UNFINISHED
by VINTERSORG

Feel the might
Inside of you
Raise your blade
It's time to fight
I heard the sword's song
And it sang to me
Both the iron, the will
Under my control

- Battlelore

- - -

Chapter II

The song of swords cutting the midday air and the ring of metal upon metal could be heard from the training-grounds. Outside the fortress wall birds sang as if they too thought the melody of Excalibur and Caladbold meeting again after so many years a beautiful symphony.

A large crowed had already been gathered to watch Arthur and Nouri spar. Jols and a few of the other squires followed the combatants' every move with full concentration, they would later go back to their chores and dream about being real knights, but that was not before the two sword-fighters had stopped their swinging and slashing. A few Roman soldiers watch the sparing match excitedly as well while betting high and low on either Arthur or 'the boy'.

The few knights that were still at the milecastle hurried over from different parts of the fort to see what all the commotion was about. Gareth who had made his way over to the large sand area among the first grinned widely at Pellinore, Kay and Bedivere who all came a moment later.

"The kid got potential," he offered as Nouri attacked with a high guard, making Arthur back up two steps not to loose balance.

"Think he's a new recruit? " Bedivere asked the large, bearded knight to his right, nodding when Gareth only shrugged his shoulders in answer.

"Dunno, but he's good with the sword," he agreed, "Maybe, if he manages to beat Arthur..."

"As if that would happen in a million years," Kay decided with a dark frown. He had lost two brothers during the years and didn't like the idea of new young knights that would only die. "Nay, he'll screw up in a moment or two, just you wait and see."

"Who will what?" Peredur asked with a confused expression on his face as he followed Dagonet to stand among the other knights. He had heard the ring of swords and the chattering of the Roman soldiers, but the sight of the two sword-fighters were still like a revelation to him. The match seemed more like a dance than an actual sparing game, it was like both combatants knew the other's moves long before they stroke, it was quite beautiful to watch.

"Wooha, who's the boy?"

"That's what we're asking ourselves right now," Pellinore sighed, letting his eyes follow Arthur as the commander's attack got skilfully parried by the other fighter. A moment later he danced away from a stroke that would have cleaved him in two unless he had moved.

What confused the knights even more than the fact that Arthur and the other fighter seemed to know each other's moves was that they used such force when sparring as if they just knew the other one would manage to ward it off. Neither combatant spoke, but sometimes they smiled and grinned at each other as if it all was a great game.

An hour and a half into the match Arthur began to visually tire, his moves wasn't as perfect and his breathing was harder too. Nouri on the other hand didn't seem tired at all, but made still sure to adjust every move to the commander's now slightly slower and strained movements.

Their swords clashed a few times more before Arthur attacked again, but this time he was not fast enough as Nouri took a step to the side and swung Caladbold in an arch from below his sword. Excalibur was knocked out of his hands and flew through the air only to land a few feet behind Nouri, with a quick move by the younger fighter Arthur laid knocked to the ground breathing harder yet. He looked up at the other one who now stood above him at his head with the tip of Caladbold to his throat inclined towards Nouri.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Nouri warned with an amused quality to the voice, smiling down at Arthur who's hands had moved to the back or Nouri's boots as if he planed on pulling the other fighter to the ground as well.

"And why wouldn't I?" the commander asked, equally amused.

"Your funeral, mate," was the laughed response, "The way I hold the sword will make it stab into your throat if I fall."

"Good thing you told me," Arthur smiled as Nouri went off to pick up his sword from where it had fallen.

"No problem," the other smiled back as a hand was offered to him and he was pulled to his feet. He nodded his head in thanks as Nouri handed him back his sword.

"You certainly know how to use a sword," he praised and sheathed Excalibur, nodding a silent greeting to his knights as they made their way over to the two combatants. "I was a bit too bored earlier to ask your name, though it didn't even cross my mind for some strange reason until now when I coudn't speak it..."

The other regarded him for a moment, deciding on how hard she would let him fall in a metaphoric kind of way. He had already been beaten by someone years younger than him.

"Nourikka," she finally said, almost laughing out loud when she saw this new piece of information register and show on his face. "But you can call me Nouri, it sounds less... girlie."

The knights too seemed shocked to find out that what they had thought to be a young boy for the better of an hour was actually was a woman; now they felt slightly ashamed at themselves for not having been able to spot it, she was a very pretty woman with a face that could battle the old Grecian statues for beauty. The only one who didn't seem as upset with the whole thing was Dagonet who on the other hand seemed to be searching for something buried deeply within his memory.

"Bors' Nourikka?" the giant knight finally asked, trying to find anything on her face and figure that would confirm his question even before she answered it. But the knight found nothing.

"I belong to no-one," she snorted annoyed, "But yes, I am Bors' sister."

"That Nourikka!" Arthur exclaimed as if he knew of others named the same, which was practically absurd as the man had never really met a Sarmatian woman until today.

"So, you're a ghost?" Pellinore, who was the youngest of the knights assembled there on the training-ground, asked; somehow missing the absurdity of his question, only noticing something was wrong when Peredur, Gareth and Kay began to laugh.

"Do I look like the ghost of a little girl to you?" the woman replied with mock anger to the young man who must have around her age.

"Well, not really," he admitted when the laughter of his fellow knights became almost too much for him. "But maybe ghosts grow just like normal people do, too..."

This only made the three knights send another volley of laugher across the sand area, even Dagonet grinned and shook his head and Arthur smiled.

"You seem to be very much alive, Nouri," decided Arthur when the knights finally calmed down. "You might not know that Bors is stationed here," he continued, not knowing if the woman in front of him knew that all his knights had been hand picked from auxiliary unites all over the Roman empire. Bors he had encountered in Londinium where Arthur and Lancelot had seen him in a taverna fight and decided he'd make a great addition to the growing brotherhood of knights.

"He's out a mission, though," the commander added quickly, "But he'll be back in two weeks, you could stay and wait."

He was unable to read the look on the woman's face, her eyes almost said deja vu and he couldn't for the world understand why. Then it occurred to him that she didn't look like your typical messenger and definitely not your typical woman. Arthur had never met a woman who travelled alone, nor knew how to wield a sword. Maybe she had known all along and had a reason not to bother.

"I'm leaving tonight," she replied, almost annoyed.

Kay opened his mouth to say something, he was against everything that would hurt one of his 'brothers' and Bors was no exception. Though loud and obnoxious Bors had a heart of pure gold and he was in some strange way the spirit of their knightly-brotherhood.

Nouri cut him off even before he started speaking, she held up her hands and talked faster than usual, but managed not to stumble over her words.

"I'd be grateful if you don't mention to Bors I've been here. I still got a few things to take care of in Rome," she sighed when she saw the shocked faces around her. She knew they were looking out for her brother and she figured that it would mean a lot to him knowing he did have at least part of his old family left alive. "But I come back... One day."

"We won't tell," Dagonet decided for them all, but he crossed his arms over his chest in a gesture that said he did not like this one bit.

"What kind of things?" Arthur pried, in a way he felt like he knew this woman inside out and had known she wouldn't stay long. He also felt like he knew what and who she was, in a way that made him feel uneven. He'd known this woman for what, a couple of hours? And yet he felt like he'd known her his entire life and felt like she was his long lost sister.

"Just business, Art, nothing you should worry about." she chuckled, feeling the same kind of bond that he felt, but she didn't think it strange. On the contrary, she thought it was most naturally.

"It's not you I'm worried about," he countered with a rare smile, "It's your 'business' I pity."

From the tavern Vanora yelled that supper was ready and the confused knights hurried off as a group to get away from the two mentally deranged people that was now mock arguing about something or other.

- - -

As evening fell at Badon Hill and the stars begun to wake up from their long nap Nouri led her black gelding out of the stable gates. Arthur walked on the other side of Sag, absentminded stroking the large animal's neck.

The two had spoke together since supper like a brother and sister who hadn't seen each other in a very long time. To Arthur that felt strange at first, but once he learnt the name of Nouri's and Bors' father it had all fallen to place. He had even understood why he considered Bors an older brother and let the boisterous knight give him 'good advice' on this and that in his private life.

Kardok had been Uther's cousin, second in command and best friend, almost like he and Lancelot were. Nouri had been her father's favourite child, the one he wanted to be everything he hadn't been able to be. Arthur had been the same to his father, but differently as his father had wanted Arthur to be a better man than he had been. As a child Arthur hadn't understood this and he still didn't, but had soaked up every word Pelagius had said about being an honourable man like a sponge and his father would have been proud of the man he had become. If Kardok had been proud of the person Nouri had become was another story. She had like her father wished travelled around all the known world and followed her heart and own head, but she had become a sword for hire to pay for the many expenses a travelling life such as hers inevitably brought with it.

"I have a few things to do until I return," she repeated from before. They had spoke about this too and he knew that if he had be been in her shoes he too would have wished for revenge on those who had taken his family away from him. In a way he did take that revenge every time he and his knights encountered the Woads, he took an inhuman pleasure in killing as many of the blue painted warriors as he could. He had of course only hinted of this to Nouri, but she had understood.

"Come in time for our last mission," Arthur urged as the woman mounted her horse and collected the rains in her hands. "With his luck..."

"It is best I'm here to make sure he gets through it in one piece." Nouri laughed and looked down at her new found friend.

"Exactly."

"You won't tell him, will you?" even though Dagonet had reassured her none of them would even breath a word about her visit she was still worried they would, she didn't want to hurt her brother by letting him know she had been too busy to stay and say hello.

"We promised - knights' honour - don't worry." he said and put his hand above his heart, "Remember you promised as well."

"Before your last mission, I'll be here."

The two nodded in a agreement and she urged her horse into a trot before she rode out through the gates of the milecastle.


Blah, I think my chapters are too short and this one in particular gave me a headache. I'll try make up for it in the next one (expect something bautosarious shaped! Uhm... okay, on a second thought maybe not...)! That may take a bit longer than my previous updates though, because I'm going to stay at my mum's place for a few days, leaving later today (it's really nice not to have to look after yourself for a few days and the bf can take care of the cat).

• Nuri is an old Jewish name, I think and that's where I got the name Nourikka from (don't ask how my head works, not even I am sure of it sometimes).

dellis: Thank you, I'm doing my best :) I hope the historical parts are accurate as well, most of the info has been taken from the internet, but I've also found some in books and lexicons.

FlamezBlaze1: Yes, I had a feeling it would be slightly confusing and I guess the first and larger part half of this chapter was too, but I hope it's all a bit more clear now!

Babaksmiles: Thank you! The whole ethnical thing has confused me too. In the novelisation it says that his mother was a Briton and his father was a Sarmatian knight, but he's still call 'Roman' from time to time... So I went on the line of him being a Roman citizen (warriors in the auxiliary units, like the Sarmatian Cavalry, weren't) and because that would make a bit more sense to me.

Don't forget to review, this is after all my very first fanfic so all comments are more than welcome!