Chapter 6

After Arcadia had helped Gabriel off her horse she grabbed her bag and made her way up to the small fortress. She took no notice of her surroundings as she made her way up the stone staircase. The fortress was no bigger then a large house. Honeysickle vines crept up along its wall looking as if they were engulfing the stone. At places the stone was crumbling from its old age and the past battles that had taken place. The sorry excuse for steps leading up to the main hall were half gone.

Arcadia made her way up these stairs. She could hear her traveling companions climbing off their own horses and grabbing their own belongings. Arcadia's two younger brothers, along with Brakin, ran off in search of Alexis and their other brother's and sister's to tell them of the good news of her return. Karr and Skinny had stayed outside the village where they spent most of their time. A village was no place for a wolf, or two for that matter, to be locked up in. They had yet to notice the smirk on the faces of the two guards following closely behind. Guin, Mila, Dameon, and the three knights made a move to follow Arcadia just as she reached the top of the stairs but were immediately surrounded by Saxon guards. They were all taken completely by surprise, dropping their belongings and raising their weapons ready for an attack.

Arcadia had made it more then half way into the main hall and was unable to here Mila's cry of warning. What she found when she looked up made her pause. Sitting on the small throne was the devil's son himself... Cyric, with a dozen Saxon bodyguards on either side of him, their swords ready for a fight. Cedric's last living and youngest son smiled down at Arcadia's shocked expression.

Arcadia turned and ran back to the top of the staircase to see her friends surrounded by two dozen Saxon guards. The three knights along with Guin, Mila, and Dameon had their weapons drawn. Arcadia looked at her friends with shock and terror clouding her vision. Why hadn't she seen this coming? She knew it was odd that they had no trouble getting here. She locked gazes with Dameon. Both of them were scared to death of what might have happened to their family.

"Go Arcadia!" Dameon yelled to her. She hesitated not wanting to leave their sides. She looked over at Lancelot catching his gaze. She had become rather close with him and knew how much he wanted to see his homeland once again. She looked over at Galahad and Gawain as well and knew they too felt the same. She couldn't let anything happen to them. Then there was Guinevere. She had just been married and she had a wonderful husband waiting back at the wall for her return. "Go, you idiot!" Dameon yelled in a fierce voice thinking that Arcadia had not heard him.

Arcadia did not hesitate this time as she ran down the stone steps dodging two Saxons along the way. She ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. She was able to loose the two Saxons around a corner but then another two got on her tail. She continued to move closer to the house only to come to an abrupt stop a few feet away. The flames reached for the sky like impatient hands reaching to grab the heavens. She watched in horrer as the roof finally collapsed in a flurry of bright red and orange sparks.

Arcadia became paralyzed with shock as she fell to her knees and hit her fists against the ground. She screamed in frustration along with the feeling of pain running up her arms and through her bones. It felt as if her heart had just been snatched from her chest and thrown to the ground to be trampled on by stomping feet. She struggled to pull air into her lungs. She fell forward when she was kicked hard from behind. She rolled over onto her back to meet the gaze of her attacker. Two Saxons stood above her with grins on their faces. They jerked her to her feet by her hair before pushing her forward to head back to the fortress.

The Saxons surrounding the small group of six continued to keep them boxed in so they could not escape. They made no move to attack them but their bloodthirsty expressions showed how hard they were trying to hold back from a good fight.

Cyric walked half way down the steps so he could remain a bit above everyone else to clearly see the scene at the bottom of the steps. His bodyguards followed closely behind, stopping behind their leader.

Mila was the first to catch sight of Arcadia and the two Saxons who were leading her towards them. "Arcadia!" Mila yelled to get her friends attention. Her face remained downcast, starring emotionless at the ground. This did not stop her companions from seeing her ghostly pale face. The Saxons walked her up to stand at the bottom of the steps.

"Something's happened!" Galahad hadn't known Arcadia long but he knew she hardly ever gave up on a good fight.

"Your right! Since when does Arcadia give in so easily." Gawain said also noting this strange action.

"She doesn't!" Lancelot said quietly.

Dameon dropped his arm when he saw that Arcadia had given in, but he kept his hand firmly on his swords hilt just in case she changed her mind. Seeing this the others dropped their arms but kept a firm grip on their own weapons. The villagers had scurried back to their homes in terror. One home had already gone up in flames, they wished to stay out of the Saxons way not wanting their's to be the next.

Arcadia looked up at Cyric. He anger grew strong when she saw the smirk on his face, causing the color to return to her face. She did not move as she starred straight into his eyes. The Saxon's grip on her arms had slackened and she took advantage of this precious opportunity. They had not noticed the dagger that still hung from the scabbard on her hip.

"You're a shit!" She screamed at Cyric before lunging at him snatching the dagger from its place and holding it up to strike him.

Cyric stepped back as his guards moved in front of him to block her blow. Arcadia was able to slash one across the face. She ducked anothers blow before stabbing him in the gut and twisting the dagger in a semicircle. There were still too many. Another jumped her from the back and held her arm as another kicked the dagger from her grasp. She was thrown down hard upon the stone steps, crying out in pain. She watched dazed as the Saxon brought his dagger down towards her neck. She grabbed a hold of the mans hand barely stopping the tip from puncturing the skin.

One of the Saxons standing in front of Mila made a move forward to attack and Mila made a swipe at him with her sword grazing his arm. He growled in rage and made to attack again but Dameon interjected slicing the mans arm from his shoulder in one swift stroke of his sword. The man fell to his knees screaming in agony before falling to the ground completely. The rest of the Saxons, at the sight of a fellow man become mutilated, charged at them with weapons held high ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Arcadia continued to struggled with the Saxon who was now straddling her. She could hear the fight in the background between her companions and their fierce opponents. The clashing of swords and the sound of flesh being sliced into echoed through the air around them. Her strength was dwindling and she could now feel the steel tip of the dagger slicing into her skin. She cried out as it was lodged deeper under her collerbone.

After slicing off his opponents head, Lancelot looked over to Arcadia when he heard her cry. He raced over slicing through yet another Saxon on his way. He kicked the man off of her stabbing him through with one of his swords.

Arcadia let out a soft moan when she felt the metal being pulled out. She looked down at the wound. It didn't look too deep but there was a steady stream of blood flowing out. She put her hand tightly over it to add pressure as Lancelot helped her to her feet.

"You ok?" He saw the blood streaming onto her shirt.

"I'm fine!" She gave him a small smile. Lancelot reached under his armor and ripped a long piece of cloth from the bottom of his shirt and handed it to her. She thanked him before replacing her hand with the cloth. She looked around her at the scene. Right many Saxons had been killed but then more seemed to appear just as she thought they would come out to be the victors.

"Stop!" Cyric motioned with his hand for his men to stop attacking. "I do not want them died yet, you idiots!" He continued. He looked back down at Arcadia. "You are out numbered. I suggest you surrender." He walked down the remaining steps to stand a few feet in front of her. Lancelot stepped sideways so that he was partially blocking Cyric's view of Arcadia. She looked down at the ground then up at her companions. She gave them a slight nod before they replaced their weapons. What else was she suppose to do? They were out numbered. It would only end with all their lives.

A smirk came to Cyric's face. "Good! At least we understand each other." He said as Lancelot replaced his own two swords.

"Hardly!" Arcadia replied with a mock smile looking back up at her enemy.

The remaining Saxon's grabbed hold of their prisoners. Arcadia watched as they had their hands bound then were pushed to their knees. One made a move towards Lancelot but he swiftly punched the man in the face relishing in the fact that he felt bones breaking under his knuckles.

Cyric quickly brought his sword to Lancelot's throat holding it there firmly urging Lancelot to see what would happen if he made another move.

Arcadia walked around Lancelot and pushed him backward to get him away from the swords sharp tip. "It is me you want. Do not harm them."

Cyric seemed to consider this for a moment then burst out laughing. "Take them to the dungeons!" He yelled to his men. "Make sure they are ALL securely chained." He never took his gaze away from Arcadia's. One Saxon made a move for Arcadia but Cyric stopped him. "I will take care of this one." Once again that smirk came to his face as he grabbed hold of Arcadia's arm.

"Arcadia!" Both Lancelot and Dameon yelled as they were dragged away towards the dungeons. Arcadia looked back at them before looking at Guin and Mila who could only give her an expression dripping with grief and sadness that they were being separated.