TARSUS

Pip slowly opened his eyes, and what he saw made him groan. Sir Dwayne was standing over him with the tip of a sword pressed to his throat. The grin on the Knights face told Pip everything. From the first time, to this, Pip had a feeling this was what Sir Dwayne had been waiting for. He knew he shouldn't have gone to bed so early, every time he did, he tended to oversleep, and usually got into trouble for it. It looked like this was no exception, although he didn’t have any idea what could have caused the Knight to come and get him again. He thought Princess Laura and Tarsus had taken care of any misunderstandings. Looks like they didn't do a very good job of it. I’m gonna’ have a long talk with the lizard if I get out of this with my skin intact. 　　　　“Don’t move,” Sir Dwayne growled. “I’ll not give you the chance to do anything.” 　　　　Pip didn’t think he could have moved. His heart was racing, his breath came in shallow little spurts, and sweat was popping out all over his body. He was more frightened now than when the Knight had first trussed him up like a hog to the slaughter all those weeks ago. The back of Pip’s head was pressed against the straw of the loft so hard trying to get away from the sword point, it made an impression in the hay. His adams-apple bobbed like a cork in a stream, he could feel the Knight’s blade scraping small pieces of skin off the tender side of his neck. This was defiantly not how he wanted to start shaving.　　　　 “Slowly turn over, boy,” Sir Dwayne ordered. 　　　　“I thought you didn’t want me to move,” said Pip. 　　　　The Knight pushed the sword a little farther down, drawing a small drop of blood, and a grunt from Pip’s; which apparently suited the Knight just fine, his grin looking more like a cat playing with a caught mouse. “Watch your tongue, boy,” he growled. 　　　　Pip knew immediately he shouldn’t have said anything. This was no time for smart remarks. He slowly put his hands up and said, “OK, OK. I’m sorry. What do you want?” 　　　　“Do what I told you. Slowly turn over,” said Sir Dwayne. “I’m going to tie your hands behind you.” 　　　　Pip only nodded this time. He figured his mouth had already cost him too much blood and skin. He slowly did what he was told, and within minutes the Knight had roughly bound his hands to the small of his back and was jerked to his feet. With iron fingers clamping his arm, Sir Dwayne hissed in his ear, “Now, we’re going in front of the King and I’ll be vindicated in what I did the last time I had to ‘fetch’ you.” 　　　　“I doubt that,” said a small rumble behind Pip and the Knight. 　　　　Sir Dwayne froze. His hands clamping spastically down on Pip’s arm. Pip didn’t seem to notice the pain, his attention focused on Tarsus’s voice behind them. “I told Lionel you wouldn’t hurt Pip again, Knight. That wasn’t a boast,” said the dragon. “If you don’t let the lad go, you’ll not leave this stable in one piece.” 　　　　“And you, dragon, will not leave without hurt yourself,” said another voice behind Tarsus. 　　　　Tarsus snorted, a slim stream of smoke billowing from his nostrils. A snort of derision. And with that trailing smoke, came the point of a spear poking Tarsus’s neck. 　　　　Tarsus craned his neck slightly, very slowly, to find Sir Hook holding a spear, just under his left ear flap. He wasn’t smiling as Sir Dwayne was. “And you, Sir Hook, will leave like Sir Dwayne, in pieces,” another voice behind him said. Sir Hook felt a sword point planted firmly in the middle of his own back. He stiffened, and as Tarsus had done, the Knight looked over his shoulder very slowly to find Princess Laura, in 　　　　full training armor, holding a sword, one which had a slight blue tinge to it. 　　　　“And this will not happen in my stable,” said a voice Pip could never forget. Mulch pressed a pitchfork into the back of a woman he didn’t know, who had a glowing blue sword. A woman he didn’t recognize. He didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on, or why in the two hells this was happening, but whatever the reason, no one was going to shed blood in his stables. And with Master Tarsus involved, he didn’t want his stables burned to the ground either. In all the years as the King’s Stableman, he’d not lost a horse, or tackle, or anything to fire, and he wasn’t about to start now. 　　　　Tarsus began to laugh. “Now what do we do?” 　　　　“All of you set your weapons on the ground, except you Great Lizard, and walk outside,” an authoritative voice said behind all of them. 　　　　Everyone groaned and took a peak over their shoulders. That voice was the one in which none of them wanted to hear, except maybe Sir Dwayne. He’d plans on taking Pip in front of the owner of it; King Lionel. 　　　　Lionel didn’t look pleased at all. 　　　　No one moved. 　　　　“Now!” roared the King.