OK. Now for a real introduction.
Shining Knight (I still might change the name) is the story of a King Arthur as seen in the Touchstone Pictures movie. Although I am adding a bit from the book by, Frank Tompson, a bit from the legend, and a bit of my own imagination. This last bit being mostly Trinaty, my main character.
Now to all of those who have read my first posting of this story must read this new installation because it has been revised and edited and is a lot, lot better.
Reviewer Response:
RuByMoOn17 No there will be no Slash. I personally don't approve of Slash when it comes to FanFiction.
g. My one anonymous reviewer. Thank you for your comments, they do help me to figure out what the hell it is I'm doing. Thanks for the heads up about the name, but I think I'll keep Trinaty. It's just that I want to own this character completely. And I'm not so worried on being very accurate, legend wise. But please do give me a shout if I mess up big time.
Aurien I will definitely post a short Bio. on Trinaty. But I do eventually want to write a story about her and the knights prior to the move. There is a lot behind her. And no I don't take offense to your comment. I mean I would defiantly want to know a little bit about certain character in that position.
And to all of you who are wandering just who the hell this "last knight" is. Well you'll just have to wait and see. This is the little bit of mystery in my story. Hope you like it.
Oh! Oh! Oh! Wait I forgot one little thing. The Disclaimer. Oh what a bother they are. So here we go, inhales deeply. I don't own King Arthur, the Movie or the Book, or the legend for that matter. I don't own any of the characters, except for Trinaty of coarse. Well I think that's about it.
Chapter 1: Freedom At Last
As the Sarmatian knights under Arthur's command crested the hill they looked down, for what they hoped was the last time, upon one of the last outpost on Hadrian's Wall.
"Tonight, I'm going to drink until I can't piss strait." Bors said reverently.
"You do that every night." Gawain said from next to him.
"I can never piss strait. There's just too much of me. Down there I mean. It's a real problem." Bors explained. "It's like a baby's arm," he started.
"Holding an apple!" all of the knights recited in unison. They all laughed, and began to ride down the hill.
The knights talked good-naturedly as they escorted Bishop Germanius and his small troop of Roman soldiers to the wall. They had been looking forward to this day for fifteen years. Some had been waiting even longer.
As they rode Gawain glanced at Galahad, who had a grim, troubled look on his face. "Is this your happy face?" Gawain asked him in mock concern.
"I don't like him." Galahad said, jerking his head towards the carriage. "Why does he not discharge us and have done with it?"
"Do you not know yet?" Gawain said with a grin. "They can't so much as scratch their ass with out a ceremony."
"Why don't you just kill him and discharge your self?" Bors said riding up between them.
"I will if it comes to that."
"Aah. You'll miss killing once your back home." Bors said philosophically.
"No." Galahad said. "I don't kill for pleasure. Unlike some."
Tristan rode up on the other side of Galahad in time to hear his comment. He glanced over at Galahad and said, "You should try it some time. You might get a taste for it."
Galahad shook his head incredulously. "As of tomorrow this was all just a bad memory." He said bitterly and spurred his horse forward.
Tristan whistled twice and held out his arm. A gray hawk that had been circling over head, swooped in and landed on his outstretched arms. He handed the bird a scrap of meet from his pocket and cooed to it in a loving voice that he only used when talking with the great hawk. "Where you been? Hey. Where you been?" he asked tipping the birds beak as a father would do with his son.
"I have often thought of what going home would be like." Gawain said reflectively. "I have been in this life, longer than the other." He said to Bors, vaguely indicating Galahad. Home is not as clear in my mind.
"Speak for yourself." Bors said. "It's fucking cold back home. And everyone I know is dead and buried. Once the Romans are gone we'll have the run of the place." He said indicating the surrounding country. "I'll be governor of my own village. And Dagonet will be my bodyguard and royal arse kisser, won't you Dag!"
Dagonet grinned at the jibe and pulled a dagger out of his belt. He jabbed the dagger lightly into Bors's butt.
"Kiss harder, ya dirty beast!" Bors said in a mock commanding voice.
Gawain laughed and said, "The first thing I'm gonna do when I get home is find a beautiful Sarmatian woman to marry."
"Beautiful Sarmatian woman?" Bors asked. "Why do you think we left in the first place?" He said and made a mooing noise.
Gawain laughed as Lancelot came riding level with them. "And what of you, Lancelot?" Bors asked. "What are your plans for home?"
"Well if this woman of Gawain's is as beautiful as he claims, I expect I'll be spending a lot of time at his house. His wife will welcome the company." Lancelot said, grinning at Gawain.
"And where will I be?" Gawain asked in mock outrage at Lancelot's words.
"Wondering at the good fortune that all your children look like me." He said simply, and spurred his horse forward to ride next to Arthur.
"Is that before or after I hit you with my ax?" Gawain called after him.
Arthur and Lancelot rode side by side for a moment before Lancelot said, "Did you hear? Bors is governor."
Arthur smiled. It warmed him to hear his men laugh and enjoy them selves.
"For my self," Lancelot continued. "I start for home in the morning. As soon as the sun's up. I may not even sleep. I doubt I can, thinking about it." He glanced over at his friend. "What about you, Arthur? I was beginning to imagine that you actually liked it here."
"Well I don't think much of your imagination then." Arthur said. "Come tomorrow, I make my own plans for Rome."
"Rome!" Lancelot all but spat. "And what will you do, Arthur, when you return to your 'beloved' Rome?"
"Give thanks to God, Lancelot, that I survived to see it again."
"You and your God! You disturb me." He said with a shake of his head.
Arthur laughed and looked his friend in the eye. "Peace, Lancelot. I want peace. I've had enough of fighting and killing." He looked for ward again and continued after a short pause, "You should visit me, in Rome. It is a magnificent place. Ordered. Civilized. Advanced."
"A breeding ground for pompous fool, like him." Lancelot said indicating the Carriage that Germanius rode in.
Arthur shook his head and smiled. "The greatest minds in the land have come together in this one sacred place to make mankind free."
A sly gleam appeared in Lancelot's eyes and he said, "And the Women?"
Arthur smiled and looked back at his old friend. Then they both laughed.
There were cheers from the crowd of small children and many of the men and women, as the band of knights road into fortress's courtyard.
Germanius looked around in disgust at the courtyard and the crowd of children veining for the attention of the shorter, gruff knight, Bors. The Bishop watched as red hared woman walked up and slapped Bors across the face. A few words passed between them and then she kissed Bors with a passion the revolted Germanius.
"My quarters have been made available for you." Arthur was saying to him.
"Yes." Germanius said. "I need to rest."
Gawain turned to Galahad and whispered, "Yeah, it's really exhausting to ride in a fancy carriage."
Galahad gave a humorous snorted.
While the knights spoke with The Bishop in the fortress hall, a hooded rider came galloping up to the gates.
"Who goes there?" called the guard.
"Let me in!" the rider yelled back.
"Who goes there?!" the guard repeated.
"Who the hell are you to ask!"
Drawn by the commotion, Jols walked up behind the guard just as he was about to yell back at the rider. "Trinaty? Is that you?" Jols called out before the guard had the chance to yell a crude remark.
"Who the hell do you think it is." Yelled the rider.
Jols smiled and nodded to the guard to open the gate. The gates creaked open and the hooded rider prodded her horse forward through them.
"Trinaty." Jols said happily coming down from the wall. He held his arms wide in greeting.
"Jols, It's so good to see you." Trinaty said embracing the squire affectionately.
"Why have you come?" Jols asked her.
"Do you really think I would miss this night of all nights. My friends are finally free." She said indignantly. "Besides," she shrugged, "I want to see how drunk Bors is gonna get. And I've brought him a little present to help him in that respect." She pulled back the flap on her saddlebag revealing several fine glass bottles.
"I see," Jols said chuckling. "Well their in the dinning hall with Bishop Germanius."
"They'll be out soon. If I know the men, and I am certain I do, they won't spend more time then they have to around a Roman or a man of the Christian church." She said 'Christian' with disgust.
"Probably right." Jols said with a grin. He knew she was only too right.
The knights grumbled as they exited the dinning hall, led by Lancalot. As they entered the inner courtyard, where the knights usually ate, they herd a yell of delight. They all looked around and saw a woman with bright red hair running towards them.
She flung her self at Lancalot and kissed him full on the mouth. Lancalot wrapped his arms around her and looked into her eyes. "It's good to see you too, Trin." He said grinning from ear to ear.
Trinity pulled away from him and proceeded to kiss all of the knights in the same manner. They all greeted her with joy and kissed her back. As she kissed the last knight she deepened it, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"It's really good to see you." She muttered reverently against his lips.
He held her away from him and looked into her eyes with a look that was close to longing. "It is good to see you too." He said. His voice was deep and made her shiver with delight.
"Hey now that's enough." Bors roared. "No more of that unless you're gonna share it with the rest of us." He picked her up around the waist and threw her over his shoulder.
"Hey! Bors put me down!" Trinity shouted, pounding Bors's back with her fist. All of the knights laughed. "Gawain help me." She said piteously.
"You can get your self out of this. I've seen you do it before." Gawain said as Trinity looked at him upside-down.
"Well yeah." She said. "But I don't wanna hurt 'im." This made Bors laugh so hard he nearly dropped her on her head. "Hay! Will you put me down before you drop me." She yelled at Bors.
Bors finally put her down and grinned at her. "Now how's about some drinks for these fancy cups." He bellowed, holding up the gold goblet he was still holding from the fortress hall.
Several of the eager women that had gathered in the courtyard to flirt with the knights quickly rushed off to fetch wine. Trinity walked over to where her saddlebag rested on a table. She pulled out one of the glass bottles and held it up in the air triumphantly.
"What ya got there Trin?" Galahad said curiously.
"Wait till you try it." She said with a grin. She poured a small amount of the amber into Galahad's cup. The knight eagerly gulped it down. Immediately he began to choke and sputter.
"Hey now! Give me some of that." Bors said laughing at Galahad's predicament.
"What is that stuff?" Gawain asked.
"That's a secret." Trinity said pouring some into Bors's cup. "Drink it slow." She warned.
"Why couldn't you have told me that?" Galahad gasped.
"I would have. But you gulped it down like a man that hadn't had any thing to drink in days." She said defensively as one of the many women that now milled eagerly about the court yard, patted his back and handed him a glass of wine with a suggestive smile.
Bors took a sip of the drink and swilled it around his mouth. He swallowed and nodded approvingly. "Not bad." He held out his cup for more. She filled his cup and turned to the other knights.
"Lancalot?" She asked, holding up the bottle.
"No thanks, dear lady. I'll stick to wine, thank you."
"Gawain? Dagonet?" she asked. They both shook their heads; Gawain smiled and pulled one of the willing women into his lap as if for a shield. Trinity stuck out her bottom lip at them. Then she turned hopefully to Tristan. She held up the glass in question.
"Why not?" he said, holding out his own cup. Trinity smiled and filled his it. Tristan held up his cup in a toast and then threw back his head and downed the contents.
When he had swallowed all of the liquid he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and nodded to Trinity.
"That's not fair." Trinity heard Galahad whine from behind her. She let out a laugh and began to relax as the night became more and more noisy as the knights, Galahad in particular, became more and more drunk.
Trinaty watched as Lancelot gambled with a couple of Roman soldiers. Lancelot had just won again with the dice when Vanora came up to the table with a tray of drinks. "Drinks any one?" she asked.
Laughing, Lancelot pulled Vanora into his lap. "When are you going to come and run away with me?" he said with a slight slur in his voice.
"My lover is watching you!" Vanora said indignantly, slapping him lightly I the face before standing up and walking off.
Trinaty looked over to where Bors stood holding his newest son. She grinned as Bors hastily checked the infant for any resemblance to Lancelot. Seemingly satisfied he handed the baby back to Vanora. "Here, be a mother to your son."
Trinaty stood up and put a hand on Lancelot's shoulder. He nodded to her and she started to wonder over to where Gawain and Galahad were throwing knives at the back of a chair. Tristan watched them, while he sliced pieces off an apple with one of his daggers.
Galahad let out a cry of triumph as one of his daggers imbedded it self in the chair. "Beat that!" he said to Gawain nearly falling backwards off his chair.
Wordlessly Tristan casually flung the knife he was holding. It hit the handle of Galahad's knife, and stuck. Trinaty gave whoop of glee.
"Tristran, how do you do that?" the accent that created the second 'r' sound in Tristan's name was intensified by Gawain's slightly slurred speech.
"I aim for the middle." He said nonchalantly.
"He's just good." Trinaty said. She could feel that she was beginning to get drunk herself, or at least tipsy. She walked over she planted a noisy kiss on Tristan's cheek.
"Oh, for goodness sake, Trinaty!" Gawain exclaimed. "Don't be such a girl."
"Girl?" she asked indignantly. "Girl? Have you ever seen a girl do this?" She pulled a dagger from her belt and threw it at the other two daggers. The third dagger's point stuck in the handle of Tristan's blade.
Before Trinaty could gloat there was a cry of "Sing! Sing!" from the other side of the courtyard. They all turned to see Bors pulling Vanora, still holding her young son, in to the middle of a clearing in the crowd. There were a few more encouragements and then all was quiet.
Vanora looked at her son lovingly and then began to sing. Her voice filled the courtyard and the hearts of the knights and Trinaty. She sang of going home and a strange feeling settled over Trinaty. A sense of foreboding, as though something very unwelcome was about to happen.
Turning to look for the source of this feeling, Trinaty saw Arthur standing at the very back of the small crowd. He looked at Vanora and then at his knight. Trinaty could feel his anguish and indecision as he turned to leave.
"Arthur!" Jols called out, finally spotting him. The heads of all of the knights snapped around to look at their friend and commander.