Disclaimer: I am poor and own nothing. And because I'm poor, this is my only source of entertainment, so please do not sue.
Authors Note: Enjoy you guys!
Cardeia – Wow, you have no idea how much your review meant to me. Such high praise from such an accomplished writer as yourself is always appreciated. I just am so unsure of what else to say. I just can't thank you enough. I am glad you enjoyed the wedding, and that my Wicca knowledge has been able to help with this story. It was in part why I started writing it, and I'm glad it has kept it believable. I was afraid too much of it would come off as a mystical fairy tale, which I don't believe is happening, judging by your reviews and others. Thank you so much again for your review. It really made my day.
June Birdie – Glad you found the chapter to be so awesome. Sorry maybe next time, if we kill her off. I could always try and write another story after this where she dies and you can have him. Thanks for reviewing.
LANCELOTTRISTANBABY – Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reviewing.
TriGemini – Well she didn't want to do the crowing merely because of the dress but the part for Hayley she was all for. You find out what the foreboding was in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing.
Snape's Opera Rose – Well, we'd all love a naked Tristan to play with I'm sure. I will definitely take that into consideration…thanks for reviewing.
Evenstar-mor2004 – Wow I feel so honored that you would stop you reading of that to read this. For fans of Harry Potter it was a much-anticipated book, so I'm glad that you would take time away to read my little tale. I've never read any of her books but I do enjoy the movies. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the ceremony. I took a lot of time finding one that wasn't too long and drawn out (like the Druid ceremony….it called for ten other players to take part and I didn't want to have to bring in or create new characters this late in the story…especially for just one chapter). Glad you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reviewing.
Klumsee – Glad you enjoyed those lines. I think Bors were the best and I'm glad you thought so too. Thanks for reviewing and glad I could make you laugh.
Lunawolf – LOL! That is pretty funny. Then perhaps I should come to you with the problems I've encountered on my Pirates fic…, which is why it has never left the safety of my computer for the world to see. I've never read any of the Harry Potter books but I really wouldn't mind writing something that big. Never happen as my stuff isn't that good, but it would sure be nice. Well this chapter isn't that cute, and chock full of violence so that should help. Ah yes I'm bad about that as well. Watching a movie repeatedly within a few days span. Thanks for reviewing.
Lilstrummrgrl527 – YES YOU GOT THE CONNECTION! I absolutely ADORE Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and that was the part that was in my mind when I wrote that. (And I love Patrick Stewart, not in the ooh baby ooh baby kinda way, cause he's seriously three times my age, but in the, you would make a kick ass grandfather kind of way). Enough of that rant. Anyway I'm so glad someone else saw the connection. So you're not odd…at least not alone in the oddness. Yeah I'd be pretty wigged as well. I mean, it's all on you. A wedding may in deed be on the horizon for Tris and Mariska, but not for a bit yet (this chapter will explain why, and please don't hate me btw). And even for Lance and Esmeralda, although nothing will be soon at all. Again you will see after this. Thank you for reviewing and thank you for proving that me and my friend back in high school were not the only ones who watched Men in Tights!
Tracy137 – Tell Trev I said to give them back or else I'll send my own deranged pillows…the ones you don't even have to squeeze to produce feathers from. The pillow actually just sheds them out on it's own. Yeah well Arthur is by definition a nice guy so it was believable I thought. Okay don't hate me for this chapter. I am begging you do not hate me, but it is very light on fluff and the end….just don't hate me. I loved writing the part with Mariska and her horse! It's the way I talk to my dog Max and he's kinda horse size (remind me to send you a picture of him) and he understands what I tell him. Actually he'll pick on me. I ask him if he loves me, and yes is a wag of the tail, so he won't wag. And I'll keep asking and he just looks at me, so then I gripe to my mom that he doesn't love me, and my mom asks him if he's just picking at me and he wags his tail! The brat. That was just a random story to show you how smart he is and that's who Mariska's horse is based off. Back to answering your review now….the ceremony was actually a Wiccan ceremony. Pretty isn't it? I also found a very beautiful and touching funeral ceremony (for my own curiosity and NOT FOR THIS STORY) that I want done when I die. I KNEW that you would love that line. I could just feel it as I wrote it. And again DON'T HATE ME! Certain characters will probably welcome death after this chapter, but I'm not that kind. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODDESS DON'T HATE ME!
Demonic Angel – Sorry people kept interrupting you. That's never fun. Was happening to me while I was trying to write this chapter. And yeah, I don't see an end for this story yet. Thanks for reviewing.
Sea Cucumber – I love your story! I can't wait until you update it as well. And again, I am glad this was able to inspire you and I'm looking forward to where you go with it, as I said in my review. I'm glad you enjoyed the ceremonies as well as the coupling. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much and are enjoying Tracy and my efforts. Thanks for reviewing.
Greenday11 – Glad you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for reviewing.
The Priestesses of Avalon
Chapter Sixteen: A Ring Around the Moon
Three weeks later, the party was in full swing once again as the town celebrated the news. Hayley had just discovered she was with child. Ale was flowing once more and all the knights were reasonably inebriated, even Tristan, as they drank the night away in celebration.
Around the middle of the night, Vanora was ready to start bustling children off to their hut to sleep, Bors too caught up in singing with Dagonet and Lancelot to assist her.
"Come Van, I will help you," Mariska laughed, going to rise from her place at Tristan's lap only to be pulled forcibly back down.
"Where you goin' huh?" he asked, his voice husky as he began to nibble at her neck, causing her to giggle.
"To help Van with the brood," she replied, pulling herself from him. "And when I am done, I will help you sir, for I do believe you are drunk!"
He smirked up at her and she could not resist, taking his head in her hands she kissed him passionately and deeply, tempted to drag him back to their rooms right that instant. Forcing herself to pull away to help Vanora she ran a finger over his cheek. "Wait for me?"
"Always…" he murmured, kissing her finger as it traced over his lips.
Smiling down at him, and taking the youngest before the baby into her arms they headed to the house, sleepy and groggy children following slowly behind.
"This is the best news in awhile," Vanora whispered as they walked along.
"Since they announced the wedding at least," Mariska grinned.
"So, how are things with you and the scout?" Van asked, raising a knowing eyebrow.
A smile crept over Mariska's face then, a blush slowly coming to her cheeks. "They are going well…"
"Aye very well from the looks of things," Vanora nudged her with her elbow as they got to the house, filing the children in and putting them to bed. When they had all settled and drifted off to sleep, Vanora and Mariska snuck back out, arm in arm as they headed towards the tavern to collect their men. As they strolled along, Mariska looked up to notice a bright ring circling the moon.
Vanora followed her gaze, noticing what she was staring at. "A ring around the moon means rain's comin'."
"Aye, but what kind of rain I wonder," Mariska murmured, that feeling of dread growing as it had been since the day of the wedding. And no matter how hard her and her grandfather tried to figure out what it meant, the stones and the flames would tell them nothing. It did not bode well.
"So when you and Tristan gonna give us another reason to celebrate huh?" Vanora nudged her playfully with her hip, bringing Mariska out of her musings and causing both women to laugh.
"Sooner than anyone would think the way we've been going," Mariska laughed, the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly sticking up. Before she could say a word about ten men, all large and burly, and all reeking of weeks with out bathing surrounded both women.
Cursing under her breath for leaving her bow in Tristan's room, Mariska placed a hand in front of Vanora, glaring at the men surrounding them, counting six daggers on her body and several other weapons just begging to be taken from their owners.
"Well, well, what pretty little treasures," one of the men grinned, revealing a row of rotting teeth. "You would think the King would guard them better."
"And you would think you would know to bathe. I could smell you coming," Mariska said, glaring at them. She'd know a Saxon anywhere. "Now let us on our way and no one gets hurt."
The men began to roar with laughter and one reached out to grab her. "I don't see us getting hurt lovely," he mocked her.
His first mistake was getting within striking distance. His second was daring to touch her. She struck out, grabbing his wrist and bringing her other hand straight down, arm locked, her palm connecting with his elbow dislocating it with a loud pop. He screamed as she kept hold of his arm and kept moving, using him as a balance as she spun into a kick, sending the man closest two him to the ground, a shattered nose bleeding profusely. In a fluid motion she landed back on the ground, her mothers dagger appearing in her hand and embedding itself in the side of the mans throat. She pulled it out and watched as he fell in a bloody heap on the floor, catching his sword as he went down.
"Van run! Get the others!" she said, trying to draw as many of the men's attention to her as she could, using all Master Woo's and Duncan's training to keep her body loose, every inch of her a weapon waiting to strike.
"I can't leave you here alone lass," Vanora replied, kicking one of the men that grabbed her hard in the shin before punching him in the nose.
"Now is not the time to argue Van, JUST RUN!" Mariska yelled, spinning again, bringing her foot up to connect with another mans temple, jarring him and sending him to his knees, taking his head with his companions sword in a clean sweep. Two down, eight to go.
With one more glance Vanora took off running, only to be caught about the waist and hauled up. "Not far pretty," one of the larger men breathed into her ear, his breath rancid.
That was all Vanora could stand and she screamed, as loud as her lungs would let her for a long moment before he clamped a hand about her throat, cutting off her air.
The sound echoed all across the fort, and in the stables Jols and Ganis exchanged a look before running off in the direction of the noise. At the tavern all music stopped and Tristan dropped his mug, already moving, the other knights and the King on his heels, the three Priestesses following close behind.
Back at the site of the occurrence, Mariska was struggling to keep her wits about her as more and more men attacked. Now the count was up to four dead, but Vanora was out, the large man lifting her into his filthy arms. Taking precious seconds away from her attack she spun, throwing her mothers dagger into the mans eye. He dropped like a log, although one of his companions was already there to catch Vanora.
While she had turned, the largest and leader of the group came up behind her, striking her hard in the back of the head, sending her into the oblivion of unconsciousness.
"Get them and away," he growled out in their native tongue. They began to move quickly away from the fort, using the last bit of magic they had kept from Ganieda to help hasten their escape.
"Oi let 'em go!" Ganis yelled as he and Jols rushed up, catching the last man, who coincidentally held Vanora. They scuffled with him while the others rushed off, disappearing quickly into the night.
Tristan and Bors cleared the area first, rushing forward to help the two squires. Within moments they had the man subdued and Bors had Vanora in his arms, rousing her back to consciousness.
"Van…Van…. come Vanora speak to me," Bors coaxed her as she groaned, her eyes opening slowly.
Meanwhile Dagonet examined the red marks already forming on her throat. "They are deep, but did not do much damage," he commented to his worried friend. "They should bruise and no more."
"Thanks Dag," Bors muttered, soothing Vanora's hair as she lay cradled in his arms, her eyes opening slowly. "What happened my little flower?" he asked softly, rubbing her cheek gently with his thumb.
"They attacked us," she said hoarsely, indicating the bodies strewn around them and the man that Galahad and Gawain had hold of.
"Did they say what they wanted?" Arthur asked, worry on his face.
"Nay…" Vanora shook her head. "Mariska….where is she?" she began to look around wildly.
"Vanora it is important that you tell us everything you know," Arthur tried again only to be interrupted by Tristan.
"Saxons," he said holding up one of the blades as he examined the bodies. Slowly he walked over to the one that still had Mariska's dagger embedded in its eye, pulling it out and looking down at the blade, his face passive but his eyes filled with worry before tucking it into his belt.
Hayley and Esmeralda looked at one another and nodded. Esmeralda leaned over and whispered to Ganis sending him hurrying off towards the stables while the two girls and Jasmine disappeared into the shadows.
"Saxon's?" Arthur asked concerned. "Can you track them?"
"Aye," Tristan almost growled. Whoever these people were, they had Mariska. His Mariska. He clenched his fists in anger.
"Saxon's from those that attacked," Merlin said, coming up then, his eyes worried as he leaned heavily on his walking stick. "Those she helped to defeat with the dragon."
"Jols get the…" Arthur began only to pause as Ganis walked up with three other stable hands, leading the knights and the ladies horses. At that same moment the three Priestesses appeared, dressed very similar to the female Woad warriors, Vigdis perched on Esmeralda's arm, flapping anxiously.
"She is far from here…I can feel it but I cannot see her," Jasmine said, giving a whistle, her horse coming to her side.
"Can you track her Tristan?" Hayley asked, mounting her own horse, much to Dagonet's discontent. "And before you say aught husband, she is my sister."
"Aye," Tristan said, already mounting, the other knights following suit.
Bors looked to Vanora who nodded and indicated for him to go, telling him she would be fine and sending him to his horse.
Esmeralda looked at Vigdis, anger in her eyes. "Find her," she growled at the bird before throwing her arm to the air, yelling after her as she flew high into the sky. "LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED!" Before she jumped up on her horse, all of them taking off into the night, Tristan already far ahead of them, scouting the way, leaving Jols and Ganis to tend to Vanora, Merlin disappearing into the mists to summon his Woad fighters.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
In a cave, hidden in the forest, the large Saxon leader threw Mariska's body to the ground, the unconscious woman flying like a rag doll across the distance, her hands and feet bound.
"Is she the one?" he growled out, the rest of his men, a mere sixty of the near three hundred that had been left after Arthur and his men had defeated Cerdic and the rest of the army, gathered round him, eyeing her anxiously, talking in whispers.
From the shadows a new man appeared, his dark brown hair long and stringy, a sun tattoo in the middle of his forehead. He walked forward and stopped, gazing down at the now helpless woman in contempt. He was Merlin's top Woad lieutenant, angry that his people were being lead by Arthur, of all people. And he saw Mariska as well as her sisters from the temple as the ones to blame.
"Is she the one that raised that creature that destroyed our men?" the man growled again, anger clear in his voice and in his stance.
He took a long look at Mariska, still unconscious on the floor, bleeding slightly from the back of her head. "It is."
Anger washed over the leader, as he strolled over, kicking her unconscious body hard in the ribs, smiling in satisfaction as he listened to one break. "Well then, let's have some fun before we leave a little message for your King," he said the last word with contempt indicating one of his men forward, the man already taking pulling at his pants.
Authors Note: NO ONE HATE ME PLEASE! This is for a reason really. It will serve its purpose. Please R & R, NO FLAMES and NO DEATH THREATS!