CHAPTER 9

A/N: If you play "Tell Me Now (What You See)" by Hans Zimmer from the King Arthur soundtrack in the background, it really adds a great effect to the following scene. It still brings tears to my own eyes!

t t t

Tell me now, what you see

Tell me what you feel

Now you're here, Tell me

Tell me now, what you know

Never let me go

Tell me now, what you see

t t t

Night had fallen, and the weather became even colder. The rest of the party had fallen asleep, exhausted from the day's grueling events. Once again, Lourdes could not sleep. She wrapped her cloak more tightly around her as she entered the tent where they had laid Galahad. Firepits surrounded them, and Lourdes took in the welcome warmth.

Everything seemed a whisper and a blur as Lourdes kneeled beside the motionless knight. He seemed to be in a peaceful sleep, his condition much better than it was a few hours ago. Lourdes felt his forehead, noticing that it was not as cold as it was when she first touched his unconscious body. Colour had returned to his cheeks, which was indeed a good sign. But Lourdes could not help but worry about an impending fever, which was a common occurrence after being exposed to such low temperatures.

Tears slowly began to form in her eyes, wanting so badly for him to have his health once more. She took his hand in hers, lying down beside him.

It was then that Lourdes felt a pang of guilt.

"I would be dead right now if it was not for you, drowned in my watery grave." she whispered to him, closing her eyes. "Oh Galahad, I should be in your position."

Lourdes was answered with only the crackling of the fire, but somehow, she felt as though Galahad had heard her. She sighed once more, tracing the side of his soft face. She took comfort in the fact that Galahad could not feel pain and anguish in his current state. Aside from everything that had transpired between them, she wanted to take the pain away from this good man. It was such a great injustice, what he was going through.

"Why did you save me?" she continued, her sobs filling the air. "Now I have just succeeded in hurting you once more."

Moving closer to him, she buried her head in the crook of his neck as she lied down beside him. In a matter of minutes, she was fast asleep, her sobbing lulling her to her slumber.

I would be dead right now if it was not for you...I should be in your position.

Galahad's face twisted, his eyes shutting more tightly. The voice continued to echo in his mind, repeating. He felt such warmth, such heat. Breathing heavily, he finally opened his bleary eyes, feeling the sweat all over his body. The fires outside had somewhat died down, but he could still make out his surroundings. Trying desperately to move his arms, he felt another source of heat close to him.

There, Galahad saw Lourdes, her arm resting, almost protectively, over his chest. Her long, raven hair covered half of her face, but he could see that she was sleeping soundly. He blinked once more, the vision in front of him becoming a little clearer. With regained strength, he lifted his right hand to her head, gently running his fingers through her hair as he pushed it back slowly from her face.

He then remembered what had transpired earlier, the utter fear he felt when he saw that Lourdes was in danger of falling through the ice. Another flash of memory, and he remembered her calling out to him, her voice coming closer and closer, as he wielded Dagonet's axe. He also winced at the memory of his condescending accusations against her people, his less-than-knightly treatment of her in the midst of his rage.

And yet she stayed here with him.

His thoughts were interrupted as Lourdes shuffled in her sleep, a deep sigh escaping her lips. Galahad moved his arm, wishing to make her more comfortable. Instead, what he succeeded in doing was waking her!

Lourdes' eyes slowly opened, feeling the movement beneath her. She then propped herself up with her right arm, eyes filled with joy as she saw that Galahad was awake.

For a moment that seemed suspended in time, the two locked eyes, saying nothing to one another. Lourdes gulped as Galahad's green eyes observed her. Galahad, still weak, used all his strength to keep his eyes transfixed to hers.

It was Lourdes who broke the gaze, grabbing a nearby cloth. Wincing, Galahad tried to sit up, but was stopped shortly by Lourdes, who pushed him slowly back down. She then proceeded to wipe the perspiration from his face and neck, gently pushing strands of his hair from his face. Galahad only watched her do this, now breathing in a steady rhythm.

Turning once more, Lourdes took a cup of water. Propping Galahad's head up by holding the back of it gently, she placed the cup to his lips. Galahad drank, but after a few moments, began to cough. Lourdes furrowed her brows in worry as she wiped the liquid from his mouth, keeping her palm on the nape of his neck. With a grunt, Galahad placed his head back down, taking deep breaths.

Feeling Galahad's clothing, she realized that it was drenched in sweat. Looking around, she found a sac of his belongings, looking for another tunic. Finding one, she pulled it out slowly and turned back to Galahad. He saw the tunic in her arms and understood what she asked of him before she spoke. He saw the faint blush in her cheeks, obviously timid at the thought of undressing him.

Gritting, Galahad propped himself up with his elbows as Lourdes pulled the covers from him. She hesitated, biting her lip, but she knew that Galahad would not be able to dress without her help. Slowly taking the end of his tunic, she pulled it upwards, Galahad raising his arms as high as his body would let him. In an instant, the garment was on the floor beside them.

Lourdes took in a deep breath as she almost froze, taking in the sight of Galahad's toned body. Muscles rippled through his arms as he lowered them to his sides once more. His strong chest moved slowly, up and down, as he inhaled and exhaled. The blanket stopped just at his hip bone, and as unladylike as it was, Lourdes' eyes traced his lower torso and moved upwards to his chest, neck, then finally, his face. Galahad pursed his lips as he eyed Lourdes, whose cheeks were now rose-coloured at her evident observation. She cursed at herself, tearing her eyes away from Galahad's form.

Just as Lourdes unfolded the garment in her hands, she felt Galahad's fingers run through her hair. Rendered powerless, she closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of his touch. She tilted her face to his hands, her lips brushing his palm. He then took her in a long embrace, resting his chin on her head as she placed hers on the crook of his neck. They rocked, ever so slowly, with the sound of the crackling fire in the background.

This was not the Galahad that she had encountered in a blind rage. This was the Galahad that she expected: kind, caring and loving.

Still wrapped in each other's arms, they looked at one another, nose to nose. Lourdes placed her arms on his bare chest, even feeling the faint beating of his heart. Galahad rested his arms on the small of her back, pulling her closer, until her thighs were on his lap.

"Galahad..." Lourdes finally began shakily, her voice a mere whisper.

A gust of wind howled outside, making the fire around their tent flicker. This immediately caught Lourdes' attention, recognizing a presence near them. Galahad barely noticed, his eyes still tracing the curves of Lourdes' face.

"Lourdes, I..."

Another gust of wind hit their tent, and this time, Galahad finally noticed.

"I must go." Lourdes placed the palm of her hand on the side of his cheek, tracing his lips with her thumb. "Stay here and rest."

Without waiting for Galahad to respond, Lourdes stood, placing on her cloak and hood. She looked back at the confused knight before heading out of the tent.

The snow finally stopped falling, leaving a thick blanket of snow for Lourdes to trod through. She kept quiet, feeling intently for the presence that she had felt earlier. In the distance, all she could see was pitch black, save for a flicker of light on the right, about a hundred meters from her. Looking around to see that she was alone, she followed the light, each step softly crunching the newly fallen snow.

Her instincts had served her well, for when she reached the light, she spotted a familiar face.

"Merlin." she breathed out, bowing her head.

Before Merlin began to speak, his eyes became fixed behind Lourdes. She looked at him expectantly, then followed his gaze. Her eyes grew wide as she spotted Galahad, finishing to place his tunic on as he unsheathed his sword.

"Back, Woad!" he called out rather weakly, though his voice was still lined with authority. He moved to the front of Lourdes, limping a little bit. He held out his sword firmly in front of him, his left arm around Lourdes as he covered her defensively.

Merlin couldn't help but smile at the scene. "I see that you have made good friends here."

"Galahad, no!" Lourdes pushed his arm down, walking in front of him. "He is a friend. Please, return to your tent and rest at once! You will catch your death out here."

Galahad looked at Lourdes as though she was daft, but lowered his sword just a little. She removed her cloak, placing it around Galahad's shoulders. He began to refuse, but she held onto the garment tightly, insisting. She then turned to Merlin.

"They know who you are." he began cryptically, walking closer to the pair. She instantly understood the meaning of his words, looking down around her. "They plan to find you, and..."

Galahad took the sides of Lourdes' arms, forcing her to look at him. "Lourdes, what is he saying? What does he mean they know who you are?"

Lourdes only shook her head, placing a hand on Galahad's chest before turning to Merlin. "What is my course of action?"

"They know that you travel with Arthur and his knights." said the old Woad sadly, gripping his staff before finishing. "You must leave now, for they plan to attack once more."

Lourdes' eyes grew wide, almost in desperation. "Where will I go?"

"With us."

"She is not going anywhere!" said Galahad with conviction, stepping forward defensively. "Woad, what do you speak of? Who is planning to find Lourdes?"

"No!" Lourdes shook her head pleadingly at the old Woad, stepping in front of Galahad. "Please, do not involve him in this any further." With a deep breath, and after thinking of her options for a moment, she looked up at him. "I shall go with you."

Merlin sadly nodded, holding out a hand for her. As Lourdes moved forward, Galahad swiftly pulled her back.

"Lourdes, what are you doing?" he said in such anguish that it made her heart ache. "Please, tell me what is happening!"

Lourdes fought back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Do not worry about me." she kissed his forehead, looking deep into his emerald eyes. "Fulfill your last mission and gain your freedom." Lourdes held onto his face, memorizing every feature as the tears cascaded silently down her cheeks. "We will see each other again soon."

With this, Lourdes let the knight go, taking Merlin's steady hand. After a few moments, she disappeared into the darkness. Before Merlin followed her, he turned to the disconcerted knight, who visibly battled with himself.

"Do not worry, Sir Galahad." Galahad looked up in surprise at the old Woad. Merlin only smiled reassuringly. "She will be taken care of."