Dazzler420- So true :3 I've been obsessed with him since the movie came out.

HGandRHrforever- Thank you! I'm glad you're hooked to the plot, because I need all the motivation I can get…been so busy lately.


Chapter 3: Gone Hunting

(revised)


They left early that morning, just in time for the sun to rear its blinding head.

It was obvious that Lancelot and Arthur had shared an unpleasant exchange, because neither of them would even look at each other. Even on dreary and depressing days such as this one, they would have normally shared a few words. But neither knight spoke to the other, Arthur only to tell them all where they were headed.

They had ridden only for a few hours when Bors decided that he was hungry. In which they were all reminded at a bad time: They had forgotten to bring food. This didn't help, and only seemed to make the moods of the knights even bitterer.

Determining that it was best to quickly catch a meal then, they all decided on a short pit-stop so Dagonett could build a fire, and as usual, Tristan would catch the food.

But before any of them had a chance to move out to their selected tasks, a rustling noise broke out from behind a few clumped trees.

Naturally, they all froze still, knowing that the noise was not that of an animal. Much too loud to be.


It had been a miracle. If they existed, Vrena had without a doubt witnessed one with her own eyes.

It had been late at night, and after taking Arvin for a drink at the close-by stream, she was attempting to snuggle into her cloak as deep as she could to shield herself from the incoming air. She could have easily gone to Hadrian's Wall and found a place to stay, but she still felt awkward seeing herself around people. Was this an effect of those horrible events? Would she eventually go mad and die?

As she had been thinking these things, a neigh came from Arvin, which made her jump with a little squeal. She scanned the area for who was hurting her horse, but saw no one...only Arvin on his feet, trying to move his broken, deformed leg.

"Arve! Don't do that-" she scolded as she forced her weak limbs off the ground. But she had been cut off by a repulsive half-snap half-pop, which came from Arvin's leg.

Which…was now moving perfectly?

She watched in shock as he walked in a single circle, full use of his damaged leg, then laid himself back down amid the grass, as if nothing had ever happened.

Vrena strode over to look at him, and studied what she had thought was broken and would never be of use…to see it looking normal again, with only a few scars where the real damage had been.

It had been only dislodged.

Simply out of place the whole time, and she had thought it was broken.

She would have whacked him on the arse right there for making her think that he would never run strait again, but instead let out a cry of laughter and limped herself back over to her tree, and leaning against it, fell asleep.

It was now nearly afternoon. She took Arvin for a test-run near sunrise, and he rode perfectly, though she was still soaring with pain and discomfort, she decided that they would head back to her old home.

She knew that if she followed the road she had gotten off of just yesterday, she would make it within a few days, riding fast. But in her condition, she would need to take things a bit slower. Every gallop her steed took made her even sorer then ever, but she knew that her wounds needed to be healed professionally. Not by the way of her third-rate herbal mixtures.

Though the medicine she had made yesterday and a good nights rest improved her mind and closed up her open wounds, there was still a chance of infection.

This meant that she would need more herbal remedies, such as drinks and rest in a good bed. She remembered her Aunt, the wife of the landowner named Marius, and how Vrena would watch over their little Alecto when the elders and adults would go have their fancy dinners. She knew that they would help her.

With that on her mind, she headed out steady with Arvin for about an hour or two, then began at a pace so fast that she didn't have time to think about her aching body, only the wind and the path. One thing she loved about her steed, his graceful and smooth racing.

But after a while, even that began to hurt, and sadly she had to halt him. She wished she could keep riding, but her large painful bruises were now rearing their ugly heads, and some of the soreness from her wounds was returning.

Since Arvin was not crushing it now, she decided it was time to use her bow and arrows. They were both hungry, maybe she could convince him to eat meat? Either way, she had to have something. The last meal she had consumed had been two days ago, just before being nearly beaten to death.

She yanked the bow from Arvin's large pouch and arrows from their holder. She only needed a few of them, since she had been taught archery as a young girl.

So she set out on her quest for food. However, she only managed to travel about ten feet before she paused dead in her tracks.

"What is the reason for your halt, Bors?" came a mans voice. Vrena could've sworn she'd just swallowed her tongue. She was scared stiff.

People. This wasn't good. She concealed herself behind three very large trees, and peered out from the side of one to look at the threat.

Knights. By their clothing and other attire, she could tell.

"Arthur, we should stop now and find somethin' to eat. I'm starving. And we didn't pack any food! this place is swarmin' with beasts." The man whose name was Bors spoke.

Arthur? Arthur, Arthur…it rang a bell.

The knights of the round table!

Bloody hell, it was them! She was definitely doomed now, for sure. She had heard stories of Arthur and his knights, and knew that Arthur himself was a very catholic man, unlike his knights who were all Sarmatian, thus Pagans. She feared all of them.

But she forced herself to resist the urge to run. Any move she made would probably trigger them to attack her.

The roman man Arthur would surely see her wounds, force her to tell what act she performed to receive them, and send her back to Tirth…or kill her himself

No. She refused to let that happen.

She would stay still until they left.

She couldn't see Arthur's face, but knew he was thinking of accepting the idea.

'No! There is nothing here! Keep going!' she thought to herself.

"We will be wasting valuable time, but I guess we have no choice. We will hunt here then, and set up camp further on without worrying about hunger."

Vrena gulped and felt like crying. That means until all of them left the area, she could not escape.

"Tristan, I'm sure you can catch us something in a few minutes?" another man- who was very charming, she had to admit- was probably the one and only Lancelot, spoke to another one of the knights.

The man Tristan he was clearly speaking with had just demounted his horse. He looked a lot more quiet and reserved then the other knights, she could tell. He had Eastern markings on his high cheek bones, and his nearly black eyes scanned the woods around him. At one point, she held her breath hoping that they wouldn't see her through the trees.

'I'm invisible. I'm invisible. I'm not here.' She chanted in her head, hoping it would stray his eyes from her hiding spot.

He simply nodded to his commander and readied his bow.

Heading her way.

Vrena let out a small gasp as her leg weakly gave in from the strain of almost kneeling, and snapped a twig. A very sharp twig, to specify. She felt it tear through her skirts and jab at her knee.

Followed by the sound of it echoing throughout the woodland.

She heard all of the knights freeze what they were doing, just as she had did. They were listening, she knew it. She was going to dieThis couldn't be happening

Vrena began to panic as she leaned over her sore leg...thanks to that fall, she felt the day-old would she thought had closed open again, and resisted screaming. A bit of blood began to seep through, then more, and as she silently lifted up her long skirts, she watched as blood dripped, staining the ground red. She leaned her head back onto the tree in amazement. It could have opened on her and Arvin's ride, but why now?

She sat her bow down and didn't even bother to move. She just rested against the tree and watched the fresh red blood flow.

How could she have been so careless? She should have at least ripped her dress and mended it. She thought the reason it hurt was merely because it was bruised! Not that it was about to re-open

She just sat there and awaited her death.

Vrena heard a pair of feet slowly come towards her. She would be killed once they saw her.

But…out of nowhere, she heard the sound of hooves.

And aloud neigh.

'Oh, Arvin!' She nearly cried. They'd kill him too.

He was galloping closer, maybe looking for his lost master. He would probably find her dead, and then the knights would kill him. What a wonderful day.

But as she saw Arvin come into view, she knew that the seven knights had seen him appear as well, coming right at them. But no arrows were flying, and no daggers tearing. Were they waiting for him to get closer?

But Arvin just dashed over to her, and she felt his hot breath shoot out of his nostrils. Then he proudly sat his arse right next to her and lay down.

Sometime she wished him dead, others she loved the hell out of him. Now was sort of a mix of both as she heard not just one pair, but three more pairs of feet heading over to look behind the tree.


Tristan watched as the horse pranced casually as if it didn't even see them. A beautiful breed, pure white in color. This was not an average wild horse, but as the steed turned, he caught glimpse of an ugly wound, still slightly blood stained. It had probably been done recently. The others also noted this. Arthur began to walk forward, followed by Lancelot, and once they were nearer to him, Tristan followed. They knew something was behind the tree, and they had to be cautious. He would go first.

He held out his arm silently to signal the others to stop approaching, that he would take care of this. Arthur and Lancelot stopped and allowed the scout to proceed.


Vrena could hear the other two pairs of feet cease moving and only one was heading closer now, no more then a few feet away from the tree, she could tell.

They would find her.

She would die.

Arvin would die.

But before she could think of any more unpleasant things that could happen…

She fainted.


Oh oh oh, cliff hanger.

Sorry guys, couldn't resist stopping here. I'll update soon though.

Cari