“The White Knight will need a lance. As it is the least you can do, can I assume you will supply one?” Sir Kay asked Leodegrance.
“Absolutely, you there, fetch a lance for our great champion,” King Leodegrance said to a soldier.
As the soldier went back into Camelgrance Guinevere charged out of it on the back of her riding horse. She blushed when she espied Britt. “Champion,” she called.
Britt turned her back to the girl. “Kay, what are you doing? It’s not like you to run your mouth like this and you have just gotten us into a mess of trouble. I can’t beat Maleagant in a joust. What are you thinking?” Britt said, her voice lowered.
“But you can, My Lord,” Kay said. “You haven’t the passion for jousting as you do for the sword, but you’ve gotten quite good at it.”
“How can you say that? I’ve never even unseated you!”
“Forgive my pride, My Lord, but as it stands I am the best knight at jousting in all of Camelot. It would take much for you to defeat me. Trust my judgment, My Lord. You can beat Maleagant.”
Britt turned to glance back at the Maleagant’s camp. “Do you really believe that?”
“I do. If you do not lose heart, My Lord, you will certainly win.”
Britt sighed. “Merlin is going to kill you when we get back to him.”
“Of that I am well aware.”
“Does this lance suit you, champion?” King Leodegrance’s soldier asked, trotting up to the pair, carrying a long, tapered weapon.
Britt recognized it as a jousting lance, so the end was blunted and cupped to prevent a knight from impaling his opponent.
Sir Kay went over it and nodded. “It will do, thank you,” he said, handing the weapon up to Britt.
When Maleagant appeared again, fully armored and mounted, Sir Kay asked, “The White Knight wishes to know if you too plan to use a jousting lance, or if you intend to take a much needed advantage and use an actual lance.”
Maleagant growled and presented the blunted tip of his jousting lance.
“Very well,” Sir Kay said before walking off.
Britt nudged her charger and followed him.
“You’re taking this better than I thought you would,” Sir Kay said when they were far enough away that their words would be muted to the crowd gathering at the gates of Camelgrance.
“The only thing that is keeping me here is your judgment. I have absolute belief in you. So if you say I can do this…,” Britt trailed off and shivered in her armor.
“Am I one who normally lets you gamble with your life?”
“No.”
“Then I promise you. You will win,” Sir Kay said, stopping when they were far enough away from Maleagant for a proper joust. “Sit deep in your saddle, and push from your stirrups,” he said, unhooking a plain shield from Britt’s charger and passing it up to her.
“Ok,” Britt said, her heart pounded in her throat as she slid her left arm through the shield straps. She swiveled her horse to face Maleagant, wishing she could wipe off the sweat that was starting to bead on her face.
Maleagant was on his red roan horse again, and he seemed especially sinister dressed in his armor embellished with blood red swirls and decorations.
“Don’t panic,” Kay said, backing away as one of Leodegrance’s men raised a flag.
When the soldier swung it down Britt and Maleagant cued their horses forward, rushing towards each other in a canter.
Britt pressed her butt deep into the saddle to anchor herself as she rocked with her horse’s rolling gait. She steeled herself so she wouldn’t flinch, and too quickly Maleagant was upon her.
Britt steadied her joust with her right hand, carefully aiming for Maleagant’s shield. She hit it, but Maleagant also hit her.
Numbness followed by a flash of pain hit Britt when Maleagant pushed, trying to toss her from the saddle. Gritting her teeth, Britt managed to keep her seat. So did Maleagant. It was a draw.
Britt raised her lance and trotted back to Kay, flexing her arm to get feeling back into it.
Kay stared at her when Britt stopped her charger in front of him.
“He isn’t as strong as you,” Britt said. “Getting hit by you in a serious charge hurts enough to make my eyes water and my arm useless for an hour.”
Sir Kay nodded as Britt guided her horse back into place. “You didn’t push,” he said.
“What?” Britt said, tugging her shield back into place, ignoring the tingling in her arm.
“You did not push him with your strength, it was all the force of your mount,” Sir Kay said.
“I was guarded and more concerned about staying in the saddle,” Britt admitted.
“Staying on isn’t going to win this joust. He’s bigger and has more stamina than you, he’ll wear you down. You must use all your strength to unseat him,” Sir Kay said as again Leodegrance’s soldier raised the flag.
“Right,” Britt said moments before the flag dropped and her horse exploded forward in a canter.