Stephen Lawhead - Pendragon

'But, master,' Pelleas said, 'I do not understand why this should prevent the boys from remaining together.'

'What they must learn they will learn best alone,' I explained. 'Together, they would only hinder one another. Their friendship is a high and holy thing and it must be carefully conserved. Britain will need its strength in the years to come.'

Pelleas accepted this. He was used to my reasons. 'Would you have me tell them?'

'Thank you, Pelleas, but no. I will tell them.' I turned. 'But that will keep until tomorrow, I think. Come, we are to go and speak to Bleddyn and his lords; they are waiting.'

Bleddyn received us in his tent, and offered us wine and barley cakes. After exchanging observations about the Gathering, Bleddyn introduced us to one of the lords with him, a nobleman named Hywel, who, after he had greeted us, said, 'I bring a word which may be of value to you.'

'Then you have my complete attention,' I replied, settling myself to listen.

Hywel leaned forward. 'We have seen barbarian encampments in Druim, and along the Cait coast. Five altogether – some of them large enough for three hundred men. We came upon them abandoned, though not long so. They appear to have been in use early this summer.'

'The Cran-Tara,' I said, nodding at this confirmation of the Gern-y-fhain's words.

'You know this already?' Bleddyn wondered.

'Only that the war summons has gone out. It remains to be seen if any will answer it.'

Hywel regarded me for a moment. 'I thought to be of service to you, but it seems that you are better informed than I.'

'There is yet something you can do, if you are willing.'

'You have only name it, Lord Emrys.'

'Set watch in the spring and bring word to Caer Edyn if anything follows from the Cran-Tara.'

'It will be done, Lord Emrys.'

'Why Caer Edyn?' Bleddyn asked when we were alone once more.

'Because that is where I will be,' I replied. Bleddyn expressed surprise, so I explained. 'The time for Bedwyr's fostering is here, and Arthur must begin his own. I cannot praise your generosity highly enough, nor properly thank you for all you have done for Arthur.'

'I mean to foster the lad,' protested Bleddyn.

'And you would serve him well – of that I have no doubt," I told him. 'These last years have been good ones, but we must not grow complacent. I think we must move on now.'

Bleddyn accepted this, but was saddened nonetheless. 'My loss will be Ector's gain,' he said. 'I feared this day would come. I had hoped to hold it off a little longer.'

'I wish it could be otherwise,' I replied. 'But the world will not wait. We must move with it, or we will be left behind.'

'I am sorry to see you go.' The king regarded me sadly.

'You know the way to Caer Edyn,' I told him. 'You have but to saddle a horse and you are there. Though it would be best if you forgot you ever heard of Arthur – at least for a while longer.'

The next day – the last day of the Gathering – I went to our tent at dusk as the boys sat eating their supper together before a small fire Pelleas had made. Arthur welcomed me warmly, and when I had settled down beside him on the ground, he said, 'You have been scarce as boar feathers, Myrddin. And you have missed most of the trials. I watched for you. Where have you been?'

I put my arm around Arthur's shoulders. 'I have been searching here and there, and learning the condition of the Island of the Mighty. Of spears and swords and mounted drills, I have had enough.'

'Had enough?' wondered Bedwyr. 'You never ride with the warriors, Myrddin.'

I shook my head slowly. 'You are right; I have not ridden with the warband for many years. But I did once.'

Bedwyr's look of astonishment did not go unnoticed. 'Is that so hard to believe?' I countered. 'Then I will tell you something more difficult still: once I led the warband of Dyfed.'

'I believe him,' said Arthur staunchly.

'Well, I did not come to talk about my time as a warrior, but about yours.' The boys leaned forward in anticipation. 'Tomorrow the Gathering will end, and everyone will return to their homes – everyone except the four of us.'

This was news. The boys glanced nervously at one another, and at Pelleas. What is this? What does it mean?

'A prince must receive fostering in a king's house.' I stated the thing squarely. 'Is this not true?'

'It is,' replied Bedwyr, giving a sharp nod of assent.

'From time past remembering, brother lords have trained one another's sons. This is how it should be. You two are of an age to begin your training. Therefore, your fostering has been arranged.'

The initial excitement created by this pronouncement faded rapidly as the implications began to sink in. Bedwyr voiced his apprehension. 'We will not be together, will we?'

Again, I shook my head slowly. 'No. That would not be for the best.'

How quickly the moods of the young can change. Black gloom settled over the boys. It was as if they had been told that they must choose between them which one to sell into Saecsen slavery.

Though it hurt me to do it, I let them live with their sadness for a moment before offering solace.

Then, speaking softly, I said, 'You will be great lords, each of you. I have seen this. What is more, you will live out your days in one another's company. This have I seen as well.

'Therefore, take heart. Apply yourselves to the tasks set before you and the time will pass more quickly. Soon enough you will ride together: true sword brothers. And the world will tremble at your passing.'

This pleased them enormously. Arthur jumped to his feet, and, lacking a sword, raised his fist in the air. 'Hail, brother! Let us go gladly to our new homes, since it is for our benefit.'

Bedwyr, on his feet now, too, echoed this sentiment. 'Remember,' Arthur continued, 'we will meet again at next year's Gathering.'

'And the next after that!' cried Bedwyr. If they were pleased before, they were delighted now. 'Hail, Arthur!' they cried noisily, fists in the air. 'Hail, Bedwyr!'

I rose to my feet. 'Well said,' I told them. 'Each year at the Gathering you shall come together to ride and feast-until the day when you will no longer be separated.'

The next morning when the arrangements were formally explained, the boys accepted their elders' decisions with good grace. As the camp was being struck and the first warbands began their homeward journeys, the boys lingered with one another, pledging and repledging their friendship until Bedwyr was summoned to leave.

'I must go,' said Bedwyr, his voice trembling slightly. 'I will miss you, Artos.'

'And I will miss you, Bedwyr.'

'Lord Ectorius has a good warband. You will do well.'

'And Lord Ennion's warband is second to none other. Take care to learn all you can.' Arthur clapped a hand on Bedwyr's back.

Bedwyr's lower lip quivered and he threw his arms around Arthur. The two boys hugged one another for a moment, before remembering their dignity. 'Fare well, Arthur,' Bedwyr said, sniffing back a tear.

'Fare well, brother,' returned Arthur. 'Until next year!'

'Until next year!'

Ennion departed soon after. Arthur rode to the crest of the hill that he might watch them out of sight. In a little while, I went to fetch him and found him there, watching still, although Ennion and his warband, and Bedwyr, were gone.

'It is time, Arthur. Lord Ectorius is taking his leave now.' He made no reply. 'The year will pass quickly,' I told him, mistaking his silence. 'You will see Bedwyr again before you know it.'

He turned to me, his blue eyes solemn and dark as slate. 'I did not realize until just now that you and Pelleas would not be going, too. Somehow, I thought we would be together always…"

'But we will be together,' I replied. 'At least much of the time.'