Title: Forever More
Author: QWE b R /b TYU b E /b IOK b D /b HYC b P /b LKM b O /b BVH b L /b WEC b L /b UYN b A /b PCZ b R /b GWM b D /b read every fourth letter
Author's Note: I saw King Arthur again. Hiphiphooray for Ioan! I O A N. IIIOOOAAANNN. melts into a puddle Very terribly happy. Oh but don't worry, I love Clive, Mads (hehe), and Hugh oh my fking god he's so hot Dancy as well.
Disclaimer: Almost forgot this wretched disclaimer. Yes I don't own King Arthur. Blahblahblah. I'm merely restating what happened so those who don't know will know. More blahblahblah. Oh and I own Kera so buzz off.
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Chapter 11:†At the Marius Estate†
Maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to leave the fort at night. The rain gave no sign of relenting and Kera was nearly a day behind Arthur and his knights. Though the downfall had lessened to a drizzle, it quickly changed back to heavy rain. Nonpareil didn't seem affected by the shower while Kera shivered in her damp cloak. She urged the mare into a faster gallop as they tore through the thickening trees. Thistles sprang up and thorns pressed in dangerously close to the path, snagging at her hair. The ground gradually sloped upwards. The leather saddle was quite slippery and she had to hold onto the horse's neck as they trudged up the muddy rise. For how long they rode and how long it rained, neither of them knew. By the time the forest gave way, Kera was miserable, wet, and freezing. Her lips were blue and she was drenched to the skin. Her waterproof cloak hadn't been much of a help after all.
Reaching the top of the hill after much difficulty, her trembling hands loosened on the reins. She had been riding for so many hours straight without resting. In a way, she believed that if it hadn't been for Nonpareil she wouldn't have made it so far. The wet precipitation dripped languidly from the leaves and splashed into a rocky pool beneath. She felt so tired, yet she couldn't sleep. Not here. The cold air stung her eyes and kept her wide awake, keeping her from fading off. A long, slippery drop broke off from the peak of the hill, rolling down to a small mansion at the bottom. Faltering, the mare's footing slipped as they slid down the mucky ground. Each hoof sank into the soft ground and when they past, the earth seemed to heave upwards, filling the circular hoof prints with brown water, as if getting rid of a heavy burden. Kera leaned completely forward, her stiff arms clutching onto the mare's sweating neck as they descended the hill.
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As the knights reached the estate, mercenaries rushed to close the gate with a metallic scrape. As they rode towards the gate, the villagers tentatively put down their work and crowded in around them in curiosity. A guard appeared on top of the battlements. He had on Roman garb, with a red cape clasped onto his shoulders.
"Who are you?" the mercenary called out.
Lancelot looked up and replied, "Roman knights!"
The mercenary captain whispered something to another guard before disappearing behind the wall. In a moment another man appeared at the wall. His face was somewhat pudgy with a large Roman nose. He wore a pasty, white robe and he held an air of self-importance and arrogance around him. Arthur knew immediately that he was the master of the house, Marius Honorius.
"Who are you?" Marius shouted.
Lancelot turned to Arthur with a grin, "At least they ask simple questions."
Arthur answered back, "I am Arthur Castus, commander of the Sarmatian knights, sent by Bishop Germanus of Rome. Open the gate!"
Immediately Marius's round face lit up with delight and he signaled the gate to be opened. The gates creaked open and Marius and two Roman mercenaries marched out from inside. Behind them, Galahad could see a long marble courtyard flanked by all types of colorful botany springing up. A white granite statue of a man in a robe stood majestically in the middle of the path. No doubt it was of Marius with a few minor adjustments to make him look better. Clapping his hands together eagerly like a child at Christmas time, Marius greeted the knights happily.
"It is a wonder and a miracle you have come," he said reaching up to pat Arthur's steed's nose. But the horse snorted and raised its head higher and out of reach.
Arthur said, "Our orders are to evacuate you immediately."
A grin was still plastered on Marius's face but there was no doubt he was confused.
"Impossible," he said.
Arthur turned and looked past him to see a woman draped in a deep colored robe. Her eyes looked towards the ground as she stood silently behind her husband. A tall, handsome boy stood beside her.
"Which one of you is Alecto?" Arthur asked.
The boy pushed his way to the front. His eyes were a deep brown and stood out against his olive complexion.
"I am Alecto."
Marius shoved Alecto aside. Still not understanding the whole evacuation idea he returned to that point.
"Everything we have is here," he insisted fiercely. "This land was given to us by the Pope of Rome."
Lancelot spoke up, "Well, you are about to give it to the Saxons."
"Saxons?" Alecto inquired.
"They have invaded from the north," Arthur said.
Marius's voice filled with desperation as he regained his haughty composure.
"Then Rome will send us an army!" he declared, jutting his chin outwards.
"They have already done so," Arthur said. "And we are it. Now, you should start to prepare immediately. We must leave as soon as you are packed."
"Marius shook his head.
"I refuse to leave!" he said his once strong voice descending into a nasally whine.
"Let us be clear," Arthur said gritting his teeth. "If I fail to bring you and your son back, my men and I can never leave this land. You are coming with me if I have to tie you behind my horse and drag you all the way back to Hadrian's Wall." He inclined his body forward slightly and bowed with mock respect. "My lord."
The knights grinned widely behind him.
"Lady, my knights are hungry."
The woman named Fulcinia nodded before briskly hurrying back into the house. As Arthur surveyed the village, an eager villager began following him.
"You, sir, are the knight Arthur, yes?" the boy said keenly. "I am Ganis."
Arthur ignored him and kept walking, his eyes wandering over the villagers at their backbreaking work and the poor little huts they had to live in.
"I am a good fight, and smart," Ganis said. "I would serve you proudly!"
Arthur stopped and looked at him. "You wish to serve me?" he said.
Ganis nodded fervently.
"Then gather the villagers together," Arthur said. "I must speak with them. All of them."
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Inside the lavishly decorated house, Fulcinia had set up a vast feast that she had conjured up quickly for the knights. All of them were starving but the only person who had lost his appetite was Arthur. From near the end of the table, Bors ripped off two chicken legs heartedly.
"Not to pry, Lancelot," Bors mumbled through mouthfuls of food. "But who was that girl with you? Fine lass she was. Where'd you pick her up?"
Lancelot pushed the food around on his plate.
"She's not i my /i girl. I found her coming out of the woods. The Woads had attacked her."
After a silence, he continued.
"She's not like anything I've ever seen. Her clothes were strange and she didn't look like any of the women here."
Bors shrugged and piled more food hungrily onto his plate.
After having watched his men eat for a moment, Arthur returned outside again. Tristran hadn't been at the house to eat for he was out there in the woods scouting the area. Sensing someone nearby, Arthur turned to find Alecto round the corner towards him.
"You shut these people outside the gates every night?" Arthur said, waving a hand towards the people in the huts.
Alecto said, "My father assured me it is the way of our God and our mother church."
The color rose suddenly to Arthur's face and Alecto walked away before he could tell him off. Looking around, Arthur saw that Ganis had been true to his orders. A large shivering crowd of villagers huddled together as Arthur approached them.
"A large and terrible army is coming this way," he shouted ignoring the frightened murmurs that rippled through the crowd. "They will spare no one. Those of you who are able should pack up and move south. Those of you who are unable to travel on your own shall come with us when we leave this place."
The people whispered frantically to each other but in the end they nodded cooperatively and rushed off to pack. Arthur began to walk towards the house when he spotted something that made his stomach wrench. Near a stone, windowless hut was a man. He was in his late fifties with stringy hair that clung to his gaunt face. He wore nothing but a dirty rag around his waist. His legs were bony and his thin arms were shackled to a chain which suspended from three wooden posts that had been driven into the ground to form a triangular teepee type of contraption. Thick red whip marks crisscrossed his back like a checkerboard. Coming from the look of him, he had been there for quite a while.
"Who is he?" Arthur demanded.
"Our village elder," Ganis replied.
"What is this punishment for?" Arthur said outraged.
Ganis turned and pointed a finger at the Marius's mansion.
"He defied our master, Marius," Ganis stumbled. "You are from Rome. Marius has told us that he is of the church and a spokesman for God. Is it true that it is a sin to defy him?"
To answer, Arthur unsheathed Excalibur and with a swift action, sliced the chain in half. The man slumped to the ground, his weak body unable to keep him standing.
"Marius is not of God," he said panting, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "And you—you wre free from your first breath."
Spinning around he strode back towards the mansion when Tristran appeared from nowhere and fell into step with him, his hawk perched lightly on his arm.
"The Saxons have flanked us to the east and are coming from the south, cutting off our escape," Tristran informed.
"How many?" Arthur asked before adding, "And How long until they are here?"
"An entire army," Tristran replied watching the look of horror rise to Arthur's face. "They will be here before nightfall. Perhaps even sooner. We have to leave now."
Arthur nodded solemnly and said, "We must find an alternate route."
Tristran pointed into the distance and said, "I located the start of a trail heading east. We will have to cross the path the Saxons took. It is the only way out of here."
The rain had begun to subside as Arthur nodded and turned off to oversee the packing. Suddenly, Tristran's keen ears picked up a noise beyond all the talking. Turning his shoulders, he squinted through the streaks of rain and spotted a blurred form racing down the hill. It staggered for a moment but righted itself and rushed on. Taking a step back, Tristran wiped the rain from his eyes just to see a magnificent red horse canter towards him. It whinnied loudly, its white eyes widening as its nostrils flared for breath. Something was sitting on its back.
With a dull i thump /i the person on the red horse's back slid from the saddle and hit the ground, merely missing the kicking hooves. Tristran hurried forward to see a girl with coal black hair squirming on the ground. Bending down towards her he reached out a hand. The girl moaned and tried to turn over, raising her arms to fight a hopeless fight against the rain. Her eyes were blurry as a pain throbbed in her shoulder.
"Ow…"she groaned.
Tristran lifted his arm and immediately, the gray hawk launched from its perch. Powering its wings it flew into the sky to circle the estate. Looking around, Tristran saw no one around to ask for help so with his free arms, he lifted her up in his arms and was temporarily taken back at how easy it was for him. The girl weighed nearly nothing in her state. Not caring that the girl's wet cloths soaked water into his recently dried armor, he strode quickly back into the shelter of the house.
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Lancelot looked up from his food and his eyes roamed over to the door of the great hall. Suddenly, Tristran flashed by in front of the doorway. Lancelot stood up quickly, planting his hands into the table when he saw that a girl was cradled in his arms. He knew the girl's face, whether it was covered in blood or glistening with raindrops, as it was now.
"Kera…"he whispered.
Bors looked up to see what Lancelot was gawking at and immediately smiled. Thumping his friend on the back a fit ferociously he urged him towards the door.
"And you said she wasn't your girl," he chuckled after Lancelot had nearly sprinted out in his alacrity to catch Tristran. Noticing Lancelot's plate of food, he quickly looked around before digging in.
Lancelot progressed speedily through the halls, very now and then ducking his head into a different passageway to see where Tristran could be. Hearing voices in a close by, he wheeled off into another passageway and stopped dead in his tracks as he found himself standing in front of an open door to a chamber.
The room itself wasn't very large, though it accommodated much. A warm hearth occupied the wall on the right side. The fire leaped up from the logs, throwing sparks into the air. A spacious, queen sized bed filled the middle of the room. Four, tall posts rose from the corners of the bed and a thick, red canopy hung between them. Thin curtains draped over the sides of the canopy, providing protection from flies and maintained privacy. A wide basin stood in the opposite side of the room and several feet away was a stiff chair swathed in velvet.
Tristran bent over the bed, slowly lowering Kera onto the covers. She shuddered visibly, her eyes partially closed and her hair sticking to her back. Brushing a finger against her cheek, he pushed aside the wet hair. Pulling a quilt over her, Tristran began to leave the room when he felt the soft touch of icy fingers against his wrist. Turning around, Kera had opened her eyes. The once vibrant gray had clouded over and became unfocused as they tried to fix on his face.
"Don't go…" she whispered. "Please…"
Tristran eyed her uncertainly. She was so delirious in her state she probably couldn't even make out his face, let alone know what she was saying. Her nimble fingers touched his hand once more before she dropped her arm. Tristran wordlessly sat down on the edge of the bed. Kera's teeth chattered as she moved in closer to his body. Her entire body felt numb and even her ankle didn't hurt as much now. Curling her chin to her chest, she huddled her shoulders against his chest. Tristran froze as her hands pressed against his breastplate.
Outside, the rain had stopped hammering down upon the building. Yet that lifted no one's mood.
"The rain…" she spoke in a soft voice. "It's stopped."
A surge of unexpected resentment sprang through Lancelot as he watched Tristran warily wrap his arms behind Kera's back. His hands flexed instinctively into fists. For several minutes, he stood there in the door, unnoticed as he watched Kera's body slowly stop shivering until she fell asleep. Tristran slowly slipped his hands from underneath her shoulders and gently laid her back down. Standing up, he turned around to meet cold eyes.
"How is she?" Lancelot said, his voice wavering slightly.
Tristran sensed something was wrong. Biting down onto his lip, he nodded and quickly brushed past Lancelot to get outside. Lancelot entered the room quietly, his eyes wandering over her peaceful sleeping form. A knock on the door caused him to turn around. Arthur stood by the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Tristran told me I could find you here," he said, a faint smile creeping over his lips.
Lancelot shook his head.
"It's not what you think," he explained. "I—she was attacked by Woads a couple days back. So, I took her back and Galla treated her. She had hurt her ankle but somehow, she managed to follow us here."
Arthur said, "Sounds like she has heart."
There was a silence for a moment before he continued.
"We're starting to head out. The Saxons draw nearer every minute. Bring her to the group. We have several wagons set up."
Lancelot nodded as Arthur left the room. Walking over to the bed, he watched as Kera's chest rose softly up as she breathed in. Sometimes he wished everything was that simple and undisturbed. He tried tapping her on the shoulder to wake her up. When that failed, he grasped her shoulders lightly and shook. Still nothing.
Sighing, he moved his hands underneath her shoulders and hooked his other arm underneath her knees. Lifting her up, he carried her out of the mansion to where many villagers were packing their belongings onto pack horses and wrangling their cattle and goats together. Kera stirred ever so slightly, her eyes fluttered open. Running a wet tongue over her dry lips, she looked up at Lancelot. A strange look came over her face as she realized where she was.
"Lancelot?" she said, "You were just here a minute ago…"
She smiled wearily and rested her head against his shoulder as she thought about how she would attack her uncle when she found him. Maybe a jab at the chin, or a square hit at the nose… Lancelot nearly slipped on the slick grass that when he steadied himself, he tightened his grip on Kera. She felt the hand her shoulders unexpectedly firmed. Suddenly, she felt constricted.
Lancelot looked down at her uncertainty before she planted her hands flat against his chest and yanked away. He quickly opened his arms, allowing her to wrench her body from his arms and succeed only in twisting in the air like a cat before landing on all fours. Wiping the mud from her hands against her dress, she sensed her cheeks redden before she turned away.
Lancelot sighed petulantly and rubbed his forehead. Off to his side, Tristran gave him a curious look before bringing his fingers to his lips and letting out a high whistle. Kera turned around as she saw Nonpareil gallop from behind several buildings. Her mane was still damp even though the rain had stopped. Tossing its head, it whinnied and came to a slow stop before Tristran. Kera crossed carefully to the horse and raised a hand to pat its fuzzy nose. Nonpareil nickered and pushed its muzzle into her hand.
"She's ready to go if you are," Tristran offered. "I placed a new saddle on her. She broke the other one when she fell onto her back."
Kera nodded and used the hem of her dress to wipe away the water than had collected on the seat of the saddle. It wasn't sidesaddle anymore. She would have to deal anyways. Hopping, she winced as the weight transferred unevenly on her feet. Wobbling she grabbed onto the saddle for support.
"Easy there," Tristran said.
Bending his knees slightly he cupped his hands together for Kera. Glancing quickly at his quite serious face, she grasped tightly to the reins and the pommel of the saddle before jumping up and pushing her non-injured foot against Tristran's palms. When she had her right foot resting lightly in the stirrup of the sidesaddle, she took her left foot and placed it into the opposite stirrup as well.
"Thanks," she said, smiling at him as she gathered the reins between her fingers.
Tristran bowed grandly for effect and drawing a laugh from Kera, Lancelot noticed bitterly.
"Not at all," he said, his nose nearly touching his knee.
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Author's Note: So sorry for ending it abruptly but I decided that this chapter was getting to long. Well I guess I'm done with eleven. Wow. Eleven. cheers I've decided that I'm going to head out and buy the KA Soundtrack for myself. So the next to you hear from me, I'll be listening to A Woad to Ruin. Take that!
sorry but I really needed to add this. From now on, I will use all my power to write more about Kera and stuff than repeat the book. Forgive me.