Ok another chapter already. In this one we FINALLY get some of the knights! Yipee for knights! We also see a bit of Merlin. Yipee for scary old men with staffs!
NOTE: There still have not been any conversation's between Guinevere and Arthur. Also, when the girls see Merlin in this chapter-it is a different time than when Arthur meets him in the woods. Just for clarification.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my own characters. Anything/anyone you do not recognize belongs to moi. I may use lines and/or quotes from other sources, which are not my own, later on in the story. I'm not quite sure though-so I'm being un-specific. Those (if I do choose to use them) also do not in anyway belong to me.
Lets get it started in here.......
Choices
Chapter 4: Walking, Falling, Dancing, and Sneaking.
Lena shifted uncomfortably under the heavy fur blanket. She had been trapped in this blasted wagon all day. Dagonet had refused to let her walk around outside.
She hated being cooped up like this. She had, had to live for over 3 months in a tiny stone cell with her cousin-and now that she was free, she was stuck in a damn wagon with Guinevere, Lucan, A knight, and a Roman woman who kept eyeing her strangely.
She had been up since her conversation early this morning with Guinevere, and now it was nearly night fall. The caravan had stopped and made camp-but still that bloody knight wouldn't let her walk around.
She and Guinevere would have to sneak away to meet Merlin tonight, but she wanted a chance to look around and stretch her legs a bit first. She had to get out of this wagon! It was crowded, uncomfortable, and hot. She would wait-eventually she would get the chance, and the second she did-she'd be out of this damned cart.
Lena found her opportunity sooner than she had expected, when Fulcinia was called away by Lauria yet again. Guinevere and Lucan were both sleeping-and as she felt Dagonet's eyes on her, Lena pretended to be asleep as well. She heard him leave the wagon-and waited as his footsteps died off in the distance.
She crawled to the mouth of the wagon, and poked her head out the flap.
"All clear." she whispered to herself.
Careful not to wake the others, Lena wrapped herself in the heavy fur blanket, and as gently as possible she lowered herself to the soft snow covered ground. Her feet burned as she attempted to walk-she was in actuality hobbling, and she knew she must look ridiculous.
Slowly her feet and throbbing leg muscles grew accustom to walking. She stood at her whole height, breathing the cold air deeply as she walked around the campsite. She was in a world all her own-even if she looked like a maniac-it still felt wonderful to be alive again. To be breathing again. The cold air was re-inflating her lungs. After the months of inhaling death, it felt like she was truly breathing for the first time in her life. Gods did she love the feeling.
'I'm alright now.' Lena decided. She never had to go back to that evil place again. The prison was a memory now. Nothing but a bad memory. And now that it was just a simple memory, she was perfectly fine.
Though Lena was convinced she was quite fine, her legs were not under the same impression. She felt her knees buckle, and her weight give out. She closed her eyes and winced-preparing her body for collision with the cold earth.
But she did not feel her body crash into the snow. No. Instead, there was a strong arm around her waist. A body holding up hers. She opened her eyes only to find a pair of dark, dark brown ones staring at her, amused. One of the knights had rushed up and caught her. And now he was staring at her for being such a fool.
Lena's cheeks burned with embarrassment. Great. She'd gone and made and idiot of herself already. She looked down, ashamed of her clumsiness.
Lancelot stared down at the girl in his arms. He recognized her as the one Galahad had carried from the dungeon. Foolish girl. She'd gone walking around alone. Snuck out of the wagon as soon as Dag had left. He'd been watching her-and when he had noticed her starting to fall, he'd come to her aid.
But now, he was looking at her eyes. For a moment there she had held his gaze-and gods what eyes. They were....haunting.
Lena shifted uncomfortably in his arms, and Lancelot realized he'd been holding her much longer than necessary.
"Ahem. Right" he cleared his throat as he moved away from her slightly, while still holding her up. "You should not go walking alone yet. You are still weak Lady..Lady...."
"Lena" she filled in for him. "My name is Lena."
"Lancelot" he said with a smile.
She raised and eyebrow. So this was the famous Lancelot? Yes. She had seen him in battle before. He surely would not remember her. But she remembered him. He was a good fighter. Very strong.
"Well, thank you Sir Lancelot..." she said, taking a step back and fully releasing herself from his hold. "For your...assistance."
As she took another small step back, Lancelot finally broke his gaze away from her eyes-and took in the rest of her face. It was horrifying! Covered in blood and dirt, swollen in odd places- generally filthy. He had to stop himself from making a face.
Though Lancelot thought he had covered his shock at her hideous face well-Lena could read him easily. She looked down and bit her bottom lip. He was disgusted by her. She had realized her face did not look normal-but she had thought it was healing. The bruises and swelling had gone down considerably. Fulcinia had been keeping a cloth full of snow over the injuries, and they had been diminishing rapidly. It did not matter much. Her face would heal in time-
'Appearance is only appearance' she told herself
"Thank you" she repeated with a small nod of her head, before backing up further and turning around. She started heading towards the small fire the other knights, minus Dagonet thankfully, had gathered around. She would sit in it's warmth for a bit before returning to the wagon.
Lancelot walked after her.
"You should return to the wagon Lady." he said slightly frustrated-he did not have time to explain this again. She was weak. The foolish girl should rest.
"I am quite fine now Sir." she said calmly. This man was putting a damper on her good mood.
This was getting slightly annoying. Lena just wanted to be left alone long enough to enjoy her freedom. She was fine. He could leave her be now.
"You almost fell." he reminded her. "You should not go parading around when you are not well." he said before walking away
She continued on her way to the fire.
'Why is he so concerned! I disgust him' she reminded herself.
"May I join you?" Lena asked as she came upon the knights. She received a few nods and a grumble or two that sounded vaguely like "yes". She sat down on a log next to a young curly haired knight who introduced himself as Galahad. She gave him her name, and he proceeded to introduce all the other knights.
"This one here's Gawain." he said pointing to a man with long messy hair, who smiled and nodded. "That's Tristan over there" Galahad said, referring to a man on the other side of the fire who was watching Lena suspiciously from behind a curtain of dark hair and braids. "And that, is old Bors." he said facing a portly bald man. Lena smiled and nodded to each of them silently.
The knights began a conversation among themselves while Lena sat in the glow of the fire, occupied with her own thoughts. She sat there for a fairly long while staring intently into the blaze, captivated by the flames-and relishing the feeling of their warmth, then she felt someone sit down beside her.
"Ah, yes" she heard Galahad speaking in her direction. "Lancelot, this is Lena, and Lena this-"
"Lancelot. Yes, I know." she said without taking her eyes away from the fire. "We've already been introduced."
"Thought I told you to get back in the wagon." Lancelot commented dryly.
"And I told you that I was fine." Came her response. "It would appear, we both have rather selective listening." she said with a sly smile. She could hear Galahad chuckling at that.
"No." said Lancelot. "No-I heard you quite well Lady Lena, but you are not fine."
"I am fine. Perfectly fine!" she said standing up. She was exasperated. She was an adult, not some foolish little girl who needed babysitting. So she had a little trouble walking at first, she was fine now!
Calming herself down, she said kindly "Thank you for your concern Sir Knight, but I assure you-I am alright." Then, to further prove her point- Lena clumsily did a bit of a jig. "See?" She asked happily. "Perfectly fine." she sat and laughed softly along with the knights. Bors laughed boisterously before saying-
"Laddy, I can't even jig that well, the girl's fine!"
"You could never jig at all you oaf." smirked Gawain.
"Oh and you can?" asked Galahad.
"Certainly. Better than the lot of you at least." he bragged.
Lena watched, laughing happily, as the three grown men jigged away-competing with each other over such a trivial thing.
When they were done they asked Lena to declare a winner.
"I'm afraid I could not possibly choose." she laughed. They all looked slightly confused at that so she explained. "How am I supposed to declare a winner, when none of you can dance in the first place?"
That got laughs out of both Lancelot and Tristan. The other three knights sat and gave Lena looks of mock offense-before joining in the laughter.
Lancelot looked over at Lena. She was laughing still. More softly than the others, but with the same intensity. A smile spread across her features, and her eyes sparkled. And though this was the same blood, dirt, and bruise covered girl he had met an hour ago-Lancelot began to rethink his initial idea of her being horrifying.
The laughter died down, and Lena realized it had grown quite dark. She would have to get back to the wagon and decide with Guinevere how they would go about sneaking off to find Merlin.
"Ah, yes. Well I really should get back to the wagon. Dagonet will not be pleased. I've been gone much too long-so if you'll excuse me." she said attempting to stand. She faltered slightly and landed with a thump on the log. Lancelot chuckled and stood.
"Lady Lena. If you would let me, I would gladly escort you to the wagon." he said chivalrously . He offered her his hand, but when she hesitated, Lancelot bent down and took it. He began to pull her to her feet-and they both froze. Lena's eyes turned ghostly white, and for no more than a second- neither of them moved.
Lena's eyes regained their color, and Lancelot looked at her strangely before shaking it off as nothing. Lena looked around at the knights-only to find that they were deeply immersed in conversation.
She breathed a deep sigh of relief. No one had seen. She began to walk away with Lancelot-taking one last glance at the knights around the small fire. Her eyes caught with Tristan's. And in that brief second in which she held his gaze through the flames, she knew. He had seen what had transpired.
That was not good. That was very not good.
She would have to ask Merlin what to do about it when they met in the woods tonight.
That was not the worst of her worries though. She would have to tell Merlin of what she had seen through Lancelot.
Something even worse than Tristan seeing her have a vision. Something vast and terrible.
Ice. And Saxons.
Lancelot broke Lena from her thoughts., and she realized they had reached the wagon.
"Goodnight Lady Lena. I will see you tomorrow. Now rest. I wouldn't want to have to save you from falling again." he said with a chuckle.
Lena gave him a look of mock indignance. "As if you would be so lucky!" she said smiling. "Goodnight." He smiled and turned-starting to leave, when she added as an afterthought "And Lancelot- I'm Lena, just Lena. Not Lady."
He nodded and continued on his way, liking the way this named sounded when coming from her mouth.
Lena entered the wagon, only to be greeted by a stern look from Dagonet.
"I just needed to get out for awhile." she whispered to him. She was like a child caught stealing cookies before supper. "I'm fine see?" she asked pointing down to herself. "No harm done."
Dagonet nodded understandingly. He would not want to be trapped in this cart all day either. As long as the girl was alright-he supposed it was fine for her to walk around.
Lena laid down next to Guinevere, who was still sleeping. She found herself growing tired, and soon sleep claimed her.
She woke to find Dagonet above her with a plate of food. She saw Guinevere was eating already. Dagonet was going outside to eat with Lucan, who wanted to get away from all these girls.
They left, and Lena was about to speak-but Guinevere beat her too it.
"How will we get to my father tonight?" she asked quietly. They could not chance being heard.
"We will wait until Lucan and the Knight are asleep. Then we can sneak out."
"Right, but how are we supposed to know where father is?"
"I will know the way." Lena explained to her cousin. "He will be waiting."
Guinevere nodded then asked "What were you doing outside? I heard you talking with a man....."
Lena looked at her cousin. "I thought you were asleep when I came in."
"Oh that. No, I was just closing my eyes for a bit. Now tell me-who were you talking to?" Guinevere asked with a smile.
"One of the knights. I went for a little walk, and I ...spoke....with several of them." Lena didn't necessarily want Guinevere to know she had collapsed into Lancelot's arms, or that she jigged for a group of Sarmatian men. "They were quite nice." she added before taking a bite of bread..
"Quite nice!? What about his morning?"
"What about it?"
"You very nearly went on a tirade about Romans and why they despise us Woads!"
"The knights aren't Roman, Guinevere." said Lena, defending her earlier statement.
"But they are the Sarmatian Knights of legend! Servants of Rome." Guinevere didn't know exactly why she was taking this position. She had been the one trying to convince Lena to go easier on the men ,this morning.
"Yes, they are Sarmatia's children. People of an occupied land. Like us, Guinevere." Lena said quietly. Both girls sat in silence for a few moments before Lena spoke again. "Besides, wasn't it you who was reminding me, that they saved us? We can trust them Guinevere. They aren't like the Romans." Guinevere nodded. She had known that since Arthur punched out Marius.
She smiled at the memory. Arthur was a good man.
Dagonet and Lucan were both fast asleep. Lena nudged Guinevere, and nodded towards the wagon's opening. The girls soundlessly crept from the wagon, wrapped in light blankets-the thick fur blankets would have provided a nice warmth, but would have made them too clumsy and slow.
They slipped silently through the camp, Lena leading the way. They were carful to avoid the watch. Being that they were Woads- and to be a Woad meant you were stealthy, silent, un-seen, and able to blend in-they had no trouble sneaking away.
Guinevere followed her cousin through a maze of trees and brush. It was dark-there was very little moon this night, and it took her eyes time to adjust. Lena was moving quickly. Her steps were silent and sure. Her hands ran along the sides of trees, feeling them as if they were signs leading to Merlin. Her hands knew these trees, this land, this place. Her eyes knew this path, her feet moved themselves- going in directions they had gone before. In dreams she had traveled this path. In dreams she had known it would lead to Merlin.
Lena stopped. Ahead of them was a small clearing. The trees here were not so many, the moonlight streamed in more heavily over this grassy land. Merlin stood there, watching the girls with a smile. They were alive. His daughters. Lena had always been a daughter to him. Niece seemed too far away for Lena. He had raised her. And he loved both girls.
They came towards him, and he embraced them both at once.
"It will give our people great hope to know you live." he told them.
Both Guinevere and Lena were of the highest noble birth possible among Woads. They were respected minds and warriors-who the people looked to for motivation. They placed their faith in the girls, and Lena's sight. It had hurt the Woads immeasurably when they had learned both girls had gone missing. Now that they knew Guinevere and Lena had not perished, hoped could live again.
"We have things to discuss, girls." Merlin informed them. "The Saxons are coming. They will be upon us soon."
Lena nodded. "Yes." she said. "I have seen them. We cannot outrun them much longer." she whispered. "There will be a battle on the Ice."
Merlin digested the information. "How many?" he asked solemnly.
"200 at least." Lena searched her memory. There had to be something else in that vision from Lancelot. He would see the Saxons. He could not have been alone. Suddenly it came to her. "The knights will fight on the Ice, but it will not be the last confrontation with Saxons. A greater army will come. That is all I know."
Merlin stood for a moment. His face still and concentrated in thought. The lines of his wrinkles ran like deep rivers over his tanned skin.
'He looks so old.' thought Guinevere sadly. She knew her father was old. He had been quite old at her birth-but Guinevere had never truly seen him appear this old.
"The Woads will fight." He stated calmly. "We will fight the vast army of Saxons. They will not destroy our home." Lena smiled at his empowering words , Guinevere did not react as well.
"We are too few, father, for an entire army of Saxons. It is madness!"
"That, " Merlin continued in the same even tone. "Is why you must convince Arthur to fight with us. Show him, Guinevere, the beauty of this land. Britain is in his blood, and the Rome in which he believes in is dead. Give him a reason to fight with us daughter. I must ask this of you for the sake of our people. Capture his heart, unite our peoples, and he will lead us against the Saxons. Can you do this Guinevere?"
"I will try." Guinevere replied loyally. She would do this for the Woads. They needed Arthur, so she would try. She only feared that she might fail. How could she force Arthur to love her?
"You must bring him to me, girls, the night after next. I must speak with Arthur."
Both Guinevere and Lena nodded silently.
"Now go. Rest. You will need your strength in the days to come." he whispered before embracing them both tightly.
They uttered goodbyes, then made their way back to the camp. As the made their path past the sleeping forms of the Roman soldiers Guinevere could hear Lena let out a low hiss and breath a curse on their dreams.
They walked past the sleeping Galahad and Gawain-who were hugging each other. Both the girls had to suppress a wild fit of giggles when they saw that. They were only a short distance from the wagon-but they slowed to a halt as they reached a tree. Sleeping against one side was Arthur, and on the other was Lancelot.
Lena watched as her cousin stared at Arthur-and she could tell, Guinevere was slightly pleased she had to become involved with the man. Lena saw it in her eyes. Guinevere would have felt for Arthur even without her father prompting it.
Lena could see the sleeping form of Lancelot. Maybe he had found her disgusting at first, but he seemed to have quite shaken it off. Perhaps he wasn't as shallow as Lena suspected him to be.
'We'll see.' she thought. 'If the Woads need Arthur-it couldn't hurt to befriend his knights as well. We need all we can get.' Lena decided as she and Guinevere crept back into the wagon and shuffled under their thick fur blankets.
As she drifted into sleep, Lena's last conscious thoughts were of Lancelot. As he had lifted her up into the wagon earlier that evening, their eyes had met-and he was sad to see her go.
Alright there, another chapter done. I don't know whether or not I like it, so please tell me what you think. I FINALLY got the knights into it-tell me if you think I portrayed them okay. If I didn't please tell me how I can improve them. I don't think I'll be able to update this week until Wednesday. I'll shoot for sooner-but if it comes that late, I'll give at least 2 chapters. School starts next Monday for me, so after that I think I'll try to update once a week. Thanks for reading.
I know 5 reviews is nothing to be SUPER proud of-but to all those who did review, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. It means a lot to me. In the wise words of Mark Twain "I can live for two months off one good complement."
To everyone who read this chapter-please review, I need all the help I can get. Tell me if you think its really confusing. I felt like it might be a bit messy-so please tell me what you think.
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