Serin awoke suddenly as the wagon went over a bump in the road, wondering if it had all been just a horribly realistic dream, but when everything came flooding back to her, she knew she could not fool herself.

"Finally awake?" Eva giggled, handing Serin a hunk of bread, "You practically passed out when you came inside."

Serin nodded, chewing slowly, then glanced outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the knights riding past.

"They're not here yet," Eva said sadly, patting her sister's shoulder.

"There's been no news?" Serin asked hopefully.

Eva shook her head, "No, and even if there had been I would have woken you up to tell you."

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the low moaning of the wind outside.

"How much farther is it to the wall?" complained Serin, as the wagon hit another uneven bit of road.

"Not too much longer and we'll be there, from what they've told me," replied Eva, curling up under her cloak.

"Good," Serin sighed, "I can't take much more of this."

Suddenly the wagon jolted to a stop, startling them both.

Serin and her younger sister scrambled out to see what was going on, and saw the great wall, looming up ahead.

"We made it!" Eva exclaimed, hugging Serin tightly and jumping up and down.

Let's hope the others make it too. she thought, staring at the gray stony fortress.

As the refugees entered the wall, they were shown to quarters by some Roman guards, but Serin was too restless to stay in one place, and wandered out onto the wall to watch as the endless stream of people flooded into the refuge.

Every time a horse whinnied, she started, looking for the approaching knights, why was it taking them so long?

Then at the rear of the refugees, she saw them, battle-ridden and weary looking.

"Artorious's knights are coming!" shouted a nearby sentry.

Serin's heart skipped a beat as she ran down the stone steps to meet them at the gate.

"Stay back," a guard ordered her gruffly, as she rushed forward to see, "Bishop Germanus will greet them."

As the knights rode through the gates, Serin counted them in turn, but found one missing, Dagonet.

No, she thought angrily, if they had let me fight- but her thoughts were interrupted by Germanus's voice.

"Ah, Alecto," he said to Marius's son, the Pope's favorite godchild, "let me look at you, let me see you!"

Alecto looked positively revolted, but remained silent.

"Bishop Germanus," Arthur said loudly.

"Ah, yes, your release papers, take them, you are free." The Bishop grinned falsely.

The knights grumbled in grief and anger for their fallen friend. Lancelot took the papers and gave one to each of the knights. Her gave Bors two, one for Dagonet.

Maybe if I had fought, I would have died in his stead, Serin lamented to herself, looking at the grief-stricken faces of the knights, maybe things would be different. Then she thought of Robin, and her mother and father, realizing that she did not want to die yet, death is forever.

She placed her arm around Galahad, and they walked along the wall in silence for a time, then stopped, surveying what could be seen from atop the wall.

"Serin," Galahad's voice brought her back from her thoughts. She looked up at him, and smiled sadly, waiting for him to continue. He did not say anything more; there were no words to fit this moment.

He looks distraught, she thought.

She smoothed the hair away from his face. "Don't frown so," she said gently. "We cannot change the past. Only the future."

He ran a hand along her cheek, "And how shall we do that?" he asked softly.

She said nothing, but instead kissed him.

He kissed her back, and she realized just how much she loved him. She wanted to stay there, with him, forever. She would forsake all else if she could only have him to herself for as long as they both lived.

Then she remembered the Saxons.

"They're not gone are they?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"No. We didn't defeat them," he told her quietly. "We only delayed them, they will be here by tomorrow."

Serin stopped, and turned to stare out towards the pale setting sun on the horizon. "Will we all die?" she murmured, leaning on the stone battlements.

"No," he told her. "We won't die, not yet."

"And you'll protect me if anything happens?" Serin rested her head upon his shoulder.

He turned to look at her, and smiled, "If anything happens," he repeated, and leaned down to gently kiss her cheek. "When I go back to Sarmatia, will you come with me?" he asked her quietly.

She smiled, "Of course I will, I haven't got any reason to stay here."

Once again she looked out at the horizon, "How many Saxons are there?" she asked. "Will we be able to fight them all?" The wind picked up, and whipped her hair around.

Galahad shook his head, "There's no need to fight anymore. You heard Germanus, we're free men." he smiled gently, and put his arm around her. "I can go home and take you with me."

Serin stood up straight, looking at him hard, "You will do nothing then? You will leave the wall defenseless, and let these vile Saxons rule over us?"

"What do you mean us? You'll be safe with me in Sarmatia."

"This is my land! I won't see it destroyed by the Saxons!"

He again shook his head, not looking at her. "I want only to go home Serin. I want you with me."

"But you must do something!" she protested, "The fate of this land, this people depends on it!"

"A mere six knights cannot triumph over this great force," he ran his fingers through her hair. "We cannot help the wall now."

She brushed his hand away angrily. "Your home matters so much to you. Does it not cross your mind that I might care about mine?" The light of the sun faded as Serin walked silently away from him, angry at the Romans for leaving, and the knights for abandoning the land they had so long protected. Mostly she was angry at Galahad, the person who should most understand her desire to save her homeland, the man she loved.


Eva found her sister shedding tears of fury in the courtyard of the fortress, and sat with her until she had consoled herself.

"Will you go with the caravan that leaves tomorrow?" Serin said, wiping her face on her sleeve.

Eva looked at her older sister solemnly, "Wherever you go, I will go." she answered, smoothing Serin's disheveled hair.

"Even if it means death?" she murmured, rubbing her reddened eyes.

Eva nodded, "I will fight."

"I can't let you," Serin said, shaking her head.

"Galahad couldn't let you," Eva replied steadily, "Because he loved you too much."

"No," Serin said, "If he loves me, he would stay and fight."

"He wants you away from danger, can you not see that? It would hurt him terribly if any harm came to you." Eva stood, as did her sister.

"It would be worse to die running from the battle, than fighting in it." Serin retorted, as the two made their way back to their quarters.

Eva smiled, "I agree, and so would Papa, he would be proud of your spirit." She settled herself on her bed, "I wonder if any will stay and fight."

"If they have any honor they will," Serin objected, blowing out their candle and drawing up her blanket.

"I will fight..." Eva said in a dreamy voice, and yawned.

I will fight, that I know, Serin resolved to herself, and lay awake for a while, regretting having been so harsh with Galahad earlier. She did love him, no matter what he did or didn't do.

Likely he'll go home and seek comfort in the arms of some Sarmatian girl, she thought gloomily, and sat up in her bed, hugging her knees to her chest for warmth. Will any of the knights stay? she wondered, Will Arthur abandon the country he has fought so long to save?

She rose from her bed, wrapped in her cloak, and slipped her shoes onto her feet, intending to go ask him this very question.

Eva turned over in her bed as Serin opened the heavy wooden door, but she did not let on that she was awake.

The door creaked shut, and Serin made her way along the dark halls to Arthur's chamber. As she neared it, a rustle startled her, and she ducked into a niche in the stone wall, peering around the corner to see who had made the noise

Guinevere was tiptoeing away from Arthur's room, looking around to see if she had disturbed anyone.

Serin called out to her in a hushed voice, "Will Arthur not fight?"

The older girl turned around quickly, "Who's there?"

Serin stepped into the faintly moonlit corridor, "It's only me," she told Guinevere, who was trying to smooth her disheveled brown hair.

"Will he not fight?" Serin repeated

Guinevere smiled, "He will fight, as will I."

"At least someone will," Serin muttered, "I will, but I have no weapons, nor an army to fight alongside me."

"You have spirit, yet you do not know what will happen tomorrow," Guinevere told her, "There is an army, not of Rome's making, outside of the wall."

Serin's eyes widened, "Woads?"

Guinevere laughed softly, "Do you not remember? I am a Woad, did you think that my people would give up our lands to the Saxons? We did not give them up to the Romans, why would we now?"

Serin thought about this, "I have no place, no people anymore," she said seriously, "I will join your army."

Guinevere nodded solemnly, "Follow me then." And they set off toward the gate.