Chapter Nine

Beleth was sitting on the back of the wagon resting her head on the side. Galahad had been gone what seemed like an eternity. What if she had lost him? No, that was impossible. She would know, deep down, she would know he was no longer here.

She looked at the horse being towed behind the wagon. It was the beige and black one that had been in the stable, when Galahad and herself had argued about going over the wall. That was so long ago. Would they ever argue again? Ever speak?

She couldn't stand it, the wondering, it was insufferable. She had to go. She couldn't sit any longer. She quietly slipped off the wagon but continued to walk with it and undid the horse's reins from the back of the wagon and slowly mounted. She wheeled uit around and started in a hard gallop.

"Beleth!" She could hear Vanora call her from behind but she couldn't stop. She had to find him. She just had to.

She stood in between their many flags and catapults and stared horrified at the sight that lay before her. The sickening metallic smell of blood filled her nostrils. The main fighting was over, she could see a few people walking around, lost in themselves. She pushed her horse onwards down the hill.

When they reached the edge of the battlefield she slid off the horse and left him to graze. She slowly walked over the ground, gingerly stepping over the bodies. The sight was sickening.

"Galahad!" She glanced around the fallen bodies; none wore the intricate armour that Galahad wore. That relieved Beleth but only a little. Anything could have happened. "Galahad!" Still no response. Smoke and mist swirled around her making it impossible to see where she had left her horse.

"Beleth!" She turned and saw Galahad standing looking at her. Relief flooded her. He was safe, and he loved her. Little old her. They would be able to leave this awful place and be together forever. Suddenly the look of relief left Galahad's face and it was replaced b y a mixture of anger, fear, and down right terror.

An arm reached around and grabbed Beleth's neck and held her tight. Struggling and kicking against her attacked. The man grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back.

"Now look here sonny, if you want to see your girl again you will be putting the sword down." The thick Saxon accent rung in her ears as well as the sick smell that accompanied it. All Beleth could see was the sky but she heard a distinct thud of a sword hitting the ground. "Don't com e any closer." Galahad must have stepped closer because the Saxon stumbled backward.

Beleth tried to reach her cuff but couldn't bend her wrist quite far enough to reach. "Now little missy, you will be my ticket out of here and tonight…" That was all the incentive Beleth needed, straining against every bone and muscle in her wrist she felt the tip of the small dagger that was hidden there. She held if fast and removed it. She drove it into the man's stomach and he released her. She ran over and practically collapsed into Galahad's arms.

"Are you alright?" He held her steady and studied her face. She smiled a watery smile through her tears.

"I am much better now that I know you are alright." Galahad brought her into a warm embrace. The fact that he was covered in dirt a blood meant nothing to Beleth, he was safe, that was all that mattered.

"I told you I would come back and I did, didn't I?" She looked at him.

"I had to make sure." He kissed her and everything else melted away.

Beleth was on the back of Galahad's horse on the ride back, to what was left of the settlement. It had been mostly destroyed to avoid that Saxon's getting a strong hold. She rested her head on Galahad's shoulder. Lancelot and Tristan were dead. She couldn't believe it. She knew little of Tristan but Lancelot was much like another older brother.

Beleth noticed Galahad had pulled his horse out of the line the other knights had formed. "Where are we going?" She asked quietly. She knew the knights deaths had effected Galahad deeply.

"You'll see." So she left it up to him, they rode in silence, basking in each others presence, not having to hide behind wall anymore took a great burden off both of them. After about another fifteen minutes they were on the edge of a valley that had an enormous lake at the bottom of it. Galahad rode his horse to the edge were he dismounted. He reached up and placed his hands on Beleth's hips and helped her down.

He let his horse go and graze. It was dusk now and getting rather chilly. She stared incredulously at Galahad as he started to take off his armour. When he was out of armour he removed his shirt and then to Beleth's horror his pants to reveal a pair of white cotton pants.

"What on Earth are you doing!" Demanded Beleth trying very hard to avert her gaze from his muscular chest.

"Getting rid of the blood." He said simply raising his eyebrows, before striding away towards the lake. Beleth ran and stood in front him stopping him.

"You can't swim in there, it is freezing!"

"Nonsense." He walked past her and continued waist deep before diving under the water. For a moment Beleth thought he had frozen before her broke the surface again. "Join me!" She stared for a while.

"I not quite that stupid."

"Oh, so you are afraid?" She stared indignantly for a while with her hands on her hips.

"I am not,"

"Prove it!" She stared at him she wasn't one to turn down a down right challenge. She pulled her wool dress over her head leaving her in a white muslin bodice type dress. But once she was about to mid calf she regretted her decision to come into the water. She had been correct, it was freezing.

"What?" Galahad raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing," Beleth continued into the water until she was treading water beside him. "I think this was the silliest thing I have ever done."

"We need to make your life more exciting then, don't we?" Galahad said smiling.

After a good swim and the smell of smoke had left their hair and the blood had left their skin Beleth lay with Galahad staring up at the skin both wrapped in his enormous wool cloak that was worn over armor. She was resting her head against his chest and couldn't believe it. They were together, he loved her and he wasn't in the Roman army anymore. Could any more of her wishes come true? No because those were all her wishes.

"I suppose Arthur shall be leaving for Rome soon." Galahad broke Beleth's trance. She looked up at him, he was staring at the sky.

"I suppose, although I am not sure, he seems to want to stay now, most likely because of Guinevere." Galahad didn't say anything, and then it hit Beleth. "Of course if he does go I shall miss him terribly."

Galahad looked down at her suddenly. "You don't intend to follow him?" She looked at him before placing her hand on his cheek.

"No, I almost lost you once and I don't intend to do it again." He leaned down and kissed her.