Disclaimer: nothing you recognise belongs to me.
Llynya could not remember ever being so tired. Her back and shoulders ached from the heavy pitchers she had carried to and fro from the kitchen, and her hair was escaping its braid, flopping into her shadowed eyes. Several people were curled up in the main room. They were either reluctant to go back to their homes or too drunk to do so. The knights had kept relatively sober; after all it was they who would have to fight should trouble arise. Eager to get whatever rest they could, they had left fairly early; Gawain kissing her on the cheek and making her promise not to walk home alone. Wiping the last mug clean, she placed it on the shelf above the work top and picked up the bucket of dirty water. The back door had been mended by a couple of young men; their services acquired with the promise of free ale and a decent meal. Looking at the patched doorway, Llynya swallowed nervously. There were lookouts that would warn the villagers of any sign of the beast, but she could not help but feel a little apprehensive.
"Want some company?" Charlotte wandered into the hallway, untying her money belt and tossing it onto the table. "Probably safer if we both go together."
"Thanks." Llynya smiled at the younger girl. "Nothing like a savage monster to make a girl jumpy."
"Very true." Unlatching the door, Charlotte let Llynya pass, her eyes scanning the darkness. "Looks safe enough."
"It looked safe before," the other girl retorted. "Back in my village the only thing we had to watch for was old drunk Charlie with the wandering hands, or Leo bringing out his lyre whenever he fancied that he was in love."
"He was a bad singer?" asked Charlotte curiously.
"Terrible." Llynya shook her head with a mixture of amusement and sorrow. "You have not known torment until you have been forced to listen to a twenty verse ballad comparing your physical attributes to those of wildfowl."
"Wildfowl?" Charlotte hoisted the bucket from the well and flexed her cold fingers, "was he trying to insult you or woo you?"
"Woo." Llynya giggled a little, and although her heart ached at their loss, it was nice to get a chance to speak of those who had been an important part of her life. "The grace of a swan that floats like a ghost through dark water, the nobility of the turkey who gazes with majestic wattle towards the horizon," she intoned gravely. "The curved form of a duck that paddles merrily in the pond." Shaking her head ruefully, she watched Charlotte snort with laughter. "There were another nineteen chapters of that. Luckily the memory of his poetry lasted considerably longer than his infatuation."
"Thank the gods for small mercies." Looking up sharply, the blonde girl put out a hand to shush her companion. The thud of footsteps came from behind them, the shadows of two dark figures looming against the tavern wall. "Who is there?" Charlotte called out, unable to hide the tremble in her voice.
"A wolf, or at least that seems to be your preferred title for me lady." Lancelot slipped from the darkness, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I had not thought you to be so easily rattled, Charlotte."
"You slink around in the shadows when there is a savage beast wandering the forest, and you are surprised that I am nervous?" Narrowing her eyes in annoyance, she shoved her hands into her pockets and nodded at Galahad who was watching the conversation with interest.
Lancelot laughed. "Peace Charlotte, Gal and I have come to escort you and Llynya home. We are taking over the watch and wanted to make sure you were both safe."
"Oh." Charlotte looked a little embarrassed. "That's umm… you don't have to…"
"It's very kind of you both," Llynya said politely, taking pity on her friend and curtseying to the two knights. "We are both grateful for your concern."
"Gawain'd have my head if I didn't." Yawning, Galahad patted Llynya's shoulder and gestured towards the cobbled street. "We should get going now. Bors and Dag are probably freezing their arses off out there."
"Ah, it'll be our turn soon enough." Offering his hand to Charlotte, Lancelot could not help but smile when she took it tentatively. "Unless the ladies wish to offer us the warmth of their beds, it's going to be a cold night ahead for us Galahad."
"Not in this lifetime," Charlotte muttered, but she did not let go of his hand.
"Thank-you." Giving Charlotte a swift hug and smiling at the two dark knights, Llynya bid the three of them farewell and quietly unlatched the door to the house that she and Gawain had been allocated. With hesitant steps she crossed the short distance to the bedroom and pushed open the door. The fire was little more that embers, and the light it gave off was dancing over the rough stone walls and gilding the slumped body on the bed. Llynya smiled at the scene before her. Fast asleep, one muscular arm flung over his head, Gawain looked almost boyish - the worry and torment that shadowed his face was erased by slumber. There was still a decent pile of wood by the hearth, and kicking off her shoes and unlacing her dress, she carefully banked the fire and watched the logs hiss and spit as they were consumed by flames. Clad only in her shift, she padded over to the bed and snuggled down beside Gawain, burying her face in his hair and holding him close when he unconsciously reached out for her.
It seemed that she had only just fallen asleep when she was awakened by an insistent hand shaking her shoulder.
"What?" Opening her eyes, she blinked blearily at the big man beside her. "'s night, and I'm gonna sleep."
"It's morning I'm afraid, love, and Charlotte is waiting for you."
"Oh." Flopping back onto the bed, Llynya yawned. "I should get dressed."
"No hurry." Gawain looked at her with amusement. "I'd imagine you'd get better tips if you go to work in your shift, but it probably isn't a very good idea."
"No, I suppose not." Rubbing her eyes, she shoved the tangled mass of her hair over her shoulder, wincing at her attempts to run her fingers through it. "Is there any news?"
"Nothing." Gawain crossed the room and picked up the brush that Charlotte had left before. "It was a quiet night. I'll walk you to the tavern. Arthur is going to talk to some of the villagers: perhaps one of them has seen something or has information that will help us."
"Perhaps," Llynya said thoughtfully, pulling her dress over her head. "Someone somewhere must have an idea of what is going on."
"We'll find out soon enough." Smiling, he brushed his fingers over her cheek and sat down beside her.
"You look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards."
She laughed and briefly leaned into his touch. "Nay Sir, merely attacked by a beast, groped by drunken men and managed to pour ale over your commander."
"Ah, well, that's alright then." Tugging the brush through her unruly hair, he ran his fingers through it
thoughtfully. "Any trouble and you come to me."
Llynya wrinkled her nose. "Any trouble and I'll go to Charlotte. I have a feeling that the men of the village are more afraid of her tongue than your axe."
"You are probably right." Releasing her, Gawain reached for his armour, buckling the supple leather hauberk securely. "Perhaps Lancelot could teach her a few manners."
"I don't think it's manners that Lancelot is interested in tutoring her in. His interests tend to be more umm… carnal from what I've heard." Twisting her hair into a bun, Llynya watched Gawain tuck his axe into his belt. "They don't seem to like each other much anyway."
"You didn't like me much when we first met either." Gawain raised an eyebrow at the dark-haired girl.
"I've met Woads less defensive than you were that day."
"Well you and Bors were rather intimidating, and I wasn't sure of your intentions." Slipping past the blond knight, she watched him close the door behind them.
"I assure you that my intentions were entirely honourable," Gawain said calmly. "But what can a man do when a beautiful woman tries to seduce him?"
"Me? Seduce you?" Llynya batted his arm with her palm. "Your brain has been addled by battle Sir Knight - I was the reluctant party in this from what I recall."
"Reluctant?" He raised an eyebrow and watched her blush as she met his calm blue eyes. "I had hoped that you gained at least a little pleasure from our time together."
"Don't flatter yourself," she grumbled, pushing open the door to the tavern. "That was then; things are different now." But she kissed him back when he lowered his mouth to hers, and watched him walk over to the rest of the knights before heading to the kitchen.
"Quiet!" Dynadan looked at the gathered people and attempted to make himself heard. Most of the inhabitants of the village were gathered outside the barn; either they were perched on the pig-pen fence or milling around restlessly. Small children ducked and weaved around their parents' legs, and the air was heavy with anticipation.
Llynya hoisted herself onto the gate next to Charlotte and watched the scene with interest. Gawain had smiled at her, and Dagonet nodded politely. Lancelot had given a wicked grin and a wink to both girls, much to Llynya's amusement and Charlotte's irritation. The knights stood calm and imposing behind the village elder, Arthur's raised hand hushing the chatter almost immediately. Nodding to the older man, Arthur let Dynadan speak first.
"Right then. No prizes for guessing why I called this meeting." Glaring at a small boy who had skidded into a fencepost and burst into noisy tears, he scratched his head wearily. "We've got a beast on the loose - a…tiger." Glancing back at the Roman commander, he continued when he nodded in verification. "Now this isn't something that is native to Britain - it's even unusual in the Roman arenas. That means that it must have been brought here by someone, probably the same person who blows the whistle before it attacks. If we can find the man then we can find the beast, and with the help of the knights here, put an end to this."
"Easier said than done," muttered a young man at the front of the crowd.
"Indeed, Cador, and that is why we must all work together." Dynadan sighed with exasperation. "A beast of that size must have to be kept somewhere, and somewhere within walking distance for the man who accompanies it. This isn't an animal that could have been transported without questions being raised, or people remembering it. This is no demon or spirit - it is a flesh and blood creature, and one that must have been kept nearby for some time now."
"Then why's it only been attacking recently?" a young woman asked hesitantly. "None of us have seen anything like what you've described being transported round these parts. We'd have known if there was wouldn't we?" She looked around at her fellow villagers who nodded and mumbled in agreement. "News travels fast, and I ain't heard anything about a triger or tiger or whatever you are on about."
"Which would suggest that it is not a recent arrival to these parts," Arthur said quietly, his low voice silencing the unrest. "Tigers were used in Roman sport. I know that there are no Roman camps here, but have there been any near here in the past?"
The crowd muttered amongst themselves, seemingly unable to come to a decision.
"There was a camp." The voice was bright and childlike, pushing himself to the front of the crowd, a man in his late twenties looked eagerly at the big Roman.
"Balan…" A woman reached out to restrain him, but the young man shook off her hand.
"Years ago it was now, but there was a fortress to the north. Romans lived there- lot's of them. Gavin and I used to play there sometimes…" As though suddenly realizing that he had said too much, Balan lowered his head and looked guilty. "'Course we weren't supposed to, but we didn't do any harm, honest."
Arthur looked at the man thoughtfully. It was obvious that he was half witted, but he had no reason to doubt the truth of his words - and it seemed strange that the other villagers were so reticent when it came to talking about the Roman camp. He had a faint memory of a large settlement being posted around these parts, a high ranking Roman general and a substantial number of soldiers. He had assumed that they had been drafted elsewhere, but the sudden tension and the way in which the villagers seemed suddenly restless made him wonder if perhaps there was another explanation. "Is this true?" He asked Dynadan.
The man ran his hand through his hair and did not meet his eyes. "Aye, it's true. There was a fort in the forest years ago, but there's nothing left now. Woads attacked and slaughtered most of the poor souls there. The rest of 'em fled as far as I can tell. Rome never came back to bother us, and we just let nature take back what was hers to begin with. Not much left but ruins now."
"I see." Arthur looked at Balin thoughtfully. "There were no survivors? No-one stayed in the area?"
"No." He shook his head and looked at the Roman commander with guileless blue eyes. "Even Tauleas left or was…" He looked down and bit his lip. "I liked Tauleas; he had puppies, he liked to play in the forest. Didn't matter that I wasn't Roman, he liked the wild."
"Tauleas?" Arthur looked at Dynadan questioningly. "One of the soldiers?"
"No." The village elder shook his head sadly. "He was the son of the General. We found the bodies of his mother and father; there were wolves already feeding on the carcasses when we arrived. I assume he was…" His voice trailed off, but his meaning was clear enough.
"I see." Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter another word, Bors' bellow rang out from the village.
"Artorius!" Shoving his way through the crowd, the burly man slid to a halt before his commander. "We've got trouble," he panted."
"What do you mean?"
The low whistle that sang out from the forest halted any other questions, and the crowd erupted into chaos. Striding towards the meadow, Arthur drew his sword and looked back at his knights.
"It seems that our prey has come to find us after all."
"How considerate", muttered Galahad, shouldering his bow. "It'll be a pleasure to put an end to this racket."
Drawing their weapons, the knights watched the people hurry in to the barn and waited for the beast.
A/N: A big thank-you to Priestess of the Myrmidon for beta reading this for me. Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed the last chapter.