A Lion's Heart Part I
Summary: Part I. Reagin Keep, training grounds for the first five years of the knights lives. Ragnelle, daughter of a former knight, and Gawain couldn't be more alike yet so different at the same time. In their first mission, they are going to need to work together in order to aid a small haven from invading Woads.
Rating: Rated T for violence, supernatural/strong themes and later chapters.
Genre: Drama/Action/Adventure.
Author's Note: So here is story number two that is new to the King Arthur fandom. It is a two part story that spans before the knights first years of service up until after the movie. Enjoy.
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Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than characters not recognizable from King Arthur.
Chapter I
Reagin keep was already alive before the sun came up of a day. It always was. Routine. That is what life in the fort of the keep was based on. A warrior would rise before the sun and be ready for training as the first rays of light spilled into the valley beyond the walls. The only day of rest was the Sabbath day, in which most of the trainers would be in the church, praying to their lord. The young men in training however, well they decided to take the day to do what they liked. Most went swimming in the river where the women would wash the clothes every other day. However the local tavern found its business to be in good favor of the young men generally after noon. They usually had a minor fight or two but never anything serious that would result in the guards being called in to break it up.
"Here he goes again," remarked a twenty year old boy whose face was partially covered with his dark hair and a few braids.
A blond younger man chuckled and shook his head, covering his eyes as his companions watched the curly-haired eighteen year old approach the slim red head at the bar. "I think he has an early death wish," a bald one replied with a large grin before he guzzled down the rest of his mug of ale.
The young man in question was Lancelot, the ladies man of all the boys in training, and he did seem to have a death wish as he always tried to talk up the red head whenever he saw her only to be shot down or worse when he caught her on a bad day. About ten paces before he reached the red head in question he stopped and turned, walking back over to the table. "Ha! Pay up Galahad, I told you he wouldn't be able to risk his goods today," Gawain said. The smaller dark-haired youth at the blond's side rolled his eyes and flipped a coin up in the air which the blond caught.
"Well why don't you give it a go, Gawain," Lancelot challenged as he sat back down with the ten other young men.
The blond, Gawain, nearly choked on his drink as the other eighteen year old just smirked, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Unlike you Lance a) I don't have a death wish, b) I do not get along with that thing at all, c) I doubt any man is ever gonna be able to uncross her legs and d) I am not in the position at the moment to have Caradoc try and kill me," he replied. The nine raised eyebrows just made him sigh heavily. "How much you willing to give me for trying?"
They all started listing off how much they put on him or how much they would on her. Gawain didn't want to seem like a wuss and he knew that he wouldn't get a syllable in before she snapped at him to bugger off so he decided if he at least tried then that would be enough for now. When things finally quietened down, he finished off his mug and stood up, adjusting his belt before heading over to the one person in the world he could not stand.
Caradoc was walking with some of the much older and no longer active soldiers when the door of the tavern burst open suddenly just ahead of them and the always bedraggled looking Gawain came tumbling out the door and across the ground as a woman followed, a slight scowl on her face. The rest of the tavern occupants followed the two and were crowded just outside the door as the town caught eye and ear of the commotion.
The older men looked at Caradoc who merely lowered his eyes, covering them with his hand as he tried not to step in and break up the fight.
Gawain was an eighteen year old Sarmatian from the Alauni tribe. He had wild and unruly blonde hair which was different lengths, the back was long and was tied back into rough plaits and the top was cut to hang just on his forehead with one longer, thinner piece hanging down on the side of his face in a braid, his eyes were a honey color would be the only way to describe them and his skin was slightly tanned from his years in the sun without much clothing on when training.
He was also the only man his daughter hated beyond words since the first year he had been here in Reagin, though why Caradoc had yet to manage to get out of his daughter.
A former Sarmatian knight, Caradoc had stayed on in order to implement five years of training for the boys who were brought to the outposts on this island, to better aid them in surviving their service to Rome. During his service, Caradoc had taken a wife- a Roman wife. She had passed away when their daughter had been only six, leaving him to raise her in the only way he knew how. Ragnelle however showed a passion for fighting and wanting to help others so when she had turned twelve he had placed her into training with the Sarmatian boys.
She had kept up with them too after at first not being able to do.
Ragnelle looked like her mother but she had Sarmatian eyes that were a rich dark brown. Fiery red curls came just past her shoulders and she was thin. If dressed in Roman armor she would look more like a boy then she did a girl which was an advantage for her. She was pretty, not overly though which he was thankful for as none of the boys had yet to set their eyes on her.
He only prayed that the pair did not kill each other.
Ragnelle laughed slightly as she glanced over at Gawain who was just getting to his feet. He charged at her, grabbing hold of her and running them back into a small store table before he managed to get her to the ground, wrestling with her until he had her on her back and her hands pinned to the ground. "Come on Gawain, don't let a girl take down the lion," Galahad called out.
"I was only playing with you, Ragnelle," Gawain growled at her.
She scowled at him. "I don't like being played with."
"How do you know, you might actually like it," he shot back and she growled at him before her legs came up and wrapped round his neck, dragging him to the ground.
Lancelot and a few others cheered her on as she held him in that position until he managed to get out of it. They both got to their feet and Gawain made to punch her, only she blocked it and punched him in the gut and side before kicking in the back of his leg.
Ragnelle wrapped her arm around his neck, only to have Gawain lift her up suddenly and onto his shoulders before throwing her into the others who put her back on her feet. She turned to face him, fists clenched at her sides. Gawain rubbed his jaw a little as he looked at her. "Come on, let's just quit while we both can still walk," he suggested.
"You're free to but I'm not quitting until you are in the infirmary," she retorted, pushing him back into another stall table. He managed to pin her arms behind her back.
"What is wrong with you?" he demanded. "Afraid to actually be a girl."
She smirked. "I'm not afraid of anything." Ragnelle stepped on his foot and then head butted him.
Lancelot glanced at Galahad. "I think that Gawain is gonna end up the loser."
"Don't be to sure of that," he quipped back.
Just as Gawain made to charge Ragnelle, Caradoc stepped in and shouted for them to knock it off. The pair looked at each other, neither ready to admit they had lost. "You both have cleaning duty for this."
"But she started it!"
"I did not! You came up and grabbed me like I was one of the tavern girls!" she screamed back at him.
Gawain looked at Caradoc and tried hard not to pale at the stern look sent his way. "I do not care, you both continued fighting so you both are being punished. Tonight!" he roared at the pair who both huffed before going in opposite directions.
Caradoc rubbed his temples. Just another day in Reagin Keep. He turned to look at the former soldiers who came over to him. "I think we need to talk," the grey-haired one remarked. Caradoc sighed heavily and nodded his head, he hoped this wasn't bad news.