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Chapter 4:
Arthur and the other knights sat at the tavern and drank, well Arthur and Dagonet had one or two and that's it. They all sat around and talked and laugh at each other's jokes. A woman screaming made the knights fall silent and listen, when the woman screamed for Arthur and Dagonet; the knights jumped from the table and followed the woman's yells.
" That sounds like Vanora," Bors pointed out, he had sobered at the sound of the woman's hollers. As they got closer they all agreed that it was Vanora, making them run faster. When they saw the crowd they slowed down, Arthur notice the little girl that followed Tristan around, stood out of the crowd and was staring into blank space.
" Saga," Arthur called, the girl broke the trance and looked at the person who called her name; Arthur waved her over to them. The little girl rushed forward once she noticed who it was, as she got closer Arthur and the other knights noticed the blood on her face and dress, her torn dress, and her red inflamed eyes. Bors jumped forward at the sight of his daughter.
" Saga, are you ok, what happen," Bors looked his daughter over, letting a sigh when he found no wounds.
" Then whose blood is this," Lancelot questioned touching the bloodstain on Saga's dress, the knights shared a look all thinking the same thing. Bors sat with his daughter as the others pushed themselves through the crowd to the center, what they saw made their hearts dropped.
Vanora looked up to see who had pushed their way through the huge crowd. She hoped it wasn't more Roman for they would just laugh at the damage they had done. Vanora sighted in relief when see saw the knights standing their, but the look on their faces were heartbreaking. Arthur having broken from the daze kneeled down by Tristan's beaten body, Dagonet soon after kneeled right beside Arthur.
" We need to get him inside before he gets ammonia," Dagonet said looking Tristan over. Arthur nodded his head, and Dagonet and him set themselves up to lift Tristan.
" My place is closer," suggested Vanora, rushing through the crowd to Bors and Saga. Arthur and the other followed Vanora back to her little hut. She burst through the door with Arthur and Dagonet right on her heels. She went to the children's room. " Wake up, wake up everyone and out of this bed now," Vanora instructed the children shaking them awake and ushering them out of the bed. Arthur and Dagonet gently laid Tristan on the bed, the children gasped and shrieked at the sight. Vanora chased them out of the room. " Children please stay in here with the knights," Vanora begged as she slid the curtain door shut and turned around to help Dagonet and Arthur. Arthur and Dagonet striped Tristan of his wet clothes; he now lay bare. Vanora's face turned red at the first place her eyes had gone to.
" Vanora we need warm water, rags, and some dressing," Arthur informed her, breaking her stare at forbidden places. At tat moment Lancelot walked through the curtain door, having seen where Vanora's eyes were.
" Ah… so I'm guessing it must be bigger then Bors," joked Lancelot, giving Vanora a funny look. Vanora even harder and brushed passed Lancelot, to get the things Arthur asked for. Once again Lancelot was able to put a smile on Arthur and Dragonet's faces, as they covered Tristan up. Vanora came back with the supplies, and Arthur and Dagonet started to clean Tristan's wounds. Tristan had large bruises on his chest and arms; he also had slashes on his chest, arms, and back; bruises colored Tristan's face. The worst of the wounds was the dagger wound to Tristan's shoulder blade, his ribs had been cracked, and he had a bad concision, which was a deep gash just below his hairline. Arthur and Dagonet bounded Tristan's ribs and sowed dagger wound and the gash on his forehead. They got one of the knights to run and receive some fresh clothing for Tristan; they put on a pair of undergarments and a pair of trousers. Arthur, Dagonet, Vanora, and Lancelot all walked through the curtain door, all the knights and children jumped up.
" Is he going to be ok," questioned Galahad, lifting the sleeping child from the ground.
" Yes, he is going to be fine, he just needs some rest." Arthur informed the knights, they all sighted in relief. A snort was heard behind them, they all turned and looked at Lucuis.
"Then I guess that he should have listen to Arthur's orders," Lucuis snorted, he found it amusing that the cocky scout was brought down a few notches; the other knights just glared at him.
" The Romans probably attacked him, and we won't know the whole story until he wakes up," Vanora snapped at the stuck up boy.
" I can tell you what happen," a little voice peeped up from behind the knights; they all turned and looked to Saga.
" Oh no… honey you don't have to do anything," Vanora said as she rushed forward and hugged her daughter.
" No I want to," Saga demanded, Vanora let go of her daughter and looked her in the eyes; Saga took a deep breath and began her story.
Flashback
We were heading back from the tavern, two Roman soldiers stood in our way, " What are you doing with all those children you Sarmation pig," one of the soldiers asked.
" His probably going to rape them and then slip their throats," the other soldier suggested, two more Romans joined in.
' No, I leave that for you, Roman bastards to do that," Tristan replied, the roman were furious at the comment and they all jumped him. I thought I could help him, so I ran into the rumble, and same roman soldier grabbed me and held a dagger to my throat. Tristan had the soldiers on the ground and he reached to grab his dagger.
" I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man that held me call out, Tristan turned and looked at the man and when he saw he had me, Tristan dropped to his knees. " That's if you don't give a dam about the girl," the man threaten Tristan, he jerked a little to the side making the dagger push harder on my throat, I whimpered at the feeling and Tristan moved forward a little.
" Let her go you bastard, if you wish to live," threaten Tristan, death glaring the red and silver clad man.
" Ha… how's this for a deal, you don't move or attack and I would touch a single hair on her pretty head," the roman offered, Tristan slowly nodded his head. The other roman soldiers started to kick, punch, and slash at Tristan, he never cried out even when they started to whip him. The man that held me walked over to Tristan and kneeled in front of him, with me still in his arms. " She is a very pretty girl," the roman said to Tristan as he ran his hands over my body, he smiled at Tristan and kissed me, as he was kissing me he ripped my dress. Tristan got to his knees and punched the man in the face and grabbed me and used his body as a shield to protect me from their kicks. The blood on me was from Tristan; it was horrible, blood poured from Tristan's mouth, he gasped in pain as the roman slammed the dagger into his back.
" Leave him to here to bleed to death," the roman ordered. He ripped the dagger from Tristan's back, I though that Tristan was going to fall on me, as his body started to shake; but he held strong. Once the Romans left Tristan rolled off of me, and told me to take the other children home and to stay there.
End Flashback
Saga finished her story with a sob; Vanora hugged her daughter, whispering sweet nothing into her ear. All the knights looked at the floor, in disbelief that Tristan had done something so heroic for the little girl. They felt sorry for their brother in arms and they all promised to get revenge for him.
" See, he saved my daughters life and was beaten for it, that's more then what you would ever do," Vanora stared Lucuis down angrily. Lucuis shyly looked away from the woman glare and he also avoided the other knight's looks as well. They decided that Tristan would stay at Vanora's hut, the knight's left sometime before dawn. The children slept in Vanora's bed and Vanora slept in a chair. Vanora was able to take sometime off of work to look after Tristan, as the other knights were called to a mission.
It was very late at night when Vanora was awoken by a loud crash, coming from the room Tristan was staying in. Vanora jumped from the chair she was sleeping in and rushed to Tristan's room. Tristan leaned against the wall. Looking up to who came to the door.
" Tristan, you have to stay in bed," Vanora informed him, going to his side and helping him back to his bed. She laid him back onto the bed.
" Oh… Vanora you are so beautiful, I've always had a secret crush on you," Tristan mumbled softly to Vanora. As she bent down to check to see if he was running a fever, she was shocked when his lips connected with hers. She never pulled away; to her shock she actually returned the kiss. They broke apart and Tristan soon after fell back into a restless sleep. Vanora walked out of the room with her hand on her lips, this did not happen, he was running a fever he was talking nonsense. Vanora tired to assure herself as she to fell into a restless sleep.
Author notes: I decided that I'm going to do a Vanora and Tristan fic, but it's going to be a little secret affair. And I'm terribly sorry I had to change the summary, I have a great idea for this story. I may do the other story, the one I was doing earlier some other time but I have to do this one. I thought this was a horrible chapter; tell me what you think.
