Free The Quest (The Sons of Camelot Book 2) by Kim Dragoner

second wall, unlike the first, was built up of earth rather than stones; for that reason, it isn’t nearly as noticeable as the first.”
    “Why would the Romans need a second wall?” John asked.
    “There is, of course, a great deal of argument about when the walls were built and what purpose they served,” Merlin continued. “Some believe that they were to keep out those barbaric Picts, of whom it is true the Romans were certainly afraid. Some believe that the walls were meant to mark the northern extent of the Roman Empire. The second reason certainly makes sense when one considers the second wall. Why, indeed, would they need a second wall, if not to mark a boundary?”
    “So, the walls weren’t built to keep the Picts out?” Thomas asked from behind them.
    “And Alpina’s story was nothing more than a story meant to frighten us,” John responded.
    “Alpina’s story was accurate,” Merlin continued. “Though, perhaps it wasn’t fear of the Picts that made them build the wall. After all, such a wall would only have the purpose of holding back invaders. As far as history has been recorded, the Picts have never invaded the lower part of the island, so, why would one need a wall for that?
    “No, the walls were built as a means of marking the northern boundary of the empire. That is why, after seeing that Emperor Hadrian had built a wall to mark his gains, Emperor Antonius Pius had to show how far he had advanced his empire; however, he didn’t put nearly the expense and effort into his wall. Although he did place a trench in front of it for troops to defend the wall, so that makes one wonder if the second wall was built for defense, after all.”
    Merlin seemed to have changed positions on his argument and it took John a few moments to sort through it. “So, you’re saying that the stone wall was built as a boundary, but not to defend against the Picts and the earth wall, farther north was built for defense, but was also a marker?”
    “I’ve only told you a portion of the story, but, yes, up to this point, you are following me correctly,” Merlin smiled. “This wall, made of earth, has worn down over the centuries since it was put there, so it isn’t quite as obvious. Though the Romans would have called it the Antonine Wall, it goes by a different name among those who live here…”
    “Gryme’s Dyke,” Alpina broke in with a proud smirk on her face.
    John turned in his saddle to look back at her, smiled, but made no comment. He certainly didn’t want to become the target for her arrows again.
    “Gryme’s Dyke is correct,” he chuckled. “I told you that she was one of my best students.”
    “Isn’t a dike meant to hold back water?” Thomas asked.
    “In most cases, that is the correct use of the word,” Merlin replied. “However, in this case, that’s not how it’s used. There is something interesting about its name, however. The word Gryme is often used to refer to the devil. So, in essence, Gryme’s Dyke is the Devil’s Dyke.”
    Merlin dropped that last bit of information and then became silent. With Alpina’s story and reference to the Devil’s Dyke lying along their path to the north, John had plenty going on inside of his head. The battle with Mordred, Arthur’s son, had been enough to awaken him to the atrocities and terrors of war. He’d been able to work through most of that madness, but something about those lands farther north and the Picts who dwelt there was already bringing back his greater apprehension.
    There was no doubt that the surrounding countryside, though mostly populated with forests and animals, was a beautiful and tranquil place. However, that quiet beauty seemed to be pregnant with the coming dread; much of which was due to the fact that, to John, it was a land completely unknown to him. With each passing mile northward, that dread became more and more pronounced.
    How could his father have survived alone in such a savage land? What sort of otherworldly