Title: A Woman Among Men
Author: sabor ice
Summary: Where did Vanora come from? How do she and the knights meet? How did she meet Bors and fall in love with him? This is their untold tale.
Disclaimer: I don't anything, etc, except for any orginal characters and this story.
Feedback: Yes, please.
Four
Vanora rode up beside Galahad. The boy was around the same age as herself, maybe a year older. His face was smooth and scar-free and youthful, but his features were not flawless, like it seemed the dark-haired boy, Lancelot's were. Galahad gripped his horse's mane tightly with one hand as his other kept beside his sword. He was openly shaking in the warm air of the late evening.
Galahad noticed her staring at him and smiled cheekily. "Fine young man I am. You don't even appear to be nervous of what's out there."
"I try not to appear to be anything," Vanora replied. "Don't worry, though, Galahad, you're not alone."
Tristan said, "It'll be dark soon. If we don't find those rogue Romans soon, we should take cover for the night."
"We better turn around soon and head back from where we came," Gawain said. "We stray too much from the main path and we might find ourselves lost."
Tristan shook his head and rode forward.
"Illiana knows where we are," Tristan extended his arm out for the hawk to take flight. "She will show us the way."
Vanora and the others watched as the hawk gracefully soared on the wind's back. At the same moment, they heard strange noises come from the inner woods again. It was more of a loud, long groaning sound than any call of the wild.
"Inish," Dagonet declared. "Devil ghosts."
Lancelot pulled a spare sword out that had been tied to his saddle. He leaned over and handed it to Vanora, who's eyes widened at the sight of them weapon.
"Good as time as any to learn to wield a sword," Lancelot said in a rather serious tone of voice.
After he felt that Vanora had a strong hold on the weapon, he let her alone with it and kept his own two swords strapped closely to his backside. She examined the sword closely, almost mesmorized by this peculiar contraption of Man. She ran her fingers lightly over the blade, so not to injure her delicate skin. The designs on the sword were beautifully carved to perfection. Vanora did not know what the ancient wording said, but she knew it must have been something great to honor the magnificent weapon.
Dagonet showed her a few, simple moves--blocking and striking mostly. He also told her how important it was to keep the hilt of the sword in her firm grasp, so not to lose balance while wielding it. Vanora thanked him and smiled to Lancelot as well, before laying the sword across her lap. She was entralled to be like one of the boys and not be singled out. The dealings of these weapons were intriguing.
"Will you teach me how to use a bow as well?" Vanora asked of the two boys whom she had seen carrying bows earlier.
Bors chuckled, admiring her spunk, and Tristan replied, "Stick to the sword for now. Learn to use it; make it a part of you, understand?"
Vanora nodded, practicing holding the sword in her hand like Dagonet had said. She nearly dropped it when a whooshing sound seemed to encircle them. Instinctively, the boys formed a square shape around Vanora's horse, protecting her from all sides. Their weapons were drawn now, and they glistened in the aura of the setting sun.
Suddenly, the horses became spooked, raising their front hooves high into the air. Vanora slipped off the back of her mare and slid onto the ground with a thud. She rolled to one side quickly as her mare raised and lowered its hooves again and again. As Gawain got ahold of the gray mare's reigns and calmed it down, Vanora climbed to her feet and brushed herself off.
"You all right?" Dagonet asked.
"I'm fine. No, you don't have to dismount," Vanora assured, reaching down to pick up the short sword Lancelot had given her.
As she stood erect once again, Vanora gasped as she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze turned toward the deepening woods.
"What is it, Vanora?" Bors asked.
"I swear there were eyes in those trees...silver eyes there watching us," she replied.
The boys began looking around again.
"The forests have eyes, they do," Galahad spoke up.
It was in this moment the sound of approaching horses were heard. The Romans had finally caught up with them, their faces slightly dirty ans sweaty from the ride.
"What do you all think you are doing out here! You are our wards, out responsibilites until we deliver you to your post, whether anyone likes it or not," the gray-eyed Roman shouted.
Though the tension was high between the boys and the Roman guards, none of them decided to anger them further.
"We heard noises," Gawain said. "And, Vanora saw eyes in the trees staring back at her."
The first Roman looked down at the girl. "She probably did. These woods are full of Woads. I won't lie or baby you all. Woads are very dangerous creatures; they live in the trees and kill anyone who they seemed threatened by. Make no mistake, you stay in one place too long, you may end up dead. You may meet them on some distant battlefield, boys, remember that."
Noticing the setting sun, the second Roman with the brown eyes sighed and said, "We will have to sleep her tonight."
"But, didn't you just say...?" Lancelot was cut off by the brown-eyed Roman.
"That is an order! Would you rather ride all night?" he asked greedily. "Because of the time you've all wasted while we searched for you, it will cost you your break times tomarrow."
A look of disgust and hatred came from the boys as the Romans went to their own side of the field to make camp. Vanora and the boys made their fire in the middle of the plain, so not to be near the trees. However, being out in the open didn't make them feel much safer.
"I can't believe those bastards would make us ride tomarrow with no stopping!" Bors stated.
"It's their duty; they are trying to prepare us for the harsh life ahead," Arthur replied.
"Don't talk to me of duty! There is nothing dutiful about what they're doing. They know exactly what they are doing and loving every minute of it!" Lancelot waved his finger at Arthur.
"Lancelot, stop!" Vanora pleaded, drawing her legs up to her chest. "We'll just have to look out for one another, then, right?"
"Vanora's right," Gawain agreed. "We'll just have to watch each other's backs. We'll just have to make the best of it all."
Lancelot drew in a deep breath and sighed. "All right," he whispered, laying his head down.
A foul odor passed before Vanora's nose. She couldn't figure out its origin until she smelled herself. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. She hadn't bathed in three days and was beginning to smell.
"I'll have to find somewhere to wash myself tomarrow," Vanora said to herself. "I may be like one of the boys, but I don't have to smell like one."
Then, she closed her eyes as both her mind and body longed for sleep.
End, 'Four.'
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