Courage
By Gemini Shadow
Author's Note: This story takes place when the Knights arrive at Marius' estate. I will try and follow the characters' lines as best as possible, but my main character will not be around them the entire time so some lines will not be put in and some scenes will not be there at all for they have nothing to do with her. Please no flames or angry comments on how I'm doing this...It's just for entertainment. Enjoy! Oh and I own nothing from King Arthur except Ariadne. Her name comes from a story of Greek Mythology. No comments on it please...it is from lack of a better name. Ok. On with the show!
Chapter 1: Arrival
Around handsome stone gates, pebbles on the path shook and jumped with the sound of pounding hooves. Villagers dropped their full buckets of water and looked off down the road, wondering where these horses were from. One girl continued along with her work. She noisily dumped her bucket of water into a trough, scowling the entire time. More Romans. Horsemen rode up to the gate. The girl stood up straighter as she heard a man's voice demanding admittance. She frowned as she heard his low voice.
"I am Arthur Castus. Commander of the Sarmatian Knights sent by Bishop Germanius of Rome. Open your gates," he said.
The gates slowly creaked open and Marius strode out. The girl quickly decided maybe this was something she would like to be hearing. She dropped her buckets to the ground and pushed her way through the surrounding crowd.
"Our orders are to evacuate you immediately," Arthur said.
"Impossible," Marius said.
"Which is Alecto?" Arthur asked.
"I am Alecto," called a boy standing above the gate.
"Alecto is my son and everything we have is here, given to us by the Pope of Rome-"
"Well, you're about to give it to the Saxons," a curly-haired knight said in an agitated voice.
"They're invading from the north," Arthur said.
Marius was quiet and seemed to be intimidated by these warriors. The girl watched smugly as he stumbled to find the correct words.
"Then Rome will send an army!" he declared.
"They have. Us. We leave as soon as you are packed," Arthur said quickly.
"I refuse to leave," Marius said.
The knights stared at him quietly and their horses shifted beneath them. Marius turned his attention back to the villagers.
"Go back to work! All of you!" he screamed at them.
Quickly, his mercenaries ran to the crowd and shoved people away. Some they punched in the face. The girl was lifted off her feet and thrown in the mud. She jumped up and began swinging at the big man who had thrown her.
"Get off of me!" she screamed at him.
She was sick of it. Being pushed around as if she was nothing. The man ignored her and dragged her over to a post and quickly tied her hands to it. She spit on the ground at his feet and he slapped her across the face. The curly-haired knight had watched all of this. She caught his gaze and quickly looked to the ground. Arthur stepped off his horse and put his face close to Marius.
"If I fail to bring you and your son back, my men can never leave this land. So you're coming with me even if I have to tie you to my horse and drag you to Hadrian's Wall myself," Arthur said menacingly.
His eyes never left Marius's face and his expression never changed.
"My lord," he added mockingly.
He turned to Fulcinia who was standing beside Marius.
"Lady, my knights are hungry," he said.
She turned to her husband questioningly and he roughly turned his head towards the house.
"Go!" he said.
She quickly headed back behind the gate. Marius held Arthur's glare for a few more seconds before calling to Alecto.
"Come," he said, walking away.
Arthur walked over to where a man hung in chains. His body was filthy and he had bloody welts all along his back. The girl watched him apprehensively as Ganis followed him. She didn't notice the mercenary who had come up next to her. He had a thick whip and was ready to punish her for her earlier insolence. She glared up at him, determined. She would not cry out. The whip came down. Every inch of her skin ached and tingled. There was a thin line of blood along her forearm. The whip came down again on her back. She closed her eyes, drifting away from the world. Every time the whip connected with her skin, was like a heartbeat to her. Suddenly, she heard the man gasp. The curly-haired knight had taken the whip from him and thrown it on the ground.
"Release her," he said through gritted teeth.
The mercenary fumbled with the ropes and she slid to the ground. Her wrists were rubbed raw, but not bad. She slowly stood up and ripped the hem of her ratty dress and wrapped it along her arm. There was nothing she could do now for her back. She slowly looked up. The knight hadn't moved. His expression was not the friendliest, but he offered her his hand which she did not take. One act of kindness would not do. She would never trust men.
"Your name, lady?" he asked.
"My name? My name will be but a near invisible cloud on a bright blue day. Of no use to you," she said.
The knight laughed and she shot him a look of utter dislike before stalking off.
Arthur stood near the village elder and pointed his blade at the man.
"Who is this man?" he asked Ganis.
"Our village elder," Ganis answered him.
"What's his punishment for?" Arthur asked.
Utter silence.
"Speak!"
"He defied our master, Marius. Most of our food is sold. He asked that a little be kept for us to eat, that's all! My arse has been snuffing at the grass I'm so hungry! You're from Rome. Is it trued that Marius is a spokesman from God and it's a sin to defy him?" Ganis asked.
The girl stopped on her way to the blacksmith's. What would be Arthur's answer? She desperately wanted to hear it. He was a man. Would he consider even the village women as his equals? Arthur stopped. He looked at all the villagers with disbelief in his eyes. His anger could be seen as well. He pointed his sword at all of them.
"I tell you now, Marius is not of God! And you, all of you, were free from your first breath!" he said.
He swung the blade around and freed the village elder. He crumpled to the ground and the girl rushed forward. She knelt at the man's side and he blearily opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Ariadne," he murmured, touching her golden hair.
A single tear rolled down her cheek as she held the old man's head. Arthur looked down at them and turned back to the villagers.
"Help them," he said.
No one moved a muscle.
"Help them!"
Several men rushed forward and gently lifted the man out of Ariadne's arms. She watched as they took the man to a woman for medicine.
"Now hear me. A vast and terrible army is coming this way. They will show no mercy. If you are able, gather your things and move south to Hadrian's Wall. If you are unable, then you are coming with us," he said, and turned to Ganis. " You, serve me now. Help these people prepare."
Ganis set about his task with an air of importance. Ariadne got up off the ground and ran up to Arthur. He was walking towards another knight who had just galloped in. She ran a little quicker, but Arthur was already speaking with the knight.
"They've flanked us to the east and have cut off our escape to the south. They'll be here at nightfall," the knight said.
"How many?" Arthur asked.
"An entire army," the knight replied.
"And our only escape is to the south?"
The knight shook his braided head.
"East. There's a trail through the mountains. We'll have to cross behind the Saxon lines. Who are all these people?" he asked.
"They're coming with us."
"Then we'll never make it," the knight said.
Ariadne seized the brief moment of silence.
"Excuse me, my lord," she said.
Arthur turned to look at her. Snow had started to lightly fall and some of it was clumping on her eyelashes. Arthur observed the slender, if half starved girl in front of him. It was the same girl who had helped the elder. She had long blonde hair and gray-green eyes. She was pretty, even covered in as much dirt as she was.
"My lord, you said we were all free. Are we equal as well?" she asked.
Arthur just looked at her and Ariadne immediately wished she had kept her mouth shut. Men would be men. However, Arthur surprised her.
"If you wish to be equal then seize the opportunity," he said.
"Would you allow me to ride a horse and carry a sword?" she asked.
Arthur was a little taken aback by this, but he acted as if it was normal.
"If it pleases you, my lady," he said.
He quickly walked away for something else had caught his eye. The monks were still walling up the old prison. The mercenaries yelled at them and roughly pushed them to go faster. Arthur walked over, his sword out.
"Move!" he commanded.
The men stood still and regarded him fearlessly, or at least pretended to be fearless.
"Move!" he said once more.
The men slowly backed away and the curly-haired knight rode his horse over. Ariadne rushed over as well. The mercenaries were shoved aside and Arthur stood face to face with the monks.
"What is this?" he demanded.
"No one can go in there. It is forbidden," one answered.
"Arthur we have no time," the curly-haired knight said.
Arthur called for a knight called Dagonet and a large man walked forward with his battle axe. He knocked down the rocks and Arthur demanded a key.
"It is locked," one said.
"Key," Arthur said once more.
"From the inside," they said.
Dagonet walked forward and chopped up the door leading in. Arthur held a torch and entered. The knights followed him in. Ariadne stood outside in the falling snow with one or two of the knights and the mercenaries who worriedly looked at Marius. She shook her head and resumed her path to the blacksmith. He was not there and she quickly found the armor he had helped her make. She pulled on leather pants designed to hold knives and anything else she needed in a hurry. She wore a leather strap over her chest and a light shirt buttoned only half way up. Over all of that, she had a sleeveless leather jerkin. She pulled on arm guards and boots. She took a leather thong and tied her long hair back. She picked up her sword and knives. Finally, she strapped a quiver to her back and took a bow and arrows. When she walked outside, she met a sight she had rather not seen.
Marius slapped Fulcinia and Arthur immediately held a sword to Marius throat as he fell to the ground. Ariadne looked around them and saw a crippled figure lying on the ground. It was Guinevere. She ran over to the group and the curly-haired knight grabbed her arm.
"Let me go," she said calmly.
"Or what?" he asked, challenging her.
She glared daggers at him.
The crazy monks stood looking at the two rescued prisoners. One was half sobbing.
"It is God's will that these sinners be sacrificed!" one cried.
Hurriedly, the knights threw them back in and began walling them up.
"Lancelot!"
The knight let her go and upon hearing his name, Ariadne narrowed her eyes. A man walked up behind her, leading a large chestnut stallion. She took the reins from him and pulled herself up into the saddle. Lancelot rode up to her.
"A stallion?" he asked.
She ignored him and kicked the horse into a canter. The monks had been walled up and the caravan had started to move out. She held her thick blue cape to her body. The horse accepted her and was willing enough, but she knew he didn't trust her as he would of someone who owned him. Lancelot galloped by her and grabbed the stallion's reins.
"I'm warning you now, any tricks and I'll bring you back here myself and throw you in with the monks. What is your name, lady?" he asked.
"Sir Lancelot, you clearly don't trust me. The feeling is mutual and once again, my name is nothing to you," she replied.
Drumbeats could be heard in the distance and Ariadne urged the horse on, leaving Lancelot behind her. He smiled at her back. He would find her out soon enough. He cantered up to Arthur as the snow continued to fall.