I've made my decision concerning the pairing. Akira will be paired with... but if I told you that there'd be no point you reading the fic. You'll find out sooner or later. Teehee.

Reviews :

Taurus 07 : All of my fics are Suish. I didn't like King Arthur that much the first time round either, but I liked it a lot the second time. I think it was coz when I first saw it, I was expecting the same usual mythical stuff, and instead I got a historical take on it.

Elfvamp1-13-97 : Couldn't agree more!

Knightmaiden : Keep reading and you'll find out!

Chapter 3

Tristan watched Akira closely over the evening. He could see the same mask on her face as he had so often worn himself. Emotionless. Not quite as detached as him himself, but there nonetheless. She laughed with the men, but the laughter never seemed to entirely quell the look of wariness that haunted her eyes perpetually.

He looked over to where she was watching the usual contest of knife throwing between Gawain and Galahad. As he watched, Bors' eldest son ran out from behind his mother towards Akira.

"Kira!" She turned to look at him, a genuine smile illuminating her features.

"Hi Gilly."

The boy got straight down to business. "Last time you were here you promised you'd teach me how to throw a knife properly."

"Well, I don't know... I think one of the knights should teach you... Galahad perhaps?" She grinned as he missed the target entirely. "Maybe not."

"I want you to teach me! You're even better than Tristan!"

"Oh really?" Akira turned in her seat to look at the scout. "I can't say it's surprising. He's probably much better than me with any other weapon."

Tristan got to his feet, walked over to just behind where she was sitting and without any warning threw his knife at the target. It hit exactly in the center. Akira grinned, removed a knife from her belt and threw it almost lazily. It landed in the butt of Tristan's. Gilly grinned.

"How do you do that?" he asked.

Akira grinned back at him, before shifting her gaze to Tristan. "I aim for the middle."

Gawain frowned. "That's what Tristan always says."

"You forget that my brother told me about you."

Gilly eyed her disparagingly. "You're trying to get out of teaching me, aren't you?"

"For as long as possible." She grinned again. "Alright, come here."

She pulled her knife and threw Tristan's back at him. He caught it with no apparent difficulty. She looked at him with a grudging respect then turned back to Gilly, pulling another knife out of her belt.

"Alright, first things first, you need to know how to hold it. I find it easier to hold it by the blade to throw it. Take the tip in between your forefinger and thumb. Don't let it sway... And throw it."

He did as she said. The knife hit barely an inch from the center. Galahad whistled. Akira smiled.

"That's quite good for a beginner. You'd make a good assassin."

Her words caused instant uproar from Bors. He only quieted down when Vanora came back over to them.

"So are you going to dance or not?" she asked. Akira considered for a second, then smiled. "Why not?"

She made her way to the middle of the room while Vanora brought out an old wooden flute. Akira raised her eyebrows. "That thing had better be in tune, Van."

All eyes in the suddenly silent tavern were now focused on Akira.

Vanora started playing. Akira raised her hands above her head. She began her dance slowly, then moved faster and faster with the music. Her feet flickered in the intricate steps of her dance, and her arms wove patterns in the air.

Tristan felt himself stop breathing. Next to him, Lancelot's jaw was hanging open and Galahad's face was growing redder by the second. Dagonet and Bors watched with an amused but admiring detachment. Gawain was eyeing her appreciatively.

Akira whirled on the spot, stopping abruptly, then sinking back into the cadence of the music, which grew steadily slower, then stopped entirely. The tavern exploded with cheers. The knights were slower to react. Akira made her way back over to them.

"You can shut your mouth now." She smirked slightly at Lancelot.

Please review, but the first person who tells me flutes didn't exist then will be summarily executed. Without a trial.

Carline