Thanks to Elfvamp1-13-97 (as usual), Celosia, KnightMaiden and Morwen12 for their reviews, I can't actually believe how well I'm doing with this fic. Only 5 chapters too...

Chapter 5

They had ridden for the entire day. Akira was starting to feel a little drowsy when they entered the woods, but she shook herself back awake almost immediately. The Woads may have liked her, but she wasn't sure whether their courtesy would extend to the knights as well. Somehow she doubted it.

Arthur had drawn to a halt up ahead.

"Woads. They're tracking us." Tristan stated it so matter-of-factly that she began to suspect he was suicidal.

Arthur wasn't nearly as self-controlled. "Where?"

"Everywhere."

Akira nudged her horse to stand next to Arthur, drawing her bow as she did so. "What now?"

"We continue."

An arrow buzzed past just in front of him, drawing some barbed wire behind it. Akira plunged off in another direction, hearing the knights follow her as she did.

After a few minutes of milling around in the dark, the knights and Akira were forced into a clearing. She sighed. She had tried to avoid this. Arthur was so close to trusting her.

She turned to the knights. "Put down your weapons." They stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. "Put them down or we're all dead."

She turned to face the nearest Woad, speaking in his language to make sure he understood. "You, go find Merlin. Tell him Akira needs to see him." The Woad didn't move. "Move! Now!"

He turned and ran off into the woods. She looked at the bowmen in the trees. "Put your bows down or suffer the displeasure of Merlin." She heard several clatters as they complied.

She suddenly found a sword point at her throat. Excalibur. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Arthur asked angrily.

"I'm trying to get us out of this mess alive." The sword was suddenly guided away from her throat by a staff.

"Akira. We have not seen you for several years." Merlin smiled slightly.

"Duty, my friend. Although maybe I was right to stay away if this is the welcome I get when I do come back."

"Your companions have spilt Woad blood. Their lives are forfeit."

"You remember that time I saved your life, Merlin?"

"Yes."

"You said then that you owed me a favor. I think now would be a good time to call it in."

"I cannot allow that."

"In that case we'll do it the hard way." She turned to the knights. "Arm yourselves."

Tristan smiled. She was playing a very dangerous game.

"Well, Merlin? I'm fairly certain that my friends and I can take down a good number of your men before we die. I don't think you'll lose more than fifty or so, even we have our limits. How many men do you have?"

"Enough."

"Merlin, my point is that you have a choice. Either you order your men to attack and we slaughter your people, or you let us pass and we avoid unnecessary bloodshed. I'll let you decide."

Merlin frowned. "I knew I should have had you killed before you grew to be too great a threat to us."

"A foolish mistake, indeed."

"I have already lost my daughter. I do not wish to lose another friend. You may pass."

"Thank you... old friend."

She motioned to Arthur to lead, bringing up the rear as they continued their journey.

Arthur was having trouble keeping himself under control.

"Arthur, it's quite simple. I didn't want to have to fight them, so I talked our way out of it. More to the point, it avoided losing any of your knights."

"The Woads are savages! They care for no-one but their own!" Arthur practically screamed at her.

"That's a Roman prejudice. I've spent a good deal of time with the Woads. I know most of the influential people in their community. I even know Merlin's daughter. We're quite good friends. They're simple, unpretentious, and they have absolutely no scruples. I fit in rather well." She considered him for a moment. "Why do you hate Woads so much?"

"It doesn't concern you."

"Arthur, please. Whatever they did to you, surely it's better not to have to fight your way every single time? Save it for the Saxons, because I don't know them very well, so I'm afraid I won't be able to talk my way out of that one."

The knights laughed. Arthur relaxed slightly.

"I need to get an idea of how well you fight, though."

Galahad grinned. "I'm sure Akira could persuade some of the more boisterous Woads to come back if you like." Akira fixed him with a steely stare. "Or maybe not?"

Lancelot stood up. "I'll fight you, my lady."

Akira sighed. "You're going to insist, I take it?"She asked Arthur.He nodded.

"Ah well." she said gloomily.

"How about we lay a bet on the outcome of the fight?" Lancelot suggested, his smirk growing more pronounced by the second.

Akira eyed him distrustfully. "What stakes?"

And I think I'll leave it there for today. What stakes is Lancelot going to suggest? You can probably guess. Please leave a review on the way out.

Carline