Heavenly Creatures

“Lancelot!” Arthur shouted.

I looked over with my hand still clutching the bartender’s collar.

“Son of Uther Pendragon!” I said cheerfully. “What brings you here?”

Arthur ignored me. “What are you doing?”

“Taking care of this bully,” I said.

Arthur’s eyes were steely. “Let the man go and walk with me.”

I hesitated, grabbing the man’s collar more tightly in rebellion. Then I sighed heavily and finally pushed the man onto the floor, where he whimpered, clutching his bloody mouth. The men milling around us groaned in disappointment. And then, as if sensing that Arthur’s and my blood was still boiling, they quickly dispersed.

“Yes?” I asked, already knowing why Arthur wanted to talk, but wanting to make it as hard as possible for him.

Arthur sighed. “Let’s go out to the fields,” he said.

We saddled and mounted our horses in silence. I pushed my horse into a gallop, whooping as I raced across the grass. Arthur waited until I trotted back up, grinning.

“What did you want, killjoy?”

“We do not use our strength to bully others,” Arthur said.

“You misunderstand,” I said. “As usual. The bartender is an extortionist. I was just teaching him a lesson.”

“Tell me,” Arthur said. “Who is stronger? You or the bartender?”

“Me,” I said shortly, already knowing what was coming.

“Then who is the bully, you or the bartender?”

I was silent, then grudgingly answered. “Me, I suppose.”

“Violence is the refuge of the weak,” Arthur said. “Always remember that.”

“What would knights know about peace?” I asked.

“I fight with my knights to defend what was, and the dream of what could be,” Arthur said. “And I know you do too.”

“The only difference between us is that you believe that such a world can exist, while I highly, highly doubt it.” I grinned, and Arthur begrudgingly grinned back.

“We’ll see,” Arthur said.

“Until we see,” I said. “I hope you know that you haven’t changed my mind. An eye for an eye.”

Arthur shook his head, but we rode back to the stables in companionable silence.