Disclaimer: Don't own anything, of course!

Chapter 1: The Alehouse

"Devin! Devin!" Enys rolled her eyes and sighed at having failed to capture her friend's attention.

Devin was sat across the table from her, enjoying the flirtations of an attractive barmaid who was perched on his lap. He was cockily shaking the game dice in one hand whilst cupping the wench's backside in the other. Enys was displeased to note that the candlelight made his face particularly handsome, his dark curly hair glinted with golden lights and his broad smile gave him a charmingly roguish expression. He was paying Enys no attention whatsoever, despite the fact that fixing the game of dice had been her idea in the first place.

"Get off me!" Enys grumbled at the man sat next to her, a drunken sot who kept putting his hand further and further up her leg.

The man chuckled and took a huge glug of his ale, "Calm down, little one. Your boyfriend's otherwise occupied so why don't you come along a' me for the night eh?"

"Ugh" the girl wrinkled her nose with distaste and picked up the heavy paw that was resting on her leg and put it resolutely back on the table. "No thanks. Devin, for God's sake!" She slapped her hand on the table.

That caught Devin's attention. He and the other gamblers turned their gaze on Enys. The barmaid looked particularly unimpressed.

"What?" he asked irritably.

"You to roll," snapped Enys, "Highest double to win." She raised an eyebrow to remind him of why they were sat in the poxy little tavern in the first place.

"Oh yes," Devin's grin grew wider and more roguish, "Highest double to win - you still up for that Kimball?"

"Aye," grunted the man next to Enys raising his drink, "An' if I win that coin I'll give this little thing here a night she won't forget!" he leaned close, "An' my dice never lose love. Trust me, I've got a lucky pair. I'll let you give em a shake if you want."

He pulled Enys close to him and leered at her, chortling drunkenly. She pulled herself out of his grasp and scowled at the look of amusement on Devin's face. The sooner this was all over and they could get out of here the better. Technically she and Devin were still on the run and if she wasn't very much mistaken that was a table of the King's knights in the corner. She watched them out of the corner of her eye. Devin's show boating was getting more and more boisterous as he drank, his boasts and taunts were becoming louder and louder and Enys could see their previous victims glaring at them from the corners of the room. She'd wanted to leave half an hour ago whilst their winnings were high but unsuspicious. Eight games won on the trot generally aroused interest and when you were a known criminal playing with loaded dice then interest wasn't particularly welcome. Still she'd let Devin have his fun and if he was caught then she'd grab the coin and slip away. More likely than not there would just be a brawl which he'd crawl back from in the morning with a black-eye and a sheepish smile.

"And if I win that coin, I'll be sharing it with this young lady here in exchange for a night I'll never forget!" Devin announced and buried his face in the barmaid's chest whilst she giggled raucously. There was a huge chorus of whoops and wolf whistles from the crowd that gathered and Enys only just surpressed a smile. Kimball, Devin's opponent signalled the head barmaid, a pretty but slightly forbidding redhead, to bring them more drinks. He winked at Enys and handed her a cup off the tray.

The redhead scanned the table with suspicious eyes, "Keep it clean alright boys, I'll be watching you."

"Oh aye?" Devin called to her retreating back, "Like what you see, do you?"

Enys snorted with laughter and looked up at the redhead as she whirled around angrily.

"Leave it out." The barmaid snapped.

"Steady Vanora, love," Kimball slurred, "'es a good lad this 'un. 'Es a very good lad young Dervlan."

"Devin!" Shouted the young man, pouring wine from the pitcher and holding the goblet to his barmaid's lips.

"Hush," Enys motioned for Devin to be quiet. He was distinctive enough as it was without shouting his name to the world.

Vanora huffed and crossed her arms, exchanging heated words with the dangerously rowdy men at the table. Enys watched her for a while, craning her neck to look up at the tall woman but eventually the words the redhead spoke faded as Enys focused on something much more interesting dangling from the belt around her waist. Enys recognised the glint of gold straight away. Hanging from the barmaid's rather plain woven belt was a heart-shaped pendant made of twisted gold plaits. Set into the gold were several precious stones. Enys' eyes fixed on the pendant greedily. Licking her lips she glanced up at Vanora, who was still railing at a smirking Devin, and decided that the risk was worth the price. With well-practiced fingers, Enys deftly unhooked the pendant from its chain and slipped it into her boot. Hurriedly she picked up Kimball's drink and lifted it to her lips to hide her face.

Kimball guffawed and slapped her on the back, "That's right love, drink up! We're all here for a bit of fun."

Vanora shook her head and pressed her way back through the crowd away from the table.

"Alright then, gents!" Devin yelled, swaying slightly, "Who wants to see Kimball and I play?"

There was a great cry of yays and clapping from the crowd. They pressed in on the table and nearly knocked Enys out of her seat. Devin winked at her and she glared back.

"You to roll first kind sir." Devin said to Kimball, grinning broadly.

"Ta lad." Kimball raised his glass and then raised the dice in his fist. He held the fist to Enys' lips, "For luck, love."

She obliged and kissed his knuckles, keeping her eyes fixed on his face. If she could distract him a little he wouldn't be able to throw straight. Some of these players could dictate their dice scores with their throw. A draw would be disastrous. They needed to get out of there as soon as possible. Kimball threw the dice and the crowd quietened and leaned in to watch as they skittered across the table. There was a collective intake of breath as they stopped to reveal the score.

"Five and Six, Eleven!" Roared Kimball triumphantly, "You'll have to be bloody lucky to beat that son. Get this'un to give you one of her special kisses with those lucky lips." He picked up Enys' hand and kissed it sloppily. Enys grimaced and wiped it on her dress, which caused much mirth amongst the crowd.

"I've got my own over here thanks," said Devin holding the dice up for the barmaid to kiss, "And I'll need luck to be able to call the numbers properly." He added devilishly. The maid laughed uproariously and the men nudged each other before she kissed him passionately on the lips. Enys frowned frustratedly at Devin causing such a scene.

"Aw don't be jealous sweetheart," murmered Kimball, "You can kiss me like that if you want." He pressed his face closer to Enys'.

She pushed him away gently, "Maybe if you win, sir."

In the incredibly unlikely event that Kimball did win, she probably would in exchange for a few of the coins.

"No kiss for little Enys then!" Devin shouted and he threw the dice across the table.

The dice landed almost immediately.

"Six and Six!" Devin said scooping up the coin which had been laid out for the bet, "That makes twelve, my friend, which makes me the winner!"

Kimball looked on dumbfounded, "You can't jus' take all my coin like that? What am I going to say to the Mrs?"

Enys patted him on the shoulder as she stood up, "Don't worry mate, if she hasn't realised what a bore you are by now she never will."

"Now you listen here wench -"

"Night, Kimball. Devin?"

Enys gathered her things together to leave. As she picked up the coin purse from the table she looked over at Devin questioningly. His mouth seemed glued to that of the barmaid and he showed no inclination to get up and leave.

"Devin let's go."

Without letting go of the barmaid, Devin raised his hand to tell Enys to wait. The men were jostling each other merrily around the table and the crowd, instead of dissipating after the game, seemed to have grown in size. Kimball, slumped across the table was still grumbling over his loss and flipping his dice over in his fingers. Enys chanced a glance over to the knights' table. The spectacle Devin had created seemed to have attracted their attention: the men were craning their necks over towards the gaming table, all except one, who was cradling the pretty barmaid Vanora on his lap. Enys watched in distaste as the man she was with ran his hands over Vanora's waist and hips. Suddenly the man started and he and Vanora seemed to notice something wrong. They groped at Vanora's belt desperately and seemed to be talking rapidly to each other. Forgetting herself in a vague sense of panic, Enys stared openly at them: they had noticed the missing pendant. In an unfortunate moment of fate the couple looked up to see Enys staring at them and quickly they jumped to the right conclusion, their brows creasing simultaneously.

Enys started backwards, her eyes wide. Inwardly she cursed herself for giving herself away, it was an elementary mistake. She looked wildly at Devin who was still pleasurably distracted.

"Devin! Now - let's go!"

At Enys' urgent cry Devin looked up. His eyes were slightly bleary and uncomprehending at first but he was quickly able to read Enys' intent. Pushing the barmaid off his lap, he got up hastily. Enys glanced over her shoulder: Vanora and her knight were pushing their way through the crowd and behind them Enys could see that the knights' table was deserted.

"Shit." She muttered.

"Now there's a good choice of words," whispered a low voice in Enys' ear making her jump.

She turned around only to come face to face with what she was fairly sure was one of the Knights. His clothes were rich and his face handsome but there was something in his stance and menacing tone that convinced her that she was a man of action. Instantly she tried to move through the crowd, slipping like and eel through the sweaty, alcohol soaked bodies but the knight was too quick for her. He grabbed her arm and reeled her back to his side, folding her back against his chest, one muscled arm crossed tightly over her breasts and the other subtly holding a knife to her stomach. Enys couldn't see the blade but she could feel the cold line of it through her thin dress.

"I wouldn't move if I was you," said the voice in her ear again. The man was so close that Enys could feel his rough stubble against her cheek. "You might just get stuck." He pressed the tip of the knife against her skin.

Enys drew her breath in through her teeth and went for the option which worked most times. She burst into noisy and raucous tears.

Devin instantly looked around and pulled out his own blade, a rusty brittle knife which looked like it would do more damage due to its condition than the skill of its wielder. His cocky smile and glinting eyes were gone now and his face held the feral look that Enys so clearly recognised. The one that resembled a cornered wild animal. The one that she so often shared. Enys bawled even louder hoping to snap Devin out of his relapse into instinctual behaviour. It did the trick, Devin dropped his knife on the table. His face relaxed into an easy smile, his dark eyes regained their twinkling warmth.

"Come now fellah," he said to the man holding Enys, "Let her go. What you playing at?"

The knight tensed behind Enys, clutching her tighter and pressing the knife blade to her stomach threateningly.

"I think we should be asking you what game it is you're playing at, my lad." Said a huge blonde man, who reminded Enys of a bear.

"Dice gentlemen, dice," Devin managed to conceal the panic in his voice fairly well. He glanced around the crowd, his eyes resting on certain members. Enys followed his gaze and her heart sank as she realised that the patrons of the pub were slowly retreating to allow the knights to step forward.

The blonde knight picked up Devin's dice which still lay on the table and weighed them in the palm of his hand, "Not a very fair game is it? Not with loaded dice."

A murmer went around the tavern crowd.

"Cheat!"

"Liar!"

"Thief!"

"That little slut-"

Kimball looked up from where he'd been sulking at the table, "You pair of sods!" he exclaimed. He pointed a finger accusingly at Enys, "You! You tricked me...said you was on a losing streak."

"Pretty good losing streak to win nine games...one can only wonder what you're like on a good night..." another of the knights said evenly.

Devin sensed danger, and sensed that most of it was being directed at him. "Well it wasn't my idea - it was Enys's. The dice belong to her."

Enys sobbed even louder and more pathetically allowing her body to slump so that the only thing holding it up was knight's arm across her chest. "I-it wasn't I swear! I've never-never met him uh-until today." she choked out.

Inside she was fuming but knew she would've done the same in Devin's situation.

"You lying mare!" Devin said as the blonde knight rolled his eyes and gripped the boy's arm. Devin tried to tug himself free but failed. "It's her! Enys!" He looked appealingly at her his eyes asking her desperately what to do.

Enys gave the tiniest shake of her head to tell her partner to be quiet. Vanora had stepped over to them now.

"What've you done with my pendant you trollope?"

"I duh-don't know what you're talking about."

Her burly companion knight raised a sausage like finger and wagged it in Enys' face, "You give 'er that pendant back girly, or I swear I'll rip your boyfriends cock off and make you eat it. See if you recognise the taste when it's been roasted over an open fire eh."

Enys sniffed wetly and looked up at her accusers with baleful eyes.

"Well," said a tall knight with tattoos under his eyes, "let us put you in a cell at Arthur's pleasure for the night and we'll see if you can retrieve it in the morning."

Devin allowed himself to look panicked and Enys did not blame him. They could not afford to stay another night in this town.

"Nah," said the burly knight, "now or I swear to God his cock's coming off." He drew out a knife.

Enys just sniffled and blubbered even more. She ducked her head and watched from under her eyelashes as the knight drew closer to Devin. Devin's eyes were fixed on the knight's knife; the knight's eyes were fixed on Enys. Behind her, Enys could feel the knight holding her shaking with laughter. The knife drew nearer and nearer Devin's breeches and it seemed from the knight's eyes that he really meant to carry out his threat, Vanora even turned her face away and covered her ears in anticipation of the gruesome event.

"Bors..." said the blonde knight with a hint of warning.

"Nah Gawain," growled Bors, "If you'd had to stick as many people as I did just to get that trinket you'd want it back too."

"If I didn't know you better, Bors, I'd say you're getting a little sentimental," said the voice behind Enys.

"Well, this lad'll see how sentimental I am eh?" Bors raised the knife and the knights began to chortle and brace themselves. The crowd drew in its breath. Devin seemed speechless with terror; his eyes were wider than Enys had ever seen them. Bors slit open the front of Devin's breeches and reached inside. If possible Devin's eyes went even wider and he started to burble.

"Come on, you're not serious?" He said in a high pitched voice, "You can't!"

"Oh yes I can laddie," Bors grinned evilly and fixed his malevolent gaze on Enys, "'Es a big boy aint he? You gonna miss all that eh girlie?"

Enys kept her head lowered but then Bors raised the knife to the opening of Devin's breeches. Devin let out a string of incoherent swear words his eyes almost rolling back in a swoon. The chants and jeers of the crowd grew louder, the knight holding her tensed. She bit her lip and stopped the tears.

"Fine."

Bors pulled the knife away from Devin's crotch and turned to look at her, "Fine, what?"

Enys shook the hair out of her eyes and lifted her chin, "Fine, I'll give you back your little love token. If it really means that much to you."

The knight behind her laughed at her reference to Bors' sentimentality.

Irritated Enys turned round to him as much as she could, "You'll have to let me go so I can get it."

"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary," said the knight smoothly, "Just tell us where it is and I'm we'll be able to find it."

There was a chorus of jeers from the crowd and the knights laughed bawdily as a blush grew on Enys' face. She looked at Devin who seemed not to care much anymore. The knight Bors still had his hand in Devin's breeches and the young man looked as though he was about to swoon or scream at any minute.

"Itsinmyboot," Enys said as quickly as she could, in a low tone so that only the knight holding her would hear.

"I'm sorry," the knight said lowering his head to hers over her shoulder, "Didn't quite catch that."

Enys snarled and bit out through gritted teeth, "The pendant is in my right boot."

Before she knew what was happening the knight had let out a grunt of satisfaction and laughing had picked her up and plonked her on the table, scattering the dice and goblets. Enys shook her hair out of her eyes and glared at her captors indignantly. For Devin she saved an extra venomous look.

"Now then, no need to make a fuss," Eny's curly-haired captor said getting to his knees in front of her, "You just sit there like a good girl."

He grinned and bit his bottom lip at the other knights and the crowd let out a howl of laughter. Making a show for the tavern, the knight gripped Enys' ankle in one hand and ran his other hand up her leg pushing back her tattered skirt and exposing her pale, if rather grubby, calf. Still holding her ankle so her leg was stretched out straight, in front of the crowd of drooling bar urchins, the knight looked steadily in Enys's eyes as he pushed her skirt over her knee in a rough, jerky movement. She gasped and the crowed let out a chorus of crows and jeers. In another jerky movement, the knight, grinning lasciviously now, revealed another inch of thigh: the crowd cried out in good humour again. He did this repeatedly to a more and more raucous reception until he reached the hem of Eny's under tunic, any further and he would expose her entirely to the tavern. Enys, who until now had born the humiliation with stoic contempt, trying not to fuel the knight on by resisting, suddenly felt her panic show in her face. With wide-eyes she silently implored him to go no further but could not see from his face what exactly his intent was. Suddenly breaking her gaze, the knight grinned and raised his eyebrows at the crowd. A huge cheer went up and the men started to get louder and louder one man calling for the knight, Lancelot it seemed, to expose the little thief's hidden treasures.

Lancelot seemed too egg them on raising the crowd to a peak of excitement until, "So this boot eh?"

He ran his hand right back down Eny's leg to the top of her boot just above her ankle and she shut her eyes in relief. The crowd booed good-naturedly. Enys tried to push her skirt back down but Lancelot stopped her without even looking up from her foot.

"Don't even think about it, you just sit still. What do you say lads, shall we have this boot off?"

A gleeful roar spread throughout the tavern. Enys saw that couple of the knights though rolled their eyes at their colleague's showing off and couldn't help agreeing with them. What an arse.

Soon a chant had spread through the crowd until a deafening, "OFF, OFF, OFF, OFF," resounded in Enys' ears.

With a look of malevolent self-satisfaction, the knight winked at Enys. Slowly he slid his hands around her ankle in a deliberately sensual way and, as slowly as humanly possible, he pulled off her grimy boot. She heard the sound of the golden pendant clattering to the ground and knew all was lost. She was humiliated, deprived of the chance of selling off a good piece and was probably in for punishment at these knight's behest. One that would probably involve exposing a lot more than her foot to this Lancelot if the look in his eyes was to be believed.

"What a pretty little foot," he crowed, still holding it tightly, "such lovely little toes."

He placed a wisp of a kiss on each one, brave of him, Enys thought, she hadn't washed in weeks. Lancelot bent down to pick up the pendant, all the while grinning at the crowd.

"Here you go, Bors," He said pompously, "Tell your lady to keep it better this time."

Bors released Devin, who almost sank to the floor in relief, and took the pendant. It was a split moment in time where, for the first time that evening, no-one's eyes seemed to be on Devin or Enys. Everyone was watching the transaction of the pendant or using the momentary pause in the action to bury their faces in their tankards. It was Enys' only chance. Her mind was made up instantaneously: mustering all her strength the used her still booted foot to kick the knight kneeling at her feet clean in the face. He had not been expecting it and there was a satisfactory crunch and spray of red blood and the connection was made. In the moment it took for everyone to notice and register what had happened, Eny's had hopped off the table and grabbed Devin's arm. He responded immediately, it was not exactly a situation either of them were unfamiliar with after all, and together they bolted head first into the crowd. Nobody really seemed to resist them as they ran out the door of the tavern, as they had not quite registered what had happened. But once Enys and Devin were out onto the street an outrage cry broke out and they were followed.

Without speaking or needing to formulate a plan of any sort, Enys and Devin just ran together. It was what they were best at: running away. Adrenalin carried them where they needed to go, to the gate house which led out of town.

The gnarled old sentry turned with his lantern as the sound of running feet slapping against the mud drifted over to him,

"Where do you think you're-"

Devin bowled him out of the way and grabbed Enys' hand pulling her along after him. Behind them the towns people were shouting threats after them and the ground shook with their pursuers. Breaking out of town onto the long track ahead, Enys knew that they had three options, stick to the path and definitely be caught, break out onto the moors and probably be caught or scurry into the thick woods and hope that their hunters lost interest or motivation. With the moon so dark and the night so late, the forest seemed like a fairly safe bet. They would have to be very dedicated upholders of the law if the knights were going to follow two petty criminals in there.

Wordlessly she signalled to Devin her decision by pulling on his hand. Glancing at her, then the forest he comprehended and nodded his agreement. They ran together through the ancient trees, jumping over roots and ducking branches. The forest gloom was dark and all pervasive so they had to rely on previous experience and their other senses to get them through without incident. Eventually the voices behind them died away but they did not stop running. They ran until the sun rose high enough in the sky for its light to seep through the thick leaves and illuminate the thick mossy floor and cracking bark of the woods around them. Only then, when oppressive silence was broken only by the tentative singing birds and the creak of old wood, did they collapse together on the forest floor panting and painfully gasped in the musty air.

When he could speak again, Devin turned to look at Enys on the ground next to him, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she gasped, "But I'll tell you now, I never, ever want to see a king's knight again."

Devin chuckled, "Me neither."

Enys looked at him suspiciously as the corners of his lips twitched, "What?"

Devin looked at her seriously, with big, dark eyes,"I just hope that Bors doesn't miss me too much, I think he fancied me his touch was so tender." He looked away wistfully for effect as Enys howled with laughter.

Eventually she recovered herself, "Well, he was certainly appreciative of your...size."

Devin's wistful look disappeared and he leaned a little closer, his eyes darkening, "Perhaps you'd like to appreciate it too." He trailed his finger up Enys' arm, "to celebrate its living to, er, fight another day."

"I don't like fighting," said Enys coyly.

"Then don't fight with it," Devin grinned, leaning over her, "Just show it a little affection, it's had a rough night."

Enys laughed madly at Devin's earnest face and rolled her eyes, running her hands down Devin's chest and into the cut Bors had made in his breeches, "Oh go on then – but this is only for his poor sake and not yours."

Devin smirked, "Well I'm a self-less soul, whatever it takes to make him feel better-er-ah!"

Author's Note: I found this story when looking through some old documents on my computer the other day and thought I'd submit it to see what people think. It's all written out so if there's a good response I'll post the rest of it while I try and work through my writers block for my other stories. I completely forgot about this one so would love to know what you think and if you lot like it then I will publish more! Hope you enjoy! x