Disclaimer: I only own my characters. Any songs featured are not mine. This particular song is Enya's.

Chapter 4

Arlia looked mournfully down at the villa and the wall. The knights seemed greatly cheered by the fact they were home, but then there was something else. She had learnt that the knights were to be discharged, and to go home. I did not forget the way home father, she thought mournfully, rather the way home forgot me. Are you happy where you are? She silently asked her parents. How much home had meant to her. When she was younger home was just a place to sleep in at night, but now it was gone it had become so much more to her. Bremusa had a home with her sisters, and the others had homes elsewhere, even Reseda, who had Egypt. But she had nowhere, just her memories. They were no place to live in, because something always happened to remind you that the memories were indeed only memories. By the springs of Mount Ida is where they wanted to be buried, she thought of her parents' bodies. But they were in some unmarked grave, unknown save for the few who actually cared.

"This is your home?" Arlia heard Reseda ask Galahad.

"It is and it isn't. We will soon be going back to our homeland." Galahad spoke proudly.

"I wish I had a home." Arlia thought, unaware she was speaking out loud.

"You don't have a home?" The knight whom Arlia had learned was Tristan spoke.

"No, I have nothing apart from my belongings." Arlia spoke mournfully, lost in thoughts of the past.

Flashback

"Mother, must I practice my mirror?" Arlia's moan could plainly be heard.

"Yes, you must, it is a skill all Moon Riders must have." Her mother snapped.

"But must I look for father? He's only in the next tent." Arlia whined.

"Look for your future husband if you must." Her mother eventually snapped in desperation.

"Yes mother." Arlia looked down into her wonderfully made mirror, with a dragon and a snake entwined around the top and their tails joined at the bottom.

Arlia let herself sink into the mirror, out of the particularly familiar scene and into the blue sky. The images that came to her were shocking. She saw a black haired boy playing around with some older people. She gasped in shock as the boy turned to her. Before she knew it she slammed the mirror down and let out a wail.

"What is it child?" her mother looked concerned.

"I saw a black haired boy." Arlia looked shocked.

"What did you expect a ghoul?" Her mother asked as she walked away.

End flashback

I have nothing apart from my belongings. Arlia mulled over that sentence. And all of her belongings travelled with her and Yildiz wherever they went. So really I have no home, and nothing belonging to me apart from a change of clothing and some travelling gear. Letting her hands trace over her horn quiver that her father had carved. The arrows had changed over the years, but she always kept one of her original arrows. She said it was for the day when she felt that life was too much and then, and only then, would she kill herself. Lancelot trotted up and waited for her to notice. She noticed him much before he thought she did, amazons were very good at not letting on that they were looking at someone. Studying the knight she realised that maybe she had been wrong about him earlier. His black hair was short and curly, and his beard closely cropped. His brown eyes were warm.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Arlia apologized.

"I think we both did things we regret." Lancelot admitted.

"No, it's just I have virtually nothing, and everything I have is precious to me." Arlia explained.

"It's alright really." Lancelot assured before riding off.

Arlia smiled after the black haired knight as he rode off. Whatever reasons she had hated Lancelot for before now she knew they were wrong. But deep down she knew Lancelot was a good man. He worried and cared about other people. Maybe he got annoyed, who didn't? But always he would think of something to balance out the badness in his life and it would seem so much more rewarding. It was like finding a way to save a life, rather than killing. It may not have seemed like the best idea at the time, but afterwards it gave you a warm glow inside to know that you had saved someone from dying, when otherwise they would have. But all Arlia had were her deeds, no family to relate them to, and no one to disapprove of her. But she didn't drown her sorrow in drink as so many others did. She was stronger than that. She hadn't cried for a long time. She saw it as weak and beneath her. But sometimes when no one was around she let a few tears slip out of her eyes. She would curse herself for her weakness ever afterwards, but inside she knew there was nothing she could really do about it.

When they reached the keep the knights rode into a courtyard followed by the moon riders. Yildiz whickered impatiently, she wanted a rest. Arlia smiled and patted the horse's neck before walking over to where Arthur and the bishop were standing. She waited while Arthur finished talking to the bishop and then she patiently stepped up to the bishop. The bishop looked shocked that she had the gall to talk to him. He didn't have very good thoughts on the moon riders, even though they were good fighters. They were expendable, especially the leader. Arlia wasn't it? Yes, she had no home and the Romans had taken everything from her and left her with a group of moon riders to command. That in his opinion wasn't a very fair trade, though if he had asked her about it he would have got the answer that yes it was fair, as the women were lovely and the girls enjoyable to teach. She may have been rough and may be rough about the new recruits, but all the same she loved them and they loved her.

"Bishop, now that we are here we were told we were to receive more orders, may I enquire as to them?" Arlia asked.

"Later, I am weary from my journey." The bishop walked off leaving Arlia open mouthed.

"Lancelot will show you to your rooms." Arthur walked over to Arlia who nodded.

"If you would follow me ladies." Lancelot smiled.

"Watch it Lancelot, don't try anything!" one knight called.

"I won't Bors!" Lancelot shouted back.

"If he does I'll kill him!" Reseda added.

"And scarily enough I don't doubt that." Muttered Lancelot muttered loud enough for Arlia to hear which made her smile.

"Here are your room's ladies." Lancelot showed them the rooms they would be staying in.

"Xanthe, Marpessa, come here." Arlia shouted as she walked into her room.

The two girls followed Arlia somewhat apprehensively. No-one quite got over their fear of her until they really got to know her. Everyone was like that. A fearful reputation sometimes helps, she thought as she examined the cut on Xanthe's forehead, and the one on Marpessa's arm. She smiled. The two girls had done well to sit through so much pain; it must have hurt them to ride. Taking a clean cloth she wiped it over the wounds and cleared the dried blood away. The cuts were deeper than they first looked. But it was no surprise that Bremusa had thought them minor wounds, they were very small, but they were deep which was hidden by the blood. Taking off her ointments that were on her belt she selected one which was made of lavender and peppermint, lavender for general healing and peppermint to heal the wound. After she had rubbed it in she bandaged Marpessa's arm. When she had finished she rocked back onto her heels and smiled up at the two girls.

"There we are nothing major." Arlia smiled.

"We thought you would be angry with us." Xanthe spoke in dulled tones.

"Everyone gets wounded from time to time; I had quite a few scratches when I was your age." Arlia smiled.

"Oh good." Xanthe smiled as she and Marpessa went off to the room they would be sharing.

Arlia realised that she had no idea what had happened to Yildiz after she had left her. Still in her travelling gear she walked around and asked directions to the stables, which she found out were easy enough to find. When she reached there she was awed by the size. It was a big wooden building with a thatched roof. Walking inside she wasn't amazed at how much space there was left, even after all the stalls were put in around the side. There were a few corral-like structures in the middle, but it was easy to guess they weren't much used. Yildiz was standing waiting for her turn to be groomed. When she picked up her mistresses scent she picked up her head and whinnied. She smiled and began to stroke Yildiz's head before unfastening the light travelling saddle. A servant boy protested until she sent him away. Then she removed the bridle and got down to brushing Yildiz. First she brushed off all the crusted on mud that had dried hard. Next she brushed Yildiz's coat until it shone. She carefully cleaned Yildiz's feet before finishing off with combing Yildiz's mane and tail. As she was doing all this she hummed an old Mazagardi lullaby

Who can say
where the road goes
where the day flows
only time
And who can say
if your love grows
as your heart chose
only time
Who can say
why your heart sighs
as your love flies
only time
And who can say
why your heart cries
when your love lies
only time

Who can say
when the roads meet
that love might be
in your heart
And who can say
when the day sleeps
if the night keeps
all your heart

Night keeps all your heart

Who can say
if your love grows
as your heart chose
only time
And who can say
where the road goes
where the day flows
only time

Who knows - only time
Who knows - only time

As she finished off brushing Yildiz Arlia sighed. Time would tell if she ever found happiness again. But as the song said the only person who knew what time had in store for you was time itself. So with a resigned shrug she turned around and walked back to the villa, after seeing Yildiz well stabled of course. Thinking through her life she realized how many risks she took every day. It was quite amazing, she was a twenty-eight year old woman with no prospects of marriage whatsoever and a Roman lady of her age would be expected to be married and have had at least five children if she had not died in childbirth.

What a waste childbirth was to her. Most of the time if a moon rider was present then the woman rarely died in childbirth, though it was not unknown for that to happen. Even then the moon rider present would feel angered or upset by their failure, by their complete lack of ability. Walking through to her rooms she found herself in a sort of daze. As she looked around her rooms she was glad she had been given one by herself, with nobody around to pester. Taking the jug of water that stood beside a small bowl she poured a little out before splashing her face with it. Just then Reseda ran in a look of amazement in her eyes.

"Arlia, you must have a bath!" Reseda ordered already pushing Arlia out of the door.

Arlia let herself be hauled along beside Reseda as she hurried to the bathroom. It would be nice to have a bath, she thought as she felt her friend stop against a door. Opening the door Reseda pushed Arlia through before walking off. You couldn't help but stare at the room around you. There were large marble arches and the floor was a large mosaic pattern of some Roman tale or other. She looked around and was glad to see her spare set of clothes set out on one of the stone benches that were carved into the floor. The bath itself was large and there were soaps and shampoos set out around it. Another novel idea was that the bath was actually set into the ground. It didn't surprise her that Reseda was surprised about there being a bath. Well come on, how many people had enough money to have a room like this fitted, and supply the hot water and servants to fill it. Of course she and the others had one bath back at their villa, but it was not as large as this. Also she suspected that there was more than one bath in this villa, as compared to their own.

Sinking into the hot water Arlia felt all the tension run out of her. Scrubbing her hair and body she felt all of the dust and dirt run off her and into the now murky water. When she had finished she climbed out drying herself with a rough linen towel before she changed into her clean clothing. There were tight fitting deerskin trousers which came down to her knees. Next on went a long linen tunic which was folded up and tied at the waist. Lastly went on went her leather amour. Her long arms were left open to the air and elements. On her feet were her tough hide boots. Then she walked to her room and waited. Soon enough Arthur came and collected her. He looked down on the woman and her strange markings as she followed him.

"What do your markings mean?" He asked puzzled.

"Well the arrows on my cheeks show strength while the dragon shows that I have and always will fight for a cause while the snake shows that I am sly and can worm my way out of a lot of situations. You may notice that Reseda has the snake and the dragon, same as me, only on different arms." Arlia finished.

"How many tattoos do you have?" Arthur asked awed.

"Well there are the ones on my cheek which mean that I have hidden strength, the ones on both my arms, the one on my back which bestows growth on me, as the plants they represent; and the ones on my feet, which bestow the suppleness of the deer that each represents. So all in all I have six tattoos, and all have a different meaning." Arlia finished.

"An awful lot then." Arthur exclaimed inadequately.

When the two reached the hall Arlia broke off and went and stood next to Lancelot and Reseda, and Arthur went and stood waiting for the bishop to come in. While she was waiting she took the time to study Xanthe and Marpessa, who weren't standing too far away from their leader. In fact none of them were, as if they were scared to leave their leader's side. But in fact, if you knew the amazons you would know that the amazons always stayed in a group, just in case one of them was attacked, then the others could jump to their rescue. It always went that way they would all fight to the death for one another. They also would never give themselves up for slavery, whatever happened. The bishop soon entered and stared at shock at the round table.

"Your table is round." The bishop's assistant exclaimed.

"Arthur says for all men to be equal there can never be a head at his table." The servant explained.

"Really I think it's quite a novel idea." Reseda smiled over at Arlia.

"What would you know?" The bishop's assistant eyed Reseda.

"An awful lot more than you would think." Reseda tossed her hair, showing off her trinkets.

"Peace" Arthur said.

Gold cups were brought in and given to everyone, apart from the servants. Arlia had heard of this Roman custom. She couldn't quite remember what it was called though. You toasted guests and the mission that you had just completed, if you were successful. If you had failed you would probably be at the bottom of a ditch somewhere. None of this mattered to the Moon Riders, they weren't Romans. But Arthur and the bishop were, and so the knights and Moon Riders put up with the traditions grudgingly. But still the atmosphere of the hall was somewhat icy; the bishop had managed to upset most of the people in the room, apart from Arthur. Arlia held the cup up and drank to the people in the room. Then the Bishop stood and showed off the dispensation papers.

"I would wish to have a word with your leaders." The bishop spoke to the two groups

"We have no secrets here." Galahad spoke quietly. The bishop closed the box heavily, and the others left, if reluctantly.

"Your men have fought well." The bishop spoke.

"And I am proud of them." Arthur smiled.

"And your women are formidable." The bishop turned to Arlia.

"We have no choice." Arlia spat.

"Such bitterness from one so young." The bishop looked at her.

"I am far from young." She spat.

"Peace. I am going to give you further orders. As you may well know the Saxons have landed in the North, encouraged by the fact that the Romans are leaving. Now there is a family up there which is extremely important to Rome, especially the boy Alecto. He is the Pope's favorite godchild. We ask that you return the boy and then you will be free." The bishop spoke.

"You would ask this of my men?" Arthur asked his tone deadpan.

"They cannot leave without their dispensations. The Roman Empire is a large place; if they left they would be hunted like dogs." The bishop spoke.

"And me and my women?" Arlia asked.

"Free, and your lands restored to you." The bishop bowed his head, "All except for that one who killed a Roman, she will be sent back to Egypt."

"The only reason you promise this is because it is suicide." Arlia hissed.

"Even so you would have a home again, should you succeed." The bishop knew he had Arlia.

"One more thing." Arlia said her tone icy.

"Yes?" The bishop asked.

"My parent's bodies buried on Mount Ida." Arlia spoke of their dream.

"As you wish." The bishop nodded and Arlia and Arthur made their way to the door.

Author's notes: Sorry it took so long folks. It's just I've been having huge writer's blocks with all my stories, but I got over this one, hope you enjoy. Well, one more chapter updated.