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Chapter 4
Akira's words shook them out of the daze they'd been in.
"Where did you learn to dance like that?" Gawain asked her.
"A friend of mine in Rome taught me."
Vanora came up to them, smiling broadly. "Why do you always dance like that? You know what it does to every man in the room!"
"But that's the fun of it, Van! First you drive them crazy, then you hold them off with your knives." She cast a sidelong glance at Bors. "One of these days I'll show you how to do it."
Vanora smiled. "They look a little dazed, don't they? I'll go get some ale. That usually wakes them up."
Lancelot smirked slightly. "What do you mean when you said your dancing drives most men crazy? Note that none of us have made any attempts on your virtue."
"Yet."
"Well there is that, of course."
Bors grinned. "Can't have you outdoing my Van." He proceeded to the bar, to pull Vanora into the center of the room. "Shut up! Vanora will sing."
Vanora smiled at Akira.
"Land of bears and land of eagles,
Land that gave us birth and blessing,
Land that calls us ever homewards,
We will go home, across the mountains..."
Akira felt tears forming in her eyes. Her brother would never go home. She'd never see him again. His death suddenly felt more real, as she got to know the other knights. They seemed to be similarly affected.
Vanora trailed off.
"Arthur!" Jols' voice cut across the end of the song.
Akira watched as Arthur gave the knights what seemed to be extremely bad news. Arthur looked over and beckoned to her. She crossed the room to join them.
"The Bishop has ordered you to come with us to help a Roman family stuck on the other side of the Wall. We leave at first light."
Akira frowned. "Are you sure you don't just want me to go stick a knife in him?"
Tristan grinned. "It's a thought."
Arthur glared at him before answering. "No. He was a friend of my father's."
"So?"
"So don't kill him. Are you coming or not?"
"Seven against thousands of Saxons aren't very good odds. Eight isn't much better, but I guess I'll come with you anyway, on the condition that you treat me as an equal, not as a lady that needs protecting. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself."
"Very well."
Akira nodded and turned away to her quarters. Tomorrow wasn't going to be pleasant.
Akira woke a few hours before dawn, as she usually did. She rolled out of her bunk and started pulling clothes on any old how. She hated mornings. She smiled slightly as she strapped her curved sword onto her back. Usually all she needed was a knife for a job, or a bow and a quiver of arrows. A sword was too cumbersome for stealth, and stealth was necessary in her profession.
When she reached the stables after taking several wrong turns, she found three of the stable hands and most of the knights trying to calm Myrrah. She groaned. She had forgotten to tell them not to go anywhere near her. As she watched, Tristan appeared out of another doorway. He paused to take stock of the situation, then walked over calmly, snapped Myrrah on the nose, and grabbed her reins.
Akira decided it was time to show herself. "Consider that a compliment. Usually the only one she lets anywhere near her is me. She obviously likes you, though I can't for the life of me figure out why."
Tristan raised his eyebrows. "She's much too spirited for a lady to ride."
"She's fine. I've had her ever since I was old enough to reach the saddle. She hasn't let me down yet."
"If you say so." He handed her the reins and walked over to his own horse.
An hour later, the knights and Akira thundered out of the fort and through the gates, led by Arthur.
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Carline