Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

looking back at the young boy. Finally, Myrddin smiled and turned his attention back to Ambrosius.
    “Tell us,” said Uther to Kaleb. “What is the state of the army, as of this moment?”
    “I must confess that the troops’ morale was rather weak when we left. If the earthquakes occurred on every night since we have departed, as Myrddin suggested, I suspect the soldiers’ tents are not the only things in ruins. My guess is that the morale of the army is probably at its lowest right now. The men are following Vortigern, but only because there is no other alternative. I’m sure very few believe he can actually win the war against the Saxons.”
    Uther jumped up to his feet and faced his brother Ambrosius.
    “Then we must take action. We must go to Dinas Ffaraon and dispose of the traitor once and for all!” he exclaimed. “Let’s gather the men and attack swiftly. Reclaim what is rightfully yours, my brother. Reclaim the throne that was stolen from us.”
    “You know we will follow your orders, my king,” added Darroch.
    Ambrosius pondered the idea, trying to evaluate every possible scenario that would emerge from an attack against Vortigern and his men.
    “This is a bad idea,” someone suddenly whispered.
    Everyone turned his head toward Malloy, who was staring blankly at the table in front of him. Samuel could not believe he had the nerve to contradict Uther Pendragon.
    “If you take on Vortigern now, a lot of lives will be lost,” added the young warrior. “You can be assured he will not go down easily, and will use every trick at his disposal to defend himself. Even if he is a poor king, he has proven to be resourceful when he needed to defend his throne. You can’t be sure he will not commit some vile act that would have disastrous consequences for our country. Also, do not discount the advantages he has, namely the landscape of Dinas Ffaraon and the army officers. Your men won’t make it halfway to the top of the hill before his archers rain arrows on their heads.”
    Uther opened his mouth to put this youngster back in his place, but before he could do so, Master Blaise spoke.
    “He is right, Uther. You should listen to this one, for he is wiser than he looks.”
    “Not everyone here is what they seem,” added Myrddin, looking at Samuel. The Lorekeeper wished he could vanish between the planks of the floor.
    “What did you say your name was, young man?” asked Ambrosius.
    “Malloy Cadwallader, my lord.”
    “Malloy is right, my brother. Let’s not commit the sin of vanity and assume the army will immediately rally to our cause and turn on Vortigern. We do not know if the officers are still behind him or not. We might end up facing an enemy much stronger than we think. I will not risk our men and our lives on a coin toss. If it is our destiny to take back the throne, we should be intelligent about it. Our first step should be to ensure we can sway the army’s loyalty to our side. We have to find a way to rally the officers to us, without Vortigern knowing of it.”
    “And how do you plan to do that, exactly?” asked Uther.
    “I will go with Myrddin to Vortigern’s camp.”
    Every man in the room could not help but react with shock and surprise to this unexpected announcement.
    “Are you mad?” inquired Uther Pendragon. “They will spot you from a mile away.”
    “Not if I disguise myself as one of the men sent to get Myrddin.”
    He pointed to Atwood.
    “This brave warrior is wounded and can barely stand. I can wear his armor and wield his weapons, take his place in the group. That way, I can protect Myrddin and get close to Vortigern. Would you mind allowing me to borrow your gear, Atwood?”
    “It would be my greatest honor, my king.”
    “For God’s sake, don’t encourage him!” exclaimed Uther, sitting back in his chair. “That, my brother, is the worst idea you ever had. No one said we have to do anything. We should keep these men here with us, hide Myrddin and wait for a better occasion to strike the bastard.”
    Ambrosius walked to his brother and bent over him as if addressing a child.
    “Don’t you understand, Uther? They sent these men here. They know the boy is hiding in this abbey. I don’t know how they learned about this secret, but they did. It is not safe for us anymore. There may very well never be another occasion like this one. If we stay here, they will come for us. If we move the village, the Saxons will hunt us. Myrddin, tell him of your