Kadan longed for love since the moment she realized she was alone in the world. Orphaned at the age of three, an old widow by the name of Talleen took her in for pity. Her days where simple, she'd wake up every morning at dawn to feed the chickens, and work about the house all day until evening. Kadan had never really questioned her life at the fortress where she lived at, until she met him.
She remembered the day clearly; she was about thirteen, at the awkward stage of between childhood and becoming a woman. The day had started out normally, as Kadan made her way to the well to fetch the water Talleen would need to wash clothes. The well as hidden away from the village, forgotten by most, the main reason she came to it often. She could do her work without disturbance and be done with it. Kadan kept one hand holding the bucket at her waist, as she shielded the bright morning sun with her other hand. As the well came closer into view, she saw a boy there; he was also very young like her, maybe about fifteen. His back was bare shining with sweat, and he was leaning into the well concentrating hard on something.
"Boy, are you alright?" Kadan called out hesitantly, coming closer to the well and setting her bucket down.
The boy looked up started, and backed away from her, shame crossing his features. "I'm fine", he answered in an arrogant voice, straightening up his posture.
It was then that Kadan realized he was a knight; one of the younger ones that had probably came to the fort in training. On the ground at his feet was his sword and shirt, which was bloodied at the sleeve.
Kadan's eyes widened in shook as she hissed out, "You're hurt!"
"It's just a scratch I got from fencing, it's nothing serious". He insisted, slumping down by the well again, shrugging her off.
"I could take a look at it for you, Talma, the woman I live with is the local healer, and I've learned how to mend some scars…"
"You, a mere girl, who knows how to heal?" The knight asked incredulously, quirking up his eyebrows.
Kadan's hands flew her to her hips in defense as she shot back , "I know a lot more than you would, and that's going to get infected if someone doesn't look at it".
The boy seemed taken back, and he turned to her, "Alright, if you say so, lady".
"Don't move, I'll go and get some stuff", Kadan ordered as she completely forgot about the water she was suppose to fetch. By the time she reached the house again, the sun was high in the sky, but Talleen was not yet awake. Kadan quietly slipped in the back door, and crept over to Talma's healing bag and took out some bandages, and a salve that she usually applied to gashes. Her hand brushed the needle and thread Talma used so many times on the wounded knights, and Kadan picked them up and put them into her basket just in case.
The knight was just where he was when she left him, sitting by the well looking bored.
"I thought you gave up on me" He teased, a half smirk creping up onto his face.
Kadan scoffed, "I said I'd come back". She set down the basket and asked the knight to lift up his arm, where under it on his side was a gash about half a foot long. Her intake of breath caused him to look at her through narrowed eyes.
"It's going to need stitches". Kadan looked back up at the knight, and he was looking back at her suspiciously.
"Alright, just do it".
She set to work, first cleaning the wound, and then applying the salve to it. "Take a swing of that, I'm about to start stitching", she offered, as she handed the boy a bottle of alcohol to numb the pain. Kadan raised her eyebrows as he drowned the whole little bottle in one gulp.
"I take it you're use to this?" She asked as the needle pierced his skin. The knight merely nodded as he looked off distractedly.
"What's your name?" He asked suddenly, turning to look at her.
"Kadan"
"Well, Lady Kadan, why are you here, in the early morning, stitching up knight you don't even know?" He asked, with a teasing tone in his eyes.
Kadan shrugged as she answered , "I've seen many knights die, or lose their ability to fight when they are wounded".
"What does that have to do anything with me?"
"You don't want this to leave a scar do you?" Kadan snapped, irritated at his persistent questions.
The knight laughed lightly, finding her feistiness charming. "I'm Lancelot".
Kadan smiled as continued stitching him up, while they talked about many things. Lancelot told her of his training for knighthood, and how he loved the exhilaration of it all. He spoke mainly of a man named Arthur, who was his commander and who spoke of equality and freedom. Kadan watched this Lancelot as he spoke, his eyes were wide with awe as he retold her of Arthur, and he spoke passionately, and fierce. Kadan found herself listening intently as she worked, she liked this knight, he saw the world so clearly, when she saw it as work and hardship. Finishing her work, she tied off the stitching with a knot and began to examine her work.
"What?" Kadan asked when he grew quiet, gazing at her.
"Nothing, I just find you pleasing to look at", he said with a devilish smirk, blushing a little at his own boldness.
Kadan fiddled with the needle, not knowing how to react, "You're much too rash Lancelot", she decided on saying, stumbling a little on her words.
He merely shrugged, putting his shirt and sword back on while Kadan busied herself with straightening her things up too.
"I'll see you again Kadan", Lancelot said sincerely walking over to her and smiling cheekily, "But I must thank you first".
"Thank me? All you have to do is say it and be done with it".
He smiled, in a mischievous way as he suddenly leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. It was a chaste, polite kiss, coming from a fifteen year old boy.
Kadan's jaw dropped as she squeaked and lightly slapped him across the face, earning nothing more than a laugh from him. She quickly picked up her basket and rushed away as fast as she could, her cheeks fuming from what happened.
Years past, and she and Lancelot grew a tight friendship. She watched as he grew out of adolescence and became a man woman lusted after. He became the object of desire for all the tavern woman, and worked up the reputation of a shameless flirt. Kadan too grew up into a beautiful woman, she was always there to welcome him when he came back from battle, sometimes bleeding and hardly breathing, other times with nothing "but a scratch" on him. Their relationship always remained as true friends though, and they thought of each other as nothing more. Kadan valued their friendship, and wanted it to last forever.
As time grew on, she became more skilled in the art of healing, and became Talma's assistant in healing the villagers and sometimes knights when they were injured. Her work kept her busy and sane in the world. Kadan often thought she would go mad sometimes with all the work that had to be done, but she realized it was keeping her from becoming like the other girls, the girls who worked in the taverns, and threw their lives away, sleeping with all sorts of men. Kadan was always there for him though, after every mission when he came to the gates, she was waiting. He was there for her too, consoling her when she was down, he said to her once, "I'll be here for you forever".
"Even if you have about three girls clinging to you?"
A smirk grew on his face as he answered, "Yes, but I'm the one that would be clinging to you".
The times grew dark, as Britain grew weaker, its land wanting to be claimed by woads or Saxons. The knights had returned from a huge mission, one that would seal their fate to freedom. Kadan was there when they came back, with Dagnoet the healer draped limply over a horse. She remembered the sadness that filled their eyes when they finally received their discharge papers. Kadan remembered one night vividly, when Lancelot came to her house, banging on the door to let him in.
His eyes were ablaze with a new fire, he was fuming inside. He tried to calm him, by taking tea, and trying to tell him that everything was going to be alright.
"It's not going to be all right Kadan!" He hissed passionately as his fist came down on the table, causing it to shake.
"Why don't you just calm down and tell me what happened!" Kadan shouted back, losing her anger a little at his rashness.
"Arthur is fighting alone tomorrow against the Saxons", he said flatly, "I don't understand why he was to throw his freedom away, why do we have to fight for the Romans-"
Kadan cut him off quickly, reaching across the table and putting her hand over his, keeping him from swearing too loud and waking up Talma.
"You're not fighting for Romans Lancelot, you're fighting for Arthur. The man you spoke so highly about years ago, remember that? On the day we first met?"
He calmed visibly, his eyes looking up to hers in a way of understanding.
"Aye, I do remember", Kadan smiled as she saw his eyes light up in remembering the memory.
The next morning, she stood with the villagers as they watched the knights prepare to fight for Arthur, for Britain. He was standing by his horse, concentrating hard on the ground, just like the day she saw him by the well. Kadan approached him slowly, and his eyes lit up when he saw her. Kadan moved in to hug him with tears in her eyes, but he stopped her by placing a hand at the back of her neck.
"I'll see you soon", he tried to assure her, but there was doubt in his eyes, so much unlike the Lancelot she'd always known to be full and arrogant with confidence. Kadan nodded absently, she didn't care if all the knights and villagers were watching, but she leaned in and kissed him lightly. She felt him smile against her, his pride and confidence all flowing back, Kadan pulled back and laughed lightly. Lancelot smiled too, yet he leaned in again and kissed her with passion, so much unlike that first day they met. A shout called form above and before she knew it, he was already on his horse, and the gates were opening for them to ride out. The drums from the Saxons echoed in her ear, and she couldn't tell the difference between the fast beat of her heart or the drums.
Kadan remembered though, the feeling of dread when the battle ended. The villagers who stayed behind in the fort rushed out to the battlefield to see what had happened. Kadan's heart beat was loud with every step she took towards the battlefield. She had never seen anything like it. Everywhere she looked, there was smoke, and dead bodies. The smell of fire, and blood reached her nose, as she looked around the battlefield dazed from horror. Then she saw him. Kadan didn't even remember running to him, before she found herself by him, his eyes closed and hands cold. His face was soon wet with her tears as she shook him roughly, shouting at him to wake up. She pounded at his chest, where an arrow was sticking out. Acting quickly, Kadan tried to pull his amour off him so she could see the wound. She didn't even notice a man was already kneeling next to Lancelot, his red cape blowing in the wind. This must be Arthur, the man he spoke so fondly about.
"He's gone", the man said quietly, gazing up at the sky as tears filled his eyes. Kadan ignored him as she threw herself down on the knight she had met years ago, just a mere boy with a scratch. He cried her heart out, she cried for everything, she cried for what she knew was love. She finally knew, she knew the truth about forever, she knew her love would last with him, even though he was gone.
Kadan: companion
Talleen: absorbed
Wow, I spent all day typing this. I had it in my head all night, and woke up early to write it. Hehe, had to get it out. What do you lovely reviewers think? I think this is by far the one I enjoyed writing most. Maybe it was because I had it fresh in my mind or something. Do ya like it? There aren't that many stories about Lancelot, I think because his character is so defined already, and everyone wants to write about the mysterious Tristan. But I had to write this one. Thank you for reviewing my last chapters! I would be most happy and delighted if you tell me what you think my reviewing! There will be more to come, if people are still reading this story, since I haven't updated in sooooo long. Ok, I think I've said this before, but silence is an author's worst critic! So please review! Love, xoxox.
