One Thing - Chapter 14


Cardeia: Again - you inspire me to go on. As I hope you see, there will be a very unhappy father.

And this and others are just hints of what I have to come. Most of the ideas I have mentioned here are in the second part of this tale: "Out of Darkness Comes the Light." So I hope you'll read that too.


WARNING: This chapter and the next will be choppy. So I am posting them together. The Sweedish Fish and I have decided that it needed to be this way. I need it to move quickly and a dull explaination of horses running full tilt to a fort is kind of stupid.


Lancelot barged into the hut. "What's going on? I heard Teagan crying." He looked at the baby laying next to his dead mother. "Oh."

"I tried my best, Lancelot." She sniffled into Tristan's chest. "You were right, I can't save them all."

Lancelot was to her in an instant, taking her into his arms. "No one expects you to. You saved the baby. That is good enough."

"He's right, Teagan." Tristan agreed with his friend. "You did well."

Lancelot looked over Teagan's head to Tristan. "Plan B."

Tristan nodded and left the hut to get things moving. They didn't have much time left.

0o0o0o

It turned out that Lancelot had a plan. Though he was hoping that Gina would somehow live, he hadn't held much hope. His plan B walked into the small campsite with Tristan.

Teagan was sitting on her pallet holding the baby when Tristan and a very pretty red head walked to them.

"Who are you?" She watched the girl flinch at her words. She knew she sounded harsh, but that was the mood she was in right now. She had failed. She had failed to save Gina.

"Sage, Lady."

"Teagan." Tristan's voice held warning. He didn't want her to scare Sage away. "Lancelot has arranged for Sage to be a wet-nurse."

Teagan looked at Sage. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Lady. Gina was my friend. I tried to help her in every way I could." Her voice was so sincere, Teagan believed that she was.

"Do you have children of your own?"

Sage paled, sadness coming into her eyes. She shook her head. "No, my son died at birth. Not two weeks ago."

Teagan gave her a sad smile. "Can you still nurse?"

Sage only nodded. She missed her son, even though he had been stillborn. She had lost her husband first, to the woads. And then she had lost her son. She had no reason to stay here. At the fort she would have a purpose. At least she hoped she would.

0o0o0o

"Teagan will have to ride with one of us. I think that Sage could ride Aodh. With the baby."

Tristan gave a quick nod of his head in acknowledgment.

"Tristan? Do you think we could ride through the night?"

"Yes, if we leave now. It is still not light yet as it is."

Lancelot agreed. The quicker they got back to the fort, the quicker they could get this over with.

It didn't take Sage long to get her things together. It was only a few changes of clothes and some bread for the trip. She no longer had her parents to say goodbye to, so she did not have to tell anybody she was leaving. Lancelot had informed her that they would be riding hard, and well into the night. Stopping only to let the horses rest and to feed the child.

Sage was afraid at first, wondering how she was going to hold the baby and the horse at the same time.

Teagan settled that problem. She fashioned a sling of linen that held the baby close to her front. He would be snuggled, warm and secure.

0o0o0o

Teagan pouted. "Don't I have a choice who I ride with?"

Tristan smiled at her. She looked so young. "I'm afraid not."

She tried to give him a pained look. "But, I'm not that heavy. I won't weigh your horse down."

Tristan's face softened, his eyes held amusement. "No, you are not heavy. That is not the issue."

Teagan snorted, putting her hands on her hips. "Then what is the issue?"

"You are a distraction." And she was. If they were to get to the fort quickly, he needed all his faculties to get them there. He couldn't have her in front of him and keep sane. No, he just couldn't do it.

"Well, so is he. He never shuts up."

"That is not the kind of distraction I meant." His voice was lower, softer.

Teagan watched as Tristan's face changed, something slide behind his eyes.

She got it. "Oh."

0o0o0o

"You must stop fidgeting." Lancelot was trying to hold Teagan still in front of him.

Shewas not happy. "Then let me ride my own horse."

"You know why we can't."

"'It's faster this way.'" She mimicked what Lancelot had said earlier.

Beside them, Tristan was laughing riding ahead of them, making sure the way was clear.

All Lancelot could do was scowl as he urged the horses on.

0o0o0o

It was well past dark when they were spotted off the highest battlements. They were riding in fast and the guard had to hurry to let Arthur know that they had arrived.

Arthur was in the courtyard to greet the group as they entered the fort. He couldn't help but smile at them, they certainly did not look happy.

Teagan quickly slid off Lancelot's horse, then helping Sage with the baby. Giving a nod to Arthur, she ushered the two of them to the infirmary.

"I see you made it back safely." He said as he watched Teagan and Sage leave.

Lancelot scowled at him, his hand going to the wound in his arm. "More or less."

"What's all that about?"

Lancelot gave his commander a pained look. "In a nutshell?" Arthur nodded. "We took Teagan out like you wanted. She did beautifully. Great with a needle. And a bow." He glanced at Teagan's retreating back.

"But there's more. Isn't there?" Arthur encouraged him.

Lancelot nodded. "We got to the village, they thought Teagan was a woad. Then there was this girl, Gina." He paused here, and watched as Arthur's eyebrows arched. He vaguely remembered the young girl. She wasn't but a child herself. "Yup. And she had a baby. The one that girl Sage is holding on to. A boy it is. Well, Gina is dead, and we brought Sage and the kid back."

"And you brought them back here?" Arthur was surprised. Lancelot was not one to help rescue people. Except his brothers.

Lancelot glared at Arthur. "Blame Tristan for this one. He said you would bring them back."

Arthur smiled. "He's right. I would have."

"All I want is a hot bath and something to drink." Lancelot looked very unhappy. He bent low to Arthur. "Arthur, that baby belongs to one of us. Galahad." He said low, so only Arthur could hear.

"Are you sure it's Galahad?"

Lancelot nodded, his face grim. "He was the only one with that girl. And the time is about right."

Arthur scratched his head. "Does Teagan know about this?"

"No."

"No?" Arthur seemed surprised.

Lancelot shrugged. He was surprised himself. She had handled the entire thing well. In his opinion. "Arthur, she knows it was one of us, but doesn't want to know who."

"Really?"

The dark headed knight nodded, sliding off his horse. "She says it's none of her business."

'She's a smart woman.' He thought.Arthur clapped Lancelot on the shoulder. He was smiling, his eyes twinkling. He changed the subject. "Well, I've got good news for you."

"And just what could that be?" Lancelot let the sarcasm drip.

"We are being sent on another mission."

"Oh, joy." Grumped Lancelot.

"Someone's cranky."

"When do we leave?" This from Tristan who had finally come into the courtyard.

Arthur looked at his scout. He had to admit, he looked nonplused about this whole thing. However, he always looked unfazed by things. Arthur sighed to himself. What he wouldn't give to see that sullen man show some emotion.

"In four days, Tristan." He replied.


A/N: I know it's choppy. But I wanted it to be. The next one will be also. But please keep reading and please keep reviewing.

And don't you just love Sweedish Fish?