31. Arthur
Chapter thirty-one
Arthur
What is LARP?
T he man behind the table took one look at our group, at our muddy and blood-stained clothes, at mine and Otto’s sheathed swords, then to Gerry’s catlike eyes and said, “Checking in?”
The Tor sat in the distance like a beacon, but when we’d arrived, we’d discovered the grounds at its base were filled with white tents for some festival. And the moment we’d parked the car, Will had gotten that far-off look in his eyes that indicated we were close to a Treasure. But when we’d tried to follow what Will said felt like a magical pulse, we’d found our route blocked.
Will glanced at a sign with large lettering standing before the table, then down at his own dirty clothes. We hadn’t risked staying at the hotel in Amesbury and had driven straight here without showering. Will had said he hadn’t understood why, but that his gut told him we needed to be in Glastonbury. Apparently, this was why.
“Yes?”
“Did you pay the fee and sign the online waiver?” the guy asked, sounding bored as he blocked off the entrance to the campground.
“Um, no?” Will asked, trying to peek around him.
The man sighed wearily and passed each of us a very large phone. “Look, mates, everyone else had to pay the fee, and you need to sign the waiver for liability reasons. I can’t assign you your tents without them.”
I didn’t understand what was going on, but Will thanked the man and started tapping at the phone. The others didn’t seem nearly as puzzled as I was, and followed Will’s lead by typing on their big phones.
I stared down at the one given to me, blinking at the unfamiliar words on the screen. When I glanced back up, I found the man eyeing me. “Do you need help?”
“Yes.”
He gestured for me to return the phone, and I did. “Okay, let’s see here.” He cocked his head. “You didn’t fill any of it out?”
“No, sorry.”
Sighing, he tapped on the phone and looked at me expectantly. “Name?”
“Arthur.”
I watched as he nodded and presumably wrote that on one of the lines. “Last name?”
“Pendragon.”
The man set the phone down and narrowed his eyes at me, looking unimpressed. “Seriously, mate? Do you want my help or not?”
I frowned at his tone. “What? That’s my name.”
“Sure, just like the 50 other Arthur Pendragons here for the LARP.” He rolled his eyes. “Usually the case for medieval-themed events.”
I opened my mouth to argue that I was the only real Arthur Pendragon when Will appeared beside me, smiling widely at the guy. “Hey, why don’t I help him fill out his form?”
The man, Gregory, apparently, talked about some of the events happening today while Will finished filling out the form for me. I wasn’t sure I liked Gregory much, especially not when I caught him eyeing Will with far too much interest.
He did, however, inform us that there were shops inside that sold anything we might have forgotten, like mess kits, sleeping bags, or mats. We’d need to stop by the merchant section then since we didn’t have any of those items.
Once Will paid our fees and we signed the liability waivers, Gregory snatched back the phones, eyeing us closely like he thought we had thoughts of stealing them. Though, based on what I knew about Nana Joanne and Gerry, his concerns were most likely warranted. Then, without taking his suspicious gaze off us, he called out, “Hey, Hal! I’ve got some newbies for you.”
A large man with wiry dark hair poked his head around the corner of the tent. He wore a simple off-white tunic, smudged with dirt stains, beneath a bright red jacket. His brown leather boots left prints in the mud as he sauntered over to us with a toothy grin. “Aye, I’ve got them from here.” He held out his hand, also caked in dirt, toward each of us. As we shook hands, he continued. “So you’ve come to help us fight the dragons and cast the Saxons from the land, have ye?”
I... didn’t know what to say. Neither did Will, it seemed, because he couldn’t seem to stop staring at the man’s clothes.
“We have, good sir,” Dorothy said, stepping forward to place her hand on my shoulder. Her gaze flicked over the red jacket the man wore, and it finally made sense.
The Coat of Padarn Beisrudd. He was wearing the Coat. One that would only fit someone brave of heart.
Hal’s smile widened, and he took a paper Gregory handed to him. “If you follow me, I’ll show ye knights and knaves to your quarters.”
As we followed after him, I sidled up to Will. “What’s going on?”
“They’re holding a LARPing event,” he said, soft enough Hal wouldn’t overhear.
“What is LARP?”
“Live-action role-play,” Vincent said, eyes wide as he took in the tents scattered out around us. Some of the ones we passed by seemed to sell wares of all sorts. I spotted weapons, pottery, clothing, and even a few with snacks.
Will tugged on my arm when I got distracted by a booth with livestock, forcing me to keep up.
Hal waved at and greeted the merchants as we moved through the campground, and a few wished him good luck with his upcoming sword fights scheduled for this afternoon.
When we’d asked him about it, he’d proudly and humbly declared himself an undefeated champion in the sword-fighting competition.
Gerry had been quite excited about such a competition until he learned they used either faux or blunted weapons that wouldn’t cause any critical damage.
As we ventured farther into the grounds, I noted depictions of dueling white and red dragons were everywhere. Printed on hanging signs, painted onto canvas tents, and emblazoned on paraphernalia in the shops we passed.
People milled about, most dressed in bright clothing similar to what those from my time would have worn. However, it was clear many were embellished or modernized. Though, when I was around, people didn’t wear plate armor like I spotted here.
After we passed by the merchants’ square, Hal ushered us toward a grouping of tents more on the outskirts of the event. Each had a number painted on the outside, and when we reached ours, he stopped and gestured toward four small tents. “These shall be your dwellings for the night. If you have any questions, find anyone wearing this badge”—he pointed to a silver pin with a dragon on it—“and they’ll be able to assist you. But this is where I shall leave you for I have a tournament to prepare for.”
But when he turned to leave, Will called out for him.
“Did ye forget something?”
“Sir Hal, where did you get that coat?” Will asked, his pupils dilated, though Hal didn’t seem to notice.
“This?” He ran his hands down the front with a warm smile. “I bought it from a traveling salesperson, actually. Do you like it?”
“Well, I was wondering if you might be interested in selling it?”
Hal’s booming laugh filled the air. “I’m afraid not, good knight. For this coat is my good luck charm. I cannot part with such a Treasure.”
“Are you sure? I have, like, a lot of gold.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Hal said, studying our group. “If one of ye fights me in the sword challenge and wins, ye can have it.”
“Really?”
“Really, really.” He sent us a little wave before actually leaving this time.
I watched him go, and when I turned to ask Will a question, I found him and all the others already staring at me.
I gulped. “What?”
Nana Joanne patted my arm. “Time to put your sword skills to good use.”
After returning to the car and fetching the rest of our belongings, we dropped them off in our tents for tonight.
But I hadn’t even had a chance to shower, because thankfully we’d discovered they had a portable shower in the campground, before Will and the others were hauling me in the direction of the sword-fighting competition.
Ropes cordoned off the makeshift arena, and a crowd of onlookers cheered and booed the two combatants on.
Hal was there, wearing the Coat, and he grinned as he blocked attack after attack from a man in silver plate armor. Hal was actually a decent swordsman who studied his opponent’s habits and methods and quickly learned how to counteract them.
And when he managed a “fatal” blow to the man’s neck, the judge of the match whistled with his fingers, calling a stop to the fight.
The referee grabbed Hal’s hand in a triumphant fist, and the crowd went wild with applause and cheers.
“Once again, Sir Hal remains undefeated! If there are any among you brave enough to challenge this champion, do so now!”
No one stepped forward, and after waiting a beat, I entered the arena.
Hal grinned when he saw me, a kind yet determined shimmer in his gaze. Because he knew why I was here. What I sought to claim.
I doubted he understood the importance of the Coat he wore, though he claimed it to be his good luck charm. But that luck was about to change.
Because I was Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, and Commander of the Knights of the Round Table. And though my kingdom and men were gone, their spirits still lived on in me.
“Aha! A challenger!” the judge exclaimed, spotting me. “And what is your name?”
“I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain.”
He didn’t even bat an eye, and I wondered how many others had come into this arena claiming the same name.
“Then I bid the two of you good luck,” he said as two squires hurried forward with fake swords. They had a tag attached that I assumed meant they’d been checked over by the weapons master to make sure they met proper safety standards. “The first man to manage three strikes or the first to land a fatal blow, wins. But remember, any strike to the face or private regions will get you immediately disqualified.”
After the judge stepped back, Hal held out his hand. “I didn’t know if you guys were going to show up.”
I shook his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “You have something we desperately want.”
“Well, I hope you’re prepared to leave wanting,” he said in a kind jest. “Because you’re going to lose.”
And I grinned, the gesture sharp with teeth. “I have lost only one battle in my lifetime. I don’t plan to fail again.”
Hal laughed warmly and stepped back, readying himself. “Then show me what you’ve got, My King.”
The weight of the foam sword was light and strange as I tested out its balance, wondering how we were supposed to compete with such poorly made weapons. But then again, this wasn’t a real battle. There was something hard and sturdy hidden inside the foam, and after giving it a few practice swings, I actually decided the sword could pack a lot of force and would make a decent weapon in a battle.
I felt Will’s eyes on me as Hal and I sized the other up, and when I glanced back, I found Will staring at my bottom.
Mm, I liked that.
When I turned back to Hal, I found him regarding me with a critical eye, and I knew he was searching for weaknesses like he had with the last challenger.
He wouldn’t find any with me.
When he charged at me, I swung my sword, knocking Hal’s out of his hand.
He stared, open-mouthed, as the sword smacked into an unassuming onlooker. And though I could have ended this here and now with a fatal blow, instead, I lightly tapped his arm with my sword. “One.”
Hal blinked at me as someone retrieved his sword and handed it back to him. He eyed me more cautiously now, probably realizing that I was more of a threat than he’d thought.
“You’re quite strong,” he said, flexing his wrist.
I shrugged, tightening my grip on my sword once more. “Do you forfeit?”
Shaking his head, he straightened his stance and prepared his sword. “Never.”
This time, I didn’t wait for him. I lunged across the arena, quick and sure. He deflected my first strike toward his middle. Then the next I aimed at his arm. The differences in our strength was clear in the way he struggled to hold his ground while I advanced with ease. But Hal didn’t look worried or upset. In fact, his jovial laughter bounced around the arena as he lost himself to the fight. And surprisingly, I discovered that I was enjoying this too.
His footwork was strong, his posture straight and perfect. He would have made a fine knight.
With an arc, I brought down my sword across his back, making him stumble forward.
“Two,” I said smoothly, stepping backward.
When he straightened once more, he shook his head. “Where did you learn to fight?”
“Sir Ector taught me everything I know. It is because of him that I became such a strong warrior.”
“Ah, I almost forgot. You’re Arthur Pendragon.” Hal wiped some sweat off his face. “Maybe after this, you can teach me some of your moves.”
I smiled, readying my sword. “I would be honored.”
By the time I was declared the victor of the sword-fighting competition, Hal had already removed the Coat and handed it over to me. The crowd had dispersed, many hurrying off toward one of the other events happening.
Will stood beside me, a look of awe and lust clear on his face as he hooked his arm through mine.
Hal drank from a metal tankard filled with water. “Well, I suppose it’s not so lucky after all.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Will said, patting Hal’s arm. Then Will handed him a small, black bag.
When Hal opened it, he pulled out a coin of gold, and his eyes widened.
“When you said you had gold, I didn’t know you meant gold .”
“He has enough to be a sugar daddy,” I informed Hal, making him blush. Then I narrowed my eyes. “But he’s mine. I waited 1,500 years for him, so you’ll need to find your own sugar daddy.”
“Arthur,” Will choked out, smacking my arm playfully.
“That long, huh?” Hal still stared down at the gold. “You definitely don’t look that old.”
“Hard to age when you’re frozen in stone.”
For a mere moment, red shadowed my gaze. But then it was gone. Hal blinked at me, his attention riveted to my eyes.
“ Anyway ,” Will said, grabbing my hand and tugging me off. “It was super awesome meeting you. Thanks for the Coat!”
And when I glanced back at Hal, I found him watching us, watching me, with a curious expression.