Title: Plight of the Hawk
Series: Winter Tidings
Author: Jmaria
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: FfA #790 Buffy / Tristan (King Arthur)
A/N: Ok, I've watched King Arthur recently, and I love Tristan and he's my favorite knight, so viola. Anyway, there are some spoilers here for those who haven't seen the movie.
Plight of the Hawk
He had died in battle, alone as usual. Tristan looked up at the sky, searching for that familiar outline that had always been there. He was not sure what had happened, or how he had ended back so close to the Wall. He'd been fighting the Saxon. Tristan had sought him out. He lived for the battle, the fight, the bloodshed, and for that thrill at the battle.
Now he sat at the edge of the knights cemetery, where he was certain his body was buried. But he felt the grass beneath him, the wind around him. He didn't feel dead, he felt alive. There was a cry above him, and he saw the hawk again. He rested against the tree. It felt odd, not being on a horse after fifteen years of constant riding.
Smoke rose from the ground in front of him. Tristan stared at it. He could see the tip of a sword handle poking through the grass. He heard the hawk cry out and watched as it plunged downward. The bird of prey landed on his hand, and Tristan stroked his breast feathers.
"Hey, you're free." He told it, trying to let the creature have the freedom he'd only tasted for a short while. The bird trilled, bowing it's head.
"Hey! Did you set something on fire?" A female voice cried out. Tristan looked up in shock. He had not expected someone to be out here, after the battle. "That's illegal around here because of the whole dry grass thing."
"Do the Romans make these rules?" Tristan murmured to the hawk.
"Hey, Lord of the rings aficionado, I'm talking to you."
"How is it that she can see me? What Lord is she talking about?" Tristan stared at the blonde before him, her hair brighter than Vanora's and Gawain's. No woman, Woad, Roman, or Sarmatian had hair that bright.
"Who are you?"
"Tristan." He replied. "Is Arthur here?"
"Arthur?"
"The Roman commander at the Wall?"
"Roman commander . . .did you hit your head while lighting whatever that is on fire?"
"I didn't light it." Tristan shrugged. "I suppose my head hit the ground when the Saxon killed me."
"Who lit it then?"
"My brothers in arms."
"Wait - who killed you?"
"The Saxon general. Don't fret, girl. It was a glorious battle." Tristan stroked the crest feathers of the hawk. "You've only seen this one battle. There will be more."
"Trust me, I've seen my share." She rolled her eyes. "When did this 'glorious battle' of yours take place?"
"Feels like only yesterday." Tristan gave a small smile. "What year is it now?"
"2005. And there hasn't been a battle here for a long time."
"Arthur is not here? Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, or Bors?"
"Lancelot? Great. Let me guess, there's a Merlin in your world too?"
"He leads the Woads."
"The Woads. Why can't I just get demons to deal with instead of a ghost who claims to have been in Camelot?" Buffy sighed.
"Where?" Tristan asked. He didn't feel like a ghost, but then he really didn't believe in ghosts so how would he know what they felt like?
"You've met Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin, you've never heard of Camelot? Have you heard of Guinevere?"
"She's a Woad."
Buffy Summers stared at him. He was as confusing as Oz on a bad day. At least he talked more. The bird on his hand wasn't a ghost, because she didn't think birds could be ghosts. If they could, there'd be tons of them all over the world.
"I don't think you're a ghost."
"I died. And now I'm back."
"Doesn't mean your a ghost."
"My knife will go through you." Tristan pulled out one of his throwing daggers and threw it at her.
Buffy hadn't been expecting it, but she caught deftly between her palms. She glared at him.
"Why does everyone think throwing knives at me is gonna prove a point?" She fumed. "Nope, you're not a ghost, you're just over a thousand years old. And you're alive." Buffy sighed. "I'm Buffy Summers. I think you should come with me."
"Is that your real name?" Tristan asked.
"Would you like to be dead again?" Buffy retorted.