Note:Thanks for the reveiws! Sorry this took so long. Time seems to be getting away from me again. I will stop with the excuses, which I think you are all probably sick of hearing, reading whatever. I hope you like it. Happy reading!
Saxons
Arthur and the knights stood on a hill, all dressed up in full battle gear. The air around them was heavy with smoke and fear. Arthur looked at each of his knights. They would follow him to their deaths, a fate he prayed they would not meet.
"It's not that bad," Bors said. "Once we beat the Saxons we will be free to do what we want here."
"If we beat them," Tristan replied.
"No if's. We can't afford if's,"
They fell silent and watched as the gates slowly opened.
The Saxons watched as the gates opened. "They are surrendering."
"Kill every last one of them." With a signal from their leader, the front legion marched in, sure that they were going to have the battle won in mere minutes. As one, they marched. The ground quacked beneath them.
Guinevere stood beside her warriors. They hid among the trees with their bows ready. They would fight until their last breath. "Have heart. Let not fear take us now," she whispered as the Saxons marched into the trap laid for them. She prayed that they would win; she prayed that they would all live to see the end.
Kida stood up. "I have to stop this."
"Silence. It is too late," Vanora said. They stopped as the clanking of metal met their ears.
"The Saxons." Kida grabbed her clothes and began to dress.
"Kida, I can't let you go."
"They are going to get themselves killed."
"They can handle it."
"I have to do something."
"You're weak; you'll only get yourself hurt."
"Vanora," Kida looked at her. "Please? I have too."
"Why?"
"Because I do."
"Knights," Arthur began. "You have all fought bravely. I will not make you do this. If you have any other thoughts you may leave if you will. You are free men; you have been from your very first breath. My knights, my brothers, we fight to protect our new home. The home we now claim since our birth places are now banned from us. Let us not fall to another oppressor. Let us fight for freedom."
"For Freedom!"
As one, the knights rode into formation, an arrow head. The Saxons stood, confused. Smoke swirled around them, giving the knights cover. Like phantoms, they rode through the Saxon lines, striking down warriors left and right. The Saxons yelled their battle cry and sung at their attackers, missing them. The knights came at them from all directions, confusing their foe.
With in moments, the entire legion was dead except for one man. They opened the gates and let the man stumble out. The Saxon leader stared at the man, confused. The gates opened again and he led the rest of his army in. Arthur and his knights reassembled back on the hill and waited.
The Saxon drums pounded through the air. The Saxons, unfaltering, marched across the dead bodies of their comrades and into the smoke. "Now!" Arthur cried. The Saxons stopped and looked around them. In the distance, the tree line lit up. Soon fire rained from the sky. The field lit on fire and a great blaze divided the army in half.
The Woads emerged from the trees and drew their weapons, crying their battle call. "Charge!" The Woads charged, with the knights intermixed with them. From all sides warriors came, surrounding the Saxons. In one explosive clash, the opposing forces met metal to metal.
"Vanora, please."
Vanora sighed and showed Kida where her stuff was. "I shouldn't be doing this."
With some struggle, Kida managed to dress and arm herself. "Have no fear."
"You'll die. I just know it. You're weak. What can you do?"
"Liam and the others are fighting along side the Woads. I can do the same."
"Liam and the others weren't just nearly killed either."
Kida smiled. "Vanora, this is my choice. If I choose to commit suicide by fighting today, it is my own fault. Do not feel responsible for me. If it is willed that I die today, I will die anyway."
Vanora shook her head. "Just try to not get yourself killed."
"I will."
They fought. Many men fell on both sides. The knights weaved through the fighters, taking down as many Saxons as they could. They soon lost each other and battle. Liam and Tristan fought side by side. They were being pushed to the opposite end the rest of the knights were. They swung their blazing blades, slicing everything that got in their way. Tristan had abandoned his bow and danced his dance, gracefully slicing and slitting. Liam hacked and chopped off arms and heads. Both of them were drenched with blood.
Gawain took and arrow and fell, Arthur struggled to his side. Galahad protected him the best he could. Lancelot made it to them first and held off the Saxons as Arthur and Dagonet moved Gawain. They placed him on his mount. "Galahad, take Gawain back to camp."
"No, I want to stay and fight," Gawain protested.
"You are no good to us dead."
"Very well."
Galahad mounted his horse and galloped away with Gawain. As if time stopped, Arthur watched as the reminder of his knights fought. The Woads took down Saxons and Saxons murdered Woads. The ground ran red with blood. He scanned the chaos and found the Saxons leader, tall and lean, taking down anyone that got in his way. Arthur knew he had to face the leader.
Lancelot stood next to him. "Arthur?"
"You don't have to do this."
"I know, I want to." Lancelot smiled.
Arthur shook his head and grinned. "I will never understand."
"I know."
The two men looked at each other and charged back into the mists of the chaos.
Kida left the tent. The camp was nearly empty.
"So you live?" a voice remarked. Kida turned around to find Lorna standing behind her.
"You."
"I should have killed you myself. You ruined everything."
The sounds of the battle rang through the forest. She had to get there; she had to make sure the knights were alright. "Not now."
"I think now's a perfect time." Kida glared at her.
"If you want to deal with me, you can do it later. I'll not fight you."
"You won't fight me now." Lorna raised a crossbow and aimed at Kida.
"Lorna…"
Lorna laughed. She aimed. Kida sighed; there was nothing she could do. WHACK! Lorna fell to the ground. "I never liked her any way," Vanora said as she laid down the staff she had just whacked Lorna over the head with. Kida stared at her, stunned. "Don't worry, she'll keep for you. I personally think you should kick her ass, but that's just me." Vanora smiled.
Kida returned the smile. "Thank you."
Guinevere led her people. She and five other women fought as a team. Coming at their foe at all angles. Swift and ruthless, the warrior women took down many Saxon men. Guinevere stole glances at the opposite side of the field; the knights had completely disappeared among the bodies of the enemy.
Gawain and Galahad arrived at the camp. Vanora met them and helped Gawain into a tent. Gawain noticed Lorna lying unconscious on the ground. "She get a little out of hand?"
"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor," Vanora smiled. "Just a problem, nothing I couldn't handle."
"I have to go back," Galahad said.
"Go, be careful," Vanora said.
Galahad nodded and rode away. Vanora turned to Gawain and removed the arrow. "God woman, you are cruel."
Vanora chuckled and began to clean the wound. "How's Kida?" Gawain asked. Vanora hesitated. "She's as well as can be expected."
"Has she waked yet?"
"Yes, for a while. She'll be fine." Vanora stopped and wrapped his wound and gave him a tea to put him to sleep.
"Can I see her?"
"When you wake." Satisfied, Gawain drank his tea and fell asleep. Vanora left the tent and wondered if she had made the right choice in letting Kida go.
Guinevere got separated from her group. Large men came at her and drove her to the heart of their ranks. She tried to fight her way out, but they were too strong for her. They cut her off from her group and soon had her completely trapped by a wall of flesh. Guinevere tried everything she could to escape but it was no use, they had her.
Arthur looked and saw Guinevere trapped. He grabbed a mount and rode to her. Slicing and cutting at anything that got in his way. He charged, leaping through the flames the separated the two groups and plowed his way to Guinevere. He chopped off heads and arms; his eyes on Guinevere. Finally he broke through and grabbed Guinevere, pulling her onto the horse and rode away. He rode until they broke the lines of battle and met the tree line.
"Stay here," he ordered.
Guinevere glared at him, "No, I will fight."
Arthur stared at her. He loved her. "I don't want you to get hurt. Stay here please."
She shook her head. "I will fight." Set in her decision she ran off again to rejoin her group. Arthur watched her go. He wished he could protect her. How he wanted to tie her up and keep her at the camp, but he knew she would not have that. She was too stubborn and independent, the qualities he loved best about her. He shook his head and rode back to join his knights.
Kida slipped into the battle field. She thought it best that the knights didn't know she was there. She had to watch over them, but they would not know about it. If they did, they would spend too much effort watching over her that they might make a mistake and get wounded or killed. She picked a place where she could easily get to any of the knights if the need rose and she fought as best as she could. Swinging, chopping, slicing, she attacked the Saxons.
Galahad returned and joined Arthur and Lancelot. "Gawain?" Arthur asked.
"With Vanora." Arthur nodded, relieved that there was one less knight to worry about. He and the other two knights formed a circle, their backs against each other and fought. It was hard to tell who was winning, but if they were to tip the scales, the leader would have to die. As Arthur scanned the crowd for the leader, his eyes found something else. In the distance he could have sworn he saw Kida, but that would have been impossible. He lost her and looked again but could not find her. He had to have imagined it.
His eyes scanned again and found the Saxon leader. He fought fiercely, killing with one hit. Arthur turned to Lancelot, "The leader."
Lancelot nodded and they began to move towards him. The leader noted this and sent his son to intercept him. He charged and stalled the knights. Lancelot nodded to Arthur and Galahad and engaged the Saxon. Arthur and Galahad continued on towards the leader. The leader laughed and sent his second in command to stop them. Galahad took him, leaving Arthur to continue on alone. He was almost there when the leader disappeared. Arthur searched for him but could not find him.
Lancelot fought the leader's son. He was a fierce warrior. They fought. Slice, chop, jab. They were both equally matched. They circled each other. One of them was going to die. Lancelot watched for an opening. He saw it and lunged. Blade met flesh. The Saxon cried and fell. Lancelot pulled his sword out of the dead Saxon's throat and went in search of Arthur.
Liam and Tristan watched as the leader killed. He had to be stopped. Liam nodded at Tristan. They would take him. As one, they plowed through the bodies towards the leader. He saw them and waited, smiling. "You want to die?" he asked as they faced him. They gripped their weapons and attacked. The Saxon laughed and deflected all of their attacks. They came at him from all angles yet they could not get a good attack in. The Saxon kept on laughing and blocking. "You're going to have to do better than that."
He attacked Tristan, completely ignoring Liam. He drove him to the ground and pinned him. He smiled coldly and went in for the kill. Liam took the chance and came at him from behind, distracting him. The Saxon grew angry. He turned to Liam, stabbing Tristan, making sure he would not move. "Stupid knight," he hissed. He went at Liam.
Arthur found the leader again. He fought Liam. Arthur tried to get to him, but Saxons blocked his way. From the looks of the battle, Liam would not survive. He rallied the other knights and they charged into the wall of flesh that had accumulated around the Saxon leader. They tried to break through, but the wall kept them back.
Liam fought with everything he had but it was not enough. He began to tire under the massive blows of the Saxon leader. His blocks became sloppy and he left openings everywhere. He made a last feeble attempt to attack. He slipped and the Saxon drove his blade into him. Liam gasped, wide-eyed.
"NO!" Kida screamed as she saw Liam fall. She pushed her way through the wall of Saxons. "LIAM!" The Saxons attention was on the knights, so they did not expect her. Kida burst through the wall as Liam fell to his knees. He faced her.
"Kida?" he whispered. The Saxon pulled his blade from Liam and he collapsed to the ground. Without a moments thought, Kida attacked the Saxon. Like a hawk, she circled him, making dives at him. This confused the Saxon. She was quick and unpredictable. She did not think she just did. Clash went their blades. She turned, swerved, dodged, and kicked. Mixing up everything she had ever learned, trying to get an advantage. The Saxon blocked her attacks, barely. He attacked her, she dodged him. She could hold him off but if she didn't get the advantage soon he would overpower her. She inspected him. He swung high and hit hard. Calculating the best possible place and time to attack she waited. When it rose she acted, praying to all the gods that her blade would be true. "ARH!"
The knights finally broke the wall. The Saxon troops began to fall back. The Woads chased them to the gate and shot after them. They had won. Arthur scanned the battlefield, what had happened. His eyes rested on the dead Saxon leader. Next to the dead Saxon leader stood a figure that he could not make out. But he knew who it was. The figure knelt next to the fallen Liam. An anguished cry echoed through the valley silencing all other sounds.