Arthur, King. William Speir

Titus?”

      “Because Titus was the companion to a saint. This horse is going to be my new companion, so… Titus.”

      Arthur looked at the horse in the eye. “Do you like the name Titus?”

      The horse whinnied loudly.

      “Does that mean he likes his name?” Arthur asked the groom.

      The groom nodded. “Yes, my Prince. I believe he likes his name very much.”

      When Cai and Bedwyr joined Arthur and Merlin at the stables, Arthur introduced them to Titus.

      “You named your horse?” Bedwyr asked. “I never thought to do that.”

      “Neither did I,” Cai said.

      “You should name your horses,” Merlin said. “They need to know when you’re calling them.”

      “I know what I want to name my horse,” Cai said.

      “What?” Arthur asked.

      “Maximus, after the emperor Mascen Wledig who led the Legions out of Britain. I grew up hearing about the stories of Maximus, and I’ve always loved the name.”

      “Good name,” Merlin noted. “Why don’t you see if your horse likes it?”

      Cai walked over to his horse’s stall. “Hello, Maximus,” he said as he stroked the horse’s nose.

      The horse whinnied. “He likes it!” Cai called back.

      Bedwyr walked to his horse’s stall. The horse acted excited to see him and placed its head on Bedwyr’s shoulder. Bedwyr whispered in his horse’s ear, and the horse whinnied like the others. Bedwyr stroked the side of its head for a few moments before rejoining the others.

      “What did you name him?” Arthur asked.

      “Atlas,” Bedwyr replied. “When we first set out for Din Eidyn, he wasn’t used to having someone on his back, and it took a while for him to settle down. I guess he finally got used to carrying my weight, so that made me think of Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

      “That sounds like the perfect choice,” Merlin said.

      Horses in Britain were a hearty stock, strong and capable of running for long periods of time. The Romans took many horses from Britain and sent them back to Rome to be used as cavalry horses, as well as for chariot and wagon teams. They were coveted – especially by owners of horse teams that raced in the hippodrome.

      In between their studies with Merlin and Galerius, Arthur and his new friends went riding around countryside. It took Arthur a while to get used to riding, but soon he was as proficient on horseback as Cai and Bedwyr. They were escorted by ten guards wherever they went, and both Merlin and Galerius warned them not to go anywhere without their escorts.

      “The three of you will be kings someday,” Galerius reminded them. “That’s too tempting a target for an enemy to pass up. Stay safe; stay with your guards. They’re there to protect you.”

      Galerius began teaching the three princes how to fight. As he demonstrated each weapon, he instructed the princes about its function, how to use it when fighting one-on-one, and how to deploy it in combat with an army. Then he taught the princes the various fighting techniques of the weapon itself.

      “Why are we starting with the spear?” Arthur asked as Galerius laid three spears on the ground in front of the princes.

      “Because it’s the most common weapon used by your soldiers,” Galerius replied. “The spear is used by foot soldiers and mounted soldiers alike. The mounted soldiers use a larger spear because they’re on horseback and need a longer weapon to reach an enemy. Foot soldiers typically use a smaller spear for stabbing or throwing, but they also use larger spears when going up against cavalry.

      Galerius demonstrated how foot soldiers hold their spears against enemy cavalry. Then he demonstrated how the spears were carried and used when fighting against other foot soldiers. Finally, he showed the princes how to throw a spear against a mounted or standing enemy.

      Galerius instructed the princes to practice throwing their spears at a target that he’d set up a short distance away. The princes didn’t do very well, and soon they couldn’t stop laughing at how bad they were. The spears were heavy and designed to be used by an adult. None of them managed to hit the target; in fact, none of their spears landed anywhere near it. Even Galerius began laughing after a while.

      “Don’t worry if you don’t hit the target today.” He grinned as they retrieved their spears. “Few soldiers hit it their first time trying.”

      He gestured for one of the nearby guards to come and join him. “I’m now going to demonstrate hand-to-hand combat using spears.”

      The guard took one of the spears and demonstrated as Galerius explained the basics of spear fighting. “Jabbing your spear is called a ‘thrust.’ Blocking a thrust is called a ‘parry’. Which thrust to use depends on how the enemy is holding his spear. Which parry to use depends on how you’re holding your spear and which thrust the enemy uses. It’s similar to sword fighting, but there are fewer maneuvers to remember. That’s why we’re starting with spears and saving swords for last.”

      The guard took a defensive position, holding his spear near the middle of his body and pointing it toward Galerius. Galerius took his spear and held it the same way. Then he began calling out commands, and the two men approached each other and alternated between attacking and defending with their spears.

      The wood shafts clacked loudly against each other as Galerius and the guard demonstrated spear fighting techniques to the three wide-eyed princes. The clanging of the spearheads rang across the training grounds. When Galerius and the guard were finished, the guard bowed to Galerius and returned to his post.

      Galerius brought up two princes at a time and had them face each other. Then he walked them through thrusting and parrying. The princes thrust and jabbed clumsily, and they accumulated an impressive collection of bruises. This went on until just before sunset.

      “That’s enough for today,” Galerius said, retrieving their spears. “You’ve learned a lot, and we’ll keep working with the spears until you master them. Then we’ll move on to the next weapon.”

      The princes were exhausted as they walked back to the great house.

      “I had no idea it would be so hard to learn to fight with spears,” Cai said. “I’ve watched my father’s soldiers for years. They make it look so easy.”

      “They’ve been practicing for years,” Bedwyr pointed out. “We’ve only just started.”

      “Why are we going to learn all of the weapons that our soldiers use?” Cai asked.

      “Merlin explained that to me,” Arthur said. “When you’re in battle, weapons break and slip from your hands. If you’re fighting with a spear and it breaks, then you draw your sword. If your sword falls or breaks, you draw your dagger. If you lose your dagger, you fight with your hands until you can find another weapon. We have to be able to use whatever weapon we pick up in a fight.”

      “Then why learn archery?” Cai asked.

      “Have you ever been hunting?” Bedwyr asked. “You can’t kill every animal with a spear.”

      “It’s a very precise way to kill a single person,” Arthur added. “And when hundreds of archers fire their arrows at the same time in battle, they can hit hundreds of the enemy, doing damage from very far away.”

      “I’d like to see that!” Cai said.

      Every morning after breakfast, the princes reported to Galerius for more spear practice. In time, their aim improved, and their spears managed to land closer to the target. The princes gradually improved their thrust and parry exercises, although they still found it difficult to remember all of the commands.