Disclaimer: I don't own King Arthur or any of its characters. So there is no copyright infringement intended, nor do I intend to tick anyone off – so please don't sue me, I'm poor enough already! But I do own the story itself and the characters of Devon and non-King Arthurian types…. :O)

This is my fourth King Arthur fanfic. It is based on the 2004 movie, as well as some legends I know a little about. I do not intend to rip off any other writer (I just can't wade through so many pages of stories to check, I'd lose the will to live!) so if this premise has been done before I'm sorry, I just hope mine is different enough for it not to be too boring. But if I digress from the movie and stuff a little, don't shoot me as I'm old and the brain (what little I have) is not what it used to be. Plus I might also change things to fit the story a little better –sorry. But that is what artistic license is all about! LOL

I watched the film again recently; I have lost count now of how many times now….and thought it time to do some other stories after finishing the sequel to 'Fallen Knights'. There was a vote between Dagonet, Lancelot and Arthur stories…..Dag won.

So here it is, it is going to be set before, during and after the original movie – with obvious changes! It's going to be dramatic, romantic as well as fairly funny…in places anyway (I hope!)….. It is nothing but fluff, so if you don't like romance and stuff please don't read it! If you've read any of my other stuff and liked it, hopefully you'll like this too.

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE AND SOME SEXUAL REFERENCES (though not graphic) SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.

'—' signifies thoughts.

"—" signifies speech.

Anyway…on with the show!

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Heart & Soul

Chapter One – A Meeting

Dagonet was walking towards Bors' place to see if he wanted to practice for a few hours, he had done all the chores Arthur had set and was bored.

He heard giggling and knew Seven, Eight and Nine were close by and playing. He heard a woman's voice filled with laughter, and not Van's, call out "You can't find me! Call that seeking! I know dogs who could scout better than that!" followed by much childish indignant shrieking.

Before he could react a blond haired woman cannoned into him and almost went over; he instinctively reached out to grab her before she fell.

Devon had been playing with some of Vanora's children. Whilst not comfortable around people she adored little ones, and Van's children in particular adored her.

It was strange the way the two women had met and immediately become friends…but their mutual love of children had been the cement to the brickwork of their friendship, and they became close very quickly. Devon had been playing 'hide 'n' go seek' with them, and was on the move as they nearly stumbled over her hiding place.

"Who put a bloody wall there?" she muttered a little dazedly, shaking her head to clear it after colliding with the solid chest and body of Dagonet.

She looked up…and up. Devon was not short by most standards, a little taller than Vanora in actual fact, around 5' 5"….Dagonet on the other hand was over 6', nearer 6' 2". Devon decided it wasn't worth a crick in the neck, even if he did have the kindest eyes she'd ever seen…

A small smile played around Dag's mouth as huge glittering amber eyes reached his "No wall my lady, merely a man…how fare you? I am sorry…."

All of a sudden she heard Nine call "Devon!"

Before he could finish apologising she spun round behind him, pressing herself against the wall that was to his left; she hung on to the back of his tunic. He was so large that she disappeared behind him "Shush…shush…!" she giggled at him "Do not give me away!"

"Dagonet! Dag have you seen our Devon?" Nine asked running up to their friend.

Dagonet pretended to think for a moment, feeling the grip on his tunic tighten "No…sorry…what does she look like, this Devon?"

"A bit smaller than you, blond hair, slim and strange amber eyes that could see into your soul!" laughed Nine "though she is as nice as pie…unless you upset her…for the sake of the Goddess, don't let her get her swords out if you do! She could gut a fish at twenty paces with those things, and as for her bow…" Nine rolled her eyes merrily "She could snag a fly at 200 yards!"

"You like her then?" Dag asked amused.

"Oh aye…she's right nice and dead pretty too….bit quiet though…don't like people much, but we love her right enough and Mum adores her! Anyway, best get back to looking for her…if you see her, shout us will ya…she had us looking for her for an hour yesterday and we found out she'd snuck back to Mum's!" They all ran off laughing.

Dagonet waited until they were out of earshot as well as sight "They've gone…." He peered round over his shoulder.

A pair of almost iridescent eyes stared back at him briefly; and he realised that, despite the amusement in their depths, she was not comfortable with the eye contact.

"Thank you…I best be off…." She stopped and turned, flicking her long fringe around to cover her face but her eyes still shone out at him "Can't you whistle or something? It was like running into the bloody wall itself hitting you!" with that she was gone….he checked round the corner, expecting to see her heading away but she had completely disappeared.

He shook his head 'who the hell was she, and how could she move so fast?' But he knew one that would know – Vanora. Suddenly he was hoping Bors was not at home…he wanted to know more about the wraith he had just seen.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Van was in her kitchen area cooking a stew "I told you she's not bloody here; no, I don't know how she can hide so bloody well, and no I cannot hide as well as she can either!" she said in an exasperated tone without looking around.

"Well, that's good to know…" Dag smiled.

"Oh Dag!" Van exclaimed with a grin "I thought you were the children – they've been driving me mad. 'Where is Devon?' 'How does she hide like that?' 'Can you hide like that?' If I could move as quickly as she can and hide as well as she does, I wouldn't have had 11 bastards by my Bors and another on the way!" she laughed merrily.

"Who is Devon?"

"Ah….so you've met her?" Van grinned.

"How did you know?" he was genuinely puzzled.

"You've got a look of someone keen to know more; that would only happen if you'd met her, trust me."

Dagonet merely blushed and smiled sheepishly. He would never understand women, how they could almost read your mind; he'd asked Bors, but to be honest his best friend and brother had been no help at all.

"Women are witches Dag, trust me. They get inside your head when they snare your heart, and even your thoughts are no longer your own after that!" he'd replied earnestly, leaning on his friend's arm and staring hard into his face to make his point; though allowances had to be made for the fact that he was so drunk Dag had to carry him home that night.

Van smiled and motioned for him to sit down at the large oak table that was in front of her.

"She came to the fort about 8 weeks ago. Just turned up one day….anyway Six was being got at by these roman soldiers."

"You really ought to name your brood Van…" remonstrated Dag.

"well, we named Gilly….we'll get round to the others…eventually!" she smiled "Now shut up and let me tell you…if Bors comes back, you know you'll never hear the end of it!" The large knight knew she was right. Bors was evil with his jokes if he found out that his friend and brother had a crush on anyone, or was just interested out of curiosity about a female.

"Now where was I? Oh yeah, so she saw Six being yelled at; well, he's only little and though able to fight his corner, they were being really nasty….calling him a Sarmatian bastard and stuff like that. Now I know we call all our little 'uns bastards, but we do it with love…they weren't.

Before I could move to stop them she was there….I'd seen her laughing with Seven, but then she was all teeth and claws." Dag raised an eyebrow "What I mean is all swords and lip!" she smiled at the memory "She could give Lancelot a run on the sarcasm front, and something tells me she doesn't have much love for the Romans!"

"Who does? Well, with the obvious exception…" he spoke quietly, but with that same sad smile he always had. She patted his hand before continuing.

"Anyway, they seemed to back down and went to walk away. As she turned her back and put away her swords away, bloody evil looking things too they are, one came running at her and punched her so hard in the face her head snapped back. I think it would have floored most of you, definitely Galahad….but she just shook her head and smiled, blood pouring from her lip "Call that a punch?" and then she head butted him, breaking his nose "now that's a punch!" before she kneed him the groin.

She swung round to his friend and drew her swords, so fast it took me a minute to remember she'd even put them away, "Wanna play?" she asked. All mildly like and with a smile…but there was something about her face Dag, it really made me shudder.

It was like on the outside she was all happy and calm about it, but on the inside she wanted to kill them…..really wanted to kill them. They must have felt it too, as the one still standing shook his head and just helped his mate up and took him away.

In one movement she turned and dropped down to Six, sheathing her swords as went…..so sudden like, he jumped. She moves fast….really fast."

Dag smiled remembering earlier "So I've seen…"

"She asked Six 'Can you use a dagger?' he nodded at her 'then always have one' she seemed to think for a minute and then added 'and trust no one boy….for I have yet to meet anyone trustworthy in this life'. " Van stopped and sighed.

"What?"

"She sounded so….sad; yeah sad…..and lonely. Anyway Six said 'even you?' and she laughed this laugh that sounded like a little bell and she said 'even me'. Now you know my Six…hates cuddles and loves, but he flung his arms round her neck and said 'not you…you're good'. That girl buried her head in his neck and hugged him so tight I'd though she'd crush him." A lump formed in her throat "I went over and she was immediately on her guard again, but I managed to prove I was unarmed and his mother.

After that we got chatting, not that she told me much about herself, except she's alone except for her horse, Gypsy; she calls her that apparently as they both wander like nomads!" she laughed.

Dag thought for a moment "Is her horse the cream coloured mare with the long white mane?"

"Aye that's her….beautiful isn't she? But has a temper that only Devon can cope with – though the girl is devoted to the beast; and vice versa."

"How does she pay for the stabling? I haven't seen her in the tavern…..she isn't a….? I mean she doesn't…?" he blushed.

Van looked puzzled then slapped his arm "NO! No, you dolt! She helps out around the fort…never stays in one place for too long in case too much interest is taken in her. Does a bit of healing, helps Torvald in the Smithy a lot; the arrows she makes…he says are the finest bit of workmanship he's seen in a long time. Apparently her father was a blacksmith, and – believe it or not – she's Sarmatian!" Dag looked surprised. "Aye, she is – apparently- an Iazyges. But that's all I got….she's very cagey even with me about her past."

"Do you think she's hiding something?"

"Aye – a lot of bad stuff. Six and Nine are the most devoted to her, but all my lot love her to bits."

"Where does she sleep? I've not seen her going to or from the sleeping quarters?"

Van sighed "I shouldn't be telling you all this Dag…but the stables. She says the horse is the only thing in this world to give a damn about her, so she doesn't see why she can't stay with her."

"So Jols would know her?"

"Aye…he should, she helps him enough with all your bloody stuff…..cleaning the armoury, making sure there's enough arrows…mucking out. I don't think he's ever been so grateful for someone. She likes him too…says you lot don't appreciate him like you should. Told him she's never seen a better squire than him ever, and she's been around." She smiled as she remembered the way the man preened at the praise, both knew that Devon did not do so likely.

Dagonet smiled, it was true they did take their friend for granted a lot of the time. "She sounds nice."

"She is….but she has an….edge. Put it this way…I wouldn't want my Bors on the wrong side of her."

He raised an eyebrow.

"It'll not come to that though…because.." she stopped.

"What? Because what?"

"Nothing….she wouldn't do that, that's all….she's my friend.."

Dagonet knew there was something going on that he wasn't being told….but then that was women for you; as Bors said, they always stuck together and may the Goddess help you if they decided you were the problem.

He stood "Thanks Van…I think that helps….." he smiled and turned to leave. He felt the now almost familiar thud and a gentle "oooff" as this time he wasn't quick enough to catch her and she fell over; before she could move she was covered in children and was laughing, indeed like a bell, and being tickled.

Suddenly she realised what, or who more exactly, had knocked her over and instantly was on her feet. Defensive stance attained she looked to Van to see if she should attack…

"It's fine – it's Dagonet, Bors' friend? He was just leaving…"

Dag stood rooted to the spot as he watched the girl relax. "Dagonet? Dag for short I bet!"

He nodded, then finally found his voice "Did I hurt you?"

The same laugh rang out "If you'd hurt me you'd be dead….no I am fine." She walked past him to Van. "Bors is at the tavern….." she wiggled her eyebrows and her friend laughed.

"How much ale?"

"Oh enough I'd say!" they laughed together.

"See you later Van…" he hesitated "Devon…" he inclined his head.

She dipped hers back "Dagonet…" she called and he stopped, but did not turn "Nice to meet you." she added quietly; he felt the warmth in her voice and knew she meant it, but he knew too she did not trust him…there was also a detachment there.

"You too…oh…and my friends call me Dag." And he left.

Van raised an eyebrow "Only the knights, me and the herd here usually get to call him that!"

"Then I am truly honoured.." Devon dipped her head in mock solemnity.

Van slapped her arm "He is a good man Devon…truly, the best of all of them."

"even your Bors?"

"Even….but I love my Bors with all my heart. Even all his faults, and he has many….if you ever tell him, I'll kill you!" she laughed and hugged Devon.

She felt the girl stiffen "Sorry Van, sorry….I'm not used to affection."

"You don't mind the children though?"

"No….I know it's hard to explain, but I trust children. They rarely lie or betray you."

"You think I would do that?" her friend looked hurt.

"No. no, Van….I'm just saying why I trust children more." She glanced out at the sky "I'd better go…I don't want to be here when Bors returns. What did you tell your friend…umm…Dag wasn't it?"

"Only enough to stop him asking too many questions around the fort."

"Would he?"

"He seemed much taken with you…and that's no small thing Devon. Dagonet's a hard man to get to know believe it or not. All think Tristan's the deep one, but in actual fact it's our Dag."

"Tristan?"

"The scout…"

"Oh Goddess the one I have to keep bloody avoiding!" She grinned suddenly "Do you know how difficult that is? He is sodding good at what he does and bloody silent about it too!" She sobered "Torvald tells me they're off on another mission Van; to fetch some Bishop that holds their papers…do you want me to…..you know?"

"Would you? I hate to keep asking…but they're so close to being free now…." Van nodded.

Devon walked quickly back and touched her friend's arm "It's alright Van…I gave you my word, did I not?"

"I know…I know…but still….."

"No, buts…they leave on the morrow…..and so will I…." she strode out resolutely and Van was once more grateful she and the girl had become friends.