Authors notes: Thank you for all the reviews :-) As this is probably my last post before Christmas (Cooking and finding various sleeping places for a multitude of relatives will be taking all my time!) I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas have a happy holiday!!!! I hope everyone has lots and lots of fun!!!!!
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Cursing that would have made even the most hardened knight stop and start flooded out of the stable. It was punctuated with deafening snorts and whinnies that had made all those in the vicinity flee fearing that some sort of demon had been unleashed. They were partially correct.
Lancelot stared at the sprawled Jols with unhidden amusement. The man was cursing up a storm using many concoctions of words that Lancelot would have to remember for future use. Although he doubted in the current situation cursing a horse's parentage and its future prospects as a father was having any effect. The animal in question was stood perfectly still, head held high and much to Lancelot's amusement was regarding Jols with an expression of disgust, well as much as a horse could express that emotion.
Carefully Jols rose gingerly to his feet and then proceeded to back away from the horse. As soon as he was out of immediate danger he turned to face Lancelot, who was leaning casually against a wooden post, arms crossed and smirking.
"This is all your fault." He spat emphasising each word with a jab of his finger.
"It was you who suggested we should look at the horse." Lancelot pointed out.
"Yes it was but you have been no help whatsoever."
"And what would you have me do? That horse is most certainly crazy, much more so than the last horse you supposedly had for me and that horse took a chunk out of my arm. Forgive me for learning my lesson." The knight said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I thought Sarmatians were meant to be great with horses." Jols said exasperatedly.
"Horses…yes. Demons masquerading as horses…no!" Lancelot watched as Jols turned an interesting shade of purple. With a cry of frustration the squire threw up his hands.
"Well its your bloody problem, so deal with the damned horse." The man stormed out. Lancelot shook his head and laughed. Pushing himself away from the post he stretched. He turned to regard the horse which was currently loose in the stable block.
Having initially resisted attempts to get the horse out of its stall it had burst into life knocking over Jols in the process. The demon had proceeded to run around the block intent on finding an escape but having anticipated this action all the doors had been secured. After figuring this out the horse planted itself firmly in the middle of the collection of stalls refusing any attempts to get it to budge. The other horses were regarding the grey with calm demeanours, even Scimitar's head had appeared over the division to his stall and had regarded the horse with contempt, before disappearing to feast on the treats Lancelot had deposited on his arrival. Hobbling to the door that led into the enclosed exercise yard Lancelot opened it and stood well back. After a brief moment the horse shot past him. Lancelot slowly followed smiling all the way.
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Jols stood with the doctor in the doorway of the small hospital watching Lancelot sat in the centre of the enclosed exercise yard. The grey horse was stood a few paces away watching the man with interest. The two had been there for hours, Lancelot sat in the same place while the horse galloped, reared and bucked. Eventually the horse had calmed down.
"What exactly am I looking at?" the doctor asked with his ever present frown.
"A master in the art of horsemanship." Jols replied.
"You could have fooled me. Is sitting all part of the master plan?" the doctor questioned sceptically.
"The horse only acts out to seek attention, Lancelot has not done this and now it is curious as to why he has not even looked at him. Before, everyone has acted, for the most part, in anger towards it. Keep watching."
The two continued to watch in silence as the horse took a couple of tentative steps towards the man. It halted, nostrils flaring, ears flickering, trembling slightly and ready to spring away if needed. Lancelot continued peeling one of the apples he had brought with him. Another peeled one rested a few paces from him and cautiously the horse sniffed it before nudging it tentatively. As it rolled over the horse jumped backwards slightly. With a snort it approached again and then bit the apple slightly before devouring the fruit whole. Still Lancelot had not looked at the stallion. Once the apple was finished the horse stepped closer its ears moving constantly. As it drew next to the knight's side it lowered its head and nudged Lancelot's thigh. As its confidence grew it nudged harder and quickly discovered the apple Lancelot had been peeling. As the stallion ate it Lancelot moved slowly and ran his hands over the horses face. It made no attempt to withdraw and Lancelot moved to smooth his hands across its neck.
"See." Jols said with a grin. "He has a way with horses."
"Kind of like his way with woman." The doctor stated, a small smile appearing on his face.
"We need to move him; the cold will be doing more harm than good especially to his leg."
"Good luck with that." Jols commented.
"Don't think you are getting out of it. Someone needs to see to that horse."
With a scowl Jols followed the doctor. As they entered the exercise yard Lancelot looked up, the grey horse remained next to the knight although it watched them suspiciously.
"Are you trying to catch your death? As I have already suggested I could poison you which would be a much easier way to die and quicker."
Jols's mouth dropped open in shock at the casual reference to killing the knight.
"Then you would be denied the pleasure of my company as I lay dying."
"Exactly. I'd rather you did not clutter my hospital needlessly."
Lancelot laughed and pulled himself to his feet. The stallion backed up a few paces. Lancelot stretched and winced as his bones clicked.
"I told you to rest." The doctor commanded with his ever present scowl returning full force.
"Yes you did and I have spent most of the day sitting quietly."
The doctor was prevented from replying by a legionary officer bursting into the area. Lancelot rolled his eyes.
"Don't tell me you found a rat in the latrines and you've scheduled a meeting to discuss what to do?" the knight murmured sarcastically. The officer allowed a small smile to grace his features; he was quite used to Lancelot's thinly veiled insults. Some of them were indeed amusing.
"That's tomorrow." Plautius deadpanned. Lancelot's smile broadened. Plautius was one of the few Romans he could stand and often conversed with him as well as playing a few games of dice in the tavern.
"What is it?" the knight questioned turning serious.
"We have discovered two dead scouts and four others are missing."
"What?"
"At the change of watch the scouts we sent out failed to find any of those they were meant to replace at their allotted positions. In their search they found two of them with their throats cut. The other four are still missing."
"Woads?"
"Most definitely." Plautius replied.
"Shit."
"Indeed."
"What does that mean?" Jols asked nervously.
"They are planning something. Why else would you take out all the scouts?" Lancelot theorised. Plautius nodded.
"Probably not a small raid either." Suddenly a realisation popped into Lancelot's head and it was not a good one.
"What is our strength?" he asked. Plautius frowned at the question but then his face showed clearly that the very problem Lancelot had thought of had dawned on him too.
"Fifty plus seven currently on the wounded list and of course one knight."
"Not nearly enough to fully defend the fort." Plautius shook his head.
"What does Julio suggest happened?" Lancelot asked referring to the current base commander and the Roman who hated the Sarmatian knights more than anyone he had ever met.
"That they killed each other and the four opted to change sides."
"You are kidding?" Lancelot said in disbelief.
"I wish I was. I tried to tell him that the woads consider those who aid us traitors and that death would be the only outcome if they tried to defect. He just said that none of the natives should be trusted and that they were probably all collaborators."
"He never ceases to amaze me with his stupidity. What do you think?"
"That we are imminent danger. They must have been monitoring us and seen Arthur and Pontius leave."
"I agree but my opinion matters not. Any Roman here outranks me."
The quartet lapsed into silence. The full ramifications of this turn of events weighed heavily on Lancelot's mind and what bothered him more was his complete inability to do anything. As he had just told Plautius he had no authority over anyone. If Arthur was here, he was in command and Lancelot acted through him. Now with Arthur gone he could not command only obey, and that in its self was not a common occurrence.
"We are in trouble then." Plautius stated almost resigned to his fate.
"Not if I can help it. I did not live so long to go and be slaughtered in my own fort due to some stupid Roman. No offence."
Plautius snorted. "Yes right of course not."
"What are you going to do?" Jols asked and Lancelot shrugged.
"Something that Arthur undoubtedly would not approve of." Plautius replied with a grin.
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