Visions of Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not own King Arthur. I have merely used that story to tell my own.

A/N: A shoutout to Gaara-frenzy and Harveygirl9 - thank you for reviewing! And to 22cjwolf22 - thank you for following the story. To everyone else, here is the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy, and feel free to let me know what you think! Reviews are welcome!

Chapter 6

Summer was approaching, but the passing time did nothing to ease Elena's nightmares. In all honesty, they were getting worse. For the first few nights after the battle with the Woads, the knights had been startled awake by Elena's screams in the middle of the night, but they apparently stopped after about a week. The knights figured it was a natural response Elena was going through after having killed someone intentionally for the first time. Only Rowan and Tristan were aware that the nightmares were about something completely different. They were also the only ones who knew that Elena still screamed in her sleep. The difference was that they had started taking turns to stay with her, holding her and using their shoulders to muffle the sounds so that she wouldn't wake anyone else. Fortunately, they were not sent out on any overnight missions.

Elena came to dread going to sleep and withdrew from the knights, causing them to worry about her. While her withdrawal did not interfere with her healing, she was tense all the time. It was as if she knew that disaster loomed on the horizon but she could do nothing to prevent it. Her behavior was so out of the ordinary that it caught the attention of some of the older Roman officers, including the commander of the fort, who had been there during the time of Arthur's father. The fort commander in particular was interested because it matched the behavior of another woman he had known once. A woman who had been forced to serve them. A woman he had personally killed when she had rebelled against him.

The commander remembered that one day when he had summoned her she had arrived wearing a matching necklace and ring that were obviously new. He had demanded to know where she had gotten them from and grinned when she had tried to convince him that she had found them in the market. He had told her that the vendor in question had already told him that he had made the set for one of the knights. The commander had laughed outright at the woman's tale and forced her to tell the truth. That they had been a gift from her lover when they had married in a secret ceremony. The last time he had seen them was the day before she had given birth to her twins. The set had been unforgettable in its elegant simplicity. Each piece had been three small emeralds set in gold. The commander had been hoping that he could take them to give to his wife at the time, but they too had disappeared with the woman's lover and children.

It was purely by chance that he found them again, and at first he wasn't so sure. He had gone to a meeting in the fortress hall where Arthur had set up a round table. Elena had been permitted to serve during the meeting and he saw the ring when she poured wine for him. He looked at her sharply, intending to demand where on earth she had gotten the ring from, when he saw the necklace. There could not be two sets with the same description. How he managed to hide his reaction he would never know.

After the meeting, he called the other commanders who had also known about Elena's mother. "I have called you all here because I have found someone we've been trying to find for years. You all remember the Seer who served us, only to turn on us when she had children?" The gathered men nodded. "I found her daughter."

"You are sure?"

"The healer for the Sarmatian knights has both the Seer's ring and necklace. There could not be two sets of such a unique, simple design."

"How do you know we need the daughter and not the son?"

"When we finally persuaded the midwife to talk, she told us everything she could remember. The Seer herself said that it was her daughter who would inherit her abilities."

"She should be put to death for deliberately hiding from us!"

"She's no good to us dead. As much as I hate to admit it, we need her alive." The fort commander paused and thought a moment. "I wonder what happened to her brother. Then again, she is quite fond of the knights even if she keeps her distance from them. They could be used to bring her to heel."

The other commanders nodded in agreement. "A suggestion, sir?" The fort commander signaled for the man to continue. "Have to soldiers keep an ear out for any clues leading to her brother or information on what happened to him. Tell them that he is a fugitive from Rome. If he's not found by winter, then we will turn to the knights to persuade the girl to cooperate with us." The fort commander nodded, pleased. It was a good plan.

"You know, I have to admit to being somewhat impressed with her. She's managed to avoid detection for nearly sixteen years."

The fort commander frowned. "It is impressive, but that only makes her defiance worse. She will have to be punished accordingly." The other commanders nodded their agreement and the meeting was adjourned. Now that they knew who Elena was, and more importantly where she was, they could let her remain at liberty while they searched for her brother.

It was autumn, though, when the Romans finally discovered who Elena's brother was. The order had gone round to the soldiers to keep their ears open for any hint of him, and the mention of a small reward for information leading to his discovery had been enough to silence any questions they may have had. The fort commander was going over the supply records to see what they would need before winter set in when a servant poked his head in.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but there's a sentry here who wishes to speak with you. Says it's important, and he won't leave without seeing you first."

"Very well. Bring him in." The servant nodded and ducked out while the commander sat back in his chair with a sigh. If this "important matter" turned out to be another disagreement in the barracks, the whole barrack would be scrubbing the latrines for a week. He looked up as the sentry was brought in and dismissed the servant with a flick of his hand. "Thanatos, what do you mean by this?"

"My apologies sir, but it's about that fugitive you've had us looking for all summer."

The fort commander suddenly sat up when he heard this. "Go on."

The sentry nodded. "Earlier today, when I was doing my rounds, Elena and Rowan came up to the wall. They were speaking quietly, but I distinctly hear Rowan refer to Elena as his sister. I wouldn't have thought much of it, since she is as close to the knights as a sister, but for the fact that she shushed him and looked around to see if anyone had heard. I kept my face the same, so as not to alarm them, and came to tell you as soon as I got off duty."

The fort commander smiled thinly at him, well pleased with the report. "Well done. Here." He flicked a small pouch with a pleasant weight at the sentry. "For the information, and a promotion in rank may be in order once I have spoken to the other commanders. However, not a word of this to anyone. We don't want to scare them into running." The sentry nodded his understanding and was dismissed as the fort commander sat back. A plan was forming in his mind. After all, the knights were expendable, and they could always use one of the others against Elena if needed.

At the exact same time that the sentry was giving his report, Elena and the knights were eating a late supper. She was sitting at a table with Rowan, Tristan, and Dagonet when suddenly her green eyes went wide and seemed to flash in the torchlight. Her lips moved silently, as if she was talking to someone. Rowan laid a hand on her arm, but she didn't react. It was as if none of them were there. Then, as suddenly as the spell had come over her, Elena blinked at looked straight at Rowan.

Rowan felt his face blanch at her expression. Fear and denial were etched into her features, and she was looking at him as if he were a ghost. Rowan figured that since she was looking at him, she had seen something regarding him. He glanced at Tristan and Dagonet, noticing their puzzled expressions. The sooner Elena got out of there, the better. "Are you okay?"

Elena gulped and shook her head. She knew what Rowan was doing and was thankful for his quick thinking. "I don't feel well for some reason. Perhaps it's the ale." She worked her mouth as if she were feeling nauseated and swayed slightly. "Rowan, would you help me to my room?"

"Of course." Rowan immediately got to his feet and helped Elena to hers, holding her around the waist as she swayed again. "Do you need me to stay with you?"

"I just need some rest and I'll be fine. Good night Tristan, Dagonet."

Tristan and Dagonet nodded and watched the pair walk out of the tavern. Elena was doing a good job of acting drunk enough to need Rowan's supporting arm around her. They glanced at each other after the two exited the tavern. Dagonet spoke first. "If she's actually drunk then I'm only four feet tall. I wonder what is going on."

Tristan shook his head. "No idea, but you're right, there is no way she got that drunk that fast and with only one mug of ale." He huffed and looked again in the direction of the door. "Knowing Elena, we will probably never know for sure."

Meanwhile, Elena kept up her sick act all the way to her room. Once Rowan shut the door, however, she dropped all pretenses and sagged against Rowan. He caught her and helped her to the floor, knowing that she was incapable of standing just then. He knelt beside her, gathering her into his arms and stroking her hair. "You saw me." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes." Elena's voice quivered, as if she was about to burst into tears. "I saw my nightmares, only this time I was awake."

"How is that significant?"

Elena shuddered violently. "As long as it was only a dream, there was a chance that it would not happen. Now though…now it is only a question of when."

Rowan's arms tightened around her and his hand stilled in her hair as he realized what she was saying. He waged a brief battle with himself before sighing and giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "If that is my destiny, then so be it." His voice was resigned, and Elena gasped as she looked up at him. He gave her a small smile, trying to lift her spirits. "I will not run."

Elena shook her head in denial. "I don't want to lose you. It took twelve years for us to find each other. Now I'm to lose you after only four?"

Rowan sighed at the truth in her words. "I know. I don't like it either, but the alternative is to run and be branded a deserter. The end would be the same. Better to choose to face it than run like a coward."

Elena sagged in his arms. The emotions she was wrestling with had sapped her strength to the point of exhaustion. Rowan shifted his hold on her and stood with her in his arms. He carried her to the bed and pulled the coverlet over her. "Try to get some rest." Elena didn't respond. She had already fallen asleep.

Rowan returned and sat down with Tristan and Dagonet to finish his supper. They both looked at him expectantly, but Rowan shook his head. "I'm not going to answer any questions."

Just then, a servant walked up to the table. "I'm looking for Rowan."

"I am he."

"The fort commander orders you to report to the fortress hall. Now."

Tristan and Dagonet started to protest but Rowan waved a hand to still them. "Of course. I will follow you there." He got up and followed the servant, sighing to himself. Looks like I won't have long to wait. That's good. I always hated waiting.

0o0o0

Elena woke up the next morning with a start. The air felt heavy to her, and the rising sun was blood red. She gasped to herself and threw on the first thing she put her hands on. It was her dress. She didn't even stop for shoes, simply running barefoot down the hall and across the foyer to the courtyard, her honey brown hair streaming out behind her. As she ran, she saw the knights standing around and she caught her breath in fear. They were all looking at something. She darted around them, only to stop short when she broke through the last two knights. Rowan and Tristan had obviously just finished talking to each other and Rowan clapped a hand on Tristan's shoulder. Elena's eyes went wide as she realized what exactly was going on.

"No!"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Rowan heard and turned to face her. He grunted as she half-tackled, half-hugged him, grabbing onto his shirt. "Please Rowan, please don't go! You can't go!"

"I must go." Elena looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I'm taking supplies to a Roman family that lives north of the wall. It's a two day ride away." He let out a deep breath and looked her directly in the eye. "I told you that I would not run. I am a knight and I will meet my fate head on."

Elena shook her head and tried to bury her face in his shirt, but felt Rowan detaching her arms and pushing her away. She fought to stay close to him, but another set of arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her back. She fought against the hold, but these arms were like bands of iron. And then Rowan turned back to her. "Please Elena, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

Elena stilled and stifled a sob. She reached up and cupped his face, a gesture he returned. Then he swung around and mounted his horse. Elena watched, trembling, as he took the reins of his pack horse from Jols and felt the arms around her tighten. As Rowan turned the horses to leave, she finally cried out to him. "Rowan!" He looked back over his shoulder. "RUS!"

Elena threw her fist in the air as she shouted their battle cry. The knights all took up the cry and Rowan returned it. Then, feeling a fresh determination, he turned around and left on his mission. Elena stared after him, her eyes blazing, barely even feeling the arms that still held her.

Elena had no idea that it was Tristan who was holding her, nor that the knights were all now staring at her. She didn't realize that Tristan was having to hold her back, that her feet were unconsciously trying to follow Rowan. She didn't even register the tears that began to creep down her face, nor that the knights had begun to withdraw. But when Tristan tried to draw her away, back to the knights' quarters, she began to fight him. Tristan refused to let her go, turning her in his arms and allowing her to beat her fists against his chest before finally breaking down. Her fists stilled and she sagged against him. Gently, now that the fight had gone out of her, he drew her back to her room.

Somehow, her quiet sobs were more terrible than any other sound he had ever heard.

A/N: Thanatos is a Greek name that means "He who brings death." I felt it was appropriate, given the character. And you guys will probably hate me in the next chapter. Heck, I hated writing it. But it is needed for the story. Until next week.