“Here we are,” Merlin said when they reached a break in the trees.
Before Britt stretched a large lake. It looked nothing like any of the lakes Britt had ever seen. For starters there was no trash littering the ground, and the water was clear with not so much as a spot of algae floating on the surface. It seemed… clean. Fresh and untouched. Flowers bloomed on the shores, and further down the lakefront a mother deer drank with her baby. Up the opposite shoreline was a wooden boat, and far out in the center of the lake Britt could see a sword, held above the water by what looked like a human arm.
“Oh,” Britt said, remembering what sword Arthur was famous for obtaining besides the sword in the stone.
“This is the home of the—,” Merlin proudly started.
“Lady of the Lake, yeah, yeah. So where is she?” Britt asked as she dismounted.
Merlin pushed his eyebrows together as he studied Britt. “She will arrive shortly. No one visits the lake without her knowledge,” he said as he also dismounted.
Sir Ector and Sir Kay slid off their horses and led them to the shoreline to drink.
Britt followed, exhaling stiffly as Sir Kay took Merlin’s horse from him.
“What sword is that, held by the arm in white samite in the middle of the lake?” Sir Ector asked, shielding his eyes as he squinted across the lake.
Merlin nodded his head at the sword, as if to pay it homage. “It is a legendary weapon, far beyond the likes of what we seek.”
Britt frowned at the wet ground as her mare shuffled into the lake to get a drink. “That’s Excalibur. It must be,” she muttered, making Sir Kay glance at her as he soothed his horse and Merlin’s.
“Behold, here comes the fair Lady of the Lake. Allow me to do all of the talking,” Merlin warned as he started down the lakefront.
Just past the mother and baby deer a woman appeared, walking in their direction.
She had pitch black eyes and ink black hair that fell almost to her feet. She was garbed in a green dress, and wore a strand of emeralds set in gold. Her face was smooth and her expression was lofty. Besides the incredibly long hair, Britt didn’t see anything particularly magical or faerie like about the lady.
“Lady,” Merlin said, bowing before her. Sir Ector joined Merlin in his bow, tossing the reins of his horse to Sir Kay.
“Welcome, Merlin the enchanter,” the lady said. “I have been told the new king, the true King of Britain, travels with you under your protection.”
Kay juggled the three mounts, paying minimal attention to the faerie visitor.
“How do you think she gets her hair that long and nice looking?” Britt whispered to Sir Kay.
Sir Kay shrugged. “Servants?” he suggested. He paused for a moment before dumping all of the reins and digging his logbook out of his horse’s pack, inscribing something unreadable on the pages.
“King Arthur does indeed ride with me,” Merlin said, indicating to Britt.
Britt blinked but made no move to bow or play nice with the faerie lady, who studied her carefully.
“The rumors are true, then, that Britain’s new king is not only young, but has some of the blood of my people. He has our elegance and beauty,” the Lady of the Lake said.
Merlin coughed to hide his fright, and it occurred to Britt that the wizard never thought that particular lie would spread to the supposed faeries as well. “Yes, my esteemed lady. If you know that then surely you must know why we have ridden here?”
The Lady of the Lake returned her attention to Merlin, playing her mystic role to the beat. “You have come to obtain a sword for King Arthur, an enchanted sword.”
“Surprise,” Britt dryly said.
Sir Kay coughed and avoided meeting Britt’s eyes.
“We have,” Merlin confirmed. “We would be forever in your debt if you would grant King Arthur this boon.”
“I believe I have just the sword,” the Lady of the Lake said, approaching the waters of her lake. She stepped into the lake until she was knee deep before she elegantly bent over and pulled a sword from the depths of the water.
“I present to you Hrunting,” she said as she exited the lake waters, holding the sword in her arms. Britt noted that perhaps the faerie part was not a total sham as the lady’s dress appeared to be dry.
“Hrunting,” Merlin whispered, his eyes glowing as he stooped over the sword to inspect it. “The sword of Unferth, given to Beowulf at Unferth’s death.”
Britt looked to Sir Kay for an explanation, but the young knight shrugged in ignorance.
Sir Ector ahhed over the weapon, but judging by his lack of belly jiggling Britt suspected he didn’t know who Unferth was either.
“Hrunting, the sword which has never failed anyone who hefted it in battle,” the lady said, a trace of a smile curling on her lips.