Plutobaby494: Ok, this just popped up in my head while I was trying to get to sleep last night. Hope you like!

Disclaimer: I don't own King Arthur, don't sue!

ON WITH THE STORY

Chapter 1

Tristan rode through the dense woods surrounding Hadrian's Wall, scouting for his commander Arthur. Tristan and the rest of the Knights were still in service to Rome for three more years until he could be free. Tristan didn't really care what happened to Rome or Briton but like his father before him he was trapped in a deal with Rome. Deciding that the area was secure, he rode back to the gate and waved to a roman guard, telling him to let him in.

The guard did as he was told and opened the gate for the scout. Tristan put his horse in the stable and continued to go find Arthur to report. He found him sitting with the rest of the knights at the Tavern watching Gawain and Galahad have a drinking contest. Tristan walked up behind him and waited for them to finish, everyone's attention was on the two people playing.

Gawain ended up winning like all the other times, Galahad did not seem to hold his liquor very well because he slumped down and choked on his ale. Coughing and sputtering he took deep breaths while the rest of the knights, except Tristan laughed at him. Gawain grabbed his shoulders and gave them a light squeeze as if saying, "Better luck next time". Galahad just glared at him which made Gawain chuckle at him, in more ways than one Galahad was still just a child. Tristan grunted causing everyone at the table to jump grabbing their chests.

"God Tristan, don't do that you'll kill us one day" Lancelot said glaring at Tristan. Tristan ignored him and said to Arthur "The areas secure". Arthur nodded and was about to offer him a seat to join them but Tristan quickly left without saying anything.

Arthur sighed and looked after him. Lancelot took a swig of his ale and said "He's been like that ever since Ella"

Dagonet looked at him like he was stupid "Wouldn't you be too, if someone did that to you" he said hotly.

Lancelot took another drink and shrugged. A few weeks ago, Tristan had been betrayed by the one woman he chose to open his heart to and she stomped all over it. Ella was a very beautiful woman who had long blonde hair, and dark brown eyes. He body was right in all the right areas, and she was the one woman Tristan chose to love and asked her to marry him. The day before his wedding night he had walked in on Ella and a roman soldier lying naked on his bed. Tristan swore off love and went cold after that, only interacting with people when he had too.

Arthur glared at his friend and followed Tristan out of the bar, walking up to find him standing on top of the wall staring out into the setting sun. His face was emotionless but his eyes told all the sadness that he was keeping to himself.

"Are you ok, Tristan" Arthur said walking near him. Tristan didn't respond and kept looking out into the distance.

"Tristan, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine what that felt like, what it still feels like" Arthur said putting his hand on Tristan's shoulder, normally Tristan would shrug it off, but he didn't so Arthur took this as a sign to keep going.

"But Tristan it's not good to keep it all bottled up, it will only make it worse" Arthur said "Please we are all very worried about you"

Tristan again didn't respond but turned to look at Arthur and the roman commander almost had to look away. There was so much pain in Tristan's eyes that tears prickled Arthur's own eyes, but Tristan's face still held that emotionless mask.

Tristan saw this and turned his head again, his black hair falling into his face covering his eyes. Tristan wasn't crying, far from it. He wouldn't let himself cry his village back home in Samaria always told him to let his emotions out, not to be afraid to show it but Tristan had always held the belief that if he cried people would think him weak. He wouldn't let himself cry than when he left his home, he won't let himself cry now.

"Tristan I…" but Tristan didn't give Arthur the chance to continue. He swiftly walked away from him and said "I'm going for a ride"

Tristan left Arthur on the wall and didn't notice a tear fall down his cheek. (Authors note: And NO, this is not an Arthur/Tristan story, Arthur just is too caring and hates to see it when one of his knights is in pain, physical or emotional). Tristan walked quickly toward the stable to get on his horse and go for a quick ride. He felt smothered and that everyone was staring at him. He needed to get out of this place for a little while; a nice ride would do the trick. Riding out of the gate he ignored the roman guard muttering about waking him up twice if he was just going to go back out again.

Tristan rode fast pushing his white horse hard until he reached the forest. Slowing his horse down to a trot he just closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of nature around him. A few hours later Tristan was riding slowly back towards Hadrian's Wall the slow way, he usually didn't take this way, because it was out of their way and was woad infested.

Opening his eyes sharply when he heard a soft cry, he looked around for the source of the noise. He noticed he was in a fairly large clearing. There was another soft cry and he looked up to a tree branch that was hanging down with a wiggling sack hanging down from it.

Tristan dismounted his horse and walked over to it, carefully unhooking the sack from the branch he found it to be really heavier than he expected and almost dropped it. Tristan untied the knot that was on the sack and noticed there where small holes in the sack, like if something needed to breathe. After the knot was undone, Tristan opened the sack and failed to stop a gasp.

Inside was a whimpering baby boy, not more than a year old. Blood red hair was in patches on his head, and wide violet eyes filled with tears looked back at him. The baby was in peasant clothes indicating that his family wherever they were, was not too wealthy. What puzzled him the most was that this baby was Irish, his hair and eyes pointing out this, but the nearest Irish village was up in the northern half of Briton a seven days ride from here.

"Oh, boy" Tristan said looking down at the baby.

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"Where did you find him?" Vanora cried. Arthur and the rest of the knights were gathered around the round table staring at Tristan who was holding the baby.

"In a sack hanging from a tree" Tristan replied coolly.

Vanora just stared at Tristan for a moment before glaring at the nearest object. It happened to be Bors she was glaring at.

"That has to be the lowest thing I have ever seen, leaving a child all alone in the woods, where those damn blue devils could kill him" Vanora said taking her anger out on Bors.

"We don't know that, they could have been killed by woads" Gawain said.

"Oh, yea and out of consideration of his life the woads just left him to die of starvation hanging from a tree, come on Gawain. He was abandoned" Vanora yelled looking at him. Gawain shrunk under her gaze.

"I agree, if they were killed by woads they would have spared no mercy on him, even though he is a child" Arthur said.

Tristan nodded in agreement, and looked at the child, who was staring around the room with wide innocent eyes. A wet tear from crying was still on his cheek and Tristan reached up to wipe it away. A tiny hand grabbed his finger and stuck it in his mouth sucking on it. Tristan smiled. Arthur and the rest of the knight's eyes bulged, Tristan hadn't smiled in weeks.

"Was there any kind of note, or anything to identify him with?" Vanora asked him.

Tristan nodded his head no and put the child in the crook of his arm. The baby yawned and his eyes started closing and soon he was fast asleep, his small chest going up and down.

Arthur looked at his friend and saw him putting the child to sleep. He smiled; maybe this child could mend Tristan's heart.

"Now, we have a problem" Dagonet said.

A chorus of "what's" went around the room. Dagonet stared at the child resting in Tristan's arms.

"Where's he going to stay? And for how long?" he said.

"With Vanora of course" Galahad said. Everyone looked around at her.

"As cute as he is, I don't have anymore room. The new baby took up the last bed. He can't stay with me" Vanora said in a sad voice.

"Than where will he sleep?" Gawain asked.

"I'll take him" Tristan said. Lancelot looked like he was ready to protest, but stopped when Arthur held up his hand. Looking at Arthur, he sighed this was one fight he wouldn't win. Arthur nodded to Tristan. Arthur hoped that this would be the child that healed Tristan's heart. Tristan and the baby walked out of the room and down to Tristan's room. Tristan laid the sleeping child in his bed and put the sheets up around him to keep him warm. Turning and sitting in a cushy armchair he watched the baby's chest slowly rise and fall with each breath that he took. Before long Tristan fell asleep in the chair. Little did any of them know that this child would have a greater impact on their lives than anyone could have expected.

TO BE CONTINUED

Plutobaby494: Well, how is it? Please tell me if I should continue this story!

PLEASE R&R