Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing.
Chapter Five The riders rode hard the first day all through Woad territory without incident of course. Reluctantly, Arcadia decided to stop to set up camp just as the sun was dropping beyond the horizon. Mila and Galahad got a small campfire going while Dameon and Arcadia got the horses settled in and comfortable. Lancelot and Guinevere went to scout ahead to check for anything unusual. As the two started out they seemed very quiet. When they were finally out of earshot of the camp Guinevere spoke up. "You do recognize her, don't you?" She looked over at Lancelot.
Lancelot looked over at her but then turned back forward. "Vaguely! There are bits and pieces but rarely are they ever clear enough to understand." They said nothing else until they were headed back to the camp.
"The reason you recognize her..." Guinevere paused to look over at Lancelot. He turned to as well when he heard her voice. "...is because she saved your life." Guin smirked at the confused expression on his face before galloping over to the camp.
Lancelot stopped his horse as Guinevere took off. Did she mean Arcadia was really there? She's the blurred figure he'd seen in his dreams so many times before? He shaked his head to clear his mind, before galloping after her. When he showed up everyone had gathered around the campfire talking and eating. As he unsaddled his horse he looked over when he heard someone laugh. He watched as Galahad whispered something in Arcadia's ear. She pushed him playfully as she laughed. He frowned at the scene before turning back to his horse. He was surprised to feel his stomach knot in jealousy. He finished settling his horse in for the night as he mentally smacked him self for feeling such things. He had nothing to feel jealous about. He walked over and joined everyone by the fire.
"Why the serious look, Lancelot?" Gawain asked his friend slapping him on the back as he sat down. Everyone stopped when they heard Gawain. It was a rare to find seriousness on Lancelot's face.
Lancelot looked up as everyone became quiet and looked over at him. He locked gazes with Guinevere for a moment before looking at Arcadia then to Gawain. "Just thinking!" He shrugged as he began to eat. Everyone went back to what they were going, except for Arcadia.
Arcadia, being the observant person she is, happened to notice the exchanged gazes between Guin and Lancelot and then to her. Locking gazes with Lancelot for that split second gave her an idea of what might have gone on when they went scouting.
"What happened?" She asked loudly, looking at Guin then at Lancelot. Once again it became quiet and a determined look came to Arcadias face.
"Why do you think something happened?" Guin gave her friend a confused look.
"BULLSHIT! Lancelot is not that hard to read." Arcadia stated. She watched Guin raise her eyebrows.
Arcadia sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm waiting."
"Nothing happened. We don't know what you're talking about?" Lancelot once more went back to eating.
"No, I believe something did happen. I'll find out sooner or later. One of you will slip up."
It took a good two and a half weeks to get close to the outskirts Ergyng. They had yet to meet any Saxons but were expecting the worst. As they were making their way through the large expanse of woods the horses started to become restless.
Arcadia began to lightly stroke her horse's neck as he reared up on his hind legs. Arcadia kept a firm grip on the reigns as the horse once more reared. When she had finally gotten Arcadicus to calm down she watched the woods around her.
"What is it?" Mila walked her horse up next to Arcadia's. Everyone was watching the woods around him or her. They all felt as if someone or something was watching. Cicero, who the whole time had been in Arcadia's bag where he felt it was most safe, finally poked his head out to see what was going on. When he noticed the calmness around him he jumped up onto Arcadia's shoulder.
Surprised by the sudden weight on her shoulder, Arcadia looked over at the monkey. "Where have you been hiding, scardy cat?"
The monkey gave her a small smile before wrapping his tiny arms around her head. Arcadia sighed and moved the small hands up to her forehead so they were not covering her eyes. Her horse snorted loudly when the sound of a twig braking echoed amongst the trees. Arcadia drew one of her short swords on her back as she swiftly climbed off her horse. Cicero once more took shelter in her bag. She slowly walked forwards before she heard another twig snap. She paused and turned when she heard her companions get out their weapons.
"Don't!" She mouthed to them. They all looked at her like she was insane. She rolled her eyes before turning back. Mila got off her horses to stand beside her.
"I think you know who it is." Mila said with a smile. "They'd be able to smell you a country away." She exaggerated.
Arcadia laughed slightly at her friend. They turned to watch two gray wolves run towards them along with two small boys, one being 4 and the other 6. Arcadia fell to the ground as the two wolves tackled her. She heard the faint voice of Mila telling Guin and the three knights to put back their weapons. She continued to playfully wrestle with the animals before sitting up on her knees to look at her two younger brothers.
"What are you two doing out here alone? You were supposed to stay with Alexis." A serious expression came to Arcadia's face as she looked at them. A pout came to their innocent faces before Arcadia opened her arms for them. They gratefully went into them with wide grins. "Alexis is not going to be very happy when she finds out?" The two younger boys stepped away to look at their sister.
"Please don't tell, Cadia." Daniel, the oldest, pouted. He wore a pair of brown slacks and a white shirt and his dark brown hair was ruffled from playing. "Karr and Skinny were with us." He said referring to the two wolves, which continued to try and jump on top of Arcadia in excitement of her arrival and their playfulness.
"You know what I told you before I left." Arcadia rose to her full height.
"Yes." The two boys said sadly in unison.
"We better get you two back." Arcadia walked Daniel over to Mila's horse and after she had climbed on sat him in front of her for the ride back. She then lifted Gabriel up seating him in her own saddle and climbing on behind him. Karr and Skinny ran on ahead as the group continued the short distance to the small village. Arcadia was surprised that they had not crossed any Saxons yet and she called Brakin up beside her. "Where are they?"
"They come and go. They don't show themselves until right before they attack. They have become less bold when they are few. I believe they must be taking shelter in these very woods but they are scattered about." Brakin explained.
Arcadia nodded then looked forward again at the village they were getting closer to. Once they had passed between the large wooden doors leading into the village a stable master was ready to take their horses to the stables.
Chapter Five The riders rode hard the first day all through Woad territory without incident of course. Reluctantly, Arcadia decided to stop to set up camp just as the sun was dropping beyond the horizon. Mila and Galahad got a small campfire going while Dameon and Arcadia got the horses settled in and comfortable. Lancelot and Guinevere went to scout ahead to check for anything unusual. As the two started out they seemed very quiet. When they were finally out of earshot of the camp Guinevere spoke up. "You do recognize her, don't you?" She looked over at Lancelot.
Lancelot looked over at her but then turned back forward. "Vaguely! There are bits and pieces but rarely are they ever clear enough to understand." They said nothing else until they were headed back to the camp.
"The reason you recognize her..." Guinevere paused to look over at Lancelot. He turned to as well when he heard her voice. "...is because she saved your life." Guin smirked at the confused expression on his face before galloping over to the camp.
Lancelot stopped his horse as Guinevere took off. Did she mean Arcadia was really there? She's the blurred figure he'd seen in his dreams so many times before? He shaked his head to clear his mind, before galloping after her. When he showed up everyone had gathered around the campfire talking and eating. As he unsaddled his horse he looked over when he heard someone laugh. He watched as Galahad whispered something in Arcadia's ear. She pushed him playfully as she laughed. He frowned at the scene before turning back to his horse. He was surprised to feel his stomach knot in jealousy. He finished settling his horse in for the night as he mentally smacked him self for feeling such things. He had nothing to feel jealous about. He walked over and joined everyone by the fire.
"Why the serious look, Lancelot?" Gawain asked his friend slapping him on the back as he sat down. Everyone stopped when they heard Gawain. It was a rare to find seriousness on Lancelot's face.
Lancelot looked up as everyone became quiet and looked over at him. He locked gazes with Guinevere for a moment before looking at Arcadia then to Gawain. "Just thinking!" He shrugged as he began to eat. Everyone went back to what they were going, except for Arcadia.
Arcadia, being the observant person she is, happened to notice the exchanged gazes between Guin and Lancelot and then to her. Locking gazes with Lancelot for that split second gave her an idea of what might have gone on when they went scouting.
"What happened?" She asked loudly, looking at Guin then at Lancelot. Once again it became quiet and a determined look came to Arcadias face.
"Why do you think something happened?" Guin gave her friend a confused look.
"BULLSHIT! Lancelot is not that hard to read." Arcadia stated. She watched Guin raise her eyebrows.
Arcadia sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm waiting."
"Nothing happened. We don't know what you're talking about?" Lancelot once more went back to eating.
"No, I believe something did happen. I'll find out sooner or later. One of you will slip up."
It took a good two and a half weeks to get close to the outskirts Ergyng. They had yet to meet any Saxons but were expecting the worst. As they were making their way through the large expanse of woods the horses started to become restless.
Arcadia began to lightly stroke her horse's neck as he reared up on his hind legs. Arcadia kept a firm grip on the reigns as the horse once more reared. When she had finally gotten Arcadicus to calm down she watched the woods around her.
"What is it?" Mila walked her horse up next to Arcadia's. Everyone was watching the woods around him or her. They all felt as if someone or something was watching. Cicero, who the whole time had been in Arcadia's bag where he felt it was most safe, finally poked his head out to see what was going on. When he noticed the calmness around him he jumped up onto Arcadia's shoulder.
Surprised by the sudden weight on her shoulder, Arcadia looked over at the monkey. "Where have you been hiding, scardy cat?"
The monkey gave her a small smile before wrapping his tiny arms around her head. Arcadia sighed and moved the small hands up to her forehead so they were not covering her eyes. Her horse snorted loudly when the sound of a twig braking echoed amongst the trees. Arcadia drew one of her short swords on her back as she swiftly climbed off her horse. Cicero once more took shelter in her bag. She slowly walked forwards before she heard another twig snap. She paused and turned when she heard her companions get out their weapons.
"Don't!" She mouthed to them. They all looked at her like she was insane. She rolled her eyes before turning back. Mila got off her horses to stand beside her.
"I think you know who it is." Mila said with a smile. "They'd be able to smell you a country away." She exaggerated.
Arcadia laughed slightly at her friend. They turned to watch two gray wolves run towards them along with two small boys, one being 4 and the other 6. Arcadia fell to the ground as the two wolves tackled her. She heard the faint voice of Mila telling Guin and the three knights to put back their weapons. She continued to playfully wrestle with the animals before sitting up on her knees to look at her two younger brothers.
"What are you two doing out here alone? You were supposed to stay with Alexis." A serious expression came to Arcadia's face as she looked at them. A pout came to their innocent faces before Arcadia opened her arms for them. They gratefully went into them with wide grins. "Alexis is not going to be very happy when she finds out?" The two younger boys stepped away to look at their sister.
"Please don't tell, Cadia." Daniel, the oldest, pouted. He wore a pair of brown slacks and a white shirt and his dark brown hair was ruffled from playing. "Karr and Skinny were with us." He said referring to the two wolves, which continued to try and jump on top of Arcadia in excitement of her arrival and their playfulness.
"You know what I told you before I left." Arcadia rose to her full height.
"Yes." The two boys said sadly in unison.
"We better get you two back." Arcadia walked Daniel over to Mila's horse and after she had climbed on sat him in front of her for the ride back. She then lifted Gabriel up seating him in her own saddle and climbing on behind him. Karr and Skinny ran on ahead as the group continued the short distance to the small village. Arcadia was surprised that they had not crossed any Saxons yet and she called Brakin up beside her. "Where are they?"
"They come and go. They don't show themselves until right before they attack. They have become less bold when they are few. I believe they must be taking shelter in these very woods but they are scattered about." Brakin explained.
Arcadia nodded then looked forward again at the village they were getting closer to. Once they had passed between the large wooden doors leading into the village a stable master was ready to take their horses to the stables.