A/N Okay, sorry if I was a little unclear about the story. Both chapters go together. They're first chapter is more of a prologue. Thank you for your awesome review. Sorry it's been so long since my last update, I developed a writer's block for this particular story. I'm still a bit blocked so I'm willing to hear any criticisms, praises and suggestions. PLEASE REVIEW!
They climbed down the stairs. The knights stared in shock at the rotting corpses and torture devices.
"The work of your god?" Lancelot said in disgust. Arthur heard Lancelot call his name as he pulled a little boy out of a small cage with a grated opening.
"You must not fear me, child. I will not hurt you." The child looked up at Dagonet with large and frightened eyes. He had matted blond hair and a broken arm. He stared at the scar running threw the corner of Dagonet's eye.
Arthur and Lancelot approached a small cell. There was a woman with dark hair and a dazed expression. Arthur handed Lancelot his torch and drew his sword to slice the chains. Lancelot turned and left. His entire body was shaking. He could barely suppress the fury that was flowing through him. Arthur came up from the torture chamber clutching the girl. He deposited her on the ground beside the boy that Dag had found.
"Water, get me some water." Arthur supported the thin woman gently and held water to her mouth. She gagged on it. Tristan peered at her tattooed legs. Her entire body was shivering uncontrollably.
"She's a woad." Lancelot groaned. This was just what they needed. Another setback.
Arthur had reset her fingers. She had talked to him. Well she had done what resembled talking. It had ended up in a spirited debate. She sighed. She looked at a curly black haired man. He had ridden towards her. She started to discuss heaven with him. It had been something that she would often discuss with… Well she had heard the words many times.
"Where do you come from that compares? The black sea? This is heaven for me." He looked at her and gave a laugh.
"I don't believe in heaven. I've lived too long in this hell, but if you represent what heaven is, please take me there." She laughed. He gave her a flirtatious look. She knew that was the place he served in the group. The braided man, he was the deadly one. The Roman that had set her fingers, he was the commander. She had seen the guilt in his eyes when he'd fixed her hands.
" We all live in hell but sometimes we can turn it into our own heaven. Why is it that you choose to hare this place. This is where you live isn't it?" He frowned.
"Don't talk to someone that lives in servitude to Rome about living." She gave him a smirk.
"Why do you continue your servitude if not to live. There is nothing more terrible or beautiful than this thing we call life." He gave her an appraising look. She closed her eyes as he galloped away. She sighed. These knights were going to be difficult to sway. Merlin had warned her that before her capture.
They had made camp. Lancelot was sting with the men, eating some bread. He sighed.
"Arthur, what is it that you're doing?" They all stared at their commander. He was pacing by the woods. He shook his head and turned away.
"Merlin, he let us go in the woods. He has plans for us. I want to know what they are." He looked thoughtful. Lancelot raised his hands and jumped a foot when he heard a voice from behind him.
"Kill 'em, that'll solve the problem." Lancelot sighed when he saw it was Tristan.
"You really need stop- all right, don't flash the knife. It was just a suggestion." He sighed as Tristan mounted his horse and went off to go scouting. Lancelot clapped Arthur on the back.
"What he said. Anything getting in between Galahad and home should fear his sword." Arthur chuckled as Lancelot when off to find a nice tree to sleep by. He stopped when he saw the woad. She was bathing. He didn't know why but his eyes were drawn to her figure. She glanced up and caught him staring. He glanced down shamefully and disappeared into the trees. Her words kept on spinning threw his head.
Nothing more terrible or beautiful than this thing called life. There was something mesmerizing about that. He heard twigs snapping and glanced up.
"Hushhhhh." He almost imagined the faint whisper in the trees. He saw the woad, her hair had been clipped back and she was wearing a long cloak. She had started walking into the deep woods. Arthur was following her. He sighed. Well, that settled the matter of that one.
Tristan had taken a path through the woods and looped around when he was scouting. He stopped when he heard voices. He slowly dismounted his horse.
"Shh, stay here." He drew his sword and slowly walked into the forest. He could make out the form of his commander and the woad girl as well as another woad. He could have sworn he recognized him. He was proved correct when he heard the woad man addressed as 'Merlin."
"This sword was forged form the fires of this Earth. It is love Arthur. Love. We need your help against the Saxons. Your mother was of this land." Tristan was about to turn and leave when he caught sight of something. He raised his sword and was about to edge closer into the forest when he felt a blade at his neck. He didn't move. He couldn't see a figure in the dark. H
e could feel breath on the back of his neck. He went to twist away, but the cold blade was pressed tighter against his neck. He had expected to hear a threat or to be abused but nothing happened. He suddenly grabbed the blade and twisted it, flinging it into a nearby tree. He glanced around but he could see no one.
The forest was empty. Apparently Merlin had left and Arthur and the woad had returned to the camp. He slowly slipped out of the forest with his sword drawn. He listened for any sound at all. He slowly mounted his horse.
"You seen anyone, girl?" He sighed as he urged the horse into a trot. He returned to scouting. One thing was certain, there had been someone else in the forest.
A/N sorry for the awful chapter. I know that whole little thing wasn't very Tristan like, but I wanted there to be the air of mystery. PLEASE REVIEW!