Chapter 14

"Taryn you cannot go searching the countryside looking for the knights. They are capable of taking care of themselves and will return when there job is complete." Phillip was saying.

"Phillip I don't care what you say, they have been gone much too long, and I will find them." I said firmly.

"Taryn you don't even no which direction they are headed."

"They said they were headed toward the villages around the north boarder of Roman territory. Phillip I found my way here from Sarmatia, I think I will manage." I said confidently as I finished packing my saddle bags.

"Taryn you are not going, Tristan will kill me." Jols said walking up behind me.

"He can't kill you Jols if he does not return." I said leading Black out of his stable.

"You will have to exit through the gates Taryn, and they will not open them for you." Jols replied. "I have already given the command.

I paid no attention to Jols now. If he would not help me I would find my way on my own. I went to the south entrance of the fort, the same place the knights had exited almost two weeks prior. I remembered the direction they had traveled for I had watched them from above the wall. I would make my way in that direction. I would question the villagers in the towns I came to. It would not be so different than my journey here. I arrived at the gates and they were indeed locked.

"Open the gates" I commanded to the Roman standing beside the gates.

"I am sorry miss, but I can't do that." He said.

"Fine then I will open them myself." I said dismounting from my horse and walking toward the gates. It was quickly blocked by several Romans.

"Phillip", I said looking over my shoulders. "Help me."

"Taryn their orders are from higher than me, they wont listen to me." He explained.

I remounted and turned my horse toward the rear exits of the fort. The one Galahad, Gawain and I had used to go to the waterfall. To my dismay it was barred also with guards posted. I felt like an animal in a cage as I rode from exit to exit to find them all locked and guarded.

I had gathered a crowd as I rode my horse through the fort looking for an exit my fury mounting. I made my way back toward the south exit where I had started. Only this time I did something a little more daring. I pulled out my bow and stung an arrow, aiming it at the Roman in front of the gates chest.

"Let me through NOW." I said my anger clearly evident.

"Taryn, put down you bow, you are only going to get yourself in trouble." Phillip said. I looked around, and saw several Roman bows aimed at me. I slowly lowered my bow, knowing I was out numbered.

Then the most amazing thing happened. One of the Roman commanders from atop the wall, called down to the officer guarding the gate, "If the little girl wants through so bad let her go."

Phillip and Jols who had been following me through my mad little tirade through the streets tried to protest, but the officer was already opening the gates. I took my chance and pushed Black straight through them, and soon hit a dead run, following the north boarder of the wall. I knew by the sound of hoof beats Phillip was close behind me but I was not about to slow down to let him catch me and drag me back to the fort. I scanned the road ahead of me, and off in the distance I saw the forms of several horses and riders.

It was them, the knights were almost home. No wonder the Roman had agreed to open the gate, he saw the knights and new it would only be minutes before I overtook them. I did not care; the anger was all replaced with gladness and relief. I kept my pace up, I had forgotten about Phillip now, and did not even turn to see that he had also spied the knights, and was heading back to the fort.

"Taryn is something wrong." Arthur questioned as I tried to regain my breath from my breathless run.

"You were gone for so long" was my only explanation. I looked around noticing all the knights were there, and all seemed unharmed, except for Galahad who was looking a little pale.

"So I take it you missed us." Gawain said with a chuckle.

"You said you would only be gone a week." I said accusingly to Arthur.

"Taryn I can't ever know for sure, a week was a guess, I did not know you would think it was an absolute." Arthur replied back.

"We would have been back three days ago, if the youngster over there would learn how to use a shield." Bors said nodding in Galahad's direction.

"Galahad, what happened?" I asked concern filling my voice.

"Just a blasted woad arrow, but it is healing." He said.

"So you encountered opposition?" I asked.

"Yes Taryn." Arthur answered. "There was a group of woad fighters that have been attacking and plundering villages located close to the wall."

"What happened to them?" I asked.

"They are dead, my dear. What do you think happened to them, that we scolded them and told them to be good, and sent them on there merry way?" Lancelot asked the sarcasm very evident.

"Tristan" I said turning my attention to him. "How are you, you were not injured were you?" I asked.

"I am fine Taryn, and how have you been these last two weeks?"

"Good, I have been practicing every day with Phillip…"

"Phillip who?" Gawain interrupted.

"Oh just a new friend." I said casually. My father was eyeing me carefully.

I was saved having to explain more by our arrival at the fort. The men were all anxious to stable there horses, and go to there rooms for rest. We did not talk much as we removed the tack from our horses. It did not take me long, for I had not planned much for my journey, so Black did not have much on him. I looked over and saw Galahad removing his weapons from his horse. There was a red stain coming from his right upper chest.

"Galahad" I exclaimed "You are bleeding."

"Aye" He said, "That I am."

"Let me help you." I said taking the heavy spear and swords from his arms. With my help it did not take us long to finish getting his horse settled in.

"Galahad we must redress this. I will meet you in your room with supplies." I commanded him.

I went to my room to gather what I would need, and hurried back into Galahad's room. I found him lying nearly passed out on his bed, the red spot had gotten quite larger than what it was earlier.

"Galahad, hurry we must get you out of this shirt." I said worry evident in my face.

He just moaned in reply. I would need more help. I ran out into the hall and saw Gawain walking toward me.

"Gawain you must help me. Galahad's wound has reopened."

He followed me into the room, and helped me remove Galahad's shirt. He had a large wound approximately 4 inches long in his chest. It had been stitched once, but the edges had reopened, and it was seeping blood. I grabbed some of the cloths I had brought with me and held pressure to the wound.

"Gawain this needs to be stitched, you need to go and get me a needle and some thread." I commanded him.

"I will Taryn, but are you sure you can do this?" He asked.

"I have stitched up many wounds for your information. Now go!"

Soon Gawain returned, not only with suture material, but with Dagonet in tow also.

"So you did not believe that I could do this." I said to Gawain.

"Of coarse I did, but I knew Galahad was such a baby, I thought we would need help." He said casually.

"Thanks brother, I will remember that the next time you are injured." Galahad said quietly.

"Taryn, I stitched it up the first time, and it did not hold. I would prefer to do it this time, because I know what I will do differently." Dagonet explained.

I nodded at him, and took a seat on the bed next to Galahad's head. I grabbed his hand, as Dagonet began to stick the needle into his skin. Galahad was not the baby that Gawain had made him out to be. I don't know if it was because I was there, or because Gawain just liked to tease, but Galahad did not cry out once as the needle pierced the skin.

When the procedure was over the bleeding had stopped, and the wound looked much better. Dagonet left a bag of herbs, and showed me how to make a paste out of them to put on the wound to keep the infection out. We were alone as I dressed his wound. I looked down to find Galahad starring up at me.

"What?" I asked.

"You are quite pretty." He said with glassy eyes. "No wonder everyone is taken so by you."

"Galahad I do believe you are not well." I said.

"I will recover; I have had much worse, all of us have. Taryn how close have you and Phillip become?" He surprised me by asking.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"There is only one Phillip that I know in this whole fort, and that is the one that had his nose busted by Gawain, and if you and he are becoming friends Tristan will not like it, neither will anyone else." He said.

I reached down and felt his head. It did indeed feel warm.

"Galahad you are out of your mind. Here, you need to chew this." I said handing him a piece of willow root.

I sat with Galahad for several hours, giving him sips of water and bathing his face and chest with a cool cloth. The knights all took turns coming in and checking on him. They were all concerned for there friend, but as Galahad had said, they had all seen worse. Tristan was the last of all to come in.

"Taryn" He began his voice held a tone I could not recognize. "I have been talking to Jols, and he has informed me of what you have been up to the last two weeks."

Oh that little rat. I thought to myself, I would love to tie him up right now, and use him as target practice.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" I said innocently.

"He told me about you trying to take on the Roman soldiers to try to come and find me." He said.

"Oh that." I was thankful it did not concern a particular Roman.

"Taryn you should never again try to venture out by yourself, not in Britain." He said. "And never draw your bow against a Roman, with others surrounding you, or you're liable to be shot."

"I am sorry" I said with my head lowered. "It was stupid, but I was worried you were all dead."

"And what would you have done if we wear?"

"I don't know."

"I will sit with Galahad for awhile, why don't you go out and get some air" He suggested.

"Oh no" I said looking out the window. "It is time for me to be at the tavern, I nearly forgot." I said running out the door.

Authors note: Hope I did not disappoint you that Taryn did not set out on an adventure. I had not planned it that way, and almost decided to write it into my story, but than decided to leave it as I had originally thought. I am slept all day, so I am going to try to write ch 15 tonight, we shall see. Please review.