The caravan was just stopping when Iraina woke next. She was disoriented, and when she felt an arm around her waist, she reacted instinctively. Lashing out with her right arm, she jammed her elbow into whomever was behind her. A loud curse word finally brought Iraina fully awake, and the memories of riding with the knight, Lancelot, came crashing down on her. She swiveled in her seat to turn around to look at the knight. He had let go of the reins to bring his hand up to his face. His nose was bleeding slightly, and it looked as though she had slightly bruised his cheek. But, she noticed that she had kept his arm around her waist, keeping her from falling off of the horse.
Immediately, Iraina put a hand to her face, and slowly tuned forward in the saddle.
"Dammit." she cursed quietly.
Grabbing the horse's reins, she pulled the horse to a stop, then as quickly as she could, dismounted. She lowered her eyes to the ground, slightly ashamed of what she had done. The sounds of Lancelot dismounting reached her ears, and Iraina looked up in shame.
"I'm sorry." she apologized softly.
Lancelot smiled slightly around his bloody nose. "Don't worry about it." His voice sounded strange as he pinched his nose, trying to stop the bleeding. Iraina nodded, smiled apologetically, then turned and walked away into the wagon.
When she entered the wagon, she realized that Katherine and Loren both had left the wagon, along with the boy Lucan. Coming quietly into the wagon, Iraina saw Guinevere resting comfortably against the side of the wagon. She looked really happy.
"What has you looking like the world suddenly fell down at your feet?" Iraina asked pointedly. Guinevere just smiled.
"Marius's wife has offered to help us bathe. We can finally be clean!" Iraina laughed at her enthusiasm, but could only agree with her. She felt grungy, and didn't like the itchiness that dried blood and dirt brought to her scalp and skin.
"That is wonderful! When and where! I call it first!" Guinevere just laughed at her. With her hand, she pointed over to the next wagon, and Iraina was off in a flash.
Climbing up into the other wagon, Iraina was met with the woman who had probably saved her life by bringing her food and water during her time in Marius' dungeons. Looking around the wagon, Iraina noticed it was just one of the traveling wagons, with space cleared so that there would be space to put a basin of water. Narrowly, she eyed the flimsy curtain that was supposed to give them some privacy. But now that she looked at it, she became more and more unsure of it's usefulness. The thing was practically see through!
The woman smiled slightly, and motioned for Iraina to get out of the rags she wore as clothing, and move into the basin full of hot water. Iraina moved slowly into the water, and sighed as the warm liquid touched her skin, soothing the aching muscles in her back and legs.
Iraina sighed in contentment as Fulicina drew a water filled sponge over her back, wiping away some of the evidence of her time spent in a dungeon. Suddenly, she felt eyes on her. Slowly, she moved her hair away from her back, turned her head, and looked to the side. Out of the thin see-through material, and saw Lancelot staring at her. He looked up and caught her gaze. Immediately he dropped his gaze to the ground, slightly embarrassed to have been caught. But then, his eyes flickered upward again, as if he couldn't help himself. Then, after meeting her eyes for a second time, turned away, and walked down the hill, out of sight.
Iraina looked back down at the wagon floor, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. Shivers were running up and down her spine, making her flinch every time Fulicina brought the sponge to her back.
"Am I hurting you?" Fulicina's concerned voice brought the woad woman out of her shock. Quickly she shook her head, easily reassuring the roman woman of her concerns
"No, my back is nearly healed. Please, continue." Fulicina nodded and went back to bathing Iraina. Finally, she finished her work, and handed Iraina a towel to dry herself off with. Next, she handed her a beautiful, but simple dark green dress, that obviously had been one of Fulicina's. Quickly Iraina pulled it over her head, and allowed Marius' wife to lace up the back of it. Then she hurried outside, and made her way over to where Guinevere was waiting. Glancing at the woad princess, Iraina smiled.
"Your turn." she said, and then slipped out into the night. Moving in the direction she had seen Lancelot go, Iraina passed a fire with two of the knights sitting around it. Seeing their forlorn looks, she paused, watching them from a distance. One of the knights looked up and noticed her standing there. He gestured for her to join them. Iraina glanced once more in the direction of Lancelot, then moved over to the fire, taking a seat on a log close to the welcoming warmth of the flames.
The blonde haired knight next to her held out his hand to her. Iraina looked at it confused, not knowing what he wanted her to do.
"Gawain."he said, "My name is Gawain." Understanding came to Iraina. She quickly took his hand and shook it.
"Iraina." Gawain let go of her hand, and the dark haired knight next to him stuck his own out.
"And mine is Galahad." the man paused for a moment. "Do you hate Rome?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers. Iraina nodded furiously. "Then you're a friend of mine." Gawain laughed and slapped him on the back. The woad woman smiled as she took her hand back, and looked down at her lap.
A silence fell between the three, until all of a sudden Galahad angrily threw the stick he had been absently prodding the fire with into the flames. Iraina jumped slightly in surprise. She was startled by the coldness in the young knights next words.
"Nothing. It has all been for nothing." Galahad stated and then pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Gawain sighed heavily and placed a hand on his shoulder, offering him some comfort. Iraina's brow furrowed in confusion.
"What has been for nothing?" she asked curiously. The knight's head snapped up.
"Everything! Rome is pulling out of Briton, and just leaving it to the Saxons. I just spent the last ten years of my life fighting for a land that is not mine, fighting people I have no wish to kill! And every year, knights fell, and died! And now, just as our term is finished, they come and tell us that the Saxons are coming, and that we have just spent these years fighting for no reason! I have lost friends to this land, and now..." he trailed off, his eyes glistening dangerously on the edge of tears.
"and now the Saxons are coming to destroy everything that you have fought to protect." Iraina finished for him. He glanced at her sharply, then laughed. A short humorless bark that was as cold as the night around them.
"I forgot that you are a woad. We're not too different, you and I. You are fighting to get your country back, away from Rome, for freedom. And I am fighting for Rome, to go back to my country, for my own freedom." He fell silent and went back to staring into the flames.
Iraina watched him for a moment. Sympathy ran through her, and she realized that she had no real quarell with him, nor any of the other knights. They were just like her. Taking orders from someone in order to have their freedom. Standing, she nodded to the two knights, then took her leave. She had much to think about.
Merlin was waiting, and now Iraina could see what was going though her leader's mind. It all hanged on Arthur...
Ewww... I really didn't like this chapter, but it had to be written...oh well, tell me what you think.
Anyway, after the last chapter I put up, I was astounded by the amount of reviews that I had received! :wipes tear away: Thanks you guys!
Now, reviewer responses...
katemarry77: I put Gawain in it. But, unfortunately, not a lot of him. I'll put him in more in later chapters, and possibly write another fic, about Gawain, but I'm not sure yet. Glad that you liked the chapter!
Devonshirelass: You might have to wait a while yet. School starts tomorrow...blerg...so I won't have a lot of time to write. But oh well, I'll try my best. I totally agree with you on the thing about men with long hair. To bad the style now is the shaggy look. I don't like it much, it needs to be longer. Lol I'm glad that you like Iraina. It was kinda hard not to make her too weak, nor too mary sueish... Thanks for the review, hope you liked this chapter too!
Myri78: Glad that you like it! Hope you liked this chapter too! Thanks for the review!
SparrowSavvy: lol. You actually squealed? hm... didn't think that I was that good of a writer... anyway, Thanks for the long review, they're always the fun ones to read. Hope you liked this chapter better than I did! In the directors cut, I think I like the part where Lancelot is sitting by the tree, and Guinevere comes up and asks him about his home, and he says, "We sacrifice goats, drink their blood, dance naked around fires." I loved that line. But then, I think it gets better when he goes on and says later, "I've killed too many sons, what right to I have to my own." and then Guinevere says "No family, no religion, do you believe in anything?" "I would have left you and the boy there to die." To me, that was great, it should a whole new side to Lancelot, that we don't see. It was great.
Raz42492: Okay, I updated! Hope you liked this chapter, sorry, but not a lot of Lancelot in this one, but he's coming up again soon!
Awreel: sorry, but another short one! Hoped you liked it! And thanks for the review!
AngelYue: yay for Lancelot! Thanks for the review!
A.K. Anonymous: Yay for extra minutes of knights, I just didn't like how they took out the humor and added more blood. :watches as a splurt of blood flies across the screen: eh, but I now have both versions! Yay! Thanks for the review!
Arien: That's cool. That means I'm doing my job right! And as for Lancelot, you'll just have to wait and see!
Jemiul: Glad that you liked it! I too think that they will become close! Lol. Sorry, not much action in this chapter, but it's coming up soon! The showdown on the ice.
Calliope Foster: Yay! Glad you liked it!
CoCo: here's your update!
TwistofShadows: Wow! That's a great compliment! And just to let you know, there is no such thing as seeing King Arthur too many times. I saw five times in the theater with my friend, and we're proud of it! Mmm... sexy knights... lol. Thanks for the review!
Keag: Thanks Keag!
ChildLikeEmpress: Thanks for the review! I don't know what's going to happen with Lancelot! Or at least, I'm not saying...better keep tissues with you at all times!
Urhallucinating: thanks for the review! Hope you liked this chapter!
Lunawolf: Thanks for the review! Here's another chapter! I hope you liked it! Another one should be up soon!
I have a quick question, what do you think about me putting a song in later in the story? It will be a song from this decade ( I think, i'm not sure) or, do you think I should write one? The song I'm thinking about is, I think, perfect for a certin part of the story, but I wanted to ask you all before I decide.
So yeah, tell me!
Now click the little blue button! Review Please!