Chapter 16
I took Phillip up to my quarters and began repairing his torn arm. It was not deep, but was long, and required quite a few stitches. I felt horrible for being so stupid. I should have been more careful when practicing with actual sharp blades, instead of the dull ones the knights sometimes use to practice with. I had been trying to hard to impress the knights and had injured my friend.
"Phillip" I broke the silence, "I really am sorry it was stupid of me, and if you don't want to practice with me again I understand."
"Taryn would you please stop beating yourself up over this, I know it was an accident, it was no big deal. Trust me I have had worse before." He said trying to reassure me.
"I still feel bad about it." I said while putting the last stitch in place. "You probably shouldn't use that arm to much in the next 3-5 days, or you may open that back up. Dagonet has a paste we should put on it every day to keep it from becoming infected; I will get it from him."
"Don't bother Taryn, when he finds out it is for me, I doubt he will give it to you. It will be fine you worry too much."
"Dagonet will give it to me if I ask, and he is not like that. Phillip, I will not hide our friendship anymore, they will have to learn to accept you, they like Arthur and he's Roman." I explained.
"There is a big difference between me and Arthur." He laughed.
"I don't think so." I said leaning over and giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek, unfortunately at the exact moment, Galahad and Gawain burst through my door.
"What do you think you're doing?" Galahad yelled at both of us. Gawain just had a bewildered look on his face.
"I was sewing his arm, and I thought I told you both to knock when you enter my room." I said refusing to look guilty for I had done nothing wrong.
"I want to know right now what is going on between both of you, I mean one minute he is insulting you Taryn, and then I find you to all cozy in your room. I want some answers." He said his irritation evident.
"Gawain, I would like to tell you it is none of your business." I said rising to stand in front of him, both hands planted firmly on my hips. "But since you are my friend, I will give you and explanation."
"Good I would like to hear this also." Tristan said from the doorway.
"For heavens sake, who else is out there?" I called.
"Um, me." Lancelot called back.
"Me too, couldn't miss this." Bors said with a grin on his face.
"Fine, all of you come in, so I don't have to keep repeating myself." I looked around only Dagonet and Arthur were missing.
"I am glad to see there are at least two of you who have more to do than meddle in the affairs of a teenage girl." I said half annoyed half amused.
They all had the decency to look a little embarrassed; except for Gawain he still looked half mad. I looked over to where Phillip was standing by my bed looking like he would just love to crawl under it. I threw a quick wink his way.
"After you all left, Phillip came to me to apologize for how he had acted. I accepted and we are friends now. He gave me the tridents, and has been helping me learn to use them, and that is all there is to tell. So I would appreciate it if you all would accept this and forget past wrongs. I am sure you have all been rude to a woman before in a drunken state. Am I right Lancelot?" I said looking over at him.
"I can assure you Taryn, my advances are always welcome." He said arrogantly.
"What about that time that girl hit you over the head with a frying pan after you grabbed her….." Bors was saying, but quickly interrupted by Lancelot.
"Bors if you would like to exchange drunken stories I would be glad to play that game, for you have been drunk on more occasions than I." Lancelot defended himself.
"Thank you gentleman you have just proved my point splendidly. If you have no other question, you can all feel free to leave my room." I said with a grin.
"I have a question." Gawain said. "Just how good of friends are you?" He said starring at both of us.
"Phillip and I are as good of friends as you and I, Gawain. Does that answer your question?" The lighthearted mood I had earlier was gone, and the tension was starting to build.
"I think this is enough fun for me for one day." Bors said interrupted, and turned to leave the room. "Tristan" he called out before leaving. "I can have Vanora have that talk about birds and bees with her if you would like." He said quite seriously.
"Get out all of you. I tried to be nice, and you are all impossible." I said pushing them all out of my room, and closing the door. I turned to look at Phillip still standing by my bed. I just shrugged my shoulders.
"To many men thinking they are my bosses." I said as my door opened back up. I turned to yell at the intruder, but it was Tristan. "Tristan." I said.
"I forgot something." He said.
"What" I said looking around the room.
"Him" He pointed to Phillip and then motioned for him to follow him. Phillip looked at me wondering what he should do.
"Don't worry, I wont kill him." Tristan laughed at our frightened looks.
Phillip followed him out of my room, not knowing what else to do.
"Yet" I heard Tristan say as he closed the door.
Good heavens, I thought to myself Phillip will want nothing to do with me ever again.
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AN: Tristan and Phillip's conversation unheard by Taryn, but I thought you all would like to hear it.
"So you choose to be friends with my daughter now, instead of mock her, and treat her like a common whore." Tristan said quietly to Phillip.
"Yes sir, I mean no sir, I mean I never meant to treat her that way. Tristan we have been posted here together for several years you know I am not like that." He tried to explain.
Phillip was a skilled fighter, and could hold his own against most men, he had earned the respect of most of his fellow soldiers, but Tristan, he was legendary, as were all of the Sarmatian knights. So it was very human of him to be unnerved by being interrogated by Tristan.
"Why would you choose Taryn to befriend, there are plenty of women in this fort." He questioned.
"Taryn is different, Sir, from any other girl I have ever met. She is so funny, and full of life. All serious and grown up one minute, and yet so childish and in need of protecting the next. I can't help but be drawn to her." He said turning to see Tristan's response.
He watched his face for a moment, trying to see what this knight was going to say or do to him. Tristan looked thoughtful for a moment, and a sight Phillip rarely saw appeared. That slow smile came to his lips.
"I think you just described Taryn to the T." He said.
"Phillip you may be friends with Taryn, but that is all. She is not for you." He said the smile leaving his face.
"Tristan I have no ill intentions, I promise you." Phillip said adamantly.
"Good, because if you did I would have to kill you." He said and turned and walked away leaving Phillip alone.
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The knights all eventually accepted my friendship with Phillip. It took a few days, but Galahad and Gawain eventually forgave me, for the wrong they felt I had done to them. Who knows what that was, maybe I hurt there male pride, by befriending the person, they had beat up for me. Men, I would never understand them.
The summer was quickly coming to an end, and I remembered Gawain had not yet kept his promise to me to return to the waterfall. They had been busy around the fort, and going out on different patrols. One morning I reminded him of his promise to me.
"I think I could take the afternoon off to spend some time with my favorite girl." He teased.
"Good" I said. "I will go and get my things ready, you go and get Galahad, meet you at the stables."
When I arrived at the stables I found Gawain with both our horses already saddled, but he was alone.
"Where is Galahad?" I asked.
"In his room, he has a headache, and did not feel like joining us." He said holding out an arm to help me mount.
I accepted his lift, and swung up to Black's high back. "Well why don't I get Phillip, he would love to come, he has never been there." I said.
"Invite him if you wish, but I am staying here then." He said starting to remove his saddle.
"Gawain I thought you liked Phillip?" I asked unsure of why this sudden change of mood.
"He's okay for a Roman, but that doesn't mean I want to spend every waking moment with him, unlike you." He replied.
"That is not true and you know it Gawain. I am with you knights far more than I am with him."
"Yes but you are never with any of us alone like you are him."
"Gawain if we are going to argue, I think I will just stay here also." I said sliding off of Black.
We stood there toe to toe looking at each other both trying to outstare the other one. It could not last long for we both began to laugh.
"Gawain why do we argue?" I said throwing my hands to the side.
"Oh Taryn, I think we are to much alike in some aspects."
"Definitely we are both to stubborn sometimes for our own good." I laughed. "Will you still go with me?"
"Yes I will go with you, and you may go get your little Phillip if you wish." He said with a sigh.
"No your right we never spend any time together just me and you." I said giving him a big hug.
We did make our way to the waterfall and had a good time as I knew we would. Gawain was one of the funnest to be around. I never stopped laughing with him, and I seemed to have the same affect on him. There was a large smooth rock in the middle of the lake, where the water had started to recede. When we grew tired of swimming we crawled up and lay side by side in the sun.
"Gawain, do you think you will miss this after you are gone?" I asked him.
"What do you mean Taryn, am I going to die, and don't know it?" he said with a big smile.
"No silly, I mean a year from now you will be free, free to return to your home, in Sarmatia, will you miss Britain at all?" I said explaining my question more in detail.
He pulled himself into a sitting position and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Will I miss this island, the killing, the Romans, bloody no. I will miss the memories though. The time spent with my fellow knights, the memories of the ones who have fallen." He said quietly.
I sat up next to him, and took his big hand in my small one as he talked.
"This has been my home for longer than the other, I really don't remember much of what I will be going back to, but I know it is where I came from, and it is where I think I belong." He said looking over at me.
"Surely you will miss this waterfall." I said with a smile.
"Yes Taryn, I will miss this waterfall, but more than the waterfall, I will miss our time together here." He said squeezing my hand and standing to his feet.
"We must go Taryn, Arthur has ruined are fun again, we are to meet at the round table again tonight." He said crossing the shallow spot in the lake over to where the horses were tied.
"Not another long trip." I complained, remembering the last one.
"I hope not but we shall see." He said laughing at me.
Thanks to all my reviewers. To everyone who wants to know who will Taryn be with it will be……….. Come on people do you really think I am going to give my story away, but I am sure some of you have all guessed. I believe that a lot of you are the type that reads the back of the book, before they are finished, lol. I am sorry I don't mean to be evil but right now the Phillip Taryn Gawain thing may play a big part into the story we will see. I have several more interesting scenes coming up in the next few chapters, but I don't have much time to write. Sorry so short.Bare with me the end will come soon enough. Thanks again for reading please review.