Chapter 5

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The best and the worst times together was when Enniaun went to war. A messenger would come calling with a summons from Ambrosius and Uther would call his spearmen, and they would march away for weeks on end before returning laden with stories and loot and slaves.

It was amazing to have escaped from Enniaun's bullying guardianship for a time, but Mordred's brutality would escalate away from his father. It was becoming worse not better as time went on. As Owain and I grew closer to his gigantic speed it seemed like Mordred must go further and further to prove his domination over the two of us.

Things were to a head when Enniaun was away at war. Owain, Cei and I were running through the forests hunting deer when we stumbled across Mordred with a handful of his friends. We instantly made to flee but were caught in just a few paces and dragged back to the clearing, Cei got away but then they were never concerned about attacking Cei, only Owain and myself.

Owain went quietly as he always did, too proud to be overpowered fighting back. His passive defiance was far more infuriating to Mordred than any blow for sure. Not that I could match his calm. I went clawing at them, spitting and swearing vengeance. I butted one as he caught me, clawed another with my first before I was tackled to the ground and succumbed to half a dozen boys punching and kicking me.

'You've been hunting deer.' Mordred loudly accused us, and then grinned with an evil gleam in his dark eyes. 'Poaching is punishable by death. Here give me that rope.' He proclaimed as if a magistrate to one of his companions. Suddenly his friends were unsure of themselves, it had been funny to beat us and then watch us be punished for beating us before, but this was a level they were unsure of.

Mordred though snatched the rope and made his way over to us, tying the knot as he did so.

'Don't be an idiot, brother.' Owain told him calmly, not believing his brother would be so stupid, but Mordred roared and hit his younger brother, causing Owain to stumble but he stood up and smiled at him.

I doubt Mordred had planned to actually hang us, but when Owain smiled at him like that it tipped him over the edge. I saw the light change in his eyes. He slipped the noose over Owain's neck and then, with a great tug, pulled Owain off his feet, beginning to drag him along the ground by the rope around his throat.

I launched myself at Mordred, surprising his horrified companions, including those who were supposed to be holding me. I tackled him to the ground, swinging punches at the older, bigger boy and yelling as I did so. But with their leader being attacked Mordred's companions found their courage and they came for me, hauling me back from the ground and kicking me. Someone stamped on my head and my vision swam.

By the time it had cleared a little Mordred had climbed to his feet. He looked shaken though was trying to appear unperturbed. He spat out the bloody shard of a broken tooth and came at me, kicking me hard in the face so that I felt my neck jar back like it would snap.

'You're next.' He spat vengefully, and walked back towards where his younger brother still lay on the floor. Owain was trying to loosen the noose from his neck, choking hoarsely as he did so. But Mordred kicked him too, sinking his boot into Owain's stomach so that he doubled over, and then he bent down, picked up the end of the rope and threw it over the branch.

'No!' I yelled, and Mordred stopped, but not because of my shout.

With a challenging roar Ector came storming into the clearing, murder in his eyes. He seemed like a giant in the woods, his presence groan. His back no longer had his slight stoop but he was tall and straight, and though there was no sword in his hand, the aura of the warrior that he must have held in the days he was Enniaun's champion seemed to shine from him and Mordred paled for a moment looking at him before trying to dismiss him with an order, as if he were a merely an old man serving stale bread.

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