Disclaimer: As Chapter One; so please, for the love of God, do not make me keep writing it out people!
Kêmtir Mader is Kurdish for Little Mother; Kurdish is as close as I could get to Iranian on any online translator….so please don't hate me. 'a' allaidh soirbheas' is Gaelic for 'the wild fair wind' and I felt that as the Woads were supposed to be north of the wall, then Gaelic could be their language.
Letocetum is now part of Lichfield in Staffordshire, and was occupied mainly around the time of Marcus Aurelius. It had also had a large fort built along the lines of Trojanic/Hadrianic architecture (i.e. Hadrian's Wall) according to the site I found. As a Staffordshire dweller I felt that I should stick to an area I know hence Arthur going there. I will not be calling the city Camelot I will keep it as Letocetum, as I feel that is more legend that reality so it will basically be another fortified village similar to the one at the wall only on a larger scale. Hope you are all okay with that.WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE AND SOME SEXUAL REFERENCES (though not too graphic) SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.
All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
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Bethan & Lucan
Chapter Three – Worries
In theory Lucan's new found faith in Bethan was wonderful, it was such a shame it did not work in practice; though in her defence she dealt with it slightly better now. She knew he was not tying her down, merely trying not to lose her; all she could do was reassure him she would not leave him, ever.
Of course it did not help that over the last six weeks she and her father had been scouting, or she had been training hard with Gawain and Lancelot, nearly every day due to preparing for the move south.
Arthur knew to expect trouble, the fight with the Saxons on the ice – losing Dag – he did not want that to happen again. They had got Dagonet back, as they had Tristan and Lancelot. But they might well not have if it had not been for Sandrina; and if any of the knights died now there was no way to know if it was their time, and so no way to know if they could bring them back. Nay, this time Arthur was taking no chances……
He admired Bethan and knew he would be making her a knight sooner rather than later. But it concerned him, it concerned him because of two conversations he had overheard earlier that day. He was not sure that Lucan would be pleased when the time came……
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He had been walking through the training compound with Felicia and heard Bethan talking to Gawain; he knew how she confided in the young knight. He was her best friend after all, and kept all her secrets – even from Galahad, who was still almost a twin to him. Felicia had run off to play with Celeste and Suriana and so he had stayed to listen on the pretext, if he was seen, that he was watching out for her.
"So, little scout, how is married life?" asked Gawain as they brushed their horses down from their ride.
"You know, it is better than I ever expected; I love him so much and he is a good man." She grinned, but there was something in her eyes.
"What is it?" Asked Gawain "I cannot help but give pause for the 'but' I feel is hovering?"
"Oh Gawain – you and Papa can always read me like a bloody book; I can usually fool everyone else, even Mama; but not you two." She joked, but did not laugh.
Gawain merely stood, his eyebrows arched expectantly; she sighed.
"He is so insecure and he worries so much that one of you lot, or someone like you, might steal me from him. It is utter nonsense of course, and I tell him that all the time!
We fight - though Lancelot is right, the making up after is wonderful!" She grinned mischievously.
"So - you think mayhap you made a mistake?"
"Nay - you know, actually I do not. He is so gentle and kind and I can feel it rubbing off on me; I know how much he loves me and how much I love him. So all is well really" she paused and the smile faltered "it is just the whole "where have you been for so long?" or "you are training again?" that annoys me to the point of madness; I cannot be with him every minutes of the day – I would go mad for one thing, and he would soon tire of it….at least I think he would!" She laughed a genuine laugh then.
"I see - have you spoken to him?"
"I have; and I have told him straight that if he does not like me hugging you lot and being with you then it is better he does not watch, as I am not forsaking my knights. He has to learn to trust me, and I know he will….eventually."
"You have suddenly grown up!" grinned her friend.
"You cheeky bastard!" she thumped him and he pretended to fall to the floor pulling her down with him, they lay in the hay "But you are right, I am an old married woman" She felt him raise an eyebrow "alright, maybe not so old - but I am a married woman, and I have responsibilities now.
But…." She pulled a strand of hay to chew "It is like those spiders up there" she pointed to the ceiling of the stable "They build their webs down low and every day for a long time something will come and ruin it.
I know for I have oftentimes watched them, and then they move a little higher and eventually they are so high that nothing can touch them; and that fragile little web is still there long after the spider dies. That will be me and Lucan, you watch – we will keep taking our love higher and eventually he will not get worried."
Gawain leant across and hugged her "I will not be able to call you Little Scout for much longer" he whispered, his throat tight "you are growing up too fast and getting too wise."
"Aye, Merlin says I am an "old soul"; that apparently I have been here before and kept the knowledge of my old life."
She smiled - then hugged him tightly back "but I will always be your Little Scout, Gawain." Her own voice thick with tears for the man who had become her very best friend in the world. She cleared her throat "after all, you invented it; as for getting too wise, I doubt most folk here would agree!"
She grinned suddenly leaping to her feet "Come on, let us go practice my riding in the arena!" she plonked her saddle back on Charity who gave a snort "sorry girl, but I want to practice my jumps." She pulled him to his feet.
"Jumps?"
"Aye, watch……" She leapt onto the back of Charity and rode out to the arena, Faith cruising in the sky behind. Gawain walked out after her, what he watched her do for the next two hours left him speechless; she was jumping from the railings onto Charity's back as she cantered past and then, balancing on the horse's back, would leap to the railings or the ground.
Only twice did she lose her balance and fall off, both times must have left her winded and Gawain had to restrain himself from running to her ensure she was alright. They all knew how she hated a fuss; and each time she picked herself up and grinned at him "Oops!"
"Who taught you that?" he asked eventually.
"No one; though Papa gave me a few pointers. He taught me to ride without holding the reins so I can fire my bow at the same time." She smiled at the memory; her Papa was so patient; but he said he was not, that she was just a quick study.
Gawain remembered seeing her in the last skirmish they had had with the Celts. Riding like the wind with her father; her hair flying out behind her, an evil glint in her eye and firing arrows like the wind itself that whipped around her.
She had much in common with her father, but one thing in particular; she killed with both precision and a certain enjoyment, she was always smiling when she rode into battle. She also firmly held the same view as her mother had had for a short time; that the only good enemy is a dead one.
She rode round the arena at break neck speed cutting and blocking, and he watched in awe. He was never this good at her age; the only one who was was Tristan. She had a knack for it and it saddened him really that she had such a gift; a gift for killing.
He sparred with her and she also did a lot of double sword work. He wished Lancelot were here, he was much better with the tridents than him and could handle her. She was brutal with them and he knew he would not want to be on the receiving end of those blades in a fight.
They carried on like this for about 2 more hours before they tired enough to give up. He noticed she was holding her side as she put her Charity away, "What have you done to yourself this time Bethan?" he sighed.
"Oh, I am in trouble…."
"What?"
"You called me Bethan..."
"Nay, I do use your name occasionally…."
"Aye, when I am in trouble…"
"Let me have a look at you…..Little Scout….." he grinned.
She walked over and he pressed her side"does this hurt?" he asked as she flinched slightly.
"Nay, I always flinch when someone presses my side…" she rolled her eyes.
"Get it all off and let me see properly" he pointed to her armour and thick shirt; just as Arthur walked in.
"Arthur!" Her face as passive as her father's, her voice held a lot of joy at seeing their friend and commander. She walked over and hugged him.
"Little Scout, what have you done this time?" he smiled as the young woman before him held her side.
"Gawain is about to tell me" she grinned stripping off her armour and shirt, down to her thin cotton vest.
He checked her again; she already had a huge bruise coming up on her side. "I think you have just bruised your ribs; keep an eye on it though. Go to Merlin and get some Salve of Arnica, it will help bring out the bruising more quickly" He ruffled her hair "Idiot Scout!"
"Gawain you will never cease to amaze me - a healer as well, or is it that you have had your fair share of bruises too!" she laughed, running to brush down Charity before he could cuff her one across the head.
"You cheeky cow!" he scowled and then broke into a huge grin "You can go off people you know!"
"Aye, but you would no more go off me than you would Ysabeau…..so I am perfectly safe my friend!"
"You are too cocky by half, Little Scout…"
"But she speaks true…..unless you are telling me you are going off your lover!" chuckled Arthur.
"Look, if you are going to start bloody ganging up on me….."
"Nay, just stating the obvious; you would no more go off Ysabeau than I would Lucan!" Laughed Bethan, though she held her side a little harder; it had hurt a lot when Gawain had touched it. But she had long since learnt to school any overt reaction to pain out of her features and her body; otherwise she would never have got to do half of what she did.
"It hurts worse?" He was suddenly beside her.
"Nay, not really" She lied; she looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eye "why do you persist in trying to creep up on me when you know you never can?"
"Wench! If you were not injured you would be over my knee!"
"It would not be the first time one of you has spanked me, including my father!" She smiled, knowing they were not adversed to punishing her; but it had been some time.
"Go to Merlin - NOW! I will finish the damn horse!"
"When I have finished my girl here; she likes no one but me to care for her, you know that. Do you want to end up like Jols?" Gawain remembered Jols; thinking he would help her one day by trying to brush Charity for her when she had a sprained wrist – only to get his arm broke by a swift kick from the disgruntled animal.
"True - she is a demon that one."
"Aye, but she is my demon; and I love her dearly." She wrapped her arms lovingly around the horse's neck and Charity snuffled her hair.
"Well, you are one too, so you are probably well suited. I am going for food, do you want some?"
"Nay - but thank you."
As they went to leave, Gawain spotted Lucan storming towards the stables.
"Uh oh - I do not think we had better leave yet."
"You would think he would have learnt by now" sighed Arthur with a smile.
"BETHAN!" Lucan shouted storming into the stables. "What is this I hear from Gilly about some fool antics you have been getting up to on that damn nag of yours?"
The two knights stood in the doorway "It would help if he did not approach her always on the attack" grimaced Gawain "It immediately puts her on the defensive; and she is very good at defending herself…." They grinned ruefully at each other.
"She is no nag." A quiet reply.
"what were you bloody thinking?"
"I was thinking that I am here to train…"
"To be a knight and a scout; still?"
"Aye – still…." Her voice was getting increasingly quiet and she had reverted to her father's way of talking. Clipped, emotionless speech coupled with a mask-like face, was her way of trying to avoid a fight - and giving her time to gather her all if it should not work.
Gawain sighed "He should quit now, she is getting too quiet - any minute now she is going to blow……"
"But why?" he pleaded "I worry for you."
"As all do; but all others let me be me."
"I do not?"
"Nay…"
"I ……I……"
She turned then and walked to him; put her hands on his shoulders, her eyes full of love "I will never leave you Lucan; NEVER. But it is up to you to believe me."
"I do….I do…but…"
She sighed and turned away, her eyes dimming "There are always so many buts with you."
"I do not mean to…."
"Lucan I am tired; I am going to see Merlin."
"Why him and not me?"
"Because I need some salve, or are you a healer now also?"
"What have you done? What have you done to yourself this time, will you never consider those that love you when you go out to hurt yourself?"
She went rigid "Uh,oh…. " Arthur said.
"I merely fell from my horse and I am going to Merlin, as I have done so dozens of time before."
Both knights looked at each other in amazement as, instead of raging at him, she calmly pushed passed her husband and them, and left the stables; though Gawain saw her eyes were blazing with barely suppressed rage.
"What happened to our little spitfire?" Arthur looked concerned.
"I do not know, but I have had enough of this – he is making them both miserable."
Gawain stormed up to Lucan. "You tire of marriage already then?" he pushed the boy in the shoulder.
"What?"
"You tire of her and wish to be free; for I can see no other reason for you to treat her so - not when she constantly tells me how much she loves you." he pushed him again.
"What? Stop pushing me!"
"it is not nice is it, to be pushed…" he did it again "but this is what you do to her all the time Lucan. Can you see?" he did it again "how it must feel to be her?" He turned on his heel and walked out.
"He speaks true Lucan. You are being deeply cruel and unfair; why marry her if you wished to change her so much?" Arthur said as he left.
Bitter tears sprang to the young man's eyes. 'I told her; told her they would pick her over me - every time.' He thought. But under the self-pity, he knew they spoke true - he went to find his wife, the person he loved to distraction.
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He found her coming from the room Merlin used to administer his healing. She was re-donning her armour and Lucan knew she was going back to practice.
She saw him and looked away; he knew then this time he had hurt her deeply. He sighed 'why was marriage so bloody difficult? What happened to the 'Happy-ever-after' of the fairy stories?'
"Bethan, wait….please?" she stopped walking, but did not turn to him. "Look at me….."
She turned round "What?"
"I am sorry…I do not mean to upset you…." Blue eyes locked with deep green ones.
The next moment her arms were round his neck and she was kissing him soundly; he hugged her back "It is alright, I just do not want to fight right now; I am tired."
"Do you want to make up?" he grinned; her reply was to drag him back to their room. She did not have the courage to tell him she thought she was pregnant; that would come when she had had it confirmed by Merlin. For now it was her secret and hers alone; she smiled, and patted her stomach.
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Two hours later they emerged from their room; Gawain and Bors were passing "What have you two been doing?" asked the burly knight with a grin.
"Moving the bed……" was the placid reply from Bethan, causing both the knights to fall about laughing. Gawain grinned at Lucan "Good lad!" he whispered.
Lucan grinned "We are getting very good at moving the furniture around now!"
