A/N: First I must apologize for the delay. There has been too many, well, not so good things happening. Ah, let's say 2005 isn't all that great right now and Fanfic was screwing up a lot. Any who, when I was looking back at my first two chapters to see if I had all the scenes I wanted, but then I realized, I had meant to add the part where Lancelot says I don't like anything that puts a man on his knees, that includes children, get it? Cause kids are short, adults tend to lower to their level. Okay, enough said.

Disclaimer: I don't think I would be writing a fanfic if owned this. If it seems like I'm plagiarizing…I'm really sorry.

Genre: Humor/ General

Rating: PG…for now

Ethne meaning fire is my character that's being introduced. She's just a little girl that's about a few years younger than Lucan. So… sorry, no pairing with any of the knights. Well at least romantically.


Chapter Three: Little Fire


Lancelot and Gawain exchanged a few looks, in absolute clueless-ness as to what to do with the little girl. Lancelot then tried to do what he only knew to do, give her to some who knew how to deal with children, Bors.

"Bors!"

Bors turned his horse around to face the person who called his name and gruff.

"Here, take her." Lancelot held the child outward, like she was a contagious disease.

Bors sensed the uneasiness of his fellow knight, something that he has rarely seen before. At this moment, Bors decided to make his move in cat and mouse game they constantly played.

"I'm a bit busy right now. So…" Bors said, trying extremely hard not to break into fits of laughter.

"You don't look busy." Lancelot replied sternly because he had a feeling where this was going.

"Well ahh, what's that Dagonet? You need me?" With that said, Bors trotted somewhere towards Dagonet, but ended up going the opposite way to mess with another Roman mind.

Lancelot then turned to Gawain, who still stood in the exact same spot, raised a brow.

"Oh no. You found her, you take care of her."

"Fine, see if I ever do you a favor again!" He called after Gawain.

"Tell me, what favor have you ever done for me?" He responded, laughing.

Lancelot sighed and mentally cursed to himself as he tried to find someone who would take care of her. But the oddest thing happened. Every person that he ask immediately agreed to watch her, but as soon they identified her, they instantly replied "Oh, my lord, I cannot watch her." And scattered off to do some other stuff. It seemed that even his position as one of Arthur's knight and merciless threats could not scare them enough to look after the little girl. They just simply refused.

By the time of the last rejection, everyone was ready to make leave for Hadrian's Wall. He sighed heavily and looked down to the girl whose wondering eyes were jumping back and forth between the scenery amongst her.

"Hey." Lancelot said, yet the girl did not respond and continued looking around. So he tried again.

The little girl, startled, nearly jumped out of Lancelot's arms, look up to the man that looked familiar and yet gave off a strange aura she was not use to. She observed him very carefully as he watched her do so. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, she bit him on the arm as hard as she could.

The unexpected Lancelot dropped her and scream in pain and everyone nearby turned their attention to him.

"Why you little…" He yelled after seeing the deep teeth prints she left.

Yet, she stood her ground, but only for a few minutes before running off to who know where.

He debated for a while if he should waste his energy and run after her or just let her be and be worry free of taking charge of the little girl. He decided to let her do as she please.

X X X X X

The little girl, who stood about three feet, with untamed black hair and slight baby fat; walked quickly through the trail of people. It was almost as if she was looking for something or someone in particular. Although the trail was moving particularly slow, it was fast for her short stubby feet that had not been used for quite some time.

After no such luck with the people walking or riding on horses, she came across a few wagons that were carrying some people. She ran up to the sides of each wagon and jump up and down, catching quick glances inside each one.

X X X X X

Guinevere caught her breath after screaming in agony, looked up slightly to Arthur and said, " He tortured me. With machines. He made me tell him things I didn't know to begin with. And then, I heard your voice in the dark. I'm Guinevere. You're Arthur, of the knights from the great Wall.

"I am."

"Famous Briton who kills his own people." With that said, she fell back in exhaustion and succumb to sleep.

Arthur laid her down and looked over to Dagonet and Fulcina, who were now tending to some newly found wounds on Lucan. As he was about to speak to Dagonet once more, a moving shadow caught his eye. One that came into view and then disappeared quickly. The shadow repeated its movement a couple more times before it stopped.

Curious as to what it was, Arthur forgot about what he was going to say to Dagonet and went back outside to investigate it.

What he saw before himself answered all of his questions, the jumping shadow was a little girl and she had stopped because of Lancelot.

Arthur chuckled quietly to himself as he watch the event unfold before him. The little girl was observing Lancelot again and he attempted to stare her down. "Lancelot, are you harassing this poor defenseless little girl?"

"Poor defenseless little girl! I like to hear you say that after she bites you." Lancelot said showing Arthur the bite mark she left him.

He laugh a little, wondering how a little girl such as her, could cause so much trouble for his best knight.

Arthur approached the little girl slowly, in hopes of not scaring her off. "What's your name?"

No response. "Are you lost?" He inched a little closer.

Still, no response.

"Be careful Arthur, she just might jump at you…" Lancelot said

He ignored his friend's comment and continued. "Are you looking for someone?"

It was then her eyes lit up like fire. "Ah…So you are looking for someone. Come then, let us find some food and someone to tend to your little wounds." He said, lowering to her level and holding out a hand.

She studied Arthur's face before placing her tiny hand into his.

"I don't see who she would be looking for…" Lancelot said.

"Perhaps a mother or a father."

"I do not think they are among us."

"And why do you think so?"

"Because, she was also found in that foul dungeon and no one wants to look after her." Lancelot's voice slightly rising.

"Old friend, save you anger for the Saxon. Fall back and see if anyone is slowing. I shall take her to see Dagonet."

Lancelot gazed at his commander and friend and then nudge his horse into a light gallop.

X X X X X

"Who is this Arthur?" Dagonet asked.

"I do not know, all I know is that she is looking for someone."

It took Fulcina a few minutes before she was able to identify the little girl. "She is a serf among the many. If my mind does not deceive me, her name is Ethne."

"Does she have any family?" Arthur asked

"I'm afraid not. When she first arrived at our estate, she was only accompanied by her father. But about a year later, she lost her father to an illness. He was too weak to work and yet, my husband's… guards, they forced him to. He died in the wheat field later that day. Ever since, she listens no one and hasn't spoke. I'm not exactly sure as to why, but I'm certain that it is because no one helped her father that day."

Dagonet and Arthur absorbed the information they just learned and took pity on Ethne.

"Milady, do you know who she could possibly be looking for if she has no one."

"Many have said that she does not believe that her father died that day and that he is out there somewhere, calling to her. A voice only she could hear."

"So, she is looking for him." Dagonet asked. Fulcina nodded.

X X X X X

Lancelot had finished "checking" the end of the trail and only heard the last bit of information and thought to himself, "Weird little demon."

X X X X X

Ethne was finally cleaned up a bit and given food to eat. Luckily, she did not have many sever wounds compared to Guinevere's. She sat in the corner of the wagon, bundle up in layers of fur, munching little by little on the old bread given to her. Never once did she look down to her food. Her eyes were constantly moving because she could hear his voice fading in and out.

Night arrived and the people grew weary. They stopped for the night and made camp. Tristan and his faithful hawk setout for the nightly watch as the rest of the knights find a place warm enough to fend off the cold. Dagonet stayed close by to Lucan and Ethne. But more so to Lucan because Ethne had rather difficulty in trusting.

Ethne sat Indian style with the thick fur wrapped tightly around her. She was beginning to fall asleep. But every time her head tilted to the side, she immediately jerked it back up and sat wide-eye. She knew that she could no longer sit awake like this, but she was just too close.

Upon a tree stump, Lancelot sat in the shadows by himself, but was close enough to feel the heat of the fire Galahad started. He to was getting tired, but would not sleep for many reasons. As he was thinking about the possibilities of Saxon catching up; Bors, Gawain and Galahad burst into fits of laughter, cutting off his train of thought. Lancelot looked to see what the commotion was all about only to see that they were all looking in his direction. He wondered why they were until he was answer by a little ball of fur sitting right in front of him.

He wasn't sure of what is was and took caution for it may be another one of Bors' practical jokes. He grabbed a near by twig, closed in on the ball and started poking it. It didn't move the first time. So he poked at it again. This time it squirmed and when it did, the eyes of Ethne were revealed.

"You again!" He said to no one in particular. The knight's laughter were heard once more.

Little Ethne, who is tired yet aware of Lancelot presence, stared at him and waited for him to make the first move. Lancelot tilted his head slightly to the left, wondering why of all people, did this have to happen to him. She mirror his move. Being a tad bit annoyed with the little runt, he tilted his head to the right. She copied him.

"Go away little girl." he said falling back to his tree stump. She continued to sit.

"I said go!" This time he threw a little snow at her, missing on purpose.

Little did Lancelot know, she mimic his moved and hit him on his chest armor. He was beginning to loose his temper and wad up a handful of snow, prepared to throw is at her when a voice broke in.

"Tsk tsk tsk, fighting with a little girl now are we Lancey?" Bors asked. Galahad and Gawain could barely restrain themselves.

The snow was starting to melt from the heat his hand gave off, so he contemplated if he was going to throw it or not. It was decided. He threw it and it hit Bors squared on the face. Now Lancelot, Gawain and Galahad were laughing.

Bors cursed silently, shook of the snow and said. "I'm going to take a piss."

Lancelot shook his head smiling at Bors' last remark before turning over to get a little shut eyes. He was almost comfortable against his tree stump when he felt a growing warmth on his right side. He looked down to see the one and only Ethne snuggled up against him.

"For the love of…Arthur's god!" He sighed heavily. He was going to push her away, but gave in when he saw her face. Even though he was not completely sure, it seemed like Ethne was finally getting the peaceful sleep that she long desired.

A/N: Ah ha! Done! Well thanks to those who reviewed.

je suis une pizza thank you so much for pointing out my grammar errors, I didn't notice that when I wrote that chapter. Is this one better? I hope so.

Camreyn I also want to thank you for also pointing out my mistakes, um, some of the part I left out on purpose and some part I just left in. So, I guess I'm not exactly sure. That doesn't sound too good huh. Aye jeebus. Hrm…why the child is blinded in one eye, I guess that you will just have to find out later (ok, it's a metaphor to something) and I guess this chapter explains all the other question you had, hopefully.

Tomb Raider X Thanks, I just hope it stays interesting

Sweet A.K. Thanks if you say I don't need one, then I don't. Haha, j/k I got my friend, who I was terrified that she would laugh at me, to read it. She actually likes it.

katemary77 I'm really glad you like this, yeah I was getting kinda tired how most of the stories were romantic pairing, but don't get me wrong I still like to read em, but change doesnt hurt…much… right?

Raz 42492 haha, me neither, but then I was like, hrm, instead of making her completely blind, let's make one eye. But there's a reason why.

Szhismine thank you! I will continue.

Gryffindors-seeker yeah, I got a not bad. Happy reading. And I hope you catch that snitch.

Mythical Assassin So how's this chapter for my own touch? Like it? Thanks for the offer of beta-ing it, but I got my friend to read it. Thank the world she didn't laugh at me.

Medusa Maiden Ah ha! I updated! Thanks and I'll try to get a move on with the next chapter.