Tournament Trouble: Sword Girl Book 3 (7 page)

Then the trumpets sounded again and Sir Walter and Lady Beatrix went to take up their seats on the viewing platform.

Sir Walter stood to announce the rules of the jousting competition that the youngest squires would be fighting in that afternoon.

‘Each squire will be given three lances,' he declared. ‘You will receive one point if you break a lance on the shield of your opponent, two points if you break the lance on his chest, and three points if you knock him off his horse. The match ends when one or other of the squires is unhorsed.'

As Tommy moved off with the others to the tents where the squires were to prepare for the jousting competition, her heart began to pound. How could she possibly succeed? Her opponent would have been training for weeks – even months – while she had only ridden a horse for the first time the day before!

‘Come on, Tommy, I'll help you with your armour.' It was Sir Benedict.

‘Yes, sir,' Tommy whispered.

He handed her a coat of padded cloth. ‘Put this on first,' he instructed. ‘It'll stop the armour from rubbing.'

When Tommy had slipped on the coat, Sir Benedict helped her pull a tunic made of chainmail over her head, followed by a breastplate, then he buckled armour onto her arms and legs.

Feeling uncomfortably stiff in the chainmail and steel plating, Tommy stood and watched as one by one the other squires went out to fight.

As her turn drew closer and closer, Tommy felt the flutter of nerves in her stomach grow stronger than ever. Why had she been so determined to fight in the tournament? she wondered. Now she would give anything not to have to go out there and fight with all those people watching her!

‘The score is even,' said Sir Benedict as a squire from Flamant was knocked off his horse. ‘We've won exactly half the bouts and the squires from Roses have won the other half. It's up to you to win it for us, Tommy,' the knight said, helping her onto the horse. He pulled her helmet down over her head, leaving the visor up, and gave her a lance and shield. ‘Do your best and we'll all be proud of you.'

‘Yes, Sir Benedict,' said Tommy, hoping she sounded braver than she felt. Her pulse was racing so fast she thought she might faint.

As she rode out onto the field, Tommy could hear the crowd calling, ‘Come on, Sword Girl!'

One voice rose above the rest.

‘Sword Girl!' It was Lady Beatrix, and she was beckoning for Tommy to approach.

‘Sword Girl, come over here.'

Nervous, Tommy moved Bess forward to stand in front of Lady Beatrix. What could the lady want with her?

Lady Beatrix turned to her lady-in-waiting. ‘Eliza, help me get a ribbon out of my bodice.'

The lady-in-waiting unthreaded a ribbon and gave it to her mistress.

‘Hold out your arm,' Lady Beatrix commanded.

When Tommy did, Lady Beatrix tied the ribbon around it. ‘There,' she said. ‘Sword Girl, you will be fighting for me today, so mind you do well.'

‘Yes, my lady,' Tommy whispered, her mouth dry.

She cantered back to the starting position.

‘Are you ready, Tommy?' Bess murmured as they lined up on one side of the barrier that would separate the two horses. She was dancing from hoof to hoof, as if eager to begin.

Tommy drew a deep breath and pulled the visor down over her face. ‘Yes,' she said. ‘I'm ready.' She raised her voice. ‘Flamant for victory!' she cried, and then she charged.

CHAPTER 10

T
HE TWO HORSES THUNDERED
towards each other, the sound of their hooves muffled by the helmet encasing Tommy's head. From behind the visor, she fixed her eyes on her opponent's lance. It was aimed straight at her chest!

The spectators in the Flamant stands cheered when she managed to dodge the blow at the last second as the horses passed each other. Her own lance glanced harmlessly off her opponent's shield.

‘Come on, Jem!' called the Roses crowd.

Tommy wheeled her horse around and, at the sound of the trumpet, charged once more.

She felt Bess's muscles rippling beneath her as she galloped, saw the bulk of Jem's powerful stallion streaking towards her, and felt a moment's fear at the clash to come.

As they met, Jem thrust his lance forward and struck Tommy's shield. His lance didn't break but the force of the blow was so great that she slid sideways in the saddle. Oh no! If she fell off she would lose the match! She struggled to right herself as Bess galloped on, but with a lance in one hand and a shield in the other she had no way to hang on.

Grip with your knees
, she remembered the crocodiddle saying.

Tommy tightened her knees around Bess's girth and regained her balance. Phew!

They turned for the third charge and this time Tommy kept her knees tight around the horse.

‘That's the way!' Bess cried as Tommy lunged forward with her lance, hitting her opponent's shield.

‘One point for Sword Girl from Flamant!' Sir Walter declared as her lance snapped in two.

Dimly she heard the Flamant spectators hurrah.

Yes! She could do this! Tommy was no longer nervous as she wheeled Bess around and accepted a second lance from a Flamant groom; she felt calm and focused.

The trumpet sounded and she charged. ‘Flamant for victory!' she yelled as she advanced on her opponent. But suddenly she was reeling as her opponent's lance struck her chest. Over the clanging of the armour she heard the sound of a lance cracking.

‘Two points for Roses!'

Tommy heard a disappointed groan from the Flamant stands and hung her head as she and Bess moved back into position. Now Jem was in the lead.

As the signal to charge rang out, she urged Bess into a gallop. ‘Take that!' She drove her lance forward, aiming at her opponent's chest. He leaned all the way back in his saddle, and the blow struck his shield.
Crack!

‘Another point for Sword Girl! That's two points each,' Sir Walter called from the stands.

Tommy cantered back to the starting point. Her breaths were coming in shallow gasps, sounding loud within the helmet. Bess, too, was heaving and snorting from the effort.

Sir Benedict was waiting with the groom. ‘This is your last lance, Tommy,' he said. ‘You've only got one more chance to strike a winning blow.'

‘I can do it,' Tommy whispered to herself. ‘I can do it.' She gritted her teeth, waited for the signal, and charged. ‘As fast as you can, Bess!' she cried.

She reared away from Jem's lance while keeping her own lance centred on his chest. Her opponent teetered in his saddle and flung up his shield, the movement making him teeter even more.

‘Victory for Flamant!' she heard the crowd cry as her lance bypassed his shield to hit his armoured chest with an almighty thud.

Her lance cracked and Jem tumbled from his horse and onto the grass.

The crowd erupted in cheers. ‘Victory for Flamant! Victory for Sword Girl!'

Tommy raised her broken lance and shield above her head and whooped. Over on the viewing platform, Sir Walter and Lady Beatrix rose, applauding wildly.

‘You should ride over and bow to Lady Beatrix,' Bess said, breathing hard.

Tommy cantered over to the viewing platform and bowed her head before Lady Beatrix.

‘Well done, Sword Girl,' crowed Lady Beatrix.

‘Come closer.'

Tommy urged Bess forward and Lady Beatrix pressed something into her hand. Tommy looked down. It was a purse full of coins!

Late in the afternoon, when the older squires had fought and an overall victory had been declared for Flamant Castle, Tommy left the others to their celebrating and headed off across the road to the fair.

As she neared Jonglers Field she saw the fair was in full swing. Jugglers and acrobats were entertaining the crowds – and there were the morris dancers, skipping around the maypole, holding long ribbons. When she drew closer, Tommy saw something that made her laugh aloud. They had used their ribbons to tie Reynard to the pole! He was shouting and struggling, but his shouts were impossible to hear over the music of the fiddlers. As pleasing as the sight was, Tommy hurried on. There was something else she was looking for.