TwistofShadows- Yeah, she lost her maternal instincts somewhere along the way, but don't worry, she'll find them somehow. Yeah Lance isn't going to be very happy.
Lioness1- "stupid funny brilliant enjoyable story"? hahah I like that!
Babak- Tristan is…Tristan is semiconscious that he feels slightly different about the situation than he originally did. Plus he was insulted.
Lady of the Wood- Yeah I got really bored with the sequel so I put it on hold and through a long complicated screw up, it all got deleted. So I decided to make a new story! Ta da! I'm glad you liked the old one and I apologize for it's …erm...early death.
KnightoftheRoundTable-Hahaha yeah that was my bath scene from A Knight's Tale. I love that scene! I always crack up while I type it and I end up making typos!
EVERYONE ELSE! I am sooo glad I made yall laugh!
Just in case I didn't clarify(I feel like I didn't…that was probably my sloppiest chapter for obvious reasons…) Tristan and Isolde's little hair-pulling spat was a little more…brutal than I made it sound. And Tristan was completely trashed so I'm hoping it wasn't OOC…Cause I would have to throw myself off a bridge if I did that…
On with it…
The trip back to the wall was agonizingly slow. Although I would admit that it was rather difficult to travel while holding an infant, Galina was ridiculous. Most Sarmatian women threw the infants across their shoulders and were done with it. But no, Galina had to hold the little bundle of joy the entire time. And then when we camped, which was early so the baby could nap, she left me with Geraint while she hunted for hares and birds.
"It's been so long since I've hunted." She explained on the fourth day. "And I need to practice since I'm going back to serve Arthur again. I want to be able to hit something when I shoot."
That convinced me, so for several hours I was in charge of the infant.
"Be still." I commanded Geraint as he rolled over and over and over. He propped himself up on his elbows and gave me a wet, slobbery chirp. Babies, I had decided, were the most insolent, vulgar creatures in all the land. Of course, Geraint was quite charming at times. The Lancelot in him allowed him to give me a wide-eyed look of innocence while he had just finished screaming like a lunatic. Why in the name of the gods did they cry so much?
"Uhhdamawah."
"What? Um diddy what?"
"Ygdaeuh."
"Can't you just suck on your thumb or something till your mother returns?"
"Euhhnnu."
"Fine." I mumbled and picked the child up. He placed both his small hands on my cheeks and cooed. He was rather endearing. I laid on my back and let him lay on my torso. I looked up at the sky through the trees we had taken shelter in. Geraint stared at me, and I stared at the sky.
"Ahyehah." I lifted my head and looked at my charge. He had managed to dribble a large amount of slobber onto my tunic.
"Ew. Keep that to yourself." I ordered. He bobbed his head happily. Well as long as he wasn't wailing…
Geraint propped himself up on his elbows and twisted around slightly. He made what I imagined was a fascinated sound as he discovered the hilt of my sword. His small hands couldn't even close over the handle but the still tugged at it.
"Going to be a warrior eh?" I asked the baby. Geraint ignored me and kept trying to tug on the blade. He let out a whine that quickly escalated to a wail when he couldn't budge the sword.
"No don't cry! Don't cry!" I said panicking. I picked him up and stood up. "Hey now…How about that?"
I twirled while I held him and he laughed. I held him close to my face and he put his tiny wet mouth on my nose. I suppose that was his mark of approval for he soon went back to cackling. Perhaps babies were not so bad.
"I'm telling the men." Galina said as she came back into camp with two hares. I was once again on the ground with Geraint on my chest. He was sucking his thumb and sleeping. He was the most adorable thing in Britain I had concluded.
"Mm." I mumbled and soon after my stomach gave a tremendous rumble. Galina immediately set out to skin and cook the animals. I laid Geraint on the ground gently and quietly slipped out of our camp. I began walking through the forests. We were too far south to have to worry about woads, but there were other enemies out there. I thought of the Saxons and I felt anger seep into my veins. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Branwain. I dreaded the day I returned to Sarmatia and told my uncle and aunt that I had failed to keep their daughter from that fate. None of the others understood my logic. They said it wasn't my fault, and perhaps it wasn't, but it was my fault that I didn't save her. I was supposed to protect them. It had never been said, but I was different than Branwain and Galina. I was a different kind of person, and I had always been the stronger. I should have been there to help her and Lionel. I should have realized what the silent village meant. Why else would a village have been so quiet? I remembered everything about that day. The grey sky and the overly green grass. The tense forest. I remembered the greenness of the hut roofs that had recently been thatched. The way my boots sank a little into the wet earth. I remembered Branwain's eyes… Her eyes would follow me to my death. I remembered being conscious of every drop of rain that hit my skin. I gently pulled myself away from my morbid thoughts. I could not change the past. But what of the future? I had never truly given any thought to whether I would make it back to Sarmatia. I thought of the endless plains and borderless skies. I knew where I came from; Sarmatia would always be in my heart. But what life awaited me there? Would I even survive? I was only halfway done with my servitude to Rome, and in a few short weeks I would have no Galahad and Gawain to watch my back. It would only be Arthur, Galina and I. Arthur of course would be in Rome most of the time. He would never completely abandon two of his knights, but he couldn't pass up his chance to go to Rome.
Did I fear death? I did not want death, but fear of death would never keep me from anything. An honorable death in battle would be my first choice of death, but I wondered how awful it would be to live to boring old age and die in my bed. Let come what may I decided. I emptied my head of all thoughts and let my mind roam free. The forest around me was a pulsing emerald of life. This island, this untamed island, was alive. I would miss it, should I choose to leave. I looked up at the sky as it began to rain and smiled. I stood there for a moment before walking back to camp.
Several days later Galina and I were on a hill over looking the fortress. She was paler than I had ever seen her. She even had a slight green tint to her face.
"Isolde…" She said suddenly, but there was no need to finish. I looked her in the eyes, willing her to be strong. She straightened her back and nudged her horse forward. Kolaksay and I followed. Geraint was slung across his mother's back sleeping. The steady jostling of the horse had lulled him to sleep and for that I was grateful. I had been gone for a little over a month, and I missed my friends. I would be happy to see them.
We rode into the walls and into the courtyard where Jols looked quite surprised to see us.
"Hello Jols." Galina said in a small voice. He smiled at her.
"Galina." He said. Arthur and Lancelot walked into the courtyard and their talking stopped abruptly. Galina's spine was as stiff as iron and I was strangely proud of her. It took courage to face him.
"Lancelot." She breathed. I could see her affection for him remained. He stared at her shocked.
"Galina." He said and his voice was torn with conflicting emotions. His lover had left him abruptly for half a year for what he assumed was no reason. I was slightly apprehensive about what his reaction would be when he found that he had a son.
"Isolde! Galina!" Galahad cried as the rest of the knights entered the yard. Gawain's kind face smiled broadly. Tristan's face remained neutral while Dagonet smiled contentedly. He gave his silent friend a slightly exasperated look when he saw his lack of expression. Tristan gave no indication that he noticed the look directed at him. Bors gave a raucous cry and slapped Galina's leg. Suddenly the sound of the nearby Roman soldiers, squabbling children, and the knights was pierced by an aggravated wail. Geraint was awake. The knights looked puzzled.
"Wos' that?" Bors said looking around at Galina's back. She slowly reached back and took Geraint in her arms. Suddenly there was silence and a distinct lack of smiles.
"Who-hm." Lancelot was having trouble getting the words out. He looked away and I saw the tick in his well-carved jaw. "Is it mine?"
"Yes." She said softly and I could see the blush spreading through her body. She was suddenly ashamed that she had run away without telling him she was going to have his child. He wanted to slap her I could tell. I probably would have too if I was in his position. He made sure he didn't look at her face as he stepped forward and reached hesitantly out to take Geraint.
"What's his name?" Lancelot asked as he looked at his son. Geraint calmed down immediately and allowed himself to be examined. He gurgled at his father and I saw Lancelot soften.
"Geraint." I said when I saw Galina was incapable of speaking. Her eyes were watering as she watched the man she loved so fervently hold their son.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her angrily. She winced and I could see her defense crumble.
"Lancelot." Arthur said in a warning. "Why don't you and Galina go somewhere private?"
Lancelot glared at Arthur. He handed his child to Galahad and waited impatiently for Galina to get off her horse. When she did, he all but dragged her to his room.
We stood uncomfortably until Dagonet broke the silence.
"Let's go." He said and began walking to the yard where we would most definitely get drunk. Galahad stared at the baby uneasily as he walked while holding Geraint as far away as possible.
"He's not contagious." I drawled as Gawain laid an arm around me. I grinned at him and he kissed me full on the mouth.
"Good to have you back." He said as we sat down. I took Geraint from Galahad while giving him an annoyed look. Even I knew how to hold a baby.
"Here we are. Mm hungry? You'll have to wait until mama gets back." I said rubbing my nose against his. I pitied the poor child. Both of his parents would be loving to him but I could tell they were not going to be a happy couple.
"Gone soft have you? That's how it starts." Bors said as one learned man said to a younger person. "One moment you're going about your own business and then you suddenly have feelings for the little bastards…Next thing you know they've got you wrapped around their little fingers."
I realized I had been cooing at the baby and I cleared my throat, trying to keep what little dignity I had left intact. Tristan was giving me an unreadable look as usual and I returned it. I looked past the ragged hair and into his dark eyes. He gave a barely perceptible nod and I knew it was alright again. We were still comrades. I looked away before I could see anything else in his eyes. Something that may have hurt me or frightened me.
"Isolde." Arthur called. I looked over to where he stood and I handed Geraint to Tristan as an afterthought.
"How are they?" I asked Arthur as I stood next to him.
"They're having it out. He's furious." He said in a low voice.
"Arthur-"
"I know she still loves him. Whether he loves her or not, I cannot say." He said.
I knew the answer. Arthur did too whether he would admit it or not. We sat down with the others. Some of the splendor of being back with my companions had disappeared. I could see Arthur's heart weighed heavy too.
"Tristan, you never cease to amaze me." Gawain said as he looked at the scout. I glanced at him and nearly laughed out loud. He had managed to quiet Geraint who was nestled comfortably against the knight's thick tunic. The two stared at each other without making a sound. I felt strange watching them. It was a new side of Tristan that I had never seen before. After a while he handed the infant over to Gawain who jostled the baby until he laughed. The night passed on in a blur of drunken celebration at Galina and my return. I watched as Tristan slipped away quietly back to his room. I stayed for a while longer until I was too torn between excitement and dread to function properly. I wanted to know what was between Tristan and I. Were we only friends or were we lovers? I cherished our friendship. It was that of two kindred spirits and I told myself I would be content with that, but inwardly I knew that I would like to share his bed also.
I made my way to his room and quietly slipped in. The room was dark and I figured he was asleep. I crept over to his bed and looked down at him. He opened his eyes and looked at me. He grabbed my arms roughly and pulled me to him. I sat in his lap and stared at him for a moment. I traced his mouth and touched his beard where I knew the grey spots to be.
"Tristan." I said while still touching his face. He leaned forward to kiss me but I turned my face away. Unfazed, he kissed my jaw and neck. I wove my hand through the hair on the back of his head and pulled his head back until his face was turned towards the ceiling. He looked at me from the angle and waited. "What do you want from me?"
"Everything." He said with his accented voice. My heart beat faster.
"You don't ask much do you?" I said huskily. My hand still held his head away from me, so he pulled me to him and kissed me. I let his head go and kissed back fervently. He began to slide his hand along my thigh while pulling up my dress and I gladly helped him out of his tunic.
Short chapter I know! I'm damn tired though! REVIEW!
