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Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 3 : Explanations and Rescues

The next morning Rowan awoke, still full of discomfort at what had occurred during the night. The man was infuriating, maddening, frustrating – but now he was disconcerting also. The fearsome glint that had entered his eyes had made him seem ruthless somehow, cold-hearted, and it scared her. Of course, she had thought him odd since she first saw him, with his tattoos and the hair he hid behind, and his general air of a solitary nature, but now there was something more there – something dangerous.

Early morning sunlight was streaming through the window and Rowan decided to miss breakfast in favour of a ride. Within minutes she was dressed in her daily apparel of brown breeches tucked into soft leather boots, a white shirt, and a short leather waistcoat. Soon she was in the stables, having stopped off at the infirmary to find that Lamorak was still fighting his fever, greeting her horse and most prized possession, a chestnut stallion named Astro.

Rubbing the white splash on his forehead and murmuring to him, she didn't notice the presence behind her until he spoke.

"You must be goin' insane if you keep talkin' to th'orses," Farrell mocked with a grin.

Groaning, Rowan refused to turn round. "Unfortunately I can't seem to get better conversation out of the humans in this stable."

"'spose my pa doesn't really 'ave a way with words."

"I was talking about you, you idiot!" she exploded, whirling round. Farrell laughed openly at her and she groaned, kicking at the straw. He knew that. Of course he knew that. Yanking open the stall door she stormed out, shoving him out of the way with an elbow as she made for the tack room.

"You goin' for a ride?" he called after her.

"No, I'm going for a fly," she threw back over her shoulder, hearing a short burst of laughter before she disappeared round the corner.

XXX

Rowan took Astro to possibly her favourite place on the island, the highest point on the cliff overlooking the gorge. From here she could hear the thunderous water of the raging river, and see the endless expanse of ocean, gleaming in the sunlight as the rays bounced off the waves, creating shimmering rainbows of colour that danced and flickered in the golden glow of the sun.

The horse fretted as she reached the edge of the cliff, not liking the sheer drop ahead, but she soothed him easily and sat quietly drinking in the view. It was only when Astro whinnied and tossed his head that she realised once more that she wasn't alone.

Looking to the left she saw Tristan approaching at an easy trot and groaned. "Why are all the irritating men out trying to drive me to distraction today, Astro?" she whispered to her horse. He gave a soft whicker and twitched his ears back and she smiled. Sometimes she could swear that horse understood her.

Signalling to him, she turned him to the left and nudged him into a walk, hoping to avoid conversation with Tristan. Not that he was likely to speak anyway. He nodded to her as she passed him and she gave him a curt nod back.

"At least he had the courtesy to acknowledge me," she muttered to Astro, then sighed. "Maybe Farrell was right, and I am losing my mind." The horse tossed his head slightly, as if shaking it, and she chuckled. Maybe he really could understand her.

XXX

Emerging from the stables, thankfully having had no further run-ins with Farrell, Rowan found Gawain cross-legged on the grass waiting for her.

"Briella said I might find you out here," he grinned, standing and dusting off his breeches. "We missed you at breakfast." Rowan raised an eyebrow at that but didn't respond. "I'm ready if you are. For the tour, that is," he added hurriedly.

She smiled. "That's fine by me. I won't take you back inside, it's too beautiful a day to be in the temple. I suppose all you need to know about it is that it is a temple, and it's where all the women of Avalon sleep, eat and worship, and where the infirmary is." She started to walk away from the stable, around the outside of the temple and past the baths.

"I don't really understand exactly what the women of Avalon are…religious? Healers?"

"Both," Rowan laughed. "Oh, and these are the baths. Feel free to use them." He nodded his thanks and she began her story. "Originally Avalon was a religious temple, where Priestesses lived and prayed. Then gradually it expanded into a place of aid, to help those who needed it. And I suppose healing is a large part of that. So finally, we became better known for our skills at healing than our religious beliefs."

"So some of you are Priestesses, and some are healers?"

"Yes. And some are both, and some are neither." She laughed at the look of confusion on his face. "Some Priestesses have trained as healers – Briella and Eris, for example. And some that live at the temple are too young to do either yet. We have girls here, sisters or daughters of our Priestesses and healers, who will eventually follow their chosen path. Also, although it is rare, sometimes a situation arises where were take in a young child who needs looking after." A shadow passed over her face, and she pressed on. "There is also a village a few minutes away, where those who need shelter or aid can live. Sophia founded it." She smiled fondly at the thought of the elderly woman, with such a big heart and so much compassion for others.

"But people don't know it exists?"

"People know, but they don't believe. Belief is importance here, and only with belief in our existence can people see beyond the mists and find us." They were walking up the tree-lined avenue now, towards the gates. "Tell me about your knights. You are as much as legend as we are!"

"We are bound to Rome due to an ancient pact," Gawain replied quietly. "After fifteen years service we are free to go home. If we survive that long."

Rowan sighed as they exited the gates and turned right, onto the huge field that lay there, stretching to the forest on the left and down to a lake at the bottom, and then the gorge. "It seems so unfair, Gawain."

"It is unfair, but I suppose you have to make the best out of a bad situation. I suppose if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met all the oafs in there." He gestured back at the temple, grinning.

"I don't think I'd have your optimism if I was in your situation!"

"I'm not optimistic," he replied, suddenly serious. "I don't believe I will survive the next five years. As long as I die proudly on the battlefield, what does it matter? Home is but a distant memory now."

Rowan stopped and took his arm, turning him to face her. She had been stunned by his words, wanted to tell him he was wrong, he would survive – but how could she make that kind of promise? "Home is where you make it, Gawain," she said at last.

"Rowan! Rowan!" a small voice squealed, disturbing the seriousness of the moment. Turning, Rowan and Gawain found a young girl running full pelt at them, little legs going furiously. Laughing, Rowan crouched and swept the girl into her arms as she reached them, spinning her round.

"Where have you been, Nhi?" she asked, rubbing her nose against the little girl's.

"Playing," she replied, green eyes wide and innocent. "I got this for you." She held up a small purple flower.

"It's beautiful, thank you." Rowan took it and kissed Nhi's cheek.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, blinking up at Gawain.

"I'm Gawain, my lady," he replied with a little bow. Nhi giggled delightedly.

"Gway!" she repeated. Gawain chuckled. He took the flower from Rowan's fingers and carefully tucked it behind her ear.

"How do you think that looks?" he asked Nhi.

"Pretty!" she replied, clapping her hands together.

Rowan snorted as she fingered the flower behind her ear. "If you say so, little one," she said to Nhi. "You want to go play?"

Nhi nodded vigorously. "Me and Maili are going to pick flowers for the poorly man now."

"That's very nice of you, Nhi. Be careful, won't you?"

The little girl nodded again and shouted her goodbyes as Rowan set her down and she ran off towards another young girl in the distance. Rowan watched her go with a smile.

"Sweet child," Gawain commented.

"She is," Rowan smiled. "The sweetest. She's one of the girls I was telling you about, that we've taken in."

"One of your waifs and strays?"

"Something like that," she laughed. "Her and her mother arrived here – it must be two years ago now – as their village was under Roman occupation and had been raided by Woads. Her husband, Nhi's father, had been killed. Then last winter, Nhi's mother died of illness, so we took Nhi in at the temple."

Gawain gave a low whistle. "Too much suffering for such a young girl."

"Indeed," Rowan replied, turning away to hide eyes shadowed by a distant, painful memory. Her discomfort was hidden by the arrival of another woman, a healer and Priestess by the name of Kaira.

"Rowan, Eris wishes to see you in the infirmary," the young woman said, blonde hair glowing in the sunlight. Gawain turned to her urgently. "Don't worry, it is not urgent," she added. Gawain heaved a sigh of relief and she smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Rowan looked at her with some suspicion; Kaira was nice enough, but there was something cold about her, something that raised doubt in Rowan. But she trusted her enough to believe her message and nodded, Kaira excusing herself and leaving.

"While you attend to my troublesome friend," Gawain teased with a smile, "May I explore more of this mysterious island?"

"Wander wherever you wish," she replied. "But watch out for the monsters hiding in the forest!" she shouted at his retreating back. His laughter floated back to her.

Rowan turned to the temple then paused, reluctant to return to the shade of the stone when the sun was so glorious and the sky such a clear blue. It wasn't urgent - surely Eris could wait a few minutes. She sat herself on the grass and then lay back, stretching herself out and allowing her to relax in the golden warmth. After just a few moments a shadow fell over her and she opened one eye, squinting against the sun.

A knight stood over her, one she vaguely recognised from the mischievous sparkle in his warm brown eyes and the impressive curliness of his hair.

"Enjoying the sun, my lady?"

Rowan grunted and sat up, annoyed at having her restful moment interrupted. "I was," she replied pointedly.

"No need to be rude," he said with a smirk, unfazed by her comment. "Most women are glad of my company, not so quick to reject it."

Ah. Now she remembered who he was. The cocky one with a quick tongue; Lancelot. The one that she had managed to silence by threatening injury to the place where he no doubt kept his brain. He wasn't worth her time.

Getting to her feet Rowan dusted her hands on her breeches. "I am required at the infirmary," she said with sarcastic politeness. "Please excuse me."

As she moved to pass him he caught her wrist with gentle fingers and turned her to face him, that irritating smirk still at his lips. She was beginning to think his smirk was even more annoying than Tristan's passive expression. "Are you sure you do not wish me to keep you company here for a while longer?" he asked, with a wink that she was sure had lured many women to his bed during his years of service.

"I thought you knights don't hold ladies against their will?" Rowan looked pointedly at his hand, which still grasped her wrist.

"Perhaps you aren't a lady," he replied playfully.

"Perhaps you should watch your manners!" she snapped, wrenching her hand free.

As Lancelot opened his mouth to respond, a heart-wrenching scream of fear came from the distance. Rowan span round to source the sound, and found herself looking at the lake. A small figure was peering into the water, hands clutched to her mouth. It was Maili.

"No," Rowan whispered, frozen in horror. "NHI!" She yelled the word and took off, feet pounding the ground as she ran like fury. Her braid whipped behind her, strands of hair flying loose. Her fear drove her, mind blank apart from one word which she tried relentlessly to banish.

Drowning.

As she neared the lake a figure flew from the forest and crossed the short distance to the water. Rowan slowed slightly as the man leapt onto a boulder that edged the lake, and then dove in. Speeding up again, desperation flooding her, she reached the water's edge just as the man clambered onto the bank, a coughing and spluttering Nhi clutched in his arms.

Gawain.

"Thank the gods – thank the gods!" Was all Rowan could manage as she came to a stop, breathless and panting but exploding with relief. The little girl was clinging to Gawain with her arms around his neck, her face buried against his shoulder. Without hesitation Rowan flung her arms around both of them, tears of relief spilling onto Gawain's already sodden tunic.

XXX

Nhi sat wrapped in a towel on Gawain's lap, unharmed by her ordeal. She was still shaken, and refused to let go of the man who had pulled her from the water.

"I need to go to Eris," Rowan told the little girl. "You still want to pick flowers?" Nhi shook her head. "You can still play with Maili, just stay inside the temple garden for today please sweetie." The girl shook her head again, lower lip stuck out petulantly. Rowan sighed. "What do you want to do, Nhi?"

"I want to play with Gway!"

"I think Gway – I mean, Gawain – is busy, sweetie." Her lower lip began to tremble.

"No, I want to play," Gawain said, smiling at the look of relief Rowan sent him.

"Yes!" Nhi scrambled from his lap, towel dropping to the floor, and grabbed hold of Gawain's hand. She started to drag him away.

"Be careful!" Rowan shouted after them, then chuckled. Gawain didn't know what he was letting himself into with that bundle of energy.

Folding the towel that Nhi had discarded, Rowan exited the room and made her way through the temple to the infirmary. Percival was still slumped on the floor outside it, and she shot him a concerned look before entering the infirmary.

Eris was sitting by Lamorak's bed, her hand pressing a damp cloth to his forehead. However, she was slumped over, head resting on the mattress, fast asleep.

Concerned, Rowan crossed the room and laid a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. The woman awoke with a start, jerking backwards until Rowan soothed her.

Eris blinked up at her, yawning. "Sorry Ro, I must have dozed off."

Rowan narrowed her eyes at her clearly exhausted friend but decided not to press the point. "You sent for me?"

"Will you please try and persuade Percival to go and rest? He slept out in the corridor last night, he needs to get some sleep and have a decent meal."

"It seems to me you're the one I should be telling to sleep," Rowan replied pointedly. "Have you slept since he arrived here?"

Eris shook her head, then spoke quickly before her friend could chastise her. "I can't leave him! He needs me, Rowan. His condition is so bad, but he wants to pull through, I can tell. I need to get him through this, if only for the knights' sake."

"It's more than that, Eris." Rowan could read her friend easily after so many years of friendship. "Tell me the truth."

Eris sighed. "He speaks in his sleep, Rowan. He has fits, I think it's his fever. He keeps lashing out and shouting, having nightmares – he's been through so many horrible things, seen so much devastation, but he's survived it all. Maybe I can help him survive this."

Rowan stared at her friend for a long while, then nodded. "I'll go and persuade Percival to rest. But then I'm coming back here, and you're going to sleep for a few hours. No arguing," she added quickly as Eris opened her mouth to protest. The brunette sighed and nodded her concurrence. Satisfied, Rowan returned to the door, but as she grasped the handle she looked back over her shoulder. "And Eris? Lamorak may be handsome, but he is also unconscious and badly wounded. Maybe you should ignore your feelings until after he wakes?" Ignoring Eris' shock at her words, Rowan slipped from the room.