A/N: Hey there everybody…wow, I hoped you all liked the last chapter, even though didn't get much reviews…please review people, I honestly feel depressed when I don't get a lot, and I lose readers. It's not really that hard, come on. –Makes puppy dog face and begs- Anyways, this is getting intense…Now let me tell you before you read any further, it was extremely difficult to decide what to have happen to our heroes. I hope you all like the results, cuz it was hard for me to decide…the next chapter should be up shortly.

1time2many: Oh, lol, that's ok. Thanks for the review!

Irishfire: I'm sorry I made you wait so long, but my beta…grrr…anyways, please continue to review! Hope you enjoy this chapter with more battle stuff…the climax is coming!

Chapter Twenty: Badon Hill

Adima could feel the energy in her body waning as it began to give up on her. She could hear her heart beating, and feel it pounding violently in her chest.

Tristan fell to his knees as the arrow's flight came to an end between his shoulder blades. He didn't know where it came from, but it didn't matter. He was down. Before he could stand, he looked up. Cerdic was towering above him, grinning. The blood glazed sword of Cerdic's seemed to glow as it was slowly raised higher and higher.

Tristan's head turned to his side, away from his enemy. He had a hold on his sword, but it was loose, and every breath he took had pained him. Death was inevitable, he could feel it.

A woman's screams.

Tristan heard it so clear, he thought it wasn't real. Of all the clashing and banging and yelling and moaning that echoed throughout the land, he had never heard anything as clear as that scream. He looked up to where the sound came from. "Adima."He could see a man on top of her, and he could tell that her fight had ended.

The Woad had used all her strength in that scream; it was a call. A call for help, for pain, or for anger, she did not know. It could have been a dying call for the Woad, but for Tristan, it was a savior.

Suddenly, all his strength seemed renewed. He gripped the pommel of his sword tightly, and rose to his feet. His sword clashed with Cerdic's so fiercely, that both men were thrown back a little. Tristan instantly readied his stance again, glancing quickly in Adima's direction and back again.

Adima's eyes were closed, and her body felt numb. She didn't even realize that she was free until she heard Talso's soothing voice. "Adima."

Adima opened her eyes to see the Saxon lying, dead beside her and Talso's sword wet with blood. "He would have raped you, if it weren't for me," she said with a smile. Talso held out her hand for Adima to take and slowly lifted her to her feet.

"Thank you," Adima breathed, softly, her legs quivering.

"You must get out of here," Talso instructed. "You can fight no longer."

"The…b-battle isn't…not over," Adima said, bending down to pick up her dropped sword. "I have to find Tristan." Talso's brow furrowed. "I saw him," Adima continued, frantically, and almost out of breath. I saw his face…I know….I've seen before…what's going to happen."

Talso helped Adima steady herself as her legs gave way to her damaged body. "What do you speak of?"

Adima's eyes widened. She was facing him now, Tristan and Cerdic. She could see them, below her, fighting. Without answering Talso's question, she began to run. Talso ran after her, yelling, ordering her to stop.

Adima tripped and fell over someone's arm; she could not see whose. She had dropped her sword when she fell, but did not take the time to pick it up again. With her arms shaking, she brought herself to her feet, coming almost face to face with Passebreul. She smiled slightly when she recognized the animal. Glancing over it, she could she that Tristan and the Saxon were far away. She wouldn't make it if she ran; she had no time.

"Breul," she whispered.

"Stop Adima," Talso called right behind her.

"Help me," said Adima. "Help me on this horse."

Talso didn't understand what Adima was doing, but when she looked into the Woad's eyes, she couldn't just turn away, nor deny her friend help. "Alright," she said, softly.

Adima gripped onto the horse's silvery mane with both bloodstained hands as Talso lifted her, by her feet, into the saddle. "Are you sure about this? Talso asked, wearily.

"Yes," answered Adima, staring right at Tristan. Without another word, she gave Passebreul a swift kick and the horse was off. Adima had no time to grab hold of the reins- they were dangling over the horse's neck, so she did her best to grip tightly onto Breul's thick mane.

Her entire body throbbed and ached as the horse bounced along, but after several strides, his pace quickened from a trot to a canter and the ride became much smoother.

Passebreul bounded over the fallen bodies of Woads, Romans, and Saxons alike and followed Adima's lead as she guided his head with her fingers, almost a pale white as she gripped onto his mane tighter and tighter with each step. They were getting closer.

Glancing quickly up the hill, Tristan lunged forward, but Cerdic blocked his blow with ease. He could see the knight's mind was frail, and Cerdic would use that to his advantage. Tristan could see the Saxon's large body on the side of the hill, but he could not see Adima. Why has she stopped moving? He thought.

His vision suddenly grew blurred with tears, but he blinked them away. Cerdic's sword suddenly clashed with his, knocking it right out of his hands. He almost didn't care. Tristan stood still for a moment, and then noticed the Saxon kick his weapon closer.

"Take it," he snarled.

Angrier than ever, Tristan grasped his long sword and shakily stood his ground. The two engaged again, and for a second time, Cerdic was able to split the knight from his main weapon. Tristan glanced up at the hill again, and felt all his energy leave his body at once.

Cerdic came closer than ever and brought his sword down upon the knight's chest, knocking Tristan to the ground. His bare hands clutched the muddy ground with hate. A finger without a ring particularly caught his attention and Tristan forced himself to his knees.

As Cerdic grinned once more, Tristan drew from his chest pocket, a dagger. Cerdic's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise, but even as Tristan threw the dagger, the Saxon was able to fight it off by swinging his sword at the dagger, and swatting it away.

All Tristan's strength was gone. At one time, he would have aimed, and killed Cerdic instantly with that dagger, but now it just seemed that there was nothing left to fight for.

Adima's heart raced as she watched Cerdic calmly step closer and closer to Tristan. Cerdic could hear the thunderous chorus of a horse's footsteps, but at first ignored them. He approached the knight, looking directly into his eyes; he could see defeat in them.

Tristan then felt Cerdic grab a handful of his hair, and lift his head up towards the sky. There was a sudden screech, and Tristan's spirit almost lifted at the sight of his hawk. She flew gracefully above him, round and round, in a circle, and then she departed.

Cerdic lifted his sword.

"NO!"

He looked to his left where a woman on a horse was headed for him. Tristan looked too, and could see them out of the corner of his eye. Everything was blurry, and all he could see was a rider atop a grey horse, only yards, or seconds away.

And then he felt it, the stinging in his ribs. But the blade was gone, lifted almost immediately.

Adima ran Passebreul forward, pushing him harder with her feet. When they reached Cerdic, the horse didn't stop, and the Saxon stood his ground, certain the horse would halt.

Adima lost her balance at impact, falling face down into the earth, and behind her, she could hear the horse's hooves pounding against Cerdic's body as the steed finally halted.

The life seemed sucked out of her for a moment in time, and everything around Adima stood still. Everything went black, though she had kept her eyes open during the fall. Then she closed them, feeling someone's hands gently pulling on her waist and lifting her away from the darkness.

She had fallen right beside the knight, and Tristan quickly turned her over. Gasping heavily, Adima tried to breathe back the air that was lost to her during her ride.

"You're alive," she heard Tristan say. She tried to smile, but her lips wouldn't move. She could hear the knight grunt in pain as he lifted his hand from her and clutched his wounded side.

Carefully, she lifted herself into a sitting position. "I'm too late," she breathed, her lips quivering, and vision blurring. "No."

The hawk flew higher and higher in the sky, crying aloud. Passebreul skipped away from Cerdic's body and speed away, towards the rest of the battle.

Adima could only watch with regret, as Tristan leaned backwards and rested against the soggy ground. Quietly, she lay down beside him, wrapping her arm across his chest, and resting her head beside his.

"It's alright," she heard him murmur.

She couldn't speak, she could only think of what had just happened. It seemed so surreal. This did not just happen. It didn't, it didn't. And as her head throbbed, everything around her became black.

A/N: Please Review you guys…thanks! And also, do you know if it's ok to post bloopers? I'm not sure cuz I think it says in the 'rules' that you can't…Anyhoo, I have some deleted scenes I want to show you guys, but I don't know if I can…they're really funny though!

Modesty