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The next morning Giselle awoke in a tangle of body parts. She smiled as she opened her eyes and was greeted with Tristan's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and she hated to disturb him but they only had about two hours, judging by the sun coming through the window, until they had to be in the stables and say good-bye to their baby. She lifted her hand from his shoulder and stroked the tattoo on his cheek. His eyes snapped open, instantly alert, and then he saw her and smiled.
"Morning, sleepy head." She grinned at him.
"Morning yourself." He mumbled and kissed her. She grinned when he pulled away.
"I will never get use to that." He chuckled and pulled her closer.
"Well I got used to nights like that." Giselle blushed slightly. He kissed her with all he had.
"Ooo that's nice but we have to go and get changed." She kissed him on the cheek and pulled away.
"Ugh. Do we have too? I never liked clothes on you." Giselle laughed, fully appreciating the moment as she knew that she was the only person who saw this Tristan. She pulled on her clothes and went to Isbella room to pick her up and to bring her to Tristan. When she went back in the room she saw Tristan getting his armor on. He looked up and gave a smile to his wife and daughter.
"DADA!" the baby cried and leapt into his arms before Giselle could hand her over. "No go!" the baby demanded.
"I'm sorry baby." He said hugging his daughter close to him.
"Your going to stay with Aunty Van awhile were away." Giselle told her child.
"No GO!" She screamed and clutched Tristan as much as her tiny little hands could. Since Giselle and Tristan were ready they went to Bors and Vanora hut to drop Izzy off. The poor babe was crying herself asleep.
"No go no go." she mumbled as she fell asleep.
"Bye my sweet babe." Giselle whispered as she handed her child off to Vanora. Tristan kissed her one last time and they went to the stables to prepare for a long ride.
When the Bishop walked in a while later Gawain, Bors, Tristan and Lancelot were all on the benches cleaning and sharpening their weapons. Galahad was pacing, Arthur was being outfitted by Jols, and Giselle and Estelle was taking Practice shots at a wooden pillar. When the Bishop walked in Dagonet pushed past him and Estelle shot an arrow at the pillar right by his head.
" You Missed." Giselle whispered to her sister.
"Worst time to decide to miss." Estelle replied. Like her sister she wore a pair of breeches and a tunic. She slight armor on but nothing else. Amelia and Emily had already said their good-byes to Dag and Galahad. Galahad and Emily had been planning to wed when he was free but now they had to wait and Galahad might not even make it.
"To represent the holy court," The Bishop cut in on their private dialogue, "my trusted secretary, Horton…" when the aide did not appear, the Bishop turned slightly, "Horton?" The aide appeared, bowing his head in apology. "…will accompany you on your quest."
Shocked silence followed his proclamation.
"Jols, find him a horse." Arthur directed the squire. Gawain angrily inserted his dagger into the bench.
"This way." Jols instructed Horton and led him to a stall.
"Godspeed, as you fulfill your duty to Rome." The Bishop smiled.
"My duty is also to my men." Arthur informed him.
"Then get them home." The Bishop smirked and turned to Giselle and Estelle and asked. " And they are?"
"They know things we do not. They shall accompany us." Arthur said not saying that they could do magic.
"They remind me of something. Hmmm… Gypsies? Are you?" the Bishop asked.
"Non. We are French." Giselle said her accent light.
"Oh." He said before leaving.
They swept out of the fort. Arthur at the head, as usual, followed by Lancelot, then Gawain, Estelle and Galahad, then Bors and Dagonet, and finally Tristan and Giselle. Horton lagging behind. No one spoke. No on needed too.
They rode into the property of one Marius Honorious. Giselle and Estelle was immediately disgusted by the ornate taste. They frowned as they pulled to a halt and surveyed the surrounding village.
"Who are you?" A guard yelled down. Giselle looked at Tristan.
"I am Arthur Castus. Commander of the Sarmatian Knights, sent by Bishop Germanius of Rome." Arthur replied to the mercenary. "Open the gate."
The gate was opened a few moments later to reveal a short, fat man in ornate robes and flanked by three mercenaries.
Lets kill him! Giselle mouth to Estelle who snorted.
"It is a wonder you have come." The man said as he walked through. "Good Jesus. Arthur and his Knights." He attempted to pat Galahad's horse but the young knight pulled his horse back. "You have fought the Woads. Vile creatures."
"Our orders are to evacuate you immediately." Arthur got straight to the point, not even bothering with anything nice.
"But that…that is impossible." The fat man stammered.
"Which is Alecto?" Arthur started to search the faces of the villagers.
"I am Alecto." The boy on the wall was sickly skinny and pale, much like the woman next to him whom Giselle took to be his mother.
"Alecto is my son." The fat man stated the obvious.
"No really?" Estelle muttered to her husband dryly. The knight sniggered lightly and earned a slight glare from a mercenary.
"he better not making eyes at you." He muttered back as Arthur and Fat Man yammered on about some technical stuff.
"better not." Estelle shook her head grinning. "I'd have to sick you on him."
Gawain chuckled at his wife. They tuned back in just in time for Fat Man to refuse to leave.
"Go back to work! All of you!" Fat Man yelled at the villagers and his mercenaries pushed them all back to work. As the bullying continued Arthur dismounted and strode up to Fat Man. Giselle grabbed the horses' reins.
"If I fail to bring you and your son back, my men can never leave this land." Arthur informed Fat Man. "So you're coming with me, if I have to tie you to my horse and drag you to Hadriens Wall myself. My lord."
The family seemed affronted at this. "Lady my knights are hungry." He added to Skinny Lady. She sent a questioning glance at her husband who nodded and headed to the house, closely followed by Alecto. Fat Man was about to follow when he turned around and spoke.
"Your maids may help." They all instantly knew he meant. Giselle huffed while Estelle bristled.
"They're not maids." Arthur said glaring at him telling him to shut the hell up or die. He left quickly.
Half hour later
"They have flanked us to the east." Tristan started without any introduction. "They're coming from the south, trying to cut off our escape. They'll be here before nightfall."
"How many?" Arthur asked.
"An entire army." He said. Causing a small gasp from his wife.
"And the only way out is to the south?" Arthur asked. Tristan shook his head.
"East." Tristan said. "There is a trial heading east across the mountains. It means we have to cross behind the Saxon lines." Tristan informed Arthur. Arthur nodded.
"Arthur, who are all these people?" Tristan asked just noticed the line of carriages.
"They are coming with us."
Tristan sighted. "Then we'll never make it."
In the distance they could hear the Saxon drums beating. Shouting mercenaries drew Arthur's attention to the stone structure they were walling up and he dismounted. Giselle followed leaving her horse for Estelle.
It took a few loud "Move!"'s until the mercenaries stood down and by then all of the knights were gathered around.
"What is this?" Arthur addressed the men walling it up.
"You cannot go in there. No one goes in there. This place is forbidden!" The man said and Arthur moved them aside with Excalibur.
"What are you doing? Stop this!" Came the shouts of Fat Man, who they had learned was called Marius. The Roman came striding over to stop Arthur but was blocked by Bors. After contemplating the wall, and ignoring the knights warnings Arthur called Dagonet to pull it down. He did and then kicked in the door.
Arthur grabbed a torch and went in, followed by Lancelot, a priest, and then Gawain. They left everyone else outside holding their weapons.
As they descended the spiral stair they heard chanting in Latin.
"Who are these defilers of the lord's temple?" A wretched man demanded coming out of the second chamber. The first was surrounded with corpses strung up by their wrists.
"Out of the way." Lancelot pushed the man aside and looked around the second chamber. The sight was horrific. Everywhere that they looked there were decayed or decaying bodies in all forms of torture positions and cages. "the work of your god." Lancelot addressed Arthur. "Is this how he answers your prayers?"
"How dare you set foot in this holy place?" He dragged Lancelot away from the cell. Devoid of all patience Lancelot stabbed the man. He fell to the floor dead.
"That was a man of God." Another monk admonished.
"Not my god!" Lancelot said.
A few minutes later.
When they emerged moments later with the only survivors, a young boy and 2 young women.
"Water! Bring me some water!" Horton rushed to Arthur with water for the woman.
Surprisingly the slimy git of a secretary seemed to care about the young boy. When the woman lapsed into a coughing fit at the water, Marius' wife hurried over to help her.
"She's a Woad." Tristan observed to Bors. Lancelot was treating the other woman. Giselle looked closely at her. She looked very familiar. Estelle came next to her sister and when the woman leg moved to show a tattoo of a cross and eye. Giselle gasped as Estelle follow her sister gaze.
"Gwenda." Estelle whispered as Giselle jumped of her horse to go next to Lancelot. She moved the woman face so she could look in her eyes. Their they were emerald orbs of her sister eyes.
"Gwenda." She yelled hugging Gwenda close to her. Estelle was also hugging Gwenda.
"Stop what you are doing!" Marius cut in on Arthur assuring the Woad woman.
"What is this madness?" Arthur asked him.
"They're all pagans here!" Marius shouted.
"So are we." Galahad said.
"They refuse to do the task God has set for them!" Marius raged on. "They must die as an example!"
"You mean they refuse to be your serfs!" Arthur yelled back.
"You are a Roman." Marius scoffed at Arthur. "You understand. And you are a Christian." Then he turned on his wife. "You! You kept her alive!" He backhanded her. Before Arthur could even move to punch him Marius was on the ground with a broken nose that was bleeding profusely.
"Your lucky your not dead. So don't say a word." Giselle threaten in a low voice before going to Tristan.
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