Amazonian Support 7
Lancelot stood straight and reported, "Well, the good news is that these can only be used, at most, two to three times. Now, this is just a guess using the one Tristan and Theaia brought to us. But, with the other ten or so, this battle needs to be finished quickly, or we'll be ducking for cover and that might give them the advantage to enter the fort."
Sarmatia added, "The best thing we can do, is take out as many as we can with the arrows and then aim for the arrow-lances. They should be the next targets after the Saxons soldiers themselves. That means…"
Areia ended, "Some of us will need to leave the fort and take out the arrow-lances within the enemy lines."
Sarmatia nodded and looked at Arthur. He looked to be deep in thought as the other soldiers quickly filled up the courtyard.
Arthur nodded to himself and said, "Here's what we'll do, I want Tristan and Theaia to go with Lancelot and Sarmatia behind Saxon lines and take care of the arrow-lances. Galahad and Areia will be on the battlements to monitor the use of the weapon the Princesses created, and the rest of us will be in the courtyard fighting hand-to-hand. Understood?"
Lancelot's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest, "But Arthur…!"
Arthur gazed upon his best friend and second-n-command in understanding and said as he placed his hand on Lancelot's armored shoulder, "Think of it this way, my brother, you will be protecting me from those arrow-lances while you trust the others to watch my back. I will not die in this battle, I promise you this."
Lancelot's shoulders drooped, but he nodded and said, "Then, let's leave and hide ourselves in the forest. We'll come upon them while they are arriving and surprise them, then."
Sarmatia nodded and the two scouts said nothing but mounted their horses again and looked to their leaders. Lancelot smiled sardonically and mounted his own horse as Sarmatia did her own.
Arthur called out, "Watch your own back Lancelot! I won't be there protecting yours!"
Lancelot pulled his horse to a stop, reared up, and placed his hand in the air to show Arthur, his friend, that he had heard the loving order. Then he rode after the other three and quickly entered the forest.
As the dismounted their horses, Lancelot ordered, "Tristan, you watch for the Woads and Theaia, you look out for the Saxons. Sarmatia and I will be setting up here and thinking of how we'll be able to do this successfully."
The two nodded and quickly but silently vanished into the foggy forest. Sarmatia shivered slightly and said, "These forests give me the creeps. Why do they have to be so…ghostly?"
Lancelot smiled dryly and said, "This is Briton, it has always been this way. And it probably always will. You get used to it after awhile."
Sarmatia eyed him and said, "I don't think I ever will."
Lancelot just shook his head and sat down and grabbed a nearby branch. He drew a circle and a square. Curiously, Sarmatia sat beside him and silently watched. After a few tries, he sighed and placed the stick down.
"What were you doing?"
He glanced at his dream-girl and answered, "I was drawing up a plan. This is the best I can think up with as little information as we have."
Sarmatia nodded in understanding and waited patiently with Lancelot for the other two.
Back inside the Milestone, Hadrian's Wall, Arthur started to pace. His Knights, the Romans, and the three other Princesses watched him silently. None of them could think of anything to say that would help their leader, and so they remained silent.
A Roman Legionar, stepped up bravely, or cowardly, and said, "Artorius, get over yourself! It's only two dumb Sarmatian conscripts and two barbarian women who think they can fight! We need you to pay attention to us! Not to them! So what if they die? We are more important!"
Arthur reared around and pulled out Excalibur in one smooth motion. He placed the sword at the Roman's neck and asked menacing, "Are you sure about that?"
The Roman gulped and backed away fearfully. As Arthur placed his sword back in it's sheath, a white light encompassed the yard.
When the group of people could see again, they saw a figure dressed in a white cloak that covered everything except for it's hand and weapon. The hand was slim and feminine. The weapon was a staff made from some sort of white material and had a wicked looking knife at the top.
Immediately the men had their weapons out and the Princesses dropped to their knees with their fisted right hand over their heart.
"Who are you?" demanded Arthur losing all patience.
The person, the woman, raised her hand and pulled her cloak hood down. A beautiful heart shaped face with navy blue eyes was revealed. The men were spellbound. The Princesses, jumped to their feet and exclaimed, "LADY!"
The woman smiled slightly and nodded. She looked to Arthur and said, "Arthur Castus, ancestrally name for the first Artorius, Lucius Artorius Castus, Commander of the Sarmatian Knight and Hadrian's Wall. I am the Guardian. I guess you would call me Jesus, if you want, but I am the guardian, the protector, of the Earth. You must calm down."
Arthur was breathing heavily at this point because of the worry he had for Tristan and Lancelot, the weight of Command, the anger at the other Romans, and now the disbelief at the woman claiming to be Jesus or God. As he took a deep breath, he asked, "Why should I?"
The woman smiled in understanding and said, "Because, the Fates are channeling their anger at me into you and others. They are playing with you. I grew tired watching the Fates destroy your life over and over again, so I intervened."
"Fates? Destroyed over and over?" asked Arthur in angered disbelief.
The woman smiled dryly and replied equally dryly, "You don't think this is the only time the Earth has been created, do you? No, this Earth has lived many lives; just as you have lived this life more than once. The Three Fates, love playing with you and your Knights most of all-you and Lancelot above all others. I got tired of watching them play with you like you were their personal play toys and sent my Amazons to help you and chance your fate."
She smiled and added to the sky loudly, "Which I can do since my best friend is CHANCE!"
The sky flashed a dull red before it turned to normal. The mortals on the Earth were shocked into submission. In fact, all the men and women were on their knees with lowered heads. This was too much for them. Arthur looked at the Lady, and asked meekly, "And what do you wish of us?"
The Lady smiled and said, "Just live Arthur. Your life will be most gay-like if you do just that. Oh, and watch over Dagonet, Lancelot, and Tristan in the following battles."
With that she vanished.
The fort was covered in silent shock. None of them could move. It was only the sound of the approaching Saxons, with their war drums, with brought them back to their present task.
Arthur took command and ordered, "Everyone to your stations!"
He looked out over the woods from the battlements, and thought fearfully as he ran down the stairs, Lancelot, Tristan, watch yourselves. You especially Lance.
SMACK!
The Guardian winced but remained silent as the Fates dialed out their punishment upon her.
"You broke one of our most valuable laws! How dare you intrude upon the mortals and talk to them! What do you have to say for yourself, Guardian?" roared one of the Fates.
The Guardian slowly got back to her feet, and said proudly, "They are not play toys for your amusement! Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, they deserve to be masters of their own lives for once! Go play with other mortals like Sinbad or Achilles and Hector!"
She added a bit softer, "Leave these ones be! I beg you! Let them alone! Turn your attentions elsewhere!"
The Three Fates eyed her before they turned their backs on her and vanished back to their loom of Fate.
Lancelot and Sarmatia, who had been talking softly about his mother, looked up as Tristan and Theaia arrived at the same time on opposite sides of their camp. The two blinked at that and shook their heads in amazement.
"What did you find out?" asked Sarmatia.
Theaia replied, "They'll be here any minute. They are just behind me. I had to kill the three scouts because they got to close to my position."
They turned to the male scout and Tristan replied evenly, "The Woads are leaving this area. Apparently, they do not wish to fight the Saxons now."
Lancelot sighed and said, "Thank the Gods for small favors. Now, this is what we will do when they arrive."Tristan and Theaia sat down and stared down at the battle plans and listen closely.
"I want Tristan and Theaia to come in from the left and we'll come in from the right. We'll strike them hard and fast. Our targets are nothing more than the men operating the arrow-lances. We are to stay out of sight when it comes to the other Saxons. If we have to wait ten minutes to pass a group of Saxons, then that's what we'll do. Our only targets, I repeat, are the arrow-lance operators. Then we are to get our collective arses back to the Wall. Understand?"
Tristan nodded sharply and Theaia nodded serenely.
"Sarmatia, let's go." Ordered Lancelot as the Saxons quickly passed them and established themselves in front of the large Roman Wall. Sarmatia nodded and quietly followed. Tristan turned to Theaia and found her already silently walking in the direction they were ordered to go in. He smiled slightly to himself and followed her. This would be interesting to say the least.
Sorry if this seems to be taking a long time to go anywhere, but it'll pick up when the final mission for Rome starts-I PROMISE!