One Thing - Chapter 21


A/N: This will be the last flashback of this part. It will be the last you see of my dear Galen for a while. Maybe you can get the connections. There are several of them.

Discalimer: Sorry, to poor toown anything.


The longer the knights were gone, the more worried Teagan began to feel. They had been gone for nearly five days. And should have returned with the Roman family by now.

It was Vanora who found her atop the highest battlement of the fort, looking out into the wood. It was snowing heavily and the wind had picked up. Teagan was only wearing a light cloak.

Vanora put her hand lightly on Teagan's shoulder as not to startle her overmuch. "Come inside, love. You'll catch your death out here."

Teagan pulled away from her friend. "They should have been back by now Van." She whispered.

Vanora pulled Teagan into a hug. "You try not to think about it. You just hope they come home."

0o0o0o

Teagan was in the great hall when she heard the Roman soldier come in. Looking up, she saw his surprise at the sight of the round table.

It brought a smile to Teagan's face. The table always got that reaction from people. Though Arthur was Roman, well half, he didn't believe that he was better than everyone else. To him, his men were his equals.

"What can I do for you?" She called from her seat at the far end of the hall, not bothering to get up from her chair.

The soldier looked up, finally noticing the woman sitting there. He took a moment to look her over before answering. She did fit the description he had been given of her. Satisfied that it may be her, he moved towards her.

"Are you Lady Teagan?"

She stood up from her seat. "Aye, that I am. What can I do for you?"

He handed her a letter. "I have been asked to give this to you."

Teagan took the letter, turning it over. She frowned. She couldn't tell who it may be from. "Do you know who sent it?"

"No, Lady." He stood there, expressionless.

She frowned some more. "It is not from a Roman commander is it?" Gods, she hoped not. It was not what she needed right now.

"No, Lady. It was a knight from Commander Victor Imperioli's command. He said he had heard we were headed this way and hoped this letter would find you. We have been to several forts before this."

Teagan brightened. "Galen?" She was eager to read the letter now. It had been so long since she had heard from him.

The soldier's face was still impassive. "I don't know, Lady." He turned to leave. His task was done, he wanted to get back to his fellow soldiers. He wanted to tell him of the strange round table.

Teagan caught his arm. "Wait. I don't have any coins to give you."

This time, the soldier smiled. "Don't worry, Lady. I was compensated very well."

Teagan let him go. She returned to her chair by the fire and opened the seal. She smiled. It was from Galen.

"T,

I hope this missive finds you well and whole. Be warned, V is still after you. Everyday he plots. As I write this, I am well and whole.

G"

It wasn't long. Just enough for her to believe that he was still among the living.

Smiling, she let her weariness and the warm fire draw her into sleep. Thoughts of her first friend filling her dreams.

0o0o0o

Teagan waited until Commander Imperioli was ahead of her before she looked back at her village.

So much smoke, so much fire. She no longer heard the screams, no longer heard the cries.

Teagan could no longer try and hide the tears that had threatened to fall. She let them fall freely.

"It gets better. At least I think so anyway." A male voice said beside her.

Teagan looked over at the boy next to her. No, not boy, young man. He was not as young as some that were here. She tried to give him a smile.

"I'm Galen by the way."

"Teagan."

Galen nodded, leaving Teagan to her silence.

She finally took the time to look around her, starting with Galen.

He looked like he couldn't be any older than her age, sixteen. He had the liveliest brown eyes that seemed to sparkle. His dark hair fell to about his shoulders, falling in his eyes and plaited in several places. He seemed to have a ready smile for her.

There were other boys around her. Some blonde, some dark haired. None, she noticed, had the red that she did. And one or two had no hair at all.

And these were all big boys. Most of them. Not necessarily heavy, just tall and broad shouldered.

Looking at the boys, made Teagan think to look at herself, muddy, grubby and tired. She wondered what made Imperioli think she was a boy.

At sixteen, Teagan wasn't very big, Just over five feet. Her hair was red, curly and hung to her shoulders. And right now, it was full of dirt and mud.

Her figure? Well, she didn't have a figure. She had spent the last five years training and running around like a boy. Her body just hadn't realized that she was female yet. Well, not completely. Her breasts were forming and her hips were rounding, but other than that, Teagan could almost see where one would mistake her for a boy.

Teagan had spent many hours and days with the village elders.The healer in particular. As all of the boys had been taken to be knights, it fell to her to be the next leader. Well, that's what she wanted to believe anyway. The old healer kept telling her that she had been chosen from birth. That it was her fate, her destiny.

Bullshit. The man was fully off his rocker. She believed in making her own destiny. But, Teagan admired him anyway.

Absently, she reached up and lightly scratched the dragon tattoo. It had only been done about two weeks ago. She winced at the remembered pain. She couldn't remember how long it had taken. Only that it had taken eight pots of blue ink.

0o0o0o

Her parents had been there. Each holding her hand or arm. Everyone in the village had gathered around to watch her 'coronation.'

Her lips curled into a thin smile. She had been completely naked for the entire time it took to do the tattoo.

Her nudity had not even been an issue. Her mother had said that it was a great honor to be chosen as the next leader of the village, either man or woman.

Her mother had said never to be ashamed of her body or the way it looked.

And from that moment on, Teagan was no longer self conscious about her body.

In the end, it was a marvel. As it was the village healer that had done the work, he had been the one to get the praise. It never occurred to anyone to ask Teagan how she fared with all that pain.

Her father had been the one to ask. "Why a dragon?"

The healer looked from father to daughter.

"I see a great dragon in her future. And a great bird. How one or the other will play in her future, I do not know."

Her mother, came forward taking a soft cloth to her skin. She gently dabbed at Teagan's tender skin.

"You are brave, my daughter. Not to cry out. But why does she only bleed on the wings?"

Her father shrugged, he knew not.

But he healer had an answer.

"She will bleed for the great hawk." He pointed to just over her heart. "And that bird will shed blood for her."

Teagan, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.

"How do you know this?" It was merely a whisper as the pain was still great.

The old man smiled, wrapping a cloak over her shoulders.

"There are things in this life that are certain, child."

He pulled away, lowering into a kneel, the rest of the tribe following.

0o0o0o

As Teagan was looking around her surroundings, it started to rain. Hard.

Instead of stopping the caravan of children, Victor Imperioli continued until well into the night. They had taken to much time with that last village, that red haired boy. The boy who wasn't a boy at all.

As Teagan was to find out later, much later, Imperioli knew what she was. And what she wasn't. He had also known that she had been chosen as the next leader of her tribe. She would also find out later how, that Imperioli didn't want her as a knight. He wanted her for something else entirely.

But right now, the group pushed on well into the night. For when they finally did stop, most of the boys literally fell off their horses, laying where they fell.

Galen and Teagan did not, however. Together, they made sure that their mounts were sound and watered.

And as Galen had taken the initiative and spoke to her first, he chose to stay by her side now. He knew she was not a boy. And as he felt that women had no place in this war, or as knights, he would help her all that he could.

And Teagan noticed that though Galen was quite friendly, he noticed everything. His dark eyes took in everything around him. He didn't miss much.

Right now, he was sharpening his sword. It was an interesting blade, Teagan had to admit. It wasn't like any she had ever seen. The scabbard was very ornate, very detailed. It had writings and symbols that she didn't recognize.

But the blade itself was beautiful. It was long. Longer than his outstretched arm. It was long and curved. Almost like a sabre.

Settling down, Teagan let herself rest. Sleep finally claiming her on her first night away from home.

0o0o0o

She was gently wakened by Tristan running his hands through her hair.


A/N: I wonder if you can find the connections.