Hola! Many of you were curious about Rebekah's malicious laugh. I felt that while we had seen the flirtatious and gentle side of the Woads, we had never really seen their cold fury, and wished to illustrate this. That and Germanus really bugs me. Hope that explains it!

LittleWolf4- not now, but I'll think about it for the future. That same mysterious scout often distracts me. I can hardly blame you.

Camreyn- I enjoy your ramblings as usual! Yes, we really get the feeling of an old western, don't we. Germanus always bothered me, so really wanted someone to beat the shit out of him, so why not have the Title character do the honors? Thank you for helping me on my way to fulfillment. Please continue reviewing!

TalkIsCheap- See Malicious Laugh note above. I liked it too!

Luana Hime- Thank you so much! I kind of like MRC too.

Caroline- Thanks, you get your wish!

Elvish-princess130990- Indeed! Do you really think I would be that cruel?

Senor Mordecai- It's okay I haven't quite mastered the art of typing either. I doubt Mordecai will be too hard on you.

I LOVE IT LIKE CHEESE- nice name! See malicious laugh note above. I try to update everyday.

Kate- It's alright! We all have days like that. I suppose in the tradition of girl talk, I'm supposed to say that he's an ass, but I don't know him, so I won't say that. Thanks for the review!

Elvenstar5- Indeed! Here it is!

When Rebekah finally made it back to the women's quarters, Guinevere was ready to go. She hurriedly changed into her dress, and they went to go find Sera. She was exactly where they had left her. Guinevere and Rebekah turned to each other with raised eyebrows. It took quite a bit of stamina to go on for this long. Sera would be ready for battle.

"Um...Lancelot, could we borrow Sera for a bit?" asked Guinevere, trying not to laugh.

Lancelot's head jerked back in surprise. He quickly recovered, his trademark smile in place.

"Well, I suppose I could part with her for a bit. I'll meet you by the gates." He said, letting Sera off his lap with some reluctance.

"I'm impressed." Said Rebekah.

"So am I!" said Sera, and the three of them smiled.

They went back to their room to get Fulcinia, and went to meet the knights at the gates. They walked, instead of taking the time to saddle their horses. The horses deserved a night off as well.

"Laim will already have told them of our arrival, so we probably won't be shot." Said Rebekah, reassuringly.

"Probably?" asked Lancelot.

"Well, if you want complete certainly, my brave knight, stay home!" said Sera, teasingly.

Lancelot shut up after that. Tristan, ever the scout was looking about warily.

"They're everywhere." He whispered to Rebekah.

"I know." She said simply, a happy look upon her face. "They won't hurt us."

"If you say so..."

"It's alright. You can come out." She called to them.

For a moment, even the wind went still. Slowly, blue painted bodies emerged from the trees, exited to see their ladies, but wary of the strangers they brought. Rebekah looked about and grinned when she saw her father. She ran to him, and he picked her up in a long hug. Daithi had not seen his daughter in quite some time, though on his return Merlin had assured him that she was alive. He had never been so glad to see her. When he finally set her down again, he studied her. She had a burn on her cheek; just under the tattoo he had given her. Her fingers were a bit swollen; Merlin had told him that they had been dislocated. She looked so happy, though. She began introducing the knights, and when she got to Tristan, she paused.

"Father, this is Tristan." She said.

Daithi studied him closely. Here was one who didn't let much go. He was obviously Sarmatian.

"Welcome, Tristan. I have admired your skill in battle from afar for quite some time." He said.

Tristan inclined his head, but said nothing.

Guinevere cleared her throat. "Merlin will be waiting for us." She said, trying to move them along. They made their way deeper into the forest, and came to what was clearly the center of the Woad settlement. She nearly ran to her father, before she remembered her dignity. Instead, she slowly approached him, and they embraced. He let her go and they stepped away from one another. Woads were coming out of dwellings rapidly, anxious to see their ladies and these strange knights. Merlin held up his hands for silence, and everyone stopped talking abruptly.

"The Gods have returned our Ladies to us in our hour of need. Our Ladies have brought with them those who helped them, for this we will honor them. No one is to harm them." Said Merlin.

Rebekah dragged Galahad off, in search of a Woad who would have him. She saw a group of women and smiled. They would start here. She introduced him to Maebh, Iona, Mona, and Muirgheal. They all smiled at Galahad in a calculated manner that had him shying away slightly. 'That would not do.' Thought Rebekah. She noticed Deirdre out of the corner of her eye. She was related to Deirdre in a very distant way, something like a fifth cousin, she couldn't remember. They had the same build, but Deirdre had lighter hair and blue eyes. She had a way of relaxing people, while still getting what she wanted. She would be perfect for Galahad. She would help build his confidence.

She smiled at Deirdre and motioned her over. They shared a quick hug, and their attention reverted back to Galahad who only looked slightly less wary. Deirdre smiled as she studied him. He was about her age, and seemed rather sweet, in a way. She liked that.

"Galahad, this is my cousin Deirdre, Deirdre, Galahad." Said Rebekah, introducing them.

Galahad couldn't believe his good fortune. A simply stunning woman was smiling at him.

Rebekah left them, trusting that they would get along, and looked around for Tristan. She found him sitting by the other knights. What made her eyes narrow was the girl that was presently in the process of sitting down in Tristan's lap. Etain had followed her around before she had been imprisoned, learning all her tricks. Etain was an ambitious girl, always with an eye on what was someone else's. This would not continue. She took her time walking over to her and gave her an icy smile.

"Thank you for keeping my seat warm for me." She said coldly.

Etain's head snapped back in shock and tried to smile. "I heard that you had returned, though I didn't know you brought a pet back with you." She said pleasantly.

"I didn't. Your mother might have been one of my finest fighters, but you are not. You only have the position you do now because it was your mother's dying wish. Don't make me reconsider. Go find Laim. I'm sure he could do with some entertainment." Rebekah said, in dismissal.

Etain had never been more humiliated in all her life. She couldn't reject an order from such a high placed warrior. She left, her head held high. The knights watched her go in amazement. That had been some pretty impressive work on Rebekah's part. She sat down next to Tristan, not wanting to sit on his lap at the moment. He had let Etain sit on it, and as far as Rebekah was concerned, it was tainted.

"Do they teach all of you how to do that?" asked Tristan.

"Do what?" asked Rebekah, her tone still a bit chilly.

"She moved just like you, she even tried to speak in your same tone. And when she sat on my lap, every muscle moved like yours."

"She's been following me around, imitating me. She wants my position." She raised an eyebrow at Tristan "I still have plenty of tricks she hasn't seen yet." She said, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Such as?" he asked.

Rebekah leaned closer, and whispered very inventive suggestions in his ear. Tristan, whose face rarely showed emotion, was showing it now. His mouth was slightly open, and he stared at her in amazement.

"I didn't know that was possible." He said, trying to make his face revert to it's usual calm.

"It is, trust me. Perhaps someday, you'll see for yourself." She said, smiling.

Gawain looked on. He was jealous. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Galahad, talking to a beautiful Woad that reminded him of Rebekah a bit. Then, a woman walked by that made Gawain's jaw drop. She had dark brown hair and light green eyes. She turned her gaze on him and smiled. He stood, and approached her.

"I'm Gawain, and you are?"

"Radha. I'm Sera's cousin."

"Would you like to join us?" he asked.

Radha studied him carefully. If he tried anything, she calculated that she would be able to take him down. Besides, Sera was there. She hadn't spoke to her in a while.

"Certainly." She replied, and they rejoined the group.

Arthur was surprised to find that he did not feel awkward in these surroundings. These people welcomed him, they bore no ill will. He hadn't expected that. Guinevere smiled at him, as if to say, 'See, they're not so bad as you think.' And she was right.

Alecto and Merlin stared at each other for a long time before speaking. Neither truly trusted the other, but when they actually spoke, they enjoyed the opportunity to compare their religions. They were not so different, really. They even shared some holy days.

Fulcinia watched her son with pride. He didn't condemn Merlin, and Merlin didn't condemn Alecto. They were speaking rationally, in the hopes of bettering both of their respective people. He would do well in Rome.

Sera had dragged Lancelot over to her parents, and he stood before him. Never had he been so nervous in all of his life. Sera's father Ardan studied him critically. Lancelot would do well by his daughter. He was obviously a warrior. He would be able to look after her. Sera's mother scooped him up in a hug, surprising him. She was a good woman. She would welcome this stranger for the sake of her daughter. He wasn't too bad looking! After they had spoken for a time, Sera excused them, and Lancelot let out a sigh of relief. Sera laughed at him, the brave knight, frightened of her mother!

"They aren't that bad!" said Sera.

"You owe me. I know the perfect way to pay me back."

"How?"

"You get to go with me and meet my parents."

Sera looked dumbstruck. "Your parents. As in your parents that live in Sarmatia?"

"They're the only one's I have." He said, finally regaining his color and chuckling.

"You've got to be joking."

"It wouldn't be for long! I just want to see them again." He said, in his most persuasive tone.

"But, what are you going to do? Will you live in Sarmatia?" she asked. She desperately wanted him to stay here, with her.

"I don't think I'll want to stay in Sarmatia. I know you wouldn't."

She smiled and kissed him lightly. "I'll come with you. But we're definitely coming back. We'd miss the fog."

"True. The weather is so lovely here, I don't think I could stand being away from it for long." He said, and kissed her long and hard. This trip would be interesting.

Suddenly, one of the watchmen ran up to Merlin.

"They are here!" he said frantically.

And, sure enough. In the shadow of the tree they watched as the entire Saxon army formed a line in front of the wall.

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