Michael Spradlin - Keeper of the Grail

“I’m not going anywhere with that drunkard,” he replied.

“Robard, I know it’s not perfect. But we need to get out fast. Come with me. I can pay for both our voyages. If you stay here, Sir Hugh could capture you, or it will take you months to get home by land. With luck we can get back to England in a few weeks.”

Robard stood still. Down the dock, Denby and his men had climbed into the longboat and were ready to depart. I waited, hoping he would agree. Hoping that I wouldn’t have to beg him to come with me.

But the decision was made for him, for at that very moment, Maryam ran up to us. “The guards!” she said. “They’re coming!”

They’re a ways down the street, moving slowly and searching the alleys. At least six men-at-arms. They’ll be here in minutes.” At her feet, the dog whined, circling about us as if it wished to move us in a direction, any direction, as long as it led to safety.

“Robard? What do you say? Are you coming with me?” I asked.

“Well, I don’t have much choice now,” he said with a measure of disgust, starting down the dock to where the longboat was tied.

“Aren’t you going to say good-bye?” Maryam called after him.

He turned with a puzzled expression on his face.

“I already said good-bye once. Good luck to you, Assassin. I thank you for rescuing us from the jail,” he said. “And for not killing us.”

“Good-bye, Archer. Keep practicing with that bow. You can’t count on a lucky shot every time,” she said.

Robard’s face went red, and he muttered something I couldn’t hear and stomped off down the dock, climbing into the boat.

Maryam smiled as he retreated.

I followed after Robard, and Maryam walked quickly alongside me. The dog was still growling and whining as we approached the boat.

“Well, Maryam, unlike last time I guess this is really good-bye. Thank you for coming to our aid,” I said. “Please take care of yourself. I hope, well, someday perhaps we will meet again.”

“Good-bye to you, mysterious Tristan of the Templars. You should know that the Templars are greatly feared among my people. You do their Order proud. You are brave, but more important you are noble. I believe that Allah shines his light on you. Take care, my friend,” she said.

By then we were next to the longboat, and unexpectedly Maryam reached out and took me in a tight embrace. Her arms were fast around my shoulders and my face was pressed into her hair, which still smelled of sandalwood. I felt dizzy and a little uncomfortable. I did not know how long we stood there, but it felt like an hour passed. Finally the crew and captain waiting in the boat, and Robard as well, began to cough uncomfortably. Maryam released me, touching my face with her hand. I felt my cheeks burning, standing there speechless, not knowing what to do next.

“Tristan,” said Robard. “Tristan.

“Tristan!” he hissed.

Finally I came to my senses. “Yes?”

“The boat. We need to escape. Bad men are after us? You do remember?” He smirked.

“Uh. Yes. Of course,” I replied, climbing into the boat and sitting next to Robard. The dog began whimpering and finally let out several low barks. She moved up to the edge of the dock, making as if she wanted to jump into the boat with me.

“No, girl. Stay,” I told her. But she only whined more.

The captain pushed off with an oar. The crew began rowing, and we slowly moved parallel to the dock. Maryam and the dog walked with us for a ways.

There was a shout from the end of the dock. “Halt! Don’t move another step,” a voice hollered from the darkness. I recognized Sir Hugh’s high-pitched voice immediately. The sound of running feet could be heard coming up the dock. Maryam was trapped.

“Go back,” I yelled to the captain.

“No, sir,” he said. “I want no trouble with those soldiers.”

I glanced back at the dock. Maryam stood frozen, and the dog was jumping and barking as the men drew closer.

“Robard, hold them off,” I said.

Robard stood and strung his bow in a single motion. In seconds he had pulled an arrow from his wallet, took aim and let it fly toward our attackers. It landed a few feet in front of Sir Hugh, who for once in his life was leading an attack. Admittedly an attack on a single girl and a small dog, but still he took the front.

When the arrow thunked into the dock, he skidded to a stop.

“Halt immediately! In the name of the Knights Templar I demand you return at once!” he shouted.

Robard answered with another arrow, which landed even closer. Sir Hugh took several steps backward and barked an order to his men. “Crossbows!” Now we were in trouble.

The men-at-arms sheathed their swords, pulling their crossbows from around their backs. They began to load the bolts. Our time was running out. The only advantage lay in the fact that crossbows are difficult to load. Once they release a bolt, it can take a minute or more to reload.

Maryam had drawn her daggers and stood crouching at the end of the dock, ready to go down fighting. The dog was yapping furiously. The crew had started to really pull at the oars, and we moved farther from the dock.

“Go back!” I shouted again at the captain.

“No, laddie,” he said.

I pulled my sword and placed it at his neck. He gulped and his men stopped rowing.

“I’ll give you two seconds to change your mind,” I told him.

“Reverse! To the dock,” he shouted to his crew.

He must have paid his men well, for they didn’t hesitate, reversing the oars, and we moved slowly backward toward the dock.

“Robard! Watch the crossbows!” I attempted to keep one eye on Maryam and the other on the captain lest he change his mind.

The first bolt whistled at the boat, striking the side. But it glanced off, doing no damage.

Robard let loose with another arrow, and a second later I heard a scream from one of the men-at-arms and saw him crumple to the dock. We were still about ten feet away from Maryam.

“Maryam, we’re coming!” I assured her.

She looked back at us and then at the men still several feet away down the dock. Without a word she backed up a little, took a running start and leapt through the air to the boat.

“Look out!” the captain hollered.

Maryam landed on top of Robard and me. Luckily Robard was not in the act of shooting or she might have been pierced by another of his arrows. We all landed in a heap at the bottom. The boat rocked back and forth, and for a moment I thought we might capsize, but then it steadied.

“Go,” I yelled.

The captain and his crew rowed furiously. Sir Hugh and his men reached the end of the dock. Two of them dropped to their knees, taking aim with their crossbows. I pushed Maryam to the side and both of us crouched beneath the gunwales of the boat.

Robard, however, stood, drew another arrow from his wallet and let it fly at the dock. It landed in a post about six inches from Sir Hugh’s head. Darn the luck. He shouted in surprise and very quickly moved behind the men-at-arms.

With each second we gained distance. Another bolt from a crossbow whistled toward us but missed again, landing in the water beyond the bow.

I noticed something moving in the water by the dock that caught my eye. The dog. It had jumped off the dock and was swimming toward us.

Maryam saw it too. “Tristan, look!” she said, pointing.

“I see it,” I said. “Captain!”

“I’m not going back again, not against those crossbows. Strike me down if you must, but I’ll not risk my life and crew for a mutt,” he said.

The dog bobbed and floated in the water, struggling mightily to catch up to us.

We were almost out of range of the crossbows.