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: Hey, most of you got the joke! Eros is indeed a God of love. So there are a couple of meanings. 1. He brought Wynn back to the fort, ergo being a bit of a Cupid. 2. He's an ancient, and obstinate furry pony named after a large Greek God, which is funny all on its own to horse people. 3. Hes not gelded, and the backstory which I cut from the original chapter talked about how he would breed anything that moved, hence the name. If Bors had been in the stableyard, he would have made some joke about how Lancelot used todo much the same thing, and then Lancelot would have thanked Bors for inadvertantly calling him a God. (cure laugh track).
On to comments:
Sokorra Lewis: Ahh but Percy is already paired! And Jols, I think I shall leave him single for now. Gawain, well you will just have to keep reading to find out what happens.
Calliann: Glad you thought I nailed him. He's a tough one to keep in character isn't he! Here is a bit more Wynn for you. She will fit in well. I haven't developed her character as much, but I think you will get an idea what she is like from this, a wee bit.
lilstrummrgrl527: Hey sleep is good. I caught up on mine this weekend. Naps are great. Yes, I had hinted in one chapter that Brinn figured he would slip someday. I finally decided to let him do it, but not realize he did. It makes it more fun for Lancelot's reaction that way, and his acceptance. I don't think he will call Cerys mum though, he remembers his real mum too much.
gwenn0: Well, he was around 15 when he was taken by the Romans, then 15 years after that would put him around 30, which he was in the movie. So add about 5 to 6 years to that and he's middle thirties. Cerys is a bit younger perhaps, I put her in her middle to late twenties, perhaps early thirties. A bit late in medieval standards, but hey, love takes time.
Lists run my life, so does my PalmPilot. Does this website not support portugese? I thought it had a whole raft of languages you could publish work in.
Ailis-70: Yeah, she can be a spitfire. She's confident and a bit headstrong, but really in love with the man. He was able to relax around her, and let out his playful side, dance, laugh... So it stands to reason shes an extrovert to pull that out of him. I haven't developed her fully, so shes still a work in progress. Now he gets to bring his happy place home to where his family is and merge the two halves of his life. Hard to do for an introvert like him, but it will be fun!
And yes you are. (grin)
LovelyHeidi: It's perfectly fine! Thank you for reviewing this time! I love Montreal. Its a close drive for us and I keep threatening my guy that I am going to make him take me for dinner in the old port area there. It's only two hours or so from Ottawa and its a lovely evening or weekend getaway for us here. Here is Wynn's debut, and more Gawain for you.
Melosine: Gawain is coming along, and here is some more for you with him. And, some more Tristan and Wynn, as she is introduced. I hope that you like it! There is much happiness, and much to celebrate. And yes, God of Love. You got it.
ElvenStar5: Thank you for your kind praise, I really appreciate it. I hope someday to be able to say that my book was on the shelf beside Nora Roberts, since we both have R as a last name. It's goofy, but someday I will write that book. For now, this is so enjoyable. My dad keeps asking me when I am going to write something that can be published... I just stick my tongue out and tell him that it already is, just online (grin).
Babies soon, but not until after the wedding. Guinevere is due in middle summer.
Chapter 57: Introductions
Wynn gasped as she entered the hall and saw the table. It was a huge room, with cushions and braziers, tables on the side with food and wine... and the centre table... it was... she blinked.
It was round.
"It does that to everyone." Tristan whispered in her ear, his poise returned. "It's big. We will dance on it later, you and I."
She smiled at his remark. It looked wonderful, something out of a dream! So far today she had bathed in a huge pool of hot water, and toured through one of the largest forts she had ever seen. She remembered Rhia talking about it, but it never compared to what she saw now.
Eros had never been in such a grand stable. They had to barricade the back of his stall; he could walk right out underneath the flank rope, and turn around with ease!
Even this room was exciting. It was bigger than all the huts in her village put together.
She saw Lancelot, his arms wound around a smaller woman, her laughing at something a blonde girl was saying, wrapped up with another knight. She saw Arthur embrace a brown haired woman, her pregnant belly showing through her amply cut dress. Just off to the other side, a younger man had a dark-haired girl were locked tightly together, drinking and talking quietly.
This was quite a family. She felt herself relax even more.
"What's this now Tristan?" A voice roared to her left and she turned to see a large shaven man walking towards them, a curvy woman in tow, a grin on his scarred face going from ear to ear.
Wynn breathed a sigh of relief. Red hair. She would at least have someone else in this place that understood her curse.
"Bors, this is Wynn. She's my..." Tristan faltered a bit. "She's my friend from the coast."
Wynn smiled. It was going to take time for him, getting used to being open about his life. It had taken her nearly a year to crack him, and they had known him for almost twenty years, some more.
She did have one advantage though, and she blushed slightly thinking about how she had first gotten him to talk. He had called her his fire woman after that night. She breathed in and squared her shoulders to rid herself of the thoughts of what she had to look forward to later, when they were alone. She was here to meet people.
She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. She needed to find him some wine. Hells, she needed some herself! She was excited, but she felt a bit lost as she looked about all the people. She was never going to keep names straight. She hoped she remembered all of Tristan's stories correctly. That would help.
"Bors. You are the one with all the children!" She exclaimed, remembering the stories. "And you must be... Lorina?"
Lorina laughed and took her arm, disengaging herself from Bors. "Yes, that would be me. Let me rescue you from Tristan for a moment and introduce you to the women. We are all dieing to meet you."
As they walked around the outside of the table, Wynn felt gratitude towards the woman. She knew exactly what she was doing, this one did. She looked back to Tristan, who was being soundly thumped on the back by Bors, and winked at him. He raised an eyebrow and turned towards a table with ewers and cups.
"Tristan would prefer it this way." Lorina said quietly, Wynn nodding in agreement. Lorina smiled at that and continued, "He can watch you now, and doesn't have to do so much introducing. He's spent so much time by himself over the years, he knows naught else. Well... until he gets wine into him."
Wynn laughed and patted her arm. "I think I will like it here." She replied as they neared the spot where four other women were rising from their seats to greet her.
Yes, she would like it here very much.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Gawain was sitting in the very corner of the hall, watching the entire group meet Wynn, the laughter and happy embraces echoing to reach his ears. He didn't much feel like participating, so he hid in the shadows, preferring to be alone, his own flagon of wine and a cup beside him.
Yet one more of his friends happily in love, he reflected bitterly. Happily moving on in life. How could he move on? He felt the effort every day of just getting up out of his bed, moving through his tasks, his work.
He watched his brother with Dory, the two of them blissfully wrapped up in each other. He sighed and played with a lock of his hair, the ends dry and split. He made a disgusted noise and flung it back over his shoulder, slumping in his seat.
And Cerys, she was embracing Wynn so easily, her smile happy. When only the day before she shed tears for Gareth as they had stood and put him to rest. Lancelot, he too was smiling and jesting with Perceval as if nothing had happened.
How did they all do it? He asked himself bitterly. How could they see past what happened and continue on as if nothing had happened? He knew they were not callous people, yet he felt as if they were dishonouring Gareth with their gaiety.
He spat at his feet, and lowered his eyes to his cup. He purposely thought on other things, to prevent the images creeping into his head.
He grunted and drained the cup. He could at least do one thing right now with some semblance of efficiency. He could get drunk.
"Feeling sorry for yourself?" A crackled voice from his right startled him. He turned his head and saw an old woman slowly making her way over to him, her gait stiff, her movements slow.
But her eyes, he noticed as she got closer, they sparkled. He blinked. For a moment, he thought he saw Cerys in them.
He was drinking, he might just see anyone if he put a mind to it.
"What does it matter to you old woman?" He growled. Perhaps if he was rude she would seek her companionship elsewhere. He was really not in the mood to be accommodating to anyone, not even people he should be respectful to.
She grinned, showing the wrinkles in her face, the tattoos that curled about her cheeks and eyes. He sighed. She was not going to be deterred was she?
"It matters not to me, but does it matter to you?" She tutted with her tongue and sat on the bench beside him, a huge sigh going out of her as she did. She leaned back on the wall and looked about. "Quite a vantage you have from here, boy."
He turned to her. Something about her was now familiar. "Do we know each other?"
She grinned again. "I remember you. The only blonde boy in Arthur's group. They used to call you lion cub. Your brother, he is over there with the dark-haired girl."
Gawain nodded. He blinked again. Gareth had given him that name after Gawain had knocked Pellinore to the ground during training and they had rolled about in the dirt, Gawain roaring the whole time. After that, they had likened him to a cub fighting with his brothers, pawing and snarling. It hadn't bothered him then. That had been the start of his friendship with Gareth.
No one used it anymore. They hadn't for years.
He lowered his head, his fingers tracing the rim of his cup. And now, what was he? Certainly no lion. He was a pathetic excuse for a man, if anything.
"Leave me to my drink, woman, I am in no mood for talking." He muttered, leaning forward on his knees, his hands surrounding his cup.
"So, you will just wallow in your sad memories? They won't help you see past your grief unless you share them." She stated abruptly.
He snapped his eyes up to her. She was invading into areas he would rather keep hidden and it unnerved him. "You wouldn't understand, old woman."
"I think she might." Another voice said as Tristan stepped out around the corner. He pulled Gawain's cup out of his hand and drained it, handing it back to the man, a smirk on his face.
"Why do you always do that?" Gawain asked irritably, and refilled his cup.
"Because I can."
Tristan settled cross-legged in front of Gawain. He smiled and flicked his glance away from them towards Wynn. Satisfied that he could see her, he refocused on Gawain and the woman.
"Gawain, this is Rhia. She came back from the coast with m... Wynn and I." He said.
Rhia smiled. Tristan picked Gawain's filled cup out of his hands again before Gawain could protest and handed it to Rhia. Rhia cupped it in her gnarled hands and bobbed her head. Gawain watched the two of them. They had known each other for some time. But, she had also known him...
"How do you know me?" He asked suddenly, straightening to look at her. "I do not remember you at all."
Rhia chuckled. "Young boys seldom notice their elders. I lived here, for a time, with my husband. He was the armourer for Uther, when you were young boys, fresh from your trip across the sea."
Gawain nodded. "Sabin."
"Yes."
Gawain nodded again. "He is well?"
She lowered her eyes sadly and patted his leg absently. "He passed recently."
Tristan made a noise and Gawain flicked his eyes to him. They looked at each other for a moment. Tristan cocked his head towards Rhia, and then stood.
"I must check on... on the..." He faltered.
"Go find her and dance." Rhia said as she regained herself and smiled up at him. "You aren't fooling anyone, scout. Your eyes barely leave her."
Tristan grimaced and spun on his heel, walking away from Gawain and Rhia. Rhia chuckled.
"Now, are you going to tell me what has you so twisted up?" She said then, not missing a beat. She shifted in her seat to face towards him.
Gawain groaned and leaned back on the wall. He looked around the area for another cup, and when he didn't find one, he simply raised the jug and began drinking from it. Rhia turned the cup in her hands and watched him.
"If you don't let it out, it will kill you." She added. Gawain closed his eyes.
"Good riddance."
He heard Rhia tutt again. He hated that noise. What would it matter? He was a burden to his brother, all he could do was drink and kill, and these memories, they haunted him day and night. It might be better if he was dead. He wouldn't cause any more pain to anyone else. He wouldn't have to live with the memory of what he had done.
Gawain went to stand, and found himself unable, sinking back to the bench. He grunted and tried once more. He succeeded, and swayed unsteadily for a moment.
"I think you will find that there are many people here who would find that hard to live with if you did." Rhia said then, sipping again from the cup.
He blinked and looked at her. She was getting into his head and he really didn't want to think on such things. He wanted to be oblivious. Couldn't she see that? He felt a strong urge to hit something at that moment and took a step away from her. He wasn't quite sure he could control himself right then.
"Old woman, did you ever think that maybe I should already be dead? That perhaps this fate I have of living it in my head every night is my punishment?" He rasped through clenched teeth, his eyes snapping.
Rhia's eyes were calm, levelly gazing back at him.
"You are the only one who can change your fate, young knight." She said softly, and she too rose slowly. She turned to go, and stopped, handing him his cup back.
"Let him go, lion cub, he would not want this."
Gawain threw down both the wine jug and cup and strode out of the hall, his anger evident.
Rhia's eyes caught Tristan's from his seat near Wynn, and she shook her head sadly. He nodded, and then turned back to the women gathered around Wynn, and the conversation.
Dear Reader:
Gawain is almost unreachable. Rhia tries but perhaps he is not ready. It's a shock to come across what you had been trying to forget. Partof the healing was killing that chief, now they just have to figure out how to start the other half, him talking about the memory that makes him scream each night.
It's been a long time coming, and now he can't shake it, even when awake.
On to the next chapter! Thank you for coming along on this journey with me, and understanding Gawain's pain.
Cardeia
