First Official Visit

By Montez

Disclaimer: see chapter one

Chapter 6

The journey home started much as the journey out had, setting up and breaking down camp, more hunting, that Arthur thoroughly enjoyed, more meetings with the older knights to plan the next days journey. Uther was pleased that the knights seem to continue to take Arthur in as one of their own despite his age. He had even noticed his son sparing with a few, other than Leon, but always with the older boy's watchful eye. The Prince would hold out longer than many of the knights seem to expect and Uther knew that when the day came, not only would his son become the best warrior in the kingdom, but he would have the respect of the knights he will one day lead.

It was mid-day on the third afternoon, a couple knights were scouting ahead for a suitable place to stop for the night. The King was talking with one of the older knights, Arthur was behind him, Leon at his side as the boy bounced questions off the knights around him, talking technique, favorite weaponry, and which game was the most difficult to hunt. No one would believe the boy was only nine, (going on ten thank you very much). He seemed to have grown so much on this trip and for that the King was grateful.

One of lead knight stopped abruptly, his hand going up, everyone going on alert, turning toward the forest that surrounded them. The King approached, "what is it?" he spoke quietly as he too scanned the area.

"It's to quiet My Lord, we need to proceed with caution." Sir Aaron responded.

Uther looked back at Arthur, who had Leon at his side and several knight's surrounding him. The boy had a questioning look on his face, "Stay near Sir Leon, do you understand?" the King said to his son in a voice that brokered no argument.

A nod in return is what he got as Leon reached over and touched the boy's shoulder to let him know where he was.

They continued cautiously, hands on sword hilts, eyes scanning the forest, the eerie silence continued. The next instant pandemonium seemed to erupt on all sides, cross bolts sent men falling from mounts as what seemed like dozens of men rushed from the foliage. Knights were off their horses in an instant, Arthur looked around, his mind taking a moment to realize what was happening as two more knights went down. It was then that Arthur heard his father's loud voice over the chaos around them, "LEON GO!" immediately the Prince felt his reins being pulled as Leon grabbed them and headed for the trees.

Within a few steps Arthur's mount when down hard, he couldn't hear what anyone was saying, shaking his head to try and clear it, pulling his blade he scrambled to his feet. All he could see was movement and men going down around him, feeling someone grab his arm he swung around with his blade, Leon blocking quickly, "it's me!" he shouted pulling Arthur to him, the older boy swinging around in time to stop an attack from behind him, "Run!" he shouted again, shoving the younger boy toward the underbrush.

Both his father and Leon had drilled into him that he was to listen to Leon without question and in that moment he did. Taking off Arthur could feel the older boy just behind him. The Prince had lost sight of his father the moment fighting had taken over the road. Just as they reached the tree line, Arthur glanced back and finally caught sight of him, fighting two men at once. He had watched his father train before and knew he was a formidable fighter, but when a third man came toward the King from behind, the boy yelled "FATHER!" and took off before Leon could grab him.

Arthur had just seen his father hit, the older man dropping to one knee. Without thinking the Prince took off toward him, retrieving one of his blades from his boot the boy threw it. His uncanny ability on display as it hit the man right in the middle of his back, upon reaching the man the young boy swung his sword toward the legs, the raider going down hard on his back, no doubt driving the blade further in as he stilled almost immediately.

Leon reached the Prince just as the man fell, catching the sword of another just before it landed against Arthur's back. "Father!" the boy yelled again, the King stumbling to his feet, his head whipping around at his son's yell.

"ARTHUR GO! NOW!" the King bellowed repelling another attack.

Grabbing the Prince, Leon started pulling him away, the blonds sheer determination resisting, breaking free again, the boy swung at another man that was trying to get to his father. In that moment he felt something hit his shoulder and slightly brush the back of his neck, but he didn't stop. In the next instant Uther's world seemed to stop, he had caught movement as Leon kept trying to get ahold of the young Prince, he saw the stubborn determination in his son's face as his focus was to try to get to the Kings side. It was in that moment he saw the sword catch his son on the shoulder and could just make out the splash of red that seemed to blossom near his son's hairline, just past his shoulder. "ARTHUR!" he yelled again, blindly swinging at anything in his way, keeping him from his son. The boy not even realizing his was hurt continued toward the King. Just as he was within ten feet of his son, Leon desperately fighting his way toward the Prince, both men saw the moment one of the attackers swung around with his fist, the blow to the young Prince was so hard it threw him back several feet before he landed, not moving.

"NO!" the King yelled just as Leon shouted, "ARTHUR!"

"GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" the King shouted, Leon quickly grabbing the unconscious Prince, getting him over his shoulder and running for the trees, not looking back until he was a step away. When he turned fear gripped him like he had never felt before. In the seconds between grabbing the Prince and reaching the trees, the King was again attacked, his pleading eye's meeting the young knights as Uther took a hit that knocked him to the ground. As Leon disappeared through the trees, he realized his King had not moved as more knights tried to make it to the injured sovereign's side. Leon, feeling a weight bare down on him the like of which he had never known, took off into the woods, never looking back as the sound of the battle faded. The sight of his King not moving on the ground burned into his mind, and the immense weight of the boy he carried on his shoulder, not the weight of the boy himself, but the weight of the possibility of what lay ahead for them. Knowing now the fate of the whole kingdom could be weighing on getting the Prince back to the citadel and facing the reality that they may have just lost their King.

The last attacker had fallen, of the twenty knights', twelve remained. Of those twelve three were relatively uninjured. Sir Aaron was one of them, he was now kneeling next to his King, the older man still unconscious from what the knight could see was a blow to the head and severe wound to his side. The chainmail had kept the blade from potentially killing the King out right, and the blow to the head was just as worrisome to the knight. "We need to get the King out of here." It was in that moment something crucial, something of as great importance as the welfare of his King struck him. Looking around frantically, he called out, "Where is the Prince? Has anyone seen the Prince?"

The remaining knights looked around, checking amongst the fallen, praying they would not find their Prince's broken body among the dead. "Sir Aaron!" one of the knights' called out. The older knight approaching, "The Prince's mount." They took in the crumpled body of the horse that had carried their Prince on the journey.

"Spread out, what of Sir Leon?" they all know that his sole responsibility on their trip was the welfare of the Prince. Had he managed to get his charge away from the battle? If so, where had they gone? Were they nearby? Were they injured?

Sir Aaron made his way back to his King, the man had not moved, it was only the rise and fall of older man's chest that reassured those around him that their King still lived. It was concerning that he was still unconscious, they needed to get him back to the citadel as soon as possible, but they also needed to find their Prince. Most of the knights were attending to one another's injuries, those less injured were fanning out, looking for any sign of Arthur and Leon. One of the younger knights, Sir Benjamin, who the Prince had started to hang around approached Sir Aaron, "Sir we found Sir Leon's mount, he was a ways into the trees, the horse does not appear injured, but we have yet to find a trace of the either of them."

"Okay," the older knight ran his hand over his face. "We need to move to a more secure location, camp for the night, then head back."

"But what of Prince Arthur, of Leon? We can't just leave them out here, we don't know if they are injured." Sir Benjamin responded, desperation in his voice.

"I know, but our King is our priority, we must get him back, we do not know the extent of his injuries." Sir Aaron sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat, "we must trust that Sir Leon will take care of the Prince. I am going to send Sir Richard ahead of us, hopefully we'll met a contingent as we near the citadel. If no word of the Prince or Sir Leon has reached us, a search will commence then. It's the best we can do, I don't like it any more than you, but I don't know what else we can do with the injuries we have sustained, and we must get the King help." Looking at the crest-fallen expression of Sir Benjamin, Sir Aaron could not help feeling that he was letting not only his men down, but his King. He just prayed Leon and the Prince were alright. "Please have Sir Richard come see me."