I'm glad you all enjoyed the last two chapters! Enjoy this one and tell me what you think!

Chapter 21

The Healer of Hadrian's Wall

Elaine smiled as she watched Vanora change her youngest, tickling his tiny limbs as the baby cooed. Vanora was a wonderful mother; she was firm, but kind and more loving than anyone. There were slight things that she did that reminded Elaine of Isolde, and more importantly, her own mother. Elaine sighed, tapping her fingers on the large table before her. Seeing Vanora and her babe interacting so beautifully made Elaine worry a little bit. She had always loved children, even when she was one herself. Elaine smirked, as Vanora lifted the newly changed and giggling babe into the air. She had even thought of possible names for her own children, if she ever did give birth, when she was fourteen years old. And of the father, Elaine used to imagine what he would look like, if he was kind and gentle, brave, if he made her laugh, made her smile. It was a silly, girlish thing she'd indulge in when she wasn't busy learning the ways and practices of healers with Isolde, or training with Gaelan.

Vanora caught Elaine's far-off look, as she set 10 in his the tiny bed Bors had crafted first for 1.

"What's on you mind, hmm," Vanora said with a mischievous smile, sitting down across from Elaine. "Perhaps it's a certain, brash Knight, with curly black locks and dark eyes?"

Elaine gasped, "Lancelot?"

"Yes, silly. You two fight like you're already married."

"MARRIED? TO LANCELOT?"

Vanora's bright laughter filled the room. "I have never seen that man more interested in a woman, actually interested, until you came along. I think he really likes you."

Elaine's eyes grew wide, and she shook her head. Lancelot, liked her?

"Oh, Van, you really are insane."

The two women giggled. "I'm serious! And you want to know how I know?"

Elaine sighed, waving her hand in the air, "Fine, if it will appease you."

Vanora stuck her tongue out, before continuing. "Because, Lancelot, the knight that has known every silly wench here, hasn't taken a woman to his bed seen you've come to the Wall."

At her words, Elaine gulped, looking with wide, confused eyes at Vanora's cheeky expression. Many times in the past, the men had hinted to her of Lancelot's womanizing manners, and she often joined in on teasing the cocky knight about such things. She even saw his flirtatious behavior just as often, especially in those certain occasions that she had felt herself the target of his affections. But she never took him too seriously. Was he trying, in his own manner, to win her adoration and, eventually, love? Elaine could not deny that she did have some feelings towards the knight, similar to the ones she had for the scout, though slightly different in comparison.

"Well...What Lancelot does, or does not do with his own time is of no concern to men, I can assure you of that."

Vanora narrowed her eyes at the younger woman, who within just two days had become closer to her than a younger sister to her.

"Yeah, and I'm a Princess of Rome!"

Elaine burst into laughed as she watched Vanora stand suddenly, lifting her head up high in the air and walking towards the small kitchen of her tiny house with a dignified air.

"I am sorry to hear that I am of no concern to you, dear lady."

Elaine jumped and whipped around to see Lancelot himself standing in the doorway of the house. His gentle smirk rested upon his face, and his happy, intense eyes bore into Elaine. She trembled as he looked at her.

"That's not what I meant...you..I...um.Why were you eavesdropping?"

Lancelot laughed hard, walking slowly into the room, and sitting in the chair that Vanora had previously occupied. Elaine couldn't meet his intense gaze, but only played with her mother's pendent in a nervous manner. Lancelot looked her up and down, than plucked a grape from the bowl of fruit that lay on Vanora's table. As he popped the piece into his mouth, the knight sat back in the chair, still staring intently at the woman across from him. Elaine squirmed under his gaze, her uncomfortableness not going unnoticed by Lancelot. He enjoyed making her fidgety. It was sort a way he could get her angry, which always made her start at him. Their little confrontations were usually very heated, and very interesting. He supposed he was a little bit of a masochist, in that sense.

"Would you stop that."

There she went.

"Stop what?" Lancelot said, looking innocent as he raised his hands up in the air.

Elaine narrowed her eyes, glaring as hard as she could, "You know what!"

"I assure you, my lady. I don't."

Sighing exasperately, Elaine dropped her mother's pendent onto her chest, "You are such a...I don't even think their a words to describe you."

Lancelot sat up, "Oh Elaine, you are too kind."

"You're annoying, and brash, and infuriating, and ..."

"I didn't know you cared."

"And a smartass."

"Good Gods, Elaine! Such language should never be uttered out of those lovely lips of yours."

Elaine sat up in her chair, leaning over the table as she did, challenging Lancelot. His smirk drifted across his features, as he too, leaned over the table, meeting her challenge with one of his own. Their faces were mere inches away from each other, but Elaine didn't even flinch. She was in fighter mode, cool and alert, ready for anything the Knight might throw at her.

"You know what you are. You are a selfish, egoistical swine, who uses his good looks and slick, but obvious, charms to attract poor, gullible women, merely to satisfy your own lustful needs. You use women like you use a piece of clothing, throwing it out when you tire off it or when it is old and dirty..."

"Old and dirty..." Lancelot chuckled.

"And I think that you use this reputation as a womanizing cad, this lady's man that women want and men want to be, in order to hide something deep inside. Some secret, some insecurity, something that you have to build up a front in order to protect whatever it is. What is it Lancelot? What do you keep inside? Is it a hope or dream? A fear? What makes you act the way you do? I know it isn't really who you are, not the real you. Why do you keep that man hidden? I know he is a good and honorable man. You should let him out once and awhile."

Lancelot could only glare, his knuckles white as he gripped at the table. He was fuming, anger flowing through his eyes. Jaw tightening, he leaned in even closer, causing Elaine's brave front slip a little in intimidation. His heart beat hard in his chest, as his anger grew more and more.

"Who do you think you are, hmm? What makes you think you know anything about me at all? You come into our lives suddenly, instantly befriending the men, and brightening up Arthur's life once again. But what do we really know about you? What do we know about your past? You walk about the place, your head held high, acting like some do-good princess that everyone is supposed to love and adore, but what do we know of your intentions? Elaine, the princess. No one is that good. Tell me, hmm? Tell me how many men you've killed, princess. Tell me why you act like you're so perfect, some Christian saint. What are you hiding?"

Lancelot stopped when he saw tears form in her eyes, and saw her lip quiver slightly. He knew that he'd hit a nerve. But she had done the same only moments before. Elaine straightened up in her chair, but did not look away.

"I hide nothing, Sir Lancelot. But you are rightabout one thing: you know nothing about me."

Lancelot sat back in his chair, secretly chided himself for insulting her integrity.

"I hide nothing. I am who I appear to be."

"Sure."

Elaine stood suddenly, pushing the chair away from her as she did, and made her way over towards the kitchen where Vanora stood, baby on her hip. She'd watched with great interest the confrontation that occurred between the two young people.

"I promised to meet Arthur, and I'm afraid I'm running late," Elaine said, placing a kiss on Vanora's cheek, which the latter returned at the same time, giving her friend a sympathetic look.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Van. And I apologize, Sir Knight. You're right, I have no right to judge you."

Lancelot's smirk instantly disappeared as she nodded, leaving the house before he could respond. He groaned.

"You ass!"

Vanora slapped the knight with a rag, as she went passed him.

"What? She insulted me."

"No, she just got at you, read you like a scroll, and that unnerved you. You've never had a woman get at you, and it frightened you."

Lancelot stared at the table, letting Vanora's words sink in. She was right, no matter how much he hated it.

Elaine wiped the tears from her cheek when she heard the knock at her door. Checking her reflection, she made her way over toward the door. It was her brother, she knew. His smile slowly appeared as the soft light from her room gracefully illuminated his features.

Elaine chuckled, despite the sadness that had consumed her only moments before, "What are you up to, little boy?"

Arthur took her hand, pulling her from her room without a single word. She gasped, closing the door behind her, as he dragged her through the corridors of the living quarters. As they made their way, the Roman commander leading his sister swiftly, Elaine had to practically jog to keep up with Arthur's long strides. She grew breathless rather quickly, brought on more by her excitement than the excursion she faced.

"Arthur? Where are we going?" Elaine gasped.

He only turned to smirk at her, before turning back towards the direction in which they were going.

"Arthur!"

Without turning to address her, Arthur silenced her, "If you ask, than you'll only ruin the surprise."

Elaine giggled, as they raced through the corridors. Soon they were joined by Lamorak who walked beside her with a smile on his face.

"Lamorak, do you know anything about where we're going?"

"Elaine!" Arthur said firmly.

Lamorak shook his head, "I'd loose my head if I told. Sorry."

Before she knew what was going on, the three entered into a long narrow hallway, brightly lit by torches that ran down the entire length of the hall. Arthur lead her to the very end of the hall, to a small wooden door. Outside the door, Dagonet and Gawain sat down upon a long, cushioned bench that sat just across from the door. Galahad, who leaned up against the opposing wall with a grinning Kay, greeted her as she approached. Each man's face was plastered with a warm smile.

Elaine's eyebrow cocked up, "Okay, what have you all done know, hmm? You've already had to outsmart Rome, what other trouble could you've gotten into so soon."

"Nothing that we couldn't handle."

Elaine turned to see an approaching Lancelot. He smiled genuinely at her, silently asking her forgiveness. She smiled back, looking beyond him to see Bors follow behind, grinning as he clutched a pitcher of what she assumed would be ale in his hand. Looking beyond him, Elaine's heart jumped. Tristan strode behind them both, biting into a bright red apple. She waited for him to look at her, with those eyes, waited for him to look at her as he did sometimes. The look that made her weak, that made her question herself. But he just moved to lean against the wall, looking unaffected as he sliced into his apple.

Arthur drew her attention away from the scout, as he took her hand in his, smiling down at her with a smile that reached his eyes, and warmed her heart.

"You have touched all of our lives, Elaine, in only a few days. Your kindness and your friendship seems to give hope to the men, and to myself as well. That is why we had this prepared for you."

Before she could speak, Gawain reached forward, opening the door. Inside was a medium sized room, brightly lit by a roaring fireplace and sporadic lanterns about the room. Elaine gasped as she entered, for she knew instantly what the room was intended to be. Two large beds rested against one wall, parted by a small side table. Across from her, a large cupboard and table was filled with her jars and tools, her herbs and medicines arranged careful about, and her large mortar and pestle resting on top of a cabinet with fresh bandages and linens were. There was a cauldron placed near the fire place, and a small desk and chair sat on the other side of the fire, near the door.

"Oh, dear lord," Elaine put her hand to her mouth. Tears of joy filled her eyes as she turned back to the men, who had each entered the room behind her.

Arthur went to his sister.

"Now," he said, like a father would to his daughter, "you may only have it on one condition."

Elaine chuckled, "And what is that?"

Arthur took her hand in his, bringing it up to rest on his heart. "You have to stay here. And you must become the healer of Hadrian's Wall."

Elaine smiled, looking back at the men.

"Yes," Galahad said, "because you have to earn your keep."

"Can't have you running around annoying us all the time," Kay said, chuckling as he did.

"It'll keep ya busy," Bors added.

Elaine smiled, clasping her hands to her mouth so that she wouldn't cry in front of them.

"So, is that a yes?" Lancelot said, the smile still remaining.

Elaine smiled, looking back at Arthur, than back at the men. That was when she caught Tristan's eyes. He stared right at her, apple down at his side, completely still but showing no emotion. Elaine looked back into his eyes, drowning in them. In his eyes, Elaine thought that she saw a slight eagerness, as if he waited desperately for her to answer. She silently chided herself for her foolish and wishful thinking. But, when she gave them her answer, she didn't once take her eyes from Tristan's.

"Yes."

Arthur laughed, scooping her up into his arms, and swirling her around in his embrace. She squealed, before he let her down, kissing her forehead as he did.

"But, if I am to be your healer, than I must insist that have a few more essential items."

Arthur frowned, looking about the room quickly, before he looked back down at her. "Have I forgotten anything?"

Elaine giggled, cupping his face as she did. "No, I did. I'm going to have to go out tonight and gather some herbs and seeds that I'll need. I'll go out by the woods with Luka."

Elaine was surprised when the frown on her brother's face didn't disappear.

"Elaine, it is too dangerous to go by yourself. Even if you are trained, you do not know these lands well yet, making you more vulnerable. I cannot take you tonight."

The men frowned as well, because they too found that they had various things to attend to as well that night. Elaine greatly wanted to go then, but there was no way they would let her go alone. Not so near the Woad forests.

"I'll go."

The others whipped around to the scout, who sat on another bench like the one outside, completely aloof as he stared into the same red apple he was still carving into. Arthur nodded.

"There, Tristan will go with you."

Elaine smiled at her brother, but couldn't look at the scout. Her heart beat fast in her chest. She couldn't bare to look for fear that she might giggle. Acting like a silly little girl, would simply give her away.