Stephen Lawhead - The sword and the flame

“Ameronis? Lord Ameronis? I have heard tell of him.”

“A bad one. Oh, yes. Very bad.”

Renny thought for a moment. “How could ‘ee have the King’s sword?” he asked, scratching his head. “ ‘Ee mean the Shining One itself?”

“None other.” Pym nodded solemnly. “We ‘uns found it in the road a few days ago. Didn’t know it was the Shining One then and hid it yet, hid it in a tree. We ‘uns went back fer to fetch it early this morn and were bringing it back fer the King. He needs it something powerful.”

Renny studied the situation carefully, weighing what the man had told him. “Well,” he said at length, “there’s nothing for it but to ride straightaway to the King and tell him what happened.”

“I agree.” Pym rose unsteadily to his feet, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Can ‘ee ride? The pony is sturdy, and we’re not terrible far from the castle.”

“I think so,” nodded Pym, and then squeezed his eyes shut with pain. “Oww! He caught me a good ‘un then, he did. That ‘un I'd like to repay.”

With Renny’s help Pym clambered into the saddle, then let down a hand to hoist the boy up behind him. They swayed uncertainly and started off, Tarky bending his head low with the extra weight, but making surefootedly for Askelon.

The shadows of the high curtain battlements stretched across the inner ward yard by the time Theido and Ronsard had assembled their men to begin searching for the sword. All afternoon the ward yard had been in turmoil as knights and men at arms were outfitted for a search such as Mensandor had never seen. Ronsard spared no one from the task who could not serve better in some other way, and horses were saddled and provisions laid in for many days on the trail

“This is war,” said Ronsard to Hagin, when the warder protested the plundering of his stores. “If we fail, the Dragon King falls. I see no reason to hold back a reserve-we would only be inviting our own defeat”

“Do not speak of defeat,” replied Theido, overhearing. “It will be difficult enough as it is. War you said? Worse than war-our foe is time, and time wins all in the end.”

“Not this battle,” replied Ronsard grimly. “I mean to win this one.”

Just then a gateman came running up, saluted Hagin, and blurted out a message. “Warder, sir, there’s someone at the gate demanding to see the King. I told them the King sees no-one but they insisted. I didn’t like to trouble you, but they will not go away.”

“What do they want?”

“They will not say, sir.”

“Then send them packing,” ordered Hagin, “with the edge of your sword, man.”

Theido and Ronsard, about to turn away, heard the gateman say, “There’s two of them on one brown pony, and-”

Ronsard spun around. “A brown pony?” His senses prickled.

“What is it, my lord?” asked Hagin.

“Bring them,” ordered Ronsard. “And the pony. At once.”

The gateman dipped his head and ran off to fetch the visitors as instructed. “You have a reason for this, I’ll warrant?” said Theido. Hagin looked on quizzically.

“It may be nothing,” replied Ronsard. “But I seem to remember someone saying that the Prince rode a brown pony the day of the hunt”

“Aye, he did. It was his favorite,” offered Hagin. “What of it? There must be dozens of brown ponies in the region hereabouts.”

“As you say, but two do not ride unless there is some urgency, and they do not arrive at the castle with demands for the King.”

“I see what you mean,” said Theido. “But do you think this can possibly have anything to do with us?”

“That we will quickly discover, I think.” He looked across the yard where the gatekeeper approached leading a pony; two hesitant figures trailed behind.

In a moment the gateman had brought the visitors-a thin gangly boy and a slump-shouldered man-and their mount to stand before the knights and the warder. “Here they are, sirs. As you requested.”

“Tinker, we meet again,” said Ronsard. “Hagin, would you examine the horse? I think some of us may know this animal.”

“We ‘uns did not steal it, yer lordship,” replied Pym. “But how do ye know me?”

“I was the wretch whose head was broken at the Gray Goose the night the King’s temple was pulled down.”

Pym’s eyes opened wider in recognition; he nodded knowingly. “Same as what happened to me not three hours ago.”

“This is the Prince’s mount and no doubt.” Hagin patted the pony’s neck. “That’s the Prince’s saddle and tack. The animal came from the King’s stables-that is a fair certainty. If you like, I will call the stablemaster. He would know better than anyone else.”

“That will not be necessary,” said Ronsard. He looked at the two before him. “Well? You had better tell us all about it.”

“I found him, sir,” said Renny in a small, awed voice. Here he was in the inner ward yard of Askelon Castle where knights and horses, squires and men-at-arms hurried to ready themselves as for battle; he could hardly take it all in. “He came into our field below the forest. I caught him.”

“The pony?” Ronsard smiled; light twinkled in his eyes. “I see. And then what did you do?”

Before the boy could answer, Pym broke in. “I’ll tell ye what he did. He saved my life, that’s what he did. We’uns-”

“You and the boy?”

“Me and Tip, sir,” said Pym, motioning to the dog.

“I see. Go on.”

“We ‘uns were bound fer Askelon and were set upon by highwaymen and brigands-leastwise I thought they were highwaymen and brigands, I did.”

“Highwaymen?” asked Theido. “In this part of Mensandor?”

Pym nodded vigorously. “They caught me and took the sword.”

“They took your sword?” asked Ronsard. “When does a tinker have need to carry a sword?”

“Not my sword, yer lordship,” explained Pym. “The King’s sword!”

THEIDO WAS the first to react to the news. “You found the King’s sword?”

Pym nodded solemnly; Renny nodded, too, and Tip wagged her tail. “We ‘uns found it in the road days ago now…” He lapsed into silence remembering what else they had found.

“Next to the body of a man-isn’t that right?” prompted Ronsard.

Pym nodded slowly and thrust his hands out. “But we ‘uns had nothing to do with that! No, sir. Nivver lifted hand against any man me whole life long. No, nivver did.”

“We believe you, tinker,” said Theido. “What you have told us fits with what we already know. What did you do with the sword when you found it?”

“Hid it, sir. We ‘uns hid it in a hollow tree, we did. A hazelnut tree in the forest. But we ‘uns did not as much as know it were the King’s sword-not at first.”

“But when you found out, you went back for it. Is that right?” Ronsard had formed a picture in his mind about what must have happened-the tinker coming upon the sword in the road, frightened, hiding the weapon and coming to town, hearing the talk, and determining to bring back the sword. “You intended giving it back to the King?”

“Yes, sir, very much. That’s what we’uns planned all along-well, maybe not at first. Didn’t know it was the King’s sword at first. No, didn’t know that.”

“Who took it from you?” asked Theido. “You mentioned highwaymen.”

“Six of them there were. Two passed while we ‘uns rested aside of the road. Then three more-nivver paid me no mind-but the last one nearly knocked me down in the road, he did-came a’charging along that way. We ‘uns nivver seen him ‘til he pitched to a halt. Then ‘twas he saw the sword and took it. I hanged on as mighty as I could, but he caught me a blow or two on the jaw.” Pym rubbed the swollen bruise gingerly. “This ‘un here”-he indicated Renny-“saved old Pym’s hide, he did. He rescued me, and him just a lad-but with spunk, yes sir! Lots o’ spunk has he. Yes, and he flew into them and sent them slinking away like a pack of mangy curs!”