12

The Magic Medallion

Wash and Reb stared at each other across the ashes of the campfire. They had risen early, had cooked and eaten breakfast, and during the meal Reb told Wash all that had happened the night before.

He ended by saying, “I tell you, Wash, there never was nothing like her! She's got something in her that I ain't never seen in nobody else in all my born days!” He drew a deep sigh of satisfaction and nodded with assurance. “I don't mind admitting now, I was a little bit afraid of this fellow I've got to beat to get to Princess Elaine—but it's gonna be all right now.”

Wash was holding a piece of bread in his hands. He took a small bite and chewed thoughtfully He had listened carefully to Reb, but there was doubt in his dark brown eyes. He swallowed the morsel and cleared his throat. “I don't know, Reb, it just don't seem right to me somehow.”

Reb stared at the small, black lad. “What do you mean?” he asked in surprise. “Here we're out on this quest, and I'm supposed to fight probably the worst and baddest cat in the whole kingdom of Camelot.” He grew a little angry. “I'm tellin' you, I need all the help I can get!”

“I know.” Wash nodded in agreement. “But not all help is the same, you know.”

Reb looked at his friend from under raised eyebrows. “I don't see that,” he said firmly. “Any help you get is good—especially in a situation like this.”

“But who was she, and where is she now?” Wash glanced around the dense woods. “I didn't hear a thing, and you claim you were talking to her for a long time. Why didn't I wake up?”

“I don't know. I guess you were just too tired. Anyway, it happened just like I told you. Why are you so doubtful about all this, Wash?”

The smaller boy slowly began to gather up the dishes. As he cleaned them, he said, “I don't know—I just got a bad feeling. In the first place, Reb, you still don't know that she came from Goel.”

“Of course she did! She told me right off that Goel sent her. And she gave me this.” Reaching down, Reb pulled the golden medallion from beneath his shirt and held it up to the light. It caught the golden rays of the early morning sun and glistened in the air. As it turned slowly, Reb said, “As long as I've got this, I'm all right. I can't lose!”

“What's that funny-looking thing on the front of that piece of metal?” Wash asked. He studied it carefully, then said, “That's not the sign of Goel, and it doesn't look like anything I saw in Camelot.”

“I don't know,” Reb said, “but I know one thing, the second I put it on I felt like a different guy” His eyes glowed, and he smiled triumphantly. “I feel like I'm twenty feet tall and anybody gets in my way better look out, even that Sir Baloc!” He shook himself, got to his feet, and said impatiently “Come on. Wash. Let's get on our way”

Wash did not argue.

They pulled their gear together, tied it on the pack-horse, and climbed into the saddles.

All morning they headed in an easterly direction.

* * *

At noon Wash said, “I'm tired, Reb. Let's stop and have something to eat and rest a bit.”

“I'm not a bit tired. I could go on all day.”

“The horses are tired,” Wash snapped. “If you won't think about yourself, think about them.”

“Oh, all right.” Reb jumped off his horse and watched with some contempt as Wash struggled painfully, almost falling off his animal. “Aren't you ever going to learn to ride a horse?” he complained. “Hurry up and get that food together.”

Wash looked at him in surprise, but he said nothing about the boy's sharpness. He put together a scanty meal, and when the two had eaten he said, “Let's just lie down and sleep and let the horses graze a while.”

“All right, you lie down. I'll keep watch,” Reb said grumpily. He watched Wash throw himself on the ground, then muttered, “I might as well have left you home for all the good you're going to do!”

With a disgruntled look he walked away and sat down, putting his back to a tree. The birds were singing a rather sad, mournful song far off in the forest, and overhead he saw a hawk circling, crossing the blue skies in a searching pattern. The smell of pine and fir was rich in his nostrils, and he took a deep breath. “This is the kind of life for me. I wish I had done this a long time ago.”

“I wish you had too, Sir Reb.”

“What!” Reb leaped to his feet, his hand on his sword. Then he relaxed as he saw a smiling Mogen emerging from the trees. “You hadn't ought to sneak up on a fellow that way, Mogen,” he said reproachfully. “Back in Arkansas a fellow could get hurt doing a trick like that.”

“I'm sorry” Mogen said contritely, “but I did want to see you one more time.”

“Wait a minute.” Reb suddenly turned and looked across at Wash, who had not moved. “Hey, Wash, wake up. You didn't believe what I told you. Now you can see for yourself.”

When Wash did not stir, Reb walked over and rolled him onto his back. “Wake up, I said.” Then he looked at Mogen with a surprised expression. “Something's wrong with him. He won't wake up.”

“He'll be all right as soon as I leave,” Mogen said, a strange smile on her lips. She looked very beautiful. She moved to stand beside Reb. “I just helped him to sleep a little bit because I wanted to talk to you alone, Reb.”

She put her hand on his arm, and a thrill ran through the boy. He hadn't been around many girls, and this young woman was far more beautiful than any girl he had ever seen. Mogen's voice was soft, and she almost whispered as she said, “I'm proud of you. Sir Reb, and so will everyone else be.”

Reb cleared his throat. He could smell the exotic perfume that Mogen wore. He breathed deeply and it seemed to make him sleepy. Yet, at the same time, it strangely excited him. “Well,” he mumbled, “I don't know about that.”

Mogen reached up and put her hands on his shoulders. He was tall enough that she had to look up at him. Her lips were rich and red. “All of Camelot will be proud of you when you rescue the Princess Elaine. And here is a reward in advance.”

She pulled his head down and kissed him lightly on the lips, then she stepped back, her eyes Reaming. “Now, that will give you something to think about.”

Reb's throat was thick, and he had to clear it before he said, “Well, why'd you do that?” And then he muttered, “Never mind. But what I want to know is, how do I find the princess and how do I beat this guy Sir Melchior?”

“That is why I've come to you this morning,” Mogen said. “Now listen carefully.” She instructed him how to find his way through the woods, and when she had finished, she said, “You'll be challenged, Sir Reb, and, when you are, do not trust in your own strength.”

Reb blinked in surprise. “What else would I trust in?”

“Trust in this.” Mogen leaned forward and laid her hand over the medallion. She whispered, “This will save you. Hold it up and repeat the words that I will now give you.”

Sir Reb was confused. The strange perfume seemed to befuddle him, and the touch of her hand on his chest burned like fire. He listened as she repeated a formula—just a few words. Then, when she stepped back, he swallowed and said. “That's all?”

Mogen smiled mysteriously. “That will be enough,” she whispered. “You will see.” Then she turned and left abruptly.

Reb was staring after her when Wash's voice came to him. “Well, I didn't mean to sleep so long.”

Reb turned to see Wash getting up, rubbing his eyes.

“I guess we'd better be on our way” Wash said.

“You didn't see—”

“I didn't see what?” Wash asked as he started clambering into his saddle. “I was asleep, Reb. So were you, weren't you?”

Reb didn't answer, for he saw at once that Mogen's spell had kept his young friend from seeing her. He wondered about this, but the medallion burned against his chest, and he said roughly, “Come along. It's time to get down to business.”

* * *

The challenge came almost without warning. Three knights, dressed in black armor, crested the hill in front of them.

Reb whispered, “Hey Wash. This looks like trouble!”

“Who are you, and what are you doing in this place?” The tallest of the knights had his visor back, and his cold, gray eyes seemed alive with fire. “Give us your name, boy, and then we will take you captive.”

Reb swallowed hard. He knew that any one of them would be more than a match for him, but he could not back down. There was something in him that would not be still. And as the medallion burned his chest he shouted, “You'll not stop me. I've come to get the Princess Elaine. Now give her up, and I'll let you go.”

The three knights laughed loudly and one of them said to their leader, “Let's feed him to the vultures.”

“Right. He'll be fit food for them,” the tall leader said. “Come!”

The three knights at once leveled their lances and spoke to their horses. They came thundering across the plain.

“Come on, Reb, let's get out of here!” wish shouted.

Reb had little time to think, but the words of Mogen came back to him, and with a swift gesture he pulled the medallion film beneath his shirt and held it high. He shouted the words that Mogen had given him, then stared amazed.

The knights tumbled out of their saddles as if they had been struck with a club. They hit the ground with a crashing, clanging noise, rolled over and over, and lay still. The dust rose from the ground. Their horses bolted, uttering frightened, neighing sounds.

Wash, who had already half turned his horse, said, “What in the world—”

Fear came upon Reb then, and he galloped forward, thinking that the three might be dead. But he discovered that they were still breathing, and he sighed in relief. At the same time, a fierce pride touched him, pride such as he had never known before. Holding the medallion high, he cried out the strange phrase again.

The three knights climbed to their feet and backed away with terror in their eyes. Then they whirled and ran, crying for mercy.

Wash advanced slowly, his eyes fixed on Reb. He was trembling—he had been afraid of the large armed knights. Now he whispered, “Reb, what happened?”

Reb held up the medal, his eyes glinting with triumph. “Just what I said would happen. I had power I never knew I had before, and now I can take on any knight the Dark Lord sends against me.”

Reb's eyes were glowing with some sort of strange light that had never been there before, and his mouth was twisted in a smile that was not a smile.

“I don't like it, Reb,” Wash said abruptly. “Whatever it is, it's not right. Let's get out of here.”

Reb glared at him. “You may as well go back to Camelot, Wash,” he said contemptuously. “But I'm going to get the Princess Elaine.”

He turned his horse and spurred away.

Wash stared after him. “Ain't nothing good gonna come out of this—I know that much! But I've come this far, and I reckon Goel would have me go the rest of the way. So come on, horse, let's go!”

* * *

Elaine sat in the small room where she was held by Sir Baloc. When he first took her, she had been filled with blind panic, and even now, men the huge knight came around, she felt fear rise in her throat. But she refused to let him see that fear.

She looked up now as he entered, his dark eyes fixed on her. “Well, Princess,” he said, “are you ready to agree to marry me?”

“Never,” Elaine said firmly lifting her chin. “I demand that you take me home immediately.”

Baloc threw his head back and laughed. “That will never happen. But I'll tell you what will happen. That shallow young stripling you were so fond of, or so I hear—what's his name? Reb?—he's on his way to rescue you.”

She started at that, and he grinned. He drew his sword, held it up, and tested the edge. “When I get through with him, his shoulders will be lonesome for his head!”

“My father will send the whole army of his knights to get me!”

“No, he's afraid, because he knows how strong we've gotten. So he sent one challenger.” Again Baloc laughed. “And I can't think of a better one. If they'd sent some of the older knights, we may have had trouble—but not with this weak-kneed foreigner. Come on!” Sir Baloc grabbed Elaine's wrist and dragged her, effortlessly, out of the room.

“Where are we going? Where are you taking me?” She fought against him, but he merely looked at her as he would at a feeble kitten. “I'm putting you outside for bait. I want Sir Reb to get a good look at you. My men tell me he's just over the hill.”

Elaine felt great hope, and yet at the same time doubt came, for she knew the power of the man who held her. Reb will never stand a chance against him. Very few of my father's knights could stand up to Baloc.

He yanked her along and stopped under a tree. “There he is,” he said suddenly “Now watch this, my lady”

Elaine watched Sir Baloc walk over to where his groom had his battle horse ready. He was lifted into the saddle, and he put the crested helmet over his head. Then he took the lance.

“This won't take long.” He gave a loud cry and said, “Now, Sir Reb, you'll see what it means to meet the powers of the Dark Lord's servants!” He touched his spurs to the horse and galloped straight at Reb.

Elaine did not see clearly what happened, but she saw Reb hold up something that caught the glint of the sunlight and heard him cry out some strange words. At the same time Sir Baloc pulled his horse up sharply. Then he uttered a hoarse cry, turned, and galloped away as if all the knights of the kingdom were after him.

Elaine gasped and shock ran over her.

Then, suddenly Reb was there! He leaned from his horse and said. “Princess Elaine, are you all right?”

“Oh, yes,” she said quickly Then she looked after the fleeing Baloc in bewilderment. “But what happened? Why did he run away?”

“He was afraid that he would die, so he ran—like the coward that he is.” He laughed aloud, and there was a note of victory in his voice as he said, “Come along, Princess. I'll get you a horse, and we'll get you back to your family.”

* * *

When Sir Reb led the Princess Elaine through the gates of Camelot, a cry went up such as had not been heard in many a year. The air was filled with hats thrown up by jubilant men, and a pressing throng surrounded the pair as they made their way toward the castle.

Reb had removed his armor, and Wash was following far behind with the pack animal.

Wash was joined almost at once by Elendar, who appeared out of nowhere. “How did this happen, my son?” Elendar demanded.

Wash shook his head. “I don't know. I never saw nothing like it.” He related how the three knights had fallen from their saddles and Sir Baloc had run in fear. “And it's all that medallion he wears around his neck and the funny words he says. And he keeps talking about this woman named Mogen who's taught him how to do all this.”

“Mogen, you say?” Elendar's eyes glinted fiercely. “I don't like the sound of that.”

“I did the best I could,” Wash said miserably, “but he wouldn't listen to me. I wish you'd been there, Elendar.”

Elendar's hand fell on the boy's shoulder, and he clasped it firmly. “Never mind. You have a good spirit, my boy Now we must be very careful to see that your friend doesn't take harm from this.”

Wash looked at the crowds who were screaming Reb's name and saw the pair dismount in front of the king and queen. Elaine rushed forward and was embraced by her parents, who, in turn, fell upon Sir Reb and seemed to be crying.

Wash wagged his head. “It looks to me like Reb is in pretty solid. He rescued the princess, and that's what's important, isn't it?”

“Winning is not always important,” Elendar said slowly. He looked tired and suddenly bowed his shoulders. “It's how we win that counts—and I very much fear that we have not seen the last of all this.”

“Who is Mogen, and what's this thing that gives Reb all that power?” Wash asked. “Is it from Goel, do you think?”

“No, never from Goel. He doesn't use magic. He uses men and women—and young people,” he added as he put his hands on Wash's shoulders again.

“Then what's wrong?”

Elendar did not answer for a long moment, and when he did his voice was so low that Wash barely heard it. “Sometimes the dark forces of this world use people as well.”