Arthur and Lancelot watched from the parapets as Gawain and his steed thundered into the courtyard. The two men then both rushed down the steps towards him as he wrestled Anise off the horse and started to frogmarch her towards the fort. Arthur ran up beside him as she continued to struggle against Gawain's tight grip and he glared furiously at the girl.
"What do you think you were doing!" he shouted irately; not hesitating in his powerful strides alongside her.
Anise threw her head round to face him and instead of giving him an answer she simply spat in his face. Arthur stopped in annoyance and wiped the liquid from his face and let Gawain proceed to the fort with her. Lancelot lingered silently beside Arthur and turned to him in frustration; opening his mouth to speak until the Roman shot him a cold stare.
"Don't Lancelot. Just don't." he growled before marching off after Gawain.
Lancelot sighed in irritation and kicked a nearby stone before he too stalked down the hectic streets and after the others.
The other knights waited anxiously in the Table room; their chatter quiet and their faces grim. Only when they heard a tussle approaching from the corridor did they look up to see Gawain propelling an enraged Anise along the hallway; she was covered in filth and blood, her dress sopping and her face also covered in blood as well as her hair dishevelled and her expression livid. Gawain's own expression was one of offence and his long, blond hair too was tangled and his clothes caked in mud. He didn't bother to stop as he manhandled the girl around the corridor and the knights just stared at him with a stunned expression. A few seconds later a furious-looking Arthur followed suit and marched down the corridor after them; his boots stomping along the tiles as he paid his knights no attention. Finally Lancelot appeared and instead of turning the corner as the others had done, he continued to stalk along the corridor and into the Table room; a sullen expression on his face. He walked straight up to the table and slammed his fist hard down onto the wood.
"What happened Lancelot?" asked Galahad timidly.
Lancelot jerked his head up at the question and eyed Galahad sourly.
"That girl!" shouted Lancelot as he pointed back down the hallway. "That girl has gone berserk!"
The other knights simply stared at Lancelot in shock.
"She decided to try and kill the Woads by herself." He laughed dryly. "She got herself a sword and ran off towards the woods."
"How did she escape?" enquired Dagonet sternly.
"Ah well you see she killed any Roman that got in her way, or at the very least knocked them unconscious." Spat out the dark knight as he ran a hand roughly through his lustrous dark curls. He sighed heavily before plonking himself down gruffly in a nearby chair.
The remaining knights eyed each other in quiet surprise at the girl's strength and determination before Bors spoke out again at Lancelot.
"Well how did you get her back?" he said gruffly.
Lancelot looked up, a glowering expression on his gloomy face and his eyes even darker that normal.
"Gawain rode out on a horse after her. They struggled for a while but he eventually managed to restrain her." He snarled; explaining the vision the knights had witnessed earlier.
"So that's where he went." Chuckled Bors.
Gawain kicked the door open to Anise's room and kicked it closed behind him again as he span the girl to face him in his grip. She simply stared at him fiercely and he cast her backwards onto the bed. The door then swung open again as Arthur stormed into the room and he halted as he saw the girl lying sprawled across the bed with an indignant air about her and Gawain pacing silently across the floor.
He exhaled loudly as he trudged towards the bed and glared down at the surly figure beneath him.
"Just what were you planning to do once you reached the forest?" he asked, his voice a rough hiss.
"Kill any and every Woad that crossed my path." She retorted and gradually balled up her fists.
"You could have been killed yourself!" shouted Arthur causing her to shudder and he bent down dangerously close to her. "You ever do that again and I don't know what I'll do with you." He growled.
Arthur then hastily straightened up and tossing back the door, pounded out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Anise glared at the door as it banged shut and scowled at his last words. She remained where she was on the bed and her breaths came out in loud, angry huffs. Eventually Gawain ceased his pacing and turned to face the girl; his hands on his hip and blood still trickling from where Anise had bit him.
"I can't even look at you." He hissed and she shot him an indignant glare. "Arthur's right, you could have been killed out there today."
"Then why bother to come and save me?" she snapped viciously.
Gawain grunted impatiently and stalked towards her on the bed.
"Because…" he trailed off and began walking away from her, frustrated.
"You can't even answer me that?" she yelled as she sat up on the bed and threw a pillow at his retreating form.
Gawain span round and lunged at the bed.
"Because you need to be saved!" he shouted back, silencing her and leaving the room in silence apart from the heavy breaths issuing from both people. He pushed himself back off the bed and heaved himself heavily into a nearby chair. Anise eyed him curiously, all of her anger forgotten and slid herself to the edge of the bed.
"Gawain?" she whispered as she continued to hide his face from her.
"You should get cleaned up." He muttered as he stood up and walked out of the room; leaving Anise sat staring after him on the bed as the door swung shut behind him.
The chambermaids had taken her sodden dress from her and were meticulously bathing Anise as she sat and stared distantly out of the window. Gentle hands danced across her skin as the water splashed lightly over her and nimble fingers combed her damp ringlets. That morning's events had drained Anise of her energy and she did not resist the maids as they put her to bed and silently left her in the deafening stillness. Her weary eyes fluttered shut against her will.
The dreams did not plunder her spirit that night but let her rest; let her regain her strength and sleep peacefully. The chill night air ruffled her sheets a little as she slept and cut a swathe through the darkened room. It whistled past her sultry eyes and swept faintly across her pale skin as she murmured in her slumber. Lancelot gazed warily at the sleeping girl through her open door and sighed with disdain before trudging off towards his own room. He knew there was something that bothered him about the girl and he didn't like her staying in the fort, but Arthur wouldn't hear of it and he knew there was no point in trying to persuade him.
"Hyymm…" murmured the girl. "N…nnn…no!"
Lancelot span back to face the door and watched as the girl tossed amongst the covers and screwed up her face in discomfort. Perhaps the dreams had not left her after all, he mused to himself before sauntering off down the hallway.
Arthur had the nurse sedate Anise before she woke that morning as he could not risk her running amok again. The nurse had obeyed his orders and drugged the girl as she slowly stirred and now she lay limply under the shafts of light that played across her walls from the cracks in the shutters that covered the windows. The nurse watched her from the other side of the room as she continued with some embroidery and sat anxiously in the quiet morning hush. Anise gently moved her head to the side and stared imploringly at the nurse as her eyes fluttered shut every few seconds or so. After about an hour of drifting in and out of sleep the girl finally gathered the energy to be able to dress and leave the room. The nurse had to escort Anise everywhere; another of Arthur's orders, and she gripped tightly onto her slender arm as the girl glided towards the parapets.
"I simply want to see the morning sun." she whispered to the nurse and smiled faintly as she continued with her faltering steps.
The town was strangely quiet this morning and they walked with ease past the winding alleys and hushed tavern. The nurse aided Anise in climbing the steps that lead to the battlements and the young girl sighed in relief as she was seated between the stone walls and able to gaze languidly over the rustling meadow and leaning forest. The nurse watched over her warily as did the nearby Roman centurions, but felt that the drugs had rendered the girl harmless and took comfort in that thought.
"It's such a beautiful morning." Whispered Anise quietly as she leant her head to rest against one of the parapets and sighed gently. "It's such a shame Gawain isn't here to see it."
The nurse's face softened slightly at the girl's words and she glanced backwards towards the tavern to see the knight in question sat gloomily in a corner.
"Anise I think it's time to go now." Called the nurse softly and she reached out a hand to tap her shoulder.
"Oh," breathed the girl disappointedly. "But it's such a beautiful morning." She said with a small frown troubling her delicate brow.
The nurse smiled gently as Anise stood up and reluctantly turned from the view and grasped her arm once more. They made their way downstairs unhurriedly and Anise spotted Gawain huddled in the tavern.
"Gawain." She whispered and tried to pull towards him.
Her voice was inaudible as she could raise it no more than a whisper but he noticed her sudden movement and raised his head to see her stood before him. She smiled faintly at him; her eyes glazed over somewhat and her breathing slow and tranquil. The nurse nodded in his direction and asked that he return the girl in one piece as she walked away; leaving the two alone. Gawain sat staring at Anise's drugged figure and frowned at her sudden calmness. She made her way towards him slowly and he stood up to meet her, but her glassy eyes suddenly fluttered shut and she fell forwards into his arms.
"I bet Arthur had something to do with this." He whispered and heaved the limp girl's body into his arms and headed for the fort.
A/N: Do I sense a bit of tension building between Arthur and Gawain? Hmmm... Yep so we've gone from pyscho Anise to spaced out Anise lol, and what ever could Lancelot possibly be wary of the girl for? Well I guess you'll just have to read the next chapter, mwaa! Thanks x