Chapter 2
Germanius looked over to the carriage to see that the soldiers threw the dead decoy body with the others.
"Ancient tricks of an ancient dog." Germanius tells Arthur from his previous comment.
Aurora scoffed sarcastically and quietly, Tristan and Lancelot the only ones who heard it. Germanius than looks to the knights.
"And these are the great Sarmatian Knights we have heard so much of in Rome." Germanius comments, smiling.
Aurora walks over to Sirdail, who tried to bite Germanius in the back. Aurora smiled, her, a few Roman soldiers, and Arthur laughing quietly. Aurora stroked her horse neck, speaking softly to it.
"I am glad you did not get hurt, my friend. I would not be able to forgive myself if anything did happen to you."
Sirdail whines quietly and nudges Aurora's left shoulder. Aurora turns her head to look over the knights who she wished would help her people without question. Her uncle starts walking towards the carriage with Arthur right by his side.
"I thought the Woads control the north of Hadrian's Wall."
"They do, but they occasionally venture south. Rome's anticipated withdrawal from Britain has only increased their daring."
Aurora hums at this and turns from the conversation. She mounts Sirdail and looks up just in time to see Arthur talk with one of his knights. His hair was a dark color with braids here and there and blue tattoos on his cheeks.
"Tristan, ride ahead and make sure the road is clear." Tristan nods and rides ahead, as Arthur looks back to the Bishop. "Please do not worry, Bishop. We will protect you." Arthur assures him, as they reached the carriage.
Germanius grabs the handle on the side of the carriage and looks at Arthur. "Oh, I've no doubt, Commander." Germanius smiles, than turns his head. "Aurora!"
Aurora rides to her uncle. "I will be riding, uncle. I wish to catch up with Arthur." Aurora says, nodding to her uncle for permission.
Germanius hesitates but nods, a grim look upon his face. "Very well." And he gets in.
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About an hour later, the group has finally reached the wall. And in that time, Arthur and Aurora have caught up in what they missed the past five years.
"Tell me the truth, Aurora, why do you always disappear one day without advising anyone, then reappear a week, a month, a few days later?"
Aurora sighs sadly, looking up to the sky to see a Sparrow Hawke circling above.
"I cannot say until the time comes, Arthur. I am sorry." She looks over to him.
Arthur could see she truly means it and nods. "But tell me one thing, do you have a lover out there somewhere?" Arthur smiled mischievously.
Aurora laughs, slightly pushing Arthur. "If you keep this secret, I will tell."
"I promise upon the stars above and all that his holy." Arthur says, waiting anxiously.
"I did have a husband." Aurora says quietly.
"Did? What has happened to him? Do I know him? Why did you never presented me to him?" Arthur asked alarmed and surprised.
"He died in a battle against the Saxons a few years back." Aurora sighs but smiles to Arthur. "I have child as well. A girl name Ertha."
Arthur smiles. "And you never let me see her?"
Aurora shook her head. "I could not have brought her to Rome, to my uncle. He would have shunned me."
Arthur nodded in understanding. "Does she look like you?"
"Nay, she looks more of her father. The only thing she has of me is her eyes and personality." Aurora smiled, missing her child all ready.
"I wish to meet her one of these days." Arthur said quietly.
"Aye, you will." Aurora nods, than listens to the conversation behind her and Arthur.
"I don't like him, that Roman." Galahad said with disgust evident in his voice.
"No one does, my lord." Aurora says, smiling to Arthur, who smiles back.
Galahad blushes. "I am sorry my lady, I did not mean to say such a thing about your uncle."
"Why? I talk bad about him as all. Ask Arthur." Aurora shrugged her shoulders, not really caring. "You may continue to what you have to say about him. And I promise I will not say a word. I have never broken a promise in my life."
The knights looked to their leader, who knows her best. Arthur nods to them that they will be safe.
"Then may I ask you a question, my lady?"
"I am no lady, my lord. Please feel free to call me Aurora, all of you."
"And you may call us by our names, Aurora." Bors tells her, smiling.
Galahad continues what he wanted to say. "If he's here to discharge us, why doesn't he just give us our papers now?"
Before Aurora could answer, Gawain spoke up. Aurora was grateful that he did for she did not want to lie to them.
"Is this your happy face?"
Bors, Aurora, and Arthur laugh, as Galahad smiles.
"Besides," Bors starts, getting into the conversation. "I have, I think, a dozen children."
"Eleven." Gawain corrects him.
Bors looks at him, Aurora leaning over to Arthur to whisper to him.
"What does this have to do with the papers of discharge?"
Arthur only smiles and shrugs his shoulders.
"You listen. When the Romans leave here, we'll have the run of all this place." Bors says, pointing to the wall. "I'll be governor in my own village and Dagonet will be my personal guard and royal ass-kisser." Bors looks back to a big man bigger than the other knights. "Won't you, Dag?"
Aurora chuckles at the bored and annoyed look Dagonet gave Bors.
"Your knights love to jest, don't they?" Aurora asks Arthur quietly.
"Aye, they do."
"First thing I will do when I get home is find a beautiful Sarmatian woman to wed." Gawain says out of nowhere.
"A beautiful Sarmatian woman?" Bors asks, looking to Gawain. "Why do you think we left in the first place?" Bors moos like a cow.
Aurora laughs in disbelieve and looks to Bors. "Are the woman as such as you say, Bors?"
Bors looks up at her. "Of course, Aurora. Sarmatian is my home. I have lived there until I came to this hell hole."
Arthur looks back to his men, a sly smirk upon his lips. "Then you must not know your land well, my friend. Aurora here is a Sarmatian woman. She has Sarmatian blood in her."
All of the knights look over Aurora, smiling and nodding in approval.
"I think I'll be going with you, Gawain, to see if I can get me a Sarmatian woman." Galahad said, smiling over to Aurora, who laughs.
"Aye, I agree." Dagonet says.
Aurora blushes from these comments, and shakes her head. She turns to look at Lancelot.
"And what of yourself, Lancelot? What are your plans for home?" Aurora asks as he kept quiet.
"Well, Aurora, if this woman of Gawain's is as beautiful as he claims, and as beautiful as you, I expect to be spending a lot of time at Gawain's house. His wife will welcome the company."
"I see. And what will I be doing?" Gawain asks him calmly.
"Wondering at your good fortune that all your children will look like me."
The Knights and Aurora all laugh, as Lancelot rides ahead next to Aurora, Gawain following him with his eyes.
"Is that before or after I hit you with my ax?"
Chuckling lightly, Aurora rides slower next to Bors. She looks up to Tristan as he whistles and lifts his left arm up at the air. She watches as the Sparrow Hawke she saw earlier flies to him and grabs hold of Tristan's arm. Tristan brings her closer to him.
"Where you been, now? Where you been?" Tristan whispers.
"That is a beautiful Sparrow Hawke you have, Tristan." Aurora says in awe.
Tristan looks up, and nods his head. "Thank you my lady."
"Please call me Aurora." Aurora smiles to him.
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As they reached the doors, a soldier above yells down below on the other side.
"Open the gate!"
The Knights and Aurora quickly as possible make their way to the small house, which the knights lived in. They line up on the right side, as the carriage rides in behind them.
"Welcome back, Arthur." Jols, a faithful servant to Arthur says, smiling.
"Jols." Arthur says as he dismounts his horse.
Jols nods to Lancelot. "Lancelot."
They all dismount their horses, and Jols looks surprise to Aurora and smiles.
"Aurora Naranjo, it is good to see you once more." Jols says, but looks warily to Sirdail.
Aurora smiles. "Likewise Jols. And I believe Sirdail will not give you any problems this time. I have given him a great lecture last time."
Jols looked relief taken the reins. "Thank goodness."
Jols, with the help of other stable boys, took the horses.
"What happened last time?" Gawain asked, interested.
Aurora looks to Jols, who blushes from embarrassment. "I believe I will leave that up to Jols to tell."
Germanius steps off the carriage, looking around.
"Bishop, please, my quarters have been made available to you." Arthur tells him.
"Oh, yes. I must rest." Germanius says, walking into the house, not wanting to stay with the knights any longer.
Aurora rolls her eyes at her uncle's actions. And was grateful that he has forgotten about her for the moment.
Arthur than turns to his long time friend. "And if I knew you were coming, I would have prepared you a room as well."
Aurora smiles and waves it off. "Anywhere is fine, Arthur. You know I hate these kinds of treatments."
The Knights raised their eyebrows at this. They have never heard a woman with high status decline that sort of treatment before. But Gawain, Lancelot, and Galahad realized what Aurora said and they smiled the mischief and sly smiles.
"Anywhere, Aurora?" Lancelot asks slyly.
Arthur puts a protective arm around Aurora's shoulders. "I'll be damned if she were to sleep in your quarters, Lancelot."
Gawain took this time to speak up. "What of mine?" He asked hopefully.
Aurora chuckles, shaking her head. "I'll be damned before I ever sleep in any of your quarters, my lords. No matter how handsome you all are. Especially yourself, Gawain."
The knights, but Tristan who only smiled, ooohed, all of them smiling.
"Please, Aurora, do not encourage him." Tristan says, getting a glare from Gawain.
The group laughs, Aurora and Arthur shaking their heads.
"I will see what I can do for you, Aurora." Arthur says, steering her away.
"Thank you."
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That night, Aurora changed into a simple dress and walked towards the room where she was to meet her uncle and the knights to talk of business. She enters the room to see the Knights all laughing. She smiles as they all turn to her, and curtsy's to them. She walks to the side and stands. The men all stand up, as Tristan offers a seat next to him.
"Please, Aurora, sit and wait with us until your uncle comes along."
Aurora was taken back and looks to Arthur, who nods to her saying it's okay. Aurora hesitates but walks next to Tristan and sits on the offer chair.
"Thank you." She whispers shyly.
It was than that all the Knights, including Arthur, saw just how beautiful Aurora really was. She wore her light brown hair back into a braid, a few strands falling here and there. It stopped at least to her abdominal. Her eyes were that of light emerald green, and her skin a brown tanned color that seemed to glow against the ruby red dress she wore.
"If you have Sarmatian blood in you, why is your uncle a Roman?" Galahad asked, curiosity getting the best of him.
The Knights, but Arthur who knows the truth, all quieted down and waited for Aurora's explanation. Aurora sighed, knowing that question would have come up sooner or later.
"My father… my father was a Sarmatian, from where or what tribe, I do not know. He came to the Roman cities in search of… something. He met my mother, they fell in love. Married in secret, and ran away. My mother gave birth to me and we hid out somewhere with my father's tribe. My mother's father found out and sent to assassinate my parents, and I. My parents hid me from the assassins and told me to run when I had the chance.
"So I hid inside an empty stable. I waited but they never came back for me, so I knew… they were killed, along with my father's kinsmen. I was only six of age. Once I knew it was clear, I ran. I ran so fast and so hard, I collapsed on the forest ground and passed out. Someone found me than, I do not know who, but they took pity on me, for they knew who I was.
"They raised me as their own, until I was old enough, maybe eight of age, to know if I had family or not. I met my uncle, who did not shun me for I was an image of my mother, so I stayed with him for a while. I left him to go with my foster parents. A year passed and I returned to my uncle, that's when I met Arthur," Aurora smiled, nodding her head to Arthur who sat across from her, smiling at the memory. "And we became fast friends. Though he was a weak boy back then. I used to beat him whenever I had the chance." Aurora laughed, the knights chuckling. Aurora than shrugged. "And that's the story of my life."
All was silent in the room after Aurora told her story. But even so, something bugged the Knights. They had a feeling that she wasn't telling them something. Than Lancelot broke the silence.
"So is your uncle going to come any time soon?" Lancelot asked.
Aurora smiled at this. "I do not know. My uncle likes to… take his time."
The knights groaned, Aurora shrugging in sympathy. Arthur took this moment to talk to his men and stood up. The group quiets down and looked to Arthur expectantly.
"Let us not forget that we are the fortunate ones." The knights all stand, as Arthur continues. "Let us raise our wine to those gallant and extraordinary men we have lost, but who will be remembered for eternity." They all drank to this.
"To Freedom." Bors said, all raising their goblets
"Freedom." They said in union.
A/N: First, I would like to say that I am using Spanish as Aurora's tribe language, and, yes, I am using elvish names. Is just that that is my biggest weakness. I hate making up names. And I was too lazy to make up my own language or look for a tribe that did existed back then, so yeah. Will I hope you liked it and please review!