sorry for the delay, duckies, but it's been a pretty busy weekend
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Two weeks later, Codi rode through the gates with Tristan on one side and Shasa on the other. Ignoring the apprehension that was quickly growing inside her, she lifted her chin and met the curious and fearful looks people threw her with challenging eyes. They rode straight threw the town and into the castle courtyard, where they were met by Arthur and the rest of his men. Codi studied each carefully, measuring reactions.
Bors and Lancelot seemed proud and pleased, Galahad merely confused, Arthur solemn and unreadable, and Gawain...Gawain looked like his world had been turned upside down. Codi read hurt, confusion, and grief warring for dominance in his face. Dagonet frowned as if in disapproval or concern—of what, Codi didn't really want to know.
Codi halted before them and looked Arthur in the eye. "I am to join your company. My mother has said it."
"Your mother is not the commander of my company," Arthur replied gently. "I choose who fights with me—and I cannot choose you."
"For what reason?" Codi challenged.
"You are a woman—I do not discount your courage or your ability," Arthur told her quietly, forestalling an angry protest. "But the harsh truth is that you are smaller and weaker than the men you would face. I will not risk you that way."
"I have been in battle," Codi said calmly, smiling as they twitched in surprise. "I am smaller, aye, but much faster—and more skilled than many. I had excellent teachers. And I have...certain advantages my opponents do not."
Arthur's eyes flicked to the wolf sitting alertly at her side. "I cannot risk it."
"For whose sake? My own?" Codi shook her head. "No one is forcing me. I undertake this task willingly. Certainly not for my mother's...she approves whole-heartedly. No one else may lay claim to me, nor dictate my actions."
She did not look at Gawain, though she heard his sharp, indrawn breath.
"Yet the fact remains that I, not you or your mother, am the commander of this company," Arthur said firmly. "And I say no."
"A bargain, then," Codi offered, fighting back frustration. "Pick your champion—I will meet him in a duel. If I win, you accept my service. If I lose, I will never bother you with this again."
Arthur sighed. "And if I do not accept your bargain?"
Codi smiled. "Then you will not hear the end of it until you do."
"I thought as much," Arthur said dryly, and rubbed his face. "Dagonet—show her what she is asking of me. Let us hope it will dissuade her."
Hiding a smile, Codi dismounted and handed her bow to Tristan, who gave her an amused glance. Dagonet unsheathed his sword even as she unsheathed one of the knives her mother gave her. Dagonet smirked and swung his sword idly, warming up. Codi hopped up and down a few times and stretched, making sure everything was loose.
"First blood," Arthur declared. "Go."
Codi waited, balanced on the balls of her feet, as Dagonet came toward her. It would have to be fast, Codi told herself. She could only dodge and duck so long without getting tired. As he approached, Cod started to move, circling around him and switching directions. She could see the big man blinking quickly as he got more and more dizzy. Abruptly, Codi snatched up two loose rocks and sent on whizzing right at his face and the other a bit lower. He ducked the first one, but in doing so set his face directly in the path of the second. As he shook his head and cursed (and fell over Shasa, who had wandered over to place himself directly behind Dagonet's knees), she darted in to swipe at the arm that held his sword. Skipping away, Codi grinned to see blood dotting her knife.
"Bad form!" Arthur cried furiously. "A low trick, Codi."
"What has form to do with anything?" Codi demanded. "You fight bandits and thieves, who have no honor—and Woads and Irishmen who will do whatever is necessary to survive. There is nothing honorable or fair about battle, Arthur—after eleven years, you of all people should know that."
Arthur rubbed his temples wearily and cast a dark look at Tristan, who shrugged.
"She's right, you know."
"I suppose you support this madness," Arthur stated resignedly.
"It would be madness to turn her away," Tristan said seriously.
Arthur turned to Dagonet, who shook his head with a wry grin and grimaced as he stood up. "The girl's got a point, loath as I am to admit it. And she did draw first blood."
"Give her a chance," Lancelot urged. "Codi's wasted in the tavern—you've said it yourself."
"Faster'n lightning, our lass," Bors said proudly. "And a cunning little bitch she is, too."
"Galahad?" Arthur inquired.
Galahad grinned. "Aye—think of what fun it would be, having Codi with us."
"Gawain?" Arthur asked, hesitantly this time.
"Aye," Gawain said heavily. "She deserves it."
Arthur sighed. "Alright, Codi. But if you slow us down or endanger my men in any way, you're through."
Codi nodded solemnly. "You won't be sorry, Arthur."
"I sincerely hope not," Arthur agreed with a scowl, and stalked into the castle.
Codi grinned and let her hand drop to tangle in Shasa's ruff as her friends crowded around her, greeting her enthusiastically—in Galahad, Bors, Lancelot's cases—roughly, in Dagonet's case, or not at all...in Gawain's case. Codi excused herself and followed him as he walked away. She knew he was heading for the stables.
"Gawain," she called softly. He hesitated, then stopped, but did not turn around. "Gawain, look at me."
When he did so, she could see the full measure of his pain. "Your mother was right."
Codi blinked. "What?"
"Before she took you away, she told me that you wouldn't be the same person when you came back." He swallowed. "She said I was not the man for you."
"No," Codi agreed after a moment. "I'm not the Codi you knew—and you're not the man for me. I'm sorry, Gawain."
"Tisn't your fault," Gawain muttered. "If anything, it was me—if I'd been there to protect you--"
"I don't need to be protected," Codi told him gently. "You were in love with a little girl afraid to stand up for herself, afraid to take charge of her own life—I'm not that girl anymore. You are a good, kind, honest man, Gawain, and one day you'll make some woman very happy—but that woman isn't me."
Gawain nodded mutely and turned away.
"Gawain," she called once more. "I can't pretend I'm not relieved to be rid of a betrothal, but I would hate to lose you as well. I may not need a man to protect me, but I do need a friend."
Gawain turned back and drew her to him in a tight hug. "I'll always be your friend, Codi—and even if you don't need me to protect you, I'll do my damnedest anyway."
"Likewise," Codi said with a relieved smile and hugged him back.
"You should go to Vonora," Gawain told her softly. "She's missed you."
"I will," Codi said, ashamed that she had forgotten.
Vonora was in the house, feeding the baby. Codi entered the house silently, but was soon spotted by Number Four, who shrieked in startled fear and ran to her mother. Vonora's head snapped up. Fear flickered across her face, but it was quickly replaced by recognition and joy.
"Codi!" she gasped, setting down Number—with a shock, Codi realized that it must be Number Eight, at least. "I heard people talking—but I thought...Oh, Codi, is it really you?"
"It's really me," Codi laughed, and hugged her friend.
Vonora stepped back and looked her over. "Why on earth are you wearing men's things? And these marks on your face...they—they're like Tristan's."
Codi nodded and smiled as Shasa trotted in. Vonora gasped and snatched up her baby, moving to place herself between Shasa and Number Four. Her eyes flicked from the wolf to Codi and back to the wolf.
"He's yours?" Vonora put a hand out to restrain Number Four, who was peeking around her mother curiously.
"Aye," Codi said softly. "He won't harm you. Four, would you like to pat his head? Wolves need friends, too."
Number Four nodded and moved forward. Codi could see Vonora struggling not to hold her back. The little red-head—she must be eight now, Codi thought, reached out a hand to pat Shasa's head. She shrieked and jumped backwards when Shasa licked her hand and then laughed. She patted him again and smiled when Shasa wagged his tail and licked her hand. Codi smiled at him in approval and laughed as she realized that her spirit mate really liked children; he wasn't just being polite.
Vonora let out a breath. "You've changed."
"I have," Codi agreed, and looked up. "I've joined Arthur's company."
"Have you, now?" Vonora asked sceptically. "And what has Arthur to say about this?"
"He agreed," Codi said, and grinned. "In the end."
"What have you done now?" Vonora asked, half amused and half worried.
Codi told her the whole of it and Vonora laughed.
"I wish I could have seen their faces," she said, shaking her head, then looked at Codi sharply. "Have you spoken to Gawain?"
"Aye," Codi nodded. "He knows that it can never work for us."
"Good," Vonora said crisply, and smiled. "I'm glad you're home, if only to patch things up with him. Gods, Codi, you've been gone more than a year!"
"I know," Codi said, and looked around. "Where is everyone?"
"Playing or working—Gilly's working in the stables now, and training to be a knight like his father," Vonora said proudly. "I've kept all your things—Gilly's been sleeping in your bed, though."
Codi waved a hand dismissively. "He's welcome to it," she said. "I have quarters in the castle now. And you should keep my dresses—I certainly don't need them and Two and Four will grow into them soon enough."
"Fine, but I'll not take your good dress," Vonora declared.
"Why not?" Codi protested. "I'm a warrior now—not a lady."
"You were never a lady," Vonora snorted. "And, warrior or not, you're still a woman. You may have need of it some day."
Codi argued a bit more, but gave in when Vonora threatened to throw the dress in question in the fire. Codi sighed in exasperation and accepted the dress, muttering to herself as she stalked out of the house with Four on her heels. The little girl was delighted with Shasa and he with her.
"Codi, why did you go?" Four asked, wrinkling her freckled nose. "Mama wouldn't say."
"Some men hurt me," Codi said carefully. "I had to go with my mother to get better."
"But Mama said you had no mama or papa and that's why you lived with us," Four stated.
"I do have a mama, I just didn't know it when I came to live with you," Codi said, and tweaked her nose.
"That's confusing," Four said mournfully. "I wouldn't like to not have a mama and then have a mama all of a sudden."
"It was confusing," Codi agreed as they strode toward the castle.
"Why are you a warrior now?" Four asked.
Codi opened her mouth, then closed it. "Because I have to."
"Like Papa has to?"
"No, not like that—because it's my destiny, I suppose," Codi said, shrugging.
"Can I be a warrior too?"
"You can be whatever you want," Codi told her seriously. "If you want it badly enough."
"Then I'll be a warrior when I grow up," Four declared, staring fixedly at Shasa.
Codi looked at them and cocked her head thoughtfully. Who knew? Maybe Four had the magic in her, too.
"It would be a lot of work," Codi warned her. "And you would have to convince your Papa that you're able."
"Will you teach me?" Four asked, tugging on her hand. "Please, please, please--"
"Alright, alright," Codi laughed. "I'll teach you some—but no weaponcraft, yet, or else your papa will have my head."
"Well, then what will you teach me?" Four pouted.
"How to run, first," Codi grinned. "You need to be fast, because men are stronger than we are."
"Then I'll be fast," Four said firmly.
"You'll be skinny, like me," Codi told her. "Men will say you look like a boy and make fun of you."
"I don't care," Four declared. "I don't like boys, any way. They're mean."
"Alright," Codi said. "Come on, I'll show you some exercises. When I have time, I'll make you some proper shoes and we'll start running."
Codi showed her some simple plyometric exercises and shook her head ruefully as Four scampered off to practice lunges, grapevines, and power-skipping. What have I gotten myself into? she thought.
"Corrupting the innocent, are we?" a voice inquired idly. Tristan detached himself from the shadows of the courtyard and leaned against the wall, where she could see him.
"Just giving her the opportunity to do something with her body," Codi said defensively.
"You just don't want to be the only skinny woman in the village," Tristan teased.
Codi rolled her eyes. "Oh, curses. You've caught me."
"What's that?" Tristan asked, reaching for the crumpled dress in Codi's hand.
Codi snatched it away almost guiltily, blushing. "Nothing."
"What is it?" Tristan pressed, intrigued.
"Not telling," Codi grinned, ducking around him and disappearing into the castle.
Tristan stared after her in consternation. Then he sighed, thinking of what it would mean, having a female in the company. For all he supported Codi wholeheartedly, he couldn't help but wonder what he had gotten himself into.