Two

The night proved restless for Tristan as he tried to sleep. He had many things on his mind: the deer, Drumas, and especially, Elanesa's words. He had never had a friend before, but if she said they were friends, he believed her words to be the truth. Tristan lay on his side in a dreamless wonder. What was this conference tomarrow that Elanesa had spoken of? Such a meeting would have been annouced ahead of time, unless they had done so when he had been asleep at the doctor's quarters. Tristan turned to lay on his back, but winced when his burning back touched the bed. He quickly reverted back onto his side and sighed deeply, as he tried to find sleep.

Dawn crept over the eastern horizon as it had yesterday, and each day before that, but Tristan watched the sunrise from inside his quarters. He could hardly move from the pain on his back, let alone take another beating for going off just to watch a sunrise. He wasn't outside up on that hill today, but Tristan was glad he still got to see it from afar. He rose stiffly as the sunlight danced across his rugged face. He brushes his stragilly dark braids out of his eyes and walked over to a bowl that contained water for washing. Tristan poured the cool water over his head and shivered as the sweet intensity of the pure water dripped around his face and shoulders. Wiping his sleeve across his eyes to dry them, Tristan quickly dressed and exited his quarters. He was aimed to go over to the eating house and grab some breakfast, when he noticed a gathering of people near the entrance of the village.

As he approached the crowd, he also noticed that there were strangers about. They were men in uniform on horses carrying the sign of Rome.

'Roman soldiers?' Tristan thought. 'Why would they be here in the village?'

Tristan stood among the villagers silently, until Elanesa approached him and caught his arm. Tristan looked over at her, and noticing the worried look on her face, he asked, "What do they want?"

"They are recruiting boys to take and train as knights," she answered.

Tristan looked from the soldiers to Elanesa again. "This is lunacy. The only boys here are not over the age of 6."

A soldier overheard Tristan and walked his horse towards him, breaking through the townspeople as he did so. He sat proudly on his steed and peered down at Tristan.

"What did you say?" he demanded to know. "Speak!"

"I said this is lunacy! These boys here are no older than 6. They cannot be expected to leave their families, let along wield any kind of weapon!" Tristan spoke his mind.

"How dare you speak to me with such disrespect. You disrespect me, you disrespect the Pope of Rome," the soldier answered in his husky voice. "Who do you think you are?"

When she saw that Tristan was about to respond something wickedly terrble, she pleadingly looked at him not to. Tristan clenched his fists and bit his tongue, though he wanted to lash out at this impudent guard! Then, Drumas shoved villagers aside as he made his way over to Tristan.

"You, again! Lipping off to royalty now, are ye?" he said with a laugh.

"If he's royalty, then I'm the king," Tristan muttered back sarcastically.

"How dare you speak in the name of the king!" the soldier butted in. His square face turned red and he breathed hot air from his hyge nostrils. Then, he looked around the crowd. "Who's in charge here! I'm demand to be told!"

Everyone hesitated to speak, even the eldars. They knew not what these soldiers would do if they found out who each of them were. When no one spoke, the leader of the Roman soldiers became angry at the village's disobediance. He eyes up a young child, a little girl who clung to the skirts of her mother. He bent down and grabbed the child. The mother beat mercilessly at his arm, trying to free her crying child from his grasp, until she was hit away by another soldier. The crowd grasped in horror as the hysteric child was held hostage by the Roman soldier.

"Tell me who leads here and I shall set the child free!" the leader called out.

"Is this how they teach to treat innocent civilians?" Tristan asked, his eyes not leaving the sight of the man.

"We are directed to do anything necessary to recruit boys and bring them to their post. It is the order of the Pope himself," he anwered in a huffy voice. The child still screamed and reached out for her crying mother.

"Yet, you have neglected to answer my question," Tristan replied cooly.

Elanesa said. "Tristan, stop it."

The Roman soldier finally became too impatient, and drew his weapon on the child he held. The mother of the child cried out in terror, and finally Elanesa ran forward to the soldier and tugged on his arm before Tristan could stop her.

"Leave the girl go," Elanesa said, and glanced back at Tristan for a moment. "I am the leader of this village."

The soldier, pleased, dropped the child into her mother's arms. The crowd shifted as the mother fled with her little girl.

"There, there, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he said, holding the doctor by her arm. "Foolish, foolish woman."

Tristan started forward and was knocked back by the other Roman soldier. His chest heaved outward from the blow he had received. The leader glared down at Tristan, and then at Elanesa. Fear welled in Elanesa, but she dare not show it. She kept a blank expression and would not let the man break her.

"Commander," another soldier called out. "Enough of this already. We will be expected back with our recruits, and then move on tomarrow at dawn."

Elanesa was dropped to the ground and she was helped to her feet by another woman. The leader peered down at Tristan again and nodded absently.

"Yes, we will go now," he said, and then pointed at Tristan. "And, he will be joining us."

"No," Elanesa said, but Tristan raised a hand to her.

"I will go," he said. "Give me a moment to prepare."

Tristan quickly returned to his quarters, Elanesa in close pursuit. Tristan slipped on some old armor he had salvaged from long ago. He also tied his curved blade to his side and slung his bow on his back.

"Tristan, why are you doing this?" Elanesa asked, her golden hair flowing around her shoulders.

"If it gets those blasted men away from you, away from the village, then so be it," he said.

"Tristan," Elanesa said.

She grasped his arm, and he quickly turned around to meet her woeful gaze.

"You told me that I had potential. Will this not be my chance to prove that I am useful for something other then a pin-cushion?" he aked.

Elanesa gulped and reluctantly nodded. She looked up at him again. "Will you ever come back?"

"I don't know," Tristan replied, brushing past her. "Only time will tell."

Elanesa stopped following and tried to smile for him. "If you ever come back, I will be here."

Tristan nodded to her and exited his quarters again. Elanesa choked back her emotions and watched as Tristan made his way back to the Roman soldiers. "Good luck, my friend."

The Romans had supplied a horse for Tristan, as he mounted the white steed. He no longer looked back at the faces of the villagers, because he did not care to remember any of them after this day. Then, for a moment, he heard a familiar voice yell to him.

"Hey, Tristan! Don't worry, I'll take care of your wench for ya while your gone!" Drumas said, cocking his head back.

Tristan remembered his vow to himself and sought to fulfill it. As the horses started forward, he took a dagger from his pocket, turned slightly, and launched it at Drumas's throat, killing him almost instantly. It was the first man he had ever killed, but he knew it wasn't the last. The Roman soldiers accompanied Tristan as they led him even closer to his unknown destiny.

End 'Two.'