Warriors of Camlann Read Online Free PDF Page A

the neck. He touched his own stomach and was surprised to find it whole and unmarked. His whole body burned with pain, though he was unharmed. Every limb shook and he felt sick at the carnage and the stink of blood and faeces that assaulted him. The man the dog was savaging still lived – just. Gawain whistled. The dog obediently moved away from the fallen enemy, though his low-pitched growl indicated his dissatisfaction. His victim was scarcely alive. Gawain ended the man’s suffering with a clean blow across his bloodied neck.
    Gawain staggered backwards, fascinated and appalled by the scene. He allowed the sword to fall from hishand. He patted the war hound who nuzzled him contentedly with his gory muzzle; the hound’s breath smelled of fresh blood, his strong teeth were still stained with it. This all felt so wrong. Gawain knew he had killed before. He knew what to do and thought he knew what to expect and yet he had never felt like this before, he was sure of it. He had never suffered with his victims before, never imagined what it was to feel the full force of his own blade. For a vertiginous moment he had even glimpsed his own face, contorted with a terrible, grim joy as he hacked with all his strength at another man’s flesh. He sat down shakily on the damp grass. The bump on the head had affected more than his memory.
    Bedewyr was looking at him, his own sword drawn but unbloodied. Bedewyr’s face was pale and he spoke in little more than a shocked whisper.
    â€˜I have never seen anything like that – you are so fast …’ The whole fight had been over in a matter of heartbeats. ‘Where did you learn to fight like that?’
    Gawain found his voice. ‘I don’t remember, but I fear that I have had much practice.’ He wanted to vomit but knew that he would not, he wanted to cry but could not. He knew that his body had done all this before and was responding with the blunted reactions born of experience. His mind rebelled. He had done a terrible thing. He had killed five men. He had felt them die. This had not happened before. He wiped his hands on the grassand cleaned Bedewyr’s sword – automatic gestures. He handed the sword back to Bedewyr.
    â€˜I’m sorry – the blade is slightly nicked and a little blunted. It cut through bone without shattering – it is a good blade. Please take it – I don’t think it is safe for me to have such a weapon.’
    Bedewyr flinched at the word ‘bone’ and did not disagree. He was more afraid of Gawain than he had been before. His eyes had a wariness about them that had not been there scant minutes earlier. To Gawain’s eyes Bedewyr looked too young to have seen butchery like this before.
    â€˜I would have helped, you know,’ Bedewyr began. ‘But it was over too fast – and the dog …’ Bedewyr shuddered.
    â€˜Do you not fight with war dogs?’
    Bedewyr nodded, ‘Yes, but I have never seen any hound half this size or half this savage, I—’
    â€˜There is no need to fear him. I can’t remember his name but he will not harm you if you do not harm me.’ Gawain tried to make his voice as gentle and unthreatening as possible. ‘Do you have some more of that water?’
    He rinsed his mouth and spat on the ground.
    â€˜What do you do with the dead here?’
    â€˜We do not bury our enemies.’
    Gawain nodded. ‘Do you wish to claim their skulls?’he asked matter of factly and was surprised by the horrified reaction on Bedewyr’s face.
    Gawain shrugged. ‘Some people find it potent to keep the heads of their enemies. If you are not one of them, that is fine by me. Now, where were you taking me? I think we should go quickly before there are more of these – what do you call these people?’
    â€˜They are Aenglisc. They are trying to take over our land. I was asked to take you to the War Duke Arturus and the