Chapter Seventeen: Delrand’s Point of View

   Considering the absolute inevitable, things were looking up. At first I thought we’d never manage to reach the stage we were at now. After all, what can you expect from a princess of a very powerful kingdom? Even she must now what everyone thinks of her. Still, as long as she carries on not caring about what everyone else thinks, she shouldn’t change much. Something as life changing as the events that I introduced into her life can’t not effect the person’s personality. Firstly, magic was basically ruling her actions. Secondly, I had shockingly fallen in love with her and I get a strange feeling that she doesn’t completely love me back. There must be some part of her that cared about someone else more than me. All her life she had been around men and I refuse to believe that there hasn’t been someone who caught her attention more than usual. Not that I like focusing on the past much.

   Fast asleep, Elara looked so peaceful. No worry in her eyes, no tensing to know what’s going to happen at the next turn. I stroked the hair off her face, careful not to wake her with my touch. I got off the bed and walked out of the room. The corridors were quiet but I still had to check some of the dormitories for any young miscreants. Heading downstairs, I shook off the tiredness that wanted to cloud my mind. Though my friends didn’t like it that I seemed to neglect them a lot lately, I had my reasons. Risking their lives on top of mine and Elara’s was something I was determined to prevent.

   As usual they were waiting in the shadows, they were the type of men who would be able to hear every conversation in a crowded place and yet be able to remain completely elusive of the others around them. Probably why we all got on so well; except that I was able to remain, without a flaw, inconspicuous even when I walked past the people.

   ‘He’s starting to really tick me off,’ came Justin’s voice loudly from where they stood. He was actually speaking in a loud whisper, but because of the quiet in the hall, his voice carried farther than he thought.

   ‘Who’s getting on your nerves, Justin?’ I asked as I walked into the moonlight that flowed fluidly from the eastern windows.

   ‘Mordred. Why doesn’t he just come out of hiding? I hate waiting around when we all know what’s going to happen anyway.’ He spoke of the tenseness we all carried within our minds. That’s how Mordred liked to work, build up the tension and everyone is too busy trying not to break down mentally that he’ll have no competition. Unfortunately for him, Mordred had a problem with estimating different people’s abilities.

   ‘I’ll tell you what you should be doing right now. Stop focusing on what is to come and start focusing on what is here and now. Anything?’ I added to them all. Justin wasn’t too happy with me telling him what to do, but at least he didn’t retaliate.

   ‘Nothing. I tell you, trying to find a way through the many different circles is like trying to find the biggest fish in all the seas. It’s useless to think that there is a way past the many minions under his control. Though we’ve got to hand it to him, he’s managed to delude us quite spontaneously so far.’ Harrod was always hopeless at searching for the possible but rather looked at the impossible. ‘And what about you? You haven’t helped at all with the situation.’

   ‘You should already know why I can’t help you.’

   ‘Oh, we know alright, that was blatantly obvious from the start. Elara.’ I eyed him warningly as he smirked.

   ‘Harrod, enough,’ Oscar spoke out finally. Though he was the quietest out of the three, when he did speak it was, with certainty, that he had something relative to say or put across. ‘Can we really afford to risk her life?’ He paused. ‘Think about it. If we lost her there would be no hope in ever defeating Mordred. There is a choice, but for us it’s very biased.’ Also, Oscar never said much even when he was speaking.

   ‘And what of Merlin? He hasn’t helped in any way, less than you have,’ Harrod said.

   ‘Merlin has his own problems to deal with and I won’t burden him with our troubles as well.’

   ‘You mean he’s finally passed the leadership to you then.’

   ‘He wants to but I won’t accept it. I’m not one for being overly confident when it comes to responsibilities. There’s another reason for why Elara’s so special.’

   ‘Which is?’

   ‘Do I have to decipher everything for you?’ I asked respectively. ‘She’s the only heir to the throne, which means she has the required skills within her. When I found out it was her I was meant to be teaching, that meant a lot of pressure on keeping her alive because of that. There are two sides to her, but they also happen to work together quite well. I hate having it as a consequence, but to be able to increase her magical knowledge, it means that she has to neglect her lineage.’

   ‘So in the end, if she wins, she’ll be ruler of the kingdom and of the magic council?’ I nodded once at his brief conclusion.

   ‘What if she declines?’ Justin asked rhetorically, then answered his own question. ‘There has to be order for us to operate in. A council can only do so much. Without a leader things won’t go according to plan or turn out the way we had hoped.’

   ‘Then there’s us as a family.’ I knew they wouldn’t believe me but we were as close as it got to a perfect mind. ‘We work together without the real need of communication.’

   ‘That may be but none of us have any real sense of leadership. Can you really see us taking over the institution?’ We grinned in unison at Justin’s point. However, he was right. We weren’t ones for being stable under duties from those who expected us to respond blindly at requests.

  ‘Keep trying, that’s all you can really do for now. I’ll be surprised if you do find a niche in their concrete workings.’

   ‘Riddles again, Delrand?’ Harrod asked.

   ‘Sorry. I’ve got to take her to meet them sometime soon. To see if she can influence their decision on whether to aid us or not. They won’t listen to me, but I still have to keep up my ways of speaking to them.’

   ‘Why can’t they be normal, like the rest of us magicians?’ Justin commented.

   ‘If you ever get the chance to ask one, I advise you not to. You’ll be answered with a very long and complex riddle, that even I won’t be able to decipher or make sense of.’

   ‘I’ll remember that.’

   In the stables, we were readying the horses for our trip back to Camelot tomorrow. Strapping the girdle onto my stallion, Jerga, I noticed that the air was crackling. Not just the air inside the out-building but the air in general. It wasn’t something to be heard, rather something to be felt. I walked outside and stood just under the doorway. The sky was black as it should be; though it wasn’t clouded over, there were no stars shining. All the light that was made from the heavens was from the moon. It stood out like a white sheep in a field full of black sheep. No breeze shifted the stagnant air about the odouress horse-shed. Instinct rose up inside me and it soaked into my subconscious and refused to budge. I stepped further out into the courtyard. I sniffed the air and that didn’t help me depict the problem. Footsteps trod on the cobble path towards me from behind. Head bent and eyes looking over my shoulder, Oscar’s silhouette grew from the shadows.

   ‘Can you feel it?’ he asked. His voice portrayed the alarm that had built up inside me.

   ‘Hmmm,’ I hummed as I nodded. ‘Pressure’s going to one day destroy us all if he doesn’t calm down. The amount of power coming out of where ever he is hiding is beyond the amount he had last time.’

   ‘Yes, but last time he didn’t have to worry about the competition from someone else, who happens to be stronger, smarter and in control.’

   ‘She doesn’t seem to want to believe that. I can’t seem to think of a way to make her prove it to herself.’ I sighed and looked at the ground in front of me.

   ‘As you know, you can only prove it to her via two ways. Testing her against other less powerful magicians, including yourself; or secretly battling her against Mordred. And everyone knows that she’d decline as soon as you offered that option.’

   ‘I know, but I don’t know what else to do. Everything’s muddled, nothing seems clear anymore. I just wish time wasn’t so slow.’ I fell to my knees in dread that we’ll never be able to find a weakness within Mordred’s engagements. ‘Since all this started I don’t have time to search out hidden links.’

   ‘You know what you really need.’

   I looked up at his shadowed face, bemused. ‘Go on...’

   ‘Either a good night’s sleep or a week away in the wilderness. You could even take her with you. I doubt you know her that well to believe that she might enjoy some time doing something different once in a while.’

   ‘I’m not one for sleeping. And if I did go away, I’d still keep in contact with the outside world. As soon as something threatened the school or Camelot, I’d be there in an instant.’

   ‘On the condition that we can’t sort it out by ourselves, that’s without your help.’ As he spoke, I got up off the ground and stood with my arms loose and my head bowed. I got on with Oscar much better than the other two when it came to negotiations and talking, but when it came to fighting and duels all three of them were as equal as Elara and I in tactics and wits. Though they may not be as strong as me they were a peril to their adversaries.

   ‘May be after the conference is finished with. Too early may be what Mordred wants; too late may not leave us anytime to actually settle down.’

   ‘Decide when you will, but I personally advise you to leave as soon as possible.’

   Stood beside the window, leaning against the wall with my arms folded, I thought over all my options and weighed up the good and bad points of each one, before considering to disregard it or not. Elara’s slow shallow breathing comforted me slightly. Oscar had said something very useful in our conversation earlier. I didn’t know her as much as I had first anticipated. There were so many details and traits within her that it was impossible to distinguish specific ones from others.

   I have to give you options, even though I have already decided my course of action, I thought to myself. What if it goes too deep, that we have to see each other everyday or we’ll not be able to live. I couldn’t cope with that and neither could she. In order to fully function we still have to remain independent of our mental stability. Things will never be the same again for anyone who knew even a hint about us, if we were to go along with the plan. No matter how it turned out I’d have to wait until tomorrow.

   ‘Finally; I’d never think you’d get around it. I’ve had enough of being stuck around, doing nothing but duties that need to be getting on with.’ I had just been telling Elara about what we should consider doing. ‘Just not this week. I’ve still got a lesson to teach before I start escapading around the country.’

   ‘Yes, um... about this week.’ I rubbed the back of my neck. ‘Make sure you don’t plan anything for Friday night.’

   ‘Why, what’s going on then?’ Her head feel to the side.

   ‘They’ll only listen to you, otherwise I’d go by myself. I’ll be there with you but it’s you alone who has to try and convince them of helping us.’

   ‘Delrand, just tell me who it is we’re meeting with.’

   ‘Druids,’ I said quietly and quickly.

   ‘Oh no, not them. I’ve met some of them before and the only thing I remember about them is that they like to speak in riddles. I never understood them back then and I doubt I will now.’

   ‘That’s good to know. Unlike then, though, you’ll have a better common sense than back then; I hope. That’s all it takes to decipher their riddles, common sense. Oh, and to be able to apply them to everything at the same time.’

   ‘That’s what I don’t know how to do. How can an eagle end up being something which it clearly isn’t?’

   ‘I’ve got some light reading sorted for you to skim through.’

   ‘By light you do mean a small pile of parchment sheets?’ I nodded my head with a subtle wry smile. ‘Can you forgive me for even daring to think that you and Mordred shared blood?’

   ‘Of course. I’ll let you in on another secret. Justin, Oscar and Harrod also thought I was related to him after the first week I knew them. I think it all comes done to me and him being such enemies that we don’t actually kill each other on sight because we would then be stuck without someone to apply all our hate to.’ She shook her head and raised her eyebrows.

   ‘Honestly, men. Always you have to be so competitive. Delrand, I don’t know why I’m asking really; are you religious in any way?’

   ‘No and I haven’t been in all my life. Neither of my parents were either so far as I can remember. Why do you ask?’

   ‘As I said, I don’t know, it just came to me out of nothing.’

   ‘It seems I should ask you the same. Yet, I already know that you clearly aren’t.’

   ‘And you’d be right in your conclusion. Why on earth should I have to worship something of higher power. According to me, the only person above me is my own father and in him I have unwavering respect.’

   ‘What you might have asked me instead could have been why would I believe in a God? And I’d answer: I don’t know.’ I paused and considered whether I should continue with my opposing predicament. I stopped there and kept silent. Taking her hand in mine, I examined her palm lines and her elegant fingers. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, so I gave up and intertwined my fingers between hers.

   ‘What are you two up to?’ came Tristan’s voice from the practice ring. My head jumped up as I had forgotten about the others and where we were at present. Looking over I saw him striding leisurely towards us under the beamed roof.

   ‘Just talking, Tristan. Nothing to suspect,’ Elara replied, our hands were still held together by my efforts. ‘What do you want?’

   ‘The others and I were wondering if Delrand was any good at armed combat. We all know what you’re capable of, Elara, but Delrand still remains elusive to us. Can you even fight with a blade, Delrand?’

   I etched a crooked smile onto my face and narrowed my eyes in obscure delight. ‘I can fight. Just hand me a sword and I’ll duel one of you.’

   ‘Here, use mine.’ Elara said beside me. The scraping of metal on leather screeched as she unsheathed her blade. I hadn’t really laid eyes upon the actual weapon, only ever concealed within its protective leather-bound scabbard. It was elegant, and most definitely fashioned around Elara herself; it was light yet sturdy and seemed to be able to withstand powerful blows across the edging. ‘Delrand, you do know how to fight as we do?’

   ‘If you mean brutally, then not quite. If you mean strategically, then yes,’ I said as I let go of her hand. Hers fell down beside her and mine grasped the hilt of the borrowed sword.

   Hopefully this won’t take long. Who’s the better out of them? I asked her privately.

   Let them decide who you’re up against, but you’ll probably have to fight them all. None of them like being left out if it means trying to beat someone new. Plus they’d never let a chance to prove to me that they’re much more practical than they look, if you get my meaning?

   I understand. You’ll be surprised at what I was taught in combat. I looked behind me, but she had moved from where I had left her. She had walked around the ring rather than taking the path I took following Tristan to the centre. The small company of knights stood on the opposite side.

   ‘Who’s first?’ I asked calmly. Whatever they were thinking didn’t show upon their faces. They stood as calmly as I felt. One thing that I could deduce from them was winning wasn’t necessarily based upon strength or brutality. It had been a while since I had last held a blade or other means of arms, and I didn’t like the feel of the unfamiliar arm extension.

   Gawain stepped forward silently and readied himself. He took a few practice swings in midair. I returned the gesture, which stunned them all for a double second. I knew I was not as strong as them physically, but what I lacked in power I gained in speed. My copied swings were over in a flash of silver through the air in front and beside me.

   Who taught you how to fight? came Elara’s shocked voice inside my head.

   A friend, I answered, insubstantial of her expression. My eyes were focused onto Gawain’s posture; I was also able to predict a person’s intention’s by their body language. Looking at Gawain’s posture now let me guess he was waiting for me to strike first. I stood as still as the trees in the morning light. Unwavering limbs or concentration. Elara’s sword remained pointed down, my grip tightened in mounting frustration.

   He gave me now warning. Before I could gather what had just happened he was already lunging at my chest. In a swift flickered movement of my lower arm I evaded his attempt and quickly parried him from then on.

   It was draining work having to defend myself from his every attack and at the same time trying to find a way past his own defences. Eventually, I gave him a chance to take me but it was a trick. He let my now familiar weapon flail to the side on our last contact. He lunged forward, but as his blade cut the air next to my waist I jumped sideways away. Grabbing his sword-arm and pulling it around his back, his grip failed and the metal stuck point down in the ground. He grimaced as I twisted his hand to touch his own leather hauberk.

   ‘Yield?’ I asked.

   ‘Yield,’ he muffled in response. I released him, picked up his fallen weapon by the hilt and handed it to him as I walked past to retrieve my own disregarded sword. What do you think?

   Very impressive, show-off, came her gleeful, cheery voice on my open mind.

  Show-off am I? Then what do you call them? I asked her as I walked towards my recent onlookers. ‘Anyone else want a try?’ I asked openly to the knights. They looked at each other in quiet agreement; of what, evaded me. I turned back to Elara but her focus was on each of the others, in turn.

   ‘You scheming river rats. I should have known you’d up them against each other,’ she spoke harshly through bared teeth. My eyes widened, astounded suspicion at what she was talking about. Delrand, please don’t agree to it.

   Agree to what? I looked at the knights and then it dawned on me. Lancelot!.. I should have seen it coming. Who’s idea was this? I won’t agree to it, not if it’s for them to see whose a better companion for you. Surely they know that... I was interrupted by her shaking her head.

   ‘They won’t let you back down.’ They know too well that it was your fault that I won’t marry one of their so-called brotherhood. And don’t believe for a second that Lancelot would have wanted to challenge you. He knows I’d hate him for even trying to make me chose him over you because he can defeat you when it comes to prowess.

   ‘Not chicken are you, Delrand?’ Galahad’s sneering came from somewhere to my left, but I still stared, shocked, at Elara’s sorrow-filled face.

   ‘No, but I refuse to agree to your offer. Don’t look so surprised at my guesswork, it’s was obvious from the start. Though my mind was focused on duelling Gawain at that point.’

   ‘Do you really wish to shame your name by standing down on a chance to prove your worth to her?’

   ‘There is no shame in retreating from a fight, only in thinking you can defeat one of more advanced skills and proved a weakling.’ My eyes fell upon Lancelot himself, he stood at the back of his gathered comrades (who, themselves, stood in a rigid line). He seemed relaxed and unmoved by their inquiry. Though his eyes depicted a tinge of jealousy that I would have expected to be there forever more as long as I lived. I had great hidden respect for him. He, among all the men she knew, had at least loved her in the same way I do. He deserved a chance to prove to himself that he was as potentially beneficial as myself. He met my gaze and, for a split second, and swore, to myself, I noticed him nod his head ever so slightly. Either my eyes deceived me or he wanted to fight. Then his eyes turned to look over the practice ring.

   Do you wish me to challenge him?

   No, it would undermine my love for you if you were to lose.

   You have no faith in me? I asked softly.

   You know I do, but he is their captain for a reason. He’s the best there is, excluding me; but I am the princess so I don’t count. Please, I’m begging you not to take it up.

   At least see if he has any opinion. ‘What of yourself, Sir Lancelot? Would you agree to this test?’

   He remained silent for the most part of a minute. Then, ‘How ever they see fit to deprive us of any or all courage, then I am undecided.’ At his words, Elara gave out a relieved sigh. Her shoulders sank and her head bowed low until her chin touched her chest.

   He’s very formal, isn’t he?

   He would be when he talks to you, after what you forced me to do against him, I doubt he’ll be the same man he was back then. ‘Why would you lot even consider that they’d submit to your curiosities? As you can see they don’t want to. Let it go.’

   ‘I don’t think there’s any getting out of it for them I’m afraid,’ Gawain spoke out for the whole group. ‘Unless they’d prefer to have cowards upon their names for some years, I say they should sort it out now.’

   ‘Sort what out now, Gawain?’ Lancelot butted in before I could retort. ‘If you think Delrand and I are foolish enough to duel each other then think again. Neither of us are of any bother to the other. Childish rebukes won’t get us to turn against each other for pride’s sake.’

   Gawain folded his arms in lessened hope. I could see they weren’t going to be satisfied if we kept turning down their would-be accusations. It was possible that they just wanted to upset the balance between Elara’s faith and trust in him and her undying love for me. I could tell by her tensed arms that she wanted very much to be gone from this fearsome atmosphere.

   ‘Delrand, may I talk to you privately for a moment?’ I looked up as Lancelot spoke to me directly from where he stood. I nodded and walked over to him, though he had already started walking himself. As soon as I took one blinded step, my arm was wrenched back and nails dug into the skin of my inner wrist. I lowered my head and turned sideways onto her. I gazed into her eyes and spoke into her mind. He just wants to talk, it’s not like he’s going to kill me. Though my words didn’t suppress her worry, she let go off me and I continued striding over to Lancelot.

   ‘Does she want us to duel?’ he asked when I was in earshot of his wavering voice.

   ‘No, and I personally agree. It would only create disturbances among the whole of Camelot if we were to engage in such daring games.’

   ‘As do I but I have the knowledge of how their minds work. Except for Tristan, being Elara’s cousin, they will expect me to uphold my honour. They understand much about the ties we both have upon her and they consider it an offence that you were to steal her from us after just one day of being here; because of you not being bound by promises to protect her.’

   ‘Us? Well, that explains them for thinking you’d agree. And don’t think that I haven’t sworn to protect her. For I spend most of the time preventing her from getting into any danger.’

   However much I wanted to rather not speak mysteriously of her, I wanted to make sure that Lancelot understood my steadfast allegiance to their ways. Even if it meant breaking all of them in one sweep to keep her away from death’s door, then I would prefer it that she was successfully out of harm’s way. Though it may mean running from Camelot’s high shielding walls and battlements.

   ‘I trust you being around. I only fear the company that you keep, Delrand. Those three friends of yours are very mystifying and unpretentious when it comes to conversation. How can I be sure that they aren’t a threat to her well-being? I love her still, though she chose you over myself.’

   ‘And there I was thinking you’d only called me over to discuss the present problem. So, what of this consequential battle of ours? Shall we duel or deny?’

   ‘I think it best we duel, it’ll wash out any cause for them to confront us about reliance.’

   ‘Very well. Though I warn you I won’t be holding back.’

   ‘Likewise.’

   To show them that we had agreed on the demanded fight, we walked to the centre of the ring rather than back over to them. As expected Elara tried to intervene through my mind but I shut my barriers over our contact. Lancelot walked side on to me to where he would start from. As he reached his position he unfastened his cloak from his shoulders. I followed suit; we both knew this would last for some time and our cloaks would only burden our movements. Clearly he was expecting it to be a very laborious event. I was expecting it to be even either way only out lasting him would be the only way to win, but he looked fitter in mind and body than I might assume. So I decided to let fate do the talking and let us just get on with the sparring.

   Many times, over and over, our blades met as we strove to keep from losing. Too many times. The clashing rang loud in my ears and all I could recall seeing was his face. He didn’t smile or frown, only grimaced with the force of my parries against his attempts. He was strong himself, but with each passing blow I could feel the strength lessen in his arms. Also, with each passing blow, my own strength faded more. Twenty minutes must have been spent on us hefting at each others bodies.

   His sword came round to my side, too easy was it to block that it seemed a mistake. I caught the edge against mine and lifted them both overhead. He pulled away to gain some space between us. Whether he knew anymore of how it was possible for someone to come out on top wasn’t apparent. In one fluid step he was back on the offensive, he swung at my right but I drew back instead of parrying. I lifted my blade tip up ready for another attack. None came, he stood there, breathing hard. Sweat poured down his face. I must have looked the same in his eyes. He stared at me in reluctant hindrance. I let my eyes and posture relax, and nodded my head down once. In unison we struck our blades into the ground beside us.

   ‘You put up a good challenge, Delrand,’ he said as we shook hands two seconds later. With our free hands we brushed away the residue of our perspiration.

   ‘As do you. But it wasn’t a fair fight in my eyes from the beginning.’

   ‘True, but Gawain didn’t get much out of you. We seem to be too equally matched.’ He let go of my hand and we both retrieved our disregarded weapons. For the first time I looked back upon the rest. Elara had her hands clasped behind her back by Tristan. From the distance I was from her, I could see she was speaking to him but I couldn’t hear what she said.

   ‘Tristan, let her go. It’s over.’ He let go in sudden in response. She ran all the way from there to me and I waited for the grasp of her arms around me, or so I expected. But she didn’t do anything else. Before she was finally around me, I switched the blade into my left hand, to better hold her.

   ‘Don’t ever do that to me again,’ she spoke sharply.

   ‘Should it ever come to it again,’ I replied, and a short chuckle resounded in my throat.

   ‘That can’t be what you two spoke of before you began.’ I looked up at Galahad’s words, then over at Lancelot as he replied.

   ‘No, it wasn’t. What we spoke of is not your business. How were we supposed to know neither of us could win?’