One Thing - Chapter 18
Cardeia - This part is just for you. I hope you enjoy it. Though I had planned on doing this chapter much later. You seem to set my brain buzzing and for that I thank you.
Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. Even ran out of Sweedish Fish. And It's to late to drink coffee.
Galahad let out a soft curse. His blasted head hurt. The last four days of heavy drinking were taking it's toll. Arthur had been after him non-stop about the baby. What was he going to do? Did he even know what he wanted to do?
What he wanted was for everyone to leave him alone.
0o0o0o
Lancelot on the other hand, was giving Tristan a hard time. The scout tried to go ahead, but the other man just followed. Constantly asking questions about a certain red haired woman.
"Is she pretty naked?"
"Yes."
"How far does that thing go?"
"Far."
"Did you kiss her?"
"Yes." He wasn't looking at Lancelot. His yes were scanning everything, looking for trouble. He was trying to avoid Lancelot, wondering why he called this man his friend.
"Well?"
Now Tristan did look at Lancelot. "Well what?" He feigned an innocent look. He knew what his friend was after and wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. He spurred his horse faster and left a steaming Lancelot.
Dagonet, being nearby, heard the exchange. "He's not going to tell you, so why do you bother?"
Lancelot grinned at his friend. "Because I can."
Dag shook his head, chuckling. It was going to be an interesting ride.
0o0o0
When the knights stopped to camp for the night, Lancelot and Arthur took first watch. Then it would be Bors and Dagonet. Gawain and Galahad would be last. Arthur never set Tristan to watch as the scout was always alert, always on the watch for trouble.
Settling in, next to the fire, the commander and his second - in - command looked around. Things had been quiet and calm this trip out. Arthur hoped it continued for the way back.
Lancelot, looking around the campsite, noticed Tristan taking care of the horses.
"Arthur, there is something wrong with that man."
"Who?"
"Tristan."
He looked at the man in question. "Why?"
Lancelot scowled at his commander. "Don't give me one word answers." He jerked his thumb towards Tristan. "He likes Teagan."
"So. Most of us do. What's the problem?"
"He likes her a lot."
"Oh." So far this didn't sound like a problem. "How does she feel about him?"
"It's mutual. But neither will do anything about it."
Oh. "I thought you fancied her."
Lancelot grinned at his friend, waggling his eyebrows. "I fancy them all."
Arthur snorted at him.
But Lancelot knew what Arthur was talking about. He sobered. "No. Not like that. I tried to. Hell, I even kissed her." He watched Arthur's eyes widen at that. He smiled. "But, I see my sister, my mother in her." His features had softened as he spoke of her, his eyes gentle.
Arthur was surprised. For Lancelot to bow out and let another go for a pretty woman, it was something. Teagan had found a place in the dark knight's heart. It was rare that he spoke of his family. Teagan had become like family to him. She had become a sister to him.
0o0o0o
Later, when Gawain and Galahad took over watch, their conversation went to the same person as had Arthur's and Lancelot's.
"You don't like her, do you." It wasn't a question.
Galahad shook his head. "No. Not really."
"Why not?"
Galahad's eyes flashed. "She bossy and opinionated. She thinks she knows everything. And you all fall over her to meet her every wish."
Gawain stared at his friend, his brother. Was he that closed minded? "I don't know where you are getting this from."
"I watch her. I see what she does to you."
"Personally, I like her. She's a hell of a shot with the bow." He gave Galahad a glance. "Sure, she's opinionated, all women are. No, she doesn't know everything. But she's not afraid to ask if she doesn't. Did you know that she is afraid of cockroaches?"
Galahad shook his head. He really didn't care if Teagan was afraid of bugs or not.
Gawain continued. "Did you know that she fears battle? She only does it as a last resort."
"No. I didn't know." Galahad mumbled under his breath. But it really didn't matter. His opinion of her didn't change.
It was then that Galahad noticed Tristan in the bushes, wandering around, obviously looking for something.
"What's he doing?"
Gawain barely spared the man a glance. "He does whatever he does. You know that."
Galahad poked his arm. "No. Look."
Gawain did. "What in the name of the gods is he doing?"
The man was picking berries. Thye watched as he popped one into his mouth.
After a laugh, the two got back to the subject at hand.
"So what are you going to do about the boy?"
Galahad paled. He was trying to forget about that.
"It's your fault, you know." Gawain laughed at his friend.
"I know that. You don't need to lecture. I've got enough of that already."
Gawain was laughing again. "Arthur got you, didn't he?"
Galahad could only nod, wincing because even that small movement made his head hurt. He poked at the fire again.
"So what are you going to do?" Gawain repeated.
"I don't know." And truth was, he didn't. He had planned his entire fifteen years. Doing his time and going home. Only when home in Sarmatia would he think of finding a wife and starting a family.
Now, things had changed. Now he had a son.
Without realizing it, he smiled.
A son. Who looked just like him. So the other knights had told him. He couldn't tell, all babies looked the same to him. But, the baby had green eyes. Galahad's green eyes. So maybe there was some truth in what the men had said.
But Galahad wasn't ready to be a father. He didn't know how to be a father. All he'd done in his life was kill.
"What do I have to offer a child?" He asked his brother softly. He didn't know anything about raising children.
Gawain reached out to his friend, his brother. "You love them." Then he laughed. "And hope for the best."
0o0o0o
Tristan was off in his own thoughts, not paying attention to anyone else.
Oh - he was still wary of his surroundings. The terrain, the different sounds. Though it didn't look like it, he was listening to his fellow knights. But the cadence in their voices hadn't changed, so he knew there was immediate danger. In fact, he often used the banter of his brothers as background noise.
Right now, he was thinking other things. Things he didn't want to be thinking.
Teagan.
That one woman who had put his ordered mind in such upheaval. In fact, she made him so un - bloody - hinged that he had a bit of trouble concentrating on the task at hand.
And the task at hand was staying alive. To get through his fifteen years unscathed.
He snorted. Maybe unscathed was the wrong word. He had so many scars on his body that he didn't have much unmarked skin left.
Thinking about scars on his body made Tristan think about Teagan's body. She didn't have a scar on her. That he could see in that brief moment in the bath house. That tattoo didn't count. It was a thing of wonder to him. Never in his life had he seen a woman bear marks as she did. He had heard tales, but that was all.
And her skin was so smooth. So soft.
Wait. He shook his head. Where did that come from? He didn't know if her skin was soft or not. His traitorous body tightened at the thought of finding out.
Tristan groaned, it was going to be a long ride back to the fort.
0o0o0o
Bors, being a wonderful friend, started on Galahad as soon as they were on the road.
"So what are you gonna name that kid?" Bors said, riding next to him.
Galahad sighed. "I don't know Bors."
The big knight laughed. "How 'bout number one?"
Galahad could only roll his eyes. "I don't know Bors." He repeated.
Around him, the other knights snickered. It got the other knights started.
"How 'bout Bob?" Gawain piped in.
"No, Julius." From Lancelot. He made a gagging sound in his troat. The other knights fell about, laughing.
"Not Caesar, you dolt."
Arthur rode next to Galahad. "Don't pay them any mind. You know they mean well."
Galahad sighed. He prayed that they would start nagging Tristan again. It was going to be a long ride back to the fort.
0o0o0o
As they made it into the courtyard of the fort, the knights were greeted with the familiar sights and sounds.
Arhtur looked around, thanking God that they had made it back safely and intact.
Vanora was stuck to Bors, obviously missing him greatly.
Dagonet clapped his friend, Gawain on the back, the two of them taking their horses to the stables for care.
Lancelot, like Arthur, looked around, mentally checking to make sure that everything was in it's place, that no one was missing. Looking high, he saw Teagan watching their return on the battlements. Her favorite lookout. He smiled and waved to her, setting off to the stables to care for his own horse.
Tristan came in, automatically looking up. He had long grown used to seeing Teagan high up on the wall. Now that he thought about it, he realized that he had been doing this without thinking. He watched as Teagan waved to Lancelot. Something disturbing flitted across his mind, watching them.
Looking away, he too, went to the stables.
Galahad noticed something else. Sage was standing there. With his son. Dismounting he made his way to them, wondering what he was going to say. He didn't even realize that Jols had taken his horse.
Deciding that he would take Gawain's advice, one word popped into his mind.
Sage smiled at Galahad. She looked shyly at him. "Do you want to hold him?" She held the baby out.
Galahad took the tiny infant, who had his eyes. "Briac." He smiled, looking at Sage. "His name is Briac."
A/N: The berries Tristan was looking for were qahwa berries. Coffee berries that did exsist in that time, just maybe not there. I always wondered why that man never slept.
