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tall and thin with black hair and a scowl.
    “Could be her, Bors,” said the young one, smiling at Rhianna. “She has the queen’s colouring, same freckles on her nose even. And she must have met Merlin, if she knows about Excalibur.”
    “Bit of a wild look about her, but that’s probably from growing up on the enchanted isle,” grunted the dark-haired knight. “Don’t expect they’ve got much in the way of courtly manners over there. She might scrub up once we get to Camelot, and the other girls teach her what a hairbrush is.”
    The boy giggled, and Rhianna flushed.
    “I can brush my hair later! Right now we’vegot work to do, before Mordred realises I’m here. Also, where I come from it’s polite to introduce yourselves. So your name’s Bors…?” Her voice trailed off as she realised her big mouth had got her into trouble again.
That fool Sir Bors
.
    To her surprise the big knight laughed, a deep laugh from the belly. “Yup, I’m Sir Bors. The idiot who threw Arthur’s sword into the lake, at your service, my lady!” He swept her a mocking bow. “Someone had to carry out the king’s dying wish. The grumpy one who doesn’t know how to smile is Sir Agravaine. Sir Bedivere’s the handsome one who couldn’t bring himself to throw Excalibur away when the king ordered him to. And the lad swallowing flies back there is my squire, Cai, named after King Arthur’s brother mayGod rest his soul… Close your mouth, Cai, before some of young Elphin’s magic flies in and turns you into a frog.”
    Cai gulped and stared warily at the shimmering harp. Elphin smiled and slipped it back into his bag so it wouldn’t get any wetter. He winked at Rhianna, and she knew his music had contained magic to lift the men’s mood.
    “So now we’re all introduced, and I suppose we can assume you are who you claim to be,” continued Sir Bors. “No other damsel’s likely to be riding around these marshes on a fairy horse carrying Arthur’s shield, at any rate. Merlin told us he was going to fetch Arthur’s daughter when he took the king’s body across, though he didn’t say nothing about your companion… but that’s Merlin for you. ‘Wait here’ he says, as if we’ve got nothing better to do than hang aboutthe marshes all night! I’ll admit it was a bit of a surprise to learn you was hidden away in Avalon all this time, but Merlin does love his little secrets. And I always said that business with the queen’s kidnapping when she was pregnant with you was a bit convenient, like.”
    The knight scratched his head and squinted out into the mist. “Well, no point us all standing about out here getting soaked! Merlin’s probably got some druid business over on the Tor that’s delayed him. Let’s rig a shelter in the trees and wait for him. Cai, stop swinging off them reins and go see if you can find us some dry wood.”
    As Sir Bors took his horse from the relieved boy, Rhianna peered into the mist as well, thinking uneasily of the winged shadow she’d seen. She frowned and patted poor Alba.The mare was shivering in the rain. A shelter and fire sounded a very good idea. In this weather, she wouldn’t need all those flimsy dresses Elphin’s mother had helped her pack, anyway.

    Night fell quickly in the world of men. The rain eventually stopped, but the trees still dripped. Rhianna and Elphin huddled miserably under the shelter with Cai, while Sir Bors and the other knights tried to light a fire with the damp wood the boy had collected. They weren’t having much success. Their idea of supper proved to be stale bread and tough, salty strips of what looked like leather, but which Cai claimed was meat. Rhianna discovered she’d lost her appetite. She offered her bread to Alba, who chewed it half-heartedly.
    Not as nice as apples,
the mare decided.
    “Are you really from Avalon?” Cai asked, gulping down his share as if it might be his last meal ever. “I heard if humans eat there, they can’t come back