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Misguided Roses Chapter 22

All throughout the day scouts rang reports of more and more Saxons approaching. They made camp a few miles southwest of here, scattering the heads of local villagers on display in an attempt to numb our courage. The thought of their indifference to human life caused goose bumps to form on my arms.

As we had expected, we were largely outnumbered. But battles were won with valor and intellect, not sheer strength in numbers. Arthur reminded us this. As I strolled through the military camps, I made sure to look at every man, for they were fighting for the same cause as I, and some would inevitably never see the sun rise again. I tasted the terror that ached at a soldier's heart as one clutched his daughter's doll, as another shakily prayed to his pagan gods. Wives who had chosen to stay with their husbands were now openly showcasing their affection on the makeshift beds, some crying as others passionately kissed their lovers, knowing somehow that this was their last night together.

I found myself aching for human comfort at that moment. Just an acknowledgement that I would be remembered. I would not let my heart retort with an answer of who would most likely want to display his love for me then and there. Dark clouds formed above me; an omen of depressive thought.

A spark of joy erupted through me as I spotted Avery playing a trick on Tobias as the boy napped against a tree. The screams of horror lasted for only a moment as Tobias realized his assailant was laughing hysterically.

"Honestly, you hairless git, didn't your mother ever teach you manners!" Tobias said as he desperately tried whacking his friend with a nearby stick.

Avery dodged it and hid behind the tree. "No, I believe it was your mother who taught me a thing or two last night-"

I shook my head as Tobias ran to pommel his comrade. Avery ran up to where I was standing and stood behind me like a five year old child. "Honestly, Avery….sleeping with his mother jokes? I thought you were capable of far better retorts…"

He kept his eyes on Tobias, ignoring my comment. "Just trying to liven up your spirits, mate!" He called to his friend as he looked over my shoulder.

"Boys, enough this instant!" I harrowed, taking both by the ears as they howled their pain. "I did not put so much effort into your training to see two respectable Riders kill each other before the battle even begins!"

I let go and both rubbed their now aching ears. "Cap'n, he exposed me when I was asleep and dropped something..er…down there…!" Tobias whined, his cheeks a deep red.

"Serves you right for being that vulnerable! Now Avery…please can you keep yourself occupied without annoying the others?" He nodded, though a wide grin was still plastered on his face.

"Right…now, if you two would be so kind as to-" I stopped as a rider approached, calling my name in the courtyard as the hundreds of soldiers started to move.

"Captain Arria!" He called again before stopping his mare in front of me. "His Majesty requests the your presence in the Room of the Round immediately."

I nodded my understanding and turned to Avery and Tobias. "Please behave, and go round up the others. I will need to give a full report after I get back. Stay in the stables."

They chorused their 'yes mam's and left to go find Gabriel, Aedan and Gafran as I ventured into the fort. I met Bors on the way in and he gave me a quick pat on the back. "Fine day for killin, ain't it Cap'n?" he grunted and guffawed his glee.

I did not share his enthusiasm on the matter, but smiled nonetheless. "I thought you'd be at home with Vanora watching over the refuges."

"Paw! You'd think I'd miss the chance to splatter a few Saxon brains across the field? Haha, I thought you knew me, Arria." I simply shook my head. "Besides, Vanora was biting my head off. Neva been alone with her so much. Hafta get away from the love of your life every now and then ey?"

We opened the door and took our places beside Gawain and Lord Cormack. I tried hard not to look at the villain…the way he treated Gafran contrasted so heavily with how he felt for this country, and I didn't trust him one bit.

"The villagers have all been evacuated, and I'm sending the legions right towards the edge of the Wall. My guess is that this new Saxon leader, Elmric, will not fight until dawn. However, we must be ready for a surprise attack in the night. Currently some of the men are building tents near the Western Forest. Hopefully this little disguise will have Elmric ordering fire archers to target it instead of us. In the meantime, Arria, I need one or two of your men to sneak as close as they can into the enemy base. This is a dangerous assignment, but any sort of sabotage would do well. This isn't like last time, friends. We are outnumbered by incredible odds, and any small thing you can think of to thwart their advances is most welcome."

"Your Highness, might I be allowed to-" I started, but he, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Gawain all chorused a 'no'!.

"We need you here, Captain," Guinevere stated. It was the first time she had spoken at one of our meetings since her father had been killed. She was as pale as ever, but a fire was burning bright in her eyes, the kind of courage you rarely see. She was ready for this battle, sickness or no sickness. She was still a warrior.

I could not reply, but bit my lower lip in frustration. Beside me, I noticed Gawain shifting his knee up and down irritably. Now, mind, I have never seen Gawain nervous before a fight. I had never seen Gawain nervous period. Not a good sign in the least.

After a few more motions, our last bit of ale was brought forth. "Comrades, friends- I'm afraid I'm tired of giving this same speech to you-" Bors and I chuckled as Lancelot smiled at Gawain. "So instead of all those disgusting words of honor and chivalry you loathe to hear me speak of, perhaps tonight we shall simply drink to right here…right now. To the best warriors in the west!"

"Here Here!" Lancelot cheered, gulping down his drink.

"Nay, to the best warriors across the oceans and beyond!" Bors reckoned.

"I'll drink to that!" Gawain said cheerfully. Guinevere produced a small laugh, one that Arthur noticed with great relief. I watched as he squeezed her hand, eyeing her lovingly. I need not explain what they will be doing later, if all goes quiet-

"Highness! HIGHNESS!" A young page came dashing through the doors as we finished our toast, a look of sheer terror on his face. "Fire, your Majesty! The barracks and stables are burning!"

The charcoaled remains were swept up in the wind, burning our eyes as I watched the last of the flames put out. My mind was numb to thought. It had all happened so quickly. The barracks nearest the stables was the worst hit- but luckily the men had put out most of the rising flames before anymore of the quarters could be engulfed. Most of the horses were saved, but it seemed a few men were missing, presumed dead. One factor that scared many was that many of the bows, arrows, and spears that were kept, until now, safely stored in the barracks, were charred beyond saving. In a few hours time a months' worth of preparation had -literally-burned to the core. I could hear the Saxons laughing in my head, grinning at the thought of our foolishness.

Night was upon us, but luckily, for some odd reason, the Saxons did not attack when we were most vulnerable. They wanted to keep us weary, so that when dawn broke our strength would dwindle.

I sat against an stone outpost overlooking the hundreds of fires set up to our west. I felt as if walls were cornering me in, slowly binding me until I exploded. I put my head between my legs, unsure of what to think...what to do. Before even the fires had been put out, I had sent Gabriel and Tobias to do as Arthur bid them and wreak any sort of hell-without getting caught. They had been dousing flames by the stables, along with Aedan and Avery when I left the Room of the Round. I remember seeing the fire, my mind going into a state of shock.

"What happened?" I had screamed, picking up a bucket and running toward the well. Smoke was billowing out of the stable as horses screamed their fright. Two of the stable boys were bravely leading as many horses out as they could, covering the horses eyes with sheets.

"Look out!" Aedan called, knocking me to the ground as one of the wooden poles gave way from above. It hit right where I was standing, and I shook my head from the fall.

"You alright?" he asked, full of worry as he lay on top of me, his face scourged with gray smoke. I gave a slight cough, but nodded as he helped me up.

By now the stable was too enflamed to save, so many men moved on to the building beside it, trying to prevent it, too, from burning. "What happened?" I repeated, my voice getting hoarse from the hazy smoke thickening the air around us, enveloping us in its terror.

Aedan could not answer, his eyes simply showed the deepest hurt I had ever seen. It was then that I noticed one side of his head was bleeding. He had been hit by something, hard. "Aedan, your hurt- what-"

Avery answered for him. "Later, Captain. Focus on the task at hand." There was something soothing in his voice.

"Right….Tobias! Gabriel!" I called over to them as they were about to head to the barracks with water. I tried keeping a calm face.

"Leave this job for someone else. The fires will stop, they will not spread. Please…Arthur has need of you for a mission."

I replayed these events through my mind, unnerved that this had happened so close to battle. A hand on my shoulder stirred my thoughts, and I looked up to see Avery, outstretched with a flask of water. I took it and drank, the cool liquid rushing down my throat in gratefulness.

He gave me a forced smile and sat beside me, his huge sigh a sign that I was about to hear bad news. "Arthur says he needs to speak with you."

I grunted and remained where I was. I stared ahead of me, knowing that an immense pain was about to befall my already unstable emotions. "Something happened, Avery- your face…Aedan's look of pain. Something besides the fire." I gulped in my saliva and winced at my words. "Gafran's missing."

Avery inhaled deeply and rubbed his face, as if what he was about to say was harder than any mission we had faced, harder than any weapons practice. "After you left for your meeting, Tobias and I found Aedan and Gafran near the stables, and then we went to look for Gabriel. When we came back…The stable was already on fire…as well as the nearby barracks, and Aedan was lying unconscious outside."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion and cocked my head to the side, waiting for more. It seemed to take every ounce of strength for him to go on. "As men started calling for help, Aedan came 'round- Arria…" he stopped and looked into my eyes with sorrow. He had never uttered my name before. "He said…he said Gafran did this."

A cold feeling swept over me, and it seemed the world grew darker within. "No." I stated with authority. "We have no time for this, Avery. In a few hours the Saxons-"

"Arria" he said again, this time with more care. "Gafran sabotaged us. He staged this. Presumably he fled and went over to the Saxons."

I shook my head, unable to believe it. "No, Avery. Where's Aedan? I have to hear this for myself from him."

He grabbed my arm before I could go. "He's already told us this story once. Don't make him share it again."

I stared hard at him. "Surely you don't believe our comrade, our brother in arms…Gafran's bled with us, Avery!" I shouted, standing up and pacing about. "He wouldn't betray us."

Avery took his gentle hands and laid them on my shoulder, his face far too close…

"I don't want to believe it, Arria. But Aedan told us Gafran hit him from behind, and fled, setting one of the torches in the hay. Before Aedan was unconscious…he said Gafran dragged him out front…out of danger, so Aedan says. Gafran spoke to him. He said, 'you will not win this fight against the Saxons. They will triumph, as shall I. Leave, before its too late.' " He shook his head at that last statement, full of rage.

None of it made sense. Gafran made an oath to Arthur…he would not betray us, especially not after what he said to his uncle…Realization dawned. He had told his uncle he would show what he was made of….I remember the look he gave me, a hidden shadow surrounding his words. He was out to get revenge. He…he might have been selling secrets to the Saxons for months…

"Avery, we have to find him! We need to save him!"
Avery narrowed his eyes in anger at me. "From who? Himself? Lord Cormack? Arthur! He betrayed us, Captain. I told Arthur and the others what happened. We have all vowed vengeance of his treachery…"

My thoughts guided back to Titus… a man who had also betrayed us. But in the end he had repented. A song started to make its way into my mind…the song Lancelot had sung in the stables…the same song of sorrow Gafran sang on our first expenditure. "No! Avery, listen to me! There is still good in him, I know it! He's…yes, he's done a terrible thing and must be punished, but I must find him, Avery. I have to know there is good in him!"

He stared at me for a cold moment, but softened his gaze. "Your blaming yourself. You cannot save him, Captain. He chose this road, and will be dealt with under the extremist penalties. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this. I'm afraid this doesn't even come as a shock to me. Gafran's always…well…I never quite knew what he was capable of…" He sighed. "Arthur's wanting to speak with you."

Your wrong, I thought to myself. If Gafran has truly been deceiving us for this long, then the blame rests in me alone. Something that I must rectify. Old memories flashed before me…the night that Gafran had sung that song. He had apologized to me. Against his bitterness and rage within, he felt sorry for what he did to me the night we met. "There's still good in him." I repeated strongly, more to myself than to Avery. He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. Instead, he put his arm on my back, leading me to Arthur.

Gafran's apparent betrayal led to an even darker hour as the Saxons prepared for war. Arthur was simply checking to make sure I was alright, but he spoke little of his pain. The others were too emotional to speak of it, some wearing hard expressions on their faces. Aedan would not look at me.

Finally the time had come. Arthur came out of his chambers, dressed in his finest armor. He had forgone his Roman chest plate and replaced it with one that bore the emblem of a lion. Lancelot's plate matched Gawain and Bors- all were engrained with the Sarmatian horse, the words of truth, love and justice molded right above. I took a risk and let my eyes meet his…only for a moment. But it was enough. A newfound strength enveloped me as he nodded his head. I opened my mouth to say something, anything. Perhaps to apologize for my pride…perhaps to give some sort of comforting words. But nothing came. No words needed to be said right then and there. He understood everything I was feeling without even so much as gazing at my expression. He winked softly, his devilish grin appearing amidst so much turmoil.

Jols had set new armor for me in my quarters. Attached to it was a note. His note. I grabbed it first before even looking at the design on the chest plate. "You'll always be my lioness" was all it said. A warmth filled me as my eyes wandered over to the armor. It was made of iron, yet somehow it was lightweight. The shoulder plates were embellished with gold designs, matching those on the helmet. I let a small chuckle pass through my lips as I gazed at the chest. Two very size fitting breast lumps protruded from it, and I knew instantly it would be comfortable across my chest. "Of course HE would know the exact size of my breasts.." I muttered to myself.

On the left side of the chest plate a raging lioness growled its ferocity while standing on its hind legs. On the right, a war horse defiantly stood with its hooves aimed forward, ready to attack. In the middle was the Sarmatian code, only here it was written in Latin. Veritas, Aequitas, Amore. He had forged everything about me on this, and to my surprise I saw that my shield matched in design. I put a hand over my mouth in wonder, staring for a moment at such a wealthy gift.

A few minutes later I emerged from my chambers, dressed from head to toe in armor. My sword was sheathed on my right side, the dagger of Dagonet on my left. As I entered the courtyard, everyone was lined up as Arthur made his way through the men, shaking hands in diplomatic style, encouraging them all to be brave. Guinevere stood by, once more her body painted blue from the Woad plant, wearing only enough to cover her privates. No more was her frail features visible. Her eyes shown defiantly, ready to lead her people to battle.

Bors took one last shot of ale from his flask, wiping away the drips from his chin. "I'm feeling lucky!" he shouted.

Gawain was right beside him, ready to mount his steed. "Any more drink and you'll be slicing off your own arm by accident…" Bors laughed gingerly, apparently ridding himself of fear and anger.

A lieutenant guided the hordes of men forward. We would meet the enemy right outside the Wall, away from Camelot. The Woads did not follow, instead Guinevere lead them north They were to make their way around the Western Forest and flank the Saxons from behind. Guinevere kissed her husband, letting one tear drop down her cheek as he embraced her.

Passing me, she bent down and grasped my hand. "Do not let him fall, Arria. Do not let him fall…" she stated shakily.

I gripped her hand. "I won't, my Lady. Take care of yourself." There was no point in telling her her condition was far too advance to be galloping off to battle.

She smiled warmly at me, touching my cheek. "You've done well. You will not fail." As the Woads passed by, a knot in my stomach formed, and I bit down on my lip, knowing her fate.

Sorcha stood nearby with her Irish warriors, beeming at me her loyalty for being here. Avery sat on his mare beside her, showing nervousness over the blood about to spilt.

Lord Cormack pushed his horse towards me as I mounted. "I suppose we'll find out today if a woman can match a man in combat." Strange words to say, and the wrong ones for all the hate I felt.

"Yes, we shall. Tell me, do you take any responsibility for Gafran's actions?"

He sniffed his nose and titled his chin up in pure snobbery. "Of course not, girl. The boy has only to blame himself. Although I knew this day would come. His scum of a father-"

"It is YOU who are the scum!" I shouted, my horse tense and moving around. "Personally I hope you fall today, my Lord. It would give me great pleasure to know there is one less rat infesting this earth." I was boiling inside, replaying his fight with Gafran earlier in my mind, his cruel words taunting…

He only smiled. "Big words, little girl. I do not have to remind you that I am fighting for OUR king…I gave Arthur fifty of my men to sacrifice today. Know your place."

"That's enough!" Aedan called, riding near. "The enemy is the Saxons, not each other. Quit your bickering and ride forth!". I stared at him. It was the first time he had given authority over me. His face was a deep shade of red, fuming with emotions.

I did not talk for the rest of the ride. We arrived shortly after, taking our positions where Arthur wanted us. I was with the archers, ready to shoot when signaled. The Saxons were huge in number; the thousands of them taking up the entire field and into the Forest as they beat their drums with great effect. The horses shifted nervously as we dismounted.

Gawain went round and lit the tips of our arrows with fire, the flames rising. About a hundred yards away, the Saxons boomed their war cries. I foolishly found myself looking for Gafran among the bloodthirsty faces. Please be gone, I told him. Don't do this. Arthur raised his flag, and with a robust voice sounded, "FIRE!" The battle for Camelot was about to begin.