CHAPTER SEVEN
The name Elyan formed in the drych and Seren frowned. When she asked about him, she was told her was out hunting with the king, which at least meant she had the day free. She went down to the cellars to seek out Gaius and Merlin, but neither of them were there, and, although cold, it really was too nice a day to be inside. After changing into britches and picking up her warm riding cloak she went down to the stables and found her pony, Fallon.
'Come on girl,' she said, and Fallon plodded out of the stables.
She walked along the river for a while, then turned into the forest, choosing a wide path which still allowed the sunlight to filter through. She started to sing, rehearsing a new song, enjoying the accompaniment of the few birds still around. Suddenly she stopped and turned on Fallon, thinking she heard a noise behind her, but could see nothing. A little further on, she stopped again, thinking she heard another noise, but could still see nothing.
She urged Fallon on a little faster, hoping it wasn't some creature looking for a quick meal of her. She headed off down a narrower path, trotting now, until there was a crash behind her and she forced Fallon into a gallop. As she headed down the path she could see a shadow across the path in front of her and turned towards its source. It was a tower, cream stone, gleaming in the sunshine. A tower with a single stone staircase curving round its outside.
And then the growling was much closer, a rustling and panting from the bushes as though some creature was about to strike. Seren jumped from her horse and smacked her so she ran like lightning though the forest, much more fleet without a rider. Seren took the steps two at a time, slowing only when she neared the top, gasping for breath. She paused, listening. There was a low growling noise as something circled the tower, but at least Fallon was safe, she thought.
She finished the climb to the top of the tower, pushed open the door and entered the single room at the top. It was bare except for a bed in the centre, not dirty, but looking not recently used. She crossed the room to the single window and gazed out of it. It was quite a view over the forest, but at that moment she was more intent on trying to identify what it was that was growling and rustling in the bushes below, but whatever it was, was staying hidden.
She lifted her head to look out over the tree tops. It really was a most beautiful vista. In the far distance she could see the towers of Camelot and realised she had ridden further than she had first thought, probably lost in her song. She leaned on her forearms on the windowsill and scanned the horizon. To the right was Camelot, to the left were open plains beyond the edge of the forest, and beyond that, the mountains. There were occasional spirals of smoke rising where the forest dwellers lived, but nothing close. She looked back to Camelot. She could see the flags flying from the turrets and spotted her and Gwyar's quarters. Which made her wonder why she had never seen this tower from her own window.
Blood running cold, she ran back to the door. Except there was no door. The inside walls of the tower were smooth and completely devoid of any exit. She was trapped. She sat on the bed while she decided what to do next. What she wasn't sure about was whether this was part of the Goddess's plan for tonight's seduction, in which case, she should expect Sir Elyan to arrive to rescue her, or whether there was some dark magic trying to prevent that happening. Or whether the magic was nothing to do with the old spell at all and she really was trapped.
She went back to where she thought the door had been and started some simple incantations. Nothing. She gathered some twigs together that had blown in and lit them, adding power to the spells. Still nothing. She tried everything she knew, but even her strongest spell only managed to singe the base of the wall.
She went back over to the window to think. The sun was dropping in the sky and it would be dusk soon. Either Sir Elyan would be arriving soon or she would have to escape without magic. Without magic.
She looked back at the bed. The bed that was made up with sheets. She dragged them off the bed and started to tie them together, testing the knots, and tied the end to the bed, tossing the length of sheets out of the window. But even when she dragged the bed over to the window, the sheets barely reached halfway down the tower. She would break her neck if she were to drop from that height, and there was no guarantee that any magic she tried to use would break her fall.
She pulled the sheets back up and tried to tear them in half, but simply did not have the strength. Magic just would not work on them. She would simply have to drop and hope she survived. She let them out of the window again, tugged on them firmly and climbed over the windowsill. Wrapping the sheet around her arm to slow her descent, she started to lower herself down the tower. She was part way down when she heard a shout from the distance.
'Lady Seren! Lady Seren!'
No! It was Elyan. Why had she not waited? And then there was an ominous tearing sound above her, the sheet started to rip and she found herself hurtling towards the ground. She landed on her back, winded, as Elyan arrived swiftly beside her. She was breathing but could only shake her head in reply when he asked her if she was hurt.
And then she heard the rustling and growling again. Elyan looked up, saw something lurking in the bushes to their side, and swiftly lifted her into his arms and strode quickly up the steps at the side of the tower to safety. She tried to stop him, to warn him, but could not speak. He pushed open the door at the top and then kicked it shut behind them before placing her gently on the bed.
She groaned, struggling to look beyond Elyan to where they had just entered the room. The door had gone. She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain of the fall to recede and for Elyan to understand what he'd just done. And then she realised that this was probably the Goddess's hand at work, although she would rather the Goddess had used her hand to break her fall.
When she opened her eyes again and tried to speak, she saw Elyan trying to work out what had happened to the door. He was shaking his head, but when he heard her move, he turned to face her.
'There's no way out, is there?' She shook her head. 'You were escaping from this, weren't you?' This time she nodded. 'How could I have been so stupid?'
'You . . .' she cleared her throat again. 'You're not stupid.'
'But you'd just escaped from this place and I brought you straight back in. Stupid, stupid, stupid.' He sat forlornly on the bed next to her. 'Guinevere was right.'
'About what?'
'I don't think before I act.'
'Elyan, this was not your fault.'
'It was completely my fault.'
She sat up next to him and patted him on the shoulder. 'If I'd landed on the ground and couldn't get up, then the whatever it is that's prowling down there could have eaten me. You saved me, Elyan.'
'You think so?'
'I know so. Do you think I'd rather be lying on the ground being attacked by animals or in here safely with you?'
'Or safely back in Camelot with a knight who can't even rescue a damsel in distress right? Gwaine would never have done this.'
'Gwaine isn't here. It's you who found me.' She paused. 'How did you find me?'
'We found your pony.'
'Fallon? Is she here?'
'No, Arthur and Percival took her back to Camelot where they were sure you would have gone, but I decided to retrace Fallon's tracks just to make sure.'
'And you found me. Thank you, sir knight.'
'You thank me for trapping you in a tower, my lady? You are more than generous. I don't suppose you have another plan to get us out of here, do you?'
