SunsetSparrow-Thanks! I'm updating every two days.
Midnight Conqueror-Do you want them to? You saw the bit about the vote, right?
Camreyn-Thanks! I want to be a writer, so your review meant a lot to me. (hands out cookies to Camreyn)
ElvenStar5-Thanks for being honest. I don't know if I'm going to kill off Aibhilín or Guinevere, but judging by popular opinion...
Underwater owl-Hmm, haven't decided if Tristan lives or not. I might, just to be kind...
Katie Moore-I'm not giving up any time soon. (Although, begging would help my already over-inflated ego...)
MonDieu666-I went to . If you type King Arthur into the search engine, it comes up with a King Arthur page. Down the left there is a section called memorable quotes. I just took them. Thanks for reviewing!
VI: After the Ice
They placed Aibhilín and Ealusaid in the wagon. Aibhilín was wrapped in thick cloaks and was sleeping deeply, but her breaths were light and easy. Her wounds were relatively light, and they washed her gashes with infusions of certain herbs and pressed bandages to them. Ealusaid was the one that they were worried about.
She woke up for a while and was able to talk to Guinevere.
"How bad is it?" she asked, knowing that Guinevere would answer her honestly.
Guinevere paused before answering. "There's a lot of blood, and we cannot get the arrowhead out"
Ealusaid nodded, understanding the implications of what Guinevere was telling her. "What of Aibhilín?" she croaked out.
Guinevere handed her a waterskin, and helped her drink. "She's asleep. Her wounds are not as serious as yours"
Ealusaid slowly twisted her head to the side. "Where are we going?"
"To the wall. The knights who we have been travelling with are being discharged from Rome's service"
Ealusaid nodded, wincing at the millions of hurts that caused her pain with each movement. Guinevere laid a cool hand on her forehead. "Sleep and heal" she said softly. "I will find Leofwen"
Ealusaid said nothing but watched as Guinevere checked on Aibhilín and then left. She walked almost aimlessly, but Ealusaid knew that was worry. Guinevere was incredibly strong, but being reunited with her friends only to watch them die would take a toll on anyone. Ealusaid tried to sleep, not noticing the fatal bleed that started.
Guinevere moved throughout the camp. She was truly shocked by the changes that had taken place. Instead of joking and sparring as they usually did, the knights were all sober and earnest. Guinevere did not fully understand until she saw the axe driven into a tree. Dagonet's axe.
On another hand, since the death of Marcus Honorius, many of the serfs were freer than they had ever been in their entire lives. The guards were leaderless, and they had a chance to think for themselves. They wished to celebrate, but in honour of Dagonet, they had refrained. Guinevere suspected Fulcinia or Alecto had something to do with it.
Guinevere went over to the knights, meaning to ask if anyone had seen Leofwen, but she soon saw her for herself. She was sitting amongst the knights, obviously mingling with them.
Galahad threw a knife, and it buried itself deep into a tree. Tristan stood up, and threw his knife. It buried itself in the hilt of Galahad's dagger.
"Tristan, how do you do that?" Gawain asked incredulously.
Tristan looked at him dryly. "I aim for the middle"
"I bet you anything that you can't hit my dagger" Leofwen suddenly spoke up. She looked at Tristan, amusement shining in her grey eyes. Suddenly, her hand flicked upwards, and her dagger appeared in the branches.
Tristan looked up. The dagger was almost diagonal to the tree trunk, and it was not too difficult to see or hit. Tristan wrenched his dagger free, aimed and threw it skywards. The dagger seemed on target, but it gracefully curved and stuck in the branch, about four inches above Leofwen's.
"Trick of the eye" she grinned. "The dagger looks much closer than it is"
"Where did you learn that?"
"Ealusaid taught me" Leofwen said, sheathing her dagger. "She's the skilled one when it comes to daggers"
"How is she?" Bors asked kindly.
Guinevere's voice broke in. "She was awake" She beckoned for Leofwen to come, and she did. "I'll teach you more dagger tricks later" she said to Tristan. She and Guinevere left, and walked back into the wagon.
"I'll stay up for a few hours, and then I'll wake you up" Guinevere said. "We'll get him at midnight"
Aibhilín opened her eyes. She stared outside the cage just for something to do. The moon was up, and the light made everything shine silver and black. The light shone on Ealusaid, illuminating her serene features. Aibhilín smiled at her and turned away, not noticing the sticky blood that was covering her stomach, nor her friend's extraordinary pallor.
Staring out into the forest, she looked out towards the knights. All of them were still and sleeping, most lightly and fitfully. She studied their silhouettes, trying to make out who was who. Tristan was obvious, his braids gave him away. She could also make out Bors's heavy outline and Arthur's quiet confidence that somehow gave him away even as he slept. She half thought that he was only pretending to sleep, so that he could keep watch.
Lancelot's face was tilted towards her, and Aibhilín smiled involuntarily. She lay back and stared at his profile, with his dark curly hair and chiselled face. She sighed a little. She could not do anything about this, and in a twisted kind of way, she didn't want to. What she was feeling was painful and agonizing, but she was still wanted to feel this. It was her coming alive, and she was glad to feel this. It stopped her from losing her humanity. She was a warrior, but she had to be a woman too.
Out of the shadows came two figures, hooded and cloaked. Aibhilín watched with curiosity as they bent down over him, and then straightened up. Lancelot followed willingly, but Aibhilín had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She started to
She gave a muffled scream and almost blacked out with the pain. She flopped back, and gave the impression that she was asleep, even though her mind was racing. Again she tried to get up. Grinding her teeth together as the only outlet for her pain, she drunkenly staggered out into the snow.
Lancelot awoke that night to a hand being pressed over his mouth. Instinctively, he put a hand over his sword hilt, but another hand stayed his. The hand was removed from his mouth.
"Come quickly and quietly, it's about Aibhilín" A voice that could have easily been imagination or the rustling of the wind through the forest whispered, and left like a shadow. Lancelot quietly stood up, and followed it. He thought he knew that voice...A glimpse of moonlight pale hair told him everything he needed to know.
In a dark clearing in the forest, they stopped and turned around. Pushing back their hooded cloaks, he could see that his suspicions were confirmed. Leofwen and Guinevere stood before him, their faces solemn.
"Why did you bring me here?" he asked.
Guinevere stared at him coldly. "It's about Aibhilín"
"She is promised to someone. When we reach the encampment, she will probably start being prepared for the wedding"
"Promised?" His voice rose slightly. "By her choice or not?"
"Do Roman women have any more choice in their husbands than us?" Guinevere's voice grew sharper. "It's just the way things are"
Lancelot stared at Guinevere. How could she be so complacent? "What does Aibhilín want?"
Guinevere rolled her eyes. "Look, Lancelot, stop playing about. We're here to tell you to leave Aibhilín alone. If you do not, we will make you"
Leofwen softened a little as she saw his face. "This is only protecting you and her. Even if Aibhilín wants this, she cannot have it. Dauídh would never allow it"
Guinevere kicked her as way of making her stop talking. Leofwen took the hint and reset her face stonily. Next to Guinevere she looked like summer to Guinevere's winter, with her pale blond hair and grey eyes. But under the surface they were both winter-cold, sharp and merciless.
"And why has not Aibhilín told me this herself?" Lancelot asked courteously, even though he was seething beneath the surface.
Leofwen was ready to pull out her sword and run him through. "Do not you realise it, you stupid man!"
Guinevere rolled her huge brown eyes. "Leofwen-" she began warning her friend, but she continued regardless.
"Why do you think we are doing this? I only met you at midday, and already I can see that you love her and she loves you! You have barely left her side all day! Aibhilín was ready to die today, and you saved her. She is falling deeper in love than I could have imagined" She drew in a breath and spoke in a calmer tone. "Either you make Aibhilín see the truth or I swear, your manly parts will be in dire danger"
Leofwen turned away. "I will go to the wagon. Ealusaid and Aibhilín need to have a fresh infusion".
Guinevere nodded, and Leofwen left like a shadow. Guinevere turned back to Lancelot. "Ealusaid is very good with daggers. Take her threat seriously"
Guinevere stared at Lancelot. His face was softened, yet she could see a mix of rage, pain and love flitting across it. "Why do you love her?" she asked, so softly that he wondered whether he could ignore her question.
"I do not know" he breathed, equally softly. "I suppose it is that she understood, well, just about everything"
Guinevere nodded. "She's Gifted. She has the Imbas-the fire in the head that inspires wisdom and prophecies" She let her head hang slightly.
They stood there in silence, until a small sound from behind alerted them. Lancelot drew his sword and Guinevere her bow.
The figure held up her hands. "It is me"
"Aibhilín, what are you doing here?" Guinevere asked, lowering her bow.
"I know you, sister" was all she said. "Go, please. Leofwen needs you"
Guinevere did not question how she knew this, but left. Looking back at Lancelot, she made a quick gesture with her hands to remind him of Leofwen's threat.
Lancelot turned to Aibhilín. "What did you mean; I know you sister?"
Aibhilín gave a little snort of humour that was truly humourless. "I have lived with her for almost seventeen years. I know how she thinks" She turned to him, staring at him directly, making him uncomfortable with her intense stare.
"What did she say to you?"
Lancelot opened his mouth, but something in the green eyes stopped him. "You already know, don't you?"
Aibhilín smiled. "So Guinevere did tell you, then?"
"Imbas" He spoke that strange word, feeling it roll off of his tongue. "It must be a burden"
Aibhilín nodded. "Sometimes. But sometimes it shows me things that are true" She turned to him. "That's why I kissed you that night. But then you kissed me...and I remembered"
Lancelot nodded. "That you were betrothed"
Aibhilín shook her head. "That is a Roman word. I call it promised" her tone was regretful, and sorrow was evident on her face.
"Why?" Lancelot asked. "Why did they do that to you?"
Aibhilín shrugged. "It is just out way"
Lancelot paused. "What else do I not know about you?"
"Guinevere told you everything" Aibhilín said. "She has no control over what she says, but...there is something else"
"What?"
"She's jealous" Aibhilín sighed. "I'm with one with Imbas, I look like our mother, Dauídh pays more attention to me than he does to her. I'm even promised" Her fingers twitched, and Lancelot got the feeling that she was waiting for a bow. She took a step forward, and winced with pain. Lancelot picked her up, and meant to carry her back to the wagon. Aibhilín settled there, enjoying the rocking motion and the warm comfort. She was completely relaxed when a scream echoed through the wood. She sat up, and watched as Leofwen run out of the wagon. Her tunic was covered in blood and tears were running down her face.
Leofwen went into the wagon. It was very dark, and she only knew that Ealusaid was awake when she spoke to her.
"Leofwen?" she asked.
"I am here" she replied. She found her way to her bedside, and took her hand in hers. Ealusaid placed hers around it. "Your hand is like ice!" she whispered. "Were you in the snow?"
Leofwen nodded; even in the dark Ealusaid did not miss that. "We decided to tell Lancelot about Aibhilín".
"The dark haired knight who was here earlier?"
"Yes" Leofwen sighed. "It's obvious even to a madman that they love each other"
"Well, what's so wrong with that?" Ealusaid asked.
"Ealusaid!" Leofwen gasped. "You know what's wrong. Aibhilín should have more sense than to put herself in this position"
"She's only human" Ealusaid said. Ealusaid was very calm, and rarely lost her temper, but when she did it was hard to quench. "This could have happened to any of us"
"But she's promised. She should have been married by now, if it were not for all of this" Leofwen protested.
"Still, it is not like she planned this"
"She ought to have not encouraged him" Leofwen said, angry that Ealusaid was arguing with her. Leofwen was proud, and she liked to believe that her opinion was correct. Ealusaid seldom challenged her, and now she was, Leofwen was working herself up into a full-scale fit.
"Who said that she did?"
Ealusaid's calm verities made Leofwen reach her temper point.
"Shhh!" Ealusaid hushed her. "Aibhilín is asleep!"
Leofwen closed her mouth and silently went over to see Aibhilín. She placed her hand on the pallet. "She's not here!"
Ealusaid sat up, and gave a short, violent exclamation. Leofwen went back to her side immediately. "What's wrong?" she asked, Finding her way over to her friend's side, she placed a hand on Ealusaid's stomach. Even in the dark she could see that it was covered with thick sticky blood.
"Oh no" she said. She tore a strip off of the hem of her tunic, and pressed it to Ealusaid's stomach. "I thought we stitched it up when you were unconscious!" she exclaimed.
"It must not have held" Ealusaid said, pressing her hands to her stomach. She was in extraordinary pain, and she thought that she would pass out. She lay back, and closed her eyes, trying to escape from the pain. She found the door, and she walked through it. It was only when she looked back that she realised her mistake.
Cruelty comes in threes...just a little taste of the next chapter.
"You act like you're the elder sister" she told her, rubbing her reddened cheek where Guinevere had slapped her.
"I've had to be" Guinevere told her.
Ooh...suspense. I have to go back to school tomorrow, which is a real bummer, but I'll try to post either on Friday or Saturday.
Blessed Be
ChiaraStorm