No One, But You
by xx-mads-xx
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the movie King Arthur. Thank you.
When her eyes opened again, Isolde felt an extreme pounding in her head. She felt hot, sticky, and dirty…not the best combination. Blinking, she could see the blurry image of a fire; that explained the hot and sticky feeling. She realized that her body was in an odd position. She slightly tilted her head to look up, almost blacking out from the pain in her head, her hands wrists were chained and hanging above her. She was almost sitting on the grubby, soiled floor, but not quite so the pressure of holding up all her weight was on her wrists. She couldn't even feel her fingers, let alone move them.
She let her head fall back down and she looked at her stomach. Her wound was bleeding slightly; she could see the trail of dried blood running down to her legs. There were bruises all over her body, some going from light purple to a darker shade, while others were already a dark shade of blue, almost black.
Blinking her eyes again, in an effort to keep them focused, she noticed something to her left. Turning her head, slowly, she saw the decaying corpse of an old man. His skin was dried and sunken in, his body still hanging from his chains. She panicked, her breath quickening, but she couldn't move away from his body.
She was in a sort of dungeon with a corpse and no sign of Guinevere. Lifting her eyes, she was a balding man with scraggly hair, moving in a circle. He was waving his hands and reading from a book. His chanting in Latin invaded her ears and she scowled, it was the language Romans used for their ceremonies. There was another man, ugly, with dark hair, he had noticed that she was awake and had come to stand over her.
"Well," he said, scowling. "Do you know why you are here?"
Isolde moved her head in response, groaning.
"You are a pagan, a sinner. You have been found guilty of attempting to kill a mercenary. You must be punished for your crimes against God," he said.
He continued on, but Isolde caught none of it. She gave one last glance around as she blacked out.
The sound of horses alerted the serfs of Marius Honorius. They looked up from their work in the fields and around their small huts to see seven horsemen riding straight toward the estate gates. They heard a mercenary guard call for the gates to be closed.
"Who are you?" one called, as the seven horses came to a stop before the gates.
One man, in front of the others spoke, confidently, "I am Arthur Castus, commander of the Sarmatian knights and by Bishop Germanius of Rome. Open the gate."
The gate opened immediately as he finished speaking. A short, fat and mean looking man came out with two mercenary guards. It was Marius Honorius.
"It is a wonder you have come!" he said, happily. "Good Jesus, Arthur and his knights." He reached up to pet Galahad's horse, but the horse pulled away; smart animal. Marius continued, "You have fought the Woads, vile creatures."
Arthur ignored the small talk, getting straight to business, "Our orders are to evacuate you immediately."
Marius looked from him to the other knights and back. "Th-that's impossible," he stuttered.
Arthur looked up, searching, "Which is Alecto?"
"I am Alecto," a voice said, from above the gate. Arthur looked up to see a young man with dark hair, standing next to an older woman, his mother.
"Alecto is my son," Marius said. "And everything we have is here in the land given to us by the Pope of Rome."
"Well, you're about to give it to the Saxons," Lancelot said, growing impatient.
"They're invading from the north," Arthur told a shocked Marius.
Marius thought a second, and then said matter-of-factly, "Then Rome will send an army."
"They have," Arthur told him, firmly. "Us. We leave as soon as you're packed."
Marius puffed up, "I refuse to leave."
The knights just sat, watching as Alecto came out, followed by his mother.
Breaking the silence, Marius looked toward his serfs, "Go back to work! All of you! Get back to work!" Many of the guards followed suit, even pushing people down if they didn't move.
Arthur had, meanwhile, dismounted his horse and stalked up to Marius, "If I fail to bring you and your son back, my men can never leave this land," he told the Roman, through gritted teeth. "So you're coming with me if I have to tie you to my horse and drag you all the way to Hadrian's Wall myself."
Marius looked almost horrified, Arthur gave a bow, "My lord." Turning to Marius' wife, Fulcinia, he said, "Lady, my knights are hungry."
She touched Marius' shoulder, silently asking. "Go," he told her. He stared at Arthur for another moment before turning and telling Alecto, "Come."
Arthur looked to his right, a strange, round rock building catching his eye. Bors patted his shoulder, jerking Arthur out of his stare.
"Come," Bors told him. "Let's go."
Arthur looked over toward the tiny huts and the serfs, standing around them. His eyes narrowed, something catching his eye, and he started over there, drawing Excalibur. Bors, realizing what Arthur was doing, drew his sword as well.
As Arthur walked over, a gangly young man started walking next to him, babbling, "Sir, you're famous! You're Arthur, aren't you? I'm Ganis, I'm a good fighter and I'm smart. I'd server you proudly. Sir-"
Arthur came to a stop before an old man hanging from chains. He was practically naked and wasn't moving.
Arthur pointed at the man, "Who is this man?"
"He's our village elder," Ganis said.
"What is this punishment for? Arthur asked. When no one answered he shouted, "Answer me!"
"He defied our master, Marius," Ganis told him. "Most of the food we grow is sent out by sea to be sold. He asked to keep a little more for ourselves, that's all. My arse has been snuffing at the grass I'm so hungry! You're from Rome! Is it true that Marius is a spokesman for God, and that it is a sin to defy him?"
By this time Alecto and a few guards were in the crowd, watching. Arthur took another look at the chained up, old man and turned back to the crowd, pointing Excalibur at them. They all took a step back, frightened.
"I tell you now," Arhtur told them, firmly. "Marius is not of God. And you, all of you, were free from your first breath."
He suddenly turned, swinging Excalibur, and cut the chains holding up the old man.
"Help this man," he said. When no one moved he again shouted, "Help him!"
The serfs rushed forward helping the man to his feet.
Arthur watched them and said, "Now hear me, a vast and terrible army is coming this way. They will show no mercy, spare no one. Those of you who are able should begin to gather your things and move south, towards Hadrian's Wall. Those unable shall come with us."
He looked up to Ganis, "You, serve me now. Gather these people."
"Right! You heard him!" Ganis said to the serfs, as Arthur went back to his horse.
Over by the rock building, the guards were pushing to monks to finish putting up bricks in order to seal the door. As they did this, Tristan rode up to Arthur. He stopped in front of Arthur's horse to report.
"They have flanked us to the east; they're coming from the south, trying to cut off our escape," Tristan told him, letting out a breath. "They'll be here before nightfall."
"How many?" Arthur asked him.
"An entire army," Tristan said, flatly.
"And the only way out is to the south?"
Tristan shook his head," East. There is a trail, heading east across the mountains. It means we'll have to cross behind the Saxon lines, if that's the road we shall take." He looked over at all the serfs, preparing to leave. Looking back to Arthur he said, "Arthur, who are these people?"
"They're coming with us," Arthur told him.
Tristan stared at him for a moment, "Then we'll never make it."
Arthur looked down, solemnly just before the Saxon drums began to pound. Tristan looked up and the other knights turned around, listening. The guards by the rock building stopped and listened for a moment and then turned back to the two monks, "Come on, get back to work!"
Arthur watched as the monks continued to build up the wall. The mystery of it finally got to him and he dismounted again and approached them. He withdrew Excalibur and pointed it at the guards that now blocked him. "Move," he told them. They just stood still, silent, and he again said, "Move."
The other knights had now ridden over to see what the trouble was. "Move!" Arthur told the guards. They slowly backed away, allowing Arthur to go over to the building.
"What is this?" he asked, pointing to it.
"You cannot go in there," one of the monks, a particularly ugly one, said. "No one goes in there. This place is forbidden."
"What are you doing!?" Marius yelled. "Stop this!"
The other knights stopped him, as Arthur tried to look inside the building.
"Arthur," Lancelot said, trying to reason with him. "We have no time."
"Do you not hear the drums?" Galahad added.
Dagonet," Arthur said, pointing toward the building.
Dagonet dismounted his horse and took out his axe. Going over to the bricked up door, he moved his axe back and swung at the bricks with full force. He hit the wall till the bricks fell to his feet. Behind the bricks was a wooden door. As he tried to open it, Dagonet found it locked.
"Key," Arthur said to the guards.
"It is locked…" one said. "From the inside."
Arthur nodded to Dagonet, who proceeded to kick in the door. Lancelot dismounted as Arthur moved to go in. Gawain pushed one of the monks forward, "Here you. Go. Move!"
Tristan stayed outside, unsheathing his sword, as the rest of the knights went inside. The first thing they could see was a flight of stairs and chains hanging everywhere. The place was dark and smelled putrid.
They went down the slightly spiraled staircase and came to what could only be called a dungeon. There was a man chanting in Latin and the putrid smell was worse than before. Arthur moved his torch and found a man hanging by chains, dead.
The chanting monk stopped and looked at them, disgusted, "Who are these defilers of the Lord's temple?"
Lancelot shoved him, "Out of the way." As the knights looked around they saw the bodies of tortured dead. "The work of your God?" Lancelot asked Arthur. "Is this how he answers your prayers?"
"See if there's any still alive," was all Arthur could reply.
Young Galahad had discovered the rotting corpse of another old man hanging by chains. He looked to the form of a young woman next to him, thinking she was dead. A groan from her proved him wrong though.
"This one's alive!" he shouted, cutting the chains holding her up.
Isolde felt herself suddenly falling. She winced as her body made full contact with the ground. She groaned and made a failed attempt to pick herself up only to end up feeling more pain blossom throughout her body.
Two arms picked her up, one around her shoulders and the other around her knees. She couldn't help crying out in pain as her rescuer put pressure on her bruises. She opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly, and was able to make out a beard and a mop of hair as he took her up the stairs and outside. She shut her eyes quickly, the light hurting her eyes.
"Tristan!" the man said. "Here, give her water. I'm going to see if there are anymore."
Isolde was lifted up and put into the arms of another man. She looked up at his face, trying to focus her vision. Loose, dark braids came into vision and the face of the man she had fought along with it.
"Oh, no," she thought, groaning. How could the Goddess hate her so?
Tristan reached behind him, keeping her up with one arm so he could retrieve his water skin and open it. He brought the opening to the girl's mouth and simply said, "Drink."
Isolde took little gulps, almost choking. The Roman woman, Fulcinia, came over and gently touched her face, making Isolde flinch slightly, her head was still sore.
Tristan put the water skin away and gathered the girl up in his arms, holding her more effectively. His one arm was around her back and the other resting on her legs, holding the reigns. Her head was now under his chin.
"What is your name?" he asked, softly, looking back towards the door to the hidden dungeon.
"Isolde," She told him, her head laid on his chest as Arthur came out holding Guinevere and a giant, bald man holding small boy. Guinevere was here, she was alive. Isolde smiled a little at that and closed her eyes, falling asleep. The last thing she heard was the braided idiot saying, "Isolde."
A/N: Read and Review, people! Read and Review!!!
