The EarthSong - Thanks for yourreview. I'm glad that you enjoy thestory so far. I didn't know that interesting bit about the apple, but I'm glad it was there. The reason I had Tristan share his apple with Elaine was that I wanted it to be a sort of action that he did without even thinking about it. Tristan isn't one for sharing with others, but this shows that he hold some underlining feelings for Elaine, despite what his mind is telling him. I love that the apple is a symbol of love! That just improves upon what I was trying to show. Apples and Tristan seem to be a reoccuring theme in the movie as well. Oh, and although I had Elaine as a pagan in a previous draft of this story, I decided that she would retain her christianity but embraced paganism. She's very liberal in that sense, because she accepts the other religions of her people, but she was so instilled with the christian ways of her father and Pelagius that it stuck. You'll see in later chapters, that her views may slip, like Arthur's does in the movie. She also says a lot of fake celtic phrases and prayers despite her being christian. Consider her as a christian/pagan, she believes in god deeply, but is also very much in touch with nature and, espcially in healing. Also, I didn't want her to come off as ashamed of her being able to fight. She's actually very proud of her abilities, as we'll see in upcoming chapters, it was only that she was afraid of what Arthur might think or do. I wanted her to be secretive about her skills. The fact that Tristan found out, unnerved her a bit, but she was just afraid of Arthur mostly. After all, he still thinks of her as his little sister, when in fact she's a strong, vibrant woman now. Sorry. Wow I ramble, but thanks, I loved your views on my story

Here's my actor choices:

Kay - a Gerard Butler type

Lamorak- Orlando Bloom, or even Cillian Murphy. I know there different types, but I'm torn. I love Cillian!

Elaine - this was hard, but I like Natalie Portman or Emmy Rossum for Elaine. But I also picture Elaine having a more athletic body, little more bustier than the two. Not like Keira Knightely, but similiar.

Okay I'll shut up! Sorry. If anyone else has any questions or suggestions please voice them!

Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 15

Grave Decisions

Elaine smoothed out the long skirts of her dress, as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, hanging high upon the stone wall of her chambers. She wore a dull gold colored gown, that had a hood attached to the shoulders, and just below the chest, a deep violet silk sash was tied tightly. Isolde had made the robe for her when she was eighteen years old, as a gift for her Ehtele'mele, a ceremony given for each new healer in the tribe. The healer was honored that day with a festival, and at midnight, was given a crest made for her alone. But it was not an ordinary crest that the healer received, rather one that they had to bare all their lives. A specific Celtic design was tattooed onto the skin of the Healer, forever binding them to their craft. Elaine's rested on her lower back, a place she figured that it would be least visible. Being a Healer was a sacred right in the Celtic religion, second only to the druids and holy men. Yet, throughout her entire time living with Gaelan and Isolde, Elaine managed to retain her Christianity. Although her tattoo was not meant to be religious, since a healer held no religious rank, Elaine had made sure that it was not sacrilegious or offensive to God in any way. Instead of an image of a pagan god or deity, Elaine had chosen a familiar illustration. Her tattoo was designed exactly like her mother's pendent, a starburst with Celtic knots looping around it. Elaine smiled as she ran her hand over the fabric over her elaborate gown. It was a fitting outfit for what she would be doing that day.

A knock at her door stirred Elaine out of her thoughts. She took one last look at her self in the mirror, pulled her hood over her hair, and grabbed the small bundle of flowers that sat near the vase that held the single red rose from before.

Elaine sighed and smiled, "Vedui' elenya narie."

She walked over to the door, opening it with a smile. Arthur leaned against the door frame, "Ready?"

Elaine showed her brother the small bundle she carried, "I have been for years."

Arthur smiled a bittersweet smile before he took his sister's hand in his, and lead her down the hall. He had come to her last night. She had opened the door and he stood as he had that morning, except tears lay on the edge of his eyelids. He begged her forgiveness, and she for his. They spent most of the night by the fire place, telling stories and laughing.

The two made it out of the main quarters and into the fortress streets. It was early morning, the sun just rising in the sky, as the siblings wandered towards the stables, cloaked in the fog that always occurred in Briton. No one was out in the streets yet, so no saw the two enter the stables.

Arthur lead Elaine down the rows of stalls until they reached the one that held his. He moved inside to prepare his saddle, leaving Elaine at the stall door.

Elaine yawned and stretched rather unladylike with early morning fatigue. Arthur chuckled inside the stall as he caught his sister's act, but did not speak.

A sudden rustling gained Elaine's attention and she ventured out into the stables with a puzzled look on her face. She froze when she was met with the sight of Tristan coming out from the stall that housed his gray mare. He was walking towards her, staring down at his gloved hands, until he looked up and saw her. He stood still, and Elaine was surprised to see that he was genuinely shocked to she her, for his eyes grew wide, though his face remained the same. Her heart pounded. Elaine attempted to break the apparent tension with a friendly smile, that was until she caught a glimpse of his hands. She gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. Tristan was affected by her movements, and he followed her eyes back down to his hands. Blood and gore stained the dark brown leather of his gloves. He opened and closed his palms, before looking up to meet Elaine's puzzled and frightened face. Before she could speak, Tristan strode swiftly passed her and out of the stables. Later, she would mentally kicked herself for appearing so aghast and thus probably hurting Tristan. But at that moment, the only emotion Elaine could feel coursing through her body was fear. Utter fear.

Arthur steeped up beside Elaine and watched Tristan walk past. He evidently hadn't seen all of what she had seen.

"Ah, Tristan must have been out hunting last night. He does that from time to time, even when he's not ordered to do so."

Elaine shook her head, but didn't take her eyes away from the door that Tristan had fled out of. For some reason, she felt as though she would need to speak with the scout sooner or later.

"Elaine, what troubles you?"

Elaine turned to Arthur's worried face, and smiled. She placed her hand on his cheek.

"Nothing, my lord."

Arthur smiled back down, forgetting all else. He lead the horse from the stall, and mounted the steed, before reaching down and scooping Elaine up from the ground with one arm, placing her comfortably in front of his. Her legs dangled over the horse's side, and she rested her head on her brother's chest, as they lunged forward.

As the white steed galloped steadily up the grassy knoll, the sun was beginning to rise higher in the morning sky. The dew that remained from the cool night air, seemed to splash up from the ground like sprays from the ocean breeze, as the horse trampled up the hills. Soon they neared the bottom of Badon Hill, and Arthur slowed the steed down significantly before they ascended. He did not want to crush the burial mounds of those brave men who had fallen before him. Arthur held them with the greatest honor, for they were greater men, braver men than he felt he could ever be. They fought gallantly to the death for a cause not of their own, dying for his father, and his father and so on. To even slightly disturb their final resting place was no less than a sin to Arthur.

Soon the white steed slowed, and eventually stopped at the gently pull on the reins by his master. Arthur jumped swiftly down upon the ground, than reached up to help Elaine. She was careful, so as not to ruin or tear her gown, as she was gracefully lifted from the saddle, courtesy of her brother's large strong arms. She held fast to the bundle of flowers, as Arthur took her small hand in his, guiding her steadily up the hill. They ascended the knoll in silence. Arthur's was so calm, it began to make Elaine nervous. She hadn't been to this spot since her childhood. What would she say? What should she do?

"Here we are," Arthur brought the young woman out of her nervous state. They stood before a grassy burial mound at the very top of the hill, near the entrance to the woods, and the only one that had no sword marking it. Elaine's grasp on Arthur's hand loosened as her immediate fears and trepidation vanished. She kneeled beside the mound, gently placing her hands in the grass near the top, as her eyes stared sadly down upon it.

Arthur smiled grimly at his sister's response to seeing their father's grave after nearly fourteen years. He stood at the base, looking solemnly at the empty space that once held the sword that was, at that moment, residing by his side.

Elaine looked to Arthur, and followed his eyes. She chuckled softly.

"I had a feeling that you would still bare his sword. Excalibur was never truly meant to lie rotting in the earth; it should always be in the hands of a great man."

Arthur was touched by Elaine's words. He walked over to her, slowly lowering himself down to the ground.

"It feels strange," Elaine continued despite her brother's presence beside her, "to be here after so long. Never in all the time I was with the Celts, did I loose my love for them, both of them, nor you. But, I will not deny that my memory faded with the passing years."

Arthur sighed, dropping his head. That's when he noticed that Elaine was shaking. He looked up at her turned back, seeing tremors run up an down her tiny form. No, she was not trembling. She was weeping. Arthur instantly draped his arms tightly around her back, crossing them around her waist.

"Elaine? What is it love?"

Elaine turned and threw her arms around Arthur's neck. "Oh, Arthur. I..can't...I can't remember their faces."

The two stayed this way for several moments, each holding on to the other as though their very lives depended on it. As she wept in his arms, a few silent tears slipped gradually down the young commander's face. His green eyes seem to blaze a shade lighter, as tears fell further down his sculpted cheeks.

"Elaine...promise me. Promise that you will never leave me," Arthur choked out, clutching Elaine's small form tightly towards him. Tremors ran through her body.

"Arthur."

"No, swear to me," Arthur took her by the shoulders, making her eyes meet his, "swear that you will never leave my side again, come what may. Do it Elaine, swear."

The ferociousness in Arthur's eyes inflamed his desperate demands. Elaine stared up at her brother in amazement and slight fear. If she did stay, what would become of her? What of her family in Shalott? Could she abandon them? Could she bare to leave Arthur again? Could he bare it? Would he force her to stay no matter what she said?

As these questions swam frantically around in her head, Elaine realized that her life was completely changed in the past three days. She was reunited with her brother, she was back in the land of her birth, and she had met eight amazing men who had saved her life. Her heart was deeply torn.

"I promise, Arthur."