I wrote this chapter and the next three chapters this afternoon because it was my day off! I listened to Coldplay's X&Y in repeat like fifty times! I was completely relaxed so I took the time to just sit down and write. Before I knew it I was cranking out chapters left and right!
Nilmelwen: Let me just say that you are completely AWESOME! I laughed so hard when I read you're review. I just hope I don't get you into trouble!
I'll update the next couple of chapters soon, when I've edited them just a bit.
Enjoy and I love reviews!
Chapter 24
Ambush
The sun shone down upon the grassy fields finally after several days of cloudy, stormy weather which was a usual occurrence in Briton. Many villagers of the Wall were out and about, venturing down into the valley, and taking advantage of the warmth in the air. Vanora and Elaine were among them, walking and laughing with one another as they made their way up the hills, both women keeping an eye on the bastards who ran playing around.
"You really look good like that, you know," Vanora said.
Elaine looked back confused, "Like what?"
The older woman chuckled and pointed towards Number 10 that sat perched on Elaine's hip, cooing and playing with a strand of her curly brow hair. "You really are a natural. He usually cries his eyes out around anyone else. I remember that it took him a good couple of weeks to even get used to Bors."
Elaine's cheeks flushed a little, as she beamed down at the pudgy little face. He was just like a tiny little Bors, bald head and all. Her heart swelled as she imagined another babe at her side, looking up at her with eyes like hers, or a smile like hers.
"It would be nice one day, to have one, I think."
"Yes well," Vanora said, turning back towards her children in the field, "you say that now, but wait until you first endure the glorious pains of child birth, ten times."
Vanora suddenly groaned, rubbing her belly and grimacing. Elaine turned, placing her free hand on her friend's shoulder and trying to gauge her pain as best she could.
"Speaking of child birth pains," Elaine placed her spread palm out on Vanora's belly, smiling when she felt the area above the womb. "Feeling a little sick lately? You know, unable to keep your food down, sudden mood swings, that sort of thing?"
Vanora's eye snapped up to met Elaine's amused face, "Oh, no. You don't think?"
"Congratulations, you're going to be a mommy. Again."
Vanora froze for a moment, staring at the younger woman before squealing loudly and wrapping her arms around Elaine's neck and squeezing her tightly. "Oh, Elaine! Oh, Gods, this is wonderful!"
Elaine laughed, tilting her head to the sky as she hugged her friend close to her. "What's this make now? Eleven?"
Vanora pulled away swatting Elaine's arm, "Yes, and the more the merrier I always say."
The two ventured further into the valley together, connected by their latched arms. They giggled like little girls, watching the children play in the fields, as they spoke of the new child deep within Vanora's belly. Suddenly, a bloodcurdlingly howl erupted throughout the valley. A Roman guard fell dead from atop his tall steed. He lay on the ground, his dead eyes staring up into the sky, with a rustic looking arrow protruding from his chest.
"Woads!"
Vanora clutched Elaine, as a large group of savage Woads spilled out into the valley, their swords and weapons raised high in the air.
Elaine took Vanora by the shoulders, forcing the babe into her arms, "Van, go now. Take the children and run as fast as you can back to the Wall. Don't look back."
"But…"
"Please, just run!"
Vanora quickly nodded, calling her already surrounding bastards, as they swiftly took off in the direction of the fortress. Elaine watched them run, counting eleven fleeing heads frantically, before she turned back quickly to the scene before her. The Woads had already taken out half the Roman guards and a few unfortunate villagers who had simply gotten in their way. They charged forward in her direction, their vicious cries simply boiling the blood in her veins. These were the soulless creatures who had taken both of her parents away from her, and she swore they would not take her friends too.
Swinging into action, Elaine stalked forward, stooping down to take the sword of the fallen Roman guard. Before she moved to attack, Elaine knelt down, keeping her deadly eyes focused on the ambushing Woads, and took the blade to the sides of her brown skirts, slitting the fabric along her lingering legs so that she could move a little faster.
A woad warrior quickly advanced upon Elaine, but was taken completely by surprise when her sword ran right through his belly. He stood straight up, gasping as blood seeped out of his lips. Elaine yanked the sword out savagely, not caring as the man fell forward, as she moved ahead.
Another man charged forward, and Elaine stopped his blow, than whipped around, slicing his throat. Elaine fell to the ground, flipping around and cutting through a woad leg, before she brought the sword done hard upon his back. She was in her element. Blood splattered on her cheeks, her eyes dark and fierce, her chest heaving with excursion, the delicate lady had morphed into the ruthless fighter.
"ELAINE!"
The fighter swiped her sword through the air, completely chopping the head clean off a poor woad soul with one mighty blow, before she whipped around to a sight that stopped her dead in her tracks. A ugly woad held a long dull blade against a whimpering Vanora's throat. Elaine froze in her warrior stance as she panted up at the woad.
"Elaine...I-I'm sorry...I ca-came back for yo..."
"Where's the children?"
"They all...made it back. I ran back to help."
Elaine turned her deadly glare up at the hairy woad, "Let her go free."
The woad glared right back at the bloodied lady who stood before the body of his fallen brother, "You go with us, and she can live."
Elaine fought hard to control both her erratic breathing and her boiling anger. There was no way that she'd ever let any harm come to Vanora or the tiny babe that lay deep inside her belly. She had to act quickly, or loose her best friend forever. But Gaelan told her years ago, that to surrender to the enemy was to forsake the heritage and bravery of those who had fallen gallantly before her. Yet, she knew what she had to do.
"You release her, I watch her enter safely into the gates, than you may do what you will."
The woad shook his head in agreement.
"Swear to me," Elaine said through her teeth, pointing the bloodied sword at the woad.
"You go with us now, and you have my word that she will live."
The woad released his tight grip on Vanora, and stood still as the fiery red head whipped around, slapping his bearded face hard, before she ran quickly to Elaine.
"Elaine, don't do this."
"Van, go now and don't look back."
Vanora hugged Elaine tight to her, "What's going to happen?"
"Do not fret, the men will come for me. Arthur and the knights wouldn't let any harm come to me, you know that."
Vanora pulled away, smiling despite the tears that slipped down her cheeks, "I will tell them."
Than she quickly jogged away back towards the Wall. Elaine watched her and the woads carefully, ready for even the slightest bit of betrayal to their vow. Before she made it to where the Roman guard were assembling just a little too late, Vanora turned around quickly looking back at her friend. Elaine smiled and waved assuringly back at Vanora, who smiled back before she ran back into the gates and into the tiny arms of all her bastards. As soon as she was out of sight, the forced smile slipped off Elaine's face. She knew in her heart that the men were too far away to make it to her in time.
Slowly, Elaine turned back to the woads who had assembled behind her, watching her as she waited for her friend to get to safety. She glared at each, letting the sword slip out of her hands and to the ground with a loud thump.
"Shall we gentlemen?"
Nine riders came up over the horizon, slowing as they made it upon the rode leading to the great gates of Hadrian's Wall. Arthur lead the pack of knights as their horses galloped swiftly towards the entrance of the fortress.
"Well, that was an entire waist of our time," Gawain said, stretching his arms up in the air with fatigue.
Bors chuckled, "I'm just happy to get back to Van."
Arthur smiled, for all the time he'd been working away to help rebuild the villages, he'd thought of Elaine. He naturally felt bad about the way he'd handled telling her she couldn't come with them, and he wanted to get back as quickly as possible to apologize.
Arthur wasn't the only man among them with his mind on Elaine, for three of the others had been swarmed with thoughts of her their entire time away.
As the weary men entered the gates, they all froze, rearing up their horses at the sight that met them inside. Villagers and Romans alike were running about frantically, shouts from guards rang out, as everyone scrambled aimlessly in fear.
"What in the hell is going on here?" Kay said, holding the reins of his horse solidly in his large hands.
Arthur quickly dismounted followed by Lancelot and Bors. They all ran towards the living quarters.
"What has happened?" Arthur grabbed the arm of a Roman soldier fiercely.
"My lord, I..."
"VAN!"
Bors looked about desperately for his lover and the mother of his ten bastard children. He sighed in relief when the three men saw her running towards them, the bastards flowing right behind her like ducklings following the mother duck.
"Bors," Vanora said, throwing her arms around the large man, who scooped her up, lifting her off the ground just slightly by his embrace. The other men, still atop their horses, rode up towards the newly assembled group. Tristan's eyes searched the area, hoping to spot Elaine running about in the crowds.
"Oh, Gods! Arthur!" Vanora sobbed, pulling quickly out of Bors's grasp and taking the Roman's armored arm in her hands, "Oh, Arthur, the woads! The Woads!"
"Shh, love. You have to stay calm," Bors spoke to Vanora soothingly, stroking her fire red hair.
"NO! The Woads, Arthur. They ambushed us outside the fortress walls."
Arthur frowned,"It's alright now, Vanora. Where is my sister?" Arthur's eyes searched for Elaine, hoping he could get a straight answer from her, rather than a broken one from the hysterical woman before him.
"Oh, Arthur, she was with us."
The Roman, the first knight, the youngest knight, and the scout all shot their gazes simultaneously at Vanora when she spoke the last words. No, it couldn't be.
"What do you mean she was with you? Where is Elaine?" Lancelot said, emotion dripping in his voice, as he took Vanora firmly by the shoulders.
"Oh," Vanora sobbed, frantically trying to get the words to come out of her own mouth, "Oh, it was terrible. They came out of the forests, like a swarm of angry bees. And Elaine, oh she was so brave. She took me by the arm and told me to run back with the children as fast as we could, which we did."
"She stayed?"
"And fought them. It was unbelievable. She was like some wild cat or something out of a dream. And so brave. She killed at least fifteen of them in a matter of minutes before I ran back to her."
"You went back?" Bors yelled, grabbing his lover by the arm,"What the hell where you thinking?"
"I didn't want her to get killed!"
Arthur visually flinched at Vanora's words, and Tristan looked about ready to get down off his steed and shake the answers from the woman.
"One of the woads caught me as I ran up towards her, and held a knife to my throat..."
"WHAT!"
"Bors, let her finish!" Lancelot screamed.
"Elaine quickly killed another one of those vile beasts before she turned and saved me. Oh, gods, Arthur I'm so sorry."
"She's...dea..dead then."
"Oh no, no. But in order for them to release me, they told her she had to sacrifice herself to them first. She agreed to save me. She did save me. Oh, you have to go to her!"
Tristan' fears were absolutely right, for he knew that the Woads had some sort of special interest in Elaine. Now they had finally achieved what they had attempted to do many times before.
"She let herself be taken by the Woads?"
"Yes, Arthur. You don't think they will...harm her will they."
When Arthur's face went stoic and he didn't produce a single answer for her, Vanora sobbed uncontrollably, burying her head in Bors's chest.
Bor's looked over Vanora's head and spoke,"She sacrificed herself for my Van. Arthur, we have to save her."
Arthur nodded, "Men, we..."
"We know Arthur, we're ready now," Galahad said from atop his hose with a stern face. Arthur looked around at the others, his pride in them overflowing when they al greeted his gaze with a nod of agreement.
"We ride now. Tristan?"
Arthur was just in time to see Tristan's fleeing form as he raced atop his horse back towards the open gates of the Wall. His heartbeat seemed to match the hoof beats of his gray steed, as he swiftly made his way towards the valley. Tristan had no idea what possessed him in that very moment, but he felt invincible and bloodthirsty all at the same time. All he did know was if they had laid one single finger on her, he'd wipe out their entire race. At the top of the hill, Tristan reared up, stopping. He whistled loudly into the air, as his mystical hawk swooped down out of nowhere, landing gracefully on his outstretched arm.
Tristan stroked the bird's silky feathers, whispering, "Find her."
Heaving the bird up, it took off with a loud screech, soaring high into the sky and in the direction of the shadowy Woad forests. Tristan watched him as he disappeared into the woods to track Elaine. As he stood atop the hill, the soft winds blowing his messy braids in his eyes, Tristan took no notice that be unconsciously stroked his finger over the delicate material of a green ribbon tied to his left wrist.