A Dishonorable Knight - By Morrison, Michelle Page 0,123

scare the wits out of Cynan and Bryant."

"You Gareth? No!" Elena exclaimed, teasing.

Gareth grinned and continued his story. "The start of the plan worked perfectly: I snuck away as soon as they fell asleep, I ran to the stream we were camped near and smeared my entire head with mud. I then stuck leaves and twigs in my hair and practiced my most ferocious growling. As I made my way back to camp, I made sure to crash about, raising all sorts of noise sure to wake the sleeping innocents." Gareth paused and took a swallow of wine.

"You said the start of the plan worked. When did things go awry? Did they realize right away that it was you?"

"Oh no, in fact, they were just coming awake as I crashed through the bushes circling our camp. In the dying light of the fire, I must have appeared quite ghoulish indeed. Cynan and Bryant began screaming most pitifully." Gareth started laughing and Elena poked him in the ribs.

"And?" she asked imperiously. "What happened next?"

Still chuckling, Gareth continued. "I was growling and waving my arms about while they tried to free themselves of their blankets when I noticed something entering camp from the opposite direction."

"What?"

"Coming into the ring of firelight was a creature which made my pitiful attempt at a ghoul seem like child's play. It hobbled into camp and I could see it had a huge hump on it's back, its hair stood straight on end and foamy slobber dribbled down its chin. It was growling horribly and reaching for Cynan who was nearest it. I swear my eyes felt like they were going to pop right out of my head. I forgot all about snarling and sounding demonic and instead began to scream myself. Cynan and Bryant stopped screaming only long enough to turn around and then they joined my chorus. We all took off in different directions into the forest, though we somehow all managed to arrive back at the keep about the same time. We were all blubbering like babes as we told my father our story and I remember wondering why he didn't send out a contingent of armed men."

Gareth leaned back on the bedroll, propping his head up on his hands. Elena curled up next to him. "And? Why didn't he send one out?"

"As we were to discover later, the creature who tried to attack us was actually Cynan's father."

"No! " Elena exclaimed, disbelieving. "Was he mad?"

Gareth laughed. "Oh, no. He was simply an incurable prankster. He was forever dressing up and fooling—well, scaring, actually--the children at Eyri Keep. As soon as we discovered that he had tricked us, we vowed to get even."

"What did you do?" she asked, expecting a tale of humorous revenge.

Gareth sobered. "Actually nothing. A few weeks later, Cynan's father fell from the parapets where he had been working. He died within minutes."

"Oh," Elena said, feeling sorry for the absent Cynan.

Gareth looked at her and smiled. "'Tis no matter. It happened near twelve years ago and I'm sure he went to his grave content that he got the last laugh on us."

Unable to stop herself, Elena yawned.

Gareth stood and banked the fire. "Are you tired? Perhaps we should go to sleep. We have many a mile to travel tomorrow."

"I'm not so very tired," Elena said.

Gareth paused in the act of putting another log on the fire and looked at her. Though she seemed to be intently concentrating on braiding her hair, he was certain her words meant something.

"No? Well, what should we do? Shall I tell you of another of my childhood escapades?"

Elena flicked her braid behind her back and looked boldly up at Gareth. "No."

Though no more words left her lips, her eyes spoke volumes and Gareth obediently joined her in the warm bedding.

Chapter 22

They were up early the next morning and on the road by the time the sun cut its lazy path over the horizon. The air held the brisk, pungent fragrance of the last days of summer when every flower is in bloom, every leaf has unfurled, and the grass is at its tallest. Without a second thought, Gareth packed all of their luggage onto the shaggy horse he had purchased in Aberstwyth and settled them both onto Isrid's broad back. Elena again wore Gareth's clothes, content to relinquish her new gown for apparel infinitely more practical for traveling by horseback.

They chatted amiably throughout that day, and throughout the week following as they made their way across England.