Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it again? It justs hurts me! I own nothing.

A/N: Wheeey it's chapter 10. Aren't you lucky? I can't begin to say how much happier I am with this chapter. It just flowed so much easier. Yay. I also find it quite comedic, though I do say so myself. Thank you to ALL my reviewers and everyone who keeps reading this fic.

SorielDegamba: That's funny, last time I check Lancelot was tied up in my closet. lol! Glad you are enjoying it.

Litha2124: Here's an update for ya, hope it makes you happy. Your review made my face look like this-- :-D

Jellypup: Tristan is fabulous. I properly love him. And there is gonna be a major plot event quite soon that will involve lots more Trissy action so keep reading!

la argentinita: lol, Dag can be proper mean when he wants to be. And Lancelot is being a bi of a tool at the mo.

Hate-Filled Demon: haha yeh, Tristan would be a good candidate for cheif-torturer. I must remember to incorporate Korinn and extreme pain into a chapter sometime soon! Glad you're enjoying it hun, I love reading your reviews.

Tigger-180: It sucks huh? She's such a fickle girl. I swear, I'm trying to make her happy and BAM, she throws it in my face. lol! Jols is a cutie, bless him.

FindersKeepers: I am properly blushing. Thanks for your review. I try to make it flow smoothly and not seem stilted or fake, glad to know its working! Percival is a product of my imagination, although the name isn't very original. In fact, him, Garrett and Derfel don't feature in the films. But I had to have more than just the 7 knights because the decrease in numbers will show the progress of time.

Eek! just gave a future plot hint! Must shut up and get on with the story:)

Dinah's first day working in the stables went very well. She arrived and reported to Jols, who immediately sent her to the tack room with a pair of soft cloths and a pot of grease. She spent all morning rubbing grease onto metal with one cloth and rubbing it off again with the other. But it did work and all the horse-armour was gleaming when the stablemaster came to check on her. Not that he gave her much praise.

"Good. Now you can take that tack there and put it outside Llanrei's stall, and that tack there and put it outside Lanval's."

Dinah looked at him blankly and Jols sighed. "The horses, girl." When she still didn't look enlightened he picked up a saddle and took her through to the stalls. He pointed at the dapple grey mare of Tristan's. "That's Llanrei, the scout's mare." He turned to point out another grey. "And that's Gawain's Lanval. They both need preparing for the afternoon patrol, but don't worry about that today." Jols eyed his new staff member. "You're going to have to learn the names quickly; I won't always have time to point them out to you."

Dinah nodded, "I will sir."

"Good," The man looked up and smiled. "Garrett, can I help you?"

The knight sauntered up to Dinah and Jols with a grin on his face. "Actually yes, I was going to give Dinah a riding lesson and was wondering if you could suggest a suitable mount?"

"Have you ridden before?" Jols looked at Dinah, who shook her head.

"Take Pyotr. He may be old, but he'll be good for a first timer." The stablemaster cocked his head to one side and regarded the knight, "And while you're at it you can show Dinah how to tack up."

Then he was gone. Garrett disappeared into the tack room, and emerged a few minutes later carrying a saddle, cloth and bridle.

"Come on then, let's get you in the saddle."

"Comfortable?"

Dinah looked down at Garrett, who had just boosted her up onto a big bay gelding.

"As much as I'll ever be."

The knight laughed, "You'll get used to it in no time." He swung up onto his own chestnut stallion with effortless grace, and then leaned across to grab the end of the rope he'd attached to Pyotr's bridle.

"You put the reins through your hands like this." He showed her his own and she nodded, imitating him. "Good, that's very good. You should be able to feel your horse chewing his bit."

Garrett glanced at Dinah's mount and laughed. "Except this lazy beast has gone to sleep."

She laughed, "I'm sure he thinks I'm mad."

"Perhaps," Garrett grinned, "but he'll soon liven up when we get going. Now sit deep in the saddle, the deeper you sit the more you move with the horse and the harder it is to become unseated."

Dinah slumped and Garrett laughed, "But don't slouch! Keep your back straight."

"Sit deep, sit straight, how am I supposed to do it all at once? Dinah grumbled.

"All will become clear in a moment. I'm going to push Bedwin forward to a walk and Pyotr will follow. If he doesn't move, kick him with both legs. If he still doesn't move kick him harder! Alright?"

Dinah nodded and Garrett's stallion glided forward into a smooth walk. Her horse, however, showed no inclination to move so she did what she was told. After the third boot in the ribs, Pyotr yawned and lurched forward. Dinah stifled a yelp and grabbed the pommel of the saddle.

"It is supposed to be so irregular?" She asked Garrett, who had reined back to walk beside her.

"You've got to relax into it, don't fight the movement. Let your hips rock with the horse's walk." Suddenly realising how the last phrase sounded the knight blushed and cleared his throat, "Anyway, you get the idea. Once you've got comfortable in walk we'll move into the trot."

Dinah didn't think the trot was better than the walk at all. In fact, it was worse. She bounced all over the place and had to let go of the reins and hang on to the saddle for dear life. Garrett made Pyotr trot around the sandy arena twice before she begged for him to stop.

"Garrett stop! I can't take any more."

The knight laughed but obliged her and slowed to a walk and then halt. "That'll do for today I think. Unless you want to try canter?"

"If it's anything like trot, no thanks." Dinah muttered.

"It's actually smoother," Garrett caught her disbelieving look, "No really it is. Unfortunately Bedwin won't carry another person in the saddle at one time, so I can't show you. Ah, Lancelot!"

Dinah whipped her head around to see the other knight enter the arena on his huge bay Bleiddig. At Garrett's call he trotted towards them.

"Are you really giving lessons Garrett? I pity your student."

"She's doing really well actually." Garrett remarked, and Lancelot looked at Dinah fleetingly. "But I wanted to let her ride a canter and Bedwin won't..."

"Bedwin won't carry two." Lancelot finished for him, and then assessed the other horse, "And that old thing probably isn't capable of a canter."

He sighed heavily. "I'll just warm up and then she can ride Bleiddig with me."

Dinah's eyes widened, "You don't have..."

"It's fine." Was the firm response, and then she couldn't say anything more because he'd already steered his horse away.

"See?" Garrett seemed very pleased with himself, "Now you'll get to experience all three of the most important strides in your first lesson."

He was so happy that Dinah didn't have the heart to tell him she'd rather not. Instead she looked at the dark horse and rider moving around them.

"See how Lancelot sits, his legs hardly leave Bleiddig's side and his body never leaves the saddle. But his back is still straight." Garrett pointed out, "That's what I mean by sitting deep. Do you get the idea now?"

Dinah nodded, she actually did. After a couple more minutes Garrett hopped down from Bedwin and helped her slide down from Pyotr. Lancelot, fully warmed up, trotted up to where they were standing.

"Ready?" He asked and she nodded. Garrett boosted her up and she tried to settle in without being too close to Lancelot. The knight regarded her stiff back and smiled.

"You have to relax, or you'll not enjoy it." He reached around her waist and pulled her back slightly so that her back was pressed against his chest. "You see, that's how you have to sit. Now you put your legs in the stirrups instead of me. You might feel more stable that way."

Dinah nodded mutely, trying to concentrate on the lesson and not the warmth of the knight's body against hers.

"Are you ready?"

"Y-yes."

Lancelot didn't give her an opportunity to change her mind, and Bleiddig jumped from a halt into a smooth canter in an instant. Dinah let out a little yelp and grabbed a chunk of the horse's mane to steady herself. She heard the knight chuckle behind her, and then he put the reins into one hand, holding her waist with the other.

"Relax," his voice was gentle, "I won't let you fall."

Disarmed by this unfamiliar Lancelot, Dinah did relax into him and suddenly what Garrett had been trying to convey to her all morning became clear. If she let her body move with the horse it was much more comfortable. After another minute she was thoroughly enjoying herself and laughed into the wind whipping past her.

Lancelot was in hell. He'd felt it the moment Dinah had relaxed into him and had to fight against the urge to kiss the neck and ears that were so temptingly close to his mouth. Another torture for him was the way her hips were pressed against his, and the rhythm of the canter brought another rhythm to the front of his mind. And with that, other thoughts that he desperately tried to stop from forming. But the agony was worth it when she laughed. It was such a happy childlike sound and he tightened his grip possessively around her waist.

"Garrett!" He called out, "Set out the small cross."

The other knight was grinning at Dinah's delight as well, and hurried to do what he was asked. She turned slightly in the saddle and Lancelot had to stifle a groan as her hips ground into his.

"What's a cross?"

"You'll see."

And she did. Garrett had set up two poles with wooden boxes raising the ends up off the ground.

"Here we go, hold on." Lancelot murmured, and then pointed Bleiddig at the jump.

"Lancelot I..."

But the rest of her protest was lost as the big horse lengthened his stride, then gathered himself and launched over the poles. The girl let out a squeak of surprise and then laughed. Satisfied that she'd had enough of an education for one day, Lancelot reined Bleiddig to a halt and handed her down to Garrett.

"You liked it?" He couldn't help but ask. Dinah turned her face up to him, and his breath caught at her smile. It transformed her face. She had been passably pretty before, but with her eyes sparkling and her cheeks whipped pink by the wind she was quite beautiful.

"It was incredible, like...like," she paused, searching for the word, "like flying!"

Lancelot looked away, hating that he'd told her she was safe from him. "Yes, well. I'm sure Garrett will have you flying around on your own soon enough."

Without another glance at either the knight or the girl he nudged Bleiddig forward into a trot and continued with the exercise he had planned.

Dinah gazed after the knight, taken aback by his abrupt departure. Never mind.

"You see Dinah, riding is wonderful" Garrett put his arm around her shoulders and steered her back towards their horses.

"It is." She agreed, taking Pyotr's reins and leading him alongside Bedwin.

"And because of that you're not allowed to be angry with me when you can't walk tomorrow!"

They laughed and headed back to the stables.

Dinah was ready to kill Garrett the following morning. She could hardly close her legs to walk, her thighs protested so much. By some miracle she made it to the stables, but she kept wincing at almost every step she took. Jols, of course, found this hilarious.

"I could have warned you girl. But you probably wouldn't have listened to me." He snickered, "You know it'll only get better if you ride more."

Dinah gritted her teeth to keep from snapping back, and concentrated on shovelling more soiled straw out of Lanval's stall. The dapple stallion snorted at her muttering.

"Bloody Garrett, I'm going to rip his head off when I see him." She dug the shovel in viciously. "Riding's wonderful Dinah, You'll love it Dinah. Horse shit."

A deep belly laugh behind her made the girl turn around. Gawain was leaning on the half-door and Lanval whickered as he recognised his master, turning to greet him.

"I take it you are feeling the effects of your first riding lesson." He let the stallion butt him in the chest and stroked its ears. "It really does get less painful the more you ride."

"Ha! If you think I'm riding again you've got another thing coming." Dinah dumped the last of the dirty straw into the barrow and sighed, "Can you move your beast so I can get out of here"

Gawain pushed Lanval backwards so Dinah could get her barrow out, then closed the stable door and followed her.

"I'm sorry you feel that way about riding, but there's gonna be no escape."

Dinah looked at him sharply. "What do you mean?"

"Well I took the liberty of speaking to Dagonet," he grinned at Dinah's gasp, "And he thinks it's an excellent idea for you to be able to ride."

"You sneaky son of a..."

"Now, now. Don't be insulting your instructor. It's very bad manners you know." The knight's grin had reached epic proportions as he watched Dinah sputter.

"I thought Garrett..."

"Yes, usually he will be. But as you will soon find out he'll be on patrol this afternoon. So once your lesson with Dagonet is over…" He winked at her, "You've got little ol' me to contend with."

Dinah groaned. "Great. First one slave driver and then another. What did I do to deserve this?"

Gawain patted her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! I'll see you later."

The knight sauntered out of the stable just as Jols poked his head around the door, "Dinah, when you've finished bedding down Lanval can you tack up Bedwin and Amhar? Thanks."

He disappeared, and then his head reappeared again. "Bedwin's the chestnut on the left there, and Amhar's the only sorrel we've got."

Muttering to herself about 'bloody Sarmatians' Dinah hurried to do as she was told.

"No Dinah, an axe is a heavy implement. It's not normally used for close combat unless you have the appropriate upper-body strength. Galahad, Gawain; again."

Galahad lifted his sword and Gawain tossed his axe from one hand to another. The two began to circle each other, occasionally lunging at each other.

"Do you see? Gawain relies on his strength to back the swing of his weapon, because Galahad's sword will eventually be too weak to continue to block it."

"Arthur!" There was a loud shout from behind them, and then a sudden yell from very close.

"Aaaaargh, Galahad!"

"You were supposed to parry!"

Gawain had dropped his axe and was looking at the blood pouring from his hand in disgust. Galahad looked like he was about to be sick.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm losing half the blood in my body Galahad," Gawain snapped, "What do you think?"

Galahad dropped his sword in the dust as Dinah and Dagonet rushed over.

"What happened?" Dagonet demanded, "Where have you been cut?"

Gawain held out his hand. "It's the tip of my thumb. I think it's been sliced off."

Sure enough, about a centimetre of the tip of the knight's thumb was missing, and blood welled up faster every second.

"Dinah, run to the stable and grab a clean cloth to stop the bleeding. I'm going to the infirmary to get something to clot his blood and bind the wound."

Dinah nodded and sprinted for the stable. After a couple of minutes she returned to find Gawain with his free arm around Galahad's shoulders.

"It wasn't your fault Puppy," Gawain was telling his friend, "I was distracted just as you attacked."

"I thought you would parry. You always do when we spar."

"I know." Gawain looked up at Dinah, "Ah, there she is. My saviour."

Dinah rolled her eyes and took the knight's bloody hand in her own.

"This might hurt a little."

Some minutes later Dagonet returned and patched up Gawain's thumb with the help of some thick paste-like salve and many bandages. When it was finished the knight held out his hand to his young attacker and proclaimed the limb to be, "Good as new."

Then he had looked at Dinah, "And don't think because I got injured you've got a free afternoon. Get into the stable and saddle Pyotr. And fetch me a long, long piece of rope and a big stick."

Dinah moaned in protest, but Dagonet's laughter drowned her out and she was forced to do what Gawain asked.

A while later, Dinah swallowed yet another curse and kicked the lazy beast under her. Pyotr was ambling in a circle around Gawain at a slow, loping trot and nothing she was doing could make him go any faster. The knight was holding a long length of rope attached to the horse's bridle so that Dinah could 'concentrate on her seat'.

The only thing Dinah was concentrating on was staying on the animal and not ending up in the sand.

"Sit up straight, Dinah." Gawain called, and she had to stifle the urge to call him something very rude indeed. But she straightened her back and tried to relax in the saddle, like she had done the previous day with Lancelot.

"That's better. You almost look elegant." This time Dinah turned and stuck her tongue out at Gawain, who laughed and gave in. "Alright, you can stop now."

With a small tug of the long rein he coaxed Pyotr to a walk. Not that it took much coaxing!

"You ride well, considering it's only the second time you've been on a horse in your life."

"It's my third time on a horse." Dinah replied, "One of the knights stationed here when I was a little girl took me for a ride once."

"Well, that hardly counts. You weren't in charge of the animal in the same way." Gawain smiled, "No, I think your success is all down to my expert tutelage."

Dinah laughed, "Oh of course. Nothing to do with Garrett at all."

"I'm so glad you agree."

She laughed again, and then looked over at the two men leaning on the fence, watching the lesson. Gawain followed the direction of her gaze and waved.

"Arthur, Lancelot! What brings you out here? Heard about my new calling?

"Actually," Lancelot's dry voice drifted out to them, "I heard Dagonet calling you a moron."

"That's funny," Gawain retorted, "I heard him say the same thing about you."

Arthur chuckled, "Actually, we were just discussing some tactics when we saw the rider." The commander looked straight at Dinah. "You must be the healer."

"Yes Sir." she replied nervously, "I'm Dinah."

"Dagonet has nothing but good things to say about you." Arthur heard Gawain clearing his throat loudly, "All the knights do. So I felt I should meet you."

The commander smiled slyly at his companion. "Particularly because it is Lancelot who was particularly passionate in his praise of you."

"Arthur!" Lancelot kicked his friend in the shin, and the knight winced.

"That said, we should leave you to finish your lesson." Arthur nodded his head to the girl, "It was nice to meet you."

As he and Lancelot strode away Dinah saw the latter wallop his comrade on the shoulder, "I can't believe you said that..."

The rest of the sentence was lost as the distance between them increased.

"Well," Gawain broke the silence, "There goes our esteemed leader Artorius Castus."

Dinah nodded slowly, "He seems...nice."

"He's the best man I've ever known." The knight's voice was filled with respect, something Dinah had never heard from him before. Then as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

"So let's see if your legs still work tomorrow eh? I bet you hurt even worse than you do today."

"Gawain?"

"Yes?"

"Have I mentioned today how much I hate you?"

He threw back his head and laughed, "I believe you have, lady. At least twenty times."

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