Knight Quest (Time Hunters, Book 2) (10 page)

Whump!

A football smacked Anubis right in the face. In a flash, the god disappeared.

Tom's friend Danny came running to collect his ball.

“Sorry about that, mate,” said Danny. “Hope it didn't hit you.”

“Nope,” said Tom. “It didn't get
me
.”

Just then the bell rang. Tom walked back into school with Danny. From behind him, Tom heard Isis say, “I think I'll take a nap, Fluffpot. This finding-amulets business is tiring.”

Phew!
thought Tom.
At least I won't be distracted by Isis in this class
.

As he walked to his Maths lesson, Tom thought about the adventure he'd just had. The jousts and the swordfights, the shining armour and the magnificent horses. Sure he'd been clonked with a lance and nearly crushed by a rockslide – but he'd learned how to fight like a knight. And best of all, he'd got to meet King Arthur! Now he knew that this legendary hero wasn't just a myth – he'd seen him with his very own eyes.

Tom smiled as he sat down at a desk.
Four more amulets to find
, he mused.
I wonder where the third one will be hidden
…

And as Mr Braintree scribbled maths problems on the whiteboard, Tom started dreaming about other legendary leaders. Who would he meet next?

Tom glanced over and saw Isis lying on the carpet in the reading corner. Cleo was curled up next to her, already fast asleep. He smiled. An Egyptian princess could be a handful – but he had to admit they madea great team!

Find out more about the legendary King Arthur and his brave Knights of the Round Table.

KING ARTHUR
was a legendary king. As a young man he proved himself the rightful King of England by pulling a magical sword out of a stone. Arthur was then given his own special sword, called Excalibur. During his reign he married the beautiful Guinevere, built a magnificent castle called Camelot, and created the Knights of the Round Table, an order made up of the kingdom's twelve best knights.

LANCELOT
was one of King Arthur's most famous knights, known for his bravery and good looks. He was invited to join the Knights of the Round Table when he convinced one of King Arthur's enemies to surrender without a fight! King Arthur trusted Lancelot more than any of his other knights, but that turned out to be a BIG mistake. Lancelot fell in love with Queen Guinevere and stole her away from King Arthur. But Lancelot regretted his actions, and ended his life a hermit, feeling guilty for betraying his friend, till the end of his days.

GAWAIN
was King Arthur's nephew. The most famous story about Gawain is of him and the Green Knight, who challenged Gawain to chop off his head, as long as he could do the same to Gawain a year later. Not believing this was possible, Gawain beheaded him, but the Green Knight simply picked his head up and stuck it back on! For the next year, Gawain was always worried and wore a magical green ribbon around his neck, which protected him from the Green Knight's axe.

GALAHAD
was Lancelot's son, known for his courage. Like King Arthur, Galahad pulled a sword out of a stone, proving that he was the knight destined to find the Holy Grail, which was a sacred cup. Along with two other Knights of the Round Table – Bors and Percivale – Galahad went on a long, difficult quest to find the Holy Grail. When he finally found it, Galahad was so happy that he asked to die in that very moment!

The Knights of the Round Table were very brave. They defended England against invaders and always fought with honour and courage. To help them defeat their enemies they used lots of different weapons.

Mace:
cheap and easy to make, but also deadly. It had a round head made from stone, iron, bronze or steel and it was covered in sharp spikes.

Halberd:
a lethal weapon. It had the head of an axe on top of a pike, which was a long wooden pole.

Lance:
a long pole with a sharp metal point, used by knights on horseback. In jousting tournaments, the point would be replaced with something blunt, so that it could be used to knock an opponent off his horse.

Flail:
used by knights and foot soldiers. It had a short wooden handle with a spiky metal ball attached to it by a chain, so that it couldbe swung round.

Sword:
only used by knights as they were expensive to make. A double-edged sword called the broadsword was used in combat.

In KNIGHT QUEST Tom and Isis travel to Medieval England. Discover more about this period of history in this brilliant timeline!

Tom and Isis never know where in history they'll go to next! Check out in what order their adventures
actually
happen.

Impress your friends with these facts about Medieval England!

 

 The Battle of Hastings in 1066 didn't actually take place in Hastings; it took place at Senlac Hill which is six miles away from Hastings.
That's as far as the Isle of Wight is from the coast of England.