Many of you seem to think that Sebbi has no depth, and that Amage is all knowing. Hmmm... Enjoy!

TJ- Clarity? One can only hope.

Nianko- Amage is a great character. She's so much fun to write!

A.K. Anonymous- Thanks!

Veronica- Sorry, Galahad didn't make the angsty cut. He'll be in the next chapter, though.

Cheetah Princess- Indeed!

Camreyn- I merely stated that Aine would not sleep with someone she had only met five minutes ago. Obviously, she does sleep with people that she has known for longer periods of time. I never said she was pregnant. You really shouldn't trust Amage so much. She's Lancelot's mother. Remember that. Besides, with Etain- how do you know the herb is foolproof? I think fatherhood would be a bit of a shock for our poor Tristan, but then again, I have been known to be rather heinous on occasion. If you wish to know more about Amage, you're going to love this chapter! Let me know how it is. Yes, Galahad and Gawain are from the same village. They seemed to have quite a bond in the movie, and it helps my purposes. It's much easier to write about three different villages, as apposed to four. Thanks!

Dazzler420- Thanks!

Emerald Eyed Cutie- What are you talking about, sugar is awesome! I love your reviews!

ChildlikeEmpess- I'm so glad your computer is felling better! Long live Vegitarians!

It was a hasty plan, Amage admitted to herself. She had had hardly any time to think any of this through. She had lied several times today, but it was for the betterment of mankind, was it not? If her race was to survive, they needed to be lead in the right direction. She had always done so in the past by claiming to have a vision. Why shouldn't she continue? If the girl wasn't pregnant already, she would be soon. No harm done. Lancelot and Sera would have gotten married at some point, though perhaps not as soon. It was what they wanted. Yet, she still felt rather guilty, for some reason. Then she saw Sebbi wandering aimlessly past her tent.

Many people thought that Amage could see the future, that she could speak to the Gods. In reality, Amage was simply intelligent. She was observant. When she told someone to remain true to their marriage vows, they always looked shocked. They didn't know that it was apparent to the rest of the tribe that they were being unfaithful, and Amage was the only one brave enough to speak to them about it. Yes, she foresaw the doom of her people, though it was not through any vision. Anyone who would take a minute to look around could see that without males, their tribe could not procreate. It really wasn't all that mysterious, the ways in which Amage saw the world. When she lied, it was to help people, not to harm them. She did not accept bribes for hexes, or visions. She did what she could to protect her people. Sometimes, a well-placed herb in someone's food was all that was necessary for them to see the error of their ways. Sometimes, people didn't know what was best for them. Amage did. She could see what was going on between Sebbi and Aine. They did not. She would remedy that.

Amage didn't know why she was doing this. It was really none of her business, and it didn't matter to the tribe if these two foreigners ever got over their emotional issues. Yet, here she was, inviting a Saxon into her tent, to have a nice long talk about romance. She was getting soft, it was the only explanation. Soon, she would not trust her self to keep the balance in her tribe. She was being ruled by her emotions, and in leadership, that was never a good thing.

Amage gently but firmly steered Sebbi into her tent. She sat him down in one of the makeshift chairs, and took the seat opposite him. She knew she made for a rather imposing figure, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Some people simply exuded power.

"How long has it been, Sebbi?" she asked, quietly.

Sebbi looked at her quizzically, not understanding her meaning.

"Who was she?" she asked, more gently this time.

Sebbi's breathing was becoming irregular. How could she know? In all of his travels, he had never found evidence of any one being able to read another's mind. How could she know?

"How do you know about Cynwise?" he asked, instead of answering.

Ah, so that was her name. It hadn't been difficult to deduce that there had once been a woman in Sebbi's life, and she was interested in why she was not present now. Sebbi was not as simple as he appeared. People often assumed that those who appear cheerful often have no regrets or worries in their lives. That they had never suffered a loss. That was simply stupid. Cheerful people just worked harder to hide it. Everyone suffers in the grand scheme of life, some of us cope with it better than others. Sebbi was a master with covering up his past, and now, he was finding it hard to discern what was happening in his present.

"What happened to her?" asked Amage. She saw the slump of his shoulders, the shudder that ran through his body. He was fighting hard to control and hide his emotions, but it was clear that he was losing the battle.

"She's gone."

Silence hung in the air, as Sebbi breathed heavily at the ground, and Amage pondered his words. There were so many meanings. She had left, she was dead, he had moved on...what had really happened? Sebbi's head was now in his hands, as he forced back a sob. He had not thought about her for years. Well, he'd tried not to think about her for years.

"Cynwise was my wife. Killed by raiders." He said, shortly. He couldn't believe he had just said that. He had never told anyone about Cynwise before. She had been slashed from behind; she never had a change at defending herself, or the child she carried. She had died, sputtering blood, in his arms. Sebbi had then thrown himself into history, into learning, anything to get him away from what happened. He had lived, while she had died. Fate had a cruel whim. Just when you thought you had everything, it was all taken away from you. Everything. He should have been there, he should have been the one to bleed. Yet, he had been the one to stand over her body, tears coursing down his bloodstained cheeks. Cedric, king of the Saxons had forced all males of age to enlist in the Saxon army. Sebbi hadn't complained. He hoped to get himself killed, not being able to do so himself. What he saw on his arrival in Britain had not sat well with him. The Saxon's hacked up the men, along with all the women and children. Like his Cynwise. Like his unborn child. He wanted no part in such atrocities.

When he had first seen Aine, she wanted to kill him. Yet, he wouldn't attack her. She had slashed apart the rest of his group, yet still he did nothing. It wasn't until one of the men had tried to slash her from behind that he had reacted. He remembered the pain, and the shock when he saw Cynwise fall. She had been attacked from behind, he would not allow this woman, no matter who she was, suffer the same fate. He had killed the soldier, as he often dreamt of killing the raider who had slaughtered his wife and child. The Saxon and the Woad had stared at each other in shock. Finally, Aine had marked him as one of her own. He could still remember the sweat, blood, and paint that covered her slick skin smearing on his. He could nearly feel the battle lust coursing through her veins. He had followed her that day, never letting her out of his sight. After the battle was over, she had made him apart of her band of warriors. Sebbi could not refuse. He didn't like the idea of her fighting on her own. She needed someone to watch her back. Literally. He had felt a bit of guilt every time he looked at, or thought about Aine. It didn't seem right. He had had the love of his life already, and he would not besmirch her memory by falling in love with another woman.

Amage could see his thoughts play out on his face. He was no longer hiding himself from her. While she couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking, she knew that he had no intention of dishonoring his dead wife. For some reason, he and Aine had connected. His wife would not want him to live the rest of his life alone.

Amage took Sebbi's hand, and looked him right in the eye. "Your wife loved you. Do you really think she would want you to wander the earth alone for the rest of your days?"

Sebbi's face was a canvas of pain. He had not had to recall his wife's reaction to anything for so long. He wanted to believe Amage, but what did she know of it? She didn't know his wife. But, then he remembered. Her smile. Her spirit. Yes, she had loved him. Would she hate him, if she could see him now? No. But, it was clear Aine felt nothing toward him but annoyance at his behavior. It was quite pointless, even considering...

"Go talk to her." Amage urged, gently guiding him to his feet.

He didn't even ask her whom she meant. The woman was a genius. There was no other explanation. He gave her a swift hug, and left her tent. He would do as she suggested.

Amage watched the Saxon go. So much hurt. So much confusion. He had kept that in for far too long. Yet, still...why had she even bothered? Helping Sebbi would have no impact on her tribe. She should concentrate on what was important.

Babai. Why was he behaving in this fashion? Over the years, she had seen him change from the man she was so passionate about, to the removed and reserved Romanized male that he was now. Why had he changed? He used to be so much more sensitive to her needs, now it was all about him. It was the same after the sun had gone down, and Habren was fast asleep. Before, his hands had excited her, primed her. Now, he simply had his way with her. Whenever Amage had tried to resume some sort of control, he had pulled away in anger. It was no wonder they only had two children. Babai would probably contend that their lack of offspring was because of her lack of obedience to him.

Babai sat on top of the hill, overlooking his village. They would be laughing at him now. His wife, stupid woman, had kicked him out of his own tent! Why had she changed so much? She would never have done something like this when they had first been married. Ever since Lancelot was taken, she had become more distant. Now, when he had returned, she had become even more so. What was wrong with the woman? Whenever he tried to touch her, she turned him away. He couldn't remember the last time that they had properly made love. She wouldn't let him into her head; she wouldn't let him into her heart. He couldn't find a way to break down those walls. He had tried. He had tried for years. After quite some time, he tried to simply annoy her. He tried to get any reaction he could out of her. Now, she hated him for it. Life was not what people said it was. Life was what you made of it. They had not made much for fifteen years.

The sun was setting, and the tribe gathered together. After such an eventful day, they could not wait to see what the evening brought.