Book 1, Chapter 11 Summary

Merlin returns to the palace in secrecy. He climbs over the orchard wall and sneaks into his room and finds the dead body of Cerdic. Cerdic is tossed unceremoniously across his pallet. He touched Cerdic's hand and found him cold already. Merlin hears men looking for him outside but they cannot see him in the darkness of the unlit room.

Merlin gathers his clothes, some brooches, a clasp, and Cerdic's dagger into a bundle. He is angry at the undignified manner of Cerdic's death. He takes an oil lamp looks down at Cerdic. Now he can see that his throat was cut. He drops the lamp and it makes a funeral fire over Cerdic's body.

Merlin leaves the fire and scrambles over the wall looking back at the fire. He jumps over the wall, where a man knocks him down. The...