Disclaimer: same as before…well, the quote I used from Angel was "Heroes don't except the world the way it is, they fight it." I changes heroes to warriors though. Anyways, Rhyne says a Druid curse in this chapter. I have read a lot about Druids, and it seems that the way I have her perform it would be the way they truly do one. I wrote the curse myself, hope it sounds convincing.
lucillaq: Just be patient.A little will come out each chapter.
Tracy137: I will not kill them, don't worry...at least as of right now I will not kill them ('evil laugh'). I loved the part in your story when Arthur, Lancelot and Tristan end up sleeping in stables. It was priceless picturing Arthur with a split lip and Lancelot with a black eye. And I love what you are doing with Bethan and Lucen. It is very good. Bethan is such a wild and free spirit. I wish I could be like her.
Countess Jackman: I yell out aloud when I am reading all the time. My roommates think I'm crazy.
Okay...bare with me this chapter. I finished at 5am and did not edit. I just wanted to get it posted. It should not be that horrible-but there may be a few little mistakes here and there. And this is my first real battle scene...except for the very beginning..but that one was really short. Tell me how you like it...
Justice Will Rhyne
Chapter Ten-Curses
They could hear the breaking waves on the beach as they entered the West Beach Fort. Rhyne hadn't seen the ocean for many years. She would have to sit in the sand after they ate tonight.
This fort was no different from theirs they were stationed at, except they did not have any Sarmatian Knights here. All the people of the fort the knights passed glared at them, especially the Roman soldiers. They had probably never run into a situation that they couldn't handle. Having Sarmatian Knights in the fort was an embarrassment to them. Rhyne knew they would not have a comfortable stay here.
A soldier led us to the stables where they unsaddled their steeds and then they were led right to the main meeting hall. The room was very fine, but not as fine as the Round Table. There were torches lining the walls and weapons decorations hanging. The table was a long rectangle, and there were two heads. All the knights, including Arthur instantly felt uncomfortable. Arthur sat directly left to one of the heads and the rest of the knights sat on either side.
Lancelot tried sitting at one of the heads with a smug look on his face but Rhyne smacked the back of his head and he moved next to Arthur. Rhyne sat across from Arthur, and Tristan sat next to her. He took her hand in his under the table and Rhyne smiled at him. A door opened in front of them and a man in ceremonial Roman armor stepped before them. Most of the knights smirked or got a quirky look on their face at the sight of him. His armor shined brighter and any of theirs ever did and his sword, which dangled at his side, must have never been bloodstained. For one thing, it was dangling too low and caught in his boot as he walked. Even Arthur had trouble holding back a smile.
Arthur stood, and some of the knights followed in suit. Rhyne kept her seat, as did Tristan. Bors and Lancelot also kept their seats. Arthur greeted the fellow Roman. Rhyne could not tell whether he was happy, or unnerved to think he shared the same kind of heritage as this man. "My Lord. I am Arthur Castus. Commander of the Sarmatian Knights. I thank you for your hospitality."
The man came pulled the head chair and sat. Arthur and the other standing knights did as well. "No, no Commander. I thank you for coming here. We are in great need of your help. And the name is Lord Marshall." Rhyne laughed inwardly. Seeing as how this man was dressed she never doubted it. "The intruding Saxons killed the best men I have, and the Governor insisted that I ask your assistance. We are honored to have you and your legendary Sarmatian knights at our fort." At that moment he realized it was a woman sitting to the right of him, and not a man. Rhyne gave him a death glare and saw him shudder.
"Lord Marshall, this is Rhyne. Her father was a knight under my father. She is not an ordained knight under me, but is as deadly a weapon as any other. I asked her to accompany us on this quest. While fighting against Saxons we need all the help we can get." All could see his uneasiness to knowing a woman warrior sat next to him. The only race he knew of that trained women along side men were Woads. For all he knew, she was one. This brought a spark of fear into his eyes. The voice of Arthur startled him and he jumped slightly. "What exactly happened to your men?"
He hesitated for a moment. "A few weeks ago smoke was seen rising from the woods about fifteen miles north, directly on the coast. We had not known of any Woads to be in this area for many years. I sent a group of twenty men to see what it was, and they never returned. I sent a message to the Governor right away. He suggested that it might be Saxons, and he also said that he sent a message to you to come here."
"Wait a minute," Rhyne interrupted. "You mean that you are not sure if they are Saxons or not, or even how many there are."
He nodded. Rhyne let out a growl and rolled her eyes to him. The rest of the knights were instantly irritated as well. "We will help you, Lord Marshall. Tomorrow we will go inspect the area." Arthur stated. The knights all looked on him in surprise, and some in anger.
"Outstanding." He stood. "I will call for your meal to be brought to you." He walked out, and the knights were left alone.
"Arthur, are you crazy! That may be a whole army out there." Rhyne blurted out.
"I truly doubt it. The Saxons may be barbaric, but they are not stupid. They would not start their invasion so close to a Roman fort risking their presence. They would start in the North. If it is indeed Saxons, it is a scouting party as you suggested Rhyne. We will check it out in the morning." The knights were some what relaxed at this information, but not totally. The North meant Woads. Even if this buffoon of a lord says they had not seen Woads for years does not mean they are not out there. Rhyne was not worried about Woads, or even Saxons, but of the dream she had the other night, and a bad feeling that was just around the corner.
When their meal was finished they were showed to the inn and all given their own rooms. Rhyne quickly undressed and left to see the beach. The moon was now shining high over head, and gave a reflection that floated over the water. It was everything she remembered. But her dreams were never as spectacular as the real thing. It looked so empty on the surface, but knew of the monsters that glided underneath the thin veil into another world. It was hard to imagine a whole other world existed in this one, but Merlin told her tales of ocean creatures many long years ago. Even with her beliefs it was hard to imagine.
Rhyne took off her boots and walked bare foot in the sand. She sat down at the water line and watched the waves come in and out on the shore. It was much like her meditation. Repetitions of rhythm over and over again, the slow smooth skill of calming your mind and lifting yourself onto a higher plain. She could easily meditate here. Her thought was interrupted by a voice behind her. "Do you like it?" Rhyne recognized Lancelot's voice.
"I do. But it is not the first time I've seen it. But I still find it hard to believe that an entirely different world lives underneath that surface. Different rules, different lives." He sat down next to her.
"Not really, not when it comes to life and death. The strong live and the weak die."
"Well, if you put it that way. War is always the same, no matter what you are or the way you look at it." She took in a long breathe and let it out again.
They were silent for a moment. "Rhyne." She just looked at him. "You are not angry with me, are you?" He sounded very worried.
Rhyne just chuckled. "No, why should I be? I told Sparrow the same thing that I am about to tell you. It's okay with me. She is of age, and bringing her into a life where she is surrounded by knights, what else could I expect. I would rather her be with no one else. You both will keep challenging each other, but that is the kind of love you need. I know she will have a good life. It be surrounded by war and death, but our times has cursed us to that fate." Rhyne saw how relived her looked. "I'm though, if you ever call me mother, I will not hesitate to kill you." They both smiled, and she thumped him.
They sat there for a while longer and then went back into the fort. They each wished each other a good night and Rhyne went into her room. She saw that there was steaming water in a metal tub in the wash room. There was a knock at the door then. "Come in." Tristan walked into the door. "Hey." Rhyne got a big smile on her face, and they met each other half way. She put her arms around his neck and he held her around the waist.
"Where did you go?" he asked with lips against hers.
"To the beach, and sat a while." They didn't finish the conversation, and were both taken over by their passion for one another. Three days without this contact was torture for them. Neither could stand to be away from one another for that long. They had already endured fourteen years, and did not want to part ever again. Before when they slept together it was hungry and wanting. But as they lay together this night it was passionate. They had each other now, and would always have each other from now on. They bathed together before falling asleep in each other's arms.
Tristan and Rhyne woke to a knock at the door. "Rhyne." It was Lancelot's voice.
"Yeah." It was a half slumbered answer.
"Arthur wants was at the stables in a half hour."
"Okay." She heard Lancelot move away from the door. "Oh, Lancelot," she yelled after him.
"What." He was partly down the hall.
"Tristan is with me."
"Okay." And they heard his footsteps disappear.
Rhyne looked out the window and then plopped back down next to Tristan. "I will be happy when this mission is over." Tristan tilted his head. "Because I liked sleeping in past dawn." He just chuckled at her.
In a half hour's time all the knights were down at the stables saddling their horses. Galahad came stumbling in last, with a little of a hangover. "Lancelot, I'm kind of surprised you didn't stumble in like that this morning." Rhyne claimed looking at Galahad's condition.
"Since a few days ago I will never have to again," he answered her.
"Oh, Lancelot. It's strange not having a snappy answer back. She really must have tamed you." The rest of the knights looked at Lancelot, to see if he would step up to the challenge.
He never looked away from his horse. "Yeah, she really must have." They were all shocked. To hear words like that come out of his mouth. It was a miracle, or must have been a dream. Bors even slapped himself to make sure it wasn't.
They were riding out the North gate of the Wall soon after. Arthur and Tristan led the way in a double line, as they always did. They never galloped, but walked at a regular pace, to make sure not to attract attention to themselves. And they rode silently, only passing done orders here and there.
They were riding a half day when they were all asked to dismount and go ahead on foot. They walked forward quietly, in a single file line, Tristan at the head. They went on for a half hour when they started to hear shouts from up ahead. They reached the top of a tree covered hill when everything came into view. There was a single Saxon ship a third of the way beached. There were about forty to fifty men down below. The ship was busy with men going in and out to what seemed to be loading things aboard. There were others working on getting the ship into the water. And there was one man standing at the bow of the ship overlooking the work, and another slightly behind him.
All the knights were on their knees watching the scene below them. Rhyne stood and went to kneel at Arthur's side. "I was right. Saxon scouting party. I have seen them before. They carry no more than fifty men. Enough to protect themselves, but not too much to attracted attention. By the looks of things they are ready to leave."
"Yes, I agree." He said nodding to her. "What to you think Tristan."
He though for a moment. "If they are pushing the ship out now they will try and leave by the afternoon tide. It will be up in an hour or two. If we wait any longer we will miss them. Now is a better time than ever. They won't be ready for a surprise attack."
Arthur nodded again. He sat for a moment longer. It seemed by the look on his face Arthur was devising a plan. Rhyne smiled. "What do you have in mind?"
He signaled for us to get back down the hill. If they were going to attack at all they would need horses. They got back to their horses and mounted, and Arthur briefed them on his plan. "We will hike back up the hill. Spread yourselves out on the hill to make out numbers seem bigger. Empty what arrows we have on top of them, and then charge. Try as best you can to not hit the leader, we must try and question him."
With that they hiked back up the hill. Once they reached the top each knight started to spread out. Rhyne took Arthur's hand in hers. "As long as you have a sword in your hand…"
"Justice will Reign." They nodded to one another and spread out. Each knight was apart, but close enough to all see each other. Still mounted they all raised their bows. Arthur released his first and the rest followed. The first men feel down below and they heard the leader start to give out orders. They released more arrows. More Saxons fell. They were all running different directions below them, panic had taken over.
The knights released one round after another. Rhyne reached down for her quiver and felt no more bows. "I'm out!" She yelled to Arthur. They had killed about a forth of the party. Gawain was last to empty his supply when they heard Arthur give the charge. They raced down the hill, screaming as they went. The Saxons were terrified, not knowing how many men to expect. When they finally exited the cover of the trees the Saxons charged them. "Dragon Formation!" Arthur screamed. "ROOUUSS!" they all screamed. The knights moved into the formation and entered the line of Saxons.
Rhyne sheathed Draco next to her saddle and unsheathed Titan at her back as she jumped off Zyfer. The first Saxon came at her with an axe. She spun around to her left and slashed his back and then impaled Titan to his neck, finishing him off. Hawk was at her side fighting Saxons coming her way. Rhyne fought fiercely, slicing throats with the Twins, which is what she decided to name her forearm blades, and cutting heads with Titan. A huge Saxon with a hatchet in one hand and short sword in the other came towards her. He swung his sword at her and she blocked with Titan. He came around with the hatchet but she put up her arm and blocked it with one of the Twins.
He looked at her arm, and didn't understand why it was not bleeding. Then he noticed the blades on her forearms. Rhyne gave him an evil grin.
They moved apart and he attacked again. She rolled under his sword and pulled the Dragon for her side and stabbed the back of his thigh, then twisted. He cried in agony and fell to his knees. She twisted one more time before putting the dagger back in its sheath. He swung the hatchet at her half-muscled but she blocked again with one of the Twins at his forearm and pulled her arm down slicing into his skin. He cried again and then elbowed his ribs then sliced then as well. Some of his blood splattered from his cut artery onto her already bloodied body. Rhyne walked in front of him wielding Titan. She set it against is neck and he looked at her. Rhyne didn't know whether he wanted to live or die, but she didn't care. She muscled through her neck and his head rolled before her. Blood splashed onto her face.
Rhyne heard her name yelled behind her. It was Gawain. "Rhyne!" But he wasn't looking her direction. He yelled in again. "What!" She finally called to him. She heard a growl behind her. Hawk had brought a Saxon down about to impale her with his axe. The wolf bite has neck, and the Saxon bled out. "You did it again Little Brother." Rhyne turned back around and saw Gawain looking at her totally bewildered. "What!" She yelled at him again.
"If your you, then who is that!" Gawain pointed off to his left. Rhyne looked in the direction he pointed. She scanned the battle. Then saw who he was yelling at. Long fiery red hair and then two blades shine in the sun. "Oh Gods! Sparrow!" She ran as fast as she could. "Hawk!" The wolf followed her.
Rhyne saw her daughter surrounded by four Saxons. Rhyne cut her way through any Saxon who crossed her path, and Hawk barreled down those she couldn't handle. She saw Sparrow cleave one through the heart and another in the stomach, but she wasn't fast enough to cut down the third. He sliced into her shoulder, exposing her side to the fourth Saxon who swiped his dagger into her skin as well. Rhyne screamed her name. All the knights heard across the battlefield, looking into her direction, and then seeing the injured girl she was running to. All headed into their direction.
Sparrow recovered somewhat, and tried to fight them off, but blocked poorly and was sliced again in the thigh. Sparrow was sent down to her knees and she dropped both swords. One of the Saxons raised his sword for the kill, but instead found a dagger imbedded in his chest. He fell backwards. The other put up his sword and saw Rhyne coming. He was no match for her lethal rage. She blocked his attack then punched him in the nose with her free hand. She spun and then sliced Titan across his lower belly. Then she stabbed him in the heart. Rhyne walked over to the man with her dagger in his chest. He was dying slowly. Hawk had chewed up his face. You could no longer see his eyes. She put her hand on the hilt, and then twisted. He cried in pain. She pulled it from his body, and then sheathed it. She put one of the Twins against his neck and dung into his neck as hard as she could, ripping out half his neck. Blood covered her chest plate.
Rhyne knelt beside Sparrow, who was now lying sprawled on the ground. Blood was trickling from her mouth. Sparrow looked at her mother. "I'm sorry," as she spat blood. Rhyne shook her head. "Don't apologize, my daughter. It is the past. Now you have to fight. Push against death. Do not relent." Rhyne looked over the gash on her side. It was high on her ribs. He had missed the artery, but it was still deep. She was trying to push back her rage. Her hands were shaking. Lancelot was now on Sparrow's other side. He took her hand and kissed her forehead. There was a rage in his eyes as well. "How bad?" All Rhyne could manage was shaking her head. Her hands were now dripping in her daughter's blood. Her rage now took hold of her.
Rhyne looked at the blood dripping from her hands and then brought them to her face. She streaked her blood from her forehead to her neck. She words being spoke to her, but they didn't register. "Watch her. Cover her wounds. I have unfinished business." Rhyne stood and turned from them. She saw some of the other knights walking their direction. The skirmish was basically over, but she saw there were some Saxons running into the woods. Rhyne unsheathed her sword, and walked after them. One of the knights tried to stop her, but she pushed through him as Hawk growled at him viciously.
The knights saw her disappear into the trees after them. Sparrow was coughing now. "We have to get here back to the fort." Dagonet said with a very impatient voice. They heard distant screams coming from the screams. They thought of Rhyne and were ready to run to her, but then realized the screams were from men. Dagonet wrapped Sparrow's injuries as tightly as he could. Lancelot got on his horse and the other knights helped him sit Sparrow in front of him. "Go as fast as you can without causing her as much pain," Dagonet instructed him. Lancelot just nodded and heeled his horse back towards the fort. They heard him speaking to her as they went.
"Don't leave me, Sparrow. You have to fight. Be strong, my love…" His voice trailed off as they got further away. Galahad decapitated a dead Saxon through his anger.
"How is she?" The knights looked behind them and Rhyne was standing before them. They were stunned at what they saw. They could no longer see the color of her skin. Blood covered her entire body. The dragon on her chest plate was no longer white, but stained red. She still held Titan at her side. Hawk stood beside her, and even he was absolutely covered in blood. They both breathed hard.
Dagonet finally got over her appearance. "Lancelot is taking her to the fort." Rhyne nodded. She walked ignored their looks and started to walk over towards their ship. Tristan walked after her. "Rhyne. Rhyne. What are you doing?" She didn't answer, just looked over to her destination. She boarded the ship. Hawk and Tristan followed her. Rhyne set Titan down before walking over to the door down into the cabin. It was still dripping with blood. Tristan went to pick it up. "Don't touch it." She disappeared for a moment then came back with a torch in her hand and an oil lamp in the other. "Hold this." She handed him the torch and set the oil lamp next to him. She picked up Titan once more.
Rhyne then sat on both her knees and sat her sword down horizontal before her. She crossed her arms before her heart and closed her eyes. She spoke with anger and rage still in her voice. "Great Mother, Lady of Peace and War, hear me. Great Father, Lord of the Living and Dead, hear me." She opened her eyes and took out a piece of charcoal tucked beneath her belt. "By the Powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water," she drew a pentacle on the deck of the ship as she spoke, "I call on the Guardians of the Watchtower of the North. Lend me your powers to curse these people." She was silent for a moment. The other knights were gathering now. "I curse you. By the Power of all elements and all Magic, both good and evil, I curse you." She unsheathed the Dragon and held it before an exposed forearm. "With the sacrifice of the last of royal blood of the Novantae people I curse these people and their ways. May they be brought down by a sword mightier than their own and be consumed by the fire and water of our Great Mother and destined to roam the earth forever as lost souls. By this power I curse you." And she cut into the skin of her forearm. Rhyne didn't flinch. She let the blood run down to her palm, and then made a handprint in the middle of the pentacle. "By my blood I sanctify this curse," then she drew a circle around the pentacle. And picked up Titan and stabbed it into the center of the pentacle. "And by the blood of my enemies." She crossed her arms across her heart once more. "I pray you my Lord and Lady, hear me."
Rhyne felt a surge of power flow through her as she finished the curse. They had heard her. The knights felt something as well. Not the power that Rhyne did, but something different. Rage and malice. None of them had seen a curse performed before them, and one done in such hate made them queasy, especially Arthur. He had never seen so much hatred flow through someone as it did Rhyne on this day.
Rhyne stood and finally wiped the blood from Titan before sheathing it at her back. She took the oil lamp and threw it upon the pentacle. Then she took the torch from Tristan's hand and tossed it upon the oil. It burst into flames. Rhyne stood there, watching it for a moment then finally got off the ship. As soon as their feet hit the beach the ship started to drift out to sea. It was as if the Goddess was still at Rhyne's side and she sent the ship easy, back to its now cursed people.
Rhyne watched until the ship fall out of sight and then knelt to the water to clean away the blood covering her. She got her face mostly rinsed when she stood and turned towards the knights. They did not know what to say. Rhyne saw Zyfer roaming the dead bodies and started to walk to him. Arthur followed her.
"You should not have done that. There are innocents among the people you just cursed."
"Then the innocents will be saved." She did not look back at him.
"How will your Goddess know the difference?"
"She will know."
"How can you be certain?"
"Because I can."
"What you just did was wrong, Rhyne. We have all lost loved ones. And never have we ever cursed our enemy."
"There is a first for everything isn't there." She walked away and refused to look at him.
"Look at me!" He grabbed her arm and wiped her around. He could still feel the power in her touch. It had not yet left her. "I understand yo-" but he was cut off.
"Understand? How could you? Yes, you lost both parents at a young age, as did I. You have lost many brothers, and so have I. But, never—never, have you lost a child. So do not tell me you understand!" She ripped her arm from his grip.
"Wait!" He tried to stop her from mounting her horse, put she pushed against him, causing him to fall because of the supernatural power that still raged in her.
"Rhyne wait!" Gawain yelled after her. "We must burn all the bodies."
She turned her horse. "Leave them! They deserve to roam the spirit world forever!" And she heeled Zyfer back towards the fort, with Hawk beside her.
What did you think? It took me a whole day to write this chapter, and then I had to rewrite the battle a little becasue I forgot to add in Hawk. I have been waiting and waiting to write that curse. Did you like it? Do you like that side of Rhyne?