Note:Thanks for the reviews! Here is yet another installment. Forgive me for the errors. Happy reading. Let me know what you think. Thanks again.

Losses and Gains

They followed the river. The knights ever watchful for Saxons. Marius watched the knights, he did not trust them. He called to him his men. He was not going to let them after the insult he suffered on their account. He would dispose of them, after they were out of immediate danger. With the knights, the sinners would die and all would be as it should be. All of it.

Arthur rode beside Guinevere. They spoke of nothing in particular. They just seemed to be enjoying each other's company.

"Why were you in Marius's dungeon?" Arthur finally asked, after wondering about it ever since he found her.

"I refused to be his pawn," she said.

They exchanged glances and Arthur knew exactly what she refused to do. This strengthened his admiration for her. Most women would have accepted the fate she was faced with, but she fought and was willing to die for her cause. "You are brave."

"Not brave. It is the natural state of anything to want to live free."

"Yes, but many falter under violence."

"Then they are not worthy of freedom. If they choose to be beasts for other men to own it is their own choice."

"For some it is not choice."

"Everyone chooses. You did, your knights."

"What do you mean?"

"You chose life over death. I would rather be dead then be a slave to a man."

"I do not wish to argue. I see your point, but I do believe you are wrong about my knights and me. It is much easier to risk ones own life then and entire village. Most of my knights had no choice; if they didn't go they would have been slaughtered alongside their families. You only risked your own life, if it were their lives alone, they would probably have fought to the death instead of forced into servitude."

"My family would do the same."

"We are all different. My knights are not you and you are not them. Let's leave it at that."

"Very well, but I still do not understand what you just said."

Arthur smiled. "I know." He paused then asked, "What about the boy?"

"He spat on a priest."

"Is that all?" Arthur asked, shocked.

"Yes."

Arthur looked back at the carriage that Marius rode in. Was it possible that a man could do such a thing to a child over something as petty as spitting? How could a man do such a thing without a second thought? Arthur shook his head. All Romans were not like this, they couldn't be.

Light erupted in the dark. She blinked. Where was she? Slowly, she sat up. Her shoulder ached and her dry skin cracked as she flexed her fingers. She remembered falling, she remembered darkness. That was all. She looked around her. Trees, plants, nothing else. How did she get here, she did not know, but she did not have to contemplate the thought for a man appeared. Her focus blurred. Was she seeing things, or was the man coming towards her a Woad.

"Do not be afraid," the man said. Even if she wanted to, she could not have stood up.

"Who are you?"

"I am Merlin."

"Merlin? What do you want?" she asked as she remembered that Merlin was the name of the leader of the rebellion.

"Nothing."

"Why am I still alive?"

"I found you barely alive. The water washed you up on the bank and I carried you here and nursed your wounds. The arrow was not deep and the wound will heal with time."

"Why did you save me?"

"You saved my daughter. It was the least I could do."

Kida blinked. "Your daughter?"

"Yes, you saved her from the Roman's house and again from the Saxons."

"Guinevere!" she exclaimed as things began to fall in place.

"Yes."

"Are they alright?"

"They are fine. They follow the river towards the coast. The Saxons go the opposite direction."

"I have to get back to them," she said as she tried to stand.

"No, you are still weak. Rest. You shall be back with your friends soon enough."

To tired to argue she lay back down and closed her eyes. None of this made sense but she was not going to argue. She was just grateful she was alive, no matter whom the savior was.

They were close to the coast. It was another day or so until they reached it and then two more days to the wall. They settled camp. Sleep claimed them. The next morning as the sun peeked through the trees there was a cry.

"Do not move!" Marius ordered. In his arms he held the boy as his men surrounded Dagonet, their blades pointed at his throat. Arthur and Lancelot drew their weapons.

"Sir, put the boy down," Arthur ordered.

"Stand back. This boy is a sinner and deserves to die."

Fulcinia flew at her husband, "No, let him go!"

Marius threw her aside. "This is none of your affair!" He held a knife to the boy's neck. "Any one of you moves, the boy is dead."

Arthur and Lancelot froze and exchanged looks. They had to do something. "Leave the boy be," Arthur tried again.

"Silence!" Marius ordered. "You all are of no use to me. You soon shall join him." Marius's men moved to surround Arthur and Lancelot. "The penalty for blasphemy is death."

Arthur and Lancelot watched the men that surrounded them. They had to fight, there was no other choice. They prepared to defend themselves when Marius groaned. They all stopped and looked at him. His eyes were wide and blood stained his white robes. He gasped and fell to the earth, his eyes staring blankly up into the heavens. Marius's men froze as they saw the killer. Guinevere emerged from the trees with a bow in her hands and an arrow drawn. The men slowly backed away from the knights.

Fulcinia grabbed the boy and protectively held him as Dagonet ushered them behind him and faced Marius's men with his weapons drawn. Arthur and Lancelot fell in beside Guinevere. "Drop your weapons!" Arthur cried.

Immediately, the men surrendered. Guinevere kept her bow drawn as the squire, Jols, gathered their weapons. "It was his idea sir," one of the men supplied, pointing to Marius's lifeless body. "He said it was God's will that you died."

"God's will?" Lancelot mumbled.

"Marius was a spokesman for God."

"No he was not," Arthur stated, angry that a man would claim to be. "He was no God."

"All Rome believes this," Alecto said.

"Believes what?"

"That men, like my father, are spokesmen of God, some claim to be as one."

"No, Alecto. A man is there now teaching that we are all equal. There is only one God, and no man has the right to call them the spokesman of God."

"Pelagius?"

"Yes."

"How?" Alecto asked. "He has been dead for a year. The Church had him excommunicated and killed. Such teachings are considered blasphemy."

"Is there anything not considered blasphemy?" Lancelot asked. He looked at Arthur. Arthur paid him no heed.

"Pelagius, dead?"

"Yes."

All at once, it seemed as if Arthur's entire world spun around him. Everything he believed Rome to be did not exist. He spent the last fifteen years defending a delusion. With one fell swoop, his hope shattered and his world fell apart.

Kida woke to find Merlin tending a fire. Over the fire a rabbit cooked. Merlin noticed she was awake and offered her some water. Sleep did not clarify much, it made things more confusing. Once she had eaten, she turned to Merlin and asked, "Why did you save me?"

"I told you why."

"It just doesn't make sense. Are we not enemies?"

"I am not your enemy, I am Rome's enemy, you and the knights just happen to get caught in the middle of our war."

"We fight the war."

"Yes, but all wars have casualties, people that should not have died but did."

"I know, don't start on about your cause. I already had the lecture from Guinevere. Freedom is nice and all, but at this precise moment I have a few other things on my mind."

"Freedom…"

"Freedom does not seem to be one of them," she interrupted Merlin before he could continue on. "I thank you for saving me, but I need to get back to Arthur and the others. The Saxons are lurking around and I will not let them catch the others by surprise if I can help it."

"If that is your wish."

"It is." Kida looked around for her gear but found nothing. "Where are my weapons?"

"They washed away. When I found you, you were half-drowned and half-naked."

It was then when Kida realized that she was not wearing her usual clothes and special binding around her chest. She was in a large shirt and fur leggings, probably provided from Merlin's own wardrobe. She blushed. "These are your clothes, aren't they?"

"Yes, it was all I had with me. Sorry they are not suitable."

"Oh no, they are just fine. You wouldn't have a belt or something I could use to secure them on better?"

"I will see what I can find."

"Thank you." Merlin left and returned with a thin rope which Kida cut into two pieces, wrapping one around her waist to roll the leggings up in so that they would stay up and then the other around the her waist over the shirt so that the outcome was something close to a tunic. Once she was satisfied she sat down again. Merlin left once more and returned with a bundle.

"Here," he said handing her the bundle.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You will need these when you find your friends."

"Will you not be coming with me?"

"No," he shook his head.

"Why?"

"Our time to fight the Saxons is not now. It is undeniable that the time will come, but it is not now."

"Not even for your daughter?" Kida asked incredulously.

"She can take care of herself, and besides, you knights can handle things." Merlin packed her some food. "I suspect you will want to leave soon. I cannot stop you, I can see that. So I will give you what you need." He pointed towards the river. "Follow the way the river flows and you will find the others."

"I don't know how to thank you for all you have done for me," she started.

"The time may come when you can repay the debt. If not, just keep my daughter safe."

"That I will. Thank you." Kida nodded her head and started towards the river.

"Wait," Merlin called. Kida turned around. "You will never make it on foot." He whistled and out came a horse. "This is Swift; he will bear you quickly to your destination." He handed her the reigns. "May God watch over you all," he said as she mounted the horse and rode away. He stood their watching until she rounded the bend.

Kida held the bundle in her lap. She fingered it cautiously as she opened it. Inside she discovered two short blades, a short bow and arrows, and two knives. Somewhat relieved to have weapons with her, she armed herself, making sure to keep an eye out for Saxons or some other follower.