Some unknown girl- Yay! I'm glad.
Babak-Perhaps…Perhaps not. That may or may not be what he meant. Or maybe it is and he just doesn't realize. Who knows?
TwistofShadows- Top priority indeed!
:op DUDE- Muahaha!
Galahad and I sat on the grass outside the wall. His head lay in my lap as we stared at the gray sky. We had sparred together for most of the day and I was starving.
"Arthur's given us our final orders." He said suddenly. I couldn't bear to look at him.
"Your final order." I said casually, masking the pain I truly felt. "Not mine."
"We're to escort a Bishop to the wall. He has our papers." He said softly. I kept my eyes fixed on the clouds.
"You'll finally get to go home." I said and this time my voice had some emotion in it. It was not sadness; it was happiness for I knew how badly Galahad awaited freedom. Fifteen years of service to Rome had only sharpened his hatred for the unfairness of it. He longed to go back to a place where he was free, but I often wondered if it would be all he hoped. I knew he loved our homeland, but I was afraid that he was going to be disappointed. Galahad, in his own mind, had established Sarmatia as some heavenly place, free of Romans. Galahad was in love with the idea of Sarmatia, not the reality of it. Galahad had been young when he was taken. His memories were that of a happy childhood. No wonder he longed to go back.
"Yes. Freedom, Isolde. I've never wanted it more." He said dreamily. I brushed away a boyish curl from his forehead and he looked at me.
"I'll miss you Isolde. They never should have taken you, but I am honored to have fought with you." He said earnestly. I smiled and looked back at the sky.
"We'll see each other again. I promise."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Bravery comes easily to me in battle, but it's different for you. I've seen the way you fight. You, Tristan, Lancelot and Dagonet… You fight as if you don't care if you live or die." He said somberly.
"I don't invite death." I said lightly. I didn't. But I didn't run away from it.
"Well, try a little harder to survive. For me. And for Arthur and Gawain and the rest."
"Fine." I said in mock aggravation. "It's dark and I'm hungry."
"Of course my lady." He said with a chuckle and we stood up.
Lancelot had forgiven Galina. I would never ask her what words had been spoken between them, but he seemed to be less angry. He avoided talking to her, but when he did, it was slightly stiff. Galina however could only stare at him with longing. I wondered what it must be like to love someone so much that you pine away for them. I prayed I never felt that way.
I sat at a table with Gawain, Galahad, Dagonet and Lancelot while Tristan leaned against a wall in the shadows. Galina had chosen to stay with Geraint in her room for the night and Arthur was locked in his chambers working on Roman business.
"Where's Bors?" Lancelot asked looking around.
"Off with his woman!" Galahad said appreciatively. Gawain gave a very male cheer and raised his drink.
"Vanora will kill him if she gets with child again." Lancelot muttered. Dagonet smiled and shook his head.
"No, she could prevent pregnancy if she wished." He said. Galahad looked thoughtful.
"Really?" Gawain asked.
"Herbs." I shrugged, taking a swig of my wine.
"That explains a lot." Gawain said looking equally as thoughtful as Galahad. I smiled at their naivety. How else would they have explained their lack of bastards?
"Wait, how do you know?" Lancelot asked looking at me pointedly.
"Is this some knowledge all women are born with?" Galahad asked while Gawain gave me a suggestive look. Dagonet only smiled and looked at Tristan. How did he know?
"Yes. We have secret rituals in which we are taught the wiles of women." I said in a monotone voice. Lancelot shuddered while Galahad quickly went back to drinking.
"Oh." Gawain said simply. Talk resumed after a moment of silence and soon Lancelot and Gawain had gained an audience with a vulgar song about a priest. I looked at Tristan whose eyes invited me to join him. I walked over to him and surveyed the knights. In four days time, we would escort the Roman Bishop to the wall. I would lose everyone but Galina. I had thought of losing everyone but Tristan.
"Will you go back to your tribe?" I asked him. I knew his immediate family to be dead, but what of the other members of this tribe?
"Don't know." He said and tipped his drink back. He carefully sat the cup down on the edge of the table and turned towards me. My breathe caught in my throat as he calmly pinned me to the wall and kissed me with his reserved confidence. I didn't hesitate to encourage him, but I was surprised that he was pinning me to a wall in front of everyone in the yard including our fellow knights. Before he had taken me as his lover he had taken women to his bed often, but a meaningful look or a lazy arm around the waist was the most attraction he ever showed. I supposed he was less considerate of whether or not the others of our association after last night. There was no one word to describe our relationship. We were not more than friends or comrades, but we were closer. There was no romance between us, but it was not so casual as it had been when we first became lovers. A strange tenderness had slipped into our relationship. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard someone spray their drink everywhere.
"Isolde?" Galahad spewed as he looked at us. I examined our position; my body was pressed between the wall and Tristan who presently nuzzling my neck. This was going to be interesting,
"Would you care to step away from her, Tristan?" Gawain said menacingly. I nearly snorted at his over protectiveness.
"Gawain, I can handle myself thank you." I said even though I disengaged myself from the scout.
"You? Him?" Galahad asked looking as though he was going to need a large drink soon.
"Yes." Tristan said as we sat down next to each other. His arm was around my waist and he pulled me closer just to further aggravate Gawain.
"Tristan, I would hate for you to think of Isolde as some whore for a night's amusement." Gawain said with a pleasant smile. It was a threat and I was even more amused.
"Gawain, she knows what she's doing." Dagonet said absentmindedly.
"Oh?" Gawain said curiously.
"You'll get used to it. I have." He said assuredly. How long had Dag known?
"You speak as if this has been going on for a while." Lancelot said suspiciously.
"Nearly a year." Tristan said helpfully. He was enjoying it. Suddenly the knights had nothing else to say.
"So there's no need to play big brother." I drawled playfully to Gawain. He smiled good-naturedly. Lancelot and Galahad looked at each other and went back to talking. Several minutes passed and Tristan grew bored.
"This is going to take some getting used to." Galahad said uncomfortably as Tristan and I kissed. I was enjoying it far too much.
"I agree." Lancelot said. Dagonet stared pointedly in the other direction.
"Well Tristan, why don't you just start going at in the middle of the- Oh gods. Isolde." Bors said loudly as he walked over. More fun. Lancelot smiled broadly, glad that it was someone else's turn to be astonished.
"Do you love him?" Gawain asked me the next day as we patrolled a few miles of the wall. Galahad rode on my other side.
"As much as I love any of the men." I answered. Galahad looked troubled.
"You feel nothing for him?" He asked disbelievingly. "No part of you wants to find him again in a few years and settle down with him?"
"Perhaps it is my youth, but I have no desire to settle down with any man." I replied thoughtfully.
"Well in that case, how about a nice farewell-" Galahad started but I gave him a lofty look. "I'm not serious. Tristan would dismember me."
"You think so?" I snorted.
"Yes. He'd have a nice little holiday and hunt us down with his pretty bow and arrows like rabbits." Gawain said daintily.
"You make him sound like a jealous husband." I said defensively.
"I don't mean to." He assured me.
"So what of this Bishop that we are required to escort?" I asked suddenly.
"Germanius. Apparently Arthur knew him as a child. He was a friend of Uther's long ago. He's carrying out papers." Gawain answered.
"I see. Bloody Christian…" I muttered. Germanius had come to take my friends from me as far as I was concerned.
We rode southwest for hours. Green hills and foggy skies had no meaning to me anymore. Their last mission. The words kept turning over in my head. I kept picturing their faces and imagining my life without them. I couldn't. I barely talked the entire trip. Galina had stayed at the wall with Geraint for this last mission and I couldn't blame her. So far I had managed to bear and grin it, but when I had woken up that morning, something was different. I couldn't do it anymore. I told myself I wouldn't ruin their day for them, but I couldn't bring myself to join them in their playful banter. A small dark part of me hoped the woads and killed the bishop and destroyed the papers. A very selfish part of me indeed. The clouds had thinned by the time we paused on a hill overlooking a wooded area. We sat abreast of each other and looked at the bishop's train. It held a different meaning for all of us. Home. Loss. Freedom. Nothing.
"As promised," Gawain said "the Bishop's carriage."
"Our freedom Bors." Galahad said looking at the slightly older man. Bors smiled and turned to him.
"Mm I can almost taste it." He said closing his eyes in pleasure. He chuckled deeply as the rest of us smiled. I couldn't help it this time. Dagonet's grin was infectious.
"Your passage to Rome Arthur." Dagonet said. Arthur's twenty years of service to Rome were up also. He would visit us, no doubt, but rarely. Arthur embodied everything noble and foolish in the world. I would miss him dearly. Tristan's faint smile faded as he gazed at the tree line. There was a slight mist hanging throughout the branches as the trees swayed. Perhaps I shouldn't have wished so hard.
"Woads." He said clearly as an arrow thudded into one of the mounted officers of the Roman retinue. We spurred our horses forward in an instant.
We immediately went into dragon formation with Galahad and Tristan as the wings. Arthur gave a ferocious battle cry as he drew Excalibur, the sword of Uther. I myself made sure my machaira was ready to be drawn when I finished with my arrows.
We chased down the blue men like animals. The clang of steel and the cries of war already filled the air as I brought down a woad who had just killed a Roman soldier. I was in no real hurry to protect a Roman. It was the last battle I would ever fight with my companions. I would enjoy it as best I could. Four more well placed arrows and I decided to at least give the painted ones a chance to get near me before I killed them with my sword. After all, they did get dressed up for the occasion. Lancelot had already bounded off of his horse and begun slicing left and right with his twin blades. I admired his skill for a moment before riding past and decapitating a woad. Not to be outdone by a pretty boy, I slipped off Kolaksay and threw the machaira across my shoulders. These woads were wearing little armor, so the Greek blade would not be needed. I drew Pata and parried the blow of an oncoming woad. He struck at my leg but I was too quick. Before the axe reached my thigh I had slashed upwards from his belly to his neck. I ran at Kolaksay and dodged the sword of another woad. I grabbed my shield and in one motion I had spun around and left a deep cleft between the man's neck and shoulder. I threw myself at another woad and knocked the sword out of his hands. He had only a moment to grab for his dagger before I impaled him. I nearly swore at him when I realized he had managed to slice open my calf before dieing. I turned around to see a particularly fierce looking woad run at me. He fell with an arrow in his neck and I gave Tristan a gracious smile. I watched a woad tackle Gawain to the ground and I stood ready to come to his aid. My fierce friend needed no help after a few moments. Dagonet flew off his horse and nearly drowned two woads in the river before killing them. I ducked the swipe of an axe and tripped the blue man who wielded it. He had one fleeting glimpse at the sky before my shield severed his neck and lodged itself in the earth. I left it there for the moment and concentrated on simply engaged woads in swordplay. I was showered with bits of gore as Lancelot nearly severed off the head of a kneeling woad with his identical swords. I nodded appreciatively at him. It was nearly artful. I winced as Bors punched a man over and over again before finally slamming a knuckle blade into a man's head. I watched as Tristan stepped serenely off of his horse and swayed his sword around in an inviting manner. He masterfully knocked aside the swords of the only two woads who were foolish enough to rush him and neatly opened their torsos. I proudly turned away from my paramour and was met by a familiar face.
"You." I said flatly. The cheeky woad had the audacity to smirk at me. A fair-haired man came at my from behind and I sedately whipped around and slit his throat. He fell at the feet of the woad who had kissed me and I shrugged uncaringly. His smirk faded as he looked at the body of his fellow soldier. He launched himself at me and I quickly parried his blows. His face was harsh as he swung his sword where my head had been only moments before. My sword bit deep into his shoulder as his sword left the thinnest of cuts on my lip. I touched a finger to the scratch and it came away with blood. I the look I gave him was filled with the promise of death. I saw him look back at the forest and suddenly he took off. I restrained myself from giving chase and instead turned the edge of my blade onto the first unfortunate woad I saw. I looked up just in time to see Tristan engage an enemy. The ill-fated woad unwisely put himself in very close proximity with the scout and locked blades. Tristan artfully flicked his curved sword and imbedded it into the surprised woad. He withdrew his sword and began to walk past the woad. Almost as an afterthought, he let a swift sword stroke fall behind him and slash the woad's legs as he fell. I finished my last woad by cleaving the machaira into his skull just as Bors let out a roar.
"Rus!" He announced the land as if declaring the blatantly obvious. As if only the Rus Sarmatians could pose such a force. Gawain pointed a blade at a long haired man and nodded, marking him for death. The man never had a chance, even though Gawain displayed his back to him. Gawain caught him in the side with his blade before dealing a final blow to the back.
"Nice." I said solemnly as I yanked my shield from the corpse and bloodstained earth.
"Pick it up." I heard a deadly voice said. I turned to find Arthur with his sword at a kneeling woad's throat. I watched concernedly as the woad stared defiantly into Arthur's face. My mad commander said it again; this time in a whisper. The man picked up his axe fearfully as Arthur stared at the trees waiting for some sign. He suddenly lowered Excalibur and stepped away. I saw the woad let out a deep breath and I drew my sword again, waiting for him to make a wrong move. I gave him a taunting smile and he darted back into the forests.
"What a bloody mess." Bors said disgustedly as he pointed in the carriage. Arthur looked in to find a well dressed man with an arrow pinning his skull to the woodwork. I smiled happily. Perhaps the knights would be staying a little longer.
"That's not the bishop." Arthur said firmly. Damn it all to hell. Shrugging, I turned to Bors who was mocking a wimpy looking man who had hidden under the carriage the entire battle.
"What are they?" The man asked frightfully. I raised an eyebrow. Dear gods.
"Blue demons that eat Christians alive." Bors said casually and suddenly put a finger in his face. "Your not a Christan are you?"
The man could only blubber.
"Does this really work?" Bors asked the quivering man. He put his hands together in the Christian gesture and mumbled a mock prayer. He opened his eyes and waited. "Nothing. Maybe I'm not doing in right."
I smiled and patted him on the back. Our weapons were out in an instant as we looked at the surviving Romans.
"Stand down." A accented voice ordered. A Roman soldier backed his horse off warily.
"Arthur. Arthur Castus. Your father's image! I haven't seen you since childhood." The slick voice said.
"Bishop Germanus. Welcome to Britain." Arthur said pleasantly. "I see your military skills are still of use to you. Your device worked."
I glanced to the dead man who was being hauled out of the carriage. What in the name of every god in the land was a Christian Bishop doing in full Roman armor? Wasn't that against some sort of holy law or something?
"Ancient tricks for an ancient dog." He said modestly. Ancient trick? I had a term for it also. Cowardice. He chuckled and continued: "Ah. So these are the great Sarmatian knights we have heard so much of in Rome."
We bristled at the well oiled sarcasm in his voice. He dismounted and brushed off his armor of any offending dirt or gore.
"I thought the woads controlled the north of Hadrian's wall." He said looking around at the carnage.
"They do, but they occasionally venture south. Rome's anticipated withdrawal from Britain has only increased their daring." Arthur said as he and the Bishop walked abreast.
"Woads?" The pallid man asked.
"British rebels who hate Rome." Gawain said unceremoniously.
"Men who want their country back." Galahad added venomously to the Roman Bishop. He shrugged not caring much about a Sarmatian knight's opinion.
"Who leads them?" He asked.
"He's called Merlin. A dark magician, some say." Lancelot said with dark humor. I mounted Kolaksay and let a small smile cross my face. I looked over at Tristan who was currently licking blood off his hand.
"Some women wouldn't let a man kiss her after that." I said dryly without looking at him. He gave me a sideways look and continued.
"Tristan," Arthur ordered. "Ride ahead and make sure the road is clear."
Tristan nodded and rode off.
"Please do not worry Bishop; we will protect you." Arthur said assuredly
"I have no doubt, commander. No doubt…" The man said dismissively. He climbed into his carriage and shut the curtain, making it painfully obvious he did not want the company of his pathetic helper.
"Dozens don't worry me as much as thousands." He muttered just as he looked up to see his master leave him out of the carriage.
"Thousands?" Lancelot asked none too nicely. I looked at Galahad who frowned deeply. Could it be that the Saxons were an even bigger threat than I had thought?
We escorted the Bishop to Hadrian's wall with no further problems. As we neared the wall, Tristan rode up to us and walked his horse next to Dagonet's. We all paused on a hill over looking the Bishop's retinue.
"Well now that we're free men, I'm going to drink till I can't piss straight." Bors said in an official manner. I snorted.
"You do that every night." Gawain said.
"I never could piss straight. Too much of myself to handle. Down there." He said sincerely. Oh no… Not this again.
"Well it's a problem! No really, it is! It's a problem. It's like-" He said tragically.
"A baby's arm holding an apple." We finished for him. We laughed, but he didn't look embarrassed at all and we began to move again. I rode next to Galahad as he began his customary rant.
"I don't like him. The Roman." Galahad said mistrustfully. Pessimistic as always, he continued. "If he's here to discharge us, why doesn't he just give us our papers?"
I shook my head and smiled.
"Is this your happy face?" Gawain asked disbelievingly. We all had a nice laugh at the expense of Galahad, whom even smiled. "Galahad do you still not know the Romans? They won't scratch their asses without holding a ceremony."
"Yeah, why don't you just kill him, and then discharge yourself after?" Bors asked amusedly. Galahad made his best disdainful face and shook his hair away.
"I don't kill for pleasure. Unlike some." He said nobly as he directed a sideways look to me and the scout who had ridden next to me.
"Well you should try it someday; you might get a taste for it." Tristan said in an agreeable voice while quirking his lips.
"After all, a person needs some sort of recreation." I added persuasively. Gawain chuckled and I winked at Galahad.
"It's part of you." Bors said seriously. "It's in your blood."
"No no no." Galahad laughed assuredly. "No, as of tomorrow, this was all just a bad memory."
"Oh." Bors said sarcastically.
"Well I'm glad you can dismiss it as easily." I said somewhat coolly. Galahad winced apologetically.
"I've often thought of what going home would mean after all this." Gawain said thoughtfully. "What will I do? It's different for Galahad. I have been in this life longer than the other. So much for home-It's not so clear in my memory."
I considered his words. I saw home, but no future.
"Well, speak for yourself. It's cold back there. Everyone I know is dead and buried." Bors said humorlessly. "Besides, I have, I think, a dozen children."
"Eleven." Gawain corrected and I shuddered.
"You listen, when the Romans leave, we'll have the run of this place. I'll be governing my own village." He said as we passed a shabby group of huts. "And Dagonet will be my personal guard and royal ass kisser. Won't you Dag?"
Dagonet looked away.
"And my my, what a sprawling city it will be." I said cynically eyeing our dismal surroundings. Bors gave me a playful look.
"First thing I will do," Gawain said decidedly. "Is find a beautiful Sarmatian woman to wed."
"Beautiful Sarmatian woman? Why do you think we left in the first place?" Bors said and made the sound of a cow.
"You're not much of a beauty yourself Bors." I said disdainfully.
"Well, what I meant was, all the beautiful ones such as yourself," He said motioning grandly towards me "Are already taken."
"Taken? Taken by whom exactly?" Arthur asked interestedly. Nooo-
"Tristan." Galahad said helpfully. Arthur nearly fell off his horse as he twisted around awkwardly.
"Come again?"
"Our Isolde and Tristan have had a nice romance going on for nearly a year." Gawain said knowing it would annoy me.
"Under our very noses." Bors said poking his own nose.
"Call it what you like." I said dryly.
"They're jealous. Bors is the only other one who can get a woman." Tristan said looking straight ahead.
"Am I your woman?" I asked, highly amused.
"Suppose so." He shrugged. Bors shook his head.
"What about you Lancelot? What are your plans for home?" He asked the handsome knight. I was hoping for a "raise my son."
"Well if this woman of Gawain's is as beautiful as he claims, I expect I'll be spending a lot of time at Gawain's house. His wife will welcome the company." He said charmingly.
"I see. And what will I be doing?" Gawain asked edgily.
"Wondering at your good fortune that all your children look like me." Lancelot said as if it was obvious. My shoulders shook while Bors let out a frightening cackle.
"Is that before or after I hit you with my axe?" Gawain asked in mock interest. Bors laughed harder.
Tristan and I held back for a moment. Suddenly he looked up and whistled. His hawk came swooping down to his arm. His ever present frown remained as he petted her chest.
"Where you been eh? Where you been?" He asked her tenderly. She nipped as his finger and bobbed her head and piped at me. She seemed to always recognize my presence, but she always stayed with Tristan. She knew who she belonged to. I hung even farther back and stared at the backs of my friends. It couldn't be over. This couldn't be my last day with them. It couldn't be the last night I spent with Tristan. Something in me told me it wasn't time to say good bye.
Wow! I hope I made up for the last chapter's shortness! Review! Does anyone think my writing has gone down? I hope not but there's a nagging voice in the back of my head…
