Chapter 2 Encampment
"Were you born in to serfdom?" Galahad inquired curiously as snow started to fall like little white feathers from the heavens. Possibly sent down from the gods.
"No, when I was fourteen, I was captured by Roman slavers, along with my sisters Awel, and Heulwen, and my cousins Gwenhwyfar and Lucan. My parents too were enslaved but we were separated. I had two brothers Gruffyd and Wynfor but they are among my people, the Woads."
"You are a Woad?" He replied interrogatingly.
I nodded. "Yes. I am a Woad and proud of it. What are you again? Sarm...Sarm? I can't remember the name."
"Sarmatian." He replied with slight humor in his voice which I detected.
"Oh yes, Sarmatian. Are you from the land the Romans call Sarmatia? Tell me of your past. I've told you of mine." I demanded feeling like a complete fool.
He gave me a silly skeptical look and we both started to chuckle. "Well I grew up in the land of Sarmatia. I left when I was younger because we had to serve the empire which is failing. I miss my homeland so much that I can't even explain it. It is a painful subject to discuss. My father was a warrior and his father before him. He died gloriously in battle as he attempted to do the impossible, take on seven men all at once. But my mother, she was so elegant and fair. As a boy, I always thought she was so stunning and I would like to see her once more but I can't because of the cursed Romans. Including that cursed Marius Honorius who should burn in hell." He exclaimed staring straight at Marius Honorius as if he was about to lash out and put an end to him, "Why he would treat a lady like you like that is a hard question to answer. It is quite thoughtless." I wasn't sure whether it was flattery or a compliment but again it made me blush. That was all I could ever do aside from asking stupid questions.
"He had me thrown in the pit because I was caught chanting a spell for a prosperous harvest so we can have more food on the table. As Serfs, we were given about enough food to feed one person. Being that I lived in a cottage with four other people, it was quite impossible to eat enough." I retorted as he glanced at Marius in disgust and yielded his horse. He descended from the saddle and carefully set me down on the ground. I started to quaver, I was so weak and just as I was about to fall he caught me in such haste. "You're shivering! Let me get you something." He declared as he reached into his sack and pulled out a long dark green cloak then placed it around my tattered frock that was stained red in the back. He rubbed my shoulders trying to warm me which worked. He saw my fingers and said, "Gwenledyr, what happened to your thumbs?" "I was tortured and they used a device called the thumbs screw on me." I replied as he stared at my thumbs in disgust. "Will you allow me?" He started as he took up my hands in his. I nodded no but he said, "If I don't do this now, you will never be able to use your thumbs again." I finally consented and pushed both my thumbs back into their sockets. It was very painful.
"I thank you again." I responded as I pulled the cloak tighter. "You're welcome. Only for you mylady." He added as he continued, "Will you please excuse me? Arthur is calling me." I managed enough energy to walk around to the cart and found Gwenhwyfar sitting there trying to keep warm.
"Gwenledyr!" She exclaimed as she embraced me in surprise, "I was wondering where you had been." She was much warmer than I.
"Gwenhwyfar! Are you all right? What did the men do to you? Where is Lucan?" I asked her pulling the cloak tighter around me.
"They just locked me in the cell. I wasn't beaten. But they used a machine on me in which they pulled my fingers out of my sockets; Arthur had to help me push them back in. I was lifeless without food or water for days. I was waiting for death to embrace me and let me free of that madness then Arthur and his valiant knights arrived. I hate to admit it but I am quite taken with Arthur. But don't mutter that to another soul, especially Awel. She will start to tease me even more than she teases Dynawd. When I was lying there, I heard you scream as you were beaten and then again when your thumbs were pulled out of your sockets. Those men are completely ruthless and they deserved to be walled back up! I just saw Lucan a few minutes ago, he is off with Dagonet somewhere." She claimed searching the scene for Arthur but tried her hardest not to show emotion.
"That is quite dreadful. You poor thing. But my back is still bloody and I need new clothing. There is something I must admit to you as well. I too am quite smitten with a certain knight, his name is Galahad and he held me tightly in his embrace atop his stallion ever since we left the farm. He even aided me in pushing my thumbs back into their sockets. I really am quite taken with him. I can't explain it. When he saved me, my heart...my heart..."
"Your heart beat so fast you felt as if you were going to faint." Gwenhwyfar cut in finishing my sentence, "I too felt the same way when I first saw Arthur, my ray of hope. One day we shall return to Merlin and be free and among our people. I must convince Arthur that the Roman Empire is finished and that he must stay in Briton to help govern his people."
"You are right. He may stop the Saxons from invading all of Briton." I agreed as I caught sight of Galahad talking with Gawain. Galahad smiled right at me as I returned it with a grin. Gwenhwyfar saw me staring at him idly and said, "So that is the famous Galahad. Oh he is handsome but he does not compare to Arthur." I gave her a look and she laughed.
"He makes Arthur look ugly. Galahad is the most handsome of all the knights." She didn't say anything but just rolled her eyes and caught sight of Arthur and looked away.
"Are you trying to lure Arthur over here?" I inquired studying her closely and knew by her eyes that she was.
"No, I'm not."
"You are. Your eyes reveal all."
"They don't! They just seem that way."
"Well I had better go find Awel and Heulwen. Wish to come?" She shook her head no and I just smiled at her and departed. I searched high and low for Awel until I spotted her by the river. She was so elegant with his long black wavy hair which was dampened with snowflakes. Her face was short and her chin was oddly curved and had no cleft like mine had. She also had big blue eyes like my father but had her own mother's nose. Both she and Heulwen looked exactly alike except the fact that Heulwen was more pallid like me, Awel had bronze colored skin. In all truth, she wasn't my real sister, neither was Heulwen, they were sisters of me by my father, Gwawrddur the Hunchback but with by different mother, Ffion. My mother Gwenlliant gave birth to me, and my brothers Gruffyd and Wynfor. My mother was a Woad as was my father but Ffion was a Celt.
"Awel!" I called to her as she immediately just looked at me. She never wanted to embrace me or really speak to me. She always gave Heulwen a hug but she was closer with her because Heulwen had always been a mother to her. Awel was four years younger than me, Heulwen was six years older than me, and Gwenhwyfar and I were exactly the same age, seventeen. My brothers were both twins and were two years older than me, but I hadn't seen them since I was five, so that never mattered to me.
"Gwenledyr!" She exclaimed as she rushed over to me and threw her arms around me, which deeply surprised me, "I thought you would never survive that pit. I was looking for you when we departed but I couldn't find you."
"Oh Awel! While I was in the pit, I thought of your jokes and they helped me to get through it all. I was beaten senselessly by Aquila, the incredibly fat and obnoxious one. I sort of told him off because I was tired of taking all this bullshit from him. I should've told him to go eat cow shit or to go have sex with a sheep because I was so angry. And then when my savior, Galahad came, it was sheer ecstasy. He is the man of my dreams. I knew Brychan wasn't the One for me." She just gave me her, 'what the HELL are you talking about' smile.
"Who is Galahad?"
"Oh, he is the valiant and chivalrous knight that saved me. He scooped me up in his arms, held me in his embrace, and made me warm."
"Great Lady! Please put an end to Gwenledyr's chatter, for I can't take any of this!" I just gave her the glare of death and she too laughed. It never worked whenever I attempted to do it, it only made people laugh.
"Well dear sister, I must be off. Tell Heulwen that I inquired about her and that I will also see her very soon." I said cutting it short for I wanted to go speak to Galahad. "To where?" She asked skeptically as she went back to squeezing the water out of her hair. "To Galahad." I responded turning away, "I shall see you later. I love you Awel." I then walked all over the camp and discovered that Galahad was sitting around a bonfire with his fellow knights, Bors, Dagonet, Gawain, and Tristan. When Galahad saw me approach he stood up and seated me next to him where the fire seemed the warmest.
"I see that you've been all over this encampment." He declared as he opened his canteen and took a gulp of his drink, "I haven't once taken my eyes off you. Do you ever stay in one place?"
"No, I don't. What is that you are drinking?" I asked curiously watching him take another gulp.
"Whiskey, would you like some?" He responded as I nodded then he passed the canteen to me and I took a small sip, "It warms the body better than any other drink."
"Or any woman's warm embrace." Gawain added jokingly as he took a big gulp of his own canteen. He was drunk and it was easy to tell.
"Imagine what a lovely, quiet place the world would be if everyone had their throats slit." Galahad uttered as both Gawain and Bors broke out in laughter.
"Galahad, Galahad, Galahad, you are going to declare that with your lady of yours here?" Bors stated as he and I exchanged cynical expressions.
"Well it is true. The world would be a quieter because everyone would be dead." Gawain added as he drained his canteen and by his face he looked he was drunk and out of his wits, "The gifts the gods gave me I use in battle or in bed. That is my saying and it sounds much more pleasant. Doesn't it Gwenledyr?" I didn't understand when he asked me but later on I understood it was because I was the only woman there.
"Yes." I replied as all the men looked at me for a complete moment.
"Would you like some more whiskey? Mylady." Galahad inquired as he passed the canteen to me because he knew I did. I took another swig and glanced around at the guys. Gawain, Bors, and Galahad were drunk but Dagonet had his back to the fire and was staring at Lucan. Tristan, he was calming his hawk by saying soothing things to it.
I know it was stupid to do at the time but I placed my arm around him and he liked it. But he was drunk, I wondered if sober Galahad would permit me to? He just snaked his arm around my hips without a problem and he smiled at me and I at him. I soon excused myself and went to go find Gwenhwyfar who I saw with Fulcinia, the mistress.
"Be back soon." Galahad retorted as he kissed my hand like I was a lady which made me feel loved.
Gwenhwyfar was disrobing and Fulcinia was giving Gwenhwyfar one of her many beautiful gowns. It was a powder blue and it was lined with red and yellow ribbon. When Gwenhwyfar saw me she smiled and said, "Gwenledyr, come here." I did as she asked and went into the tent that was a little warm. Fulcinia examined me for a moment and took the cloak off me and studied my figure.
"I have just the gown!" She exclaimed as she left the tent for a moment and came back a moment later. She showed me a gown similar to Gwenhwyfar's but mine was a deep dark purple and violet with a powder blue ribbon. I stepped out for a moment so Gwenhwyfar could change into her new attire. After she came out, she looked elegant, the way she wore the gown made her figure look attractive. Fulcinia let me in, took the cloak off me, and pulled the back of my frock down. Next, she pulled out a bowl of warm water, some rags, and a bottle of oil.
"Oh, my dear, what did Aquila do to you?" Fulcinia asked as she examined my back that still had lash marks on it.
"He lashed me and pulled my thumbs out of their sockets for being a Pagan." I replied as she dipped one of the rags in the warm water and pressed it closely to my back.
"That is horrible." That was all she could say. I could've been a total brave serf for whipping out my dagger concealed on my thigh and stabbing her to death with it for all those years of toil but I couldn't thank her enough for her aiding me. She tried as she could to sneak food down into the pit but Marius Honorus would catch her and slap her across the face.
"It is." I added as I continued, "But it is horrible how Marius Honorus treats you like that. He had no right whatsoever." She just nodded and wasn't being very talkative. When she finished and bandaged up my back, I slipped into my new gown, and thanked her then threw Galahad's green cloak over me. Next Gwenhwyfar did my hair in the style in which I usually wore it, two strands of hair pulled back and braided in the back. I thanked Gwenhwyfar, gave her a hug, and bid her good night. Afterwards, I went back to the bonfire where Galahad was still sitting with Dagonet, Bors, Tristan, Gawain, and Lancelot who was sober. Lancelot looked completely miserable.
"Ah, mylady is back." Galahad exclaimed as he caught sight of me in new robes.
"Lancelot why are you so glum? Why not be merry in spirits, with us?" Gawain declared as he took a swig of more whiskey. Lancelot just gave him a stare of death then walked away from the bonfire.
"What go in to him?" Bors who was now drunk asked.
"Maybe he needs a good wench!" Gawain exclaimed unintelligently. I bid Galahad good night and was about to depart but he said, "Mylady, I have but one request of you, to give me a kiss on the cheek." All the other knights started to cackle and stared at us in interest as if we were in the spotlight. I felt odd.
"If that is your wish, then I will." Replied I as I drew nearer to him and gave him a kiss on the lips instead of on the cheek. The look of surprise on his made me giggle, it was so funny.
"Well then I bid you good night mylord. And may your dreams be pleasant and your thoughts be pure. Good night gentle knights." Gawain looked at me if disbelief, "Galahad and pure dreams. You mustn't be serious." We all laughed once more at that and I hastily retired. Galahad arose with me and strode with me towards Gwenhwyfar's tent. The snow fell so wonderfully, it couldn't have been any more glorious than it was. I loved every moment of it. Snowflakes landed in Galahad's hair and then dampened it but it only made him more alluring. Snowflakes landed in my hair too but just made my hair look like it was shining. As we reached the front of the tent, Galahad took by my hands in his and smiled at me. No one was around and if they were, they were sleeping so it was just my knight in shining armour and I. He reached forward towards me and gave me a great kiss. My body tingled with excitement. I wanted so much to pull him into the tent with me and lie beside him but I had neither the courage nor the bravery to do such a thing. I stood up on my tip toes and kissed his brow and caressed his face with my hands then offered him another kiss on the lips. He just smiled and laughed.
"I can do better." He declared as he placed his arms around my waist and drew me closer towards him and presented me with a long beautiful kiss. I wanted to stay like that forever. I wanted to be with him. The moment I saw him was the moment I forgot about that cursed Brychan. Galahad is the one I wanted, the one I loved and I was determined to have him.