Disclaimer: Insert everything that I don't own here.

A/N: Once again, thanks to the script located at the Fallen Knights fansite--what a blessing! Thanks to all those wonderful people who reviewed my last chapter…hopefully you'll all continue to do so. Hint, hint. ;)

Chapter 9: Evil Dwells Within

Darkness had fallen when Arthur finally called a halt. Orainne jerked awake in Dayn's arms as the horse came to a stop. She waited while Dayn dismounted, nervousness and fear once more beginning to take hold, fear for herself when faced with the hostility of the men that Dayn called his brothers. She slid into Dayn's arms, letting him catch her as she awkwardly came out of the saddle. She clung to him, and he looked down at her quizzically.

"Orainne, what is it?"

"I'm afraid," she murmured, squeezing him tightly around the waist.

"What for?"

"Your friends…I'm afraid they'll…that they might…," she faltered, unable to put her fears into words.

"You're afraid of the other knights?" She nodded, and he took her chin in his hand, angling her face so that she looked up at him.

"You have nothing to fear from them. They won't harm you. Besides, do you think that I would let anything happen to you?" With a reassuring smile, Dayn kissed her forehead gently, and then turned back to his horse, leaving Orainne standing alone.

As Dayn turned back to unsaddle Brina, the smile left his face, for he knew that Lancelot was merely biding his time before he came at Dayn with a myriad of accusations. At least I'll get to take out some of my frustrations on him, Dayn thought wryly. He knew where Lance stood, but what about the others…Tristan, he knew, cared little for the petty squabbles of the others, so he wouldn't really be a problem. Caderyn would probably be more amused than angry, as he was able to find something amusing in just about everything. Gawain and Galahad would take their lead from Arthur, so if Arthur at least appeared to accept the situation, they would as well. Dagonet, ever enigmatic, would more than likely keep his feelings on the matter to himself, so Dayn knew that he didn't pose much of a problem. Bors could care less about what was going on--give him a pint of ale, and he'd be just as happy. Aldric would not presume to interfere in things he didn't consider his concern, so he would be of little issue. As for Cei, well, who knew where Cei stood on anything, as flighty as he was? As it was, Dayn didn't think anyone but Lancelot was cause for worry, but he worried nonetheless. For if they knew how involved with the Woads I really am…But they can't know, right? I've been careful…all they know for sure is that I'm bedding a Woad. They know not that I fight alongside their enemies. Yes, but Tristan knows a lot more than he let on, Dayn thought, biting his lip nervously.

"Dayn, a word?" Lancelot asked, coming up behind him. Here it comes, Dayn thought, rolling his eyes. He turned to face Lancelot, impatience in his stance that he hoped Lancelot would pick up on.

"What is it, Lance?"

"Look, this mission is hard enough as it is without you bringing a defenseless girl along. She's useless in a fight, and all she'll do is take your attention away from the task at hand."

"So what is Niamh, Lance? Chopped meat? Did you give Arthur this little spiel when he allowed Niamh to come with us? Or maybe you spoke to Tristan?" Like that would happen--one didn't just waltz up to Tristan and tell him you disagreed with him.

"Niamh's different."

"Really? How so?"

"Orainne is a Woad, Dayn," Lancelot said angrily.

"Yeah, well, you're an ass, but we don't hold that against you." At least, not all the time.

"Can't you be serious for one minute?"

"Look, Lance, Orainne's here whether you want her to be or not. If it were left up to me, I'd have her safe at home, not here where she's in danger. But there's nothing you or I can do about it, so deal with it." He left Lancelot staring angrily after him as he stalked over to where Tristan waited for him. It was their turn to go out and hunt for food--rotten timing, in Dayn's opinion, because it meant Orainne was left alone with the others. Just one more in a long list of things that Dayn couldn't change.


Orainne stood alone, watching as the knights went about the task of setting up camp for the night. The longhaired one busied himself with starting a fire as the others set about taking care of the horses. A woman stood at the side of the dark one, the one who had the strange tattoos on his face, but when she caught sight of Orainne looking at her, she smiled and came toward her.

"I am Niamh," she said softly. "What's your name?"

"Orainne," she whispered. "Are you a warrior as well?"

"No," she answered with a smile. "I am here for much the same reason as you." Her smile dimmed as memories assailed her, but she pushed them away and took the Orainne by the hand, leading her to the fire.

"Worry not about the knights, Orainne. They're very noble and caring, once you get to know them." Orainne cast a doubtful glance at Lancelot, sure that Niamh was gravely mistaken, at least about that one.

"Have you known them long?"

"Well, not really. But I've come to know them quite well in a short period of time. You will, too, Orainne." Orainne doubted that, but allowed Niamh to point out each knight and tell her their names.

Before long, the knights finished their tasks, and soon joined the women at the fire, causing Orainne to back up nervously. Niamh smiled comfortingly at her, and Orainne settled hesitantly back down, sliding closer to Niamh. Dayn was out with one of the others--Tristan, she thought--to hunt down something more substantial for everyone to eat, leaving Orainne with no one but Niamh to talk to.

It was plain to see that Orainne was a nervous wreck, for tension was pouring off of her in waves. Niamh slid behind Orainne and pulled the girl's rich dark auburn hair out of her cloak. As she ran her fingers through Orainne's hair, pulling strands of it into braids, she could feel the tension slowly leaving Orainne.

"When will Dayn be back?" she whispered to Niamh.

Unsure, Niamh relayed the question to Arthur, who replied that it should not be long, for they all needed rest.

"So, girl, how did you meet Dayn?" Caderyn asked, directing his gaze on Orainne. She looked to Niamh for a translation, her Latin not good enough for her to follow his words.

Niamh repeated Caderyn's question in Celtic, her curiosity mirroring that of the knights who waited expectantly for an answer.

"I dare not say," she murmured in response. Dayn had not said, but Orainne had a feeling that his friends knew naught of his acts against the Romans, and she could not tell of their first meeting without revealing the truth of Dayn's actions.

"Why not?" Niamh asked.

"It is for Dayn to say, not I," she answered quietly. After Niamh translated her answer for the knights, they grumbled a bit, but finally accepted the validity of her statement. It was Dayn's place to tell the knights. Still, Caderyn had hoped for an interesting tale, something to entertain him in lieu of ale. He wondered if he could convince the others to wager on a friendly game of some sort. Crossing to his saddlebags, he pulled a set of 6 dice out and brought them back to the fire. The flames would provide just enough light for a game or two.

He talked Bors into a game, and as they played, Orainne watched the game intently, her mind working furiously as she gleaned the rules. When Bors finally lost to Caderyn, he stomped back to the other side of the fire, mumbling curses under his breath as Caderyn counted his winnings. Maybe I should have let him win, because there's no one else to play now, Caderyn thought ruefully as he began to gather up the diceNo one was good enough to play Caderyn without losing some of their wages, except strangely enough, Hummingbird. He glanced up as a shadow fell across him, surprised when he saw Orainne looking from him to the dice with a hopeful expression.

Reaching out, she picked up three of the dice and settled herself across from him. With an expert toss of her wrist, she released the dice, and smiled with satisfaction as the numbers came up in her favor. She gave him a daring look, and with a grin he sat back down, picking up the remaining dice with the confidence of one who has gambled all of his life. The girl probably doesn't have any money to speak of, but at least I'll have something to do for a bit, Caderyn thought in amusement.

By the time Tristan and Dayn returned, Orainne had won back Bors' money, and also possessed a growing proportion of Caderyn's wages. Caderyn shook his head ruefully as Dayn came over to see what they were doing.

"She's vicious when she gambles, Dayn," he said regretfully.

"Oh…sorry, Cade, I should have warned you not to gamble with her. How much did she win off of you?"

"Too much. I keep this up, I won't have anything left to my name." It wouldn't be the first time, Dayn thought with a grin.

With a soft smile, Orainne pushed her winnings back toward Caderyn, holding onto Bors' losses only. Standing, she stood and walked over to where Bors was helping roast the venison that Dayn and Tristan had brought back. She gave him a tap on the shoulder, waiting until he turned to hold out his recovered money.

"Thanks, girl," Bors said with a grin as he accepted her offering. "So, you won, did you?" He laughed at Caderyn's misfortune, amused that Caderyn was experiencing the embarrassment of lost wages. "You just might fit in with us, girl," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

While Orainne was at ease with Caderyn and Bors, she was by no means comfortable with most of the others. She avoided Lancelot, fearful of what he may do, despite Dayn's reassurances that Lancelot wouldn't bother her. She also shied away from Arthur, as it was evident that he wasn't fond of Woads. His disapproval was clear, so Orainne did her best to give him space. The others she wasn't sure about, so she did what came naturally to her--she left them alone. It wasn't as though they tried to be threatening…indeed, some of them seemed almost friendly, she thought, but she just wasn't quite willing to test the theory. So, she stayed away from the others, preferring to merely watch the knights interact without her.

After sharing some of Dayn's portion of the venison, she quietly left his side and laid down on his bedroll, weary from all of the day's trials. She hoped Dayn wouldn't be long…she knew she wouldn't sleep until he was at her side. Dayn seemed to know that as well, for he left the fire shortly thereafter for his bedroll. As she rolled over to cuddle against him, Dayn smiled, and curled up protectively around her. Perhaps my nightmares won't assail me tonight, now that Orainne is at my side, he thought as he slowly drifted off to sleep, the sounds of the other knights settling down echoing in his ears.


A bloodcurdling scream rent the air, and all around the fire, the knights came fully awake, hands automatically going to their swords. Not knowing where the sound originated, most of the knights looked to Tristan, confident that he would know. Tristan's eyes went immediately to the source of the screams--Dayn's bedroll--where Dayn was trying to wake a screaming Orainne.

Her eyes shot open, and for a second, she fought him, fearful of the restraining arms.

"Orainne!" The panic slowly bled from her eyes as realization returned. She hurled herself into Dayn's arms, sobbing inconsolably.

"Alright, I take back what I said about your nightmares, Dayn, for they pale in comparison to hers," Cei said ruefully. Dayn ignored Cei, instead trying to calm Orainne.

"It was a nightmare, love, nothing more. You're safe," he said, slowly rocking her as he looked helplessly at the other knights.

"No, Dayn," she sobbed. "It was more than that!" With that, she buried her face in his tunic, shaking her head as she continued to weep.

"Tell me."

"It was a message. People are dying, Dayn! The Saxons, they're killing our people, slaughtering whoever lies in their path."

"What are you talking about, a message?"

"It's a warning, sent by the gods. I fear the consequences if we do not heed their forewarning."

"Orainne, you fear needlessly. It was just a dream."

"No!" she shouted, pushing away from him. "You're not listening to me, Dayn! It was no mere dream--the Saxons are coming, Dayn, and we cannot outrun them!" She wiped angrily at the tears that still fell from her eyes, and then stretched an arm out to encompass all of the knights gathered around them. "Look at your friends, Dayn, for when the Saxons meet us, some of them may not survive."

"We are greater fighters than the Saxons, Orainne. We have nothing to fear from them!"

"Dayn, what's she saying," Caderyn asked, his eyes darting back and forth between them.

"She had a bad dream, Caderyn, that's all. She says the Saxons are coming, that we've been sent a warning from a goddess. Think nothing of it," he said. He loved Orainne, but having never been the religious sort, he didn't place much stock in her convictions of a divine warning.

"I knew it! We were doomed from the moment we left the wall," Cei exploded. "We're all going to die," he said worriedly, no longer finding Orainne's dream amusing.

"Cei, stop being a fool," Lancelot said, derisively. "The girl doesn't know what she's saying. We're all going to be fine, and in a matter of days, this will all be behind us."

"Are you sure about that, lad?" Aldric asked, his discerning gaze boring into Lancelot. "I think we should take her words for what they're meant to be--a warning."

"Aldric, you've always had more faith in gods and goddesses, and I've never questioned that, but this time you're letting it cloud your judgement," Lancelot argued.

"Gentlemen, we don't have the time for this. We already know the Saxons are on Britain's shores, and our need for haste remains. Since we're all awake, I suggest we mount up and ride out." The sooner we finish this godforsaken mission, the better off we'll all be.

The mood was somber as they broke camp and continued their journey north, Orainne's portentous words weighing heavily on them all. While Arthur had put a stop to the budding argument over the validity of Orainne's dream, Aldric had a terrible feeling that her words would prove true, whether the knights believed them or not.


The air was thick with the anticipation of a coming storm as the knights approached the gates to Marcus Honorius' estate. Tristan had ridden ahead to scout, promising to return before snowfall. Niamh was left to ride with Dagonet, as they could no longer afford for the delay she would cost Tristan. Orainne, of course, remained with Dayn, clinging to him as though she feared he might disappear.

Dayn paid little attention as the guards at the gates questioned their presence

"I am Arthur Castus, commander of the Sarmatian knights and by Bishop Germanius of Rome. Open the gate." The gates slowly opened, as peasants looked on, and the knights swept in, reigning their horses in as they were approached by a dumpy looking Roman of obvious nobility."

"It is a wonder you have come! Good Jesus, Arthur and his knights." Dayn's horse shied nervously as peasants crowded in against them, and Dayn quickly soothed the horse. Seinng Caderyn lloking at him, Dayn grinned and moved Brina to Cade's side so they could speak.

"Damn, Cade, I knew we were well-known, but this is ridiculous. Do you think this is how the Romans' Pope feels, surrounded by a crowd of reverent peasants?" Cade snickered and they shared a grin before Dayn turned his attention back to Arthur's conversation with the Roman.

"…And everything we have is here in the land given to us by the Pope of Rome."

"Well, you're about to give it to the Saxons," Lancelot said wryly. Dayn chuckled, earning a stern look from Arthur.

"They're invading from the north," Arthur said, turning back to the Roman.

"Then Rome will send an army," Marcus Honorius said confidently.

"Pompous little man, isn't he?" Dayn said to Caderyn with a smart aleck grin.

"They have. Us. We leave as soon as you're packed," Arthur told Honorius, ignoring Dayn's side remark.

"I refuse to leave."

"Great! That's one less ass we have to haul back to the wall," Dayn cracked, wheeling his horse around as though he was preparing to leave. Most of the other knights heard him, and Arthur once more turned a stern gaze on them, silencing their laughter. If Dayn keeps this up, he's going to single-handedly manage to alienate Honorius before we ever get moving, Arthur thought with annoyance.

"Go back to work! All of you! Get back to work!" Arthur watched as the Roman began to scream at the idle serfs, ignoring Arthur completely. Dayn's eyes narrowed as the fat little man's mercenaries began shoving the serfs, forcing them back. His attention was redirected from the mercenaries when Arthur dismounted. Uh-oh. Someone's going to get it now, Dayn thought as he watched Arthur stalk over to the squat little Roman noble and look him in the face with a deadly look

"If I fail to bring you and your son back, my men can never leave this land. So you're coming with me if I have to tie you to my horse and drag you all the way to Hadrian's Wall myself. My lord."

"I'd pay to see that," Dayn murmured to Caderyn.

"I agree," Caderyn answered. "That would be quite a spectacle, wouldn't it? Do you think we could talk Arthur into going through with it?"

The two knights looked at each other, considering, then shook their heads, simultaneously saying a resolute "No."

"Lady, my knights are hungry," Arthur told the mistress of the house. Bors rubbed his stomach pointedly, nodding his agreement.

"Understatement," he mumbled to Dagonet. Dagonet kept quiet, but nodded, agreeing with Bors. Eating on the trail wasn't really filling. Especially if you were as big as Dagonet. Or Bors.

Bors was ready to lead the way to the food, but then he caught Arthur gazing past them to where an old man hung in chains. Arthur drew Excalibur, and Bors watched him stride forward purposefully.

Dayn watched Bors follow Arthur, preferring to remain where he was. Looking at Caderyn once more, he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Say, Cade, do you think we could fix it up so that Honorius has a little 'accident' on the way back?"

"Nah, Arthur will be expecting that from us--he'll be watching our every move," Caderyn joked.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Damn."

"Dayn," Orainne whispered, turning in the saddle to face Dayn. Dayn looked down, seeing her worried eyes looking up at him, and he grew concerned.

"What is it?"

"That building there," she murmered, pointing to a little stone outcropping, "something is wrong with it. Evil lies within its walls."

"Orainne, it's a building, nothing more. What's gotten into you? You've been nervous and anxious for days."

"I don't know, Dayn. But I know what I feel." Something in the way she said it sent chills through him, and he suddenly knew what she meant. The building was…wrong, somehow.

Before he could dwell on it any further, Tristan rode up at a fast gallop, reigning in beside Arthur. Dayn couldn't tell what he said, but he could see worry blossom in Arthur's eyes. Obviously, whatever Tristan had seen was enough to make Arthur concerned. Then, they heard it. Drums pounding in the distance. Orainne shivered, knowing that those drums signaled death. Ok, it's definitely time that we were off. It's about to get really dicey here. Apparently, Arthur thought so too, because he quickly rallied the serfs, urging them to prepare for the journey south.

"Surely, he doesn't expect to take them with us," Lancelot burst out, looking at the other knights incredulously.

"You know Arthur--always likes to keep us guessing," Dayn said with a smile. "Who knows?"

Orainne shook Dayn's arm to get his attention, turning her eyes in Arthur's direction. Dayn followed her gaze, sitting up straighter as he watched Arthur moving towards the stone outcropping where monks were walling up the entrance.

With a gentle kick, Dayn urged Brina forward, heading for the outcropping to see what was happening, with the other knights right behind him.

"What is this?" Arthur asked one of the monks threateningly. "You cannot go in there. No one goes in there. This place is forbidden," the monk said with a trace of madness in his voice.

"What are you doing! Stop this!" Dayn turned when Honorius hurried over, intent on interfering. Bors moved his horse, cutting him off while the others gathered in a loose circle around Arthur, daring the mercenaries to make a move against them."Arthur, we have no time," Lancelot said, turning his gaze on the mountains behind them, the source of the menacing drumbeat."Do you not hear the drums?" Galahad asked Arthur nervously."Dagonet," Arthur said pointedly, nodding towards the walled up doorway. Dagonet dismounted with ease, sliding his axe out of its place in the saddle. Walking determinedly toward the door. With an impressive swing, he pounded the wall down while the knights stood watching. The door soon followed suit, and Arthur grabbed a torch from the wall, preparing to move inside.

Dayn dismounted, telling Orainne to stay put, as he followed Lancelot, Gawain, and Dagonet after Arthur into the cellar, leaving the others to guard the entrance and watch after the two women. The smell hit them first, and Dayn grimaced, his disgust turning to horror as he realized the evil that had been done in this place. Cells lined the walls, filling every available space in the claustrophobic space. Chanting could be heard from deep within the structure, echoing off the walls, eerily blending with the shadows cast from the torch to create a surreal environment. Dayn shivered as he gazed around, a whisper of sound hinting at the cruelty within.

Lancelot handed the torch off to Gawain, freeing up his hands for his swords. Dayn pulled his own sword, unwilling to face what was below without a weapon in his hands.

"Who are these defilers of the Lord's temple?" a crazed-looking monk asked, trying to bar the way inside.

"Out of the way," Lancelot sneered, shoving him aside so that they could pass. They gazed around in disgust and alarm, as they realized that they were surrounded by the dead. All around them, people hung in chains, their bodies lifeless as they had finally yielded to death.

"The work of your God. Is this how he answers your prayers?" Lancelot asked coldly. "See if there's still any alive," Arthur said, ignoring Lancelot's biting tone. The four knights split up to start checking the cells for anyone still alive. Meanwhile, the monk grabbed at Lancelot, trying to stall him.

"How dare you set foot in this holy place!" Furious, Lancelot drove one of his swords into the monk's gut, before releasing him to fall dead to the floor.

"There was a man of God," a second monk spoke, horrified at what Lancelot had done.

"Not my god!" Lancelot assured him angrily. Lancelot moved away, checking the next cell along the wall, only to find that its occupant was dead as well.

"This one's dead," Dagonet said, moving away from one cell as his heart grew more downcast.

"By the smell, they are all dead," Gawain said, his eyes meeting Dagonet's. He turned to face the other two monks. "And you. You even move, you join him," he said as he pointed with his sword to the monk that Lancelot had killed.

After checking four cells, Dayn was unable to bear the stench of death and decay any longer. He turned and stalked toward the entrance, trying not to throw up as he stepped out into the brisk, fresh air.

"What did you see, Dayn," Galahad asked curiously.

"Death." Dayn moved back, waiting for the others to come back, fervently hoping they would hurry, for he was more than ready to leave this place.

He was surprised when Dagonet came out a few moments later carrying a frightened little boy, and even more surprised when Arthur carried out a female Woad. And I thought he didn't like Woads, Dayn thought in amusement. His amusement faded however, when he saw the condition of the only two survivors. Half-starved and terrified they were, and the pain in their eyes was evident when Arthur and Dagonet placed them gently on the ground. Hearing laughter, Dayn turned to see three of the Roman mercenaries standing together, and chuckling as Arthur called for water. Dayn's eyes narrowed as fury swept over him, and with quick, sure strides he walked towards the mercenaries, pulling his sword from the sheath at his back.

"Dayn," he heard Aldric call. But Aldric's voice came to him as though from a great distance, and it was easily ignored as rage swept over him. With a feral grin, he approached the mercenaries, and when they caught sight of him, they fell silent, nervous at the gleam of madness in Dayn's eyes.

"Constitutum est omnibus femel mori," Dayn said softly, laughing coldly as fear overcame the mercenaries. It is enacted that all must die. Even as he said the words, he knew not where they came from, nor did he care. The mercenaries began to back away, but it was already to late. With a sweep of his sword, he laid open the first mercenary's stomach, moving on to the second without even waiting for the first to fall. The second tried to fight back, but simply wasn't able to pull his sword in time to counter Dayn's. Dayn dispatched him with a quick blow to the neck, severing his jugular.

The third mercenary was ready for Dayn, bringing his sword up to parry just in time. But Dayn would not be hindered, and he swung his sword savagely, coming up under the man's guard. He caught the man's sword hand, his grip crushing the mercenary's sword hand until the mercenary was forced to drop his sword. With a cold smile, and a crazed gleam in his eye, Dayn drove his sword into the man's chest, burying it hilt-deep and reveling in the feel of the hot blood pouring over his hands.

Even as he gloried in the kill, he wondered where this bloodlust came from, for it seemed a faraway part of him, one that he didn't have any hold over. Turning, he saw more of the mercenaries standing nearby, and his gaze narrowed as he thought of killing them as well, even while his sword was still buried in the chest of the mercenary. At the same moment the thought was crossing through his mind, Aldric and Gawain rode up, blocking his path.

"You can't kill them all, Dayn," Gawain said quietly. Dayn looked up into Gawain's eyes, and as quickly as it came the fury was vented. Dayn withdrew his sword, watching as the mercenary fell to the ground with a heavy thud while the man's blood spattered his hands.

"Are you alright now," Aldric asked with concern. Dayn nodded, not yet trusting his voice to speak. He turned away, kicking at the body that had just fallen before he stepped away, listening as Aldric and Gawain rode back to where the others waited.

Lancelot came up behind him as he knelt to wipe his blade clean on the grass.

"Nice job, Dayn," Lancelot said with a smirk. "A bit messy for my taste, though. And I don't think Arthur's too happy with you." At Lancelot's words, Dayn turned to look at Arthur, meeting Arthur's gaze boldly, without remorse.

"Yeah, he's pissed," Dayn said, turning back to Lancelot and his sword. Lancelot shook his head and walked away, leaving Dayn alone to finish cleaning his sword. With a last swipe, he slid the newly cleaned blade back into the scabbard, coming to his feet at last. Walking towards a trough that held water, he washed off his hands, arms, neck, and face with the icy water, watching as the blood was rinsed away as though it had never been.

He knew not how long he watched the pink-tinged water drip from his fingertips, lost in his frenzied thoughts of killing. Following in Lancelot's path, he approached the others, who were standing around the Woad and the small boy. The boy clung to Dagonet, his chin quivering with fear.

Apparently, something had been decided while he'd stood apart from the others, because everyone was scurrying around, and Arthur was watching as men moved to put the wall back up.

"What happened?" Dayn asked Gawain.

"Arthur told them to wall the monks back up inside," Gawain answered with a grin.

"That's all good and well, but we're running out of time," Galahad said, casting his eyes nervously in the direction of the mountain.

"Yeah, if we expect to get out of here alive, we need to be moving," Cei said softly, not wanting Arthur to overhear.

"LET'S MOVE," Arthur called out suddenly, and Dayn grinned at Cei.

"He always did have a good sense of timing," Dayn said, laughing. Striding back to his horse, he swung himself up behind Orainne, and took hold of the reins and spurred Brina forward, falling in behind Arthur and Lancelot.

"Dayn," Arthur called behind him.

"Yes?" Dayn asked, raising his voice to be heard over the noise of the horses' hoofbeats.

"We will speak of many things tonight. Be prepared." Ah, shit, Dayn thought, with a regretful sigh. He could only imagine how well that conversation would go.


A/N: Ok, the Latin that Dayn spoke came from an old Renaissance-era work, which I neglected to write source information down from when I found the quote in the first place. But, I believe that it came from a work entitled "A Lively Anatomie of Death…teaching to teach man to lyue and die well to the Lord" by John More. I thought it was cool, so I wanted to work it in to the story, which I think I managed to do quite well. Also, I'd just like to say that I haven't forgotten all of the Tristan-fans out there. I do plan to pull he and Niamh back in to the story a little more, but sometimes it just doesn't fit very well the best way certain chapters. Anyways, hopefully, the next chapter will not be so long in coming--I'm going to do my best to work on it, but I'm beginning to work on another fanfic as well, so I have to squeeze time in for both. But bear with me, and keep reviewing!

chiefhow: Hope you did well on your finals, chief. Sorry this has been so long in coming, but it takes time to write something worthwhile, don't you think? I know I said I would explain Niamh's presence, but it just wasn't happening in this chapter. But I have a pretty good idea of how I'm going to fit it in, and so it should be in the next chapter—think a fireside tale, here. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and thanks for reviewing.

Camreyn: Yeah, those long reviews really do make a person happy, let me tell you. To answer your inquiry, I do plan to explain how Dayn got involved with the Woads—possibly in the next chapter. Chapter ten is going to be a doozy to write, because so much has to happen…I'm sort of dreading how long it will take me to write it, but alas, we do what we must. Oh, and just so you know, Niamh and Orainne do speak the same language—both are Celtic peoples, so both speak a Celtic language. The way I figure it, Niamh and Orainne are both of Britain, with the only difference being that Orainne is a Woad. Expect Arthur and Dayn to have a confrontation in the coming chapter—that's where all will be revealed, at least as of right now. Glad you like what I'm doing with my characters, as I'm making attempts to give them all some distinct "air time". I think I struggle the most with Galahad, for some reason…oh well…please keep reviewing!

Shallindra: Sorry I kept you waiting so long, Shallindra, but I hope this chapter was worth waiting for. Like I said, it's time-consuming to churn out a good chapter that's worth reading. I'll try not to keep you waiting so long between chapters. Keep reviewing, though, because it's really encouraging.

HGandRHrforever: Yeah, I left you waiting awhile, too, didn't I? Sorry. Hope you liked this chapter. And I didn't kill off any good guys in this one, like I did in the last with Tadhg, so at least there's that. Thanks for reviewing!

squallsgurlygurl: I got your email—that was sweet of you, to want to clear up the misunderstanding. It wasn't a big deal or anything, but I liked that you took the time to let me know. Glad you liked the story. I'm curious, though—can you elaborate more? What is it about Dayn's choices that annoy? I might can do more to explain his reasoning behind the choices, so that maybe they're not so unclear/annoying/insert word here. You know, I just realized after writing, that you may not have read this chapter, so I guess I'll email you and ask you to check, so that I didn't just write all of this for nothing--:) Anyways, thanks for the email.