Song of the Sparrow
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Song of the Sparrow is a 2007 novel by Lisa Ann Sandell. It is written completely in lyrical form. It is set during the Arthurian period in Britain.
[edit] Plot summary
When Elaine of Ascolat's mother is murdered by a Saxon warrior, her home is burned up. Her father, two brothers, Lavain and Tirry, and herself move to a war camp. Elaine is only 8 years old. She quickly makes friends with Arthur, Lancelot, Tristan, Gawain, and many others. Over the years, Elaine turns into a beautiful young girl of sixteen, with long, fiery red hair. She does all of the mending, washing, and healing of all three hundred and fifty soldiers in the camp. She is seemingly in love with Lancelot, for he was her "playmate" when she was younger. Suddenly, when Aurelius, the leader of the entire Briton army, is poisoned by a Saxon spy, Arthur is left to lead and unite all of Britain. The night that Arthur is proclaimed leader, Lancelot tells Elaine he must go and win the favor of Lodengrance, for he is needed at the Arthur's round table. When Elaine learns of Arthur's plan of attacking first against the Saxons, instead of the usual defense, she feels impending doom. She fears she has caused a bad owen when pricking her finger while mending Tirry's cloak.
Matters are made worse when Lancelot returns, with Lodengrance and Lodengrance's daughter, Gwynivere. Lancelot is obviously in love with her, and they flirt outwardly, even though Gwynivere is bethrothed to Arthur. This cause immediate hatred between the girls. Elaine is heart broken when Lancelot ignores her and calls her a child. When the men go off on a five day march to fight against the saxons, Elaine follows, far enough behind to not be noticed. While crossing a river, she nearly drowns. When she is within hearing distance of Arthur and the army, three Saxon warriors leap from the trees. They attack her, one stabbing Elaine's arm. Suddenly, Gwynivere, who has been following Elaine, leaps also and attacks the warriors. The girls almost succeed, but to no avail. They are taken prisoner, and tied to a pole in a tent at the Saxon camp. There, the girls reconcile, and Gwyn helps Elaine with her wound.A day or so later, the girls are untyed, but still guarded. They are to be ransomed back to Arthur. Elaine notices a loose peg in the tent, and the girls dig for hours. When they finally have a hole big enough, Elaine plans to run through the camp, distracting all the men, while Gwyn escapes to warn Arthur and the army, who are camping at Mount Badon, that a spy told the Saxons where they were.
Elaine manages to divert the Saxons while Gwyn escapes, but while almost escaping on a boat, Elaine is shot with an arrow. She floats off down the river safely, barely managing to spread a poltice on the wound from which she wrenched the arrow herself. The Britons find her, and Gwyn nurses Elaine back to help, with the help of Tirry, Lavain, Arthur, Lancelot, and most of all, Tristan. When Elaine is well enough, they travel back to their previous camp. Along the way, Elaine and Lancelot talk, and come to the conclusion that Lancelot is hopelessly in love with Gwynivere, who has fallen in love with Arthur, and that Elaine does not truly love Lancelot. Later, while still on the journey back, Tristan acts angry to Elaine. When she bades him talk, he confesses his jealousy of Elaine and Lancelot, and his love for Elaine. Elaine then realizes that she, too, loves Tristan, and they embrace.
When everyone is back at camp and settled, there is a feast at the Round Table. Arthur speaks of the building of Camelot, and askes who will join him. Tristan and Elaine are the first to stand, hand and hand. All togther, the Britons cry "For Peace! For Freedom!".
