KnightMaiden: Thanks for the review! I guess we'll have to see who Arian pairs up with…I haven't really decided that myself yet:) You also asked whether this is post or pre-movie. The answer is that it takes place before the movie. :)

Elfvamp1-13-97: Lol, Arian's experience w/all her younger siblings is actually based off my own! I was inspired to give my OC a somewhat "large" family after noticing there is a trend to kill off OC's families (which is quite understandable—after all, who wants to deal with THEM?) :)

The road curved, shadowy and ominous ahead. Arian pulled Misty to a halt even as her father held up a hand, signaling Llyr to slow the wagon. Llyr hauled back on the reins unceremoniously until the two shires snorted and complied by coming to a standstill. The gray sky was growing darker, and Arian fleetingly wondered if the sun ever shone in Briton. No matter, the colossal thunderclouds were more appropriate, Arian decided.

Llyr was soothing the horses, shushing them in low, calming tone. Arian glanced at the Shires. They were pricking their ears at the woods. Misty shifted, her own ears flicking back and forth, ever attuned to her rider's movements and emotions. But some of the others weren't behaving so well. Kynan's mare threw up her head and blasted a snort. Ffanci's gelding was pawing. When he wasn't prancing in place. Even their mother's old mare perked up and stared with keen dark eyes down the trail that meandered into the trees.

"How long is this stretch of road?" Arian inquired, though in her heart, she already knew the answer. However brief it may be, it was still far too lengthy for comfort.

"Too long for ease," her father replied, pulling his horse around to survey his wife's worried face.

"I'll go. I can ride ahead and make sure the way is clear," Llyr suggested, half rising from the wagon seat.

"Don't trouble yourself," Arian interjected sarcastically. She found it hard not to mock most of Llyr's ideas. He was nearly eighteen years of age, but Arian despised him. It didn't help that he was merely a hired boy, and that her father frequently consulted him in matters Arian felt she had better right to question.

"I have Misty," Arian turned the mare's head toward her parents. "I'll go."

"I think Llyr should," her father surprised her by objecting. She noted his jaw had the same stubborn tilt to it that she recurrently pulled off and she felt herself becoming defensive.

Arian rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "He cannot ride."

"I can ride."

Arian was surprised to hear Llyr sticking up for himself. Usually her parents did that for him. She whirled Misty, riding so close to the wagon that her stirrup brushed against the rungs of the wheel. Misty extended her nostrils and clanked the bit in her teeth. She did not like getting too close to objects larger than herself.

Llyr was cowed by the spirited cobs and Arian knew it. She was also aware that her hard, cold stare was capable of driving people to a distraction. So she leaned forward and met his eye, locking him in a silent battle of wills. So far her obstinacy remained unrivaled and her resolve unmatched.

"I can ride better. I challenge you; any of you. See if you can defeat me."

She felt like an idiot but, as always, the trick worked. Her parents jumped to Llyr's rescue, and the former shut up.

"We know you ride the best, Arian. But Llyr is a man, and, as such, is compelled to take the more dangerous role."

Arian sighed again, theatrically. "Look—you can either stand here for an hour debating the possibilities while Llyr is saddling Tyrany, " she named their eldest, slowest broodmare. "Or you can let me take Misty ahead and make sure this is the best way to go."

"Well…" Her father hesitated, "You can take Llyr with you."

Arian shook her head. "We don't have time to wait while he prepares. The horses are already restless."

"Well, he can ride Kynan's mare. She's gentle."

"Llyr is afraid of the cobs. He can't handle them."

"I could try," Llyr said.

Arian glared at him.

"Now is not the time to discover your weaknesses," she retorted.

Her father sighed.

"Alright you two, break it up. Arian, you may," he stretched the word out as if he were doing her an enormous favor, "'scout' for us. But don't venture more than mile ahead…I'd like you within screaming distance if there are woads in these woods."

Arian rolled her eyes. "Woads. Sure, I won't go far."

She turned Misty and kicked her into a canter, disappearing around the bend before either of her parents had time to change their minds.

"Eluah, Misty," Arian leaned forward and spoke softly into the mare's ear. Anyone else might have wondered at the way the girl and the horse seemed to read each other's minds, but Arian knew that after any two creatures had spent as many hours together as she and the horse had, they could not help but become one.

Misty tossed her head and rolled her eyes. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at the trees on the right side of the road. Arian's eyes shifted and she studied the underbrush in that area. She couldn't see anything, but Misty's senses were much keener than her own and the horse was indicating that direction.

Then Misty shook her head and snaked her nose in the other direction. Arian started. Both sides, then? Arian bit her lip as she began formulating a plan. Her fingers toyed with the reins before stroking the mare's sleek chestnut coat.

If there were woads on both sides of the path, they must be waiting for something. Or someone. Arian shivered. Well it wasn't her. They surely would've attacked by now if she was the only target.

No. They were waiting to ambush her family. The horses. They must need the horses! Arian felt her blood begin to boil. Her mother and father and grandfather and his ancestors were of Celtic descent—the horse peoples. Their horses were more valuable to them than their lives!

Arian slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a tiny whistle. It fit easily into the palm of her hand and she pretended to cough, bringing her fist up to her mouth. The whistle shrieked, screaming a warning in three short blasts.

Arian quickly tossed the loop attached to the whistle over her head, and pulled out her bow, stringing it as Misty leapt into a gallop. Arian barely managed to fit the first arrow before the horse charged the nearest clump of undergrowth and three woad warriors rose up before her.

Arian aimed for the one furthest away and loosed the arrow. Misty dodged between the remaining two and Arian kicked out with both legs, her stirrups punching the soft flesh of the woads' stomachs.

Arian sent several more arrows flying at the woads' various hiding places. Once, a sharp cry confirmed a hit and despite the gravity of the situation, Arian felt her confidence boosted a league. When she looked back over her shoulder, she saw several of the woads had grabbed a few horses and were giving the chase.

Arian smiled and hauled back on the reins. Let them get close—let them think they had a real chance.

Too late she realized her mistake. A woad with a long bow pointed his deadly arrow at her. Arian gasped and threw herself on Misty's neck, letting her position slip a tad so she was shielded by the horse's broad frame. It was an old trick, one that Arian hated employing, but it worked. The arrow narrowly missed Misty's right ear and stuck another woad who'd been running up from the side.

Misty, confused by the bedlam, bolted forward. Arian pulled herself back into a more secure position and twisted around to fire a few more arrows at the pursuing warriors.

Arian saw more woads on the trail ahead and beyond them, a gap in the trees. A field!

She kicked the horse and the mare flattened her ears, her powerful haunch muscles glistening in the dim light as they bunch and strained. Arian ducked low on Misty's neck, taking the ends of the reins in her teeth so as not to loose them. She closed one eye as she aimed at the woads blocking her path.

Only one of her arrows found its mark. But one was enough for Misty, who charged through the break, kicking an unfortunate man in the thigh as she galloped away.

The woads on horseback were still hard on her tail. Arian squinted. At least she still had a good diversion going. If only she could keep it.

Up ahead, a wetland glinted in the gray light. It was in a low area, with high hills on the one side, and trees bordering the other. Arian turned Misty's nose toward it. With any luck a few of the woads' horses would balk at the water. And if she kept moving fast enough, Arian might keep Misty from becoming bogged down herself.

Misty nearly skidded to a stop at the water's edge, but Arian kicked her hard, smacking her with her bow for extra insurance. The mare squealed and jumped in, nearly losing her footing as she landed. She struggled forward through the mire, taking huge bounds like a dog through tall grass. Mud flew up, thick and sticky in her wake. It splattered the face of one woad's horse, who sat back on his haunches and reared. Another woad swerved to avoid the muck and stumbled into a deep area that sent his horse to his knees. A third tripped and threw his rider. But there were still five trailing Arian.

In the middle of the wet area, Misty staggered and began to flounder. Arian realized they'd hit a soft spot and that the mud was trying to suck the horse down. She started to slide off but caught herself as the mare recovered her foothold and lurched forward. The woad directly behind them hit the quicksand and his horse flailed madly before falling on his side and propelling his rider through the air. The woad hit the ground, spat the grit from his mouth and rose, but Arian calmly turned and sent an arrow through his shoulder.

Misty was had recovered her fast gait and on sudden impulse Arian directed her upstream and as close to the swampy riverbed as she dared. Underwater, the horse's hooves pounded and loosened the sand and gravel.

The mare was charging forward as fast as she could go again. She stretched out, lengthening her strides until she was bounding like a jack rabbit. Her tail streamed out behind her, an odd sort of war banner. The horses behind her not only failed to match her speed but became bogged down when they tried to cross the inlet and encountered the trail of guzzling mire Misty had left in her wake.

But several riders had found a place to ford farther downstream, and Arian realized her mare was quickly tiring. She turned Misty's head inland.

And then she saw them. The Sarmatians.

I know—I just had to end it right there. :) Sorry! I promise they WILL come in next time:) And who knows how Arian will react to them…!