A/N: Phew! I find that I don't like at all the fact that we are slowly going towards the end of this story... I really hate that... :(
Chapter eleven: The Wall
Tristan's horse galloped so quickly they both reached the Knights in less than twenty minutes.
While Bors, Gawain and Galahad had been far from protesting against Leera's reappearance, Lancelot, Arthur and Guinevere hurried at her side and she was soon assailed of questions she didn't want to answer.
"Why did you come back?"
"Was it Merlin?"
"Why are you here, Woad?"
She decided to scowl at Lancelot first. She turned fully at him, chin held high and hands on hips, looking so less Woadish than when she first met them.
"Well, Lancelot, I am here because I decided to be here. Now, if you don't want to have your manly parts cut off, you'd better shut your silly mouth. You're really growing to make me hate you."
Guinevere smirked at that, while the two men stared at Leera as if she was mad.
Lancelot eventually snorted, but turned around and went back to his horse nevertheless.
"Now, Leera, can you tell us what that was about?"
She turned to Guinevere, who translated for good measures.
Leera sighed, she was too exhausted to go on in that tongue, so she didn't bother and let her fellow Woad translate. "It was indeed Merlin, who wanted to dismiss me, as I have fulfilled my mission to make sure you'd go back safe to the Wall. But I couldn't leave you, not when the Saxons are high on tracks. And I can't leave Lucan. Or the Britons you saved. I fear my mission is far from being fulfilled, and I ask your permission to go back to the Wall with you, and to help with whatever there is to accomplish before the filth crosses our land."
She left Guinevere end her translation, and waited for Arthur's reaction. His whole frame had changed from a deep frown when she mentioned the way Merlin had dismissed her without much of an explanation to a small twitch of the lips when she offered her help to another frown when she talked about the pending attack.
After what looked like ages, Arthur nodded. "You can come, of course you can. Lucan is your family. He'll need someone at his side other than Dagonet. And you are talented with a bow, Tristan tells me. You can help."
She smiled at the thought Tristan had reported each and every move she had made when they went scouting – or was it each and every really? - and bowed her head as a thank.
"Many thanks Arthur Castus."
He smiled kindly. "Now, I believe there is a horse waiting for you, Leera."
She smiled back, and turned around to see Bors, barely containing Dag's horse, which was far from being happy to see her.
"Don't worry, beast, I won't eat you today." She turned to Galahad. "Could you take the saddle off? I like riding more without it."
He widened his blue eyes but nodded and took off the straps around the horse's belly, and took down the heavy saddle, which he left in the weapon cart, in which Dagonet was still fast asleep.
"Thanks." Leera pushed on her legs hard and jumped as high as she could, climbing onto the beast's bare back and feeling really more at ease now she could feel its muscle under her thighs.
She kicked its sides and out-walked Arhur's mare. She had an intent, and wouldn't miss it for the world.
Taking her bow, she notched an arrow, turned her head towards the woods, and searched for an open spot. When she found one, she fired, and could almost hear the cry of surprise the Woads' scouts had made when the pointy arrow landed inches above their leader's head.
Tristan was at her side at once. Had he thought she was attacking Saxons, she'd never know.
She locked her green eyes on his dark ones. "Now they won't follow us."
She could see the corners of his mouth lift, but he said nothing before going in front of the group to scout again.
Apparently he was no good at anything else, Leera thought. Except, maybe, making her skin cover in goosebumps.
After two others hours of quick riding, the Knights went in sight of a hill Arthur knew was the border of the forest. Past it lied the land, and the Wall.
Leera had never seen it in her whole life, but was little impressed by the massive dark grey blocks cutting the horizon in half, or by the red cloaks patrolling on the wall.
She was stopped by Arthur when she was about to kick her horse's sides again. He was holding her tunic.
"It'd be better if the people didn't know of our arrangement. Just be a Briton for now, alright?"
She smirked. "With Lucan as a cousin, you can be assured I'll pass as one easily. He'll kick my butt if I do anything wrong."
And though she wasn't sure he had understood everything, Arthur chuckled.
Leera put the tunic on, replaced her bow and arrow, and pulled on her hair to ruffle them and erase any lingering trace of plait. If she was to become a lad once again, she would have to practise her posture as well.
She put her horse onto the same pace as Gal's and Gawain's, and started observing the two Knights. She pushed her shoulders back a little, her chin up more, and parted her legs more.
Galahad caught her stare after a while. "Leera, what are you doing?"
She smiled. "Taking lessons on how to pass as a man."
He smiled back, slightly amused. Gawain, without parting his gaze from the horizon, cleared his throat. "You'd better do something for your voice then."
She furrowed her brows and tried to make her voice graver. "How about this?"
Galahad burst into laugh. "You sound like an old grandma. No, I think it wiser if you kept the mute thing on."
She sighed. "Why did I take all those lessons with Lucan?"
Gal smiled wider. "So you don't look like a savage anymore."
She snorted. "Well, thanks, Gal."
Gawain chuckled. "I wonder, do you know what gal means?" She shook her head. "Then, by all means, keep on calling him that."
Galahad and his friend then started a friendly fight, and Leera did her best to hide both her smile and laugh. If she was to be mute, no sound could ever leave her lips.
The gates of the Wall opened swiftly as Arthur rode in front of it.
The first thing Leera saw on the other side were a dozen of red-cloaked soldiers, and a red-head woman surrounded by children.
Standing next to them, with the Roman land-lady, was Lucan.
He smiled widely when he spotted his cousin but, smart as he was, he knew better than calling her name.
Instead, when she jumped off Dag's horse, he came to stand before her and smiled widely, until she still stole a quick hug. A stare and he understood she had missed him.
"Well well, what do we have here?"
A soldier had walked up to Leera and stared at her intently. She hid her scowl when Tristan passed her, both his and her horse's reins in hand. "A new lad we found on the road. Don't bother, he's mute." He turned to Leera and for the first time since she met him, his eyes were unfriendly and even indifferent when he looked at her. "Come."
She took her reins from his hands and followed him towards what she guessed were the stables.
"You should be wary of these, they can't know who you are, but woman or man, they wouldn't do the difference after too much ale."
Leera repressed a disgusted noise and shook the thought off her head.
Once they were secured in the stables, Tristan pointed at the box where she would put Dag's horse, and went to his own spot.
After taking care of the beast which loved her so little, Leera turned towards the Knight again. "Tristan, I wanted to tell you, thank you."
He stopped brushing his mare but didn't turn around to face her. "What for?"
"Your sparring lesson."
She heard what could be parented to a chuckle, and this time he turned around, beaming. "You're welcome."
She smiled and walked towards the entrance, wishing nothing more than spending time with Lucan when it was still possible.
He stopped her. "But you still need some more. You are a rubbish fighter."
Leera growled and turned around, an arrow notched.
It landed with a loud crack just above Tristan's hand on the panel.
"Fortunately, I still have some skills of my own, Knight."
And she whirled on her heels.
Ooh, don't try poking a Woad's pride, people, you could well lose an eye or even two in the process. And that, even if said Woad can't breathe when you're near.
