A/N: If you're anything like me, you'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure out the pronunciation of certain names. Feel free to pronounce them however you want, but if you really want to know, the pronunciation key is as follows:
Tadhg- TYG (This is the correct pronunciation, but I actually prefer to say it TAY-dig)
Orainne- Or-AIN-ah
Nemhain- Nim-HINE
I think the other names are easy enough, but if you can't figure something out, send me a review (heehee) and I'll see if I can help you out. Also, please note that Nemhain is technically an Irish Celtic goddess, but I really like the idea of her, so I'm using her as a British goddess. Just wanted to clear that up. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I always forget this part...at this point, I think we all know that I don't own anything but the original characters that I've added.
Chapter 2—Clandestine Outings
Dayn pulled the hood of his cloak up more securely around his head, hiding his features from any watching eyes as he ran towards the forest. His face was well hidden by the shadows cast by the moon, but he didn't want to take any chances. It wouldn't do to be seen, not until he was safely hidden in the forest.
He made it to the clearing without further hindrance, worried that they would have left without him. Dayn glanced around as he pushed the hood of his cloak back, getting his bearings. Tadhg stepped out of the shadows, his impatience obvious.
"You are late, Dayn."
"I know. It was harder than usual to get away." Tadhg nodded before turning and leading Dayn deeper into the forest. Dayn increased his pace, knowing that time was precious. They didn't have any to waste.
Very shortly, they reached the Woad village that Tadhg called home, and Dayn followed him out of the shadows of the forest, pushing the hood of his cloak back. "Find someone to paint you. We'll wait for you here." Knowing that it was crucial that he be painted with the blue paint so favored by the Woads, he headed for a small hut on the edge of the village. It was as good an excuse as any to go see her. He eagerly approached the door to the hut where Orainne lived with her father and her siblings.
"Orainne," he called. The door opened, and a young girl about his age hurdled into his arms.
"Dayn, you made it! I wasn't sure if I would see you."
"They wait for me. I need to be painted. Would you mind?"
"No, of course not." She pulled him inside and made quick work of painting a plethora of blue designs on his face and exposed arms. With a satisfied smile, she stepped back, admiring her work before nodding. He stood, thanking her with a kiss, before pulling the hood of his cloak back around his face.
"We should not be long. I will see you when we return."
"Be careful, Dayn." With a reassuring smile, he ran out, eager to leave with the others. Tadhg still stood where Dayn had parted from him, but he was joined by about ten other Woad men. The leader, Garran, looked around, counting heads, before nodding his satisfaction.
"It's time." Silently, the group proceeded into the forest, blending silently into the darkness of the forest. They traveled quickly, not impeded by the trees and brambles in the least. They came to a rise, and Garran signaled a halt. "There it is," he said, pointing down. A small camp of Roman soldiers lay below-- just waiting for slaughter, Dayn thought with a grin.
As they slowly crept towards the camp, they began to spread out, their intention to surround the Romans on all sides. Donal would see to the horses, his job being to make sure the Romans could not escape on horseback. With one good smack on the rump, the horses would be back to Hadrian's Wall before the Romans would even know they were under attack.
With a grin, Dayn glided between the sleeping bodies of the Romans until he reached their fire. He picked up the bucket of water that sat nearby and then slowly drew his sword. He had been charged with starting the attack, and it was a job he relished. He poured the water onto the fire, and steam hissed and spewed, rising up to wrap around Dayn's cloaked and painted figure. It took no more than a moment before the Romans began to wake.
"Looks like your fire went out," Dayn said companionably. It only took a second for them to realize that Dayn wasn't one of their own. With a lunge, one of them sprang from his bedroll, sword in hand. Dayn sidestepped, and with a bloodcurdling roar, swung his sword, catching the Roman on the backswing. The attack began in earnest as the Woads seemed to rise out of the darkness to strike the Romans.
Dayn didn't really recall any of the battle after killing the first Roman, for once a battle began, his instincts and training took over, and his consciousness was left behind as the killing ensued. It made him an intimidating opponent, as he often appeared quite mad to his foes.
"Dayn, you're hurt."
"What?" Dayn blinked and the world slowly came back into focus. He stepped forward, and would have fallen if Tadhg hadn't caught him. He glanced down to see blood oozing out of a gash in his side. Damn. If I'd been wearing my armor, this wouldn't have happened. But there was no hope for that, because the knights would have noticed if he'd worn his armor at the tavern. No doubt there would have been questions. He hoped the injury wasn't serious, because if Arthur or the other knights noticed he was injured, they'd start asking questions that Dayn couldn't afford to answer. "You are touched by Nemhain, my friend." Who the hell is Nemhain? "Come, Dayn, let me help you."
"It's not bad, Tadhg."
"We don't have the time to argue over it. We must get you back to the village. You have little time before you must return to the Wall." Knowing that Tadhg was right, he accepted the offered shoulder, leaning gratefully on Tadhg.
The trek back to the village was much slower, and to Dayn, it seemed to last forever. Tadhg helped him to the healer's hut, and while Kieran was bandaging his torso, Orainne came in, a panicked expression on her face.
"Dayn, Tadhg said you were hurt!" She rushed to his side, and he smiled indulgently at her.
"It is merely a scratch. You worry needlessly." She sat down beside him, reaching for his hand, which he willingly gave her.
"I told you to be careful, Dayn. And now look at you. You should have listened to me," she said, chiding him with a gentle smile.
"I'll try to remember that for next time." He winced as Kieran pulled the bandages taut around his waist, securing them with a tight knot. "Orainne, can you bring some water and a cloth? I need to get this paint off, for I have to leave for the Wall soon." She complied, leaving to fetch the items as Kieran helped him get his tunic back on.
Orainne quickly returned with the asked for items, and set to work cleaning the blue paint from his face and arms. Dayn used the time to study her, admiring the deep auburn hair that fell to the middle of her back in a thick mass of waves. Her eyes were a bright blue, the color of the sky on a clear day. His own eyes were a shade of gray that could be likened to the color of steel, nowhere near as pretty as Orainne's in Dayn's opinion.
When all traces of the blue paint had been removed, he slowly stood, barely wincing as he straightened. She led him outside, pulling him into the trees away from the village. He followed without a word, knowing the grove to which she was leading him. She came to a stop in a small copse of trees, and turned to him, stepping into his arms.
"Can you not stay awhile, Dayn," she asked, turning slightly to face him. He loosened his hold a little, as he smiled down at her, pulling gently on a strand of her hair.
"You know I have to be back by dawn. Otherwise, someone might see me sneaking back into the fort."
"I wish you didn't have to go back." Me too, Dayn thought, his mood shifting as he thought angrily of the Romans who forced him and the others to serve them in their quest for power.
"They would look for me, if I were to suddenly go missing. Your people would be in danger then."
"I know, but I don't get to see you very much." She lifted a finger, slowly tracing the tattoo that started over his eye and worked its way across his temple and down his jaw. She stopped when she reached the edge that disappeared under the collar of his tunic and slowly looked up to meet his eyes. "Have you been given another mission, yet?
"Not yet. But I think it will be soon. Those Roman bastards never keep us waiting for very long." His jaw clenched again, and she quietly laid her hand against his chest.
"I'm sorry. I should not have brought it up."
"It is forgotten," he said, and it was, because he could never stay angry when she looked at him that way.
He slowly sat down, leaning against a tree and pulling her down beside him. He held her close, feeling a sense of peace come over him. They spoke for awhile, murmuring inconsequential nothings to one another, before something occurred to him.
"Orainne, who is Nemhain?"
"She is a goddess. Why do you ask?"
"Tadhg said I was touched by her. I wondered what he meant." Worry blossomed in her eyes, and she glanced down, biting her lip. "What is it? What's the matter?"
"Dayn, being touched by Nemhain...it isn't necessarily a good thing."
"Why?" He knew nothing of the Celtic gods, having never bothered much with religion of any sort. Hell, I don't even know anything about the gods of my own people, much less the Celtic gods.
"She's a battle goddess, the goddess of battle frenzy. To be touched by her is...dangerous." He didn't put much stock in gods and goddesses, but he knew that Orainne took it seriously.
"Worry not for me." She fell quiet, and he cursed himself for bringing it up. She toyed with his hair, wrapping a strand around her finger. With skilled hands, she worked three strands into a braid, before securing it with a small piece of leather. She's going to make me look like Tristan if she keeps that up. Butit felt nice, feeling her fingers tugging at his hair, so he relaxed, letting her do with it what she would.
He wasn't sure how it happened, but they fell asleep, and the next thing he knew, he woke up with the sun shining on his face. Blinking his eyes, he looked around, confused.
Orainne was asleep beside him, her head pillowed on his shoulder, a soft smile on her face. Pushing his hair back from his face, he looked up, hoping to get an idea of the time. Oh no. "Orainne, wake up. I have to go!" She sat up, a drowsy look on her face as she looked around her.
"Will Arthur be angry with you?"
He carefully stood, glad to see that his injury did not pain him overmuch. He reached a hand down, helping Orainne to her feet. "If he noticed my absence, he will be."
"If he is angry, will that keep you from coming to me?"
"Nothing could keep me from coming to you," he said softly, gently tucking a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear. "But I think we will be leaving again soon. I will try to get word to you before I leave, but as always, I cannot guarantee that it will be possible. Sometimes, it is too difficult to evade the others. Tristan is ever vigilant."
"All I ask is that you try. I know you will do your best." She smiled sadly at him, disheartened that their time together had come to an end.
He kissed her then, because there was nothing more he could say. With one last look at her, he turned and pulled the hood of his cloak back up around his face as he took off for Hadrian's Wall as fast as his injury would permit.
As Dayn ran towards the fort wall, he heard someone yell his name. He winced, coming to a stop five feet from the wall. He turned to see one of the other knights, Caderyn riding toward him. With luck, Caderyn will notice not that I'm not where I should be.
"Oh, Caderyn, you're back." Caderyn reined his horse in, coming to a stop in front of Dayn. He swung from his saddle, letting out a groan as he stood.
"It feels good to be out of the saddle." Yes, riding for as long as Caderyn had did tend to leave one with a sore ass. Arthur had sent Caderyn out a week ago to ride south and check on the progress of the caravan of Romans who were setting out for Hadrian's Wall. As with most caravans, it was moving rather slowly, and Caderyn had easily outdistanced them.
"Did you find the caravan, Caderyn?"
"Yes. I think we will be sent to escort them north."
"North? But that's beyond the wall. That's Woad territory." Dayn looked at him blankly, confused as to why anyone would voluntarily go north without a damn good reason.
"Yes, Dayn, I know. But that's not our concern. Now, why don't you tell me what you were up to outside the wall at this time of the morning?"
"Nothing."
"Dayn. I know you. It is never 'nothing' with you."
"Since when are you my mother," Dayn said crossly. "I don't need your concern." Caderyn eyed the leaves that still littered Dayn's long, black hair, and lifted an eyebrow.
"Dayn, I may not be your mother, but you sure as hell need someone to look after you. You find trouble entirely too easy, my friend." Dayn flashed a smile, then, one that reminded Caderyn all too much of Lancelot. "Oh, I see. It's a female then. Well, if you're having to meet her outside the wall, then I guess I don't have to tell you to be damn careful that her father doesn't find out."
Dayn didn't respond, preferring to neither confirm nor deny. He followed Caderyn as he led his horse through the gates. "Just don't let Arthur know."
"I won't tell him if you don't, Cade." Caderyn grinned, ruffling Dayn's hair playfully.
"Yes, well perhaps you should get the leaves out of your hair before Arthur sees you," he said with a chuckle.
As Dayn headed for his room, he passed Tristan, who eyed him curiously. "Late night, Dayn?"
"What of it," Dayn said defensively. Tristan made him nervous, for his eyes saw everything. If anyone were to figure out where Dayn was going, it would be Tristan. He glared at Tristan defiantly, daring him to respond. But Tristan said nothing, not rising to the bait. If Dayn wanted a fight, he wouldn't find it with Tristan. Never one to let others rile him, Tristan merely gave Dayn an analyzing look before he walked off towards the main hall where the round table stood. "Arthur wants us to be at the table shortly, Dayn. Don't be late," he called over his shoulder. Dayn gazed at Tristan's retreating form, worried. Did Tristan know something? If he did, Dayn would have no way of knowing, for Tristan never revealed anything. But if he did, and he told Arthur, there was no going to be trouble, for there was no way of knowing how Arthur would react.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys...nothing like waking up to reviews...it's rather inspiring.
Nimue26: Yes, you were my first reviewer—yay! Thanks so much for the nice things you said...it really got me moving on my next chapter, and I feel a lot more confident about my writing. I love new knights, and I can't wait to see what you come up with in your story. Hope you like my newest addition—Caderyn...he's one of my favorites.
BillieLiv: I hope that I satisfied your interest...I'm working on it.
ModestySparrow9: Sorry I left you hanging, Modesty...you know, it's funny—I hate it when people leave me hanging, but something just made me do it...so, I apologize, even though I know I'll probably do it again. I tried to include a little more about Dayn's appearance for you...I wanted to do that in the first chapter, but I found it difficult to fit it in without it throwing off the flow of the story. Also, you guessed rightly about who Dayn was going to see, but I hope it didn't ruin it for you. As you can probably tell, there is definitely a Dayn pairing in this story...I don't know yet if there will be a Tristan pairing, because as of right now, Orainne is the only female character in the story, but I'll see what I can do. I'm quite the Tristan fan myself.
lindalee4: I'm glad you found my story interesting. I would have been interested to hear your ideas, even the farfetched ones...sometimes, those are the ones that give you ideas for things. Anyways, keep reading and reviewing!
