But Sir Galahad's Dead

Nevertheless, I cradled him in my arms and tried to staunch the bleeding. At the touch of my hands, he opened his eyes and looked deep into mine. As he did so, I felt like a real knave. Not withstanding the Grail, had I not taken him from the monastery, he would have been safe within its walls and so still alive. Instead, he was lying here in a forest with his life slowly flowing away. Then, the light in his eyes faded and his body went limp. At that, and I am not ashamed to admit it, I began to weep.

Suddenly, I felt a touch on my shoulder. Instantly, my head shot up and my hand went to my sword. Then, I relaxed. It was Morgan le Fey

"You’ll have to leave him," she brusquely announced. "He isn’t going to live and you can’t afford to be discovered here. I have summoned the monks and they will be along shortly."

I threw her arm off. "Use your power to save him, witch" I ordered. "Do that and I will do anything for you. And I mean anything!"

"Thanks for the offer," she replied, "But I’m not going to take it. Don’t you understand that this is where he is fated to die? Mourn him if you wish, but not right now. We must leave before the monks get here and you have some real explaining to do."

The sorceress, blast her soul, was right. Still, I was not leaving until I had paid my last respects. So, I carefully laid his head on the ground, crossed myself and muttered "Good bye, old friend, we will meet again in a better place." Then, I mounted my horse before reaching down and swinging Morgan le Fey behind me. The surviving Saxons may have fled, but they were still in the vicinity. Therefore, I was not going to leave a lone woman on her own even if she were a powerful witch.

She did not argue. Instead, the moment that she was on its back, she put her arms around my waist and whispered in my ears, "Let’s go."

. We rode across the wasteland as fast as my steed could carry us. Our breath hung around us like small wisps of fog and hooves drummed hard on the icy ground sounding away the time left for us in this frozen hell. Once, I looked back past her shrouded face and saw the torches of the monks coming to take the best of all Knights to his resting-place.

The moment that we were within the henge, she slipped off my horse, walked to her station at the eastern end then began her incantation. She was half way through it when my end of the circle began to fill up with Saxon warriors! I drew my sword then slowly fall to shield her. I did not say anything and I did not need to. She too had seen them and her words began to flow faster than before. Two of the Saxons tried to slip past me, but, heedless of any risk of myself, I jumped sideways to cut them down.

Then, lightening flashed around the tops of the henge. The gate was open! "Take my horse and get out of here." I shouted. "I will cover your retreat." There was no reply, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the two of them disappear through a gap in the stones. At the sight of that, the Saxons charged. I cut down the leading warrior then prepared to dive through the gate.