A/N: Thank you GuestM Live and Buckhunter for reviewing!
No. 20 Prisoner Trade + No. 6 PROOF OF LIFE
Leon stood in the clearing, mouth pursed tightly as he read the note attached to the arrow that'd been fired into their camp. Their patrol had been ambushed by a group of bandits raiding outlying villages, but they'd managed to take one of them captive. However, they'd sustained significant injuries in the fight, so Lancelot had ridden back to Camelot to get help to return for them. The message Leon was holding, however, claimed that the bandits had captured the knight sent to get reinforcements and was proposing a prisoner trade.
"It's a bluff," Sir Bedevere said.
"What if it isn't?" Elyan countered.
"Then we do our duty and bring our prisoner before the king."
"We can't just leave Lancelot in the hands of the enemy!"
"He is one man; he'll understand," another knight argued.
Elyan's nostrils flared in indignation and he took a wrathful step forward. The other two men drew their shoulders back in response.
"Enough," Leon snapped. "Elyan, get the prisoner."
Elyan glared at Sirs Bedevere and Orrin for a brief moment before turning and marching off toward where their captive was bound to a tree.
"Sir Leon, we have our duty—"
"Since when does that involve leaving a man behind?"
Sir Orrin's jaw ticked as he held back the words Leon knew he meant to say—Lancelot wasn't really one of them, wasn't really a knight. Never mind that Prince Arthur himself had knighted him. They expected Leon to agree with them; after all, he was of the nobility too. Elyan was the only other of Arthur's "favored commoners" on this patrol. Had Gwaine and Percival been here as well, there would be a fight on his hands.
Leon shook his head. "I am not sacrificing a fellow knight," he said staunchly.
"He's probably not even with them!" Sir Bedevere insisted. "He's on his way to Camelot."
"We can't know that," Leon rejoined. "I'm in charge and it's my decision. Stay here and watch over the wounded."
With that, he turned sharply and went to join Elyan. They would make the trade themselves.
They set off with their captive through the woods to the rocky scarp the bandits' message had said to meet them at. Once they were almost there, Leon held up his hand to stop them.
"In case this is a ruse, I'll go ahead and make sure they have Lancelot."
Elyan frowned. "If they don't, they'll likely kill you."
"And you will bring the prisoner to Camelot," Leon said sternly.
Elyan glowered at him unhappily but nevertheless stood his ground with a firm hold on their prisoner.
Leon ventured forward on his own. At first, the area seemed empty, but it was too quiet, so he waited. A moment later, men emerged from the shrubbery—five to one. Lancelot was not with them.
"Where's my brother?" the leader demanded.
"Where's my man?" Leon rejoined.
The bandit shook his head. "My brother first."
"You already know he's alive and in our custody. How do I know my knight is the same?"
The bandit regarded him for a long moment, then cocked his head. Two of his men backtracked a little into the foliage, then reemerged with a bound and gagged Lancelot, the knight visibly roughed up.
Leon let out a breath, the tension ratcheting up with the confirmation. He whistled loudly, and a few moments later, Elyan joined them, the bandit's brother in tow.
"They go at the same time," Leon dictated.
The bandit leader smirked but nodded, and his men let go of Lancelot, who cautiously began to cross the space between them. Elyan released the other captive, who moved at a quicker pace to return to his comrades. Once they passed each other, the bandits suddenly let out a battle cry and charged. Leon and Elyan whipped out their swords and lunged forward. Leon reached for Lancelot to pull him behind them since he was defenseless. The clang of metal pealed throughout the clearing. Five to two still wasn't even odds, but Leon and Elyan fought with a ferocity borne of loyalty and friendship, which most of these men didn't have, save for the two brothers, but they made their escape once it was clear the knights wouldn't go down easily, leaving their so-called mates to fight alone.
Leon thrust and parried, mindful of Lancelot, who had tripped and now lay sprawled on the ground. As the fighting got close, he tried to kick out at Leon's opponent to help bring him down. Finally, the remaining four assailants were slain, and Leon and Elyan both hurried over to Lancelot at the same time.
"You all right?" Elyan asked as he removed the gag.
Lancelot nodded, grimacing as Leon helped him sit up so he could reach the rope behind his back. "A bit bruised. They spooked my horse and I got thrown."
"That where most of these injuries are from?" Leon asked next.
Lancelot nodded again. "I'm sorry. We lost the prisoner because I wasn't being careful enough."
"We lost the prisoner because these bandits are smarter than we gave them credit for," Leon countered.
Lancelot's jaw ticked, and he exchanged a look with Elyan that suggested some shared meaning Leon wasn't privy to. But based on what he'd seen back at the camp, he could guess.
"It was my command," he told them both firmly. "I bear the responsibility for everything that happened."
Lancelot started to shake his head, but Leon cut him off before he could protest.
"It was my choice." He softened his volume. "I will always make this choice."
Lancelot ducked his gaze in humble gratitude, while Elyan met Leon's eyes and nodded. They may have been commoners, but they were more noble than many of the men Leon served with.
