"Again," A voice behind the young girl speaks up. Avalon groans, but repeats the sequence of steps that she had just been taught by Galahad. Galahad had been injured on the last mission and was forced to stay behind on this next mission, but was assured that he would be able to go on the next assignment. The knights had been gone for two weeks. They were supposed to arrive back 3 days before everyone was worried for the great warriors, but none as worried as Galahad, Vanora, and the children, and of course Avalon.
"Good! You are improving," Another deeper voice calls behind her, the younger girl at the age of 9 turned quickly at the sound of her dad's voice. She quickly rushes to him and embraces him in a hug.
"where is papa?" the young girl frowns looking up into the green eyes of her dad searching for the answer. The man sighs and lifts his daughter easily from the ground. He may not be her father by blood, but she is just as much his as she is Lancelot's.
"he is in the infirmary waiting for you darling so let us go to him," Arthur says as the two walk through the square. At first, the knight and commander would receive looks of confusion when Avalon had first arrived, but since then it had become a common occurrence to see one or both of the knights with the girl. The base did not need to know the relationship between the knight and his commander nor would they ever know unless they were close to the knights such as Vanora and Jols, and of course the other members of the roundtable were aware.
"What happened?" Avalon asked worried about the man. Arthur sets her down beside him and they walk farther into the square heading to the infirmary in the center of the base, the young girl clutching her father's hand.
"Nothing to fret upon," Arthur answers looking down at the girl who has grown so much from when she had been discovered at Lancelot's chambers. Arthur wondered what would happen when the knights would be released from their years of service to Rome. Arthur wondered what Avalon and Lancelot would do, would they stay behind at Hadrian's Wall? Would Lancelot return to Samaria with Avalon? Would they all travel to Rome?
"Let me get off this bed!" Arthur heard Lancelot yell from inside the development and immediately quickened his pace as did Avalon. The sight they find is funny and Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. Lancelot was obviously trying to stand from his cot but the physician would not allow him. There were at least 4 of the doctors' apprentices that were holding the knight down as Dagonet sat on his stomach.
"Lance be still," Arthur laughed approaching the cot, Avalon was trailing behind him. Lancelot stopped struggling and Dagonet stood from his place and motioned for the others to back away. Avalon took this opportunity and sat on the cot next to her father leaning against his bare chest. Lancelot pulled the girl closer to him and kissed her forehead watching as Arthur dragged a stool to sit on beside the cot.
"Hello, Ava how is training?" Lancelot asks from where he is sitting he cannot see the eye roll, but Arthur can and he smiles at the attitude she seemed to have developed from being around Lancelot as often as she was.
"It is going well. I have nearly mastered the mace. I have continued to practice archery on horseback and I am getting better. Sword practice is still boring. When can I get my own sword?" Avalon asked impatiently, Avalon had first been forced to use the wooden sword that little kids often handled and was now using an unbalanced training sword. She had developed Arthurs skill for single sword fighting as well as Lancelot double sword technique. She was working with Tristan on her Archery which she had learned at the age of 4. The young girl was friends with all of their horses and was devastated when one did not make it out of the battle, the young girl owned and took care of her own 3 horses.
"You will get one when you turn 10 next month" Lancelot chuckles, "You want to go train a new horse with me when I can get out of this bloody place,"
"Yeah!" Ava exclaims
"You are not getting out of bed until morning, doctors orders" Arthur speaks at the same time. Lancelot rolls his eyes and sighs sliding further into the bed pouting. Avalon giggles and copies her papa. Most people thought it was odd she referred to Arthur as Dad and Lancelot as Papa, but they were the people who raised her so why should she not?
Avalon or Ava as her fathers and the knights called her developed the personalities of her fathers. From Lancelot, she seemed to get his attitude when she did not like something or want to do something. She was like Arthur when under pressure calm and calming. She was a good leader from what they could tell even if she did get into some trouble. Vanora told them that last month when they were away on an assignment Ava had gotten into a fight with one of the roman children because they decided to make fun of one of Bors children. It was obvious that she had a strong will to do the right thing and was fierce and loyal just like her fathers.
"Why are you in the infirmary anyway?" Ava asks narrowing her eyes and Lance who looked to Arthur for help but Arthur just shrugged. It wasn't that what had happened was dangerous it was just extremely embarrassing for Lancelot.
"Are you better from running into that tree?" Gawain asks entering the infirmary. Arthur stifled a laugh from the memory, Gawain is smirking at Lancelot. Galahad who entered after Gawain was obviously trying to hold in laughter. Ava faces Lancelot with a look of puzzlement on her face.
"You ran into a tree?" Ava asks suspiciously making all the nights who had gathered around Lancelot's bed fall into fits of laughter. Lancelot slid down in the cot further and crossed his arms in front of him grumbling about something.
"I didn't run into a tree on purpose we had been attacked by some woads in the woods and I went after one and ran into a tree," Lancelot grumbles obviously annoyed at himself.
"Yes, he ran into that tree quite hard to knock himself out," Bors said from beside Gawain.
