Warriors of Camelot

Chapter 17: Making A Stand

Raven Of Old couldn't understand it. 

For as long he could remember, Camelot had always been a place where magic was tolerated. Those who practised the art came and went freely with every passing day, just as the sun rises and sets upon the land to indicate where the daylight hours begin and end. That was the whole reason that Raven Of Old had set foot in the great city to begin with- so why had things changed so dramatically during his absence? 

For now, he allowed his gaze to fall past the stake and upon the main entrance, where two more guards stood on duty.

Although a tiny part of Raven Of Old dreaded facing these guards knowing that they- and everyone in Camelot- despised magic-deep down, he knew that it was his only hope of succeeding with his all important mission. Taking a deep breath he marched confidently up to the entrance. 

"Excuse me..." 

His voice instantly brought the guards to their attention. 

Despite their piercing gazes, Raven Of Old could feel his confidence growing and he wasted no time in making his request. "I wish to see the king immediately."

The soldiers eyed him suspiciously. "What is your business in Camelot?" demanded the guard on Raven Of Old's right. 

He had an answer ready. "I have an urgent message for the king."

Instantly, the guard narrowed his eyes. "The king will not allow any visitors to converse with him directly," he decreed. "He's already arrested one sorceress on fear of corruption and we will not allow any more to do the same. Now, good sir, if you value your life, you should be on your way!"

With these words, the guard and his partner brought their spears together so that they formed a threatening barrier which blocked Raven Of Old's path. 

Now it was Raven Of Old's turn to regard the soldiers with suspicion. This was NOT the kind of welcome that he was expecting! Still, he knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to loose his cool now and so Raven Of Old stood his ground. 

"I come in peace, sir," he calmly assured the guard. "My message concerns the safety of the kingdom and I wouldn't be here unless the matter was urgent."

This was true.  Raven Of Old wouldn't have left the young warriors alone unless Raven was in great danger- and all his senses were telling him that she couldn't accomplish the task on her own. All the more reason to find her and get out of here as quickly as possible. 

There came the briefest of pauses before the guards lowered their spears. 

"Very well then, sir," replied the first guard, whose tone of voice had softened considerably. "If the kingdom is in danger, then your message will be much appreciated."

"Thank you."

Raven Of Old nodded solemnly at each guard in turn as he passed through the entrance. Once he was inside the castle, he found himself face to face with a maze of passages. 

Gritting his teeth, Raven Of Old set off down the nearest corridor. He only hoped that his memory on how to navigate the castle hadn't faded away over time. No-one could deny that the interior of Camelot's castle could only be described as a maze and Raven Of Old could clearly recall getting lost down the passages on numerous occasions, especially during his early days in the great city.

The castle's interior was  hive of activity, just as the citadel had been.  Many of the servants who Raven Of Old passed were strangers to him, but that was inevitable, given how much time had slipped away since he last set foot in the castle.

 Would Uther and Igraine remember who he was? Raven Of Old wasn't sure. After all, between his last visit to the castle and this moment in time, he had changed in more ways than one. Even if the royal couple did remember him, then there was no guarantee that they would still be ruling over Camelot.