Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with King Arthur, only Syeira.

This is my first KA fic so please don't flame me too bad about it. I only want constructive critisim please. This is a flashback before the actual story takes place. It covers the origins of Tristan's braids and what happened the day he was taken from Sarmatia. Enjoy and Review kindly!

Chapter 1: Promises

"Hold still, big brother." Commanded a small raven-haired girl, whilst braiding her brother's long unruly hair.

"I told you Syeira, I can see just fine." Her brother protested.

"If you are ever going to be a great warrior you have to be able to see where you are going. You'll never be able to do that will all this hair in your eyes." The brother let out a breath of frustration.

"Fine but don't pull."

"Stop being such a baby Tristan. Did you whine this much when you got those tattoos on your cheeks?"

"No."

"Then be quiet. I'm almost done."

Although Tristan was seven years her senior, he was amazingly close with his younger sister. They were the oldest children in their tribe and spent all their time together. Tristan, being seventeen, was already accomplished with his exotic looking curved sword, passed down to him by his father and as all Sarmatians he had tremendous skill with a bow. He knew that he would eventually be taken to serve the Romans as a knight like his father and he made sure he would be ready for when that time came. Since he was a young boy his father had taught him to track, use a sword, ride a horse and fire a bow. When their mother died, Syeira was only seven and their father had to take the jobs of both parents. She went with them while Tristan was training and she was also started the same way her brother had. Now at the age of ten she could ride a horse, and hit a target accurately with an arrow. Her father still thought she was to young to brandish a sword but Tristan had thought otherwise. For almost a year he had been teaching her the basics and much to her displeasure, Syeira wasn't so good at it. Being the loving older brother he was, Tristan didn't let her get discourage herself. She eventually got better and better, with her fiery nature and aggressive fighting style he would call her his warrior princess. The two siblings had an unbreakable bond.

"There, you're pretty again." Announced Syeira, tying off the last braid.

Tristan got up quickly and kissed his sister on the forehead. She was the only one who he would let talk to him like that and show any affection towards. Most of the people in the tribe could barely get two words out of him and his father thought of him as a skilled obedient son but with Syeira, he was a whole other person.

"Tristan! Syeira!" Their father was calling them from outside. The two ran out of their hit expecting to see their smiling father but instead saw two Roman soldiers mounted on tall white steeds.

"Not now." Tristan whispered.

"What's going one?" Syeira asked, grabbing her brother's hand.

"This is him?" said one of the soldiers

"Can you fight boy?" asked the other. Tristan nodded his head with confidence.

"Good. Take only what you need and can carry. We are leaving in a few minutes." Tristan looked to his father and held his gaze for a second before heading back into the hut, pulling Syeira behind him. She was sobbing.

"They can't take you Tristan. They can't, I need you." She sank down and sat against the wall. She wept while her brother gathered the few things he needed. When he was packed he lifted her off the ground.

"Don't cry for me. I promise you will see me again. There isn't anything that would keep me away from you forever. After this is all over we will find each other and this will all be just a bad memory." She choked back her tears and nodded in understanding. "I have to leave now." Syeira grabbed his hand as he exited the hut and followed him outside.

"It will take six months to reach your post. You will be in service for fifteen years. Come, we must depart." Commanded the Roman.

Tristan's father put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Take Morrigan, she will keep you safe. Be strong son, and come home."

"I will father." He bent down in front of his sister who was holding back tears. She reached over his head and tied a medallion around his neck. The gold trinket had the Sarmatian symbol for hawk engraved on it.

"That's mother's token, I can not take that Syeira." She shook her head.

"No, I'll get it back when we meet again. You wear it. You need mother to watch over you more than I do. I love you Tristan." The two embraced.

"I'll see you again in fifteen years. Live well and fight hard my warrior princess. I love you too." He stood up and walked towards his grey mare and mounted her. Everyone in the tribe had gathered to see their only young fighter be taken by the Romans. He was lead away by the Roman soldier.

Syeira ran to the edge of her small village and watched her brother, along with other young men, fade away into the horizon.

The huts of his village resembled little specks when he finally looked back. He held the medallion that now hung around his neck. A single tear, his only tear fell that day. The day he left her behind.

A/N: Syeira (SYIGH-ruh) - means princess hence, his little warrior princess

Well there is the first chapter. There are two ways the story could go. One it starts off during the Battle of Badon Hill and one after that. Tell me which one you want. The first one begins with Tristan in it and the other doesn't. I originally intended not to post till the whole story was fully written but I want to get some opinions of it before I got too far.