Keeping her eyes closed, Iraina pretended to she was still asleep. She heard movement over where Guinevere had been before she had fallen asleep. Slowly, Iraina opened one eye, trying to see who had entered the wagon. All she could see was a red cape. Immediately she stiffened. It had been Romans who had tortured herself and Guinevere. She would not let it happen again. Iraina kept one eye on the roman. If he tried anything, she would cause any harm she could to the man, even if it meant her life in exchange for Guinevere's freedom.
She heard Guinevere move away in wariness, obviously not trusting the roman in the wagon. Then, the soft sounds of unwinding cloth reached her ears. A deep commanding voice, that also seemed gentle spoke in the quietness of the wagon. "Some of your fingers are out of place. I have to push them back. If I don't, you may never use them again."
Iraina winced at the thought. Her own fingers would have to be reset sooner or later. Next, she heard the sounds of bones cracking back into place. She grit her teeth when she heard Guinevere cry out in pain. After a few moments, she heard Guinevere speak.
"They tortured us... With machines. They made us tell them things... things we didn't know in the first place." Guinevere paused. "I'm Guinevere." When those words came out of her friends mouth, Iraina mentally cursed the other woad woman. She knew that Guinevere knew better than to give her right name to an enemy. She didn't have time to dwell on it for Guinevere had continued speaking. "You are Arthur, from the great wall." Iraina started slightly. Arthur had fixed her friends fingers? Her musings were interrupted when Arthur spoke.
"I am." then she heard Guinevere again.
"The famous Briton who kills her own people." it became silent after that, and Iraina quickly closed her eye, continuing to pretend to be asleep. Soon, the man, Arthur, got up to leave. As soon as he left, Iraina's eyes shot open. Immediately, she sat up, ignoring the ache in her side. Moving over, to Guinevere, she saw that she was again asleep, covered in firs and blankets to keep out the chill. Making sure that her fingers were indeed in the correct positioning. After she was positive that there wasn't going to be any permanent damage, Iraina glanced around the wagon. Her goal was to find some kind of weapon that would help her escape the romans. Eyes gleaming, she spotted a small dagger near the side of the moving wagon. Reaching over a small boy, Iraina grabbed the small weapon. Suddenly the flap of the wagon opened. Iraina gasped and quickly pulled away, hiding the knife behind her. A curly haired knight with shining armor and two swords strapped to his back entered the carriage. He looked surprised when he found Iraina glaring at him maliciously. Slowly he moved into the wagon.
"So you are awake." he said, trying to start a conversation. Iraina almost started slightly at the familiar sound to the man's voice. She was sure that she had heard it before, but she couldn't place where. But it was no matter, he was under the Roman empire, he could not be anyone worth her attention. She stopped thinking about the man when he started speaking again.
"I am surprised actually. After the injuries you sustained, we weren't sure that you were going to make it." He smiled at her. His smile faltering when her gaze hardened. Deciding that it was just because she didn't trust him, Lancelot ignored her actions and continued with his original message. "The caravan has stopped for the night. If you wish to bathe, I will send in someone to help you and your friend."
He paused, seeing her face turn from apprehension, to anger and disgust. "What is wrong?" he asked, not understanding her display of emotion.
Iraina made a noise somewhere between a growl and a snort. "I know what you and your commander are going to do. You are Romans. First, you will use us for your own personal pleasure, then you will have us thrown into some dark dungeon and torture us until the pain becomes too unbearable. After that, you will lock us in cages and laugh as our bodies rot away into nothing. I think that that is sufficient reason for me not to act kindly towards you." she said coldly.
The man in front of her looked appalled at the words she had just spoken. "That will not happen to you." he stated firmly. The woad warrior smirked.
"I know." she said. She whipped out the knife from behind her back, ignoring the lancing pain that the motion caused to her unset fingers. Swiftly, she grabbed the unsuspecting man in front of her and pulled him towards herself. Placing the dagger at his throat, Iraina grinned coldly.
"I know that now of my fears will happen because you will go out and tell Arthur that either he will let Guinevere and I go, otherwise he will lose the life of one of his knights."
With those words, Iraina gently but firmly nudged the man towards the exit of the wagon.
Moving slowly, so as not to aggravate her wounds further, Iraina made her way out of the wagon. As the cold air hit her skin, she shivered involuntarily. Even though, she almost smiled at the feeling of wind against her face. Shaking her head slightly, she forced the pleasant thoughts away, and focused again at the task at hand. Leaning forward, she whispered in the knight's ear.
"Get their attention. Especially Arthur's, for he is the one I wish to speak to." The curly haired knight nodded slightly, ever aware at the sharp knife at his neck, ready to slit his throat at any time.
"May I have everyone's attention please!" he called out loudly to the people around the caravan. Again, she was struck with the sensation that she had heard the voice before. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that he was the cause of something good that had happened to her, but Iraina was sure that she had never seen him before. Though, maybe she had seen him in one of the battles she had fought in with her fellow woads in their war against the Roman empire.
Iraina watched as the villagers gathered in front of the wagon, openly staring at her and the man she was holding hostage. She heard someone call for Arthur. In her mind, Iraina wished that he would hurry up, for she knew that in her weakened state, she wouldn't be able to stand under her own power while appearing outwardly strong, for much longer. Her eyes were drawn to a person pushing his way to the front of the crowd. Iraina smiled icily when she saw the tell-tale red cape of the Roman commander. Standing up straighter, Iraina watched as the man took in the scene in front of him. She was slightly disappointed, while at the same time impressed at the man's ability to not show any emotion on his face. But she knew that he was worried, by the way that his body tensed and his clenched hands. Addressing him, she spoke in the strongest voice that her water deprived throat allowed her to.
"Arthur, I am here to make a deal with you." she said clearly, but not too loudly, for fear of him hearing the shakiness in her voice. "Will you hear me out?" she held her breath as she waited for a reply from the man. She really didn't want to kill the knight in front of her, but if it meant the freedom for both Guinevere and herself, she would not hesitate to do so in the flick of a wrist. She let out her breath when he spoke.
"I will. Now tell me why you have a dagger to the throat of one of my men." Arthur's deep voice cut across the silent crowd, the coolness in it making Iraina start to think twice about threatening one of his men. She quickly hid her discomfort and continued, trying to sound completely sure of herself.
"I have come to trade the life of your knight to the freedom of my companion and I. I will not allow Guinevere to be tortured again by some foul roman who believes that torturing defenseless women and children is a right by god. I will no suffer to watch as one I love as family wither away into nothing. Decide quickly Arthur Castes of the Great wall, for I will not hesitate to cut the throat of your knight if your answer takes too long."
Iraina swallowed, the amount of talking she was doing was taking a toll on her throat. It was becoming more and more painful for her to speak, and even as the seconds ticked by, she could feel her strength quickly ebbing away.
Arthur spoke again, his words calculated and wise. "What good will it do you? If I agree, you will not get far in your condition. I have seen yours and Guinevere's wounds. You won't last an hour by yourself in the woods during the ice cold of this land's winter. It is because of my men that you are still alive right now. You should actually be thanking us rather than trying to kill us. And besides, what do you think will happen if I refuse? Yes, you will kill my knight, but in doing so, you will so anger me that I will have no thoughts about killing you where you stand. And I have no doubt that the rest of my knights will agree with me." He paused, hoping that his next words would make her drop the dagger at his best friend's throat.
"And if you do kill him, I will take the life of you, and your friend Guinevere as revenge." he didn't mean a word he said about killing the other woad, Guinevere, but he had seen the look of loyalty in the woman's eyes when ever she mentioned Guinevere, and he decided to play on it, hoping to make her surrender. To his relief, he saw the woman's hand waver as he mentioned killing Guinevere. It was all that Lancelot needed.
Iraina shook with fatigue and indecision, she couldn't let them kill Guinevere. She couldn't it- she was jarred from her thoughts as the man she was holding captive grabbed her hand and flipped her over himself, knocking her to the ground. Immediately he was on top of her, wrestling the knife out of her hands. With his knees, he pinned her shoulders to the ground. Fear coursed through Iraina. She shook from the painful memories that came unbidden to her mind. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for the worst.
Lancelot looked down at the woman who had just threatened his life. To his surprise, she was shaking. And he was sure from the look on her face that she was terrified. Noticing the position that he was in, him on top of her, holding her down, he realized with a start why she was so frightened. Immediately he moved off of the woman, allowing her, her space.
Iraina was surprised when the weight lifted off of her shoulders. Opening her eye a crack, she saw the man she had threatened standing above her with a look of concealed horror on his face. Immediately, the fatigue and pain came back to her as her detractions were gone. Biting her lip, she kept herself from crying out as pain shot up her side and through her hands and throat. Her last conscious thoughts were of wondering if she would ever be free again.
Lancelot watched as the woman on the ground struggled with the pain that assaulted her body. He knew that he should be angry at the woman for trying to kill him, but somehow he felt as though he shared her pain of being held captive. He knew what it was like to be under the control of someone else, not being able to think on your own. unconsciously he rubbed his neck where the dagger had been a few moments ago. It was then that he realized how deathly quiet it was in the grove where they had stopped. Looking up, he locked eyes with Arthur. Nodding at his friend and commander, Lancelot assured him that he would be alright. With a curt nod, the roman man turned and started ushering people away from the wagon that was carrying the injured. When the crowd had finally dispersed, Lancelot looked back down at the woman at his feet. She had fallen unconscious due in no small part to the pain she was in. Without really knowing why, Lancelot gently picked up the woman from the ground, starting slightly when he felt how cold her skin was. It was as if he was picking up a piece of ice, rather than a living human being.
Walking back to the wagon, Lancelot carried the woman in his arms as though she were a precious cargo that he had to keep safe. He placed her back into the wagon and pulled up the side of the rags that she wore as a shirt. He winced at the red stain that was seeping through the bandages on her side. The stab wound had reopened again. He needed Dagonet to help him with her.
As if he had heard Lancelot's thoughts, the giant man came thorough the deerskin flap with a needle, thread, and fresh bandages in hand. Dagonet made his way carefully into the wagon. Glancing at the girl, he shook his head. It was a shame that the girl thought that all Romans were worthless scoundrels. Quickly, he set to work, re bandaging her wounds and putting ointment on her bruises. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Lancelot staring intently at the woman. He knew that the younger knight normally would be furious with the woman. But for some reason, he seemed sympathetic of the young woman. It was actually quite puzzling to the older knight. He knew Lancelot had a quick temper, and rarely ever suffered to be threatened. Maybe there was something under the surface that he couldn't see. Dagonet shrugged it off, deciding to be content with watching things unfold from afar. Taking the leftover supplies with him, the knight left the wagon, after taking the little boy Lucan with him, leaving Lancelot alone with the wounded.
Lancelot watched the unconscious woman for quite some time. While he was alone, he was given some time to think. He did not believe that the woman had actually wanted to hurt him. He could tell just by seeing the brief guilt in her eyes right before she had grabbed him. In some ways he connected to the woman. He knew what it was like to forced into doing something by the Romans. It was not a pleasant feeling to be unable to control your own actions. Lancelot felt someone else's eyes on him and he immediately looked around. His eyes landed on another woman leaned up against the back of the wagon. She was watching him with a skeptical look. But there was also a silent warning in her gaze. Lancelot knew that she would harm him if he as much as touched the unconscious woman next to him.
Giving one more glance to the woman on the floor of the wagon, Lancelot hopped out of the caravan, leaving the two women alone.
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Well, that was a little longer than the last time! I hope you all liked it!
Also, I would have a favor to ask of you, my loyal readers. I just recently got a hermit crab, and I don't know what to name him! So…I think THAT I will give that honor to you. So, any names that you want him to possibly be called, go ahead and put them in the review and the winner will get to spend the day with the knight of your choice!!!!
tO ALL YOU gALAHAD lOVERS!!! Did you know that Hugh Dancy is in the movie Ella Enchanted? Still looks just as good. But he doesn't have a beard in this movie. But, there is a scene where he doesn't have his shirt on, so…. Some of you may want to go and rent it.
Anyway, now on to the REVIEWER RESPONSES!!
Tara6- thanks for the great review! Dag will be in the next chapter too!
Fallenangel26- Thanks for the AWESOME review! Thanks for feeling my pain! lol
SunsetSparrow- I'm glad that you liked it! I hope you liked this chapter too!
Veronica- glad that you liked it! There will be some romancy, mushy crap coming up in the next few chapters! So just keep reading!
Well, that was another chapter! Now, just move the mouse and click on the little button that is calling your name! Can't you hear it?
readers hear whispers of their names
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