Two weeks after they had started training with the spear, the three princes awoke to discover that Galerius and the soldiers in the hillfort were gone; only the hillfort’s guards remained. “The Picts have crossed Strathclyde’s northern border,” Merlin explained. “Galerius left with the cavalry this morning, and the foot soldiers are following as fast as they can. I suggest that you continue with your spear practice this morning, and if you want to go riding this afternoon, just be sure to take your guards with you.”
The three princes crossed the training grounds to retrieve their spears from the armory. Arthur looked around the hillfort’s walls and noticed that the guards were deployed differently because the soldiers were gone.
“I have an idea for this afternoon that’s better than riding,” Arthur said.
“What could be better than riding?” Bedwyr asked.
“Exploring the cliff steps,” Arthur replied.
“I’d almost forgotten about them,” Cai said. “What about the guards?”
“Look around.” Arthur gestured at the guards along the walls. “They’re deployed at different posts because the soldiers aren’t here.”
“But what about the blacksmith and the groom?” Bedwyr asked. “We still have to get past one of them.”
“I don’t know about the blacksmith, but the groom is no problem,” Arthur said confidently. “I had Atlas placed in the stall with the secret door. We’ll go to the stables this afternoon like we’re visiting the horses, and then we’ll slip through the door in Atlas’ stall. The groom will never see where we’ve gone.”
Cai and Bedwyr grinned and nodded. “Good plan, Arthur,” Cai said.
“Let’s hurry up and finish our spear practice,” Bedwyr suggested. “I can’t wait to go exploring.”
Immediately after lunch, the three princes grabbed apples from the kitchen and walked to the stables to check on their horses. They visited Titus first and then Maximus, giving both horses an apple to eat. Then they entered Atlas’ stall and gave Bedwyr’s horse an apple. The groom was busy cleaning out the stalls while the cavalry horses were away; he never saw the princes slip through the secret door.
Arthur led them through the space between the stables and the north wall. As they approached the west end of the hillfort, they heard the blacksmith working in the smithy. Arthur silently pointed out the secret door in the back of the smithy when they passed it.
When they reached the door in the north wall, Arthur slid open the bolts and lifted the door, hooking the handle to keep the door open. Then Arthur led Cai and Bedwyr through the earthworks to the cliff.
The three princes looked at the view from the cliff. It was a cloudless summer day, and the hills to the north of the village were plainly visible.
“What’s that hill there?” Bedwyr asked, pointing to a large hill about two miles away that towered over the village.
“It’s called Alauna,” Arthur replied.
“That would make a great place for a fortress,” Bedwyr said. “I don’t see how an enemy would ever be able to take that hill.”
Arthur led the other two princes to the steps carved into the cliff. “Here are the steps.”
“Let’s go down,” Cai suggested.
“Should we have a rope?” Bedwyr asked, looking over the cliff at the steps. “I don’t see anything to hold onto.”
Arthur walked down the first few steps. “There are handholds cut into the cliff,” he reported.
Arthur started down the steps with Cai close behind. Bedwyr hesitated for a moment, and then he followed his friends.
Arthur remembered his conversation with Merlin. At least I’m not exploring the steps alone. But I do need to make sure that no one sees us.
“Let me know if you see anyone below the cliff,” Arthur said to his two companions. “We have to make certain that no one notices us and discovers the steps.”
It took a long time to climb down the cliff to the village below. The steps were in good shape, but several were covered in a slick moss due to years of non-use. The princes had to tread carefully to keep from slipping and falling.
When they finally reached the bottom of the cliff, Arthur looked up at the hillfort. “You can barely see the steps from down here.”
“I want to explore the village,” Cai said.
“How will we find the steps again?” Bedwyr asked.
Arthur looked around. There was a cluster of three trees close by. “Those trees are the landmark,” Arthur said, pointing.
The three princes headed for the village.
As they passed the first shop, Arthur was recognized. “Good afternoon, Prince Arthur,” the elderly shopkeeper said pleasantly. “Is there something that you’re looking for?”
Arthur shook his head. “We’re just exploring, thank you.”
The shopkeeper nodded and gestured for the princes to look around.
They left the shop and continued exploring the village with Arthur in the lead. I knew that it would be easy to slip out of the hillfort with Galerius and the army gone to fight the Picts in Strathclyde, but I didn’t realize that the village of Din Eidyn would seem so empty.
Several of the shops were closed because the owners had left with the soldiers. After a while, the princes decided that it was time to return to the hillfort.
Arthur led them back toward the steps, but he stopped when he saw men cutting down trees at the base of the cliff. The three trees that Arthur had designated as the landmark for the steps were gone, and even if they had still been there, it would be impossible to climb up to the hillfort unseen.
“What do we do?” Cai asked.
Arthur looked around. “We can’t wait until the woodcutters leave; we’d be climbing up the steps in the dark. And we can’t stay down here until morning. Merlin will turn the hillfort and the village upside-down looking for us. We’ll have to walk around the hill and go up the causeway to the main gates.”
“Won’t the guards wonder how we got outside the hillfort without our escort?” Bedwyr asked.
“Probably,” Arthur replied. “We’ll just have to deal with that if it happens.”
By the time they reached the top of the causeway, the sun was low on the horizon and the hillfort’s gates were about to close for the night. The guards recognized Prince Arthur as he approached, and they saluted and held the gates open for the three princes.
As the princes approached the great house, they saw Merlin waiting for them. He leaned on his staff on the front steps of the great house, and he looked concerned.
“What were the three of you doing outside the hillfort without your escorts?” Merlin demanded. “What if something had happened to one of you?”
“I’m sorry, Merlin,” Arthur said. “It’s my fault.”
Merlin scowled at Arthur. “You went out the secret door in the north wall, didn’t you?”
Arthur and the others nodded.
Merlin shook his head. “Did you remember to lock the door again?”
Arthur shook his head. “We made it down to the village unseen, but there were woodcutters working at the base of the cliff when we tried to come back. There’s no way we could climb up unseen, and I promised you that I wouldn’t let anyone see me climbing the steps. That’s why we came back up the causeway.”
Merlin