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"I’ve beaten Bedwyr," Lleu announced

"You’ve what?" Goewin said, hardly able to take him seriously

"Four times today I disarmed him"

Astounded, Goewin said, "Today? You di Cy?four times today?"

Lleu’s dark eyes sparkled and his face glowed He nodded He would never say such a thing if it were not true

"How on earth did youall that tu He didn’t knohere I’d be--he couldn’t hold me Oh, Goeere so pleased!"

"Lleu," Goewin said carefully, glancing up at dom"

"I know," Lleu said softly

"But you !"

"Ask Bedwyr," Lleu said "Anyway, it isn’t really one suan to teach me He teaches skill"

"He couldn’t ever teach Caius enough skill to disarm him," Goewin said She stared at her twin "You must be simply brilliant And nobody ever noticed it!"

"I’ve never been well enough before," Lleu said "Oh, Goewin, I can’t tell you how"--he laughed--"how remarkable I feel Aren’t I?"

Goewin tried to push hier best hihed instead "Yes, you conceited creature, you are reh

Artos was not in Caress through the south of Britain, checking defenses and supplies in the small towns and cities Lleu wrote to tell hi: "Lleu, , after all--think of it, the finest swordsin to train you as I’ve trained Medraut… Stay strong, groise, and I’ll crown you with pride in the spring"

Such love in those words, such love and joy It was never Lleu’s na a feeeks later I walked with Lleu and Goewin to Elder Field to visit the smithy It was the first day in teeks that the sky was clear; the air was chill but not cold The track across the surrounding fields that leads to the wooded Edge and the mines was sothe hedges and cutting back the hazel coppices, glad for the respite frolittered with drops of water, and wet dead leaves clung to our ankles When we arrived at the sh shortly, and over the ringing din that Marcus wasindicated that we should stay out of the way But despite the furious clatter and the heat they were producing, the tere not particularly hard at work that day In this late autu they had set aside the constant repair and production of harness and yoke fixtures, scythe blades and plowshares that kept the s apprentice a ate or screen of wrought iron

After a time the two men left their work quiet and caht strea to shado and again as the clouds hter for a moment "W Cntadohat have you been up to in your Ro so useful as your work," Goewin answered

"Lleu has been repairing the ate It felt even her and more textured than a knife blade, but not harsh

"You need to learn a trade," Marcus said to Lleu solehed

Lleu said with cold dignity, "I aht," Gofan said in his deep voice, a gentle counter to the well-intentioned insolence of his pupil "You need to be skilled in what’s expected of you How old are you--fifteen? If you were not the high king’s son you would be apprenticed by now, or starting to be But you aren’t expected to learn a craft beyond the soldiery and husbandry you are already being taught Your art and skill htfaced, "But is leadership soht ?"

"I’ll always have people like you about to make sure what I ill be done," Lleu said comfortably

The iron under o it had been crier