"Be sure to fasten your saddle well, young lad." One of the soldiers teased
There were six men now in the castle stables, preparing their horses for flight. Sir Draire had been summoned to the castle and the other two soldiers were in the castle's armoury selecting weapons for the ambush.
"I had fastened it very well the first time, one of you lot tampered with it." The young lad accused. He was the youngest of the brave men, though it was only by a year, the older soldiers found it a favourable pass time to tease him.
"You had proved yourself to be a most skilled horse man Duncan." Gorlois joined in.
"Yea, too bad it didn't last, he went splat! on his face." Joked another
They all laughed, even young Duncan.
"The king and princesses were watching, it was the most embarrassing day of my life" Duncan recalled
"The most embarrassing day of your life....yet." One soldier blurted
A roar of laughter came from the five men that they seemed doubled in number. Young Duncan shook his head and continued with his task.
The two soldiers returned from the armoury with bows and arrows.
"Be certain to fasten your saddle young Duncan" said one
There was another outburst of laughter, even young Duncan had to join in.
The laughter seized as Sir Draire entered the room, there was a sullen look on his face that was immediately contagious.
"The king will not accompany us on this mission" he informed.
"Has he decided to with draw?" Inquired Duncan
"The king has never withdrawn from any battle....there is something wrong" Gorlois observed
Sir Draire released a weighed breath and went over to his horse.
"We shall carry on with the mission as planned, each man bring double the amount of arrows, we ride as soon..."
One soldier pulled him away from his horse
" We demand to know what has happened, is there something wrong with the king?"
"We have a right to know Sir Draire"
By this time all eight men had stopped their preparations and sixteen eyes looked sternly at Sir Draire. It was without question they would not continue before they were answered.
"The best physicians now attend to him, he should be able to recover."
"Recover from what...He was fine when we left him last night."
"Has he been physically harmed?"
"We shouldn't have left him, we know the Saxons are unpredictable, did someone get by the guards?"
"What is it Sir Draire?" Gorlois placed his hands on Sir Draire's shoulders and shook him impatiently, he searched his eyes for answers.
"They don't know exactly....He...He is not responding to anything... he just lies there and stares at ceiling......it's as if he is not in his body."
Sir Draire explained, there was a pained look on his face and within his tone.
"I have never seen anything like it."
"Ahhhh.....sorcery!" One soldier exclaimed "sorcery" he repeated in a terrified hush
The company was wide eyed and quite. The air seemed to have suddenly been suck out of the room and replaced with dread.
"They don't know what it is for certain." Sir Draire reported his throat suddenly dried.
"We shall ride on, for the sake of our king, for the sake of Camelot. If the Saxons have a hand in this they will receive no mercy" he encouraged.
He mounted his horse sword in hand, eyes blazing with vengeance. He raised his sword high and in a deep rustic voice declared.
"For Camelot..... for the king!!!"
This aroused the other men they too mounted their horses and in the same tone with swords high exclaimed
"For Camelot ......for the king!!!!!"
