Disclaimer: Don't own King Arthur but the original characters - themz be mine.


It had taken longer than they thought it would to gain entry into the fort; the security measures had been increased upon recent rumors of possible Saxon sightings. Not until mid-afternoon did the wagon finally trundle to a stop outside a small wooden cottage, which the family had negotiated with the landlord to serve as their small home for the duration of their stay. Leaping out at the first opportunity from the wagon, Ysmay and Willow both stretched their tired muscles to relieve their cramped positions from sitting for so long. Once Willow heard the satisfying click of her vertebrae as she twisted her back, she enjoyed the easing sensation as she felt her entire body loosen.

"Ewwww, you know it makes that horrible sound when you do that!" Ysmay complained at Willow's actions, but who merely shrugged and answered back by sticking out her tongue. Rhiannon chuckled at the two girl's childish interaction.

"Right, well we had better get on and earn our money for our supper tonight. Willow and Rowan; go and see where the best place to set up will be, while Rhiannon, Ysmay and I will start sorting out the wagon and horses. Tomorrow we'll take them any available stables there are here," Aiden said as he took charge of the situation, as was customary for him every time they arrived in a new location. Laughing at the disgruntled look on his sister's face for having been chosen to stay behind and unpack, Rowan jumped down and grasped Willow's out stretched hand. He skipped off singing, which resulted in Willow being dragged behind him in his eagerness to explore the fort. At a more manageable speed, the two made their way across the market place and were awed at the number of people and objects on sale around them. The fort had become a centre of trade and marketing since the crowning of the King, as it had created a safer place for the traders to operate.

"Look at all this stuff! I don't think I've ever seen so much trading in one place before!" Rowan exclaimed, as he began to pull Willow along behind him and towards every new shiny thing which caught his attention.

"I know, but we need to find a spot for us as well Rowan," Willow reminded, amused at the boy's actions.

"What about over there?" Rowan pointed to a smaller square than that of the markets and contained a number of people walking to and from the market and a tavern across the street. The building opposite the square caught Willow's eye as she looked over at Rowan's suggestion. It appeared very Roman in contrast to the other low lying, thatched structures of the rest of the fort. The intricately patterned columns and bright terracotta tiles gave the building a distinguished and superior air to it and made Willow certain that this could only be the building in which resided the King and his Knights.

'Jeez, Ostentatious enough?' She thought as she contemplated the building some more.

"Isn't it great Willow?"

Rowan dragged her attention back to him. Turning her head round, Willow smiled at the small boy, "we might actually get to see the King and his Knights! I want to be a Knight and ride around on a horse instead of sitting in a boring wagon all the time. And I could fight with a big sword against the Saxons and rescue people in need!" he cried and with that declaration, Rowan drew a pretend sword from his side and held it up at Willow.

"Die evil Saxon!"

"Hey! How come I have to be the evil Saxon, you normally make Ysmay the Saxon and I get to be the fair damsel being rescued," Willow laughed at her little companion, dramatically posing her hand over her forehead.

"Well she's not here so you'll have to do," Rowan sighed in a dishearten tone.

"Wells thanks Rowan, your vote of confidence is overwhelming," Willow replied sarcastically but quickly spun around to face him and similarly pretended to draw a sword and fixed a mocking grin on her face.

"Now prepare to die Knight! For us Saxons shall take this land from under your very nose with our hideous stench and disgustingly huge facial hair," She drawled in a poor imitation of a Saxon accent.

Rowan laughed at her and went to thrust his make believe sword towards Willow. She parried his move and in turn swung her invisible sword back at him. The two continued to play fight until Rowan cheated and grabbed hold of Willow's waist with both arms breathlessly laughing from the battle. Unfortunately for Rowan, used to fighting with him and his expected tactic, Willow simply gripped his own waist and pulled him up over her shoulder into a fireman's lift. His squeal of protest was soon replaced with one of laughter as Willow proceeded to tickle him with both her hands as she held him up on her shoulder. She always enjoyed the innocent fun of Rowan's fighting as it reminded her of the many times she had play fought at the children's home with the younger boys there but they had instead always chosen a pirate as her role as villain in their games. Soon tired from the effort of holding and tickling him, Willow lowered Rowan to the ground much to his protests; he loved that Willow was always more willing to play with him than anyone else. Ysmay was constantly telling him go away and leave her alone but Willow had always tried to make time in whatever she was doing to play with him.

"Come on, we need to get back to the house and tell your Ma and Pa about this place," she told Rowan as he looked at up her with a sulking look as she had finished the fun game. Willow groaned playfully at the boy and bent down to his level to look him directly in the eyes.

"If I give you a piggy-back back to the cottage will you manage to remove that rotten expression from your face?"

The boy instantly grinned at her and held his arms out in expectation. Sighing, Willow turned and allowed the boy to spring up on to her back with ease. For an eight year old Rowan was not very big or heavy and due to her modern day diet of balanced nutrition growing up, Willow was probably stronger than the average Dark Age woman and could easily carry Rowan on her back. Tucking her arms underneath the boy's legs as he wrapped his arms around her neck loosely, she stood up and started back towards his parents and sister. Rowan, content with his place on Willow's back, rested his head on her shoulder, feeling as well as hearing the humming that she always seemed to be doing whenever she wasn't talking, singing or playing her flute or whistle and smiled as he looked around the market again as they made their way back through. Rowan loved the fact that Willow was always making noise; her singing and humming always alerted him to where she was whenever he needed her and comforted him in the knowledge of her endless calming presence. For Willow, she had naturally always made noise, and couldn't remember a time even at the children's home, when she had been quiet. Although the month following her grandfather's death had silenced her for the longest time she had known and she hoped to never have to experience that again. Walking up to the wagon, with Rowan perched on her back, Rhiannon gave her adopted daughter an amused look.

"He got sulky again, didn't he?" she inquired, knowing of her son's affection for Willow's attention.

"No Ma!" Rowan cried from over Willow's shoulder, "Willow was a Saxon and killed me by tickle attack so she had to carry my dead body back," the eight year reasoned seriously with his mother.

"Oh, well in that case, if you are dead than you won't be playing with us. What a shame you killed my son Willow, I rather liked him," Aiden grinned at the pair from behind his wife.

"Wait! I am alive! I can play! I want to play with you all!" Rowan hurriedly yelled and quickly struggled to get down from Willow's back. Laughing she gently placed him on his feet behind her,

"Not before you deafen me Rowan!" she cried at his retreating back, rubbing the ear which he had unknowingly shouted right into in his haste to reply to his father.

"Did you find anywhere?" Aiden inquired after having quickly reassured his son that he did, in fact, know that he was still alive and willing to play with the family.

"We think so, Rowan pointed out a small square near to the market place which would be perfect to play in as many people seem to use it as a route from between the market and the tavern," Willow replied.

"And it's across from the King and Knight's Castle!" Rowan said, thinking that that point of information was as vital to his parents as it was to him.

"Well," Aiden smiled at his son, "you will definitely need to play your best then if there is the possibility of the King and Knight's seeing you play," aware of his son's love for the stories about the great Sarmatian Knight's and their Commander.

"Of course Pa," the boy said in return, "only the best troubadours play for the King so with Willow playing with us they are all bound to come and see us perform," he grinned as he spun around and ran to grab the instruments, certain in his way as most young boys are at the age of eight.

"I'm not the only one playing Rowan!" Willow called after him and felt her cheeks blush in embarrassment.

"You may not be my dear but, dare I say it about my own daughter, you are much better with that flute than Josselyn was and your teaching us the new music has helped our fortunes greatly," Aiden commented, trying to compliment the woman but knew she would never believe him.

"I play just the same as all of you," Willow mumbled into her head cloth, brushing off Aiden compliment. She had found the older instruments they used much harder than those which she had been used you and was awed by the skill each of the family members showed in their chosen instrument and had jumped at the task of learning from them the different instruments, though knew she would never match up to their own skill.

"Yes, but your interaction with the crowd always makes us popular," Rowan responded, walking back, carrying with him the instruments they would be playing for their dinner later on that evening.

Willow chuckled shyly and sighed, "I do enjoy pulling my shapes."

"Ysmay, it's time to go," Aiden called to his daughter, who had been plating Herne, one of the horses' manes, "I don't know how that horse manages to put up with you constantly pulling at his hair."

"Because he's nicer than Varden, as he will only let Willow anyway near him," she remarked to her father as she made her way towards them. She took hold of her father's hand and smiled up at him with a mischievous smile, "besides it's been six months since you said I could have my own pony, after Willow found Varden all alone when those people had left him so I'm afraid that until then I get to practice on Herne."

Aiden could only laugh at his daughter's reply; he was aware that any response from him would keep them there for hours and so looked around to check that they had all they needed for the evening. He motioned for Willow and Rowan to show the way to the chosen spot and the family hurried through the market, eager to begin playing so they could buy their food.

"Here is probably the best spot," Aiden said to his wife next to him as they reached the middle of the left side of the square.

"Aye and there is room enough for the crowd to dance if Willow is able to make them," she replied, grinning at the young woman. The family set up their positions; first, a small wooden stool was placed to the right for Rhiannon to sit on for her harp and on the left for Aiden to play his lute. Rowan stood behind his father with his bodhrán and Ysmay stood behind her mother with her Viol. Willow took the place between the children and smiled at the familiar scene before her. She always enjoyed this part; the anticipation of her family before the first note was played and the expectancy of the crowd who had realised the family's intentions once their instruments were in place for the performance. They had agreed on a lively song that would be appropriate in continuing the jovial spirit of the fort's atmosphere.

"What about 'Haste To The Wedding'? Because of the King and Queen," Rowan asked the gathered musicians. Aiden and Rhiannon smiled at each other as they knew that it was a particular favourite of Willow's, taught to her by her grandfather and never failed to make her encourage the crowd to dance. The family's eyes turned to Willow expectantly after Rowan's suggestion.

"Alright, but only because I'm hungry and I want to have some food soon," She laughed quietly at their hopeful faces turned up at her, "but it does mean that I'll have to us my whistle." Her expression changing to apprehensive as she couldn't help looking around nervously.

"Don't worry about it dear, you have used it before and no one had commented on it. Just tell anyone, if they ask you about it, that your grandfather gave it to you and you don't know where he got it from," Rhiannon answered reassuringly about the historically wrong instrument which Willow knew was not going to be invented for another six hundred years or so. Encouraged by the woman's words, she nodded and from her position moved round to in front of the family, surveying the crowd which stood waiting to hear the music. Smiling at the eagerness on their faces, Willow placed the old and familiar whistle to her lips ready to begin.


A/N: Theres going to be a lot of music throughout this fic as its kind of significant to Willow's character (which also means that you'll learn a lot about my personal taste in music - don't be too harsh about the songs or music choices). When there is a song, it will probably be a particular one which I had in mind while I was writing so I'll put the artist and track in the author's note if anyone is interesting in knowing it (I always like to listen to a song which is mentioned in a story while I read it but that just might be me being a massive nerd :S).

This chapter's and the next one's music (as it overlaps), originally a traditional Irish gig, is The Corrs - Haste to the Wedding.

Oh and to fit in with the modern music, it should be taken that Aiden's lute is essentially a ye olde guitar.

Hope you enjoyed chapter 2!

Pitta x

P.s. I don't have a beta-reader so sorry for any mistakes or hiccups in the writing