for me to lower these vermin a peg or two. Thy service is noted, but this battle is for me.’
Without a word of protest, Pete McGee and Ashlyn edged slowly to the side of the stage. They were out of harm’s way but with a perfect view of what was about to take place. They saw the guards glance at each other. The tallest, meanest-looking one spoke first, his voice deep and throaty.
‘Stand aside knight. The girl has committed treason. She comes with us to face the King.’
The knight’s smile broadened.
‘Is that so? And the boy?’
‘He has allied himself with the girl, and in doing so he stands against our King. If you side with them, you too shall be sentenced.’
The knight stopped smiling as he nodded in response. His handsome face turned cold and hard, devoid of emotion. His eyes never left the guards as he drew his mighty broadsword. The guards, moving much less surely, also drew their weapons. The smile returned to the knight’s face. It was a smile of absolute confidence. There was no warmth, merely a cool challenge.
The guards advanced. They outnumbered the knight three to one, but not knowing what he was capable of made them wary. Pete and Ashlyn watched anxiously, certain that one man could not defeat three highly trained guards.
Slowly the three circled, closing in on the knight. None of the combatants seemed prepared to make the first attack. Suddenly there was a blur of movement and one of the guards froze. Without moving his head he lowered his gaze to his neck, where the knight’s sword was just touching the skin. The knight glanced downwards and saw a little yellow trickle of water dribbling from the bottom of the guard’s armour. Pressing the sword a little harder, the first drop of blood appeared. Pete looked over at the crowd and saw Larson Smither’s jaw had dropped, his mouth hanging open.
The other two guards backed off a pace. Surely such speed and control couldn’t be human. The knight just stared at them. He knew that behind all the bluster and bullying the guards were little boys in armour, on a power trip but scared beyond their wildest dreams. He removed his sword from the guard’s throat, before lunging theatrically at the other two, yelling as he did.
‘AAGGHH!’
The guards gave a high-pitched scream and ran off the stage. The knight returned to the first guard, who hadn’t moved since the sword had touched him, told him to go and tell the King what had happened, and not to leave out any details. The guard nodded and stumbled off the stage, trying to cross his legs as he walked. The knight watched him go and then returned to Pete and Ashlyn.
‘Go now, young ones. You have much to tell your mother, Sir Pete McGee.’
He turned into the crowd and was gone. Ashlyn picked up Pete’s pack. Pete, his eyes wide and unblinking, took Ashlyn’s other hand, pulled a quick face at Larson Smithers, and ran off the stage.
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