TM Challenge 213
E.M.Forster, A Room With A View.'>It's high noon, hottest day, when the blood-spattered, skin-clad boy comes back from the forest with Sir Gawain, dragging a suit of red armour and grinning so wide it looks the whole sun's inside his smile. He's got bright red hair and a tall, lanky body, and his spear over one shoulder, and looks like he thinks he's the triumphant army, the whole great conquering force, back from saving the country.
Gawain is laughing, too, talking a bit with him, as he leads him up the King; Gaheris hangs back, as he always does. As it's a feast day, it's not only the knights but the whole court, and his daughter, strong and tall for twelve, has her arms around his waist while she watches her uncle bring the skinny boy from the woods right up to King Arthur.
"My lord, he avenged your wife's honour," says her silver-tongued uncle, Gaheris' eldest brother but one, as he presents the boy, who holds out Guenever's cup proudly.
"What's your name, boy?" Arthur asks, equally smiling--everyone is. The boy's own grin is catching.
"Peredur, sir," he says.
"Who's your father?"
"King Pellinore, sir."
That's when things get quiet, and the heat gets terrible, and all the Orkney men stiffen. Gaheris takes his girl's hand and holds it.
Gawain winces.
"That's a fine lineage, Peredur," says the King softly. "But there's trouble to go with it, and it's not fair you should become part of my court without knowing it."
"Yes, sir?" the boy asks.
"Your father killed King Lot, the father of my nephew Gawain, who brought you here."
Peredur twists around to look at Gawain. "I'm sorry, sir," he says.
"Gawain and his brothers were avenged by killing one of Pellinore's sons, Lamorak."
"Oh."
Everyone's staring at him; he doesn't look like he knows why.
"Do you understand?"
"No, sir."
"The feud is not done; it has only fallen to you. You are permitted to avenge your brother--"
Peredur interrupts. "No, thank you, sir."
"What?" Gawain says, without even meaning to.
"Well, that wouldn't make much sense, would it? It gone back and forth already oncet, and we don't need no more killin' folks. Right, sir?"
Gaheris lets out his breath very slowly; his daughter tightens her hold on his fingers. Nobody moves.
And then Gawain laughs. "Thou'rt a brave boy," he says, in his own language, and puts a hand on Peredur's shoulder. "Your offer of an end to the feud is gratefully taken, Peredur, son of Pellinore. Thank you."
Peredur starts grinning again. "Thanks! Oh, um, hey, can you show me how ta put the armour on now?"
All the talk starts up again, and people go back to eating, and walking around, and Gaheris' daughter looks up at him and says,--
"Da'? Is the feud done?"
He ruffles her hair.
Words: 476
Gawain is laughing, too, talking a bit with him, as he leads him up the King; Gaheris hangs back, as he always does. As it's a feast day, it's not only the knights but the whole court, and his daughter, strong and tall for twelve, has her arms around his waist while she watches her uncle bring the skinny boy from the woods right up to King Arthur.
"My lord, he avenged your wife's honour," says her silver-tongued uncle, Gaheris' eldest brother but one, as he presents the boy, who holds out Guenever's cup proudly.
"What's your name, boy?" Arthur asks, equally smiling--everyone is. The boy's own grin is catching.
"Peredur, sir," he says.
"Who's your father?"
"King Pellinore, sir."
That's when things get quiet, and the heat gets terrible, and all the Orkney men stiffen. Gaheris takes his girl's hand and holds it.
Gawain winces.
"That's a fine lineage, Peredur," says the King softly. "But there's trouble to go with it, and it's not fair you should become part of my court without knowing it."
"Yes, sir?" the boy asks.
"Your father killed King Lot, the father of my nephew Gawain, who brought you here."
Peredur twists around to look at Gawain. "I'm sorry, sir," he says.
"Gawain and his brothers were avenged by killing one of Pellinore's sons, Lamorak."
"Oh."
Everyone's staring at him; he doesn't look like he knows why.
"Do you understand?"
"No, sir."
"The feud is not done; it has only fallen to you. You are permitted to avenge your brother--"
Peredur interrupts. "No, thank you, sir."
"What?" Gawain says, without even meaning to.
"Well, that wouldn't make much sense, would it? It gone back and forth already oncet, and we don't need no more killin' folks. Right, sir?"
Gaheris lets out his breath very slowly; his daughter tightens her hold on his fingers. Nobody moves.
And then Gawain laughs. "Thou'rt a brave boy," he says, in his own language, and puts a hand on Peredur's shoulder. "Your offer of an end to the feud is gratefully taken, Peredur, son of Pellinore. Thank you."
Peredur starts grinning again. "Thanks! Oh, um, hey, can you show me how ta put the armour on now?"
All the talk starts up again, and people go back to eating, and walking around, and Gaheris' daughter looks up at him and says,--
"Da'? Is the feud done?"
He ruffles her hair.
Words: 476