Secrets in the Shadows
Me: I'll trade you a duck for the rights to all the knights.
People who own the movie: Hmm... tempting.
Me: Come on you know you want to give them to me!
People who own the movie: On second thought maybe not...
Me: God damn it give me the knights.
People who own the movie: Nope.
Well I tried, but I still don't own the knights. I just have my original characters and my plot.
Chapter Seven: Exploring
Inara was convinced that she had seen that same building four times now, she could recognize it by the sleeping old man outside. It frustrated her to no end that there was no sense of organization about the place.
"Either you are extremely fond of walking in circles, or you are lost. Which is it?" Came a taunting voice in Inara's ear.
She turned round to stare into the eyes of Galahad. The poor boy, hopefully he did not think that she fancied him after she had kissed him last night. Why did she even do that? It wasn't as if she had the ale as an excuse to behave in such a manner.
"Unfortunately it is the latter." Inara said smiling.
"Ah well, in that case let me assist you in the matter. Where was it that you were heading to?" Galahad said raising a brow.
"Everywhere and anywhere... I wanted to see the fort not just the walls of the guest quarters." Inara explained.
"Care for a guide then?" He said offering his arm to her.
"You have my thanks Sir knight." Inara said with a playful curtsey before she looped her arm in his.
He showed her the tavern, the stables, the blacksmith and the training grounds before the sun had almost set. Galahad turned out to have realized that Inara's kiss was only in jest and was he told her of this she relaxed with him immediately.
"I am afraid I have kept you from your duties for too long, Arthur will be cross with me." Inara stated when her legs no longer wished to wander.
"He could not be cross with you m'Lady, merely me. And as much as it pains me, duty calls." Galahad took her hand and kissed it briefly before heading back towards the armory.
Inara glanced up at the orange sky and decided that she would rather enjoy the view of the sunset from atop the wall. Galahad had pointed out the staircase on their stroll and she was fairly certain she could get to it on her own.
She made only two wrong turns before she ascended the stone steps, a handful of skirt in either hand as she carefully made her way. At the top she was met with a clear view of the sunset. The sky looked as if it had been painted and was more beautiful than the ones she saw at home.
"Granfather, if you could only see this with me now." Inara said to the wind as she rubbed her pendant.
The small silver star was a gift from her grandfather before he passed. It had belonged to her grandmother, whom Inara was named for. Before Marcus came for her and her mother, Inara lived with her grandfather in Egypt.
She continued to gaze at the sun's descent when she spied a small fleck of black moving over the orange. As it came closer, she realized that it was a hawk. Her father had a servant in Rome named Hector who used to hunt with the bird and she used to enjoy stroking its soft feathers.
Inara imitated what she had seen Hector do to call his bird, by sticking out her arm and letting out a low whistle. She felt rather foolish once she had done this, as Hector's hawk was trained and this was probably a wild creature. She was pleasantly surprised however, when the hawk landed on her arm.
The talons of the bird pierced the thin fabric of her gown and sunk into her forearm. Inara let out a gasp of pain and she tried to shove the bird from her arm, but it wouldn't budge. A short whistle from behind her called the bird away, and she pushed back her sleeve to see two sets of three marks scored into her flesh.
"She did not mean to harm you." Tristan said as he walked closer with the hawk perched on his left arm.
"I did not realize that she was yours." Inara said before pulling the fabric of her sleeve back down.
"She belongs to no one." Tristan stroked the birds beak before letting her fly off.
"But yet, she's drawn to you." Inara said as her gaze met Tristan's.
A long silence passed between them as they looked out at the remainder of the sunset. Inara kept rubbing her right arm with her left hand, the wounds stinging with her touch, but she did not want to alarm Tristan with them. She had been enough of a bother to him last night.
"Thank you for taking care of me last night." Inara said remembering her manners.
Tristan nodded his head to her in response but did not speak. His lack of words unnerved her, all the other knights especially Lancelot could not stop chattering but Tristan never seemed to find use for words.
Inara started to walk away when Tristan reached out and grabbed her arm. He pushed back her sleeve and looked at the cuts his hawk's talons made and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he examined them.
"These need to be bandaged up." He said as he ran his finger tips over the skin.
Inara stared at him as he traced the wounds lightly. She could hardly feel his contact, yet it seemed to send a blush to her face that she tried to will away.
"Come, Dagonet shall see to you." Tristan took her arm and led her down the stairs and towards the residence halls.
He stopped outside Dagonet's room and knocked briefly on the door. Before Dagonet could answer, he distanced himself from Inara.
"Tristan... Inara? What is the matter?" Dagonet said with confusion in his voice.
"My hawk." Tristan said as he pulled up the sleeve to show the gash in her arm.
"Come inside." Dagonet said, opening the door wider to admit them.
Dagonet's room was simple, a bed on one wall, a fireplace on the other, and a table in the center with various herbs collected on it.
"Well Lady Inara, you seem to need tending to quite often." Dagonet said as he evaluated the wounds more closely.
"Only since I came here." Inara defended.
"I am going to need to apply a salve so these won't get infected, then I shall wrap your arm. Luckily she did not cut you so deeply that you would need to be stitched." Dagonet explained.
He worked diligently with a grace she did not expect from a man of his size. A few minutes later her arm was wrapped tightly in clean white linen bandages.
"Thank you." Inara said as she pulled the sleeve of her gown back down.
"You are welcome any time M'Lady." Dagonet said with a smile.
Dagonet looked at Tristan who had stood in the background the entire time. If he didn't know better, it would look like Tristan actually cared for the girl. But in the years he spent with him, Tristan never once cared for any woman.
Inara rose and walked out of the room, only to find Tristan a few paces behind her. She stopped abruptly and turned to look up at him. She thought she saw a flicker of emotion for a second behind his eyes, but the mask was soon replaced.
"My mother will worry if I do not return soon..." Inara began.
"Aye." Tristan said, knowing full well of how capable that woman was of worrying.
"Perhaps you will indulge me with another conversation tomorrow." Inara said in jest.
"Perhaps." Tristan said, the corners of his mouth twisting up into a smirk.
"Goodnight...Tristan." She said slowly.
His name from her lips sounded almost as exotic as her appearance and he was taken aback for a moment before he replied in a whisper, "Till tomorrow, Inara."