The blue warriors ran stealthily across the meadow and up towards the fort; their positions were hidden by the darkness and the only indicator the awaiting sentries had was the intensity of the cries and Tristan.
"Here they come." Growled Tristan fiercely and unsheathed his swords; the other knights and Romans following suit just before the first ladder crashed against the wall. Soon Woads were pouring over the wall and the battle commenced. Dagonet toppling Woads back over the wall as they met the sharp end of his axe and Bors fought nearby; his Sarmatian battle cry ringing out over the din. Lancelot swung his twin blades with precision and skill; felling Woads with every swing and causing many to topple to their deaths. As the Woads continued to fly over the wall the battle got more and more intense and the knights fought with passion and flair; Tristan was only recognizable from his curved Sarmatian blade and the fact that a ring could be distinguished as he slayed any Woads within 5 feet of him with a single slice of his blade. Blood splattered the knights as they plunged their swords deep into the chests of their enemies and mutilated others. Bodies littered the battlements as the skirmish continued its unrelenting pace and many were tossed over the edge of the walkway as the men shuffled along the path; their swords clashing, their screams echoing and their hearts racing. Although he hated to admit it and hated the thought of these past 14 years in Rome's service, Galahad got a rush of adrenaline from the battle and yelled as he thrust his sword into the abdomen of a nearby Woad and yanked it back out again; the Woad falling lifeless to the ground, his dead eyes staring blankly up at the night sky. All of the knights fought with the same sense of rage that they encountered in every battle; their eyes shining with a fierce burning, but were unawares of what was happening deeper within the fort.
Two Woads had managed to escape over the wall unharmed and were running frantically through the streets of the fort. Their hair whipped by the frosty breeze and their blue bodies blending in with the shadows, they created an invisible enemy. At last they reached their destination and stood beneath the window to the girl's chamber. They had suspected that her door would be guarded and had decided on a window approach; seeing her stood at it on many nights so they knew where it was.
"Give me a boost!" hissed one of the Woads and grasped on tightly to the wall as his companion heaved him up towards the window.
Once securely in position the Woad started to make his way up the wall; grabbing onto the ivy that covered the rough stone until he eventually reached the window. The shutters were open and he leapt through silently and landed safely on the floor at the foot of her bed. She slept fitfully, her hair spread around her on the pillow like a halo and her face peaceful. They had been tracking this girl for weeks, hoping to catch her in the attack on the village but failing after she had disappeared into the woods and was later rescued by Arthur and his knights. They knew time was of the essence as her powers would be revealed tonight and it was vital she didn't learn how to use them before Merlin had stripped of them otherwise she could be unstoppable.
The Woad tiptoed towards her so as not to alert the guards outside of his existence and paused by the table positioned next to her bed. A mug of water and some herbs stood on the table and the Woad picked the herbs up to sniff at them. Sedatives. He smiled slyly at the notion that the girl was drugged as it made the whole process so much easier. Arthur had drugged the girl again with the agreement of the other knights for her own safety and now it was coming into perfect use. The Woad grabbed the girl's arm from underneath the cover and after noting the mark on her arm, hauled her from the bed and onto his shoulders. He crept back over to the window and dropped the girl into his companions awaiting arms before he too leapt out of the window.
The battle still raged on and the sounds of swords clashing against one another and the screams of the dying men was deafening. Many of the ladders had been smashed though and the remaining few were gradually being beaten back. As another Woad came over the top of one of the ladders he was instantly thrown clear of the wall thanks to Gawain's axe and the knight kicked the ladder powerfully and sent it crashing to the ground; crushing a few Woads underneath the splintered wood. He returned to the fray and was soon laying waste to many more of the blue men as they ran towards him.
At long last the battle was over and Arthur looked around anxiously counting the men around him. He breathed a sigh of relief after detecting all of his knights unscathed and told a Roman officer near him to gather the remaining soldiers and clear up after the bloody fight.
"RRRRUUUUUSSSSSSS!" screamed Bors into the night air as Tristan confirmed that the retreating figures had disappeared once again into the forest.
"I think we all deserve a drink." Cheered Galahad cheerfully and started to make his way towards the tavern until Gawain rushed past him and ran off through the empty streets of the town.
"Where's he going?" cried Galahad, a little indignantly.
"Anise." Whispered Arthur as the remembrance of the girl hit him.
Gawain pounded along the corridors of the fort, brushing past people as he tried to reach Anise's room. A sinking feeling tugged in his gut as his feet took him closer to her room, and try as he might to shake it off it wasn't going anywhere. He barged past the guards and flung open the door to the room; finding it empty.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
The guards looked fearfully into the room and at Gawain's furious face. This was not a man to be argued with, especially as he had so easily killed so many men just moments before.
"I-I-I don't know sir." Stammered the guard as Gawain began to stalk menacingly towards him. "We've been guarding the door the whole time and no-one has come past this way sir." He whimpered as his back pressed flush against the wall.
"They must have comethrough the window." Snarled Gawain as he turned to peer into the room again and noticed the visible starry night sky.
"Go and get our horses!" he shouted at the two guards as he ran past them and towards the hostelry.
"Arthur!" shouted Gawain as he rounded the corner and saw the knights sat talking and drinking in the tavern. Arthur's head immediately jerked up at the mention of his name and he eyed Gawain uneasily.
"Arthur they've taken the girl!" Gawain panted out as he came to stop besides the table they were sat round.
"But how? We had that door guarded!" replied Arthur unbelievably.
"They came through the window." Stated Gawain shaking his head. "I'm going after her." He added and began walking off towards the stable.
"Well we're coming with you!" shouted Bors. "We're not missing out on another chance to kick some Woad arse!"
Gawain smiled gratefully as the knights swallowed the remainder of their drinks and slammed them down on the table before jumping up from their seats and walking towards Gawain.
Tristan approached Gawain silently and slapped a broad hand across his shoulder.
"Don't worry, we'll get her back." He commented quietly before mounting his awaiting steed that had just been brought into the courtyard.
The rest of the knights mounted their own horses before thundering out of the gates, leaving a plume of dust in their wake.
As the knights galloped mercilessly across the pasture and towards the immense gloom of the forest Gawain recalled Dagonet's previous concern over the strength of her possible powers, and hoped beyond hope that she would discover them and shield herself from the dark magic of Merlin before it was too late.
A/N: Oh no the naughty Woads have made off with Anise! Now Gawain will never get to kiss her...or will he? Hehehe I guess you'll all just have to find out in the next installment lol. Just like to say another big thankyou to all of my reviewers, especially Ailis-70 how has been giving me thebest reviews in the world! I'm glad you're enjoying it so much and I hope Ican keep living up to your expectations lol. Thanks x (By the way perhaps another little battle in the next chapter, possibly more gore this time lol)