The lake of ice under them was cracking. This they knew. Slowly but surely it would break. She knew that all of them were praying the lake would wait to strike until the enemy was upon it, instead of themselves. Thea watched as a series of small cracks, much like a spiders web, appeared beneath her foot. Thea's spotted stallion was tempted to rear back as the ice shifted and moaned under his hooves. His black eyes ever watchful on his mistress as she calmly spoke to him in the old language of her people."Do not fear my friend, all will be well soon" she cooed and lifted her lips to place a small kiss upon his cheek. However, her whispers did not stop his ears from moving to listen to every sound around him. Thea's ears were also picking up sounds. The drums were getting louder, which meant they were also getting closer. Dagonet stepped into a careful step next to her. "We are not going to make it, are we?" she asked quietly, her brown eyes searching his dark green ones. He sighed knowing what the true answer was but seeing the small glimpse of fear in her eyes he couldn't bring himself to tell her. "We will make it." He finally said, his deep voice giving her a tiny allusion of hope "If we keep this pace and get across the lake…. We will make it." He placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a slight squeeze, and then walking off to the right to keep the formation.

"Dagonet." She called softly but knew that he had heard her. He slowly and carefully walked back towards her. "We will make it, I promise." He place his hand on her cheek, she welcomed the warmth. She looked up at him, stood on her toes and kissed him, which he returned. It was quick and it was soft but it was enough at this moment. He placed their foreheads together, "I love you." He whispered to her. "And I you." She replied softly before he pulled away and began his walk towards the front.

They joined with the rest of the knights when Thea noticed Arthur and Gawain turning to look behind them, waiting and watching for the Saxons to come around the bend and join them on the ice. "The drums are even closer" Thea said to Bors, who was the closest of her brothers to her, he grunted in response as he kept moving on. Arthur was the first to come to a stop, turning to face his knights.

"Knights?" One word and they all knew fully well what he was asking them.

The quietest one of them all was the first to speak; "Never did like looking over my shoulder" Tristan said and Thea felt the same way. "Yea, and these Saxons are so close my ass is hurting." Bors said half joking and half serious as always. "Be a pleasure to put an end to this racket" Galahad spoke up after Bors,"Finally get a look at the bastards." The youngest of us all and so eager to be rid of this life, was prepared to do anything.

"Here Now" Dagonet said. Thea looked at her brothers-in-arms, they all had the same look in their eyes. Arthur looked at them, seeing that look and knowing fully well what was about to happen. This could be the last time they all saw each other together. Thea and Lancelot stayed quiet. For both had nothing to say. Yes they wanted this to end, but what would be the outcome?

"Jols!"

"You two, take the horses."

"Ganis, I need you to lead the people. The main Saxon army is inland, so if you track the coastline till you're well south of the wall, you'll be safe."

"But you're eight against thousands?" the man questioned in shock, thinking that the man in front of him was completely mad. "Nine. You could use another bow." Guinevere said marching over to Jols and the weapons he was unloading, grabbing a bow for herself and testing the pull.

"I'd rather stay and fight." Ganis said, once again the man's bravery was something to be admired. Thea hoped he would make it far in this life. "You'll get your chance soon enough." Arthur rested his hand on Ganis' shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, before he turned to Marius' soldiers. "This man is now your captain. You do as he says. Am I understood?" They didn't look to happy about that news, but rather than anger Arthur, the Roman they quickly declared their

"Yes, sir."

"Go. Go!" Ganis shouted as the rest of the serfs prepared to flee. "Right. Come on, then! Move on!"

"I am able. I can fight." Young Alecto was s bright boy but Thea knew he did not have the stomach for war. "No. You must bear witness to all you have seen. There's one thing you must do, and that's get back to Rome." Arthur said to him and ushered him back to the care of his mother.

Thea moved over to the same carriage where Lucan was riding with Alecto and his mother. "You have to be brave now" She said looking at the child cried and clutched her neck like it was his last life line on earth. "Listen to me." She pulled away from him to take his face in her hands. "I will see you again. I promise." Thea places a soft kiss upon his brow then turned to Alecto's mother. "I will watch him." The roman woman took Thea's hand in her own, "Be careful." Thea nodded before returning to stand next to Dagonet, whose hand was raised in farewell to the small child he too had begun to care for greatly.

"He will be fine." Dagonet told her. "He asked if he could stay with me and my knight." Dagonet looked down at her in surprise, "He did." She nodded watching the caravan as it slowly made its way to the pass beyond the ice. "He also asked if he could call me 'mother'."

"And what did you say."

"I told him he could." Little did Thea know that that would be the last time she would watch a smile spread across Dagonet's face.

Moments later they were all in a line. Bows in their hands and weapons at their feet. They felt the Saxons first. Their footsteps making the ice beneath their feel tremble and groan. Then 10 by 10 they came around the bend. At least a hundred Saxon warriors.

"Hold until I give the command." Arthur said ."You look frightened. There's a large number of lonely men out there." Lancelot said with a smirk.

"Don't worry, I won't let them rape you." Thea smirked at her comment. She rather liked the woad's wit. If they lived through this maybe should would make an effort to get to know this Guinevere watched from her spot between Bors and Dagonet as a Saxon archer tried his best to reach them with one of his armor piercing rounds. "I believe they're waiting for an invitation. Bors, Tristan, Thea."

"They're far out of range." Guinevere's retorted but her comment fell on deaf ears, as every single arrow Bors, Tristan and Thea released hit is target. The only sounds they heard were the ones of the Saxons falling dead on the ice under their feet. Thea's eyes traveled over to Guinevere who didn't look as disbelieving as she did a moment ago. Arthur on the other hand let a proud look pass over his features for just a brief moment before taking stance with his own bow. who stood, emotionless, eyes watching the Saxons fall as her arrows pierced their targets.

"Aim for the wings of the them cluster." They continued to fire hoping that the combined weight of the Saxons crowding in on themselves would make the ice break beneath them. "It's not gonna break. Back. Fall back! Prepare for combat!" Arthur commanded and all the knights exchanged their bows for their swords. Thea's heart was pounding in her chest. She looked up at Dagonet when she noticed him looking down at her. "I love you." She whispered. "I love you." He responded before looking back at the approaching Saxons. There would be no way that they would survive this. All of them knew it, but they were still going to fight till their last breaths.

Dagonet knew what had to be done, Thea was never going to forgive him but if it saved her then so be it. He dropped his sword in favor of his axe and took off straight for the Saxon line. "Aagh!"

"NO!" Thea screamed at the same time Bors shouted "Dag!"

Dagonet started to chop at the ice with everything he was as the Saxons moved into firing formation. Thea loosed every arrow sending it flying into the Saxon archers. Her arrows never missing their target. She had to take them down, she had to protect him. But the arrows kept coming.

That's when Thea's screams pierced the air, "DAGONET! NO!"