The Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated by Aaron Renier

Author:Aaron Renier [Morris, Gerald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Sir Balin and Lady Annalise transported Sir Harleus Le Berbeus to the monastery, then rode away together. When they had gone about a mile, Lady Annalise cocked her head and looked at Sir

Balin. "I say, I don't suppose you're on a quest," she said. "Because, strictly speaking, I'm only supposed to ride with questing knights."

Sir Balin pondered this for a moment, then said, "Well, I wasn't a couple of hours ago, but I am now."

"Oh?"

"I want to find this Sir Gorlon," Sir Balin said. "It's not right to go around attacking people without warning. Besides, I told Sir Harleus Le Berbeus I'd protect him, then I didn't, and it makes me angry."

Lady Annalise nodded approvingly. "An excellent quest," she said.

They rode together for another hour, chatting in perfect accord and enjoying each other's company very much indeed, until they came to a small hut in a forest, where a brown-robed hermit was talking with a young knight.

"Hello," Sir Balin called out.

"Good evening," replied the hermit.

"Wotcher!" said the young knight.

"Er, what was that?" asked Sir Balin.

"It means 'What ho!' don't you know. 'Pip pip!'"

"I see," said Sir Balin.

"My name is Sir Peryn de Monte Belyard," the young knight said.

"I'm Sir Balin, the Knight with Two Swords, and this is Lady Annalise, the Questing Lady."

Sir Peryn's mouth dropped open. "An actual Questing Lady? Really? I'm honored to meet you, ma'am. My father traveled with a Questing Lady once, a Lady Brigitta."

"My mother," said Lady Annalise, smiling.

"Are you on a quest now?" asked Sir Peryn de Monte Belyard. "May I join you?"

Lady Annalise bowed slightly. "I'll have to ask Sir Balin here, of course, but—"

"Down!" shouted Sir Balin abruptly. He had just heard the sound of drumming hoofbeats. He threw himself to one side, knocking Lady Annalise from her saddle to the ground. There was a sharp cry of pain, and then the hoofbeats faded away into the forest.

Sir Balin checked Lady Annalise first. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Thank you. Go to Sir Peryn."

They both rushed to where Sir Peryn lay on the ground, clutching his arm, which was welling blood.

"Curse you, Sir Gorlon," shouted the hermit suddenly. "If I weren't a man of peace, I'd take a sword and—"

"Don't worry," Sir Balin said. "I'll take care of Sir Gorlon. That's my quest. Can you help us with Sir Peryn?"

Together the three made Sir Peryn de Monte Belyard comfortable on a pallet in the hermitage. He wasn't badly hurt, but soon went to sleep from the shock and loss of blood. The hermit led them outside.

"Are you really after Sir Gorlon?"

"I am," Sir Balin said. "Although I don't have any idea how to look for an invisible knight."

"I can help then," the holy man said. "He isn't always invisible. When he's at home and feels safe, he lets himself be seen."

"Where is his home?"

"He lives with his brother, who calls himself King Perleus. Perleus's castle is just between those two hills to the east. Its towers are high, its moat is wide, and it's guarded by a hundred armed knights.

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