The Knight Behind the Pillar (19 page)

             
Hence it took Arthur longer to come back to me and I knew I had enough distance and time to try for a hit.  While missing the breastplate I was just close enough to make contact, the tip of the sword despite being rounded and wrapped in leather caught the front of his harden tunic for an instant before parting and ripped a small hole through it.  Instinctively he jumped back, but it was too late and the round was mine. 

             
“Three points and round one to Tor.” Bedivere confirmed in the background. 

             
I turned around to Arthur.  Beaming a wide smile of victory I removed my helmet for to allow me to wipe the dirt from my eyes.  Already sweat had drowned my hair not helped by the warm afternoon.  A bruise to my side from Arthur’s early hit was also now making itself know.  Arthur looked just as hot and out of breath, but had no simile.  I gained a disappointed nod, before he backed away to resume the second round. 

             
              Turning I replaced my helmet, but as I did so I looked again towards the fort wall.  Upon the battlements an outline of the figure of Merlin stood watching and while we could not see each other‘s faces clearly given the distance, I gave him a good glare of loathing.  Then I returned to the realm of the moment in time when everything else seemed to pause.  Within it I glanced back across to the gathered masses ready again to watch a second round, our practice that had become more than a tournament event except I did not know what the prize was.  Shaking myself free of idle thoughts I dismissed the hum of the crowd and who they were or who were they watching and what they wanted and faced Arthur again. 

             
              Renewed feelings of unease at the situation were determine to keep surfacing and so I decided not to waste time.  I took the first attack, but it was not long before I realised that my victory in the first round may had achieved more than damaged Arthur’s clothes.  In just one succession of strikes, parries and blocks I had scored five points with a hit to the body and hits to arms.  His speed and focus was now far-flung.  Arthur’s abilities were similar to mine I had concluded.  He certainly had some skill and was a good thinker who planned moves and engaged well enough, but something was lacking.  He failed to force me back and even when he managed to attempt a counterattack each blow now lacked confidence, lacked power and I could counter with ease. 

             
Was the pressure of the crowd now getting to him as well as disappointment at defeat in the first round I asked myself?

             
I was not the only one to notice and Bedivere had stepped a little closer.  “Come on Arthur, pick it up a bit.” He encouraged, low enough for us to hear but not for anyone else’s ears. 

             
Arthur’s face just scowled, he hated not the encouragement but the need for it.  We circled each other, both taking a moment to break from fighting each other to fighting our own weariness and the heat.  It was not overly hot, just the combination of metal and hardened leather trapped in the heat and I was slowly realising the weight of it all.  Not that it compared to a true set of armour and I knew I had not real cause to complain. 

             
              I looked again at the crowd.  That voice at the back of my head despite its recent death had returned to torment me.  This was all wrong.  While I was keen to show I was a good swordsman, compared to my poor riding, I suddenly realised I did not want Arthur to lose and certainly not in front of these people.  Failure could not be the first thing they saw their new king achieve, he had to win!  Their talk of this first match would spread, rumours would spiral out of control and what might have be training match would become a duel that risked death where Arthur failed to hold his own instead of a heroic victory. 

             
I rushed to a conclusion and understood this was what had been bothering me all along.  I had to lose this round, but how and without Arthur realising what I was doing?

             
We engaged again, this time I took a more defensive stance and allowed him to gain ground.  The problem was I could not now be too obvious in my change in tactics.  Arthur in a short period of time had gained a clearer understanding of my ability just as I had his and if I was to suddenly act as if I had never fought before it would arouse his suspicion. 

             
He initiated a series of attacks with the opportunity I provided, but then I naturally blocked.  I cursed myself for not letting any through.  It was hard to fight at a lower standard than you know you can achieve.  Besides having a sword swinging towards you no matter how blunt inevitably means instinct makes you defend yourself.   I returned a few blows and then side stepped his charge, but had to take the clear opportunity of hitting his arm as it was too obvious not to. 

             
Another point, it was getting worst.  I had six points and he still had none! 

             
He turned and sword hit sword once more.  Finally they locked and for the first time I let him push my sword away to the side as unless either of us were poorly footed we matched each other’s strength and had to break ourselves apart to engage again.  For him I unexpectedly continued to spin around I was awarded a blow to my back as I turned from Arthur.  I hoped it was the flat side of the sword, but pain shock through me and told me otherwise and unsurprisingly I let out a yell. 

             
Yet I had not finished, I had a new plan.  I completed the turn around and aimed the flat side of my sword neatly at Arthur’s head.  He only saw it coming a fraction of second too late, he was too busy taking advantage of my break in defence and had raised his sword to gain a further three points from my side.  The noise Arthur made was indescribable when my sword made contact with his helmet which instantly broke and flew through the air and then found his head.  I completed my move and dropped my sword immediately afterwards, it hit the ground with a loud thump.  A moment later Arthur made a similar noise as he too hit the dirt followed by cries of the crowd beyond.

             
“Tor!” Bedivere bellowed rushing over, his shout a reaction too late to have stopped me and despite shouting my name he was over to Arthur to check he was alive.  I had intended to hit him and it was the head I aimed for, but not as hard and as fast as had happened.  I found that the weighting of the sword and my own momentum had worked against me. 

             
Quickly I glanced over to the crowd now silent in a moment of concern.  While both Kay and Aries had moved in closer, they did not come all the way across the field, something for now held them back.  It was perhaps their imposing authority and presence that held back the crowds as well. 

             
Looking back to Arthur he was waving Bedivere away and being helped up at the same time.  At least I had not killed him and was relieved.

             
“I’m alright.” He protested with blood covered the lower half of his face from cuts caused by the helmet spinning off and a nose bled.

             
“Just stand first and I’ll be the judge of that.” Bedivere snapped, giving me a disapproving look at the same time. 

             
When Arthur had struggled up and gained both feet, he finally looked my way, a face of confusion and shock. “What did you do that for?” He exclaimed coarsely.

             
I shifted feet and tried to look sorry, despite it being a purposeful act.  I was a little guilty at the strength of the hit and yet it I hoped this too served to convince him it was accidental.

             
“I meant to hit your side, I misjudged it sorry.  You sure you’re alright?” I answered acting concerned. 

             
“Fine.”  He dismissed, a little calmer from the initial shock reaction, “Just seemed a daft move to me.”

             
“And it lost you the round Tor.” Bedivere added, still in a tone of telling me off.  “No heads I said, remember!”

             
I just nodded and looked away from Arthur to avoid betraying my real victory and lack of guilt.  I had got what I wanted, despite once again having had to lie to the future king.  After tomorrow such an act could be regarded as treason and that carried the death penalty I considered briefly with little humour.  My eyes drifted upwards to the stone fort wall parapet once more to find Merlin, but the strange man of secrets had gone and excited squires and pensive guards had replaced him. 

             
“Last round.” Bedivere called back my attention.  “Let’s get this over with and again no heads.  I mean it.” He instructed and distinctively sounded fed up with the whole performance as he gave us our space again. 

             
              Facing Arthur again I needed a new way to lose.  I could only hope losing the last round would inspire renewed confidence from him, but frown lines and suspicion stared back at me.  He had to win two rounds to my one to count as a win and I knew it could not appear as a win by default like the last round.  It had to be a convincing win in the eyes of the crowd.  Only looking at Arthur now I realised that he also needed convincing, he glared at me with a eye of distrust and I was quickly suspecting that I had lost that battle. 

             
Somehow I had missed him gaining a new helmet he stared out from.  This time it had a stronger strap with a metal guard across.  The problems with wearing any armour were always simple ones and often the most irritating.  Beads of sweat poured down both our faces getting in our eyes and yet gauntlets and helmets never allowed for the simple task of wiping the sweat away.  My thoughts as always wanted to stray away from the problem at hand.  I needed to work out how to lose and not how to wipe my brow! 

             
Arthur waited for my first strike this time.  With initial hesitation, as I tried to think of a way forward, I decided in the end just to see what would happen next.  I stepped forward and swung my sword towards his upper torso.  Purposefully I had come forward too far and over stretched, but instead of side stepping me as expected to give him a chance to gain a hit back, he blocked.  Staring at me directly at me he used his sword to push my hand and sword away and out to the side as I let him.  I was open for a hit, he could have used the back of his sword or just kicked me or both as I purposefully took longer than usual to bring my sword back to my centre and close the opening.  In spite of this clear chance he did not take it! 

             
He just stood there!

             
Staring right at me! 

             
“What is going on?” He asked slowly, seriously and strangely with more authority than I had heard from him before now.

             
Our swords floated just in front of us, both on our guard and ready to continue, but we both held back. 

             
“I could ask…..” I began awkwardly, but stopped as Arthur decided to continue talking instead and I knew it was best to let him.

             
“Something keeps telling me you are acting all strange, despite never having fought with you before.  It’s not right.  What are you doing?”  He asked and briefly paused before asking the genuine question that had waited behind the stare of disbelief.  “Are you trying to lose?”

             
He dropped his guard and his sword fell away, utterly against all the normal rules. 

             
“No,” I stated as confidently as I could and pulling a face.

             
“Did you lose the last fight on purpose?”  He pressed on.

             
“Don’t be daft, course I didn’t.”

             
Arthur then surprised me, with a shake of his head he suddenly stabbed his sword into the ground and without looking at me, marched off.  I guessed he did not believe me as I was just left standing there. 

             
“What happened now?” Bedivere called over from the side with equal surprise or maybe it was more of a stain on his level of patience, like a father figure suddenly exasperated by his children misbehaving.  I ignored him and looked to Arthur instead. 

             
“Arthur!” I called, “Wait!”

             
I chased the back of Arthur, dropping my sword and tearing off my helmet and gloves.

             
“Leave me be, you can go Tor.” Arthur answered; well in fact it was a demand.  He kept walking, taking determined strides and not looking back.

             
“Please wait, let me explain…” I insisted.

             
I reached out to grip his arm to stop him, but this was a mistake.  He did stop, but also whirled round and with both hands quickly against my chest shoved me back. 

             
“You just lied to me, again!” He yelled and was about to pushed me back again but changed his mind and walked away and pleaded to the sky.  “I just need at least one person to be honest with me, just one!”

             
I decided then he needed….no, he was going to listen.