A/N: Since it has now been 5 chapters I would just like to send a quick shout out to everyone who has read, followed and favourited this story, you guys are beyond awesome!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the OC's you have and haven't met yet.

VI.

Annia wanted to retch, looking at the grey color of the ice. It would not hold him for long. Annia turned to remaining five children, sending them off to get help. Then she turned back to Five and took a treacherous step onto the ice, feeling it creak under her weight.

Five was still frozen, terror clear on his face. Annia did her best to remain calm, smiling at Five to try and ease his fears. As she got closer the ice started to crack under her feet as well. She wasn't close enough to him yet, and even if she could get to him what would she do? She couldn't carry him off that would be doubly stupid.

Then she smiled.

"It's alright Five, everything's going to be alright. I'm coming to get you, you're going to be just fine."

"Nia, I'm scared."

"I know you are, sweet, but don't be. We're going to play a game, alright?"

"Huh?"

Despite the dangerous and horrifying situation they were in, Annia smiled at the child's incredulousness.

"That's right, boy. We're going to play hop scotch."

"We can't play a game we'll fall!" he was wailing now, tears dripping onto the fast breaking floor. Annia wanted to cry too, for fear of losing this boy to the frozen water. He would never survive this, but maybe she would.

"Five, listen to me now. I want you to lift your foot off the ice, alright?"

"I can't!"

"You have to, sweet, it's the only way we'll get you out of there. Do you trust me, Five?"

The boy sniffled, "Yes, Nia."

"Then believe me when I say I will get you out of there."

Slowly the young one lifted his foot, the ice cracking again. Annia let out a breath as it held.

"That's a boy. Now see if you can put it down where there are no cracks." Annia wondered how her voice was so calm. She was shaking inside. Where the hell were the others, how long did it take to scream help?!

Five looked to his side and when he saw where the ice hadn't cracked yet he put his foot down. The ice held. Annia took a few more steps forward, her own breathing shallow and raspy.

"That's my lad Five, now lift your other foot." The boy did as he was told. Once again the ice held as he put his foot down. Just as Annia reached him, the ice cracked again. Without thinking Annia grabbed Five's hand and swung him back towards the solid ground with every ounce of strength she had, seeing him land awkwardly on the earth, a group of men rushing towards them and the world slipped above her as the ice broke and the liquid ice beneath swallowed her up.

The tavern was alive with shouts and the sound of tankards being filled and dropped. The midday noise was somewhat deafening. Good thing the knights were just as rowdy, easily hearing each other over the din. While Lancelot, Galahad and Bors indulged in a game of dice, the rest of knights ate quietly, filling up for the afternoon practice session. Gawain grinned as he thought of what the afternoon would bring, Galahad would no doubt be looking to avenge the pride Annia damaged yesterday as she rendered him beaten twice in a row.

As always Gawain's palms went slick as he thought of the woman. Being the only female knight, she was coddled and fussed over for many of the first months the group had spent together. Until Annia proved her ability to care for herself. As the years wore on and girl grew to woman, Gawain had only too happily indulged in her new found appeal.

Since their first mission and after she had basically saved his life, Annia had changed in Gawain's eyes. She'd become human, someone to care for and someone who could care for others.

It had been another year before he'd claimed her the first time. She hadn't been the first, but every time Lancelot joked about being Annia's first lover, Gawain couldn't help but grin at the thought that that was no longer Lancelot's privilege.

But as with all his conquests, Gawain had let the spark die before it could become anything meaningful. Annia hadn't made much effort to try and rekindle the brief romance, seeming to accept that a proper relationship was just not something Gawain cared to pursue. At the time he was relieved to learn she wasn't like some of the town wenches that actually expected you to talk to them the next day. How he regretted it! Every time he saw some other man touch her arm or whisper in her ear he wanted to rip their throats out. He even harbored a searing jealousy for Tristan, who seemed to share an uncharacteristically close bond with Annia. The man only ever smiled when she did. And yet there was never an announcement that Annia had been claimed, or gods forbid, had become betrothed, and their friendship had only grown.

Gawain looked around the tavern as a roar of laughter echoed through his ears. Lancelot had obviously won a great deal of money, again, and Bors was not happy.

Just as both knights stood, a shrill scream pierced the already loud tavern.

All heads turned to the source of the cry, one of Bors' bastards standing in the doorway, fear and desperation clear on his face. Gawain noticed about four more of the brood standing not too far away.

"PAPA!" the child shouted again, Bors looking a little more than confused at the outburst.

"What Seven?" he said as he strode towards the group.

"It's Five, he's on the lake and it's breaking! Nia's trying to get him and she said to get help."

It only took about three seconds for all five knights to be up and running out the tavern, Jols following and displaying his intellect as he shouted for one of the children to help him fetch furs.

Gawain ran with the four, his heart suddenly hammering. If they didn't get there in time…

He didn't even want to consider it.

As the lake came into view, all the knights' worst fears came to be. There was little Five, lying awkwardly on solid ground, screaming as a figure with blonde hair was dragged into the frigid lake.

Several shouts erupted as Annia disappeared into the water.

Having spent many winters here, the knights knew what to do, but gods willing they were fast enough!

In all of two seconds, Galahad was walking precariously on the ice, the smallest knight being only one able to fetch the woman, with a rope wrapped around his waist and gripped by the other men on the shore. As he neared, Gawain noticed a hand breach the surface and grope blindly for something to hold onto. He wanted to scream at Galahad to hurry up, but that would do nothing but get them both killed. The pup needed to get her out of there, he had to!

As the knight reached the hole, he plunged his hand into the water, letting out a groan as the chill enveloped his arm up to his shoulder. For several heartbeats there was nothing but silence as Galahad's hand searched the water. Gawain didn't ever pray, but his whole being screamed for her to just touch Galahad's hand once! Lancelot started mumbling behind him, voicing his will for her survival more than the rest of the knights. Five screamed her name. Galahad let out a frustrated cry.

Then time seemed to speed up as Galahad shouted to pull, yanking his arm out the water. Gawain let out a shout as he saw a hand gripping Galahad's, Annia's arm, shoulder and head following.

All four knights heaved Galahad back as he pulled the girl out of the lake, dragging them relentlessly over the ice until both were on solid ground. Then it was just a blur as furs were laid out on the ground and an unconscious Annia was stripped out of her wet clothes and placed on the fur, several more wrapping her up. Gawain stared at the bundle in horror, Annia's blue skin making his own body go cold, little icicles already forming in her hair. By that time Dagonet had joined them and was shouting orders as he carried the frozen woman back to the fort.

In the infirmary, all tasks were directed at re-warming Annia before her body shut down. Her breathing was already shallow, her heartbeat barely there.

The room filled as people brought in cloths and buckets of hot water, all being placed around Annia's bed. Dagonet began placing the cloths under Annia's arms, on her legs and around her neck.

Then he looked at the knights all watching with baited breath. Each of them, Lancelot, Tristan, Gaheris and Gawain were desperate for the girl to just open her blasted eyes!

"She needs skin to skin heat."

Gawain's stomach twisted at the meaning of those few simple words.

"Hot cloths will only do so much, she's lost too much body heat."

The three looked at each other, and Gawain scowled as Lancelot stepped forward, his hands already reaching for the ties on his tunic.

"Well, if Dagonet insists."

Gawain's hand latched onto the man's shoulder and pulled him back, "You would enjoy that far too much, Lancelot."

"Indeed I would, but the situation necessitates it."

"Absolutely not." The blonde knight all but growled. Tristan remained silent.

"And while you two ladies are bickering, Annia is dying!" Dagonet's voice was like a whip.

Lancelot smirked and stepped back, allowing Gawain the pleasure of saving Annia's life.

Having removed his tunic and undershirt, the knight moved to slip in next to the girl, but once again Dagonet's voice interrupted his actions.

"Everything, Gawain."

The knight couldn't help the blush that crept up his neck. He heard snickers and turned an acrid stare on Lancelot. For once, the dark haired knight was able to act accordingly, and he and Tristan left without a word.

There were very few times when complete and utter nothingness took over Annia's mind. It made her shiver to think about that kind of void, unable to do anything, to think anything. It must have been what death was like. Which is why for a few seconds, when a white light took over the black, Annia thought she had left the realm of the living.

But then the visions came, children playing in a white world, one of them running over a flat piece of ground, that ground opening up and swallowing him. Terror gripped Annia as the visions changed, each becoming more terrifying than the last. The final attack was that she had fallen into the water and was able to pull herself back to the surface, only to have souls of the men she had killed drag her back under, pulling at her clothes and hair and clawing her skin, their faces twisted into misshapen monsters.

Her scream filled her ears and echoed through the vision, her world shaking and twisting.

All at once the horrors disappeared and her eyes flew open, light blinding her, and her hands going out to scratch the eyes out of whoever was gripping her so tightly.

Before her nails could gouge any flesh, she heard a voice cut through her hysteria.

"Nia, stop you're safe now. Calm yourself, lass."

After several breaths that made her lungs burn like fire, Annia looked up at the face that was mere inches from hers. Blue eyes met green and her fear and fight fled, leaving her limp in Gawain's arms.

He started rubbing her back soothingly, murmuring calming things in her ear. Tears slipped out of Annia's eyes as she remembered what had happened. The lake, the water.

"F-F-Five?" her voice wasn't even a whisper.

"He's safe, Annia. You saved him."

She gave a small smile, and snuggled closer to the tawny-haired knight's warmth. Then sense kicked in and she moved away slightly, blushing furiously as she realized exactly why she was suddenly so warm. The wanton part of her mind thought snidely, well, it's not like we haven't seen each other in this state of undress before. The rational side, however, was outraged.

Gawain simply shrugged at her incredulous look, "It was the only way to keep you from freezing to death. Now get back over here, you're not done thawing yet."

She considered telling him to take a flying leap, and get out of her bed, but the heat between them was just too tempting. Besides, he was right, she was still cold.

Letting out a sigh, Annia slid back into the knight's arms, putting her face in his neck.

For this one brief moment, she would forget etiquette, wrapping her arms around his torso, and ignore her reluctance to display any sort of physical affection. She forced herself to move past the fact that this was Gawain she was clinging to like a child, and just let her thoughts go quiet, sleep presenting a blissful relief from her embarrassment.

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