The Squire's Tale Read Online Free PDF Page B

you come from?"
    "From the west," he answered. "With the sun in my opponents' eyes."
    "Or from behind?" Gawain said. "Or both?"
    Sir Kai pondered this, then said, "You—Tor, is it?—go back to your place. I'll call you in a moment." Tor nodded and trotted back to the column. Sir Kai looked back at Gawain, "You any good in the woods?"
    "All right, but I'm not what you need. Terence here is."
    Sir Kai looked at Terence. "You a woodsman?"
    "I ... I grew up in the forest," Terence stammered.
    "You'll come too, then," Sir Kai said. He galloped apart from the column, watched for a moment, then called out, "Scouting party forming here. Two knights, one squire! You!" he pointed at Tor. "And you!" this time at Gawain and Terence. "Fall out of line!"
    Tor, Gawain, and Terence joined Sir Kai and waited until the column had passed. In a tight group, the four galloped across the plain toward the woods. As soon as they entered the forest, Terence began to feel at home. Instinctively he sorted out the various sounds in his mind. A squirrel chattered, and a hedgehog lumbered away from them.
    "Now where?" Gawain asked Sir Kai.
    "Up the hill, where the flashes were," he answered. They walked their horses up a slope, deeper into the forest, crashing through the thick brush. Terence no longer heard animal sounds.
    "Milord?" Terence asked.
    "Yes?" Gawain said.
    "I could go faster on my own, milord. On foot, I mean." Gawain frowned, and Terence added, "Quieter, too."
    Gawain nodded and explained to Sir Kai what Terence wanted. Terence dropped lightly from his horse and slipped into the thickest part of the brush. In a few minutes, he began to hear animals again. A mole poked its nose up at his feet, and once Terence saw a doe with a wobbly fawn. The brush thinned, the trees grew more sparse, and the smell of the pines grew stronger. Without knowing why, Terence slowed. A faint rustling to his left drew his attention. A red fox was grinning at him from inside a holly bush. Terence grinned back. "Hallo, Renard," he whispered.
    "Hallo yourself, Terence," the fox said.
    For a second, Terence only stared. Then he backed cautiously away. The fox did not move; it only watched and panted and looked mischievous. "And where are you off to?" the fox asked. Terence swallowed and said nothing. "Well?" the fox asked again.
    "I'm ... nowhere. Going nowhere," Terence answered.
    "Oh," the fox sounded disappointed. "And me thinking you were looking for that army on the next hill."
    "Army?" Terence asked.
    "Don't be a ninny, Terence," the fox said and began to change shape. It sprouted curly hair and two tiny horns and a pointed beard, and then out of the holly bush stepped the same little leafy figure that had chased Terence in his own forest the day he met Gawain. He grinned impishly and continued, "I'm here to help, you know."
    "Who are you?" Terence stammered.
    "Your friend, little though you may believe it. Look here." The green man squatted and began drawing in the dust. "We're here, and here's Gawain and the others. Right here—that's just over that hill—is the Five Kings' army. Your job is to break up that army."
    "Me? By myself?"
    "No, my lad. I'll be with you."
    "But who are you? And how could I break up the army, anyway?"
    "Trust me," the sprite said with an impish smile that did not inspire Terence with trust. "Here's what we'll do. You don't know it—in fact, only Arthur and Merlin know it—but the Five Kings do have a right to the throne. It's because of a ring, all inscribed with magic and such matters that simple peasant folk like you and me know nothing about." The little green man smiled innocently and continued. "The story is that whoever holds that ring may stand and declare his kingship over all England. The King of Longtains brought it to the alliance, and by that they make their claim against Arthur. Do you follow me?"
    Terence blinked and thought for a moment. "I suppose so. But what can we do?"
    "Steal the ring, lad."
    "Steal it?"
    "Of