Lancelot stood staring out over the battlefield, so many dead, luckily they were saxons, a lot of woads but he couldnt see any of the knights. That tought both made him want to scream in joy but also fall to his knees in despair. And Lancelot never kneeled. "Arthur" he called out, and started to walk. "Im here Lancelot" came his best friends voice from his left. Lancelot turned on his heel and jogged over to him looking the older man over before crushing him in a hug. Arthur laughed lightly and drew Lancelot closer, putting his arms around the smaller mans waist.
"It`s good to see you alive, have you seen any of the other knights?" Arthur asked. Lancelot shook his head "no, if I had I wouldnt be here" he teased at the same time as he tightened his arms around Arthur. After a minute they let go of eachother and took a step away, "we should go and look after them" Arthur said and Lancelot nodded in agreement.
They separated and started to look for their friends and brothers in-arm. Lancelot soon came upon Gawain helping Galahad up, the young knight had been knocked uncouncies by a blow not intended for him and had just now come around. The two followed Lancelot and searched for the rest of the knights. "Tristan, have you seen anyone alive?" Lancelot asked when he saw the silent scout.
Tristan nodded and pointed to a patch free of bodies some yards away, "Bors are over there alive, havent seen anyone else though". With a nod Lancelot left Tristan to continue the search.
After some minutes he met Arthur again and the two counted up who they found and if someone was missing. "I found Gawain and Galahad, the youngsters been hit in the head but is fine, Gawain has an arrowwound in his shoulder, Tristan alright, of course, Bors, as well, if not exhausted" Lancelot summarised. Arthur nodded and said "I found him" Arthur`s voice choked and Lancelot could see he was exhausted."Lets gather everyone and get away from here," Lancelot said, he started to walk away but Arthur grabbed his hand and stopped him in his tracks. Drawing Lancelot against him, Arthur hugged him again, gently pulling the curls out of his best friends face, something Lancelot hated when he did, "I am really glad you are alive" Arthur murmured and kissed his forehead. Lancelot smacked his arm and started to walk again, "dont get all sentimental old man" he said over his shoulder.
The knights gathered and started for their horses,who had been lost sometime in the battle, whistling for them. They were silent as they each fetched their trained war-horses, petting their necks and talking quietly to them. A spot in the clouds cleared and light shone down upon them, at first they didnt think about it, it was only the sun. But when the light seemed to flick on and off and first resting on one person than jumping to another they grew curious. Looking up the light landed on Arthur`s face, than Lancelot`s, Galahad and Gawain, Tristan and lastly Bors before disappearing and the clouds gathered together again. The woads in that area also looked up, "that is curious" on said. When they looked back down the knights were gone and the horses had started panicking, the white`s in their eyes showing clearly as they snorted and stamped their legs.
Lancelot stumbled slightly as he seemed to have been lifted slightly off the ground and then dropped back down. There was black dots in front of his eyes and his hearing was muffed but as soon as that had happened it were gone and he could see clearly and hear the movements the other made as they stared out at the unfamiliar surroundings. This was not Badon Hill where they had been fighting not long ago. Rather they were standing on a stony edge looking out over a large valley, filled with roaring waterfalls all blending to become one great river, beautiful trees and greenery covering the rest. But what interested them the most was not the beauty of it, but the glow that seemed to be ever present and the calm that came with it.
A path went along the side of the valley, leading to a settlement further down into it, on the other side. When they had somewhat come over their shock Bors started for the path, "where are you going?" Galahad asked. "Well, we dont know how we got here, or where `here´ is, so I say we go to the place where there is most certain there is people, and that is this way" Bors answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. They turn to look at Arthur who after a moments consideration nods his head, "Bors is right, lets get some answers." So with Bors at the front, followed by Gawain and Galahad, Lancelot, Arthur and Tristan at the back they set off down the path.
After about twenty minutes of walking, Lancelot had a hard time not showing the fact that he probably has a arrowhead stuck in his tigh and struggled to walk normally and not wince. It got harder as they walked on and Lancelot finally stumbled. Arthur was immediatly at his side, he had noticed the small trail of blood left behind his best friend and First Knight,
but had decided against doing anything at the moment since he would undoubtetly just get pushed away. He had hoisted Lancelots arm over his shoulder and had an arm around his waist before the younger man could even open his mouth to protest. They continued to walk in silence only interupted by Lancelots complaints about managing competley fine on his own.
The path suddenly widened and they were standing before a wooden bridge at the very entrance to the place they sought to enter. However, out of the shadows and from behind trees on the other side of the bridge came several men, armed but not drawn, their bows rather hanging on the quiver hanging on their backs. One of them spoke to another in a foreign language, non of the knights had heard it before but it was musical and pleasant to the ears. The one who was spoken too took of trough the gates and disappeared from sight as the speaker turned to the men.
"You are bloodied, and injured" he pointed out looking at Lancelot. The sarmatian manage to extract his arm from Arthurs grip and stood up fully on his own. Lancelot was not one to show pain or weaknesses. "Come you will follow me and I will take you to our lord" the stranger said and motioned for the knights to follow as he turned in the direction the other one had left and the rest of them melted back into the surroundings. "That is some sneaking, better than the woads these ones" Galahad murmured to Gawain who nodded in agreement.
When they came inside the gates they were met with a courtyard filled with people, some were very short and had beards as long as their hair, Lancelot snorted when he saw them receiving a glare in return. They got many stares as they walked up to a tall regal looking man standing at the steps leading to the house, probably because of their blood stained apperance. "Hirnin Elrond" the man leading them bowed his head and gestured silently to Lancelot. The knight watched warily as the lord made his way down the steps directly to him. "You have been wounded" the man asked with a look that said he already knew and it wouldnt help lying. So instead Lancelot chose denial, "it`s just a scratch" he said and glowered as he heard the other knights snort.
"I would hardly call it a scratch Lancelot, you have an arrowhead stuck in your foot" Bors laughed. The man, Elrond or whatever was trying to lead him inside but Lancelot shrugged of the hand and backed away to stand between Tristan and Arthur, "I`m fine" he said more forcefully. Tristan without a word dropped to his knees and inspected the wound, prodding it and looking for a good grip on the arrowhead to get it out, Lancelot didnt even wince and stared at Elrond until the other man turned away to someone standing behind him, ordering for some water to be brought to clean the wound. Tristan meanwhile had gotten out a small knife and took a hold of Lancelot thigh, holding him still as he slowly tried to get the arrow out of the wound.
"We are lost and wondered if you could tell us where we are" Arthur said to get the attention away from Lancelot as he saw it was making his friend uncomfortable. "You dont know where you are? Well, you are in Imladris, or Rivendell in the common tounge" Lord Elrond said. The knights were even more confused now, "Rivendell you say,. Never heard of it" Arthur stated bluntly, getting some weird and confused looks, but an old man clad in grey with a blue hat and a staff in his hands looked toughtful, his brow furrowed and patting on a pipe. "What is your name?" Lord Elrond asked.
"Well, I am Arthur and these are some of my fellow knights, Lancelot and Tristan" he pointed to the pair who was not paying attention, Lancelot was watching intently as Tristan`s finger loosened and then gripped the hilt of the knife as he manouvered the piece of arrow still in his foot, than to the rest of them "Galahad, Gawain and Bors" all three inclined their heads as their names were mentioned, "we were heading back to the galliston after battling the saxons along with the woads at Badon Hill, when we suddenly stood on the top of the valley, over there" Arthur continued pointing in the general direction of where they had landed.
The old man had walked forward to stand at Lord Elronds side as Arthur talked and looked even more toughtful than before. "Badon Hill, I havent heard of that exact place but woads, them I have heard of. The celtics" he was interupted by Lancelot "blue demons" he spat startling a lot of them, but amazingly enough not Tristan who continued with his task. "Yes, and their leader Merlin, a wizard isn`t he?" the old man continued. "Wizard, rather a lunatic" Lancelot muttered loudly enough for evreyone to hear. Lancelot`s features relaxed immensely when Tristan pulled back his knife and stood, his hand lingering on Lancelot`s thigh for a second, with the small part that was left from the arrow between two fingers.
"Thanks, I think I`ll add it to my collection" Lancelot said with a wry smile, he had lost count on how many times he had been shot and Tristan had fished out the remains of the arrow after Lancelot had carelessly broken it of or tried to pull it out in the midst of battle. "When did you get shot this time Lancelot?" Gawain asked the smiling knight. Lancelot shrugged, "dont know, probably in the middle sometime" he answered casually before turning back to the old man, the crowd around them hadnt thinned out at all, rather grown. "What did you know about the bastard?" he asked not sounding all that interested. "I know that the Vala sent him to earth and he has obviously settled in this place you speak of. My Lord Elrond, I believe we have been sent help in our cause".
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