Disclamer: I Own King Arthur! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Just kidding please don't sue me :(
Anyhow, please enjoy. Constructive critism is always welcome but if ya don't like it don't read it. Any suggestions for plot twists or anything are welcome (but send private message so it'll be a surprise ;) ).
A lone figure slowly rode their horse through the dark forest. It had taken her months to get this far, and now that she was here she was having trouble believing it. It had been seven years, seven long hard years since she had last seen him. Lancelot. Her brother. For years Ariana dreamed of the day when she would find him. And now it was almost in her grasp.
Suddenly her horse shied, cursing her stupidity Ariana quickly drew her bow. She turned, scanning the forest for any sign of life. Not seeing anything, Ariana lowered her bow slightly and listened. There! A small moan; keeping her bow ready she urged her horse further into the bush. A flash of red caught her eye. It was a man. He was covered in blood, whether or not all of it was his own Ariana didn't know but clearly some of it was. Wait! The red wasn't just blood. On his shoulders lay a bright red cape, he was roman. She went to ride on but stopped.
Romans. They had taken almost everyone and everything she had held dear, and she hated them with a passion! They were rude and selfish and . . . but why something in her soul sink at the thought of leaving him here to, undoubtably, die then?
Huffing at her bleeding heart Ariana dismounted and pulled one of his arms over her shoulder, leaning him against the horse she went around the other side and pulled him across her well worn saddle. Mounting gently behind him, she grumbled quietly to her horse.
"Why me? Every time I start doing something right the gods have to go screw it up. One of these days your instincts and my damn curiosity are gonna get us killed" Squeezing her leg's Ariana cued Artemis into a fast but smooth gallop.
Hadrian's Wall
The knights sat at the round table. Unlike usual, it was quiet. No loud, brawny jokes or conversation. Silence. Sadness was written clear across all of the men's faces, except for the scouts who's face was empty; but even his eyes were tinted with sadness.
Lancelot rubbed his hand across his face tiredly. It had been four days. Four days since Arthur had gone missing, it had happened during a routine skirmish. Usually Lancelot kept an eye on Arthur as Arthur did for him, but at some point during the battle they had lost sight of each other. After it was over, Lancelot and the other knights waited for their commander to return. Not long after the knights had grown worried. They had searched every part of the battle field but the only thing they found was a dagger of his by the tree line covered from tip to hilt in blood. Tristan had spent the whole next day looking for some sign of life in the dark forest. Nothing came up. The knights had returned to the fort, discouraged but determined. Lancelot (who was second in command) had ordered every soldier, minus a small group to guard the fort, to ride out and search. They had scoured the area but had returned empty handed.
On the third day Lancelot had been checking a near by stream for tracks when he had come by the object that had crushed the mens' spirits. Under some broken branches, hidden under leaves was Excaliber. Arthur's sword. It had been his fathers and the Arthur they knew would never ever, even if it killed him, give up that sword. So they had called off the major search. Now only about ten soldiers were out looking for a... body.
All of a sudden Jols burst in. His face was red and he was panting hard, but he shouted almost fearfully, "There's a rider heading toward the fort, fast. He's carrying a man over his saddle!"
Standing up quickly, Lancelot's chair hit the ground with a bang that echoed in the silence. Eyes wide he raced out through the large double doors and headed to the fort gate. When he got to the wall, Lancelot bounded up the steps two at time. Sliding to a stop at the edge, he stared out at the figure rapidly closing in on the fort.
"OPEN THE BLOODY GATES!" Startled he turned to see Bors shouting at the guards; who, upon seeing a large fearsome Sarmation knight, jumped into action. Hanging over the edge of the watch post Lancelot focused on the body hanging off the horse. It was a man with dark hair and, yes there it was! A bright red roman cape. It HAD to be Arthur, it just had to . . . The rider came barreling through the gates and by the time the great horses slid to a stop all of the knights were in the courtyard surrounding it.
Ariana POV
The man in front of her was still unconscious, and that scared Ariana.
"O Gods! He must be in worse shape than I thought! If he can stay out-cold during this terrain, he must be near death!" Looking down Ariana shivered, the blood stains had spread. Not only was the blood but it was also on her saddle, and clothes. Normally she wasn't the least bit squeamish but at that particular moment the blood was dripping down her leg into her boot!
Then as if by miracle, a fort appeared on the horizon.
"There must be a healer there!" The logical part of her reasoned. Soldiers Fights, Fights Wounds, Wounds Healers, and Healers Help. Wrapping an arm around the wounded man she urged her horse faster.
She was closing in fast, and when the large foreboding gates opened she didn't hesitate. Charging into what appeared to be the courtyard Ariana was slightly surprised to see men on every side. Searching their faces desperately she called out, "Help me! The man, he's hurt! If he isn't taken care of fast, he'll die!"
A man with dark curly hair appeared at her side followed closely by a lion-like man, lifting the injured man off her saddle they carried him quickly inside. Wanting to help but not knowing why, Ariana jumped off her horse and grabbing her saddle bags ran over to a man with tattoo's and braids.
"I can help!" Searching her eyes he nodded, and swiftly led her inside. Opening a door, he said in a low voice, "They're in here." Six men were gathered around the bed. Only one seemed to be doing anything.
Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, Ariana loudly (as if to snap them out of the shock they appeared to be in) told them to "move their ass's out to the hall if they weren't helping." Shouting over her shoulder for someone to bring hot water and bandages Ariana started unbuckling the ties of the man's armor.
" I am Dagonet." Looking up Ariana saw a tall man with a scar running down his face talking to her, he was the one who had been assessing the injured man's condition.
Smiling tightly Ariana replied, "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Ariana. Now help me with his armor." Moving forward Dagonet help remove the roman breast plate. Cutting off his shirt and looking underneath, she moaned loudly. There was a big nasty looking cut running from just under the shoulder to the hip on his right side as well as other cuts, and varying bruises. Rolling her shoulders Ariana set to work thinking, "It's going to be a long night!"
Please review... ya. I'll try and update sooner rather than later.
