A/N: Sorry it's been a while since the last update – I've been busy waiting for my exam results to be released. Finally got them this morning – I did pretty well except for missing the grade I needed in maths by ONE MARK. Ouch. My university wouldn't let me onto the course I'd been accepted for (because of one crappy mark), but offered me a similar one so I took it. UCL here I come...
Anyway, to the story...
Chapter Four
The next morning, Arthur and his knights gathered in the main chamber of Tolimus' fortress to wait for an audience with the General. They did not have to wait long – Tolimus entered the long room, flanked by two soldiers who took up posts in the doorway, and clasped arms with Arthur in a traditional greeting.
"I trust you rested well?"
"Indeed" Arthur replied. His knights had rested so well that half of them were hung-over. Gawain, Galahad and Tristan sat out of the reach of the sunlight which came in through a small window. Bors and Dagonet sat silently together, having stronger constitutions. Only Lancelot seemed his usual self, regarding the Roman General appraisingly from a nearby chair.
"Well" Tolimus said, sitting himself down at the head of the rectangular oak table. "I shall tell you why you are here"
Arthur smiled slightly. "Please, do"
The General ignored any insinuation he could have drawn from the knight's reply, and clasped his hands before him on the table.
"You may already know that the Irish have been settling in Wales, trying to consolidate a kingdom...they have been causing us trouble, but up until now we have had a barrier against them. The native Britons, although trouble themselves, hate the Irish perhaps even more than we do, and so far have been able to repel much of their invasion"
Arthur nodded – he knew all this already, so Tolimus continued.
"Recently an Irish leader, Hywel, landed on the west coast and defeated the Welsh in battle, creating a large Irish kingdom. They are now marching inland, in greater numbers than ever before, and the Britons will not be able to stop them. We, also, are not enough to stand against them...which is why you have been sent here"
"To suppress the Irish" Arthur said.
"Same as Picts, just with a different accent" Bors said gruffly, making Gawain grin.
"What about the Britons?" Arthur asked. "What happens to them while we're fighting the Irish?"
Tolimus's face darkened. "They must be taken care of...we cannot have them taking advantage of our position whilst our attention is elsewhere"
"Yeah" Bors said. "I 'ate it when that 'appens"
Arthur shot him a warning glance, and he quieted down, not without sharing a knowing look with a couple of the other knights. It was quite obvious what they thought of the Roman.
"So what would you like us to do first?" Arthur said. "Defeat the Welsh or the Irish?"
"The Welsh are difficult foes...they live in the woods, and fight in them. We can rarely draw them out into open battle, but I think there is a way to break their spirit. They have two leaders – a man named Lindon, who is their master in all things, and the woman named Auria, who leads them in battle and has caused me more trouble than I care to mention"
Arthur remembered something from the night before, and said;
"That's why you said we should have killed her yesterday"
Tolimus nodded. "Yes – if she were killed, or captured, the Welsh would not fight with such vigour. I want you to find her, or the leader, Lindon, and bring them to me. Failing that, kill them"
"What about the Irish?" Lancelot asked.
"The Irish will not make their move for more than a week. We have time to break the Britons before then"
"You said that the men in your fortress won't be enough to fight the Irish?" Arthur wondered.
"Four hundred troops arrive in two days. Then we will be enough."
Arthur nodded. It seemed a simple enough mission – neutralise the local threat and then turn his attention to the Irish foe. However...
"Why couldn't you have caught this woman or her leader before now?" he asked.
Tolimus's face reddened slightly. "We...ah...have tried. But without success."
Bors looked at Gawain and grinned. Lancelot raised an eyebrow.
"We must try harder then" he said.
"Yes...this is true" Tolimus agreed. "How you go about it is up to you. I would prefer them captured, but dead is just as good. If you kill them, be sure to bring me their bodies as proof"
Arthur looked at him. "You would not believe us?"
Tolimus stood, ready to leave.
"No, I would hang them from the battlements as a message to their people"
Auria awoke late the next morning, feeling well-rested and content. She sat up, pulled off her blanket, and stretched, yawning.
Almost immediately, she was aware of the fact that she reeked. 6 days riding and a miniature battle could definitely be guessed from the way she smelt, and she resolved to do something about it immediately. She dressed, picked up a small bag of herbs and woodland plants which acted as soap, strapped on her swords and a dagger, and set out for the river.
Although Auria's people moved around to keep the Romans guessing, they stuck relatively close to the river which flowed through several of the valleys surrounding the fortress. There were four waterfalls Auria knew of, but she didn't make for the nearest one to bathe in. Instead, she went further afield, relying on her sense of direction until its roar could dimly be heard, and she followed the sound until she saw it through the trees. No-one was around at this time of day, so she undressed, laying her clothes and weapons on a large rock, and dove into the shady pool at the waterfall's feet.
Tristan and Lancelot had been sent out following the meeting with Tolimus, to try and find the habitation of the two they'd been charged to capture. Tristan, because of his tracking skills, and Lancelot because some local soldiers were still complaining of his 'trickery' at the gaming table the night before, and Arthur felt it prudent he should be out of the way for a while. He would have welcomed a day of rest, but it was always interesting to watch Tristan at work.
The two knights rode some way due west from the fortress, and then Tristan set his hawk free, after giving the bird some words of advice. Lancelot watched the creature soar towards a belt of trees, and turned to his friend.
"Sometimes I think you prefer that bird to people"
Tristan's eyes were following the hawk, and he didn't look at Lancelot when he replied;
"That bird is more useful than most people"
"What now?"
"We follow it"
He led the way across the valley, keeping the hawk in sight as it wheeled above the trees, searching for habitation. It would look for a site with sufficient food and water, and that would naturally be an area in which people had settled. The two knights rode quietly through the woods, ever alert for danger, but they met with no-one, and soon the noise of a river could be heard crashing over rocks.
"A waterfall" Lancelot remarked, somewhat needlessly. Tristan was already making his way forward, and whispered back;
"They may have settled near the river"
Both men dismounted, the better not to be seen as they continued towards the cataract. Often, people made for a waterfall to wash clothes, gather water and bathe, and if there were a settlement nearby, chance dictated there would be human activity. This was just a scouting mission after all – if they were seen it could ruin things later on.
Auria swam leisurely for several minutes, then grabbed her cloth bag and made for the waterfall itself. Standing under its cooling spray, she lathered the herbs and rubbed them all over her body, removing all the accumulated dirt, grime, sweat and blood. She then worked them through her hair and rinsed it off, revelling in the fresh, clean smell and the feel of water falling onto her bare skin.
Thoroughly refreshed, she squeezed her hair out and went over to her bundle of clothes, which she donned. She sat down on the rock with a sigh and picked up a sword, unsheathing it and examining the dirty blade. It needed cleaning.
Resting the flat of the blade comfortably on her knee, she took a damp cloth and started to draw it along the blade, removing dried blood and tarnish. As her reflection started to show through, she considered that it needed sharpening too. Under her breath, she began to sing.
Lancelot crept forward through the trees, and the waterfall came into view. He and Tristan were on a high ledge at the top of the falls, and had a good view down to the pool below. What they saw surprised them both, and made Lancelot break into a wide grin.
A young woman sat with her back to them on the edge of the pool, barefooted, in a thin shirt and breeches, manipulating something with her hands that was obscured from their view by her body. Tristan sucked in a breath.
"If we'd got here sooner we might have had a better view"
He looked at Lancelot and they shared a grin. The woman's hair was wet – she'd obviously just been bathing.
"I think we've found one of the Britons" Lancelot said. "Shall we go and say hello?"
"No" Tristan replied. "We should follow her – she'll lead us to the settlement"
Lancelot nodded – it was a good plan. He turned back to watch the woman. Not that he could see her face, but from his viewpoint everything about her seemed to be in good order. She was dark-haired, slender, and...
Cleaning a sword?
As the woman turned to admire her handiwork in the sunlight, Lancelot frowned. Their women fought, so it followed that they carried weapons, but still...
"That's her!" Tristan hissed.
"What?"
"The woman! Auria!"
Lancelot looked back down at the woman. She had sheathed the sword and picked up another, identical one from the rock beside her. It was true that the woman they were to capture carried two swords...
"Are you sure?" Tristan had excellent eyesight, and if he said it was Auria, then it was Auria. Lancelot just couldn't quite believe they'd stumble upon her so soon.
"As sure as the sun" Tristan said. "What shall we do?"
Lancelot knew that he had to make a decision. Either they captured her now and took her back to the fort, or let her lead them to the settlement and returned later with the rest of the knights to launch an assault. They couldn't capture her and rely on Tristan's hawk to find the settlement afterwards – they'd have to take her straight back to the fort. Her people would realise she was missing before Arthur's men could return to look for the settlement, and although she was a valuable prize, leaving her alone for now could yield a greater one.
"Follow her" Lancelot said. "We can return later with Arthur and the men to take both her and her leader"
Tristan nodded, and they watched whilst Auria picked up a whetstone and began to sharpen her blades. Tristan chuckled.
"If we were for capturing her, I fear we've missed our chance. Those blades could deliver a nasty sting now!"
Lancelot smiled wryly. "Yes, if she knows how to wield them..."
Tristan well knew Lancelot's views on women, but thought his friend might be wrong about this particular member of the fairer sex. He shrugged as if to say; 'Who knew'?
"Just ask those twelve dead Romans..."
Lancelot made a non-committal noise, and they continued to watch until the woman finished her work and examined the sword again. Seemingly satisfied, she sheathed it and picked up the other one, strapping them both to her back, their belts making an X across her chest.
Still barefoot, she began to make her way away from the waterfall and into the trees. Lancelot and Tristan quickly mounted their horses and proceeded with all stealth after her.
As Auria finished sharpening her sword on the whetstone, she turned slightly to hold it up to the sunlight, studying the edge closely to look for notches or dull patches. As the iron caught the sun, the cliff behind her was well-reflected in the flat edge, and Auria's eyes were drawn to the blue of the sky, the lush green of the trees, and the two men who crouched near the edge of the cliff, looking down at her.
Her breath caught in her throat, and her muscles froze. She held her position for a few moments, as if admiring the blade, eyes fixed on the men in the reflection. They weren't her people – of that much she was certain. How long had they been there? If they wanted to kill her, they could have done it by now with a bow and arrow. However, she hadn't known they were there before – maybe if she acted as if nothing were wrong, they wouldn't bother her.
She brought the sword back down to her lap and started to sharpen it again, forcing her hands to work against the jitters which suddenly rushed through her body, calling for her to run, or jump up and confront the men. After a minute she held the blade up to the light again, being careful to hold it at the same angle as before. The men were still there, still watching.
They had to be Roman – they were the only other people in these valleys. If Romans were watching her, without intent to kill her, they must be waiting for her to lead them to the settlement...
She sheathed the sword and smiled grimly. She'd lead them somewhere, alright...
Tristan led Lancelot on a winding path through the trees, trusting to his instincts to track the woman. She walked purposefully but leisurely in a south-westerly direction, stopping twice to pick some herbs. The knights kept their horses silent, and out of sight, until they were sure that the settlement couldn't possibly be much further.
Lancelot glanced to Tristan – the man's eyes were intent upon his prey. Surely she couldn't have walked much farther just to bathe?
Suddenly, Tristan made a motion with his hand, and they stopped. Up ahead, Auria had picked up the pace and was now running through the brush. They could see a break in the trees – probably the site of the settlement.
Lancelot dismounted once again, and again he crept forward. His brows drew together as no tents or shelters came into view. Instead, beyond the trees there just seemed to be empty air. Tristan joined him, and together they passed the last tree....
The ground below their feet dropped away for dozens of feet, becoming nothing but bare earth and stone. It was a huge break in the forest, surrounded by trees – the site of an ancient quarry, long disused...and long empty.
Lancelot looked at Tristan.
"I don't think this is the settlement..."
Tristan's eyes were hurriedly scanning the quarry and the treeline. He swore under his breath.
"I've lost her"
"What?"
"It's bare stone...she was ahead of us and unless she's returned to the woods, she'll have left no tracks"
Lancelot took this in, thoughts making themselves known in his head. Unpleasant thoughts.
"She must have returned to the woods..."
"No...there are plenty of places to hide in here"
"She may have known we were following her"
Tristan's face was dark – that had occurred to him too. It also seemed the most likely explanation – Auria had led them on a wild goose chase. He swore again.
As the two men gazed out over the quarry, feeling more than a little indignant, a bird's cry was heard, and Tristan's hawk swooped down to land on his arm. Tristan gently stroked the creature.
"I wonder if you had better luck than we did, eh?"
The hawk merely pecked at his gloved hand for some food.
After one last look around the quarry, Lancelot turned back to the woods.
"Come one" he growled, "let's go back to the fortress"
He made a mental vow to get his own-back on the Briton. Few men showed him up like that, let alone women. He'd start well enough with her capture...
Auria broke into a run, bursting out of the trees and sliding down the steep wall of the quarry as fast as she could. She resisted the urge to cry out as a sharp rock drew a layer of skin from her bare foot. Reaching the bottom, she quickly ducked behind a boulder and concentrated on slowing her breathing, making as little noise as possible – she knew the two men weren't far behind, and would reach the treeline any second...
For several long seconds nothing could be heard except for the sigh of the gentle breeze. It was growing warm – the sun was breaking through the clouds, but luckily any shadow Auria cast was obscured by that of the boulder she crouched behind. She debated whether or not to risk a look towards the trees, her heart beating faster against her ribcage as indecision seized her.
She heard a noise on the wind, close-by...the murmur of voices, although she couldn't make out the words. The breeze dropped, and again there was nothing.
Someone was definitely up there, and all she could do was hope they wouldn't come down here looking for her.
The wind picked up again, and she heard a loud swearword in Latin. So, they were Romans after all.
The cry of a hawk turned her attention skywards, and she saw a bird circling down towards the trees. Normally birds wouldn't approach humans...unless this one were tame, she thought. As the bird descended it was lost from her view, and she waited once again, listening intently.
Nothing could be heard now...no voices, no footsteps...nothing.
Slowly, she raised her head above the boulder and scanned the treeline. The men were nowhere to be seen, and she prayed to all the gods that she'd waited long enough for them to leave – that they weren't just waiting for her to come out of hiding so they could follow her again, or perhaps kill her.
She scrambled back up the slope, wincing at the pain in her foot, stopping at the place she'd come through the trees. Just a few feet away were tracks leading back into the wood – footprints which turned into hoof-prints after a little way. The men had left after all. Auria felt relief course through her.