Lancelot watched with pity as the small girl clung to her brother from behind him on a tall, brown mare.
Argus was talking with the parents which Lancelot thought strange for he hadn't seen Argus do that to anyone else.
The young girl wasn't crying or sobbing but in her face it was clear that her brother departing her was perhaps unbearable.
The brother sat watching his parents and Argus talking with a sad expression. He actually looked very depressed.
Lancelot felt for the boy. He too had a sister that he missed dearly, two in fact.
Immediately his hand trailed up to the lion pendant that hung around his neck. And with a tight squeeze of it, memories of him and Layla came flooding back.
He wished desperately to be still playing with his little sister and chatting enjoyably with Trish whom was his elder sister.
Many nights Lancelot had sat just talking with his Trish about anything they found interesting. Many nights they had been interrupted by little Layla who had pleaded with them to convince their parents not to send her to bed.
"Suddenly Argus came trotting back on his steed with a stern expression.
The boy and the girl had dismounted from their mare and were now hugging their parents tightly.
Their mother was crying uncontrollably and tears fell from the little girls eyes.
Also the father had watery eyes but the boy was trying to put on a brave face.
Then strangely both the boy and his sister remounted and joined Argus and the other boys.
All of the boys and Roman soldiers looked questioningly at Argus as the boy rode up with his sister.
Then with a nod of a kick of his horse, Argus raced off towards the coast with everyone racing after him.
Lancelot thought it very strange that the girl had come also.
The parents must have sold her, he thought.
But he didn't say a word to anyone as they rode on.
By night they had collected three more boys and obtained four more horses of which had no riders.
They set up camp beside a small forest and a little more talk was welcomed from the boys.
It seemed they had all decided they had better get to know eachother for they had no choice really.
But Lancelot sat silently. Though he wasn't the only one.
He watched the boy and his sister chatting with the one called Bors. But the girl wasn't really talking. She just sat there listening.
Lancelot stood up and walked over to her.
She looked warily at him as he sat down and her brother looked at him also out of the corner of his eye.
"Hello".
Lancelot tried to sound cheerful but he wasn't exactly feeling it.
"Hello," answered the girl quietly.
She looked about eight, maybe nine which was only two or three years younger than Lancelot himself.
"Whats your name?" he asked.
The girl began to look at him with interest. It seemed she was coming out of her shell a little.
"Keighley".
Keighley. It suited her for no reason that Lancelot could think of.
"Whats your name?"
"Lancelot".
Keighley's hair was cut very short, down to her ears but her bright blue eyes stood out remarkably. Lancelot loved how the moonlight reflected them.
"How come you're here Keighley?"
The little girl bit her lip and a look of sadness came upon her face.
"Because my father sold me for he had not a cent to feed us with".
For such a young girl she spoke very well and clearly for her age.
Lancelot nodded his head to show he understood her sadness and didn't say anymore. He wasn't all that good at comforting.
Bedivere watched the boy whom had talked to Keighley out of the corner of his eye. He was quite protective of his sister.
He knew his father had not wished to sell her but with no money the beautiful little girl would have soon gone to waste. Their father had felt that in Briton she would do better and most probably wed a knight if she travelled with Bedivere.
Now Bedivere saw it as his duty to protect and watch over Keighley. She was a brave girl but somehow, without meaning too, she always got into trouble.
Bedivere had become acquainted with the loud and boastful Bors whom was quite funny but talked an awful lot. Maybe too much for Bedivere's liking.
Bedivere listened patiently as Bors went on about how he would learn the Romans tactics over his years of being a knight and then afterwards would crush them down to the dirt.
The night went on and soon Bors grew tired and fell asleep still mumbling his mischievous plan to get back at the Romans.
Bedivere made sure that Keighley was comfortable and then fell asleep beside her, giving his own blanket to her.
The night went quickly and when they awoke, Bedivere felt he had only been asleep for a few minutes.
He saddled his horse as did everyone else and they moved on eating their poorly breakfast of bread and water on the way.
Keighley seemed quite content to just watch the scenery go by.
Bedivere rode alongside a boy named Gawain and they soon chatted friendlily about their homes.
Bedivere soon met Gawain's brother Gareth and the three were soon so engrossed in their conversation that they almost didn't realise they had stopped to pick up yet another two boys.
Argus had now reached his limit. He now led fifty Sarmatian boys, one girl and his soldiers towards the coast and he didn't exactly feel he had achieved much.
It took a lot to impress Argus; it even took a lot to impress himself. He was a hard going and very abrupt man.
The girl he had bought looked as though she would make a good maid to take with them. Argus had decided he would teach the girl the methods of healing so she could be of some use.
One night he took her aside and began by showing her how he treated a cut on one of the boys. She listened intently and nodded at almost every word from Argus.
Pretty soon they reached the coast where a ship was docked waiting for them.
They set up camp on the beach and few of the boys played in the ocean while the others tried to sleep. But most of them were either excited about sailing or they were just too depressed about leaving home to do anything.
The next chappy will be short and sweet and then after it will automatically be in Briton because a long chapter about sailing is just plain boring.
R & R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PLZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11