The King Of Spades

When Wolves Circle Sheep

Tintagel Castle, Kingdom Of Cornwall

William:

The courtyard was a buzz of activity, as was usual for mornings in Tintagel. His routine was simple. Wake, eat with the guards for breakfast- this comprised usually of milk and oats with a bit of cold meat on the side. It sure beat his own cooking from a little pot in his one room home back in Camelot.

Next, he escorted Isobel to her numerous tasks. Today, it was meeting Cador. He noticed how she shyed away from Mark and the Lords skulking advances. He'd have to remember to ask her about it all later, and if Mark needed to be dealt with. Not that he'd be allowed to, even if she said yes. Bollocks to the laws, he thought, he'd do it anyway.

After Isobel was wherever she needed to be for the morning, Will was free to roam. It was in one of these wondering mornings, he had found himself playing cards with the right hand of Hedrek, Eoin.

Eoin was sly and constantly called his bluff leading to an intense game of 'find the maiden' that always ended far too quickly, with Will slamming the cards down and Eoin smiling whilst collecting his winnings. This morning, however, Eoin was waiting for him by the stables.

"Don't you have a certain Lord to chase after?" Will mused, leaning up against the wooden support of the stables.

"I'd rather be chasing after horses." His smile was broad and all teath as his eyes met Wills.

"Well, I have a free morning- as usual. Let me help you."

"You're telling me, you'd much rather be grooming horses- unpaid work- than taking in the lovely scenery of this spit of an island? William, I am shocked!" He droned, brown eyes rolling back into his head in mocked disbelief. It was then when Eoin dug into his sachel and took out a short brown stick.

"What is that?"

"A root of some sort wrapped in thin tree bark. imported from Ravens Landing, I believe. Not much grows there, but this. Good for relaxing yourself." Eoins smile turned mischievous. "I've got a few. . . Why don't we, I don't know? Leave. I know a spot."

"Eoin, are you seriously suggesting you sneak off work with me? I'm shocked!" He returned his smirk. And nodded. "I was about to suggest exactly that."

Morgana:

The gateway was located between two bowing trees. Or so Senovara had said. They had been traipsing through the woods for about an hour now, almost completely in silence. A few times Morgana had snapped a look behind her, hearing voices or hooves following after them.

"So," Morgana began, her voice slightly higher than usual, "Senovara, how does a twelve year old become the ire of an entire village?"

The girl visibly tensed. "Does it matter? They don't usually need much of a reason, anyway."

"They mentioned illness?"

She nodded. "The great pains hit Elmet not two years prior. Killed. . . A lot of people." Her eyes glazed over slightly as though she were back in some dark corner of her mind.

"The Pains?"

And then it receded with her parchment-thin patience. "Gods, are you daft, or somat'? The sickness that caused black blood rashes? Made you tired like a bear in winter, burnt your skin so hot, you felt like fire to the touch, pains everywhere that made you jig. But it were the headaches that were the worst. My friend Eliot, he said he heard stories of people hurtin' so bad, they drove fire pokers through their heads to make it stop."

"That's awful. Why would the village blame you, though?"

"Got no-one. My mother and brothers passed first, then my grandmother, she died of the Pains not three moons thereafter. My father clung stubbornly to the end of this winter just gone, but even he died. Tavern brawl, he was in debt to a lot of dangerous people."