Disclaimer I do not own King Arthur, though I wish I owned Lancelot and Tristan -smirks-. Anyways, anything you do not recognize, such as an extra character or two(Like The Rogue Knight, and a Certain Woad that got her captured in the first place) belong to me! Any other beings or characters that you do not recognize also belong to me, or another of which I have asked permission to use the subject! Nor any songs that might appear.
Author's Notes (Current Soundtrack for my Writing Inspiration)
(P.O.D - LIT - Linkin Park - Evanescence - Red Tape(was on underworld))
-for this particular chapter, I actually listened to Hans Simmer and Lisa Gerrard - Now we are free (from the gladiator soundtrack!)
Spelling mistakes might come up once in a while in both name and mere word! I am sorry for this, and must apologize further for my impatient chapters that might be incredibley short.
-Thanks for the Reviews everyone!!
Summary This isn't you typical, find a third prisoner within the walls of Marcus Honorius' dungeon that he had so cruelly sentenced Guinevere and Lucan to.
When the knights manage to find their way into the dungeon, they manage to find a third captive. However, their rage becomes even more so, when they find out that the woman isn't a woad warrior at all.... But one of their own. A knight.
-Pairing- Tristan/OC or/and Lancelot/OC, whilst the OC is currently ambiguous towards Lancelot.
The Rogue Knight
Chapter Five; Condemed From the Beginning.
The soft gray ash, danced in the wind as it was slowly thrown into the air by the uninjured hands of a woad woman. Guinevere held, encompassed within her long elegant fingers, a bowl made of burch. Within that bowl lay the small amount of ashes that the Raven Marcus had left behind in the world as the three fates snipped at his thin thread of life. Beside Guinevere, Fen stood, staring blankly into the sky. A thick melancholy hung within the air, nearly strangling to those that lingered about the lady Knight. Fen's right hand was wrapped tightly in bandages, she had not yet allowed Guinevere, or anyone for that matter to treat them, finding herself refusing anything, until Marcus was allowed to be cremated.
Many had found it humorous at the exact events that had taken place. As a few people passed bye the wagon that had originally housed the Woad Warrior, the child and the Knight, they had heard the exchange within and grinned. Everyone found it funny to a point, but still knew, that they shouldn't grin at such events, for a life had been lost, and a sword hand might be aswell.
"If you just let me look at it-" Guinevere began, reaching forth for the injured hand of Lady Fen. Fen had snarled viciously, and lept away from the advancing woman, clutching her injured hand tightly to her chest. Her left hand had immediately gone to the floor seeking some sort of weapon to threaten Guinevere with. When her hand came across a carrot from a nearbye veggitable basket, Fen had immediately begun to brandish the orange veggitable and throw curses forth from her lips without the least bit of thought of it being inproper for a woman to use such language.
"You Ain't getting near me Hand! Get back you mule-piss drinking frog wart! Back back!" She had emphasized the last bit of the sentence bye lundging at Guinevere with her carrot, she had eventually poked Guinevere in the chest, causing the veggie to snap in two, and in exchange, a bellow of defiance was ushered from Fen's lips.
And Now, the pair was guiding Marcus' spirit to the next world. Fen soon glanced down to the ground and sighed heavily. "For our sins, we are condemned. I should never have dragged that poor bird into my malevolent life."
Guinevere cast Fen a glance. "He was a bird of Death Fen. He would have eaten dead creatures sooner or later. It was his fa-"
"Fate. I know." Fen turned on her heel and strode off, moving quickly towards the grazing form of Maximus, who, upon his rider's arrival, raised his large cranium and whinnied in greetings. Fen smiled slightly, and patted the roman nose of the tempered stallion, before swinging herself up atop his great back. "We should hurry Guinevere." She called softly, though loud enough for the Woad Warrior to hear. "The caravan is moving faster then it was yesterday, and I am to go Scouting with Tristan." She reined Maximus about, and signalled for him to continue through path of snow he had created when they had first come to this glade within the forest.
Guinevere quickly agreed, and the two moved off. Upon reaching the swiftly moving Caravan, the two woman were greeted with an incredible amount of rumors. It just happens, that Tristan had gone scouting instead of waiting for the arrival of Fen, and in doing so, found a frozen lake which happened to stand in their way to freedom, and safety. And as it were, the Caravan was a mere twenty minutes from reaching the lake's shore.
"Great.. First a couple crossbow bolts, now the chance of falling through a transparent shield of cold death, and finding yourself in the grasp of the cold. Anyone else know something worst?" Fen's statement caused the seven other knight's to chuckle softly. Galahad was glancing around eagerly, awaiting someone to add something, when no one began he finally threw in his two bronze coins.
"A army masses to the south and north, One of them, containing two hundred men, is on our tail." Fen glared at him, causing Galahad to shrink back.
"To much information there, youngest."
Galahad shot daggers at her. "You are nearly two years older then me. "
"Hey, you can count.. who would have thought when you are in the company of Bors for fifteen years." Fen grinned widely, causing Galahad to glare menacingly at her, as did Bors. He kicked his horse slightly foreward, riding up beside Gawain. Fen began to chuckle softly.
Lancelot immediately took Galahad's spot. "You know. You should be more kind to the Youngest." Fen pffted it off, and tisked softly.
"He must learn to control his emotions." Her cracked voice floundered about Lancelot's ears, and the man sighed heavily, relaxing in the sound that emanated forth from the woman he had become infatuated with. Fen cast him glance when she heard the deep sigh, her eyes resting upon his eyes, and finding them to be dreamy and glazed over. She quickly brushed it off.
"I heard of your outburst with your bird." Lancelot's eyes were still glazed nearly pure-black from the size of his pupils.
"Yes, but.. Marcus was a different story. He died saving my life. Anger,rage, lust for revenge was all that comes forth when I am at the scene of the death of a friend." Lancelot regared Fen's words with a simple nod.
"Would you use any of those emotions, if I were to die?" The tone of his voice caused her to raise a brow, and turn her attention back to the path ahead of the two Knight's.
"I would be sad. But..." She paused slightly, and breathed deeply. "I would not be angery, or lust for revenge.. not yet." Lancelot's heart fell slightly. "I have not been in your pressence for more then half the time I was in Briton.. I would not do the same thing for you, as I did for Marcus. Perhaps, in future times... perhaps.. perhaps." With that, she smiled sadly at him. "Perhaps." She then, clicked her tongue, and rode ahead, leaving Lancelot to flounder in his slightly cracked heart.
"We're crossing this?" Fen asked Arthur, her voice was nonchalant, and simple, sending a brief chill up her commander's spine, both of their gaze's were upon the incredibley large lake that was frozen that lay before them. Arthur nodded softly, and turned his horse around, moving to each Knight in turn and whispering commands to them quickly. When he came to Fen, he gave her a look.
"Tell as many as you can to unload themselves and as much as possible from their wagons. Spread out and walk slowly atop the ice. If you ride a horse, dismount and walk it across.."
Fen nodded quickly, and reined Maximus about quickly. She clicked her tongue, and sent him running past Lancelot, and Tristan who were warning the first wagon. She rode quickly, moving all the way to the end of the caravan. Arthur's orders were ushered forth from her mouth, loudly and clearly, causing many to immediately begin to move quickly. They took small amounts, and slung them on their backs, some took more then others, whilst many merely took a small parcel or basket of eggs.
Everyone began to the trek across the ice. Fen stood near the back of the spread out caravan. Leading the nervous black stallion, across the ice. Her efforts were nearly in vain, for every ten feet they moved forth, the equine would pull her back nearly five feet. Finally, when everyone else was reaching the other side, near late afternoon, and Fen was still on the far bank, she grabbed Maximus' reins and jerked his head roughly, causing him to whinny in protest. She hissed in his ear, her vocales seething with the dislike of their current position. "Listen you flea ridden animal!" She began loudly. "Many men come from this side of this lake! If we do not make it across soon, we have a chance of death at the arrows.." She cocked her head to the side, and her voice began to crackle ominously. "Wouldn't want to join Marcus now? Would we?" The Stallion merely stood calmly, listening to her every word, with his pinnas perked forth.
The drumming became louder, and Maximus' right ear shot back quickly. Fen glanced back, and found the shore of the lake beginning to fill with the saxon army.
"Oh.. horse shit." She said softly. Maximus snorted in disgust, or what someone might place as disgust. "Look what you caused us to be caught bye, you shitty horse." The stallion lept forth, as the sound of the Saxon commander's voice reached the two companion's ears. Fen who still clung tightly to the reins of her stallion was pulled forth, as the equine began to gallop across the icy lake. She slipped and slid, before she managed to get a hold of the saddle horn. With a single pull, she yanked herself upon the creature's back.
The sound of cracking ice, alerted the knights of a being still on the Ice. Tristan sighed heavily, and Galahad grinned.
"Let's get a look at our enemy." He said enthusiastically. The other knight's groaned.
"Never was one to look over my shoulder." Tristan stated heavily. Each of the seven knight's present, turned their horses about, only to find their gaze resting upon the black figure of Fen. Her cloak billowed out behind her, and her stallion, her hair was wiping about madly, having escaped from the leather thong that had secured it before. Behind her, was the massing army of the Saxons'. Arrows were flying in the sky, some raining down just meters behind the fleeing Knight. The cracking ice was due to Maximus' hooves striking the cold film heavily. It was, however, still solid enough to be crossed.
"Oh shit." Gawain, and Bors both swore in unison.
"She always did get us into deep trouble." Lancelot added with a small sigh. Arthur merely stared at the lady Knight, who was was weaving atop the ice dangerously, with a neutral expression. "Always.." Lancelot said once again, his voice growing incredibley low.
Arthur turned his horse about suddenly, causing Galahad's and Lancelot's horses to jump slightly, nearly unseating their horses. "I will be back in a trice. Hold your position. If they get any closer, prepare.. for battle." With that, he rode off, heading for the small group of peasants that were watching with curiousity etched upon their weather worn visages.
(If I get this part wrong, I must apologize. But the whole point of a fanfiction is to make it your own!)
Arthur moved towards Ganis, who stood still, watching and waiting. "I can fight." He said loudly as Arthur trotted his horse up to the villager.
"No." Arthur said. "You will lead these men and woman, back to the wall. There you will find sanctuary."
"But, you are eight against two hundred." Ganis replied sharply, waving his hand in the direction of the other Knights' to emphasize his point. Arthur frowned, his mouth opening to reply, yet he was cut short was the soft, clear voice of Guinevere drifted amongst him and Ganis.
"Nine really." When Arthur cast the Woad woman, a questioning glance, she merely held up a sarmatian bow, she must have acquired from Jols. "You could use another bow. After all, Tristan, Bors and Fen's bows won't be enough." At the last words of her sentence reached Arthur's ears. The man smiled boldly, and laughed.
"Obviously, you have not seen a good Sarmatian Bow, wielded by those three." He smiled slighty. "Come, we must get to the other's quickly. God, lets hope Fen made it across the ice."
Fen's horse had ceased to moved forth nearly twenty feet from the other Knight's. The Rogue Knight was currently, dismounted, and trying to coax her equine companion forth with sweet usherings and pointless words. Fen would glance over her horse's rump now and then, only to find the Saxon's closer and closer. Another thing that surprised her, was that she was in firing range, and yet they ceased to fire arrows on her. Shaking her head slightly, Fen grasped the rein's of Maximus, and pulled roughly.
The stallion whinnied his protest, and backed up, bringing Fen with him. "Aarrgh!" She screamed loudly, and finally let go of the stubborn horse's reins. "Just.. go die then! You stupid animal. " She began to walk in the direction she had originally planned to, and found herself accompanied bye the sound of cracking ice. Glancing down, she realized that the ice was much thinner here, then it had been anywhere else. She gritted her teeth, and looked up, her jaw set stubbornly foreward, eyes blazing with hatred. "I hate.. water."
At the exact moment she finished her sentence, did the water begin to crack and slowly sink into the chilling water. Fen managed to push herself from the ice before she had been pulled beneath the surface, tripping slightly and falling flat on her face. A small hole was all that was left from the weight that had been exerted upon the weak ice. Fen felt another crack beneath her body, and another, and soon another. She lept up, causing more cracks to appear out of no where. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, pushing the Lady Knight into an alarmingly fast run. Arrows finally fled into the sky, raining down behind Fen. Some skittered upon the ice and moved past the running woman, only to be passed in a meager amount of time soon after. One arrow grazed her right upper arm, causing her to push ahead.
Fen's gaze fell upon her stallion, who was running through the same storm of arrows as she, several arrows protruded from the saddle, whilst two protruded from the equine's rump. Fen grimaced and managed to finally reach the other knight's. She came to a skidding halt in front of Arthur, who was staring down at her with a frown upon his features. Fen glanced towards her horse, and found the equine running after the caravan.
"What was that?" Arthur asked.
"I was trying to get my horse across the ice." She replied coldly.
"You should have left him Fen." Arthur shot back.
"I don't take orders from you anymore. Arthur. I haven't for just under a decade." She sneered before pushing herself off of the ground and moving to stand beside Lancelot and Guievere.
Arthur merely stared after her and turned his attention back to the mass of Saxons across the lake. "Shoot for the wings, make them cluster!"
Guinevere faltered slightly, and glanced at Arthur. "What?! Their out of range!"
Fen grinned, and pulled the bow that had always sat on her left shoulder, down her arm and plucked the string. She soon reached over her right shoulder and grabbed four arrows. Notching them quickly, she drew them back before glancing at Guinevere. "Apparently you have never seen a Sarmatian bow in action." She loosed the four arrows, which flew threw the sky, and pelted themselves upon the outer wings of the saxons. Four Saxon soldier's went down, an another six went down at Tristan's arrows, Bors managed to draw eight arrows back and they each were planted in the live, warm bodies of the outer saxons.
The Saxons began to loose their own arrows upon the group of Knights. The arrows bounced off of the ice, and skittered off behind the knights. The Saxons moved forth slightly.
Lancelot turned his attention to Fen and Guinevere. "There are a large number of lonely men out there."
"Don't worry." Guinevere began, notching, drawing and loosing her own arrows. "I won't let them rape you."
The saxons dared to move closer. "Prepare for combat!" Arthur shouted to his own men, and the two women.
Dagonet lurched forth, dropping his sword on the ground and running towards the hole that Fen had caused before. In his hand, he held his axe tightly. Fen paled considerably, and each Knight called after one of their own.
(Gah! Great, and now Enya- May it be, comes on whilst I write this part.. greaaat)
"DAG!" Bors bellowed, loudly, causing Fen to glance at Bors with a stiff gaze. She ran at Lancelot and grabbed his shield from his hands. He pulled slightly, but when he realized what she planned to do, he let go. The Rogue Knight chased after the other Knight, black cloak billowing out behind her. As Dagonet began to pound at the Ice with his axe. Arrows began to sail through the air, towards him. Fen cried out as an arrow imbedded itself in Dagonet's shoulder, yet the man did not cease to hammer his axe upon the ice. Sliding the rest of the way on the ice, to the hole, Fen held up the shield as yet another large amount of arrows fell about them. One pierced through the shield, causing Fen to gasp slightly as it poked the end of her nose, drawing a pin prick of blood. She heard the cracking sound of the ice as it began to finally break from the intense pressure that was being exerted upon it.
With a single, gasping crack, the ice split, cracks ran in different directions, yet mostly in the directions of the Saxons. As the saxons began to fall under the ice, Fen caught a glance of the horror stricken visage of the Avian Killer. Cynric, she thought dryly. Her hand shout down to her sword, and she glanced back at Dagonet. Her eyes never found him, as she glanced down, she caught sight of him as he was pulled beneath the surface of the icy lake.
"Dag..." She whispered softly, with another glance back towards the Saxons, she realized that Cynric was staring at her, a malicious grin upon his face. She quickly shook it off, and finally turned her attention back to the hole in the ice. Dag's hand was still grasping at the top of the ice... Unbuckling her cloak, she threw it at the piece of ice, which still housed Dagonet's axe. Then, with a final deseperate grab, she grabbed at Dagonet's hand, and found herself immediately pulled under water.
Darkness, sweet, and wonderous.. Fen's eyes were open, and she was gazing into the still visage of Dagonet. Her lips opened slightly, accepting the water into her mouth, throat.. lungs. As the water filled her insides, she slowly began to close her eyes, yet her hand reached for Dagonet's left hand, her fingers coming across the large ring that he had always worn, even the first time she met him. With the little strength she had left, she grabbed it, and pulled it from his fingers, placing it upon her own thumb...
As the darkness finally engulfed her, the single shining light that had been the entrance to the watery, icy purgatory, was blocked, and the last thing she saw, was that of a hand..
Author's Note: bwahahaha. Sorry it took so long. I started over two times, because I realized I skip to many things when I write. Which I'm gonna try and not do anymore.
Yeah.. so, I got in the mood mostly with Enya -May it be (As stated) and Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard - We are Free(gladiator) (as stated).. fun songs! Anyways, they were sad soo... yeah.. Probably will be the same songs for the final battle with the Saxon people.
Anything not cleared up will be cleared up in the next chapter. Oh and if you read and review(review particularially) Can you tell me what you don't get? Thanks! anyways, R&R!
