Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character names, save my own original creations. I do not wish to be compensated for this work, nor do I wish to infringe on any copyrights held by any stakeholders of the movie King Arthur. This work is an original creation, based on the legend of King Arthur and his knights.
Scribe Notes:
All: Wow! Reviews galore. I have gotten some wonderful reviews in the past week or so, and they have been truly inspiring. Thank you everyone. On to comments:
ElvenStar5: Well he's going to get his knock and his gallop, but here's two more chapters for you! I think the best part about working and posting one chapter at a time is that I get to give you, the reader, my thoughts at the end, and you give me your inspiration from them almost as much as the story! Its wonderful muse, and I enjoy sharing more than just the story with you.
Calliann: I hope that Rhia can help him too, but not just yet. You'll see (wink). I had to put in the "beat the snot out" comment. It was so him, and I couldn't resist! I am so glad you liked them! Here are two more!
Melosine: Glad you have caught up! I am so happy you like the story! Yes, I wanted to portray sort of a reality, but give it a bit of romance. Mud and muck are ok in certain contexts. I wanted to be factual, but not so much that it takes away from the fantasy of chivalry and dashing knights. The reality of this time is much harsher, but we get creative license to make it into something we would like it to be.
Lilstrummrgrl527: Bottle of pop, what a neat analogy! Hang onto that one, it would be an interesting way of doing a freewrite. "Describe yourself as a food item". (grin)
I love Arthurian legend, fictional and reference. The names get into my head. Cei is actually another way of spelling Kay, but I thought it would be pronounced more like "key". And Cerys' mare is the "key" to bringing Wynn (pronounced "one") back. Just popped into my head and wrote itself on the page. I wanted to call the mare something else, but that was the only thing that fit.
Lady11Occult: Yes, he is. (wink) But there are other things to resolve first, as you will read.
gwenn0: Glad I could clear that green scale stuff up for you. I loved writing the scene in the kitchens with that chapter, it felt so much like the times I get together with my scrapbooking group and we just talk and laugh and eat and scrapbook. Having close friends is wonderful, especially when they are women (for women). there is a bond there that no man would ever understand. I hope you enjoy the next two chapters!
Babaksmiles: Yes, toilet seats left up are nasty. (grin) He's getting much better now. Bachelors are hard to train. Yes, Cei will be for Wynn. She's the best horse for her to ride home on, being a smaller horse more suited for a lady. Here are two more chapters for you.
Ailis-70: I could so picture my ex on his own queen sized bed, sprawled and snoring, muttering in French. I wrote that part with that stuck in my mind.
You know, I was talking to one of the managers where I work, and he was telling me about a similar situation when he was stationed with our Canadian troops in our North. One of the men became depressed, and they had to keep vigil. First the couldn't find him, and when they did they just sat with him. He said that the women wouldn't stay, because they wanted to comfort him and try to get him to talk, and it wasn't what he needed, so they forced them out. (He's a bit of a "men only in the army" kind of guy)That is where the inspiration came for the men to sit with him, when they found him. Funny...
The next two chapters (and following)are a bit of a twist, and I hope to bring a part closure to Gawain. I won't spoil it. It came to me as I was writing, and I thought that what I have coming would be a really interesting way to give him some relief.
Wynn will be on her way soon though, I promise.
Sokorra Lewis: Gawain and Galahad are brothers. Gareth was Lancelot's blood-cousin and Gawain's best friend. So glad that you are enjoying! Here's a fun twist for you in the next two chapters!
plzthx101: Wow! Thank you for your kind words! Really I am humbled. I am so glad that you enjoy Cerys and her knights. She started as an experiment and she has turned into so much more!
I think that Dory needs to come out of her shell quietly, and Galahad is helping. You see more of her in the next two chapters, and I think there is a bit more of what you are looking for in their "spark". It takes time for a shy person to open up, and Galahad is so boisterous, it helps her.
Lorina is Vanora, I just hated the name Vanora. She was poorly named in the movie, in my opinion. But, I should have kept her name, despite it's growing on me. I have had more comments of "That's not her name!" (grin).
Gawain is not ready for a love yet. He needs to heal himself and love himself first. Just like Lancelot needed to see past the killing machine, and Tristan needed to see that he could provide something more than a bed, and that Wynn could give him something too. I have a way for Gawain to be happy, don't worry. I won't spoil it to tell you if he does end up with someone or not. But he will be happy, and he will be at peace. That much I will divulge. (grin).
I am glad you see balance in the characters, and that you enjoy their thoughts and emotions. I try to put my emotional being into my words, it helps me to see the scenes in my mind's eye. When I am done writing in the evening, I find I am usually exhausted, wrung out. Some of hte chapters made me cry, some of them made me go take a cold shower. (wink). Writing is an emotional pastime, and as such, the best writers show their hearts when they put pens to paper. I see so much of that here on this website and it is inspirational to me. I don't get to write with passion when I work as a technical writer, but I can at home, and I relish it.
Thank you so much for your words of confidence and I hope you continue to enjoy!
Sea Cucumber: One of your favorites! I am blushing! I try to mis drama with lightness so that you can see that for these people, hard life is indeed part of the time, and as such they are able to see humour in each other, as friends, knowing that they will make it through if together. I really want to bring their relationships through, and show how wonderful it can be with true companions and lovers at your side.
Chapter 50: Luck from a Lady
"Where are they going exactly?"
Galahad was pacing around the table. Galahad was fiddling with his fingers, picking up various cushions and throwing them down in the same spot. He was toeing stones that had risen over the winter in the floor of the hall. Galahad was restless, and worried...
And it was driving Lancelot batty.
Lancelot sighed and chewed on the bit of bread he had managed to wheedle out of the kitchens women's hands. Ever since the two had left, Galahad was peppering him with questions, which Lancelot was trying to avoid. Arthur stepped in as Galahad had asked the last one, and answered for him, throwing him a small round loaf of bread at the same time. Galahad caught it and tore it in two, the other half going into his cloak pocket.
"They are going on a coast run." He said, reaching for a cup and an ewer of water. "There's a fishing village they stay at before turning for home, there's a woman there who might be able to talk sense into your brother."
"Oh... You think it will help?"
Arthur levelled his gaze at Galahad. "I don't know."
The three men ate and drank in silence for a few moments, each thinking on it.
"Don't worry Galahad, he'll right himself soon enough." Lancelot said, breaking the silence, reading Galahads thoughts from his face.
They heard footsteps running towards the hall then. Heavy footsteps. They all turned in the direction of the noise.
"Bors." Arthur and Lancelot spoke together as they rose.
There would only be one reason that Bors was running. Lancelot swore in his head. Their day of languishing, and perhaps a nap with Cerys in the afternoon was over. He mentally reminded himself to tell Bors what for later.
Then he did swear out loud. Arthur raised an eyebrow at that.
Bors thundered in, his breath heaving, his face red.
"We've... Got to... go!" He managed before he put his hand out to the table and wheezed. "Ganis... Saxons... West."
Arthur gave a worried glance to Lancelot, who looked to Galahad.
"That's the direction Tristan and Gawain went in."
The three men sprinted out towards the stables, Lancelot hollering for Brinn at the top of his lungs. They had to get the horses ready now. Damn Gawain for the lack of sleep, he thought as he shook the grogginess away and lengthened his stride.
"I'll catch up." Bors yelled as he stopped just outside the hall and put his hands to his knees. "Must stop drinking so much." He added to himself, trying to catch breath.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Cerys heard the commotion and started for the stables, along with Lorina. They had been counting ale barrels in the common and had heard a large number of voices coming from that location.
"What's the racket?" Lorina asked as they rounded the corner.
The stables were a hive of activity. There were men and horses everywhere. She could see Perceval strapping on his greaves, Galahad helping Arthur into his cuirass. Bors shrugging into his own armour. Lorina sprinted ahead to help him.
Brinn trotted by them with Lancelot's armour. Cerys grabbed his helmet as it toppled from the top of the pile.
"What's going on?" She said as she hefted it and fell into step beside him.
"Saxons." Brinn puffed, setting the armour down in front of the benches in the stable once they reached them.
Cerys absorbed that bit of information. She looked around. Most of the men were saddling up, weapons stuffed into scabbards. She looked for Lancelot; he had almost finished tacking Klyndd. He looked over and saw her, and nodded, his face set. They were close then. She knew they were headed out two men short, and she shuddered.
"Where?" She asked as Lancelot reached her side.
She held up the first half of his cuirass and skirts. He stepped into it, hefting the metal and leather skirts over his thighs and buckling them to the bottom front half of the cuirass. She reached and pulled the arming point to bring the second half closed over his chest and began lacing it up, then buckling the back skirts to the back of the cuirass.
He adjusted and fiddled with the arming doublet and chainmail underneath to get it positioned as she tugged. He jingled, making her smile a bit. She liked that sound.
"West. Need to catch up to Tristan and Gawain."
Cerys nodded and handed him a vambrace as she buckled a greave over his studded trews. For some reason, helping him dress while Brinn finished with Klyndd was helping her. She, for some reason this time, was less afraid of him leaving. She liked this routine, but reflected that it helped her more than him, he most likely could get dressed faster without her fumbling.
She stood as she finished buckling his second greave. He had already tied on his elbow guards and shoulderplates. She held his Gladius sword scabbards to his back as he pulled the straps over his shoulders and knotted them in. He pulled on them, and she let go.
In the past, his battle armour did not allow him to wear his swords over his back, but he had modified it a few years ago, saying it was much more comfortable this way. He never fully trusted the new arming points that he and Hywel had poked. Cerys smiled as she remembered him standing in the armoury on the hottest day of the summer, swinging away and testing the points. he had nearly fainted from the heat, but was determined to break them if they were going to.
They hadn't.
She pushed the memory out and focused back to him. They were leaving.
"Good, they'll stay." he said, then moved off to help Perceval into his own shoulder plates. Brinn tapped her on the arm.
"Give this to him. He says he won't leave without it. Forgot when I came in."
Cerys took the tattered roll of linen Brinn plunked into her hand. It was the roll she had given him, what seemed like so long ago now. She looked down at it, and then the waft of mint came up to her. She smiled. He was a sentimental sap sometimes.
She could feel tears poking at the back of her eyes. She cleared her throat.
No time for that now.
As he came back to her, she reached up and stuffed the roll carefully down the front side of his cuirass. He smiled at her then, bent over and kissed her softly, their bodies coming together as much as they could with his armour, her arms about his neck. He deepened the kiss, his arms coming round her waist, holding her up to him. Her fingers found his curls, his arms tightened about her.
She wished he didn't have to go at that moment. She would rather have taken him back to their room and taken all his armour off again. She felt flushed with the familiar heat he awoke in her.
"Gods almighty would you two quit that? It's enough to make a man sick." Bors grunted as he passed with Raven in tow.
Cerys giggled as Lancelot broke the kiss and sent a raspberry noise out past her shoulder, towards the retreating back of Bors.
Bors waved a hand and then patted his right butt cheek.
"Don't tempt me, old man."
"Like to see you try, Goat."
Lancelot turned back to Cerys, his eyes dancing with humour. He softened then, and traced a finger down her cheek.
"You know why I carry that roll out with me?"
She shook her head. She really did know, but she wanted him to tell her. She lifted his helmet to him as they parted.
"You are with me no matter where I go, when I do."
She watched him buckle his helmet on and she ran fingers through the horse tail one more time for him. She swallowed. She rarely got to see him with it on.
She loved him so much, and she wanted him even more right then. He looked utterly devastating and very... masculine.
"The handsome knight." She said and stepped back from him, pushing her selfish desires down. No good to dwell on them now, she berated herself.
He grunted and reached for Klyndd's reins as Brinn proffered them, but smiled all the same.
"Careful, you'll turn me into a vain man."
"Too late for that." Galahad pushed at his shoulder as he passed with Terryn, Gawain's armour strapped to his saddle. Laughter was around them.
Cerys knew that the men were glad to be going out, despite the urgency, and the chance that their two companions were in trouble. They needed this outing, to stretch a winter's worth of idleness. These men were knights, they needed the exercise. She smiled as they jested and threw insults to each other behind grins.
It was time to go. Lancelot turned and dragged Klyndd out into the yard.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nimli helping Perceval into his own helmet. He put a finger out to her cheek and she blushed. She lowered her head, and he smiled.
"Knights, lets ride!" Arthur bellowed as he settled into his saddle. The men quickly mounted up, Cerys watching from the doorway, Lancelot giving her a last look and mouthing an "I love you" before he swung a leg over Klyndd. She put her hand to her heart and nodded.
Guinevere was beside her then, sobbing and sniffling unabashedly. Their arms unconsciously came around each other, their friendship in the face of the men leaving giving familiar comfort.
"Hormones dear?" Lorina said as she too joined them.
Guinevere smacked her friends arm lightly, then they linked them. Nimli came up beside them too, a sad look to her face. Dory bounded past them into the yard, waving and calling to Galahad, her dark hair flying, her long legs taking huge strides to reach him in time.
He stopped Terryn as she reached him, and she held something up to him. The women watched him take it from her, squeeze his fist around it and look down to her. He reached and put a hand to her cheek, thumb rubbing over it as she let tears fall. He leaned over as far as he could and kissed her.
"Gods, they are in love, eh?" Nimli said quietly.
"So are you." Cerys said, glancing sideways at her. Nimli blushed and then waved as Perceval blew her a kiss from the saddle and pirouetted Apollo.
"Maybe." Nimli responded as she pretended to catch the kiss, then laughed.
The knights turned in unison and thundered off, leaving a cloud of dust in the yard, enveloping Dory completely. When it cleared, she was standing, her hand raised, watching them leave, a thin film over her hair and clothing.
She waited until they had turned the corner past the kitchens, lowered her hand, and walked slowly to the group of women back at the door. She wiped at tears, and smiled softly, shaking her head to loosen the dust.
"What did you give him?" Guinevere asked as they stood a moment, all locked in each others arms.
"The green scale I found on his bed." She replied.
"Why?"
"Luck for him... And his brother."
The women sobered at that thought, and Cerys made a silent prayer to her mother's Gods that the knights would return safely to them soon.
All of them.
Dear Reader:
Spring is here and that means that the hordes are awakening. It wouldn't be a Spring without a skirmish of some sort. There is a further purpose to this plot twist. Can any of you see it?
On to the next chapter we go. I thank you for your continued reading, your continued support, and your continued enthusiasm.
Cardeia
