Chapter 28
Today was the day; I thought to myself, the excitement was building. Today my father, my friends would have their long sought after freedom, freedom from Rome, freedom from this island. We would be traveling home within days. I would see my grandparents again and my friends, I would be going home.
I was happy, but there was sadness also. I would be parting from my new found friends and Gawain. We had patched things up a bit in the last week, and were back on the road to friendship, but the budding relationship we had, was not there yet. A week was just not enough time to mend what had been done. In fact we had not even talked about what started our quarrel in the first place, he had not mentioned Phillip, nor I the women. Maybe it was better left that way, maybe not, but neither of us had yet cared to venture on the subject.
We were all to meet at the round table this morning, for Arthur would give the knights their orders, their final orders. By the time I arrived all of the knights were present. It was unusual for some of them to be so punctual; it was well known some of our knights were not early risers. Today was the exception, today their faces shown with anticipation, with new found hope, freedom.
"Knights" Arthur began. "Today we will ride to meet the Bishop's carriage, for in it will be the key to your freedom, your discharge papers. This will be your final duty to Rome, the safe arrival of Bishop Germanius. I am happy for you all, but sad for myself, I will miss you all, and never forget the service you have done for me, for Rome. Now let us prepare to depart." He said dismissing the men to prepare the horses.
"Tristan, I would like to accompany you." I requested as we walked toward the stables.
"You may." He said shortly his mind already on the duty ahead.
I would not miss out on my last time, to ride with these great knights. It was rumored the woads had crossed the northern boarder, if that was so, the bishops carriage could be in danger, thus the need for the escort service of the knights.
I went to Black's stall to prepare him for the ride. "Taryn what are you doing?" Gawain asked from the stall next to mine.
"Going with you." I replied.
"It may be dangerous." He said seriously.
"Well I guess I better hope I don't come across any well trained woads." I said with a small grin.
"Don't worry, I will watch out for you." He said grinning back.
"I never doubted that you would Gawain." I said leading Black out of the stall, next to him and his tall stallion.
"Knights, let us ride." Arthur called leading the way out of the stables.
We rode at a brisk pace toward the coast where the bishop would be arriving from. I had never yet met a bishop, and was curious what one would be like. He would be Roman so I doubted I would like him.
After several hours of riding we came to the top of the hill, the knights all halted in a line across the ridge of the hill. I brought Black to a stop next to Gawain's horse, and looked down to what they were all starring at so intently.
"Ah, as promised the bishop's carriage." Gawain remarked looking to his companions.
"Our freedom Bors" Galahad added.
"Mmm, I can almost taste it." Bors replied raising his head to the wind.
"Your passage to Rome, Arthur." Gawain said looking to his commander.
I looked down at the men, seeing the pleased expressions on their faces, knowing that their dream was finally becoming a reality. I looked back down to the carriage, with the brigade of soldiers guarding it. By the number of them, I took it to mean this Bishop was an important man.
Then the tranquil silence that had overtaken all the knights was suddenly broken, by an arrow knocking the lead Roman off his horse. Then a loud cry arose from the forest, as woads began to appear from the mists, weapons held high.
"Woads" Tristan called out looking over to me. My sword was already in hand, as was the weapons of the other knights. We all began riding hard toward the caravan.
The Roman soldiers formed a circle around the carriage, but they were outnumbered by the dozens of woads that flocked from the trees. From atop my horse I could see them already start to fall.
We were on them in minutes, Arthur led the charge. Never had I seen a man yield a sword as he, watching him and his Excalibur was a sight to behold. Slicing here, beheading a man there, he left fallen woads scattered in his wake. The other knights were close behind, dropping just as many men, as their leader, before they even left their horses back. For the moment I stayed back some from the action, using my skill with the bow first. I picked of woads here and there, wherever I could get a clean shot, but it was not long before I was noticed by one of their archers, for return fire soon came sailing my way. I was out of their range, for the arrows fell short, but some of the other woads had already spied me and were heading my way. They were soon dropped by arrows, I looked across the field to see it was Tristan who had fired, I nodded in appreciation. I saw Lancelot but a few feet from me, slicing through woads his skill far surpassing theirs. He looked up at me and grinned a small grin; I jumped down to his side to join him.
The first man that came at me, I dodged his blow, and quickly made a swipe of my own, which opened up his mid section slightly. Lancelot finished him, with a slice to the back; the man fell to the ground dead. I looked around for another opponent, but most were already engaged, I saw Gawain, make quick work of several woads. Tristan remained on his horse firing arrows, by the looks of the fallen men around me; I think many of his arrows were in my direction. Bors and Dagonet, were near the edge of the creek, putting a large dent in the number of woads.
Tristan finally disposed of his bow, and began to artfully cut his way through making a path to the carriage. The woads were foolish to even approach him, he was a god with that curved sword of his.
"Taryn, look out." Lancelot called, as several more woad warriors approached us. I sheathed my long sword and pulled out my tridents. They were all holding smaller weapons, and the shorter swords would work much better. The first man gave me some trouble, he was as Gawain would call a fairly skilled woad, but I had trained with the greatest man to ever carry a sword, and my opponent soon fell, with a long cut to the throat. It was not a pretty death, out of mercy, I buried one of my swords into the left side of his back killing him instantly, I felt a second of remorse, but it soon passed, as I was attacked by yet another woad.
This man was much larger than I, and before I had a chance to defend myself, Gawain stepped in between us slamming the large man to the ground, and plunging his dagger into his heart.
"Thanks" I called, but he did not have time to reply for he was already engaged with another.
With my attention on Gawain, I did not see the man to my left. I heard him approaching, and turned, just as his sword came out, catching my shoulder. Thankfully I had worn one of Tristan's thick leather shirts, for the cut it left was not deep. I jumped back weapons ready, but again, the fight was fought for me.
Lancelot this time stepped in, for he had seen the man nearly take my arm off. Lancelot had him on his knees with just three swipes of his blade. He then did the most shockingly disgusting thing I have ever witnessed. He wielded his swords as scissors, and removed the mans head from his body. "Lancelot, that is just sick." I said turning my head away from the gruesome sight.
"Ah, I am only here to serve and protect." He said his handsome face spackled with the man's blood.
I looked around again the battle was almost done. It was easy to see why these Sarmatian knights had made a legend of themselves. There skills were extraordinary. I saw Gawain challenge a tall woad, who had been hacking into the Roman's. I held my breath as the massive man charged at him, but the man was no match for Gawain. Gawain was a very skilled warrior, but one of his greatest assets was his sheer strength. He threw the woads around as if they were rag dolls.
Then it was over as quickly as it began. I grabbed Black, and rode over to where Bors and Gawain were standing. Bors was peering into the carriage, while Gawain was kneeling to retrieve his dagger, there was a man kneeling under the carriage whimpering loudly.
"Save your prayers boy, your god does not live here." I heard Gawain snarl at him.
There was commotion at the opposite end of the field, I turned and saw Arthur, Excalibur held, at a woads throat. The woad kneeled in submission dropping his weapon.
"Why did Merlin send you south of the wall?" Arthur questioned his sword still raised.
The man only answered in a language of his own. "Pick it up!" Arthur commanded fiercely. "Pick it up." The man obeyed, I waited for the final swing of Excalibur, but it did not come, Arthur instead turned and walked away from the man, and headed toward us.
"Bors?" He called out.
"What a bloody mess." Bors replied pointing at the obviously dead bishop.
"That's not the bishop." He said slowly, turning to look at the mounted soldiers.
Bors was tormenting the poor man under the carriage, much to the amusement of the other knights. One of the Romans came forward, and Arthur stepped out to meet him. Flanked by his knights, weapons still in hand.
"Stand down." The man called out. He then called to Arthur, for this man was the bishop, the poor man in the carriage was merely a decoy.
"These are the great Sarmatian Knights we have heard so much about in Rome." The bishop said looking at the now mounted knights, he did not bother to look impressed.
"I thought the woads controlled the area north of the wall?" he asked Arthur.
"They do, but they occasionally venture south, and Rome's anticipated withdraw from Britain has only increased their daring." He said bluntly.
"Woads?" questioned a soldier.
"British rebels fighting for their freedom." Gawain said.
"Men who want their country back." Galahad spat at him. The Romans would get no respect from this bunch.
"Who leads them?" The bishop questioned ignoring the indignant knights.
"Merlin, a dark magician some say." Lancelot added.
"Tristan, ride ahead and make sure the road is clear." Arthur commanded suddenly.
"Do not worry Bishop we will protect you." Arthur said escorting the man to the carriage.
"I have not doubt commander, no doubt." The bishop replied a grin appearing on his ugly face.
"Dozens don't worry me nearly so much as thousands." The whimpering man said, as he tried to climb into the carriage.
"Thousands?" Lancelot replied darkly looking over to where Arthur rode.
I turned my horse in the direction of home, but a Roman riding right next to me caught my attention. His horse was so close to mine I could reach out and touch it. I looked to the man, who so arrogantly invaded my space, and was shocked, by the face under the helmet.
"Phillip." I squealed in delight. I leaned over nearly falling off my horse to hug him. "Taryn, do be careful." He scolded.
"You came back." I said the excitement evident in my voice. One of Phillip's fellow soldiers, who was riding close, commented on my joyous greeting. "No wonder you were so anxious to come back." He said with a smirk, kicking his horse in front of us.
"Yes, I just couldn't stay away." He said with a smile. "I had to see you one last time, and try to convince you to come back to Rome with me."
"A few weeks ago I may just have done that." I said as we rode along.
"Trouble in paradise?" He questioned looking over to where Gawain rode just ahead of us, I followed his gaze just in time to lock eyes, with a frowning Gawain.
"That is probably an understatement things were getting better though. Now tell me about Rome." I asked, not wanting to talk about my relationship with Gawain.
"I saw my mother, but only for a day, she died that night." He said sadly.
"Phillip, I am so sorry." I said reaching out to touch his leg with my hand.
"I know." He said clasping my hand in his, the tears glistening in his eyes, but not spilling.
"I know it sounds bad Phillip, but it gets easier, but the hurt never goes away." I said, for I knew how he was feeling first hand. He nodded in acknowledgement, but said nothing swallowing hard, to fight the tears.
"I am glad you came back." I said again. "Me too." He replied with a gentle smile. I caught him up on the news of the fort, the rest of the way home. He had not heard the story of Lena yet, and got a good chuckle over it. He too felt sorry for her.
"Phillip." One of the soldiers called out. He excused himself, and turned his horse to ride back to where the soldier was. I took this chance to catch up with the knights, who rode ahead of us. I went to the rear of the line riding next to my father.
"I don't like him, this Roman." Galahad was saying. "If he is here to discharge us, why does he not just give us our papers?"
"Is this your happy face?" Gawain said looking over to the brooding knight. We all began to chuckle, at the smile that crept onto Galahad's face.
"Galahad, do you still not know the Romans? They wont scratch their arses without holding ceremony." Gawain said, making me laugh again, for it was so true, even Arthur was guilty of it, not the behind scratching part, but the ceremonial talks.
"Why don't you just kill him, and be done with it?" Bors said with a chuckle, "And discharge yourself after."
"I don't kill for pleasure. Unlike some." Galahad said looking over to where Tristan was riding.
"You should try it some day you might get a taste for it." Tristan said, getting a laugh from Gawain. It was not every day Tristan made people laugh.
"It's in your blood." Bors added to the discussion.
"No, no, no, after tomorrow this was all just a bad memory." Galahad said firmly.
"I have often thought about what going home would mean after all of this." Gawain started. "What will I do? It is different for Galahad, I have been in this life longer than the other. So much for home it is not so clear in my memory." He said. I remembered our conversation that day at the waterfall, and my offering to help him farm. What will he teach me in return he had asked. I felt my cheeks warm at the memory.
"I think I have a dozen children." I heard Bors saying.
"Eleven." Gawain corrected.
"You listen closely, when the Romans leave here, we will have the run of all this place. I will be governing my own village, and Dagonet will be my personal guard. Won't you Dag." He called to his friend.
"First thing I will do when I get home is find myself a beautiful Sarmatian woman to wed." Gawain said confidently. It made my stomach turn, for at one time I thought I would be that woman.
"A beautiful Sarmatian woman? Why do you think we left in the first place? Mooooo." Bors bellowed as if a cow. Causing Gawain to burst out laughing again
They had not seen me riding on the other side of Tristan, and I took this turn to add to the discussion.
"Bors, just because all the Sarmatian men are pigs, doesn't meant the woman are cows." I called out making my presence known.
"Taryn, sorry lass, didn't know you were there." He apologized with a grin. I glared at him and then to Gawain.
"You think we are pigs, hmmm." Gawain said glaring back at me. "No wonder you prefer Roman's." He said looking back to where Phillip was riding.
Bors looked between the two of us seeing the tension mounting. "Lancelot" He said, as the knight rode up trying to catch more of the discussion. "What are your plans for home?" Bors asked.
"Well if this woman is as beautiful as Gawain says, I expect to be spending a lot of time at Gawain's house. His wife will welcome the company." He said with a smirk.
"Ah, and I see, and what will I be doing?" Gawain asked not bothering to look back toward me.
"Wondering your good fortune all your children look like me." Lancelot said that cocky little grin appearing. I started laughing loudly at this comment.
"Is that before or after I hit you with my axe?" Gawain replied dully.
Tristan's hawk was circling above, she descended slowly, and landed on his outstretched arm. "Where ya been aye?" he coed to her ruffling the feathers on her head.
"Sometimes I think you like her more than you like me." I said with a pout.
"The hawk is probably more loyal." Gawain said from where he rode behind us.
I ignored his comment and kept riding. "He is not happy Phillip is back." Tristan commented.
I let out a sigh. "No Tristan, not at all, but what am I suppose to do?"
"Tomorrow we leave for home, you don't have to do anything." He said kicking his horse into a trot. We had arrived at the fort, and all were anxious to rest. I followed behind again thinking of Tristan's words.
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I did not join the knights in their meeting at the round table. I knew the bishop would be there, and something about that man, that made my skin crawl. I waited instead for the knights outside the door.
"Taryn, what are you doing?" Phillip asked approaching the bench I sat on waiting for the knights.
"I did not want to go in tonight. I don't care for the bishop Philip, he does not seem like a spiritual leader of a church." I said.
"You are right in your assessment, Taryn. Germanius is a soldier first. He has led many battles. He is a hard man." He replied.
"When do you leave back for Rome?" I questioned.
"I am sure we will leave the same time you all do. I could see the bishop requesting the knights escort him back to the coast, since many of our soldiers were killed in the fight against the woads." He answered.
"Tomorrow then." I stated.
"Maybe." Was his reply.
Then to my surprise the doors to the hall burst open, and the knights came pouring out. I stood up quickly looking at their angry faces. "Do you have your papers?" I asked hesitantly.
"No." Galahad spat out. "No papers. All we know is that an army of Saxons is heading this way, and Rome is pulling up and leaving."
"Saxons, I thought Rome sent a messenger saying the Saxons would not attack?" I said turning to look at Phillip.
"Big surprise." Gawain said. "Rome lied to us." He turned to storm down the hall.
"What is going on?" I asked Tristan.
"We don't know Taryn, the Bishop requested to talk to Arthur." He said solemnly.
"Enough talk" Bors called "To the tavern, my drink awaits."
The knights let out a half hearted cheer, and followed Bors as he lead the way to a blissful night of drinking.
"Are you going with them?" Phillip asked.
"I need to go to my room, and do a little packing, I will join them their shortly, maybe by then Arthur will be done with the Bishop, and have their papers." I remarked thoughtfully.
"Well I have a few things I need to also, so I will see you down there." He said as he bent to give me a hug.
"Phillip it is so good to have you back at least for a little while." I said as I hugged him back.
I actually had most of my belonging packed and ready to go. I just wanted a moment to myself to collect my thoughts. This would be the last night I would have to be with Phillip, and possibly Gawain. It was not certain he would travel home with us. He was upset with me again, for no reason. The thought of leaving things such a disaster between us was hard.
I would talk to him one more time. Try to explain, let him explain. I did not want to regret anything. I walked back down to the tavern with a purpose. Things would be settled tonight once and for all.
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AN: Hope this wasn't too boring, I know it was pretty much a recap of the movie. I will not use all that happened in the movie, only scenes that are pertinent to the story, or my favorite! I may have missed some dialogue, or who said what, sorry, couldn't find my copy of the book to verify. I hope Taryn's part was okay. I hope I did not make her sound too wimpish in the fight scene, but face it, she is just not a kick butt warrior, so I hope I didn't offend anyone because she accepted the knights help. Let me now if there is anything I can improve on. Thanks Kafan.
Modernprincess: I know what you mean, about getting into a story. I am like that with other's stories. Thanks for the compliments, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.
Marrianna: Still not sure on the Lena thing either. Thanks for the review.
Elfvamp: I think Tristan is starting to see, his daughter is a grown girl, and can do what she wants. He is just trying to offer sort of fatherly advice.
Truluvwaits: I will answer all your questions hopefully in the next two chapters!
Camreyn: I had to come up with something for Gawain to do that would just totally tick Taryn off. He will explain what happened at a later date. I couldn't keep Phillip gone to long, he's back! Tristan is trying to be a good father, but it is hard being the pop of a teenager in love, lol.
Brandy L.: I give up trying to remember how to spell your last name, so I will just shorten it a little, lol, hope you don't mind. I looked for your story preview, and couldn't find it? Can't wait to read it.
KnightMaiden: I will find it very hard to kill Lancelot, but we will see no promises, lol. Aren't I mean?
Babaksmiles: Thanks for the review. Gawain definitely needs a smack, I may just add that in to my next chapter!