chiefhow-Yep, the MRC monster is surprisingly frequent in my writing.

lindalee4-A million marshmallows? Oh, you are very, very nice...

BillieLiv-I like writing torture for some truly sordid reason...Hey, if there was such a thing as the Person Most Likely to Serve Time award on this site, it would probably be me (I'm so proud!)

SunsetSparrow-Thank you!

Camreyn-Nice long review! Yes, my science teacher seems to enjoy giving us strange and bizarre organs to look at. For the rest of the lesson, we stared at slides of rat's throats and hearts. Fun...

Yeah, I wouldn't expect you to know DreamTheater. That song came out in 1992, and I only know it because my Dad is a huge fan of vintage coughcrapcough songs, and that is the only one I like. I'm writing Guinevere as a bitch, but she does have a heart, I promise. It's just culture. As you read this, I'm writing a scene with Aibhilín, Taidhg and Lancelot. Oh, the suspense...

P.S I've been studying Celtic Wicca for ages, so I've learnt stuff like Breaca sith when studying.

For lindalee4, I'm writing a quick character profile for each of the girls

Ealusaid

Age: 19

Hair colour: Chestnut brown

Eye colour: Grey

Weapon of choice: Daggers

Character summary: Nurturing and balanced

Most likely to say: Killer and healer go hand in hand.

Aibhilín

Age: 18

Hair colour: Black

Eye colour: Green

Weapon of choice: Bow

Character summary: Sensitive, open-minded, dreamy

Most likely to say: Whatever I do, I should always follow my heart

Guinevere

Age: 17

Hair colour: Brown-black

Eye colour: Brown

Weapon of choice: Sword

Character summary: Rigid, protective, finds it hard to accept change.

Most likely to say: My way or the highway

Leofwen

Age: 19

Hair colour: Pale blond

Eye colour: Blue

Weapon of choice: Sword

Character summary: Sharp, threatening and hot-tempered

Most likely to say: Want to fight?

Blessed Be

ChiaraStorm

VIII: Beds and Betrayal

Deceit is the second without end

Bishop Germanius came out, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Alecto!" he greeted Honorius's offspring warmly. At least Alecto looked as uncomfortable as everyone else felt.

His servant stared at the three Woad women on horseback. His lip curled slightly.

"God help us" someone whispered. "What are they?"

"Blue demons that eat Christians alive. You're not a Christian, are you?"

Leofwen smiled slightly at Bors as he said that. Leofwen had never yet cared what anyone thought of her, and she wasn't about to start now.

Arthur moved up to the bishop until he was almost on top of him. "Bishop Germanius" he said quietly, yet it held a lot of malice. "Friend of my father"

Germanius looked uneasy. "Ah yes" He motioned for his servant to come forward, bearing a wooden box. He opened it, and inside lay the deeds that made the knights free men.

The deeds that could take Lancelot away from Aibhilín forever.

Lucan came out of the wagon and ran to Dagonet's body, which was hanging limply off of a horse. The Roman soldiers tried to stop them, but a few threatening gestures from Leofwen, Aibhilín and Guinevere made them stop. He stared at him, paying his last respects in a manor which was above his years. Bors came over, and pressed the ring which Aibhilín had saved for him into Lucan's hand. Lancelot went to him, and tried to push the scroll into his hand.

"Take it Bors. For Dagonet" he tried to persuade him.

"This doesn't make him a free man! He's already free!" Bors countered. He stormed off into the fort. The other knights took their deeds, but they struggled to keep their raging anger under control; Leofwen could sense that in every sight and sound. Lancelot looked into the box and pulled a paper out. He crumpled it in his hand and went into the fort. Aibhilín slipped off the horse that she was riding alongside Guinevere and followed him through the gate.

"Lancelot!" she called after him. "Lancelot, wait!"

He paused. "Aibhilín"

"Take your deed and go. You have suffered enough for fifteen years. Do not throw this away so rashly"

Lancelot looked at her surprise and hurt on his face. "Are you so ready to get rid of me?" he asked.

Aibhilín crossed her arms. "Of course not. You know what I said; wherever you go I go"

Lancelot looked at her, her green eyes wide and clear. "I'm sorry"

Aibhilín stared at him. "All I am saying is that this deed is your freedom. With it, you can go anywhere and do anything"

Lancelot stared at her. "What about you? Can you go anywhere and do anything?"

"If I choose to" Aibhilín told him firmly. She leaned in and embraced him.

Suddenly, a sound from the wall alerted them all to the outer fort. Aibhilín was running almost immediately, and Lancelot followed. They climbed up the wall and stood, staring over the plain. Aibhilín slipped in next to Guinevere and stared down at the ground. A massive army of Saxons was camped there. Leofwen stood there stonily faced, and Guinevere slipped her small hand in Aibhilín's. Aibhilín cast a glance around at the knights. Tristan's hand went to his sword, the look on Bors face turned sour and Gawain and Galahad seemed astonished. Lancelot just stared, as if he was trying hard not to think about what was coming next.

Arthur turned to the knights sadly. "My brave knights, my journey with you ends here"

"You stay?" Gawain said incredulously.

"I stay" Arthur said firmly but sadly. He turned and walked down the steps of the wall. Lancelot called after him, following him down. "Arthur!" He called. "Why do you do this when freedom is so close?"

Arthur still walked, talking over his shoulder to Lancelot. "You who know me best of all would ask me that?"

"For our friendship's sake, please...do not do this"

Guinevere walked down and followed Lancelot. "Arthur, please stay this madness"

Arthur said nothing but kept walking. "Arthur!" Lancelot tried again. Arthur seemed to snap.

"For our friendship's sake, take your freedom and live it for me, for I must do what my heart feels is right. I can not follow you, Lancelot." He said firmly.

Lancelot stopped short and Aibhilín came down. She stood beside him. "You must let him go" she murmured, knowing that the words might apply to her as well.

Leofwen sat in the courtyard with the knights. Everyone was solemn, but certainly not sober. The beer was disappearing at an alarming rate.

"To freedom" Galahad said, breaking the silence. Eight tankards clinked together.

"So where will you go now?" Tristan asked Leofwen.

"Oh, hither and thither. Nowhere in particular" Leofwen said lightly. "I suppose we'll return to our tribe, prepare for Aibhilín's wedding" She stared at Aibhilín meaningfully, in a way that Aibhilín did not miss.

"Aibhilín's wedding?" Someone asked, but they were ignored.

"Which isn't going to happen" Aibhilín said suddenly. Everyone turned to her.

"Did you see that, or are you wishing that it was true?" Guinevere said, with just a little ice in it.

"I don't lie about my gift" Aibhilín said equally icily.

"What gift?"

"The gift of prophecy. Imbas" Leofwen said, keeping her eyes fixed on Aibhilín.

"The gifts the gods gave me I use in either battle or bed" Gawain said, and got a small grunt of laughter in return. That broke the tension a little.

Aibhilín glared at Leofwen. She at least had the shame to turn away. Aibhilín let out one long gentle hiss of a breath and stared at the ground

"Who's with Bors?" Guinevere asked.

"Vanora and the eleven bastards"

"I thought it was twelve now"

"Nah, it's eleven"

Guinevere gave a smile. Tristan turned to Leofwen. "Got any more dagger tricks?"

"One or two" Leofwen smiled. She pulled her dagger out of her belt, and suddenly stuck it into the table, causing the tankards to jump. She wrenched it out and started twisting it, turning it into a living blur of silver. She made it fly up into the air only to land perfectly in her grasp. Suddenly it was back in the groove she had made earlier. She paused only long enough to let what had happened sink in. Then, it was moving again. No living eye could keep up with it. It disappeared abruptly. "Where is it?" she asked.

"Stuck in somewhere?"

Leofwen turned. "Stuck the back of my belt where I always keep it" She sat down and drained her tankard.

"I have never seen anyone with as much skill with a dagger as you" Tristan said honestly.

"It's only something me and Ealusaid made up to relieve the boredom of training" Leofwen said modestly. "And anyway, the daggers are her weapon of choice. I prefer the sword"

Tristan picked up her dagger. Runes were carved down the centre. "What do these mean?" he asked.

Leofwen smiled regretfully. "I have the second dagger, Ealusaid has the first and last"

"First and last what?"

"Dances. Death, deceit and love. They all cancel each other out eventually"

"I haven't had enough ale for that philosophical stuff" Gawain complained.

"Ah, you know what they say" Lancelot put in. "Once you've had enough drink, women and fighting the meaning of life becomes crystal clear"

Aibhilín watched. She felt like she was floating above the knights, and was not really there. Her minds eye drifted to a battlefield. There were enemies. Everyone she had ever killed was coming at her with a weapon. She waited for the last blow to fall, the blow that would kill her. It never fell. Instead, the weapons went straight into the hearts of everyone she cared about.

Suddenly, she felt like an arrow had hit her in the chest. She gasped aloud, unable to help herself.

"Aibhilín?" came a voice from above her. She could hear it, and yet she could not focus on it.

"I'm fine" she forced herself to say. She forced herself to focus, even though the pain almost blinded her. "I'll be fine. I think I just need rest. My wounds ache"

"Come, I'll look at them. We can check on Ealusaid at the same time" Guinevere offered, and the two women left. Guinevere tilted her head slightly, and out of the corner of her eyes she could see Lancelot's eyes following Aibhilín as she left.

Aibhilín settled in a bed. She was used to sleeping wrapped in a cloak under the stars (and sometimes without the cloak). This stone walled room with its stuffed bed and filmy curtains was completely foreign to her. She climbed out of the bed crammed with the feathers from innocent birds, and lay her cloak on the floor. She rolled onto it and slept. She slept deeply, and then drifted into the realm of dreams.

Death. So much death. The fields are stained with it. Sometimes I know whose it is. Sometimes I can see a body. Mostly I can just feel it. Why am I alive? Why am I the only person who is alive? This was not meant to be. I should be there too, oh Goddess this hurts so much. The three dances; death, deceit and the eternal dance...they all have come full circle. I lie down and then I die

Aibhilín sat up. The moonlight was shining directly on her face, and she could see the darkness outside. It must have been between midnight and dawn. The night breeze was cool and she shivered slightly.

Come to me, Aibhilín

The wind whispered elusively to her. She sat up, and listened.

Come, come to me

Aibhilín crawled out of her cloak, and opened the door. The hallways were silent as the tomb. She padded along, her footsteps making no noise on the floor.

Come, come

She paused at a fork in the hallways. Listening to the mysterious voice, she took the left fork. On the walls were rooms and rooms. She started to wonder if she'd taken the wrong fork, but the voice spoke again, ever louder.

Aibhilín, I'm waiting

The strongest feeling came from the door on her immediate left. She twisted the doorknob, and looked in.

"Aibhilín?" he asked.

"Couldn't sleep" he said. "What about you?"

"Something similar" she said dryly. She moved and sat by him. "What was keeping you up?"

Lancelot sighed. "Most of the knights are leaving here for Sarmatia tomorrow"

Aibhilín understood. "And you don't know if you should go with them"

Lancelot nodded. "I've been longing for my homeland for fifteen years"

"But this is Arthur" Aibhilín breathed softly. "You do not want to leave him to certain slaughter"

Lancelot hung his head. Aibhilín's heart went out to him. She knew only to well the feeling of being split in two opposite directions. She leaned over and pushed his heads up with her hand. "Whatever you decide, no-one will blame you" she murmured. She placed her lips on his for an icy kiss, like the first one they had shared. Lancelot's fire melted her ice, and it dripped off her lips like jewels. She let her hands move downwards, so that they travelled from his neck to his lower back. He gently pushed her back so that she was lying on the bed. He was lying next to her, and they still kissed, Aibhilín moved herself into him, so close that she could feel the heat on his body. She could feel every little movement of his body, and every little motion was mimicked involuntarily by her body. She wanted desperately to be a part of him, to be with him, to memorise every inch of his skin. She felt herself slip out of her pure white shift, and she felt Lancelot's eyes upon her. She helped him out of his tunic and let herself tumble into passion.

Pain. Nothing but an ocean of pain. She knew that she was not where she was when she had fallen, but she was still in a similar place. It had taken her too long to walk back through the door, and now, she was back, in her fire of pain. She struggled to open her eyes. The room swam into focus, and a voice called her back.

"Ealusaid?" Guinevere said incredulously. She went over. "You're awake"

"Did it take you that long?" Ealusaid teased.

"We almost thought that you had passed into Emania-the realm of the dead"

"What day is it?"

"The eighteenth day of Nion, the Ash month" Guinevere informed her.

"I have been asleep too long" Ealusaid said firmly. She tried to get up, and managed it with only a minimal amount of pain. "Am I healed?"

Guinevere looked a little apprehensive, as if she knew Ealusaid would not like what she was about to say. "We hope" she whispered.

Ealusaid's eyes widened. "So you're not sure?"

Guinevere nodded her head. Ealusaid gave an icy smile. "I'll live, I promise"

Guinevere nodded. "I know that you are not going to like this, but you should..."

"Sleep and rest" Ealusaid intoned along with her.

Guinevere smiled. "Exactly" She administered a valerian root tea, and stayed until Ealusaid slept.

Guinevere left the room, realising that she had nowhere to go. She did not want to disturb Ealusaid or Aibhilín, she didn't particularly want to go back to the knights and she did not want to sleep. She wandered off in a random direction, through the endless mass of corridors. She thought that she could remember the way back to the courtyard, but it proved to be harder than she thought. Usually she remembered ways by landmarks, such as trees, shrubs and signs. These corridors with door after door of rooms seemed to be a world away from that. She travelled along the corridor and as she turned the corner she ran into a strong bulk.

"I'm sorry" she stammered. The man turned around, and she saw the weather-beaten face of Arthur.

"My apologies" he said. Guinevere stared straight up into his face. It was care-worn and lined beyond his years.

"There is something troubling you" she said.

Arthur looked slightly surprised. "You are very perceptive"

"We're warriors. It is good to be able to judge your enemy"

"Do you think of me as an enemy then?" Arthur asked her quietly.

"No, never" Guinevere answered honestly. "I could sense that you were a good man"

Arthur smiled. "They say that Aibhilín is understanding, but I would say that Guinevere is more so"

Guinevere smiled, but her smile wore off slightly. "You still haven't told me what is troubling you"

"I shall add determined to the list of words to describe you"

Guinevere stared at him dryly "As Aibhilín will testify, I have already broken a man's arm, leg and jaw. Do not make me add anymore"

Arthur turned away slightly. "You are afraid" Guinevere said, stating the obvious.

Arthur started to nod his head, but then he shook it. "Yes-well no. I am afraid, but for the knights. I fear that they may follow me"

Guinevere caught his head and made sure that he could not avoid looking at her. "They have been following you for fifteen years. It is hard to let go now"

Arthur looked at her. "You are very wise"

Guinevere stared at him "What tomorrow brings, we cannot know" she breathed. She let her mouth be guided to his, but she did not let herself think. She just enjoyed the moment.

When Ealusaid awoke, it was night and she was alone. She opened her mouth, and realised how dry it was. She struggled upright, and looked around her room. There was a basin, but the pitcher was not there. Ealusaid left the room, and slipped out into the open.

The night air was cool, and she shivered slightly in her shift. It was good though. It was more natural. She leaned against the wall. She hated being enclosed, locked into a room every night in stifling heat. The only thing that never changed was the stars. Being under them reminded her a little of her usual life; under the stars every night and feeling the moonlight on her skin.

She twisted her head slightly, and she saw Galahad walking up behind her. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Shhh" Ealusaid whispered. "If Guinevere or Leofwen find out, I'm as good as dead"

"What are you doing here anyway?" Galahad asked.

"Thinking" Ealusaid tilted her head upwards. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking" Galahad said quickly. Ealusaid smiled and looked upwards.

"You can only think properly alone" she said, but she hastily added. "Or when it's quiet"

"Imagine what a lovely, quiet place the world would be if everyone had their throats slit" Galahad said, and Ealusaid laughed a little.

"Want to start now?" she said. "I'll let you have the Bishop"

Galahad's smile turned a little icy. "I don't kill for pleasure"

Ealusaid looked surprised. "You ought to try"

"So everyone keeps telling me" Galahad muttered. He looked at her. "You don't strike me as a person who kills for pleasure"

Ealusaid gave another slight smile. "I don't kill for pleasure, I just get a lot of pleasure out of the kill"

Galahad smiled.

Ealusaid's eyes widened a little as she saw Leofwen walking out of the fort. Galahad started to turn, and desperately Ealusaid grabbed his head. She leaned in and kissed him. Keeping her eyes opened, she waited until Leofwen had slipped out of a side door. She then pulled away and melted away into the shadows. Ealusaid slipped out to meet Leofwen. She had already disappeared around the corner, and by the time Ealusaid had caught up with her, she could see the waiting shapes of Aibhilín and Guinevere.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Dauídh is close. He left us signs along the way, when you were in the death sleep" Guinevere explained.

"Has everyone but me crawled into someone's bed tonight?" Leofwen said exasperatedly.

"I haven't quite" Ealusaid said with a small blush on her face.

"Guilty" Aibhilín said, holding up a hand. There was life in her face, the sort of life that hadn't been there for months.

After a pause, Guinevere held up her hand too. "Now that, I didn't expect" Leofwen said teasingly. "Tell us who"

Guinevere whispered the name so softly that you shouldn't have thought that they would hear it. They did however, and Leofwen let out a burst of laughter. "You don't do things by halves, do you?"

They saw shapes form around them. They were back with their people, yet in many ways they wished they were back in the fort.

Review please. I am steadily eating my way through a packet of Polos and a bar of Dairy Milk. Reviews will stop me gorging. Please save me from myself...

Oh, but I did get an early birthday present! My dad bought me a domain name . It's not fully up yet, but it will be soon. Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...even though my birthday's not for like a month. Oh well, I'll be fifteen soon! Sorry, I'm babbling...r/r people, you know the drill.

Blessed Be

ChiaraStorm