II. The Storm Stone

The journey to Camelot took more than a week, but despite the monotony of constant riding Luneta had never enjoyed herself so much. Her two companions, each in his own way, made this journey the most pleasant she had ever known. Ywain, for his part, was very solicitous for her comfort and protection, at least when he wasn't lost in a dream of winning knightly glory. Whenever they met someone on the road, Ywain immediately moved between Luneta and the stranger. Luneta privately considered this a bit excessive, inasmuch as most of the people they met were farmers and tradesmen who really didn't pose a threat, but it was nice to be thought of. As for Rhience the Fool, he did nothing for her physical comfort, but talking with him made the time pass amazingly quickly.

One could never tell what Rhience would say next. One day, after Ywain had protected Luneta from a farmer driving a flock of geese, Rhience nodded approvingly and commented to Luneta, "A very good guardian you have, Lady Luneta."

"He promised my mother he would care for me, you see," Luneta replied, a bit apologetically.

"You don't have to explain it to me," Rhience said. "I understand perfectly. He is doing what a man should, on account of your being defective."

Luneta blinked, not sure that she had heard correctly. "I beg your pardon?"

"'Defective and misbegotten' I believe is the full translation."

"Translation of what?"

"Of Latin, of course. Why would I translate something from English?"

Luneta took a slow breath. "I meant, what writing were you translating?"

"Oh, that was a bit from a theological book I once read."

"Don't be ridiculous. There are no theological books about me."

"Not about you specifically, Lady Luneta—about women in general."

Luneta frowned as an incongruity occurred to her. "Why would a fool read theology?"

"I can't tell you how often I've wondered that," Rhience replied, shaking his head sympathetically. "But they seem to do it anyway. For my part, I read that book because I was studying for the church. That was before I rose to my current profession, of course. Now, let's see if I remember the argument exactly ... Yes, I think I have it. Now listen closely: for a child to be born requires a male and a female—stop me if I'm getting too complicated."

"Thank you," Luneta said coldly, "I think I'm able to keep up so far."

Rhience whistled softly. "Impressive, what with your being defective and all."

Luneta wasn't sure whether to be angry or amused. She itched to slap the fool for his impertinence, but curiosity restrained her. She glanced ahead at Ywain, to see what he thought of Rhience's foolishness, but his face was dreamy and distant, and she knew he was off winning a tournament or slaying a dragon in his imagination. "Go on," she said to Rhience.

"Now, when that child is born, it is either male or female. Are you still with me?"

"Yes, idiot. I'm still with you. Go on."

Rhience clucked his tongue chidingly. "Is that how you speak to someone who's trying to improve your theological education?" He sniffed expressively, then continued, "Now, the way it works is this: the male parent transmits masculine perfection to the child, but that perfection is always marred a bit, on account of the female parent's involvement. If the baby's really badly marred, it turns out a girl."

"You made that up," Luneta said scornfully.

"Not at all. It's from one of the theologians at the University of Paris, a holy monk and doctor of theology."

"How does he know which parent gives what to the child?"

Rhience frowned. "I admit, I wondered that myself when I read it. You wouldn't expect a pious monk to know much about the matter, but when I asked my tutor, he said only that it was not for us to question things that were written by our betters in Latin."

Luneta blinked. "What does its being in Latin have to do with anything?"

"My tutor thought that anything in Latin had to be true. It's God's language. You wouldn't understand, though, on account of your being def—"

Luneta didn't let him finish. Pulling a long pin from her hair, she reached across to where Rhience rode beside her and jabbed him in the fleshy part just above the saddle. Rhience yelped and lurched away from her, losing his grip on the reins and tumbling into the dust on the other side of his horse. Ywain whirled around in his saddle, his hand on his sword, a fierce battle-light in his eyes, but there was no danger for him to face—only Rhience lifting himself from the dirt and gingerly rubbing his backside. Luneta met his surprised gaze and said austerely, " Es asinus. And that's in Latin, so you know it's true."

Rhience began to laugh, and Ywain said, "What's true?"

"She says I'm an ass," Rhience explained.

"In truth, I think she's right," Ywain said. "Whatever made you fall off your horse like that?"

"I'm defective," Rhience said, climbing back into his saddle. "I think it's my father's fault." He grinned at Luneta and said, "Pax?"

It was impossible to be angry with the fool for long. Luneta returned his smile and said, "Pax."

Rhience turned back to Ywain. "Listen, Ywain old chap. Next time that we meet a fishwife or tinker, why don't you protect me instead of Luneta? She can take care of herself."

Camelot was everything that Luneta remembered, but seeing it without her parents' comforting presence was unexpectedly intimidating. Riding through the great courtyard ringed with the banners of the Round Table knights, she felt very alone and uncharacteristically shy. Ywain, however, could barely sit still in his saddle for excitement. As they crossed the courtyard toward the stables, he began identifying all the coats of arms. "There's Sir Bedivere's escutcheon! And Cousin Gareth's! There's Sir Griflet Fise de Dieu's! And Cousin Agrivain's!" Luneta began to feel somewhat reassured; she had forgotten how many of the knights of the court were related to her.

The last trace of nervousness disappeared a moment later when, stepping together out of the royal stables, they nearly ran into Luneta's famous uncle Sir Gawain. Seeing her and Ywain, Gawain shouted with delight and immediately swept them away to show them around the court. It was a very strange and exalted feeling for Luneta, being introduced as an equal to people whom she knew primarily as the heroes of minstrels' stories: Sir Kai, Sir Lancelot, Sir Bedivere, and—last of all, King Arthur himself. Of course, she had seen many of these famous people before, on earlier visits with her parents, but it was different this time. She wasn't a child holding her mother's hand, but a lady in her own right. Gawain was careful to include Ywain and Rhience in all his introductions, but it was clear that his greatest pleasure was in presenting the daughter of his favorite brother. As a crowning honor, King Arthur invited the three travelers to join him at his own table at dinner that evening.

Dinner was glorious. Each course was followed by one more splendid than the last. Luneta noticed that the king himself ate sparingly, and then only the simplest dishes, but for her part she tried everything that passed by. So did Ywain, seated on her right, but Rhience, on her other side, spent most of his time watching Luneta.

Noticing the fool's grin, she asked suspiciously, "What's so funny? Do I have food on my chin?"

"Remember, I'm a fool. We're permitted to smile at odd times."

"Not at me."

"Pax, my lady. I'm not laughing at you," Rhience said. "I just enjoy watching people have fun. And you are, aren't you?"

Luneta dimpled, then nodded quickly. "Ever so much! I think it's the most splendid evening of my life. It's just what I always imagined court life to be! If only there were a ball after dinner!"

Gawain, seated on Rhience's other side, heard this remark and turned sharply. "Good Gog, Luneta! Why on earth would you wish for that?"

"Don't you like going to balls?"

"Horrible things!" Gawain said decisively. Then he added, "Not that I've ever found a lady, besides your worthy mother, who shares my view of the matter. I'm afraid, Luneta, that there are no balls scheduled at court for some time, but if you're still awake after the meal you're putting away, why don't you come to my chambers? I'll invite the rest of the family, and we'll have a private party." He looked over his shoulder at his squire. "Terence? Can you arrange it? Invite all the family that's at court to my chambers this evening to welcome Luneta and Ywain." The squire bowed wordlessly, and Gawain glanced at Rhience. "And you, too, if you like, friend."

"I'm honored, Sir Gawain," Rhience said. "But is it proper for a fool to mingle with knights and ladies? I shouldn't even be sitting at this table, but for the king's invitation."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Gawain said, smiling. He glanced at his squire again. "You don't mind having a fool in our chambers, do you, Terence?"

The squire bowed again. "I never have before, milord."

Rhience looked startled at Squire Terence's words, and even more at Gawain's answering chuckle, but Luneta only grinned. Throughout her childhood, Gawain and Terence had been frequent guests at Orkney Hall, and she knew that they regarded each other as equals. Terence had been Gawain's squire for nearly twenty years now and had shared his every adventure. When they were at Orkney Hall, Luneta's parents treated Terence with a regard that was equal to or (Luneta had sometimes thought) even greater than the respect they showed Gawain.

Sure enough, that evening in Gawain's chambers, once it was just family—or very nearly so—Terence abandoned his proper squirely attitude and stretched out comfortably on the floor beside a lady that Luneta didn't know. Except for this one lady, Lady Eileen, though, Luneta recognized everyone there. Besides Gawain and Terence, there was Gawain's brother Agrivain and three cousins named Florence, Lovel, and Aalardin. With Luneta, Ywain, and Rhience, Gawain's chambers were quite full, and when Sir Kai and Queen Guinevere stopped in on some pretext and joined the party, Luneta began to feel as if she were a part of an exclusive society.

Sir Gawain greeted the queen when she entered, then turned at once to present her to Luneta. "Your Highness," he said, "we missed you this afternoon, and I had no chance at dinner, but allow me to introduce to you Lady Luneta of Orkney, my favorite niece."

Luneta dipped her lowest curtsy, blushing slightly. The queen's lips parted, but before she could speak, a loud guffaw came from across the room. "That's not saying much, Gawain," said his brother Agrivain. "After all, she's your only niece."

In a gravelly voice, Sir Kai said, "Thank you, Agrivain, for enlightening us."

Agrivain shrugged and picked up a flagon of wine. Queen Guinevere, ignoring both Agrivain and Sir Kai, smiled at Luneta and said, "I am delighted, Lady Luneta. Do you make a long stay at Camelot?"

It was the first time since arriving at court that Luneta had thought about her plans. "Oh, no. I mean, I don't think so. I'm on my way to visit a friend of my mother's, Your Highness. I'm supposed to ask Uncle Gawain if he'll escort me."

The queen smiled impishly, and a chuckle spread through the room.

"Uncle Gawain," Terence repeated, his eyes glinting with laughter. "Dear old uncle."

"I'm sure Uncle Gawain will be glad to oblige you," Sir Kai said, "provided his rheumatism allows him to travel."

Gawain grunted. "Laugh all you want, Kai. There's no fear of anyone addressing you with a title of respect."

Luneta blushed, but she looked up into Gawain's eyes and said, "But you are my uncle. What else am I to call you?"

"'Gawain' will do nicely, my child."

"All right," Luneta said at once, "provided you don't call me 'my child' again."

Everyone laughed (except for Agrivain), and Gawain bowed his head in mock surrender.

For several minutes, the family and friends chatted about ordinary things. Luneta heard Ywain asking Agrivain and the cousins about upcoming tournaments, while Gawain and Sir Kai discussed some matter of court business. Terence and Lady Eileen were talking with Rhience, and Luneta was content to sit beside the queen and feel amazed at being at her very first grown-up party. Then the door swung open and a tall, amazingly beautiful woman swept into the room. Conversation stopped briefly, but then Gawain said, "Morgan. I had no idea you were back at court. It's good to see you."

The woman's icily beautiful face seemed to warm somewhat, and she replied, "I heard that you had a visitor."

Gawain nodded and gestured to Luneta. "Lady Morgan, allow me to present your, ah, your niece, the Lady Luneta."

Luneta could almost feel the force of the woman's gaze on her face. So this was Morgan Le Fay. Luneta had known for years that there was an enchantress in the family, but she had never met her—or, indeed, any enchantress. Her heart beat quickly, but she raised her eyes and met Lady Morgan's stare. "How do you do, Lady Morgan?" she said in her best attempt at a casual voice.

Lady Morgan's lips twitched once. "Yes," she said. "You have your father's face, but you got your eyes from your mother." She turned abruptly away and looked at Terence. "What do you think, Terence?"

"I think you should join our little gathering," Terence replied softly. "Then you could come to know your great-niece for yourself."

Lady Morgan's face grew taut at the words "great-niece," and she said, "I've no time for that. Will she do or not?"

"As always, my lady," Terence said, "that will depend on Luneta."

Luneta listened to this exchange with growing indignation, then said, "Do you have a question that you wish to ask me, Lady Morgan? After all, I'm in the room, too."

Luneta knew that it was impertinent for her to address her elders so, and she was prepared for Lady Morgan to be angry, but Luneta's words seemed almost to please the enchantress. She turned back to Luneta and said, "Yes, I do. But I believe I shall wait. At least you don't want for spirit." And then Lady Morgan turned and disappeared through the open door with a flourish of velvet and silk.

The room was silent for a moment; then Terence rose and went to shut the door. "I would think that it would be exhausting," he commented mildly, "to feel that every time I entered or left a room, it had to be an event." His eyes rested briefly on Luneta as he walked back to his spot, and he murmured, "Good girl."

The rest of the party resumed their conversations as if Lady Morgan had not interrupted them, which gave Luneta a chance to catch her breath and wonder why the enchantress had been so interested in her. Ywain's voice rose above the rest. "Look here, this isn't any good," he was saying. "I'm beginning to feel that I've come all this way for nothing. There are no tournaments, no dragons, no giants, no wild beasts, no recreant knights holding ladies prisoner in their castles. How's a fellow supposed to make a name for himself in such a tame country?"

"The same way the rest of us do," growled Agrivain. "Sit on your backside and wait until a chance comes."

Ywain laughed. "I can't do that! I need adventure! Hasn't anyone here heard of a magical beast or rogue knight to overcome? Is there no more magic in England?"

"Is that what you want, Ywain?" a voice asked pleasantly. It was Rhience. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! I need a quest. It doesn't have to be magical, I suppose—just something with a bit of fighting."

"Oh, I can give you magic, too, if you really want it," Rhience said.

Everyone turned to look at the fool. "Is this a joke, Rhience?" Ywain asked.

"Nay, Ywain. I'll put aside my cap and bells for a bit. I can tell you about an adventure, if you like."

Agrivain snorted into his wineglass. "He's having you on, Ywain, and you're believing him. What would a fool know about knightly adventures?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Rhience said casually, "but that would hardly be helpful, would it? And of course you're right that my current profession has little to do with adventures. As it happens, though, I met this adventure before I became a fool."

"What were you then?" asked Sir Kai suddenly.

"I was a knight," Rhience said.

Sir Kai broke the startled silence with a chuckle. "I thought I'd seen you before, at your father's place in Sussex. Sir Calogrenant, aren't you?"

Rhience nodded. "Yes, but that wasn't my real name. I took it when my father knighted me because I thought it sounded more knightly. I'm just Rhience."

"But I thought that you had been studying for the church," Luneta said, staring at her companion confusedly.

Rhience grinned. "That was even earlier. I gave it up. I wasn't much good at religion, you see. I kept laughing at the wrong times. So I thought I'd try knighthood, and my father—Sir Navan of Sussex—obliged me with a title. And in time I set off, dreaming of tournaments and of winning glory and the hand of a fair princess."

"Exactly!" Ywain said.

"And as I dreamed, I rode through Salisbury on a fine spring day—it was the first of April, the Fool's New Year, you know—and came to a little shepherd boy. Or perhaps not a boy. He was a boy's size, but he had a little beard."

Terence sat up suddenly. "Go on, Rhience. You've begun to interest me very much."

"Well, this shepherd asked me if I was looking for adventure, and when I said I was, he told me about a great magic to be found in the little copse of trees to my south. At the center of that copse, he said, was a small spring beside a stone basin, and if I took some water from the spring and poured it into the basin, I would soon have all the adventure I wanted."

"He was having you on," Agrivain said. His words were slow, as if he were taking care not to slur them.

"What did you do?" Ywain demanded.

"Just what I can see you would do," Rhience replied. "I went to give it a try."

"What happened?" Ywain asked.

"Let our friend tell his story, Ywain," Gawain said. "You only slow him down with questions."

Rhience nodded to Gawain, then continued. "It took me no time to find it. Not many stands of trees in those plains. There it was, a little spring and an ancient-looking stone basin right beside it. I rode right up to it and dipped water into the basin." Here Rhience paused for a moment. "I don't know if you'll believe this or not, and I'm not sure that I'd believe it myself if I were told, but as soon as the water touched the basin the sky grew dark with thunderclouds. A moment before, it was as pleasant and clear a day as you could ask for, and the next moment it was as black as night and beginning to thunder.

"For the next ten minutes I truly feared for my life. I've never been in such a storm. Lightning flashed all around me, shattering trees nearby, and that thunder ... I covered my ears and still thought they would burst. The rain—it felt more like standing under a waterfall than being in the rain. Then, after a few minutes, it stopped, as quickly as it had begun."

"What a curious tale," Queen Guinevere said.

"Is that all?" asked Ywain.

Rhience shook his head. "No, it isn't, for all I thought so at the time. When the storm stopped, I thanked God I was alive and mounted my horse to leave, but I hadn't gone two steps before I heard a crashing through the trees behind me and turned to see a huge knight in red armor approaching. He called out, 'Are you the fool who disturbed the Storm Stone?'

"I told him that I was no fool but that I had indeed poured the water into the basin. He just lowered his lance, shouted out, 'We'll see if you're a fool!' and attacked."

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Ywain exclaimed. "Did you defeat him?"

Rhience grinned wryly. "Hardly, my friend. I've never taken such a toss in my life, and once he'd unhorsed me, he jumped off and attacked with his sword. I was no match for him, and in minutes he had disarmed me and was holding his sword at my throat."

Luneta stared at Rhience. Though she had heard stories of knights and battles all her life, it had never occurred to her to wonder what it would be like to be defeated and in danger of death.

"What happened then?" Ywain asked.

"The red knight asked if I still thought I wasn't a fool. I said I still thought so, and he let me feel his blade a bit." Here Rhience pulled back his motley jerkin and showed a long, still livid scar just where his neck met his shoulder. "So I thought about it some more and told him that perhaps I was a fool after all."

"No!" Ywain exclaimed. "You didn't!"

"I did."

"You gave in to him? I would never have done so! Why did you say such a thing?"

"Because it wasn't true, I suppose," Rhience replied.

Ywain looked confused. "What?"

Sir Kai emitted a rumbling laugh. "Don't you see, lad? If he really had been a fool, he would have kept on denying it—and died."

"Oh," Ywain said, frowning slightly.

"I admit, that's what I thought," Rhience said. "So the red knight didn't kill me. Instead, he made me vow to never again disturb the Storm Stone, which was easy since I had no wish to do so anyway, and then he began to laugh. He commented that since it was Fool's Day, he'd just had an idea. He made me vow that for the next full year I would not take up arms against any man, but rather would put on the cap and bells of a fool. That was a month ago."

Agrivain laughed loudly. "And you're still wearing those clothes? You are a fool!"

"I gave my word, you see," Rhience replied mildly. "And I must say that the life of a fool hasn't been as unpleasant as I'd expected. You meet such interesting people, and you can say nearly anything to them and they'll think you're joking."

"This knight did not behave honorably toward you!" Ywain exclaimed. "He must be taught a lesson in honor!"

"Wait!" Rhience said, his mouth opening in mock surprise. "Let me guess what you're about to say—"

"I shall go challenge this knight myself!"

"You didn't let me guess," Rhience said plaintively. "And I had the right answer, too."

"You?" demanded Agrivain. "Why should you get this adventure? Some of us have been waiting for years for something to come up, and you've been at court less than a day!"

"But this outrage was committed on the person of my friend!" Ywain said.

Rhience looked gratified. "Why, Ywain, I'm touched! I hadn't known until now how close we were."

Several people laughed, and Ywain had the grace to blush. "Well, at any rate, I know you better than Cousin Agrivain does."

"You'll wait your turn for adventures like the rest of us," Agrivain declared belligerently.

Sir Kai yawned loudly and said, "Enough of this. I'm not sure, myself, that anything must be done at all. It sounds as if this knight is bound somehow to protect the land from these magical storms, and if so, we would do wrong to stop him."

"But what about his unchivalrous behavior toward Sir Calogrenant?"

"Rhience," the fool said.

"That's between the two of them," Sir Kai said. "If Rhience wants vengeance, he can do something about it himself."

Ywain looked at Rhience, struck by this. "I beg your pardon, my friend. I had not thought. Have you sworn vengeance on this red knight yourself?"

Rhience pursed his lips and said, "I meant to, actually. I really did. But what with one thing or another, I've never gotten around to—"

"There, Sir Kai, you see?" Ywain said.

"We'll take this to Arthur and the other knights at the next gathering of the Round Table."

"And how long will that be?"

"Two weeks," Sir Kai said.

Ywain's eyes widened, and he started to speak but then subsided. "Very well," he said.

"Now you know how it feels to wait," Agrivain said with satisfaction.

Ywain said nothing. Luneta, watching him, felt sure that he had something in mind other than waiting, but she couldn't imagine what.

She found out the next morning. She was awakened at least an hour before dawn by a lady-in-waiting who informed her that her escort was waiting for her in the courtyard. From the lady's tone, it was evident that she thought that Luneta had overslept, but searching her memory Luneta could not remember having arranged any escort for this morning. She certainly had not intended to leave Camelot so soon, but if Gawain had risen this early to take her to Lady Laudine, she could hardly keep him waiting. Dressing hurriedly and throwing her gear together, she ran down to the courtyard.

Only it wasn't Gawain but Ywain who waited for her, and behind Ywain was Rhience, mounted on his great white horse. Her own two horses were nearby, saddled and ready. "What is this?" Luneta demanded. "I thought Gawain was taking me."

"Oh, we've worked it out," Ywain said airily. "If I have to wait two weeks for the next Round Table meeting before I can go adventuring, I might as well have something to do. You don't mind, do you? The thing is, you were already asleep when it was decided, and I didn't want to disturb you."

Luneta shook her head. "No, of course not, but why so early?"

Rhience snorted but said nothing. Ywain stammered, "I ... ah ... didn't realize that it was so early."

"Unworthy, Ywain," Rhience said. "And what will you say when she asks why I've been brought along?"

Ywain helped Luneta to mount her horse and said, "We can talk while we travel. As long as we're up this early, we shouldn't waste time."

"Yes, why did you bring Rhience? I don't mind, of course, but I thought—"

"All in good time," Ywain said hurriedly, mounting his own horse. "Shall we go?"

Luneta was sure that Ywain had some plan in mind, and she bent her mind to figuring it out. It didn't take long. They were barely half a mile from the castle when she said, "Oh, I understand now. You're off to that Storm Stone, aren't you? The stone is in Salisbury, which is where Lady Laudine lives, too."

"Well," Ywain admitted, "I thought I might drop in as long as I was in the neighborhood."

"And you need Rhience to give you directions to the stone."

"Very good, my lady," Rhience said.

"But it won't work," Luneta said. "If I can figure out what you're doing, so can everyone else. Uncle Agrivain won't let you get ahead of him."

"Ah, but he won't know I'm going near the Storm Stone, will he?"

"Of course he will. Rhience said last night that the Storm Stone is in Salisbury."

"True, my lady," Rhience said, "but they don't know that that's where your mother's friend lives. You didn't mention that last night. Ywain knew, of course, but no one else will guess that Ywain is really only using you as an excuse to go early to his adventure."

Ywain grinned. "I left a note for Gawain that I was going to escort you myself while I waited for the Round Table meeting, but I may have forgotten to mention where Lady Laudine lives."

Luneta was mildly indignant at having been used as a pawn in Ywain's game, but as someone who prided herself in her ability to weave other people into her own schemes, she had to admit a certain reluctant admiration for Ywain. He had executed his plan very neatly, and there was nothing left to do but settle down and enjoy the journey.