Ides of the May (Children of the May 2 - updates weekly)

Chapter Eight: A Council of Two (part one)

‘Is Melwas alright?’ I said, when Agravaine and I were back in the rain, and a decent way from Elia’s sharp and prying ears.

‘Aye, more or less.’ He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. ‘It really is good to have you back, pal. And with a prisoner too – we haven’t managed to take a decent prisoner for ages, not since we came north of the Roman wall. We had a couple of good ambushes last year, but recently we’ve been more on the receiving end.’

We turned out of the narrow path, and back onto the broader fork Piers and Palomina had taken.

‘It’s not been going well?’

‘It really hasnea. You taking Dinadan is our first chance of some decent intelligence since Palomides was captured. The gentry and the royals... well, they hope that Arthur will leave them alone if they dinnea put their heads above the parapet – even my da.’ He flinched. ‘The closest we’ve come to proper support is from bloody Bellina’s father, Sir Breuse Saunce Pité.He whispers that he’s on our side, that he’s quietly testing the waters and recruiting down south; but I’ll believe it when I see it.’

‘You don’t trust him?’

‘Would you trust the man who spawned Bellina?’

I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Perhaps that isnea fair of me. Sir Breuse is much closer to the centre of Arthur’s power than we are. I’d be cautious in his position. Gods, by all accounts he adores his daughter, but he sent her back once there was a hint that she was supporting us; put it about he’d banished her.’

‘Bellina was actively supporting us?’

He chuckled. ‘Nah, it was Elia – Mordred sent her down south to pose as Bellina’s bard, so she could tell our tale to Sir Breuse’s people. But when word got out about that, the cruel pretty couldnea wash herself clean of Elia’s taint. I suppose I can understand Sir Breuse’s caution, but I’m disappointed in my own northmen for staying away from us. Just looks cowardly to me; none of them support Arthur.’ He shrugged unhappily. ‘It might have been different if we had Da, and he seemed keen at first, saw it as his chance to win my brothers back from Arthur –’

‘Brothers?’ I interrupted. I knew Sir Gawain supported Arthur, but wasn’t aware that anymore of the sons of Orkney had gone south.

Agravaine nodded sadly. ‘My brother Gareth went down to Camelot not long after it appeared, days after we were shipped out of Caerleon. They call him Sir Beaumains now, after his beautiful hands. Always was a vain little tosser. Anyhow, when we crossed to Orkney for Da’s help, Ma took exception to Mordred. Told himto flee to the far ends of the earth, tried to get me to stay at home, and when I widnea, sent us all away.’ He shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘Never known her to get like that before, all angry and tense, not unless Sir Lamorak is on Orkney. She’s related to Arthur, you know, my Ma. His half-sister. And with her boys on opposite sides of the matter... I suppose she just doesn’t want all her lads killing each other, see? Doesnea want Mordred encouraging me and Gaheris to go against Gawain and Gareth. So, to conclude, we’ve few supporters worth the name. And as we haven’t managed to steal Excalibur like our glorious leader planned, the people in general have no reason to think we’re anything more than handful of kid bandits on the run.’

I flinched at the heavy sarcasm he put into the words our glorious leader.

‘Mordred’s never been the same since we arrived back on the mainland,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Keeps to himself unless he wants to send someone out on a mission. Even Melwas...’ his voice faded away as he mentioned the Gaul’s name. ‘I know what you’re thinking, but I’m fully aware that me and Melwas is a lost cause. Dinnea get me wrong, she’s still my favourite lassie in the world, and if she changes her mind I’m right there – gods, I’m there – but even when Mordred’s treating her like a total git she’s only got eyes for him. Not much a lad can do against that. I just worry that when I drove that spike into his heart it broke something in him. That it broke him for her.’

‘That wasn’t you, Agravaine.’ I remembered Agravaine’s lance whispering above my head and ramming into Mordred’s chest. ‘We were all under Lady Bertilak’s spell.’

‘It was me though,’ he said. ‘I wanted to kill him, Drift. I really, really did. Bertilak might have exploited that, but she didnea put anything into me that wasnea already there.’ He shrugged. ‘Sorry and that, but it’s the truth.’

‘Do you still?’

He huffed. ‘Nah. Nah. I’d not be here if I did, would I?’

We were standing at the opening of another narrow little path, banked on the sides by glistening rocks covered in vibrantly green mosses. This one had a small river of rainwater running down it. ‘There’s a door at the bottom, on the left. You’ll find him in there.’ Agravaine glanced down the other path. ‘Oh, well met, you fat lump,’ he said in friendly way.

‘Aye, you Pictish primitive, you Caledonian cutthroat.’

Piers was approaching us from the further up the path. ‘And very well met to you, my watery saviour,’ said Piers. He opened his arms to embrace me again. ‘How the hell are you? Apologies for not getting the chance to greet you properly before. It’s been too long, Drift.’

When he released me I couldn’t help but notice how tired the big farmer looked.

‘I’m well, my friend. All the better for seeing you here. Palomina told me you were out in the villages.’

‘Aye, aye. Me and John came back for everyone’s birthday. Good timing, eh?’ He shook his head. ‘The folk didn’t want to know this time. Practically chased us out of Northumbria at the ends of their pitchforks. Wouldn’t mind, but the last village we went to even had the parents of one of us in it – well, one of the ones who never made it out of the waves. We did our standard telling of it: John appealing to the parents, me to the younger folk, but they were more scared than they were angry. Even heard one of the old coves suggesting we were Camelot’s spies, trying to trick them into treasonous talk.’

‘It’s like I said: last autumn didnea help,’ said Agravaine.

‘What happened then?’ I asked.

‘We made promises we couldn’t keep,’ shrugged Piers sadly. ‘Told folk in the south to come north for All Hallow’s Eve, to meet with us, like; but those who tried to come found the old Roman wall garrisoned by Arthur’s men. They turned back those they didn’t imprison. There were too many of Arthur’s soldiers for us to battle a road through. We spread the word too widely, I reckon. The plan found the wrong ears.’

‘But it means Arthur takes us seriously.’

‘Aye, all twenty-odd of us,’ said Agravaine. ‘Less than that: eighteen with you, and not counting Palomides in his dungeon-cell.’

Piers lowered his head on hearing Palomides’ name.

‘I was sorry to hear about his capture, Piers,’ I said.

The big farmer shrugged. ‘I’m just glad you’re back to send a huge wave to flatten Camelot’s walls or something,’ said Piers, and quickly changed the subject. ‘And, Lord Jesus, hasn’t your solitude treated you well. Straight-backed, speaking clear as a prince, and coming to us in possession of the best bit of luck we’ve had all the time we’ve in the north country. Speaking of which: Dinadan’s chained up, and Palomina’s taken the first guard.’ He nodded down the path towards where Mordred was supposed to be. ‘Does he know about it yet?’

Agravaine clapped me on the back. ‘To the victor, his the spoils. You tell Mordred about Dinadan, Drift.’

I looked down the path, trying to brace myself for this meeting. The more I tried to put it out of my mind, the more the image of Mordred plunging his sword into Hilda the hermitess came before my eyes. I did what I had to, he had told me before they sailed away. I wasn’t sure how true that was.

‘Mayhap the news will cheer the miserable beggar up,’ I heard Piers say as he and Agravaine walked back towards the others.

‘I widnea stake much gold on it,’ replied Agravaine, and Piers laughed.

I took a deep breath, and stepped onto the narrow path. The soles of my boots slipped on the wet rocks.