A/N: This is my first attempt in writing a king arthur fanfiction. It was written for the To fight or not to fight challenge at the KA fanfiction group.

I'm not a native speaker so please forgive me if there are mistakes.

Reviews are very welcome

Titel: Just a bad dream

Author: Narnaith

Pairings: None

PG: 13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Summary: A normal day in the life of a knight takes a turn for the worse for Lancelot

Warning: This story contains a completely different image of Arthur but I promise it will be explained.

Just a bad dream

"Damned island!" When will this bloody rain ever stop?"

This curse was the first the Sarmatian knights heard at this rainy morning.

Lancelot was standing off the camp peering to the dark grey sky above him.

Since their departure at the wall three days ago it had rained incessantly.

He didn't notice Gawain coming up from behind.

"It's getting summer. Don't you feel the rain is getting warmer? What else do you want?"

Lancelot was going to utter another remark about British weather but he barely managed to open his mouth when suddenly an arrow rushed out of the trees and penetrated the ground next to Lancelot's right food.

Immediately all the knights rose, each drawing his individual weapon.

Dozens of Woads came out of the wood armed with swords or axes. Some of them fell before they could reach the knights pierced by Tristans arrows. But Arthur and his Sarmatian knights didn't have to wait for the battle. Soon the knights were surrounded by the attackers.

Nothing but the clatter of swords and the loud screams of pain when a blade found its way to the blue coloured skin of a Woad could be heard in the wood. Even the birds fell silent.

Arthur lifted Excalibur and swung the sword around to stroke a deep wound in his opponent's chest. The man fell to the ground, his hands cramped to his bleeding chest. Immediately Arthur brought his sword up and decapitated another attacker by using the swing of his heavy sword.

Tristan had put his bow away and was now fighting with his sword. Woad by Woad fell under his swift and skilful movements.

Dagonet's heavy blade cut through his enemies without any effort. He slaughtered every enemy who dared to attack the big knight.

Gawain used his small axe to separate several Woads from their head while Galahad was engaged in a fight with two opponents.

Bors cut two deep gashes in the abdomen of an approaching fighter.

Lancelot's left sword clashed with the short sword of a big native fighter. He blocked the heavy blow which was aimed at his midsection and hit his right sword in his opponents calf putting the man on his knees and crossed his twin swords in front of the man's neck. With one swift motion he cut the throat of his enemy. Blood sprayed across his face and armour.

Slowly the stream of attacking Woads stopped. The screaming voices and clashing of blades lessened. Although outnumbered the Sarmatian knights were once more victorious.

Galahad brought the last enemy down.

Tristan was cleaning his blade with a piece of old cloth.

Dagonet removed his sword from the skull of his last opponent.

Gawain, Bors and Arthur gathered in the middle of the battlefield.

Lancelot shoved his twin swords back through the sheaths on his back and joined his fellows.

Arthur was still holding Excalibur in his right hand when Lancelot arrived.

Lancelot overlooked quickly the battlefield and noticed with great relief that all his fellow knights were alive and no one was hurt. He turned round to Arthur and gave him his usual grin. He was just about to remark that the Woads could benefit from some extra weapon training when he realised a strange look in his commanders green eyes and the still unsheathed sword in his hand which was aimed for Lancelot.

"Put that thing away. You could hurt someone who is definitive not a Woad!", Lancelot claimed.

But now something happened he had never expected. Arthur lifted Excalibur and slowly drew near.

"Draw your weapons. I'm not going to kill someone who is unarmed!"

Lancelot's first thought was that Arthur was joking but there was still this strange look in his eyes that Lancelot had never seen before.

"Arthur, what are you doing? It's me, Lancelot. I'm your friend and I won't fight against you!"

But it seemed that Arthur didn't even hear him. Lancelot looked around to find support in convincing Arthur that this was pure madness. His friends stood around the pair and Lancelot had the misgiving that they were looking forward to the fight between their roman commander and his closest friend.

"Your duty to the Roman Empire is nearly done. I have no further use for you. You are just a Sarmatian devil. You are less more than the mud under my feet."

"Arthur, listen to me! This is not the Arthur I know since I came to this land! This is not you!"

But Arthur was already loosing his patience. He grasped his sword and started a quick attack on Lancelot's chest. Lancelot avoided being hit by the large blade by a hair's breadth. He could feel how he was flying into a rage and drew his two swords with a swift grip and blocked Arthur's next blow with his right sword. He moved his other sword underneath the heavy blade of Excalibur and swung it upwards. But Arthur swiftly released his sword from Lancelot's and turned around with his blade aiming for Lancelot's throat. Lancelot ducked under the strike and had just enough time to bring his swords in position to avoid to be pierced by his commander's weapon. He felt how his fury was rising. Up to now he had scruples not to attack his opponent. But now he no longer saw his closest friend in this man who was trying to kill him. He only saw a deadly enemy in this man.

He turned Excalibur away with his right sword and let his left blade swing around. He knew that his blade had hit its target before he saw his friend collapsing on the ground. Immediately his anger vanished when he saw his friend lying in front of him. He knelt down next to Arthur looking for a sign of life. He found nothing.

"No, please not. What did I do? It could not be!"

He felt tears rinsing in his eyes. This could not be! First this pointless fight against Arthur and now his best friend was lying there killed by one of Lancelot's own swords.

Lancelot stood up and met his fellow knights shocked gazes. It was like they wanted to say: "What have you done? You killed him! For this we will claim YOUR life!"

Slowly they surrounded Lancelot. He now noticed that they all had their weapons in their hands while they where approaching him. No one spoke a word.

Lancelot retreated from this frightening sight.

But then his retreat came to a sudden stop when he felt a tree trunk in his back. This was a dead end!

The five knights almost reached him when suddenly his vision blurred. And then everything went black.

He was aware that he was lying in a dark room someone standing in front of him. After his eyes get used to the darkness he realised that it was his own room in the fortress at Hadrian's Wall. The still dark figure in front of him moved to the side of his bed. When he crossed the small stripe of moonlight under the window Lancelot recognized this person. It was Arthur!

"Why... How... But I killed you!"

"I don't know what you're speaking about but I'm alive. Why should you kill me? I heard you screaming and it was loud enough to wake the whole island! What's the matter with you? Is everything all right?"

Suddenly every piece of this riddle fell to its place. This strange behaviour of Arthur, the mad fight between them and the death of Arthur caused

by Lancelot this all was nothing but a dream! Immediately he calmed down.

"Sorry if I woke you. It's nothing. It was just a bad dream."