"Without a sign his sword the brave man draws, and asks no omen but his country's cause."-Homer (The Iliad...bk. XII, I. 283; Pope's transition)

"Do you know which way?" Lancelot shouted above the roar of fighting. Not because he doubted that Arthur did, but because despite all the noise, he found the silence between them loud.

"Yes." Said Arthur simply. "I know a man who can help." He did not look at Lancelot, only stared straight ahead.

Lancelot let him be. He could imagine the pain weighing on his 'commander's' mind. It must be hard to both loose one's mother and have to step into one's duty in one night.

So they rode the short distance in silence. Arthur taking the back at an attempt for safety, but Lancelot knew that fire knew no boundaries.

"He lives back here." Said Arthur, nodding towards a street.

"And he'll still be in his house? During all this?" Lancelot clarified skeptically. He doubted very much that an educated Roman would still sit inside his own house when a violent invasion was rampaging outside his front door.

"Trust me...?"

"Lancelot."

"Trust me, Lancelot, he'll be there." Said Arthur confidently. "He wouldn't just leave..." Said the Roman quieter.

Lancelot was silent.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"Galahad! Can you hear me?" Gawain said quickly.

Galahad stirred. He had been moved on his side and his green eyes flickered open a bit.

"What?" He murmured. Squinting in the moonlight.

"Thank the gods!" Breathed Bors from above him. He clapped a flustered Gabrieal on the shoulder, and walked over to Tristan.

"Well?" Bors snapped expectantly. "You're the healer, aren't ya?"

Tristan looked at him calmly. "Out of everyone here? Yes."

"Okay, then." Bors nodded. "What do we do now?"

Gawain looked up from his kneeling position on the ground. "Do we move him?" The other Sarmatians breathed again, relieved talk breaking out.

"No." Said Tristan "We should wait until Lancelot comes back."

"He's not coming back."

Tristan, Bors, Dagonet, and Gawain all turned sharply at the voice. But Gabrieal looked defiantly back at them.

"He just marched into a burning town about to be destroyed, over flooded with some kind of insane rebels, and a roman for direction! You honestly think he's gonna trot back here with help, and be in one piece?" Gabrieal laughed humorlessly. "Face it, knights, he's as dead as that guy." He pointed to a lifeless body on the ground.

"That is NOT TRUE!" Bors shouted angrily. "He WILL come back, and then YOU will be the one dead after I-,"

"DON'T threaten me!" Gabrieal retorted furiously.

But Bors started towards him anyway. But Tristan grabbed him from behind with surprising strength and speed.

"Stop it!" Tristan shouted. Everyone froze to look at him, and the din from the fighting seemed to grow louder. It was rare that Tristan's voice got above conversation level, let alone shouting.

"Gabrieal," He began. "Whether or not you believe he will, I have full confidence in Lancelot and Arthur, and have no doubt that they will return."

-0-0-0-0-

Arthur slammed his fists against the closed wooden door, while Lancelot watched his back-dagger ready.

Suddenly Arthur broke through the door, but at the same instant two rebels came charging at Lancelot. The Sarmatian held his ground, dagger held high. Arthur saw them running, and quickly tossed Arthur another dagger.

"I'll go get help. Follow me!" Arthur cried above the noise.

But Lancelot shook his head. "No! If I follow you than he'll kill both of us, and the man, if he's in there!"

"But you'll get killed if you stay!" Arthur protested, eyes wide.

"No I can take them!" Lancelot replied as they grew closer. "Just go!"

And Arthur charged inside the building, unaware of the spark that landed atop the wooden roof of the small home.

Lancelot held a dagger in each hand, pacing himself for the blows each rebel was likely to strike him down with. He would probably die tonight. His first night as a knight, cut down by mysterious rebels.

Ah well, at least he'd die defending his commander.

But the rebels never reached him.

The flames did first.

-0-0-0-TBC-0-0-0-

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! Thanks to you all, I now know where this story is going, and how long it's going to be. Expect longer chapters from now on, as I add more details and the story line gets a bit more complicated.

Now to my thank yous':

SkyStrike26- Thanks! Lol, your not the only one who's having trouble picturing them younger! Thank you for reviewing!

Dmitchell1974- Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like the idea, and I'll try to update consistently.

VK- Thanks so much! I love your reviews, they really give me more confidence (not, as I'm not, that I need it...lol) and speed the story along! Thanks again!

More soon!

Anni