very rare alongside the road and there were long spans of no signs of civilization. As they went further along, a plain began to open up before them and across that plain, high mountains. They could see sharp, steep slopes covered in greenery rising up ahead of them and ridges winding ever higher toward barren slopes with peaks of capped snow.

“The Cairngorms,” John whispered, drawing up on the reins.

The others gathered near him and took in the view before them as well. From that distance, they looked vast and foreboding and John felt a shiver run through him. What sort of savagery was hidden in that vast expanse before them?

“Aren’t they beautiful?” Alpina said, halting her black mare beside him. “As many times as I’ve seen them, I have never grown weary of their beauty. Surprises, delights and adventures abound along those slopes and in the valley between them. There are springs of the freshest, most delicious water you’ve ever tasted and thick, green grass where a million cattle might be nourished. What say you, Sir John?”

“They are, indeed, beautiful,” he responded. As he looked more intensely, he noted patches of thick fog spread out across the slopes and hiding some of the ridges and peaks as well. “I’m for the delights and adventures, but the surprises that lie within those patches of fog that make me wary.”

“But you are a seasoned knight; what surprise could possibly cause you to tremble?” she asked.

John turned to look at her, expecting to see the mocking expression that he’d grown accustomed to when she spoke to him. It wasn’t there. In place of it was an expression of genuine confusion. He started to answer, but Merlin had broken into the conversation.

“Wariness is not a bad thing, my dear,” Merlin said. “It prepares the mind and heightens the senses to meet whatever challenge might present itself.”

“Sir John, though he might tremble,” Thomas joined in, “but he will never turn away.”

That boost of confidence from Merlin and from his friend was far better than any reply that he might have made. He decided to leave Alpina’s question unanswered. Instead, he restated the reason for their journey once more. “In that expanse, somewhere is my father. We know not where, nor how we will find him once he is freed from his prison. We know not what dangers we will face before he is set free, but for his sake, as my father’s son, I will not quit this journey until either my father rides beside me back to Leeds or my life is snuffed out in the mists.”

“I pledge the same,” Thomas announced.

“We are with you, Sire,” the squires answered in turn.

John turned toward Alpina, no longer avoiding her piercing, crystal gaze. “Will you lead us into those mountains?”

“I will,” she replied. She hesitated no longer, but lightly tapped her heels to the side of her mare and started out ahead of them.

Though at a slower pace than a few days before, John touched his spurs to Ganador and started off, drawing up alongside of her. Along with his apprehension was a tingle of another kind running through him and that tingle had to do with what he had seen when he looked into those eyes only moments before. Beauty, strength, confidence and something untamed tugged at a longing that he hadn’t ever experienced before. It made sense for her to be riding beside him.

“I must offer my apologies.” The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. Once they started to flow, however, he felt no need to stop them. “I realize the error of assuming that you were a common barmaid and chambermaid. It is quite obvious to me now that you are of much nobler birth.”

The sound of her laughter was musical and it sent a thrill through him.

“I’m of no noble birth,” she replied, still beaming, but not mocking him.

“Perhaps not of blood,” he answered, “but of spirit. There are forms of nobility that go beyond one’s lineage.”

“Sir John.” Her voice took on a grave tone. “I am untamed, but I have courage. I am unrefined, but I have my gifts. I am of genteel heart, but I will savagely protect my own.”

John had no ready response for her, but he was thrilled by her words.

“Perhaps I judged too quickly as well,” she said after they’d ridden along in silence for some minutes. “You are, indeed, noble and worthy of your station.”

“I’d venture to say,” he began, waving a hand toward the distant peaks. “Whatever lies in wait for us up there will have little regard for station and status.”

“Sir John, the Cairngorms have regard for no one. There are only three states for one to be in: alive, near death and dead. Those who survive the challenges of these mountains grow stronger and treasure life and beauty more profoundly.”

John recalled how everything around him had become brighter and more beautiful after having survived the battle against Mordred and his forces. Staying alive had heightened his awareness of the beauty around him and made him treasure life all the more as he looked about him at the thousands lying lifeless. “You have spoken truthfully,” he whispered.

“The Cairngorms are rugged, Sir John, but for those who learn to live with them rather than fight against them, there is life in abundance flowing through them. You will learn from these mountains, if you will open your heart and mind. Stones and soil are only their outward appearance. Beneath that shell are streams of life and energy.”

John listened to her words, noting a reverent tone in them, as though she was speaking of some deep and sacred secret. He tried to soak it in, but realized that what she was saying went beyond words. It was the life that flowed through her and that untamed thing that he saw in her eyes. He rode on in eager silence. Though still wary, he was ready for the challenges ahead.

As they ascended the first slope and he watched the plains begin to fall away behind them, he looked upon the rocks and soil with a new set of eyes. What was beneath that soil and those stones, which gave life to the wildflowers, shrubs and grasses? In Leeds, he had rarely considered such a question. In fact, the countryside around him had been nothing more than scenery or resources to be made use of.

As the group came to the top of the slope that they had been climbing, they paused to drink in the view. Behind and below them was the plain that they had crossed hours before. The expanse of that view reached toward the sea to the east, but it was the view of the ridges, valleys and mountains before them that took their breath.

Wide mountain meadows dotted with wild flowers were scattered among forests in valleys and basins that were innumerable. Streams wound their way along the bottom of those valleys which connected in wider valleys below. Above those ridges and valleys, as they rose ever higher, were the bald faces of peaks with patches of snow left over from winter and white crested tops upon which the snow never completely disappeared.

“We’ll need to descend this slope and make our camp along the stream below,” Alpina announced. “It is best if we get settled in before dark.”

Alpina’s voice brought them all out of the momentary trance that had come over them; all of them except Merlin, of course. Merlin was, however, quite fascinated with watching their reaction and grinned broadly as he considered how such simple beauty mixed with grandeur could so easily delight a man; even a Knight of the Sons of Camelot.