Eva's fever lasted throughout the night and into the early hours of the morning, but she began to stir as the pale daylight filtered into the wagon.
"Ser...?" she muttered, tossing restlessly.
"I'm here," Serin told her gently, placing a new rag on her sister's head.
Galahad came over to their wagon to check on her, "Is she doing any better?" he asked concernedly.
Serin nodded, "Her fever seems to have lessened, and she's waking up a bit," she continued, "I wanted to thank you for helping me last night," she smiled at him gratefully, "No one would have paid any mind to me if you hadn't come."
"It was nothing, don't thank me," he said dismissively, "thank Arthur, he's the one who helped the most, I did nothing."
"Never say that," Serin told him soothingly, "you've always done something, and whether you saved someone's life, or if you were just there to encourage, someone's life will always be affected with any small thing you do or say to help them."
Galahad smiled at her warmly, and reached out to run his fingers through her long hair, which blew across her face in the in the snowy breeze. He put his arm around her, and she leaned back to rest against his shoulder. They sat this way for a moment, not saying a word, until Eva's voice startled them.
"Serin?" Eva said in her sleep, louder than before, then awoke suddenly and leaned up against her makeshift pillow. She grinned at the sight of Serin and Galahad, who had almost fallen asleep, and were hurrying to sit up straight.
Eva laughed hoarsely, "I've been asleep for a long time," she commented good-naturedly, "fill me in, when's the wedding, and am I invited?"
Serin looked at Eva, smiling and sitting there as though she were serious, and burst out laughing, as did Galahad.
Eva just smiled, "Can I have a drink?"
There was a ruckus outside, and Galahad excused himself to see what was happening.
"Yes, you may have a drink." Serin told her sister, handing her a leather flask.
"Thank you," Eva said, and downed several gulps of water.
"I wonder what's going on out there," Serin wondered, peeking through the curtain on the side of the wagon, but could see nothing, she only heard shouts.
"Stay here," she ordered Eva, who protested greatly, but grudgingly stayed inside.
Serin jumped out of the wagon, and went to see where the shouts were coming from.
As she rounded a bend in the path, she saw Marius, laying on the ground, dead, with an arrow sticking in him, and his guards giving up their weapons.
"What's happening?" Eva said, coming up behind Serin, "Oh," she gulped, seeing what was in front of them.
The girl Guinevere stood, holding a bow, while some of Arthur's knights collected the guard's weapons.
So she's the one who shot him, Serin thought, good for her, he deserved it.
"Why did she shoot him though?" Serin whispered to Eva, who was gazing wide-eyes at the scene before them.
Eva shook her head, "I don't know,"
Galahad strode over to them uneasily, and explained, "He tried to kill the boy, Lucan," he shook his head at the man's cruelty, "Guinevere shot him just in time."
Lucan stood with another knight, Dagonet, holding him very close, as a father and son they appeared.
"Good riddance," Serin growled fiercely, "he was nothing more than a mad tyrant."
Tristan rode up on his horse and dropped a Saxon crossbow at Arthur's feet, "Armor piercing," he said, and warned them of the approaching army.
Arthur urged the people to keep moving as fast as they could.
In a little while, the snow began to blow more thickly, bathing the bleak landscape in a white, as the caravan came up on a frozen lake.
"Get the people out of the wagons," Arthur told a man, "tell them to spread out."
The fellow nodded, and went to relay the message.
The lake groaned under all of their weight, threatening to break and send them all to the depths.
Serin's heart beat wildly as she stepped carefully forward, wincing with every step toward the other side.
The ice made horrible crunching and scraping noises as they neared the end of the ice.
Eva shuddered and clutched her sister's sleeve, "We're going to die, aren't we?" she asked in a hushed voice.
"No," Serin shook her head, "not today."
A particularly loud groan came from beneath.
At least I hope, she added silently.
Many of the people heaved sighs of relief as their feet touched on solid ground, but Serin could see the knights preparing to fight.
"Stay here," she told Eva, who was too tired to object.
Guinevere strode over to the knights, who were lined up at the edge of the lake, "You could use another bow," she told them, taking her place beside Lancelot.
Marius's son Alecto volunteered to fight, but Arthur shook his head,
"You must bear witness to all that you have seen." he advised the boy.
"I can fight," Serin piped up, "just lend me a sword."
Galahad took her aside, "I cannot let you fight," he told her, "you must go with your sister."
Serin looked at him hard, "Eva can take care of herself, and you need all the help you can get."
"No," he told her firmly, "get going, I can hear the Saxons' footsteps, they're so close."
"But-" she protested, but he held up his hand to stop her.
"Go, that is all I will say, except goodbye, if I never see you again." he said sadly, then left to join the others at their place near the ice.
Serin scowled in frustration, Why do they let her fight and not me? she thought angrily, but finally decided to catch up with the rest of the people.
"What were you doing?" Eva wanted to know, as her sister ran to catch up with her.
"One moment," Serin gasped, trying to catch her breath. Once she had regained her composure, she sighed, "They won't let me fight,"
Eva arched a brow, "You can't fight worth-"
"I can so," Serin interrupted, "Papa taught me how when I was little."
Eva frowned, "I don't remember Papa well," she pulled her cloak tighter around her, "he never spent much time with me," she paused, "you were his favorite, his spirited fighter."
"That's not true," Serin protested, "he loved you just as much as me."
"No," Eva continued, "I was always the one who got ignored, he had fun with you and Robin."
They fell silent at the mention of Serin's twin brother, who had been killed by one of Marius's officers for trying to run away, that was three years ago. Their mother had died only a year ago, and their father, seven years ago.
Serin was glad that her father did not live to see Robin's death; it would have broken his heart to know that his only son was dead.
"Want to get back in the wagon?" Eva asked suddenly, as the cold wind whipped at their clothes and hair.
She shook her head, "No, I'll stay out here a little longer."
"Suit yourself," Eva said, shivering, and climbing into shelter.
Serin walked quietly, thinking of her brother, and of Galahad, wondering if he would meet such a fate as Robin.
