Yay, people love my story, whoopee!!! Yes, sorry, I did have some similarities to someone else's story, Child of Fire. Sorry if you're mad, but trust me, I'll kee as many similarities out as I can!!!

Oh, I forgot to add, this story is based on 7 years before the movie takes place, so all Knights are in their teens. And we find out Talin's real age is 8, not 10. Ok, here we go!!!

Chapter 2

For days Arthur questioned Talin, asking her age (answering my note from above) her last name, where she had come from, etc. She answered as best she could, nervous under his penetrating green eyes. "My name's Talin Fiero (fee-arrow) I came from my home in the woods. We lived alone, me and my parents. We were out riding, when my father took me off his horse and told me to stay right where I was, and then they took off as fast as they could. I don't know why." She had answered, stuttering here and there. A few days later, Tristan returned with horrific news.

"I found their horses... both shot down with arrows. They are not Woad arrows, nor any other I can recognize. There are many tracks running in every direction... they lead to horse tracks onto the roads, I can't trace them any further than there. They're long gone." He said, trying to avoid looking at the girl.

Talin wasn't exactly the most normal 8 year old. She didn't start screaming and sobbing and throwing things like most picture she should've. Instead, she sat a little straighter, and sighed, letting a few tears free. Arthur couldn't think fast enough to say comforting words, there seemed to be a large wall preventing the thought from reaching him. He just stood there, mouth open slightly, eyes staring at the floor, trying to get the words. But by the time he'd suceeded, Talin was gone.

For a few days, no one saw her. She was like a fly on the wall, there one second, the next disappearing. The Knights tried to avoid her, not knowing what to do. She was a child, and a girl... none had any idea how to help her.

Then, about a week later, she had stopped hiding. She did chores with Vanora, but kept herself silent. "Another Tristan has come to us. Now I have two people who scare the daylights outta me." Bors had commented one drunk night. And he was right. Talin and Tristan both were silent as the grave, only spoke when necessary. They were also quiet in movements. Their steps were light, silent, they could sneak up on ANYONE. And they both had a knack of disappearing in a flash, gone without a trace.

But soon, Talin became more open, and soon she was as normal as any other child. She sometimes cried when she thought of her parents, but she never seeked comfort. She was a strong little girl. And soon, most of the Knights had a liking to her. Arthur cared for her like a friend's daughter. Lancelot, Galahad and Gawain were like brothers to her. Dagonet was her friend when she was feeling sad, he would always help her out, in the strangest of ways. It ranged from him just being there when she started to cry, or he'd take her on a horse ride, or teach her to skip rocks... anything to take her mind off what was going on. He was like her emotional support, and her friend. And Bors... Bors was like the crazy uncle, and Vanora was her sister, and a somewhat mother. And Tristan... Tristan was the only person who seemed to not really care about her. Whenever she tried to get closer to him, if it was sitting by him, watching him when he was with his hawk, or anythign else she did, he just seemed annoyed by it.

So, naturally, she bothered him all the time. It never really hurt her that he didn't like her. She just wanted him to at least be a little friendly to her... he was the one who saved her. But, then again, Tristan was Tristan.

Talin's spirit never seemed to dampen once she was happy. She came to love riding horses, and she enjoyed spending time watching the Knights practice. She worried when they went on a mission, and was their reason to want to go back home. And soon, she was part of their everyday lives. And the 8 year old seemed more understanding than any other person. When the Knights were missing home, or just feeling down, she would be as cheery as she could.

The Knights came to think of how odd life would be without her... and she shivered whenever she thought of what would've happened to her if Tristan hadn't found her...

(5 years later, Talin now 13) (A/N: Still not to the start of the movie yet, that's still 2 more years away)

Talin P.O.V.

"Wake up, Talin, hurry, father's coming home!!!" A little voice squeaked in my ear. "I am awake." I replied, sitting up, opening my eyes. "I was just thinking, Gilly. Now come on, let's go find your mother and get to the gate!!!" He laughed as I tickled him and pushed him off. I followed him towards the back of the house, where Vanora was scrubbing clothes in a basin of water. "Well, I can see we're all here. Let's get going, shall we?" I asked, looking at the other children who were bouncing around impatiently. She smiled, drying her hands off. "Yes we shall." She said, getting up and taking the baby onto her hip, wrapping a shawl around him. The others did so obediantly, and then raced out the door, and through the streets to the gate.

No one else was waiting. The Knights had no family here, and only Jolls, the stable man, was waiting along with us. The Bishop would talk with Arthur later on how the mission had gone. At the sight of Mico, we all heald our breath. This was the one moment I always got extremely nervous about. Everyone was nervous... we always worried if one had been killed. Just then, the gate opened, and in came all 7, alive and well... sorta. There were cuts, and bruises on most, and Gawain looked like his right leg was giving him severe pain. Once most were dismounted, Dag headed over to Gawain's side, pulling him off the horse, and supporting him as he hopped on his left foot, trying to avoid standing on his right.

I rushed up to his other side, taking his arm in my hands. "You ok?" I asked, giving him a little smile. He smiled back. "Ya, I just sprained my ankle, I think. No big deal, I'm alright. If you want something to worry about, you'll go check Tristan's arm. He needs stitches, and you do better at that then Vanora." I groaned. "Don't worry, Galahad will make sure Tristan doesn't do anything." Gawain assured, glancing at Galahad. Galahad gave me a thumbs up. "Alright. I'll see you later." I said, letting go. I turned back, and bumped right into Lancelot who'd been following.

"Going to see Tristan, right?" He said, smiling slightly. I nodded, rolling my eyes. "I'll keep an eye on you. Don't worry, he won't bite your head off, relax." He said, giving me a little hug. I laughed, and continued to Tristan, who was examining the gash on his upper arm.

When he looked up, he groaned as well. "It's fine." He growled. "Well better safe then sorry. Now stop complaining and let me close it before your arm is permanently damaged." I ordered, pushing him back down to his seat. He sighed, and held still. I quietly stitched it up, and then cut it, and stood back. "See." I said, looking at him with victory beeming in my eyes. It was the first time I'd been able to stitch him up without having to have one of the others convince him. He just sighed, got up, and took his horse away to the stables. I crossed my arms, glaring lightly at his back.

Another horse was coming u to my right, so I turned, and saw Arthur. i bowed my head in respect. "Arthur. How was your journey?" I asked. "Well enough, no major damage done. It was also sucessful." I smiled. "Good to hear." I said, stepping fully out of the way as he passed. I'd never treated him like an actual friend, because he insisted it. I treated him as a superior (sp?) and there was a little friendship. He knew I cared, and I knew he did, but it was the way we went.

"Don't worry about them, they're both grouchy." Galahad said, giving me a hug from behind. Lancelot came up, and we walked side by side to Gawain's room, where Dag was probably doing something about his ankle. On the way there, we saw Bors and Vanora talking, Vanora looking mad about Bors's ripped shirt. "Easy on him, Vanora. It's not his fault he fell off his horse and into a bush." Lancelot said, smirking. bors glared at him, and went to yell back, but Vanora regained his attention by laughing. At Gawain's room, Dag was just leaving. "A sprained ankle, but he'll be better in a few days." He explained before heading for his own room. Gawain was inside, soaking his foot in warm water. It was black and blue. "It's not as bad as it looks, it's just swelling." He said quickly.

After getting Gawain back downstairs to the Tavern, all 7 were drinking ale. Tristan sat in the corner, half shadowed in the dark. I glanced at him ever so often, and found, surprisingly, he was looking at me the whole time. Had I finally broken his silence... was he finally realizing he cared for me as much as I did for him?

I got up a little earlier than I usually would, and said goodnight, purposely glancing at Tristan before going out the door. And to my uttermost joy, he followed a few moment later. I went up onto the wall, not caring that I wasn't supposed to be there, and looked down at the world outside. The ground was covered in frost... but beyond that, I saw the woods. More noticable was the place where I'd been found, or rather, where I'd come out with Tristan. I had marked the tree, and never forgotten where it was. I looked at it for a moment, before turning, and nearly gasped. Tristan, who I had thought was waiting at the bottom of the stairway in the shadows for me, was standing just feet from me, eyes intent on capturing mine. For a while we just stared at each other, and then he broke the silence, for once.

"I've seen you, all the time, watching the others practice. I've seen you watching me as well... why?" I replied without a pause, "It's interesting to watch them fighting each other, and doing everything they do. And I like watching you and Mico." I didn't give him a reason. He mulled it over for a second. "You want to learn?" He asked. I nodded. He smirked, and chuckled a little. "I'll start teaching you tomorrow." He said, and with that he was going back down the stairs. I watched him disappear, and then slowly headed home.

Had I really gotten to him, finally?