Sorry about the delay folks. I've got internet again so hopefully updates will be happening a little sooner. Thank you for the reviews!!
Chapter 11
With the knights home again the village seemed to settle down. The extra set of hands helped to get tasks completed more quickly and a sense of ease descended over the village now that their protectors were home. There was a growing nip in the air with each passing morning and there were concerns that the winter ahead might be a hard one. Those families that had harvested earlier were grateful, the others began to become anxious that they might lose crops if the weather continued to chill.
Although the men were home, they were not often in the fort itself. Tristan and Arthur specifically were often out checking the boundaries of the wall, and cementing relations with the Woads. There was a very tentative agreement that existed at the time, creating primarily because of coming winter, but there was peace and no Saxons immediately on the horizon. People could relax. Homes were readied for winter. Though typically quite mild, it was never guaranteed that cold weather wouldn't seek the Wall out. It was important to make preparations just in case.
Peronell continued to be busy in her apprenticeship. She was finding the thicker winter wool much more challenging to manage. Alys had shown her how to spin the thread so that it was not as thin, which in itself was a nuisance because she had to go so much slower. Using it in the loom also proved very labour intensive. Regardless, this thicker wool would make for warm clothing and it would be greatly needed in the coming months. The mastery of this new task was well timed with Tristan's return. Peronell was thrilled to have him home, yet neither of them seemed entirely sure of how they were expected to behave. It was clear that they had to be mindful of their interactions with each other. It would not be acceptable for them to spend their nights together if they were not married. Others did of course, Venora and Bors were not married and they had 9 children. However Peronell's parents did not want her to ruin her reputation, on that they had been very clear. Peronell would live at home with her family until the wedding which was still undecided. It was both a source of frustration and a blessing in Nell's mind. She knew she was head strong and had a tendency to rush in to things without thinking them through. Her father was simply ensuring that she did not make a mistake she couldn't get out of.
It was something of a joke between Nell and her friends that Tristan was not the average suitor. He did not constantly seek her out, nor visit her at her work space. He did not openly or publicly make his feelings known as other young men did and yet it was so very obvious that he cared for her and she for him. It was in the way that Tristan moved when he was around her, subtly bending his head to catch every word Peronell said, letting his hand brush hers as she moved past, letting his eyes linger on her when she wasn't looking. These movements were all small and carefully conducted but very deliberate in their execution.
It had been almost three months since the knights had been home when word reached the wall that Saxons were headed in their direction. It was not a large group, the knights were informed. They had splintered off from the group the knights had fought in the summer and were now marooned on the island; hungry, angry and trapped. Regardless, 200 hundred angry Saxons against seven knights and a handful of men from the wall were not promising odds.
The initial instinct was to keep the information hidden from the villagers, however with such a significant division between numbers, the knights would need all the man power they could acquire. Men were taken aside in small groups to receive instruction or practice in sword skills and archery. Women and younger children collected pig fat and peat moss in case they were needed. Clothing that was no longer usable was ripped up in case it was needed for wounds and injuries. Arthur had sent Tristan to contact the Woads for extra help, in the hope that their tentative peace agreement might extend to battle assistance.
The village was beginning to buzz but it was very different sound from that of the preparations for the summer festival. This buzz was hushed and anxious. Parents waited until their children were asleep before discussing any concerns and tried to make life continue on as it did at this time. It was clear something was amiss, a steady stockpile of supplies did not go unnoticed, but it was not a certainty that the Saxons would arrive at the Wall. Likely the knights would fight them again, one way or the other, but where was anyone's guess.
Tristan returned to the Wall with a promise of some assistance from the Woads if the need arose. The knights gathered at the round table to discuss their best course of action.
"We shouldn't wait for them to come to us," Tristan stated, "We're putting women and children at risk. Their vulnerability will be a distraction."
"If we go and meet them and their numbers are double than what has been reported, we'll be done for!" Galahad argued. "We can send the weaker members of the village away to safety, the rest will stay and fight." Tristan looked at the younger knight, offended that Galahad had implied Tristan might be incorrect in his estimates.
"If we send them away before we know what direction the Saxons are coming from, we could be sentencing them to death!" Bors retorted.
Each of the knights put in their vote for the best plan. The common concern was what to do with the women and children. It was common knowledge that Woad women fought alongside the men, however the women of the Roman Empire were not trained in battle, nor were they ever expected to fight. Arthur came to a decision that it would be best to wait and see if the Saxons came to the Wall before sending the women and children away. Preparations for departure would continue just in case. The men agreed with him and Tristan prepared to head out before dawn the next day to gather more information.
Later on that evening Tristan and Peronell sat together in a quiet corner of the tavern, Peronell in Tristan's lap. The tavern was not its usual loud self. There were a handful of Roman soldiers eating and having a small drink and three younger men seated closer to the front. Otherwise it was empty. Tristan seemed completely unconcerned with the fact that two hundred Saxons could be at their doorstep within two days time. Peronell had been quiet for most of the night. She wanted to ask Tristan something she and Helena had been discussing but she wasn't sure how to go about it.
Leaning against him she decided to just begin. "Will the Woad women come and fight alongside the men?" Peronell was old enough to know exactly what was going on and what the ramifications might be if the Saxons did actually attack.
She felt Tristan's gaze shift downwards her, listening very closely to what she was saying. "Yes, if the numbers are needed." He answered carefully.
"Would it not be helpful if some of the women in our village helped to fight, if the numbers are needed?"
"No it would not." Tristan's tone was short and had a definite edge to it. "You women have not been trained to fight; you have never seen what a battle looks like. It would ruin you and you would likely be killed. Women fighting would only distract the men."
Peronell was surprised at how cold and uncaring Tristan sounded, she had nothing to say other than, "Oh." She continued to lean against Tristan, not sure of how to proceed.
He sighed, a combination of exasperation and surrender. He turned her gently to face him, tilting her chin slightly with one finger so that she looked at him. "If you were fighting, I would be distracted because I could not bear the thought of anything happening to you." He explained gently. "It is better that those members of the village who we care about most are far away and safe, than by our side and in immediate danger."
Nell nodded her head, showing she understood. It was an idea she and Helena had discussed earlier in the day, the possibility of fighting alongside the men. True, neither girl had any formal training but it sounded so brave of the Woad women to fight with the men. The moral and psychological courage it must take them to not fear the repercussions of their actions as long as it meant their victory. It was admirable.
"Come, I need to be up early to patrol." Tristan lifted her up onto her feet and taking Peronell's hand, headed towards her home.
"Can't I stay with you?" Peronell asked, standing still against Tristan's forward motion. He turned and looked at her, unsure of how to respond. She had not made a fuss about him seeing her home each evening since he had begun courting her. This was the woman who would be his wife, he knew this for a fact, as did she. Did it really matter if she stayed with him at night?
"You said no last time and you were gone for over a month?!" Peronell argued. "What if something happens? What if the battle is disaster and you die?!"
The corner of Tristan's mouth lifted slightly and he raised an eyebrow at her outcry. "Do you think I am that poor a fighter?"
"I'm being honest Tristan." She said, a little annoyed that he wasn't taking her seriously.
"So am I." He responded. "I made a promise to you father that I would only treat you with the outmost respect and I intend to honour that promise."
It was Peronell's turn to be exasperated. "Then let's get married now and be done with it!" she cried. "If you are to be my husband than why are we waiting when there is no need?!"
Tristan's brow wrinkled as he considered what she had said and Peronell held her breath in hope.
"No," he shook his head finally. "A promise is not something to be quickly and easily broken."
Peronell threw her arms up and her head back in response, almost growling in her frustration. He pulled her close to him then, tucking her head underneath his chin. He could feel the tension radiating off her body. He rubbed the heels of his hands up and down her back until she began to relax.
Dipping his head down to hers, he spoke quietly into her ear. "I will not die in this battle," he told her. "There is too much to live for. I will come back to you, just as I promised before." She did not raise her head, only wrapped her arms around him tightly. He could feel a slight catch in her breathing and the occasional sniffling sounds told him everything he needed to know. They stood there, locked together until Peronell was ready to go.
In the early morning, the sound of Tristan calling for his hawk filtered into her dreams and she knew he was heading out to scout. Willing herself to continue sleeping, she snuggled up beside her sister and soon fell back to sleep.
