A/N: My apologies, I meant to update but I never got around to it yesterday – voice, dance and going to a pre formal bash that's meant for your sibling doesn't exactly give you a free day. I didn't go near a compy of any sorts. Forgive me my dear reviewers and readers.

I actually cut this chapter xD I decided that it was starting to get too long (I've started the rambling phase of the story xD), plus I wanted to feel special updating sooner (after this chapter) with another chapter (if that makes sense).

Review replies at the end……..

At Lancelot's raised tone, the little curled up ball gave a high-pitched shriek and darted between Lancelot's legs.

"We don't want…" he started, and turned as he watched the dark little object run towards the stairs…

"Got you!" Bors declared, scooping up the child in his arms.

The child gave a second sharp shriek and tried to bite Bors' arm. That failing, kicked and scratched wildly, mumbling incoherently.

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down little one," Bors crooned.

"Lemme go!" the child yelled, tears starting to pour down their cheeks.

Bors knelt on the ground and gently set the child on the ground. "It's all right little one, we won't hurt you."

"Saxons?" the child whispered.

"No, Sarmatian knights. And our king, King Arthur of Britain. Surely you have heard of us?" Gawain squatted next to Bors and smiled at the child.

"King Arthur and his fabled knights who can't be killed," the child nodded slowly.

Bors smiled, thinking the child had calmed down. He was wrong. Pushing Bors' legs underneath him – causing him to fall on the ground, the child darted once again towards the stairs.

Lancelot's long arms intercepted the child, before the child tripped on the stairs. Sitting on the bottommost step, Lancelot encircled his arms around the child. Whispering quietly, he managed to soothe the sobs that were emitting from the bundle of warmth in his arms.

"That's better," Arthur kneeled in front of Lancelot. He reached out his hands towards the child, but when the child flinched he withdrew his hand.

Lancelot felt the child tense as Arthur reached out his hand. But he couldn't believe it when he felt the child flinch. Sitting there, Lancelot noticed the surprise flash through Arthur's eyes. Lancelot drew the child closer. He was very surprised when the child wrapped their arms around his neck.

Behind Arthur, Galahad, Gawain and Bors raised their eyebrows and started whispering. For once, Lancelot didn't care. He felt a warmth spread through his body, one that he had never felt before. Hugging the child close, he asked "What is your name, young one?"

"They call me Honor," the child whispered.

"You're a girl?" Bors blurted out.

"Of course, and I'll be bound you won't believe how old I am either," Honor glared at Bors.

"And how are you?" Galahad asked, lightly.

In all honesty, the only knight that didn't believe that Honor wasn't under the age of eleven was Tristan.

Honor didn't reply - she just buried her face into the side of Lancelot's neck.

"Honor?" Lancelot whispered into her hair.

"Mmmm?" Honor peered up at him.

"How old are you?" Lancelot asked softly.

"I'm fifteen," Honor replied, and then buried her head against Lancelot's chest.

"What?" Galahad gasped, tripped over his own feet, grabbed Gawain, and the two of them rolled on the ground.

Lancelot looked at the small body.

"I thought you were eleven. Possibly a tallish eleven year old…" Arthur exclaimed, amazed.

"A small body perhaps, but in all other ways a woman," Tristan stated, leaning against a wall.

Lancelot looked up at Tristan, and then looked down at Honor when he felt a hand touch his neck.

"Which knight would you be?" Honor asked softly, ducking her head, as if she expected to be hit for talking.

"I won't harm you I promise you," Lancelot said softly and gently. "I am Lancelot."

"Lancelot…" Honor looked up at Lancelot in awe. "You fight with twin swords and you are King Arthur's right hand man and closest friend."

Following that slightly gabbled and rushed statement Honor buried her head against Lancelot's chest, entwined her hands around his body and stayed quite still.

"Up Lancelot," Arthur stood and patted Lancelot's leg. "Let's get out of here."

"Arthur," the near-silent tones of the scout broke through. "Might you be wanting these?" Tristan held up his hands.

In them, Arthur could see bits of parchment.

"The maps, my king," Tristan bowed, almost mockingly.

"How did you know about the maps?" Arthur exclaimed. "I have no recollection of telling you about them."

"Aha," Tristan nodded, turned, and walked past Lancelot, up the stairs towards daylight.

Lancelot walked up behind Arthur.

Honor was wrapped in a rug and was seated as far away from the bodies and rubble as possible. Unbeknown to her, Tristan, Dagonet and Bors had taken it upon themselves to clear the area in which Honor had been deposited.

"Arthur, what pains you?" Lancelot said softly. Thinking for a second, he came to a conclusion. "You were not to know that the Saxons were going to attack."

Lancelot did not see a tear slip down Arthur's face.

"Arthur," Lancelot tried again – urgency and worry slipping into his voice. "You are a king, you try to protect everyone, you may not have saved this entire village but you saved Honor and you saved the maps, which, if they had fallen into the hands of the Saxons, would have meant that years of work would have been wasted."

Arthur turned to face his friend. "I know but I still…worry not Lancelot, I will be well." Arthur then walked back to Honor.

Lancelot stood there for a few minutes, thinking. Reaching a decision he followed Arthur's tracks to Honor.

No one could understand it. Bors, Dagonet, Gawain, Tristan and Galahad had gathered around the bedraggled and dirty little bundle that would be otherwise known as Honor. Every time a knight said something to Honor, or asked her a question, they had realised that they would not get a reply, or any sort of response at all from Honor. She sat there, staring out into the distance, her eyes unfocused.

"You can't even tell what the little blighter looks like," Bors murmured in Dagonet's ear.

Indeed one couldn't – mud, dried blood and dirt matted Honor's hair so that it stuck to her head in one clump – her skin was dyed a mud coloured brown, her eyelashes were stuck together with dirt and dried blood, her fingernails were covered in dried blood. Overall, it was a very dismal sight that was in front of the knights. To be honest, none of the knights could believe that she was actually a living creature – she was more of a war spirit.

"Honor."

The knights turned around to look at their king as he walked up to them.

"Honor," he repeated.

"She will speak to no one," Tristan commented dryly, running the blade of his dagger along his hand. "We have all tried. We wait."

Arthur knelt down in a muddy spot next to Honor. "Honor," he looked anxiously at her.

"What's wrong?" Lancelot walked up behind Arthur.

"Honor isn't replying to anything we say," Galahad nodded towards the still figure by Arthur.

Lancelot knelt down on the other side of Honor. "Honor? Are you feeling well?"

After a moment, Honor's eyes blinked and she looked sideways at Lancelot. "Well? Me? As well as I could be having…" she broke off shuddering.

Arthur and Lancelot exchanged a long look as Tristan stiffened. He could sense something about Honor…Tristan whistled and his hawk flew onto his shoulder. Turning abruptly, he strode to his horse.

"We'll return to the wall," Arthur said standing up. "Lancelot, do Honor the honour of looking after her until then - ride with her."

sarmatian-woman Survivors are fun, you can do all sorts of things with them xD Tristan AND Lancelot are too cute to die. Well yes all of them are, but if I had to choose I'd pick those two for not dying. Hope you enjoy(ed) this xD

Wanderer of the Roads I'm planning on getting the knights drunk again when they get back to the wall mwah. Tristan is always wise. As he barely speaks xD As soon as I wrote the half grimace/grin I thought 'that is so Tristan'. Hehehehe yes it is a 'she' as you can see. And she knows something that the knights – particularly Arthur – need to know --cough-- I never said that. As I said before I cut the chapter, which means I'll update the day after tomorrow at the latest, it depends on the homework level tomorrow. Itching are we? That's good to know (I hope). It isn't/wasn't overly scary. I know everyone there so it was great. Hehehe he's my brother's friend (has known brother for 5/6 years – poor guy – the friend that is) and "if you ever need anyone to talk to you can find me either at home or uni" how sweet is that? It isn't a good thing that we can only talk once every 24 hours – I mean……ranting is love! We must rant more often. Stupid one review per one chapter. Thanks for the review xD --huggled, grabs cookies-- --huggles back and showers with cookies and pictures of knights--

Kal's Galthanks for the review, I hope you enjoyed the chapter xD

Naril I'll try not to do too many cliffys in the future, they just sorta happen. But I promise you faithfully, if I ever do a cliffy, I'll update 24 hours later no matter what. It's always great when a silent reader reviews, thanks muchly xD I'ma writing. I split this chapter as I said before. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll update as soon as possible xD

Evenstar-mor2004 I must say I agree, I wouldn't particularly want to go near any of them either. And as it has so happened, she's only gone near Lancelot, he's such a great guy xD I wouldn't be near the town, I'd be in Sarmatia or Rome, no where near Britain xD thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.