OK every one, I just got back from a trip to the other side of the country and haven't had a lot of time or access to a good computer. But I am finally updating. Now this chapter is split in to two parts. The reason I did this is because I think it was better to separate the first part, which is light and funny, from the second part, which is darker and more moody. But the second part does have some of Trinaty's past in it.
Review Response:
Red Dragon10—Thanks so much. I am soo glad you like it. I love your story. I know that there are going to be some grammar and spelling mistakes. I suck in those areas, always have.
Jaulli Bass--- Thanks for reading my story. I'll try to look out for that Marry Sue thing. I think the second part of this chapter might help in that respect.
g.--- thanks for the guess. You'll have to wait and see who "he" is. I am in a process of illimination, so please keep reading. Thank you so much for the comment about my use of dialogue. About the thing between Tristan and Galahad. I don't really think Galahad really resent Tristan. But I think it kind of unnerves Galahad that Tristan can be so calm while he can barely control his emotions.
Kitty-Kat26--- Yeah there are two chapters that are almost exactly the same, but the first one was an example I put up before I edited it for the real story.
OK so thus far I have stated, in a round about way, that the "last knight isn't Bors or Galahad, or Arthur because he was in the main hall during the "kiss". That leaves Lancelot, Tristan, Gawain, and Dagonet. So keep guessing.
Chapter 3: Troubled Memories part one
Despite what Trinaty had said to Arthur the night before, she did watch as the knights rode out of the ancient gate of Hadrian's Wall. She watched, from her perch high in a tree, the process of opening the old rusted gates. The two horses that they had hooked up to the gates strained against the unwilling hinges.
Trinaty gave a slight start when she saw that the Bishop's weasel, Horton, was riding with them. If you could call it riding. Trinaty thought it more, clinging for life. Well, she thought, I guess it makes sense. Germanus will want a spy to make sure the knights stay loyal to Rome.
Seeing all she cared to, Trinaty began to climb down. She had crossed a broken down part of the wall the night before, after she had left the fortress. As Trinaty neared the ground the horse she had chosen for this journey lifted his head and whickered eagerly.
"Draco," she crooned. "You ready for a little journey." Draco threw his head up and down in anticipation of the work. "I know boy you've been stuck in the stables for a long time." She said sympathetically.
Draco was large, very shaggy, and as black as the night sky. She only rode Draco when she needed to go north or into the mountains. Other wise he stayed with a family that used him to plow their fields in the spring.
Trinaty kissed the horse affectionately on the nose and leapt easily into the saddle.
The knights rode hard all day, only stopping briefly to allow their horses to drink. Although the knights and their horses seemed to be exhilarated by the hard riding, Horton seemed to be taking it rather badly. But he soon gave up whining either because the pain became too unbearable, or the taunts from Bors and the others became too unbearable.
Trinaty tracked them from the woods. She had had to fall back when Arthur sent Tristan out to scout. Luckily Draco was a fairly fast horse and was able to make up the distance easily.
While she rode Trinaty had a lot of time to think. She had decided that she really didn't hate Arthur for this mess, but she did hate Germanus. She hated the Pope. She hated the Romans. She hated this whole stupid mission. But most of all she hated herself. Hated the part of her that was happy that the knights had been given one more mission. It meant that they would still be together in Briton. That they were in a place where she could see them and be with them; All of them together.
That's when she realized exactly how much she would miss them when they had all gone back to their homes. When they left her home, Briton.
They rode hard through the night and the next day with out incident. Then at the end of the second day they came to thick forest and stopped. Tristan, a few passes ahead of the other knights, scanned the foreboding tree line. Then he pointed and said, "there is the path. I knew it was here."
Arthur nodded, then turned to Lancelot, who was starring at the dark trees, and didn't notice the glance. "We'll make camp." Arthur said. "Better to attack this obstacle in the light after we've all had a rest."
Though all of the knights were relieved they showed no sign of it. Horton on the other hand gave a huge sigh of relief that earned him an amused glance from Bors.
Trinaty dismounted and watched as the knights made ready to camp for the night. They had move just inside the trees in an attempt to get out of the rain that had begun to fall.
"Time to show our hand, I think." She said to Draco, who had stared to graze on the sparse grass that covered the hill they were standing on.
Despite the cover of the trees, all of the knights were soaked by the time darkness fell apon them.
"I can't wait to get out of this hell hole." Gawain complained. "If it's not raining, it's snowing. If it's not snowing, it's foggy."
"And that's the summer," Lancelot interjected.
"The rain's good." Bors said, tilting his head back and letting it wash over his face. "It washes away the blood."
"But it doesn't improve the smell." Dagonet said with a sly look at his friend.
There was the sound of a twig snapping a little ways into the trees. Lancelot jumped to his feet and drew his sword. The rest of the knights, except Tristan, reached for their weapons nervously.
"Relax," Tristan said, "Its only Trinaty." Everyone looked at him. "She's been trailing us since we left Hadrian's wall."
Grinning at Tristan's unconcerned air, Trinaty slipped quickly and silently out from the trees just behind him and had her knife pressed lightly to his throat before the knights even had a chance to take their hands off their weapons. "Aren't we being a little cocky?" she said into his ear.
"No, just confident." He hadn't even twitched when he felt the blade.
Trinaty laughed as she slid her boot dagger back into its sheath. Then, sitting down next to Gawain, she said, "Lancelot why don't you put that away before you hurt your self." She grinned as Bors laughed raucously.
The noise of Bors's laugh woke Horton, and he glared at the big knight. Then he noticed Trinaty. He blinked to make sure that she wasn't a left over fragment from a dream. Convinced that she wasn't, he asked, "Who is this Woman?"
Trinaty was surprised that Horton had enough brains to recognize that she was a woman. For she was wearing leather trousers and a leather tunic, much like the knights wore. She hadn't bothered with her cape knowing that it would be soaked in the downpour, and she didn't really mind the rain that much. She figured it was her hair, which had become very dark because of all the water in it, and her breasts. They had always been her biggest problem when she had had to disguise her self as a boy.
"Who is this woman?" Horton repeated, since the knights had chosen to ignore him.
"My name," she said loudly, forcing him to look into her bright green eyes, "Is Trinaty. And you would do good to remember that." Gawain grinned at her hoping that she would take a mind to beat at Horton's rather dull and ragged wits.
But Trinaty had taken the knights' lead, and having said all she needed had dismissed Horton out of hand. This more than anything infuriated Horton, but his exhausted mind could not think of a haughty retort. So he turned over and tried to dose off again.
Gawain wrapped his arm affectionately around Trinaty and said in a flirtatious voice, "You being here makes the day all the brighter."
"Gawain," she said looking at him in mock concern, "Have you lost your mind? It's night. And it's raining"
He grinned sheepishly. "Well a man can try."
Trinaty smiled at him and leaned against his chest. Thought the cold really didn't bother her, – she had grown up with Briton's freezing winters – she could admit that she did enjoy the body heat emanating from Gawain.
Bors snorted and rolled his eyes at Gawain and Trinaty.
"Bors," Galahad said, "Do you intend to take Vanora and all of your bastards with you?"
"That's a decision I've been tryin' to avoid," He said gloomily, "by getting killed." Gawain snorted and Galahad laughed. Bors continued, "She wants to get married and give all the kids names."
"I thought they had names." Galahad said.
"Just Ginny, we just gave the others numbers."
"I didn't think you could count." Lancelot said with a grin. Bors glared over at him.
"Women," Tristan muttered distastefully as he sharpened the curved sword that was his choice weapon apart from a bow and arrow.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Trinaty said indignantly. Tristan chose not to answer.
"Well you don't exactly act like a lady, now do you." Jols said. Trinaty snorted at this but smiled and pulled out her boot knife again. She began to fiddle with it as Bors went on.
"Nah," He said. "I kinda like the little bustards. They mean somthin' to me."
"You'd miss 'em" Dagonet said in an understanding voice
"I don't know what I'd do with out them." Bors paused, then raised his voice. "Especially Number Three! He's a good fighter."
"That's because he's mine." Lancelot said.
Unable to think of a good response to that Bors stood up and said, "I'm goin' for a piss."
There was a moment of silence. Then Arthur came walking up to the pathetically sputtering fire.
"Where have you been Arthur?" Trinaty asked.
He looked at her with less surprise in his eyes than she had been expecting. "Trinaty." He bowed his head in greeting, then answered, "I was thinking."
Trinaty narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "You knew I would come, didn't you?"
He smiled. "I don't have to be a seer to know that you care to much about your friends to let them go into a dangerous situation with out you."
She just shrugged and said, "Well I can't let you have all of the fun."
"Of coarse not."