Chapter 22
It managed to rain both nights on our trip to Sunderland. So much for my night of sleeping under the stars, instead I slept in the back of one of the wagons with Lancelot. Galahad and Gawain slept in the other, and the rest of the men set up tents. Even though the Sarmatians were forced to serve Rome, it was still clear that the rank of knight even if they were Sarmatian's was much higher than that of Roman soldier. The wagons were loaded down with furs and pelts that the local villagers had trapped during the winter months. Arthur had agreed to take them to town for them and exchange them for things like flour, salt, sugar, and wool, for weaving cloth. I was quite thankful for this little deal, for the pelts made a heavenly soft bed, although somewhat smelly.
It was the evening of the third day, when we reached the town of Sunderland. It was quite a large village. Many people lived there since it was located on the port used by the Romans to transport items to and from Britain.
The knights had made many trips to Sunderland over the past fifteen years and knew it very well. The three of them actually seemed quite excited to be here, I think it was a welcome break from their daily regimen of training. I was excited to be here also, I did enjoy training with Tristan, but it was nice to have a break.
After finding a place to stable the horses and store the wagon, we set off in search of an inn to stay at. Most of the inns were located on one end of the village, and the knights must have had there favorite, for without hesitation, they went to the most well kept looking inn on the street.
"This is usually where we stay." Galahad explained. "The owner is the daughter of a Sarmatian that was stationed here, years ago."
I looked up at the two story building; it had the words The Bonnie Belle painted on it.
"That seems to be a strange name for a Sarmatian." I commented.
They all chuckled at that. "Taryn, it is only a nickname dear, her real name is Isabelle, but every one calls her Bonnie." Lancelot said.
Phillip and the Romans did not follow us. I looked behind to Phillip. "Where are you staying?" I asked.
"We will be staying in the inn next door, but I heard Tristan give Lancelot strict instructions to keep an eye on you, so I am sure you will be staying where they stay." He told me.
I nodded, and then turned to enter the inn; I had just seen the knights disappear into.
I was amazed at what I saw when I entered the room. It was a tavern, but nothing like the tavern we had at the wall. It was much more decorated, but in an over done type way. It was strange; I was expecting it to have the feel of home since the owner was at least part Sarmatian. There were tables scattered here and there already full of customers. In the back there was a kitchen area with a long bar, but in the corner of the room was several musicians playing stringed instruments. At least half a dozen scantily dressed ladies filled the room going from table to table taking orders, handing out glasses of drink, and trays of food, and receiving many slaps, grabs, and or pinches to the backside. Yes it was much different than our tavern at the fort, these girls made Lena seem like a saint.
I was pulled away from my thoughts, by the largest looking woman I have ever scene walking toward us. The only thing that rivaled her size was her smile. She had a smile that drew a person in, and made them feel as if they had known her for years.
"Oh the great Knights from Hadrian's Wall here to visit me again." She gushed, stopping to examine the four of us. "You seem to be missing some and gained one." She commented.
"The other three knights are well, but on a mission with Arthur." Lancelot said to the woman. "But let me introduce the newest edition. This is Taryn, daughter of Tristan. Taryn meet Isabella, the owner of this fine establishment." He introduced.
"Pleasure to meet you" I said sticking my hand out to shake the woman's hand, but instead I was pulled into a giant bare hug. "It is my pleasure, any daughter of Tristan's is welcome here, and please calls me Bonnie all my friends do."
"Thank you Bonnie, I am glad to be here." I said with sincerity.
"Come you all are as thin as bones." She said looking us up and down. "Sit, Sit, I will have one of the girls bring you out some fresh meat.
Bonnie did not waste any time, and soon the maids were bringing out bowls full of steaming meat, and much to my surprise carrots and potatoes, we had been out of vegetables for almost a week, so it was a nice change to the meat and bread we had all been used to. They brought out glasses of a red colored wine with our meal; I did not normally drink alcohol, but found myself dying of thirst so I quickly gulped down the whole glass. It was not a smart thing to do, because it burnt the whole way down and made me sputter and cough which caused all the knights to chuckle, it was silly of me, and I deserved to be laughed at.
When I had finished eating, I was anxious to get up to my room to rest. My companions obviously wished to spend there evening right where they were sitting, for they were in no hurry to go anywhere.
"Lancelot, could you please show me to my room?" I asked having no idea where it would be.
"Yes, but let me go talk to Bonnie first and see where she wants to put you." He said his voice louder than normal, so I could here it over the ever increasing strains of music. I watched him go up to Bonnie, the conversation went longer than it should have, and Lancelot was soon waving his hands about as he talked which is never a good sign.
He came back to the table looking very frustrated. "Lancelot what is the matter?" I asked.
"She said she is full up tonight, and that she only has two rooms available, she just assumed you were with one of us." He said.
"Lancelot that is no problem, the three of you can just sleep together, and I can have my own room." I said trying to look as serious as possible.
"Taryn, do you know how small those beds are?" Galahad said almost choking on his drink. "I can barely fit in there with, well never mind who with, but two people can hardly fit in there much less three."
"I guess there are the stables then." I said thoroughly enjoying being the one doing the teasing for the change.
"What so I can get robbed in my sleep, I think not." Galahad said as if I was stupid for even suggesting.
"Galahad you are a knight and you are telling me you are afraid of a little street rat pick pocket?" I said laughing at him. "Fine I guess one of you will just have to sleep with me, but on one condition, they will not be dead drunk, nor will they try to bring a woman in the room. Don't think I haven't seen you eyeing them Galahad." I scolded.
"Then count me out." Galahad said quickly.
"And I as well" said Lancelot eyeing a pretty girl in the corner who was starring at him like a love struck cow.
"Well then, I guess that means I win." Gawain said with a grin.
"Why Gawain, what a nice way to put it. Now would you please show me to my room." I asked very ready to get out of these travel stained clothes.
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He led me up the narrow stairs, to the long row of doors on the upper level. He went to a door with the Roman numeral 4 roughly scratched into it. The room was much smaller than the ones back at the fort, but the bed was not nearly as small as Galahad had made it out to be. There was a fire already going in the fire place, the room had a very comfortable inviting feel to it.
"Gawain do you know what I would love right now?" I asked as I set down my small bag.
"No Taryn, but I am sure you will tell me." He said with a sigh.
"A bath, do you know how I could go about getting one?" I asked him.
"Yes, but that will involve carrying buckets, upon buckets of hot water up those rickety little steps."
"That is fine, show me where, and I will get it." I replied wanting my bath very much.
"It is just as easy to do it myself if you are going to insist on the bath."
"I do." I said not giving in.
"Fine, I will be back wait here."
I smiled, and went and stretched out on the soft bed making myself comfortable, it would be so nice to be clean. It did not take Gawain long to return with a large wooden tub, he then descended back down the stairs to bring the water. After making five trips up and down the stairs, I declared to him I had enough. Gawain excused himself so I could have some privacy while I took my bath. The water was still very warm; Gawain must have gotten it from a boiling pot out of the kitchen. The tub was not big enough for me to do anything but sit, but I was still able to give my hair, and the rest of my body a much needed scrubbing.
After many minutes of soaking, I decided it was time to get out. I used some of the clean linens Gawain had brought up to finish drying my hair and body. I looked through my bag, to decide what to wear, and since I had no other plans than going to sleep, I put on a long nightdress. No sooner than I had pulled the dress over my head, did I hear a knock at the door.
"Taryn are you finished yet?" Gawain called.
I ran to the door to unlock the latch, and before Gawain could open it, I ran and jumped in bed and pulled the covers up to my neck.
"You weren't kidding when you said you were ready for bed." Gawain said.
"I know, I like my sleep." I replied.
"Yes how I remember, and if you can't sleep you like to keep everyone else up." He said remembering the two sleepless nights he had gotten thanks to me.
"Well I can promise you Gawain, I will not keep you up tonight." I vowed.
He came and sat on the bed next too me. "Good, because you are not the only tired one here."
I smiled at him, he did look tired, I could see it on his face, but then I noticed one other thing. "Good God Gawain, you smell like a pig." I spurted out without thinking.
"Well thanks Taryn that is a real nice thing to say." Gawain said not looking the least bit offended.
"Gawain the water in that tub is surely still warm, why don't you put it to good use." I recommended.
"If you think I am taking a bath in that tiny little thing, you are crazy." He replied looking at me as if I truly were nuts.
"Well if you think, I am letting you sleep in this bed with me smelling like that then you are crazy." I said my voice rising slightly, for he truly did smell very back.
"Well I think I remember spending the night to a very smelly girl, not to long ago."
"Gawain Please."
"Fine Taryn, it's not worth fighting over, I guess since I did carry it all the way up here I might as well use it." He said begrudgingly, while pulling his tunic over his head. He then sat back down on the edge of the bed and began to pull his boots off. I couldn't help but stare at his bare back, I had seen him with his shirt off before, but had never really paid attention to the fading scars that marked much of his body. The life of a knight I guess, and to think, I had once told Gawain he lived like royalty. The fact was I am sure there was not even one scar on most royal's bodies, much less the dozens that covered Gawain's.
He turned around to look at me. Our eyes locked for a moment, and neither of us said a thing. Then the weirdest thing happened, I felt this feeling in the pit of my stomach almost as if it did a flip flop. It was strange, maybe I had eaten too much at dinner.
"So are you going to stare at me while I take my pants off as well, or do you want to give me a little privacy?" Gawain said with a sarcastic little smile, totally breaking whatever moment had just past between us.
"No, and I wasn't starring at you, I was lost in thought. I am not leaving though, I will just not look." I said turning to face the wall to prove my point.
"Alright Taryn, but I will be facing you so I will know if you try to take any peeks."
"Gawain you are impossible." I said throwing a pillow at where I thought he was standing.
"You missed" He said before sinking into the tub with a splash.
I was still awake when Gawain was done and dressed. It was not going to be as easy to fall asleep as I had once thought. "Hurry up Gawain" I said patting the bed next to me. "This bed is to cold, come warm me up." I said cheerfully.
He looked at me for a few moments, and then shook his head. "I am going to sit by the fire a few minutes, and go over the list again of things we need to find tomorrow, since Galahad, and Lancelot will probably be to hung-over to be of any good." He said lighting a candle, and settling down in a chair.
"Okay, but I thought you were tired?" I questioned.
"I am Taryn, I won't be long." He replied.
I lay there watching him look over the list. I don't know why he wanted to go over this list so bad. It was not like Gawain to ponder over such a thing. Now Arthur or Tristan, or Dagonet, yes I could see, but not Gawain, something else was bothering him.
I remembered back to the last time I had spent the night with Gawain. It was right after the battle, and he had been such a comfort to me. I could still feel his arms around me holding me, and his lips, oh his lips. The thought alone made me blush from head to toe. Why he had not tried again puzzled me, either he did not enjoy it, or only did it help take my mind of things. Or maybe, just maybe he thought I did not like it, for I had been the one to pull back, and I had never tried to kiss him.
The more I lay starring at him the more I wanted to be with him. The way the firelight was glowing about him, made his already handsome features even more becoming. What is there to lose, I thought to myself I had to know why he had kissed me those times but never again.
Having made up my mind, I quietly slipped out of the bed and made my way to Gawain's chair. I reached down and pulled the paper out of his hands, and laid it on the table next to him. I then gently lowered myself into his lap.
"Taryn, what are you doing?" He asked softly.
In response I reached my arms up around his neck and planted a firm, kind off clumsy kiss on his lips. I pulled back then to look at him. "Kissing you, know shut up and kiss me back." I said bending my head back toward him.
I got the response, I had wanted for it only took seconds for him to return my kiss. The kiss he gave me took all my breath away, but kept me longing for more. I felt my self being lifted in the air, and carried across the room, he lay me down of the soft bed, and then sat down beside me, he bent over and started kissing me all over again, his lips, soon traveled from my mouth, down the sides of my neck. He pulled the neck of my dress down over my shoulder and was letting his lips travel lower over my collar bone.
"Gawain" I murmured "I have never felt like this before." I said not understanding the feelings coursing through my body."
I don't know why but at the sound of my voice, he quickly stopped and pulled his head back. He had look of almost confusion playing across his face.
"Gawain what is wrong?" I asked concern in my voice.
"Nothing Taryn, I just remembered something that is all."
"Good can you think about it later?" I said reaching my hand up behind his neck and trying to pull him back to me.
"No, stop Taryn, I have to think about it now, this can't happen." He said with a sharp tome.
"What can't happen Gawain, I don't understand?" I asked.
"This Taryn, this can't happen," he said gesturing to me and then back to himself. "I knew it was a bad idea for you to come along." He said shaking his head.
This statement made me angry, hadn't just 30 seconds earlier he had been kissing me quite fervently now he was wishing I would never have come.
"Gawain you need to explain yourself, because you are not making sense." I said, anger seeping into my tone of voice.
"Fine Taryn, you want me to be blunt, you and I, us this, this is not going to happen, it was a bad idea."
"I don't know what you are talking about Gawain, you seemed to be enjoying it just a few minutes ago, I thought you cared about me Gawain?"
"I do care about you Taryn, but our relationship is more like brother and sister than like…"
He did not get to finish that thought for he was interrupted by my hand smacking his face quite hard. Hard enough to leave a bright red mark.
"That is a lie Gawain you do not see me as a sister and we both know it!" I shouted at him.
"What is it, what is the real reason Gawain, am I not experienced enough for you, am I not pretty enough, if I acted more like Lena would you want me than!" I continued on my rampage now thoroughly upset.
"Taryn calm down, everyone in the inn is going to hear our conversation." He said trying to hush me.
"I will calm down Gawain when you tell me the truth." I said lowering my voice slightly.
"Fine that is easy, I promised your father I would not pursue you." He said in a tight whisper.
"Why did you do that?" I asked.
"Because he asked me to, and I respect him." He said.
I let out a sigh of relief, "Oh is that all", I said feeling slightly silly over all the things I had just shouted out. "I'm sorry Gawain for slapping you" I said putting my arms back around him I reached up to kiss the red mark that was starting to fade.
I climbed back into his lap, and whispered into his ear. "If you haven't noticed Gawain, Tristan isn't here." I said starting to kiss him again.
"Taryn" He said pushing me off his lap. "Haven't you heard a word I just said."
"Yes, but I thought, I mean, I didn't think you meant it." I said with a smile.
"I meant what I said Taryn, and I will not break my promise to Tristan, not even for you." He said his face full of emotion.
"You are serious aren't you. You care more about Tristan, and what he thinks than me or my feelings." I said my voice growing loud again.
"Taryn I refuse to argue with you all night, if you are going to keep this up I am leaving." He threatened.
"No your not!" I yelled at him. "I am leaving, for I refuse to stay another minute anywhere near you!' I said jumping out of the bed and pulling my green dress over my head.
"Taryn you're not going anywhere, come back to bed." Gawain said still half angry himself.
"Watch me." I said walking to the door, and deliberately slamming it shut.
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Galahad and Lancelot were still downstairs drinking gambling, and flirting with the woman. I went and took an empty seat next to Galahad.
"Taryn what are you doing here?" He questioned.
I reached out and grabbed his mug of ale, and downed as much of it as I could tolerate.
"Getting drunk, what does it look like." I said with smile that did not mirror what was going on in my heart.
"But I thought you didn't drink?" Lancelot said, the pretty girl draped across his lap.
"I do tonight." I said finishing the rest of Galahad's drink. "Get me more."
They looked at me like I had lost my mind, and I knew they were trying to figure out what had happened to me, but for once they stupidly obeyed me. Galahad waved at a serving girl, and grabbed two more drinks off of her tray. I finished that one, and another after that.
"Galahad lets dance." I said grabbing his hand and pulling him up next to me, my speech already slurring.
He obliged, and spun me around the room to the music, my feet moving faster and faster as we danced, but then all the sudden the room was spinning. "Galahad, I think I need to sit down." I said with a loud laugh. He led me back over to the bench where Lancelot was sitting.
"Where is Gawain?" Lancelot asked me.
"I don't know, nor do I care. He is probably some where thinking about Tristan." I said in an angry slur. The two knights looked at me suspiciously wondering what on earth I was talking about.
"I need another drink" I said grabbing another glass, and starting to down the contents. This time Lancelot stopped me and grabbed the glass from my hand before I could finish it.
"I think you need to slow down Taryn." He said.
"You all think you know what is best for me, Lancelot." I said jumping up and facing him. "I am a grown woman, and sick of you all thinking you need to protect me." I yelled, this time gaining the attention of many people in the room. I looked around and saw them all starring at me.
"Come on Galahad lets finish that dance." I said stumbling slightly turning to walk back to the cleared part of the floor. I only made it about half way when I stumbled again, and would have fallen flat on my face had not two arms reached out and caught me just in time. I turned to look at my savior. It was Phillip, and he did not look happy.
"Taryn what in God's name are you doing." Phillip said shaking me slightly. "You are drunk."
"Let me go Phillip, I hate men, and want to get even more drunk." I said trying to shrug his hands off of me. He steadied me on my feet, and then let go, but I only crashed back into him.
He held my arm and walked me back over to where Galahad and Lancelot were. "It looks like you have done a fine job looking out for her Lancelot." Phillip said quite angry with the two knights.
"I'm a woman Darn you Phillip, and you will treat me like one." I slurred loudly making an utter fool of myself, but I was beyond reason now.
"No Taryn, you are acting like a silly child, or a stupid drunk man." Phillip replied.
"Why don't you go mind your own business Roman." Galahad shouted standing and placing a hand on my shoulder. "We can take care of her ourselves." He said, but he too was already slurring his speech and stumbling, and did not put up a good defense.
In the midst of the argument, I felt my stomach begin to roll. "Phillip, I think I am going to be sick." I mumbled, and before anyone could react, I emptied the contents of my stomach at everyone's feet.
"Oh Taryn, that is just sick." Galahad screeched.
"Here Galahad would you like to care for her now." Phillip said motioning toward me, and my vomit soaked dress.
"Phillip" Lancelot said standing, trying to get away from the pile of vomit. "As officer in charge, Taryn is now your duty, help her get cleaned up, and put her to bed." Lancelot said with a smile.
Phillip looked down at my bloodshot eyes and puke stained clothes. "Phillip, I don't feel so good." I said to him, my knees feeling weak.
"Come on Taryn, Ill take you to your room." He said lifting me into his arms.
"No!" I said firmly. "Gawain is in there, and I would rather sleep in the stables." I managed to get out.
"Then my room it is." He said carrying my drunk form out the door, and to the inn next door.
AN Okay that was a long one, since it may possible be awhile before I can write again. I hope it entertained you all. The next one should be pretty good also.
Sorry Tracy 137 if I am driving you crazy with the kind of love triangle, but unfortunately it will be here until the end of the story. Which hopefully wont be too much longer, because I have an idea for a new story, but wont start it until this one is finished.
Thanks for all the great reviews, you will have to tell me what you think about this chapter. Was Taryn right for being angry with Gawain, or was she being childish, what do you think?
As for the drunk scene. I don't drink, never been drunk, hope I wrote it well. This part is too show the only thing that happens when you get totally wasted, is you make a fool of yourself, and your good friends get stuck taking care of you. I only know this from the many drunks I take care of at the hospital, who vomit on everything, and Pee, and crap on everything else. Not to mention becoming violent and or suicidal. Do I sound like I hold a grudge, lol.
Read and review!