A/N: I'm just posting the proluge and th first chapter to see if anyone's interested in it. Whether I continue with this story or not will be based on the responses. I'm personally not sure whether I like it or not.

Part One

Proluge

Arthur grinned gaily and waved to Bors, who was being soundly chastened by his woman on his way out of the tavern. Bors made a show of pointedly ignoring him, and grabbed Annor mid sentence, silencing her with a kiss. Arthur laughed as the crowd whistled heartedly.

"Sir, your horse." A timid stable boy interrupted his laughter and Arthr turned to his war house, Kynagos, and swung onto the saddle.

With a nod to the stable hand he pushed the horse into a canter and checked his pack making sure he had his missive. Normally, Arthur did not take missives, as he was a Knight of the Round table, not a messenger but this one was a sealed missive for the Pope himself, and the woods and rocky cliffs were dangerous for those who did not know their way or could not fight their way through.

The knights had offered to go with him, but it was only a three day trip and they had just gotten back from a two year mission. They deserved the few months to unwind before they had to escort Bishop Germanus to the Handrian Fort. Lancelot had been the most vocal about his disagreement of Arthur going alone, but Arthur had silenced him letting him know that Lancelot, especially, had to stay behind in the event they were sent on another mission. Someone would have to lead the knights.

"Arthur!" A familiar voice called from the crowd and Arthur turned his horse around to see an arm biding him to halt. Arthur reluctantly dismounted and lead his horse over to where Tristan was leaning casually against a stone wall, an expectant look on his face as he ate an apple.

"You needed something?" Arthur already knew what Tristan was going to say but thought it best not to let on, for Tristan would take that as little more than assent and acknowledgement that he needed an escort.

"Are you sure you do not want one of us to come with you?" Tristan questioned in a voice that made it clear that Tristan thought that Arthur needed someone to come with him, and only his pride was keeping him from admitting it.

Arthur bit back a snort, and kept his face perfectly composed, "Alas as weak, untrained and untried in battle though I am, I think I shall be fine delivering a message on my own, and I thank you for your concern."

Tristan shot him an irritated look as he pushed off the wall, "If you get yourself killed, Arthur, do not say I did not warn you."

Arthur nodded gravely, "I shall keep that in the forefront of my mind, thank you, Tristan."

Tristan threw the apple core at Arthur as he remounted, but Arthur caught it mid air, and threw it back at him. Tristan ducked and the apple sailed smoothly over his head, smashing into a window, sending shards of glass crashing onto the crowd below who immediately started to look around to see the offender. It didn't take long to figure out the two guilty figures were Knights at the round table and those who weren't as easily intimidated by status glared at them.

Tristan and Arthur quickly straightened to their full imposing heights, and tried to look as intimdating as possible while they were holding back laughter and stared the crowd down until they turned away with a few mutters.

With a nod to Tristan, and before he could voice any objections, Arthur rode off in a full gallop, only slowing long enough for the gate to open.

"Just you and me now, Kynagos." Arthur told his horse.

He made the three day trip to Olicanu in just over a day and a half and dropped off the missive for the messengers to take to the Pope. He was leading his horse through the unstable rocky cliff when he first noticed something was off. For a moment he stilled and then threw himself to the ground, but an arrow still made it's way into his arm.

"Kynagos, go!" He yelled to his horse, just as a fiery arrows rained down upon them. The rocks were beginning to slip and he slid down the cliff wall with them, unable to stop the momentum.