The Guild
"Everyone wake up! Sir Lancelot and his son have been abducted!" a young squire called over and over as he rushed through the vast castle that belonged to King Arthur.
The squire's calls awoke three girls in training to be knights. They were the first 13 year old girls to ever manage the rigorous training to have what it took to be a knight. Their names were Lyserod, Vatn, and Salis, and they awoke from their well earned sleep. They had been learning how to dodge and parry in swordfights yesterday with one of the many Knights of the Round Table, Gawain.
"What is that squire yelling about?" a groggy Salis asked her friends.
"Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad have been kidnapped!" Lyserod cried.
"Do you mean they're gone?" Vatn asked, still half asleep.
"Yes!" Lyserod answered. She jumped to her feet and paced in her pale pink silk nightgown around the room.
The room that the trio slept in was tiny, but cozy. There were rough tiles on the wall, brightening up the room with its lovely mosaics of Lady Nimue, the Lady of the Lake whom had been the one to give King Arthur the legendary sword Excalibur. There was a small fireplace on the left side of the room, and the three girls shared a bed on the right wall. A small window peered out to the courtyard on the back wall.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it." Salis pointed out none too gently. Lyserod's arms crossed, and she looked at Vatn.
"Do you think that there's nothing to do about it?" She asked. Vatn sat up a little straighter. She hated it when her two friends put her in the middle, each one wanting her to agree with their opinions.
"Perhaps?" Vatn began carefully. "Maybe we could, if we got Gawain to help us." Lyserod's eyes widened at the suggestion with excitement.
"That is a splendid idea!" She exclaimed, rushing to the heavy wooden door, beginning to heft it open.
"Lyserod, I think it would be sensible to put some proper clothing on first!" Salis laughed, and stood up to close the door. Lyserod tittered at her own forgetfulness, but then joined the other two in putting on their everyday dresses.
Lyserod struggled to help Vatn with her corset strings while Salis was getting lost in her dress. The girls finally resolved their issues with the clothing, and they were ready to go out and start the day.
Lyserod led Salis and Vatn down the long and winding hallways out to the courtyard, where their primary teacher Gawain was sure to be.
"I've got a strange feeling," Vatn said, looking perplexed. Lyserod and Salis patted her on the back to comfort her because they all were feeling a little bit anxious as to how to approach their teacher.
Gawain had a heart of gold, but his moods could be very hard to read. Gawain would be annoyed if he was tired or bored or has been on horseback for more than four hours. So, that is why the girls were a bit concerned.
"Let's hope that he has had a good sleep!" Lyserod said cheerfully. She linked her hands with Salis and Vatn on either side of her, and they all spotted Gawain at the same time. The hot headed knight was arguing with a squire, waving one of his swords for emphasis.
"Looks like he did not." Salis assumed publicly. Gawain stopped yelling at the squire because he glimpsed the trio.
"Oh, hello there, my students," Gawain's voice was weary, possibly from his quarrelling. Salis elbowed Lyserod quickly, in a way that meant 'I told you so!' "What is it?" Gawain asked gruffly.
Lyserod was pushed to the front. "Well, we assume that you've heard about Lancelot and Galahad," She paused, and Gawain nodded. "We were wondering if-if," Lyserod's voice quivered because Gawain was watching her intensely. She wasn't sure if that meant he was mad or just listening, so she continued. "Salis, Vatn and I were wondering if you would accompany us on a journey to visit the Lady of the Lake, and ask her what we should do."
A plan had grown in Lyserod's head as she talked. Gawain had a thoughtful look on his face; he was obviously considering the proposition. Murmurs of agreement came from Salis and Vatn.
"I'll do it!" Gawain said, gloriously loud. The girls cheered, excited about the new adventure. "Go put your armor on!" Gawain ordered. "And saddle your horses up as well!" he called after them as they ran to the armor room.
Half an hour after entering the room, Lyserod, Salis, and Vatn came out of the armor room. Lyserod's light, copper colored armor shone in the sunlight, the beautiful gilding standing out, in lovely flower patterns shining. Her silver boots clicked on the cobblestone, with two little ruby rings on the sides. Salis's armor was a smoky black color, and her shiny black hair curled around the visor. Vatn was certainly a sight to see as well. Diamond patterns weaved its way around almost every part of her silvery-white armor. Some pastel colored gems adorned her visor.
"Took you long enough!" Gawain said bad temperedly. "Wait? Why don't you have your horses with you? I told you to get your horses!" Gawain started to rant about how lazy children were these days, giving the girls time enough to escape to the stables.
"Hello Bingham!" Lyserod said lovingly to her dark bay gelding. She petted his muzzle, and he snuffled her hand for a treat. Not finding any, he snorted and pulled his head up.
The next stall to the left, Vatn was petting her dun mare, Guinevere. Salis had already saddled her black stallion Jeden. He pranced over near Guinevere, nickering flirtatiously. Vatn had never really liked Salis's stallion, so she stood in front of her mare like she was protecting her from evil.
"Come on! We are wasting daylight!" Gawain called, causing Lyserod to hurry up her preparation. She jumped athletically onto Bingham's back, and Salis led everyone out single file to Gawain, who was waiting on his bronze gelding, Sol. "Are you ready, or do you have to go powder your cheeks too?" Gawain was obviously not happy with how long it had taken for the girls to get ready. Jeden didn't like Gawain's tone, so he neighed and reared. Salis managed to hang onto the horse until he was ready for ground again.
"Stupid horse," Gawain muttered darkly. Jeden snorted competitively. "Come on Guild," He called to the girls, signaling that he was ready to go.
"This is so exciting!" Lyserod exclaimed. Salis and Vatn nodded. They had never met Lady Nimue before, but they felt like they knew her, because of the mosaics in their room.
"Shh…" Gawain said, quieting the girls down. They were all entering a misty forest, where the leaves of trees nearly blocked out all sunlight. "You need to watch where your horse is going, because hunters have laid traps all over this area." Gawain instructed. The girl's eyes all gravitated to the ground, watching where their horse's feet went.
"Eek!" Salis exclaimed, quickly maneuvering Jeden away from a bear trap.
"Excellent job Salis! You are getting to be an expert with the reins!" Gawain praised her. Salis smiled, but kept on watching the ground intently. Lyserod looked up, and could see pale light coming from ahead, still far off, but nevertheless glowing like hope.
The four continued riding, guiding their horses around traps whenever they saw one. After almost two hours of riding later, they finally arrived at where the light was shining again. The thick, leafy darkness above their heads was suddenly gone, and they were now riding along the shore of a beautiful, clear lake.
"It shines like a thousand diamonds!" Vatn exclaimed admiringly.
"The horses will be thirsty." Gawain said grumpily, tired of riding. He jumped off of Sol first, and then motioned for the girls to do so as well. The three jumped off their horses and began to lead them to the water. Salis exclaimed when her legs went out from under her. She climbed back to her feet, trying not to make that much of a ruckus when she stood. Jeden snorted at her, either worried or laughing.
Gawain had Sol up at the edge of the shore, and the gelding had already plunged his muzzle into the clear, cool water. Lyserod led Bingham up beside him, and the bay started to drink as well. Jeden and Guinevere joined in the drinking as their owners led them up to the lake.
Vatn's eyes sparkled happily as she watched the water that she likened to diamonds. Salis and Lyserod watched the beautiful water as well, but they didn't notice that there were ripples starting to come from the middle of the lake. The ripple's center was coming closer and closer to the shore. First Jeden's head jerked up, soon to be followed by the other horses. Suddenly, a creature came out of the water, and it wasn't even wet.
A blue dress with the pattern of waves and sparkling silver accents reminded the girls of water. As they looked up, they were met by kind green eyes. "Hello,"
"Nimue!" Vatn exclaimed, recognizing her. "You're the Lady of the Lake!" Vatn continued, stunned. Nimue nodded pleasantly.
"Welcome, Gawain and students," the Lady of the Lake said kindheartedly. Gawain's mouth looked like a perfect 'O', and he kneeled down onto one leg respectfully. Lyserod, Salis, and Vatn copied him, not wanting to get on Nimue's bad side.
"What brings you here? Nothing bad I hope," Nimue said curiously. Gawain shook his head regretfully.
"I'm afraid it's bad news this time, Nimue." Gawain said ruefully. "Lancelot and Galahad have been abducted, and we don't even know the fiend who did it!" Gawain brought his fist down hard onto a tree stump so angrily that it quivered. Nimue gasped quietly.
"Do you have any idea who might have done it?" Lyserod asked Nimue. She was so wise, it just seemed like she should know.
"Of that, I do not know young knight." Nimue said sadly. "But I have news as well! There is a black knight on the roam, and he may be the criminal. I wouldn't challenge him, at least not without some other knights!" Nimue warned.
"The fiend!" Gawain growled. "It must have been him who abducted them, I know not of anyone else capable of pulling off the crime!" Gawain again pounded the stump. Lyserod rubbed her eyes, because the stump had just gone at least an inch deeper into the ground!
The horses, being so well trained, remained where they stood, no matter how loud and rough Gawain was being. "Be careful, my friends, because he tends to hide in that forest. The darkness hides him so well." Vatn shivered at the thought of the black knight, causing her armor to clank quietly.
Nimue hugged Vatn. "Don't be afraid, if he's really the one who abducted Galahad and Lancelot, they'll have quite tired him out!" Vatn looked into Nimue's pretty green eyes, and she felt strong. Vatn nodded and walked over to join her friends again.
"Get your horses prepared to leave!" Gawain ordered the girls, breaking the calmness of the scenery. A few water birds were startled, and took off into the sky. The trio sighed, wishing that they could stay longer. They led their horses up to the tree stump where they could mount more easily.
Gawain smiled at Nimue. "Thank you for not scaring the children with your vast knowledge," Nimue curtseyed politely and smiled.
"Do you mind if I tell you what is going on?" She asked, and Gawain shook his head. "Well, right now, the black knight is hiding out in the forest. He's looking for someone who knows how to write, so he is searching all over the place. If you leave right now, your paths will cross about five miles away from the castle." Gawain's eyes opened wide. "You can catch him then, and I don't think that Lancelot and Galahad will have too much trouble with walking home," Nimue was proud of her observations.
"Thank you for this information Lady Nimue! I shall leave promptly!" Gawain leaned down and kissed Nimue's hand in respect. He grabbed Sol's reins, and began to lead him towards the girls, waving good bye to Nimue.
"Please come back soon!" She called after him.
"Come along Guild!" Gawain called to the girls as he loped up astride Sol. The girl's heads were hanging and they nodded. They were sad to leave Nimue, and it was also getting late. The sky was starting to dim as they all rode back into the misty forest.
Elsewhere, the black knight was struggling with his weariness. He was upon the saddle of a muscular friesian stallion, and it was navigating through the thick tree trunks in the darkening forest. The black knight could see perfectly well, since he almost never left the forest, except for the night before.
The black friesian's hooves had drummed the cobblestones of King Arthur's courtyard the night before. There had been a new moon, so no one could see anything. The black knight had made it into Arthur's courtyard easily, but it was more difficult to navigate the halls of the castle. He had been heading to the castle's treasury, when out of nowhere; Lancelot blocked the black knight's path.
"What is this?" the black knight had uttered, before Lancelot charged at him, they were blow for blow until half an hour later. Lancelot's son, Galahad, had come looking for his father. The boy came upon them struggling with each other and was meaning to help, but he distracted Lancelot for a vital moment, and the black knight had knocked him out. Galahad would've been a worthy opponent, but he had been tired, so he was captured as well. The black knight had wanted to make a ransom note, but he could not write so he decided to leave and hope that King Arthur would come looking for his precious knights with bags of gold in his hands. Unbeknownst to the rogue, Galahad had slipped a small piece of parchment out of a tiny hole in the sack as they rode away through the courtyard.
The note said; Please help us! Lancelot and I have been kidnapped by a black knight! I can tell he's heading to the vast forest of the North. Please send someone to save us!
The rogue black knight continued waiting, his friesian running through the forest unguided. Sometimes his captives would begin to struggle, but it was futile, because they had no weapons with them.
The black knight kept blinking, trying to stay awake.
Back with Gawain and the Guild, Salis was complaining. "This is boring." She whined. Vatn guided Guinevere purposefully into Jeden, making Salis bounce. "Hey," she began, annoyed.
"We're all tired Salis," Lyserod began in a monotone voice, but then a sound caught her attention. "A horse, it's running near us!" She let everyone know in a hushed voice.
Suddenly, a black friesian burst in front of them. Jeden screamed a challenge at it, and the other stallion replied by rearing onto its hind legs, causing it's rider to nearly fall to the ground. Even though the rider didn't fall from his steed, a large sack did. The sack looked like it was alive, squirming and twitching, and it groaned when it hit the ground hard. When the friesians' forelegs hit the ground again, the rider's eyes widened in fear when he saw Gawain, one of the most well-known knights there was. The rider urged the Friesian to run as fast as it could, away.
"The black knight shall not get away from me!" Gawain urged Sol to race after the Friesian.
Lyserod, Salis, and Vatn jumped off their horses and went over to the bulging sack. "Get off of me, son," they heard a warning voice come from inside the bag.
"I'm sorry father but there's no where else for me to- ouch!" Vatn and Lyserod jumped back when the higher pitched voice yelped.
"Uh, sorry," Salis tried to hide a stick behind her back.
"Really?" Lyserod said, annoyed.
"Who's there?" the first voice came again.
"That must be Lancelot," Vatn mused.
"Do you know who I am?" The second voice asked hopefully.
"You must be Galahad then!" Vatn said nicely. Salis poked him with the stick again.
"Who did that?" Galahad asked, irritated.
"Me, I mean, Salis." Salis corrected herself.
"And I'm Vatn," Vatn said sweetly. "I didn't poke you, Galahad."
Lyserod rolled her eyes but then told Lancelot who she was as well. "I'm Lyserod. We're all in training under Sir Gawain."
"That's nice," Lancelot's voice sounded strained, "Can you get us out of here now?"
"Yes," Lyserod said absentmindedly. "Does anyone have a knife?"
"Why are you asking that?" Galahad exclaimed fretfully.
"I have one," Salis answered Lyserod's question while ignoring Galahad's query.
Lyserod took the knife from Salis and cut open the sack. Out came tumbling the two knights.
"Oh, so that's why you asked…" Galahad said; glad to be out of the hot sack.
"Thank you, young knights," Lancelot said; standing up, he held Lyserod's hand, the Vatn's and Salis's. Lyserod heard horses running again, so she tensed up, on high alert. Gawain astride Sol was leading the Friesian stallion, and on its back was the black knight, tied up in the Friesian's reins.
"I told you he wouldn't get away!" Gawain declared. When he saw Lancelot and Galahad standing on the ground, he actually grimaced and asked, "Think you can walk the rest of the way back to the castle?" Lancelot nodded competitively, but Galahad wasn't to proud not to groan before he began to plod down the path back to Arthur's castle.
They were at the gateway when, for the last time that day, Lyserod heard a horse running behind their group. A horse that looked like it was made of water burst out of the North forest. The horse seemed to change forms slightly, and it appeared to be a lovely brown and white paint mare with a black and white mane. It trotted up to them, and Lady Nimue dropped off of its back, smiled and curtseyed.
"I knew that you could do it!" Nimue exclaimed. Lyserod, Salis, and Vatn's eyes widened.
"Wait, how did you know that we," Salis's exclamation was cut short by the black knight mumbling in his sleep about 'riches…'
"I knew all along, but I just didn't want you to be scared by my knowledge," Nimue looked sheepish for hiding something from the girls.
At first, Salis had an argumentative expression on her face, but it went away when Lyserod nodded, seeming to understand. Vatn tilted her head thoughtfully, and said, "So you knew that rogue was out there all along!" Nimue nodded.
"Yes!" Galahad said happily in agreement. Lancelot and Gawain nodded, but when they noticed that they were doing the same thing, the nodding stopped.
"Exactly Lyserod," Nimue said kindly.
"I'll take this fool to the dungeon." Lancelot said, and began to carry the sleeping criminal to where he would stay for the next few years.
"Alright! Well this has been an exciting day, hasn't it?" Galahad said energetically, yawning right after he said it. Gawain, Nimue, Lyserod, Salis, and Vatn all broke into laughter under the crescent moon and the blue-black sky studded with stars.