Chapter 7: The Villager
There was a knock on the door. Elizabeth groaned and rolled over. She grudgingly got up and answered it. It was Guinevere. She looked just as sleepy as herself.
"Another villager has disappeared," Guinevere said with a yawn.
Elizabeth wasn't sleepy anymore.
"When?!?!?"
"Sometime during the night. They think it was the Rebel Woads again, trying to draw Arthur into the forest," Guinevere explained. "The knights told him not to go."
"He should though! It's one of his citizens," Elizabeth protested.
"That's why I told you. Get Lancelot to go with you. I know you two can get him back," Guinevere said.
"Does Lancelot know?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes. He was one of the first knights to say Arthur shouldn't go. I figured if you asked him, he would go," she said with a meaningful glance.
Was her love for Lancelot that obvious? Elizabeth wondered.
"Alright. We can't just leave that person out there," she said.
Guinevere smiled and headed back down to Arthur. Elizabeth hurried back into her room and threw her Woad outfit on. She ran to Lancelot's door and knocked. He opened up and his mouth cracked into a big grin when he saw her. He was already dressed and he seemed to be looking at maps.
"I heard about the villager," she said.
"Aye," he said with a suspicious look.
"I'm going to find him. Will you please come with me?" she asked.
Lancelot gave her a look that clearly said he thought this was a stupid idea.
"No, I refuse to go. We're going to risk our lives for a SINGLE person? I would rather not. We cannot take the Woads on ourselves. Just two people," he said.
"Lancelot, do people mean so little to you?" Elizabeth asked getting angrier. "Lancelot, you're a knight! This person needs your help!"
Lancelot ignored her. Elizabeth stared at him with watering eyes. What the hell was the problem?
"Whatever god you worship, I hope he has pity on you," Elizabeth spat. "Did you only rescue me because you wanted pleasurable company?"
"I don't believe in any god. And that is not true," he retorted.
Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief.
"So you only believe in what you can see and what you can kill? Is that it?" she asked.
Lancelot did not answer and Elizabeth watched him sadly. She slowly sank to the floor and dropped the thick map in her hand. Lancelot walked over and picked it up for her. He sat down next to her. She looked away.
"Lancelot, you have to care if you rescued me. Please," she pleaded.
"Elizabeth, why is this so important to you?" he asked.
"Because I know what it's like to have no hope. To be lost and think no one is going to come. To think you are going to be stuck in that hell for the rest of your days because no one seems to care. Then you came and fought for me and saved me. I've been saved. No one deserves to not be saved. I lived and now, I need to help other people as well. I love people, Lancelot. They're there for you when you're upset and they're there to make you laugh. And some," she said looking him in the eyes,"are there for you to love."
Lancelot sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"You saved me. I know you care! I know you want to help people. So why won't you?" she questioned.
"I've had a really close call with death. I'm not afraid of it. It's something that just happens. But I'm sick of people I love dying from battle. I've lost friends who were like brothers. I battle because Arthur is my friend and Commander. And I rescued you because I heard about what they were doing to you. I didn't think you deserved what was happening. I couldn't see an innocent girl going into a fate almost worth than death. And, this villager, if it means that much to rescue him, then I'll go," he said.
Elizabeth looked up.
"Lancelot, I understand what you're saying about battle. The other day I was thinking. I told myself when I first came, I would not fall in love with a knight. If he died, then I'd be devastated. Or what if I died. I couldn't do that to him. But here I am. In love with a knight. And you know what? I'm fine with it. Because the time we have together, will be some of the best times I'll ever have and will always have," she said, taking his hand in hers.
Lancelot pulled her closer to him and they kissed for a while. Elizabeth gently pushed him away for a moment.
"If the maids ever came in-"
"They won't," Lancelot said.
Elizabeth rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. Lancelot stood up and fastened the buckles on his arm guards and took his two blades.
"Ready?" he asked with another of his charming grins.
Elizabeth smiled and Lancelot took her hand and pulled her up off the ground. They smiled at each other and headed out the door. The crept quietly by Arthur's study so he wouldn't catch them. They hurried and tacked up their horses. Within minutes, they were on and galloping backwards, away from the wall. The Woads had gotten in someway other than the gate. Elizabeth was beginning to believe there were Woads living in the woods behind the wall. She and Lancelot made good progress and soon they were in the thick of the wood on a dirt path. Elizabeth jumped off and touched the dirt. She looked at a footprint. It was that of a Woad. She was right. The rebels had been living behind the wall. She was moving to get back on her horse and a Woad jumped out of the bushes and held a dagger to her throat. Lancelot immediately held an arrow to his bow.
"Shoot and the girl is finished," the Woad cackled.
Lancelot dropped the bow slightly.
Suddenly, the Woad let out a cry of terror and released Elizabeth. She had stuck her dagger from her belt into the Woads exposed thigh. She twisted away from the man's grasp and pulled out her sword. She ran it through his side.
"We'd better hurry," she said.
"Are you-"
"No time! Let's go!" she said, cutting Lancelot's sentence off.
They galloped farther into the woods. Elizabeth lead the way down the path. Suddenly, she stopped. The tracks led to the left into the bushes. It could be a trap to mislead followers. She decided to stay on the trail. Just to be safe, she threw a rock into the bush. A spiked fence popped up. She had been right. Lancelot looked at her.
"I thought you said you couldn't track?" he said with a grin.
"Never said I couldn't track my own people. I'm a Woad at heart. I know these tricks," she replied.
They pursued on and came to an area were the trees were cleared out and a fire had just been extinguished. Elizabeth looked around wildly. She saw the trees shuffle about up ahead.
"Hurry! This way!" she yelled.
Lancelot thought she quite resembled a tracking dog at this point. She was so rushed to get to those Woads. The image made him crack a smile.
Elizabeth galloped even faster than before. Lancelot was right on her horse's tail. In the bushes ahead, he saw a foot running into the bush. Elizabeth's horse picked up speed and they ran right into the Woads. They turned and drew their swords, axes, and bows. Elizabeth blinked. There were more of them than she had anticipated. Lancelot looked at her, obviously thinking the same thing. She gave him a look. And in that one look, Lancelot knew everything he needed. Together, swords raised high, they charged into the group of Woads. They Woads fought viciously back and unhorsed them.
"Lancelot! At my back!" she yelled.
They stood back to back fighting off the Woads. Elizabeth's old wounds still ached from not being healed properly and she was sure she'd be in pain tomorrow. Yet she still fought. Crossing blades with one and slicing her sword along another's side. She could hear Lancelot's breathing behind her as Woad after Woad fell at his blades. Soon, there were only five left. Lancelot swung the blades in his hands and gave a cocky smile. Two rushed at him and he immediately beheaded one and slashed the other across the chest. Another came at Elizabeth. She had a little more trouble. The man was bigger than her and more powerful. She yelled at Lancelot to spin away. As he did so, she pulled her blade away and spun to the side. She pulled her sword down the man's back. The two remaining Woads ran off. They left a huddled figure in the bushes. Lancelot ran over and untied the blanket wrapped around it. It was the villager. He had a deep slash down one cheek. Lancelot slapped the opposite cheek to try and wake him up. It didn't work. The man's shallow breathing was quick.
"He's alive, but he might not make it much longer. We have to get back quick," Lancelot said urgently.
Elizabeth nodded and helped Lancelot move the man onto his horse. She looked at his face. She hoped they hadn't been too late. She swung up and looked at Lancelot. He had one hand steadying the man on the horse and the other on the reins.
"Elizabeth, we have to hurry. Go as fast as you can. I'll be able to keep up," he said.
A loud bang overhead told them it was the start of a thunder storm. Elizabeth raced through the dark forest. Rains tung her eyes. The thunder up ahead clanged menacingly. She kept looking back at Lancelot to make sur he was ok. Finally they came to the end of the forest. Elizabeth urged her horse on even faster. They were a chestnut blur as they charge through the village. Arthur came running out. Elizabeth jumped off her horse and Lancelot came up a second later with the man. He jumped off and gently pulled the man off. A healer came down and took the man. Arthur looked at Elizabeth and Lancelot. Lancelot had a gash on his arm, which was bleeding pretty badly. Elizabeth had blood dripping down her back, from her old wound, and a long cut down her arm.
Arthur looked serious and grave one moment, and just when they thought they were going to get it, his mouth turned up in a wide smile. They smiled back.
"Well, I had to figure someone would go looking for that villager," Arthur said, smiling wider.
He headed in the direction of the pub with Guinevere. Lancelot looked at Elizabeth and they both grinned like two five-year-olds. Lancelot swept Elizabeth into his arms. He just forgot about the wound in her back.
"Ouch!" she yelled.
"Maybe we should do this after we get cleaned up," Lancelot laughed.
A healer came up to them a few minutes later.
"Arthur sent me over. He said one of you had a terrible back wound," she said.
"That would be me," Elizabeth said.
The healer looked at it and her eyes got wide. Lancelot held back a snigger.
"Um...alright...well, lets get you back to your room first," she stammered.
She turned to Lancelot.
"I'll see to you right after the young maiden," she said.
They headed up to the rooms. Elizabeth gingerly took off her warrior outfit and the healer washed the wound. It stung somewhat, but not bad. Actually, Elizabeth thought the healer was more disturbed than she was. About a half hour later her back was dressed with an ointment and bandaged. Her arm wasn't that bad and within a few minutes that was bandaged as well. Elizabeth thanked her and picked out a light dress from her closet.
In Lancelot's room, the gash in his arm was deeper than he thought. The healer was having more trouble with it. After a while, she had that bandaged as well. It was extremely stiff. He tried to move it again and the healer rolled her eyes and left the room. He quickly changed into something to go down to the pub. He went and knocked on Elizabeth's door.
"Yes?"
"Are you ready?" Lancelot asked.
The door opened.
"Yes I am," she replied. "However, I think I'm going to stay here. I can only listen to Bors for so long."
Lancelot laughed. That was very, very true.
"Alright, well, you won't even come for a few minutes?" he asked.
Elizabeth looked at him and threw her hands up.
"Fine," she said.
They headed down to the pub. When they walked in, Gawain immediately grabbed Elizabeth's hand and dragged her over to his table.
"What are you doing tonight?" Gawain asked with a slight slur in his voice.
"Um...well, I'm getting a drink and then going back to my room," she said.
She gingerly picked Gawain's hand off her should and walked away. Lancelot handed her a mug of ale. Bors came up and started a conversation.
"Is it true that Elizabeth followed Woad tracks and that only the two of you took out over 50 Woads?" Bors asked.
"Aye," Lancelot answered. "Elizabeth found the way through."
Elizabeth smiled.
Bors's wife Venora was singing a song with several other women in the middle of the pub. Elizabeth sat on a chair and listened for a little while, before the day started catching up with her. She told Lancelot she was leaving and headed up to her room. He decided to follow her. Just in case. Sure enough, as soon as she got to the entrance, a figure jumped out and grabbed her. Lancelot ran up and pulled his sword out. He pulled Elizabeth from the man's grasp and held his sword to his throat.
"Why are you here?" Lancelot yelled.
"I'm supposed to kill the girl," the Woad choked.
Lancelot slit his throat and quickly grabbed Elizabeth's hand. She was shaking slightly.
"Come. I'll take you to your room. Maybe I should sleep on your couch just in case. This little attack means they know who we are," Lancelot said.
"Aye. I should have some extra blankets," she said.
They headed up to the room. Lancelot had his blade drawn the entire time. They reached the room safely and Lancelot did a check before locking the door.
"Well, no one is in here at least," she said.
She spread some blankets out on the couch and put some extra pillows.
"I'll sleep on the couch," she said.
Lancelot protested, but it was no use arguing with her. Elizabeth fell a sleep almost the instant her head hit the pillows she had placed on the couch. She woke up in the middle of the night. Lancelot was standing above her.
"What?' she said groggily.
"You were yelling. Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just...well...some stuff bothers me at night. It'll pass," she said.
Lancelot sat down next to her.
"I was thinking before about how you were saying that I had saved you, but you saved me too," he said.
"How?" Elizabeth asked.
"You showed me a different side of life. Also how to have faith in what I believe in. I could have ended up an unhappy person who never really experienced life," he said, gently placing a hand on her face.
Elizabeth gave a smile and leaned her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and they stayed that way until morning. Finally understanding what brought people together.
