Beyond the Legend- (novel excerpts)

Beyond the Legand-except- Chapter Thirteen

The Lady of the Lake had continued to hinder Morgan’s every effort to find her son by magic but Morgan’s hatred was growing more and more with each passing year, feeding the strength of her powers. Now the time had come that the Lady could no longer stop her.

Morgan le Fay had been searching for Mordred for five years. Patrol after patrol had been deployed to search every inch of the country, Scotland and Wales included. Each one returned fruitless and in turn, as she had sworn, were executed for their failures.

The latest search party, having spent almost ten months riding to all corners of the Britain, Scotland, France and Ireland, returned to the castle empty handed and fearful.

“Well, did you find him? Is he dead?”

The leader of the small group hung his head and gave his weary answer. “I am regretful, My Queen, we did not find him.”

Morgan sprang to her feet. “Five years! Why am I cursed with such incompetent idiots? How could you not find any trace of him? Someone has had to have seen him!”

“My queen, we have searched everywhere.”

“You are all idiots go away from me! Guards! Remove these fools from my sight.” Morgan wailed.

King Lot entered the war room as the guards were leading the doomed soldiers out. “How many more of my loyal men are you going to execute before you’re done? Hmm, my lovely Queen?” Morgan went over to a small table against the wall beneath the King’s coat of arms and poured two cups of wine.

“Hunting today was dreadful.” King Lot said as he removed his riding gloves, hoping a change in the subject matter would lighten the moment. “It was much too warm, all the birds were hiding somewhere. I did so relish the thought of roast pheasant for supper.”

“Lot!” She shouted as she handed him a cup and set hers down so quickly that it spilled over. “Stop your incessant rambling you old fool, you are a genius!”

“What?”

“That’s it! It was so simple. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!” She squealed in delight as she ran out of the room.

“Where are you going?” The confused king followed her up to the top of one of the castle towers. “Good heavens, woman what are you doing?”

“I have been so unfocused, all these wasted years! I can’t believe myself, I’ve been such a fool!” Morgan mumbled loudly as she climbed the steps to the top. “It was right there in front of my eyes the whole time.”

“Well now, that’s a first! You? Belittling yourself? My dear, I think you have finally gone completely insane.”

“No, I haven’t. I’ll show you.”

Lot stood in amazement as she raised her arms to the sky. A flock of twelve black ravens flew out of the forest and landed on the battlements in front of the animate queen.

She opened a large ring on her hand and poured a white powder from it into her palm. She took a deep breath and blew the powder at the birds. “Find Mordred, my pets, go quickly.” She waved them off. “Go, fly!” She commanded and the birds flew away, three in each of the four directions.

“How long will this take, my dear?” King Lot sighed heavily. “Every magic spell you’ve tried produces nothing. You have been looking for nearly, what? Five years? Mordred does not want to be found, if he is even still alive.”

Morgan glared at him. “Of course he’s alive!”

“He has been no threat to us.” Lot was tired of searching, tired of waiting. “My men could have marched on Constantine years ago. I keep telling you, we don’t need Mordred. I don’t know why you keep insisting that we find him.”