Page 45 of The Sword & the Stone

"Another riddle you must answer," he boomed, his voice like the rumble of distant thunder. "Fail, and your journey ends here."

Arthur nodded, her hand instinctively reaching for Excalibur at her side. "Ask your riddle, guardian."

“I possess no limbs yet I can dance, With whispers of secrets, I take my stance. I can be a herald of joy or of fright, Always I linger, both day and night. What am I?”

The warrior's riddle hung in the air, the mist curling around us as if awaiting our answer. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. This one seemed trickier than the last.

Gusts of wind snatched voices from the depths of the chasm below, carrying them up to us like the sorrowful moans of the dying. I locked eyes with Arthur and saw unease flicker in theirdepths. I offered my hand for her to take, and her delicate fingers intertwined with mine.

None of us could solve the riddle for her. If we did, then Arthur would fail the trial, and I had no doubt that we would become part of the chorus of shrieking souls in the chasm below.

Arthur's brow furrowed as she mulled over the words, her lips moving silently as she repeated the riddle to herself. I glanced at Merlin, who was watching her intensely. He knew the answer, I could tell. Once again, I had no idea.

"A shadow," she declared suddenly, her voice ringing out clear and strong. "The answer is a shadow."

My stomach clenched, and my fingers too, tightening on hers. For a moment, the only sound was the eerie whistle of the breeze through the chasm. Then, with a grinding of stone on stone, the warrior statue shifted, revealing the next stretch of the path.

"Thank the fucking gods," Gawain muttered, running a hand over his bearded jaw. "I thought for sure we were done for."

I clapped him on the back, grinning. "Our queen is as clever as she is beautiful."

Arthur shot me a look, half exasperated, half amused. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Galahad."

"On the contrary, my lady," I said with a wink, "I find it gets me exactly where I want to be."

She shook her head, but I could see the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her red tinted lips. Lips I very much had the urge to kiss.

Arthur walked ahead and veered to the right, where she paused and peered over the edge of the bridge into the chasm. “How far down is the drop?”

In response, more moans echoed up from the dark depths, causing her long chestnut hair to blow off her shoulders. The chilly air had caused goosebumps to form on her arms, andinstinctively, I stepped in behind her, rubbing my hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm her up.

“According to legends,” Tristan said, stepping up beside Arthur and peering down. “Thereisno bottom. The chasm just keeps going. Some say you fall forever until you die of starvation.”

A visible shiver ran through Arthur, and she leaned back into my touch. I kept rubbing her arms, relishing the closeness. The scent of her hair, like campfire smoke and autumn leaves, made my mouth water. My need for her was growing, and touching her wasn’t helping.

"Let's hurry," Merlin said, his eyes scanning the mist ahead. "We have one more guardian to face."

With reluctance, I stepped back from Arthur, my hands sliding down her arms before falling away. She glanced over her shoulder at me, her brown eyes meeting mine for a charged moment. Something unspoken passed between us, a promise of things to come. Then she turned and led us down the bridge.

The path narrowed as we went, until we were forced to walk single file, our hips brushing the rough stone on either side. The mist grew thicker, swirling around our feet and obscuring the way ahead. It felt as though we were walking through a dream, or maybe a nightmare.

At last, the third and final statue loomed out of the fog. It was an androgynous figure, neither male nor female, with a serene expression carved onto its stone face, and a crown of antlers atop their head. As we approached, its eyes began to glow with that now-familiar light.

"One last riddle, seekers of the Grail," it said, its voice a melodic whisper that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Answer correctly, and the way forward shall be opened to you."

“In the stillness of night, when the world holds its breath, I weave through the ages, a whisper of death. I am born in the silence, yet speak without sound, A specter of moments, in shadows I’m bound. I follow your footsteps, yet never am seen, A phantom companion, where light once has been. I feast on the fleeting, on dreams that you keep, In the depths of your heart, where the memories seep. I dance in the twilight, where echoes reside, A thief of your laughter, your joy, and your pride. Though you chase after me, I slip through your grasp, For I am the keeper and shall hold you your last.”

I watched Arthur closely, trying to decipher her expressions as she puzzled over the guardian's words. Her brow furrowed, and she chewed on her bottom lip, a habit I'd noticed she had when deep in thought. It was incredibly distracting.

I wondered if Arthur knew how beautiful she was. I forced my gaze away from those lips, trying to focus on the riddle instead. The answer danced just out of reach, taunting me. I glanced at Merlin, hoping he might have some insight, but he seemed just as perplexed as the rest of us.

Minutes ticked by, and the bridge began to tremble beneath our feet. The screams from the chasm grew louder, more insistent, as if the lost souls sensed our presence and were eager to drag us down into their eternal torment.

I exchanged worried glances with the others. Lancelot’s fingers sparked with flame and his eyes filled with glowingembers, ready to lash out at anything that tried to harm Arthur. Ice crawled up Gawain’s arms and Tristan’s eyes were glowing white.

The bridge trembled more violently, causing loose rocks to tumble down the sheer mountain faces on either side. The moans became deafening, resembling the cries of a killing field. I should have anticipated that there would be a time limit for each riddle.

Just as the stone guardian’s eyes began to dim, Arthur’s entire body jerked forward, and her eyes went wide. "Time!" she shouted as she rocked to the side as the bridge shook. “The answer to your riddle is time!"

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