The Knight Behind the Pillar Read Free Page B

hey.”
                  I didn’t quite catch everything he said in the outpouring of his words as a result of some stressful time of late I guessed, but I took it as a good sign as he took my outreached hand with a quick single shake before letting go.  His hands were those of someone who worked, a little rough and yet unexpectedly red.  This new information failed to give me a clue to why he was in this room.  Nevertheless he had given me a shortened version of his name and that was unusual, but a good sign.  Another question, maybe this stranger wanted to be or needed a friend?  He certainly seemed a bit fed up, distracted and very lost.
                  “Tor’s not short for anything, that’s my name I mean.  Tor, that is and it is as short as it.  Most don’t use it at all around here either or know it unless describing a hill.” I said purposefully echoing him a little and chancing some humour.  And then my patience for scouting around for answers and being light hearted ran out all ran out at once.  I decided to be far more direct.  “So where have you come from then, I’ve not seen you here before?” 
                  “Oh, err, we’ve just travelled from Londonium.  Arrived last night or it might’ve been morning, it was late nonetheless.” Arthur answered absently and far slower now, but not giving to much away.
                  It was as if I was losing his attention, his focus was shifted away to the wall again and I pursued it stepping around a little to stay in sight. 
                  “Do you know about what’s going on then?” I continued to question, trying to sound cheerful, “There’s so many people arriving, been like that for a few days now.  Never known anything like it, rumours of course flying everywhere…..”
                  I stopped talking when I looked back to Arthur’s lightly freckled face that had dropped away.  I knew at once my guess was on solid ground and he knew something important about what was happening outside.  He didn’t reply straight away, his blue eyes with a worried tint glanced away from the walls to look across the room and I found myself looking the same way.  Next to the fireplace was a simple table, old blankets had been discarded under it, but on top an old sword had been placed.  It glowed of red as it reflected the flames of the fire. 
                  “I,” Arthur’s head plummeted a little further still as he struggled to find some words, “I think they might be wanting to see me or…., well I’m not sure.”  He paused again and after a deep breath admitted reluctantly.  “You see I took that sword.”
                  Arthur now looked up again towards the table.  The sword was clearly tarnished I could see that from where I stood and I could not help thinking how much polishing time would be needed to restore it having had to do Aries’ armour almost daily.  Looking closer, the red glow of the sword was partly due to rust as a much as it reflected the fire light.  The worst of deterioration being around the cross-guard and lower part of sword near the hilt.  I approached it with increased alertness, like it might without warning jump up and attack me.  Any decoration or makers mark that might have once existed within the blade had gone, if applied at all.  The grip covering of leather was tatty and worn, parts of the blade shaft the leather once sought to protect the hand from were now exposed.  The cross-guard itself was an uncomplicated block.  Certainly there was nothing special about the sword and its current condition that included many dents and cuts towards the tip of the blade.
                  Satisfied it was nothing of worth I looked back to Arthur.  “What, you stole it?” I bluntly asked now being serious, but regretted the accusation as soon as I had spoken.