Out of Darkness Comes the Light - Chapter 13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone you may recognize. I don't even own the title. If you think I have ripped you off, sorry. This came purely from my own imagination, such as it is. I don't even claim that my story is any good...
Cardeia - I know you would think things like that, being as kind as you are. I would say more, but my mind isn't functioning much right now.
To my other reviewers - I don't know what happened to the sight, but it's not displaying reviews from yesterday or today. Forgive me and i'll reply next time around. (Grin)
Teagan left the village with a muddled brain. Not sure if it was the drink the old man had given her or if it was the dream of battle, still fresh in her mind.
In fact...Teagan swore she could still hear the screaming. The shouts. The sound of metal hitting metal. The sound of metal hitting bone.
The yells and shouts were louder as Teagan left the Woad village further behind. Giving Aodh a kick, she urged him toward the noise.
Teagan had just cleared the forest edge when she noticed the fighting. Arthur and his knights were embattled with what looked like Saxons.
Moving Aodh forward, it looked as though the battle was nearly over, just a few left fighting.
Arthur stood, Excalabur hanging low next to his side.
Lancelot kneeling, wiping blood on the grass below him.
Nausea rose in her throat as she watched Gawain bring his mace down on a man's head, blood and thicker things flying about. The thick metallic smell of blood, heavy in the air.
Eyes darting around, she searched for the one she hoped was still standing.
Tristan was standing apart from the others, locked in combat with a huge, mountain of a man. At one point, the mountain swung with his arm, his elbow hitting Tristan in the jaw.
She watched as the scout staggered, backstepping to keep his balance.
Teagan looked around for the others, but they were to far away to help.
Teagan's heart leapt as she watched the Saxon bring his axe around, catching Tristan in the side. Kicking Aodh, she urged the horse forward at a fast pace.
She watched as he fell, his hands clutching his side. His head bowed in pain.
Two more of the barbarians were converging on Tristan, as they had also seen him go down.
Urging Aodh faster, she notched and arrow.
Teagan raised her bow and shot. It landed in the throat of the Saxon as he was about to slam his axe into Tristan's chest. Blood spurted as he fell, gasping for breath, choking on his own blood.
Sliding off her horse, she scooped up Tristan's fallen sword. Straightening, she sliced through the chest of another man.
Hearing the wizz of an arrow, she ducked as it flew past her head. "Bloody hell." She muttered.
A snort that sounded like laughter came from under her. She knelt next to Tristan, looking him over, aware that blood was soaking into her breeches. "Are you alive?" He nodded, his look pained. "Good. Stay down."
She had heard the Saxon coming, he made so much noise. Without standing, she brought the sword around in a sweeping circle, effectively cutting the man off at the knees.
She looked again at Tristan and saw his eyes starting to glaze. Fear started to grip her.
This could not be happening again.
She gave him a rough shake. "Don't go to sleep. Where are you wounded?"
He lifted his hand from his right side, his movements slow, sluggish. Blood seeping from the wound in his side, just below the ribs. "I won't die." Was more a grunt that speech.
Teagan quickly took off her cloak and pressed it against Tristan's side, to help stop the blood flow.
Without getting up she yelled. "Dagonet!" Tristan started to wheeze. Looking down, Teagan saw blood coming from his lips. Trying not to panic, she started taking off his cuirass.
They had not been prepared for this attack.
Dagonet ran over. He had seen Teagan and her horse ride into the fray. "Teagan. What are you doing here? Oh..." He said as he knelt next to his friend, who had closed his eyes again. "Tristan! Wake up." Tristan opened his eyes. "Where are you hit?"
"Side..." More blood came out of his mouth.
"The blood, Dag. He may have a punctured lung."
Tristan grabbed her hand. "No. Teeth." He spit two molars inter her hand, smiling.
Teagan couldn't help but chuckle. The damned man was actually smiling. "Do you want them back in?"
Tristan shrugged. He couldn't care less. Just the feel of Teagan's hands on him made his thoughts muddled.
Teagan took a breath, looking at the teeth. She had put the teeth back into Bors' kids on countless occasions, this would be no different. "Dag. Hold his side." She pulled Tristan's head to face her. "You. Open up. I'm putting them back in. It's going to hurt."
She started to push the first one in and Tristan jerked. "Dag. Hold his head down." She gave Tristan a glare. "Tristan, don't you dare bite me."
Again, she tried to put the teeth back in. Again, he jerked. "Do you really need these?" Frustrated, she held her palm up where they lay.
He could only shake his head a little as Dagonet was holding his head so tight.
Dagonet was doing his best not to laugh at the situation. Here, this great knight lay with a gaping wound in his side and they were trying to put back in some missing teeth. No, the irony was not lost.
He was still grinning as he scooped Tristan up. He needed to get back to stitch up his side.
As Teagan stood, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she fell into Gawain's open arms.
A/N: I know it's a shortie. Here's the obligatory fight scene. Well, almost. Again I stress that I'm not good at writing action or battle. I do much better with smut. I think I doing better with the self doubt. We'll see as I post these next few chapters. These were the first one's I had written in this part and I am working on everything around it.
As Cardeia has said - something momentous needed to happen to kick start Teagan. Not sure if this qualifies, but this is the beginning of her healing. At lest they are together - sort of!