Chapter Two
"Well, now that we are free men, I'm going to drink till I can't piss straight," Bors chuckled as the knights and the caravan made their way to Hadrian's Wall. A few hours after the Woad attack on the road the sun was shining on the island, clearing up the fog and making the grasses sparkle with dew. The knights rode before the carriage holding the Bishop while the Roman soldiers pulled up the rear. Bors was riding with Gawain and Ragnelle on his right while Galahad and Tristan rode on the left. The air around them was electric with both anticipation and irritation at the reluctance of the Bishop to simply hand over their discharge papers and let them be.
"You do that every night," interjected Gawain, earning a chuckle from the surrounding knights and Lancelot and Dag behind them.
"I never could piss straight," Bors mused, "Too much of myself to handle down there. It's a problem." This earned a loud laugh from Ragnelle, which caught the attention of Gawain. The blonde knight looked at the woman beside him and winked, causing a blush to come over her white cheeks before they both turned their attention back to the raving Bors. "No, really it's a problem. It's like a baby's arm holding an apple."
"A baby's arm holding an apple. Lovely Bors," retorted Ragnelle, feeling both amused and uncomfortable at the ensuing conversation. All she knew was that her breeches were chaffing her legs under the rare Briton sun and she couldn't wait to get back to the wall and bathe.
"I don't like him," Galahad said changing the subject and nodding his head back towards the carriage behind them. "If he's here to discharge us, why doesn't he just give us our papers?"
"Is this your happy face?" asked Gawain sarcastically causing Bors, Galahad and Ragnelle to crack smiles. Always one to break the tension, Gawain was by far Ragnelle's favorite companion behind her own brother. He always knew how to make her feel better by just looking at her with his piercing blue eyes. "Galahad do you still not know the Romans?" he continued, "They won't scratch their asses without holding a ceremony."
"Galahad just try to be patient," Ragnelle quickly put in so Gawain would not hurl another indirect insult to both their commander and the men traveling with them. They continued to canter on, and Gawain looked at her with one golden eyebrow arched over his eye and a smirk on his face. Ragnelle felt her face heat up once more under his gaze.
"Why don't you just kill him and discharge yourself after?" Bors asked the younger knight with amusement in his voice.
"I don't kill for pleasure," he spat back at Bors venomously while covertly taking a glance at the scout next to him, "Unlike some."
"You should try it some day. You might get a taste for it," Tristan said nonchalantly as he spurred his horse ahead so as to trot behind Arthur.
"This," Ragnelle said as she nodded to their surroundings and addressing Galahad once more, "is a part of you. It's in your blood, Galahad."
"No," Galahad bitterly laughed shaking his head. "No, as of tomorrow this was all just a bad memory." He lightly spurred his horse forward like Tristan, leaving Gawain, Bors, and Ragnelle behind him.
"I've often thought about what going home would mean after all this," said Gawain thoughtfully. "What will I do? It's different for Galahad. I've been in this life longer than the other. So much for home. It's not so clear in my memory." His tone was bitter as he stared straight ahead at the oncoming gates that would open up to the base that the knights made their home.
"You speak for yourself," added Bors, "It's cold back there and everyone I know is dead and buried." He looked deep in thought for a moment before continuing, "Besides, I have, I think, a dozen children."
"Eleven," shot out Ragnelle with a small smile.
"Both of you listen," Bors said pointing to Gawain and Ragnelle, "When the Romans leave here, we'll have the run of all this place. I'll be governor in my own village and Dagonet will be my personal guard and royal ass-kisser. Won't you, Dag?" Dagonet didn't even acknowledge the fat mans ranting. He knew that Bors would never leave this island no matter how much he wanted to.
"First thing I will do when I am free is find a beautiful Sarmatian woman to wed," mused Gawain, causing Bors to chuckle and Ragnelle to get a stirring in her stomach.
"A beautiful Sarmatian woman?" Bors asked with a smile. "Why do you think we left in the first place? Mooooo!" Gawain could not resist laughing loudly while Ragnelle just glared at Bors with mirth in her grey eyes.
"Bors," came the voice of Lancelot as he came up to ride next to the fat warrior. "Did I just hear you call my sister a cow?" he asked with venom dripping from every word. Bors couldn't say anything; he just simply swallowed and glanced between the twins nervously. Ragnelle simply smirked at her brother and was more amused than insulted at this point as she watched Bors sit uncomfortably in his saddle.
"What about you, Lancelot?" Galahad called out from in front of them, breaking the tension that they all felt between Lancelot and Bors. "What are your plans for home?"
The dark knight smirked, and Ragnelle knew that his mind was concocting the perfect response to make one of their fellow knights very uncomfortable. "Well, if this woman of Gawain's is as beautiful as he claims, I expect to be spending a lot of time at Gawain's house," he said looking directly in the blonde knights eyes. "His wife will welcome the company."
"I see," Gawain said narrowing his eyes at his comrade. "And what will I be doing?"
"Wondering at your good fortune that all your children look like me," Lancelot simply stated, earning a chuckle from Bors and Galahad as he moved his horse to ride next to Arthur. Ragnelle simply glared at the back of her brother's head as he moved forward. Sensing her scowl, Lancelot turned to look back at her and winked causing Ragnelle to intensify her glower.
"Is that before or after I hit you with my ax?" Gawain asked, also glaring at the mop of black curls before him. Gawain knew that Ragnelle was uncomfortable at her brother's man-whoring ways, but he thought that Lancelot's actions reflected poorly on the beautiful Sarmatian woman riding next to him.
The gates were open and the train of riders and carriages ran though the gates of Castellum. Entering the courtyard before the stables the knights were greeted by their loyal Jols and two stable boys who came to take their horses. Gareth, Ragnelle's personal favorite, took her large white stallion to her personal stall but not before slipping the female warrior a small piece of parchment.
After the Bishop excused himself to take over Arthur's personal chambers, the knights all left to their respective quarters with the exception of Bors who went to the tavern with his mistress Vanora and his eleven children. Ragnelle lingered behind in the stables, watching Gareth tend to her horse. Reading the note clutched in her callused hands over and over, anger, amusement, and a hint of lust began to bubble up in her stomach
Meet me in the armory
That's all the note said, but to her it spoke volumes. The familiar handwriting was beckoning her into the hands of utter passion and ecstasy but she had a game that she wanted to play for the sake of enjoyment. The jokes that were said on the road to Castellum put her in a mood that could simply be described as irritable due to their careless nature. Her self-righteousness and pride caused her to not take jests about women lightly, especially when her brothers in arms were the ones cracking them.
Ragnelle decided that the author of the note deserves to suffer. She would not meet them in the armory; rather she would retire to her rooms and take a long bath before the meeting at the round table. She left the stables and hurriedly rushed to the knight's quarters. Many people moved out of the way for the fierce female knight that had made her way into Commander Castus' inner circle. No one bothered to stop the woman with stormy grey eyes and blood stained armor as she all but ran to her destination. Either by fear or respect, a clear path was made for her as she made her way through the fortress and into the large brick building that housed the knights of Arthur's round table.
By the time Ragnelle reached her decently sized room, she was more than ready to shed her light armor and tight breeches. Stopping and asking a passing maid to bring a bronze tub and hot water to her room, Ragnelle began to peel off layers of clothes while waiting for the maids to bring her a bath. Soon enough a medium sized bronze tub and buckets of steaming water were brought to her along with some course wool towels and oils for her hair. Stripped down to nothing, Ragnelle placed herself deep in the hot water and relaxed as the dirt and sweat drifted off her skin. Scrubbing herself raw with a small piece of rosemary soap and rinsing her hair with scented oils, Ragnelle sat in the water until it turned brown and murky. It had been a week since her last good bath and days on the roads with the knights took a toll on her personal cleanliness.
Removing herself from the water, she wrung out her long black hair with a towel and put on a simple white cotton dress and a brown leather corset and belt. She put a gold medallion around her neck that Gawain had gifted her when she was accepted into Arthur's company as one of his knights. It was her most prized possession because it reminded her of the golden knight and her commitment to become a warrior like her father and brother. The simple gold disk had a horse engraved into it to symbolize her Sarmatian heritage while a simple gold chain held it up to her chest. Deciding to not take a cloak, Ragnelle plaited her hair and made her way to Arthur's war-room where the legendary round table sat. Wet hair and all, people still made way as she walked the short distance from the knight's quarters to the war-rooms.
Entering the Roman-esque building, Ragnelle made her way into the round-table chambers with her head held high at the anticipation of knowing that she really pissed off the author of her note. Entering the red and gold chamber, Ragnelle saw that she was only the third person to arrive as Arthur and Tristan were standing near the entrance deep in conversation. They both stopped speaking when she entered and Tristan gave her a subtle nod while Arthur smiled at the girl he considered to be his little sister. Smiling back at her commander, Ragnelle made her way over to her usual seat. Over twenty chairs sat at the large table, and only eight were still in use. The thought made Ragnelle's stomach turn as she sat down and remembered Erec who was the most recent knight to fall. Woads two months prior cut him down. Ragnelle didn't particularly like Erec because he was a bigger womanizer than her brother, but he was still a knight nonetheless.
After moments of simply sitting in her seat as Arthur and Tristan kept discussing Woad movements, the rest of the knights slowly began to trickle in and take their respective seats. Dagonet and an already tipsy Bors entered first, followed by Gawain who simple stared at Ragnelle, then Galahad, and finally Ragnelle's own brother. Lancelot looked particularly peeved as he entered the chamber and plopped down in the seat next to Ragnelle. He stared straight ahead with a dark look in his eyes, not even looking at his sister. Like her brother Ragnelle stared straight at a jug of wine sitting on the opposite side of the table.
"Ragnelle," Arthur said causing her to break from her intense staring contest with the jug. Tristan moved to his seat and Arthur stood behind his next to Lancelot. "The Bishop has taken over my chambers for his stay here. I would ask of you and your brother to share quarters for the duration of his stay."
Unable to refuse Arthur, Ragnelle put on a tight smile and briefly nodded at Arthur. She returned to staring intently at the jug before her. Soon enough, the door opened and in scurried the little man that the Bishop brought with him. He looked around the room in shock before opening his mouth.
"His Eminence, Bishop Naius Germanus," he announced. "A round table? What sort of evil is this?" Ragnelle couldn't help but smirk at his remarks. In one day the Bishop and his secretary have seen enough 'witchcraft' to last a lifetime. The Bishop walked in a hesitated at the threshold, but slowly made his way to a chair next to Arthur, a look of disgust never leaving his face.
"I was given to understand there would be more of you," he stated looking around at the empty chairs lining the table.
"There were," Arthur stated, "We have been fighting here for 15 years, Bishop."
"Oh, of course," the Bishop said waving his hands. "Arthur and his knights have served with courage to maintain the honor of Rome's empire on this last outpost of our glory. Rome is most indebted to you noble knights." He beckoned his assistant to open the doors and allow multiple servants carrying gold goblets into the room. Each knight, except for Ragnelle, was given a golden cup filled with wine. All the knights looked furious at this small disrespect on the part of the Bishop. They believed that Ragnelle was an equal and deserved all the respect that they were shown. None of them bothered to touch the wine that the Bishop set before them.
"To your final days as servants to the empire," Germanus toasted. No knight at the table raised their golden cups. They only raised the basic goblets that were standard at the table.
"Day. Not days," Lancelot interjected earning a small smile and shrug from the pompous Bishop.
"The Pope's taken a personal interest in you," said Germanus. "He inquires after each of you, and is curious to know if your knights have converted to the word of Our Savior or...?"
"They retain the religion of their forefathers. I have never questioned that," said Arthur quickly.
"Of course, of course. They are pagans. Hm?" he said looking around the table at the faces of each knight, except for Ragnelle. "For our part, the Church has deemed such beliefs innocence, but you, Arthur, your path to God is through Pelagius? I saw his image in your room."
A small smile came to Arthur's face as he thought of his mentor and friend. "He took my father's place for me. His teachings on free will and equality have been a great influence. I look forward to our reunion in Rome," Arthur told him in a hopeful tone.
"Ah. Rome awaits your arrival with great anticipation!" Germanus exclaimed sitting back in his chair and waving his arms around like a lunatic. "You are a hero. In Rome, you will live out your days in honor and wealth. Alas...Alas, we are all but players in an ever-changing world. Barbarians from every corner are almost at Rome's door." The Bishop's assistant brought out an intricate wooden box that caused all the knights at the table to stand except for Ragnelle, Lancelot, and Arthur. Their anticipation hung like fog in the air. "Because of this, Rome and the Holy Father have decided to remove ourselves from indefensible outposts, such as Britain. What will become of Britain is not our concern anymore. I suppose the Saxons will claim it soon."
"Saxons?" Arthur asked.
"Yes," Germanus answered. "In the north a massive Saxon incursion has begun."
"The Saxons only claim what they kill," Lancelot said in a bitter tone.
"And only kill everything," mumbled Gawain. He looked at Ragnelle with a sad look in his eyes, causing the woman to blush for the umpteenth time that day. Lancelot, noticing the interactions between his brother-in-arms and twin, looked between the two with anger and confusion. Being his sister, Lancelot was especially protective over Ragnelle.
"So you would just leave the land to the Woads?" asked Galahad angrily. "I risked my life for nothing?" The small quiver in his voice showed that the youngest knight was quickly becoming angry.
With a smile, the Bishop looked around the table once more. "Gentlemen, your discharge papers with safe conduct throughout the Roman Empire," he announced. Lancelot and Ragnelle stood up when he opened the box to reveal seven scrolls. Galahad and Gawain looked like ravenous wolves as they stared at the papers and Ragnelle actually believed that they would leap across the table and take theirs with their teeth. Being that Ragnelle was a girl, she was never sworn in by the Romans in the first place and therefore was a freewoman from the beginning. She simply wanted her brothers to be free.
"But first, I must have a word with your commander, in private," announced the Bishop causing the knights to look at him in disbelief and anger. How could this pompous fool wave their papers around like sweets then ask them to leave?
"We have no secrets," Arthur told him plainly gesturing to all the knights standing before them. With a sour look on his fat face once more, Germanus slammed the box shut with a resounding thud. This only caused a rage to bubble deep inside of Ragnelle as the Bishop not only disrespected her in a matter of minutes but also the knights she has grown up with. She wanted nothing more than to take the intricate box and smash it over his balding head.
"Come," Lancelot quickly said defusing the tension. "Let's leave Roman business to Romans." Toasting his plain cup once more, he left the room with all the knights and his sister in tow. The last thing Ragnelle heard through her fury was Dagonet scolding Bors once more.
AN: Yay chapter two! Please read and review and let me know if you like it! I own nothing you recognize except for Ragnelle.
A VERY LARGE HEADS UP: This story will have suggestive themes that may make certain readers uncomfortable. If you wish to know what to expect from future chapters, DM me and I will give you a simple idea on what themes I may be touching upon and then you can decide for yourself if you wish to continue reading this story. I will not be changing my story to fit other peoples ideas of acceptable.
