Chapter 4

They rode like that for hours, making up for the lost time. When the Roman Estate came into view, she felt hopeful. The villagers were crowding around the Estate, her brother, and his Knights at the gates of the home. They were safe!

"Arthur!" she called as she rode up to them.

Turning to the woman calling for their Commander, a voice that should not be there, the Knights looked on in fear, awe, and complete terror. Their Commander, however, was likely terrified seeing she was there as he turned and watched her riding upon her horse with a Roman officer, who looked like he'd gone through Hell.

Arthur felt his stomach hit the ground as he watched his sister rid up to them. "Arwen?" He swore he'd growled her name as he marched her way, reaching her, he yanked her off her horse and shuffled her around to his men who had also dismounted to go inside to get food. "What in God's name are you doing here!" He demanded.

"She came to warn you, Commander," the Roman said as he dismounted, approaching Arwen's horse, and removed the scroll to hand to the Great Commander. He had his own agenda that no one had known about. Not even the Bishop had known his origins. No one would remember. Maybe one, but even he would likely not recall him. "I am sorry, but, I wish to have a word with you in private, sir." He told Arthur as the Commander unwrapped the leather protection of the scroll and read Germanus's message to Rome.

Infuriated, Arthur took a breath and looked at the man, "Come with me." He said coldly, "And you," Arthur growled lowly as he turned his green eyes to his sister, "Inside. Now." He told her. He'd been about to walk inside when he saw a man in the distance strung up in chains and in the cold, his back bloody and blistered, scabbed, and infected. He'd been there for some time. Anger burned him deeper like a dragon had breathed its fire of hell through his veins and insides. It hadn't helped any that a man had suddenly chased after him.

"You're famous. You're Arthur, aren't you? I'm Ganis. I'm a good fighter and I'm smart. I'd serve you proudly." The man said rushing after Arthur. The Knights and Arwen moved to follow behind them as Arthur made his way to the beaten man strung up in the cold.

"Who is this man?" Arthur growled lowly. He was angry. Very angry over so many things and on so many levels.

Arwen watched with worry as a man grabbed Bors's arm, "Are you from Rome?" He asked with a foolish tone of hope.

"From hell." Bors answered crudely to the man, and the village man quickly stepped away from him.

"Sir?" Ganis asked, almost confused until he saw where Arthur was heading, "Oh-"

"Who is this man?" Arthur demanded, his angry demand now fully heard.

"He's our village elder," Ganis told him with a slight bow of fear at the Roman Commander's anger.

"What is this punishment for? Answer me!" Arthur shouted. This is outrageous! Cruel and unreasonably ruthless.

"He defied our master, Marius. Most of the food we grow is sent out by sea to be sold. He asked that we keep a little more for ourselves, that's all. My arse has been snappin' at the grass I'm so hungry! You're from Rome. Is it true that Marius is a spokesman for God, and that it's a sin to defy him?" Ganis asked Arthur, wanting it to be true to justify their hunger and their cruel treatment. But truly, he also wanted it to be a lie.

Arwen closed her eyes as the man spoke to her brother, asking what he had about their Master being 'of God'. Once more she felt shame in the half of her that shared Roman blood. Her father would be appalled by this. She hoped. She had been nothing but a little babe growing in her mother's womb when her father had been killed. They hadn't even known her mother had been pregnant until she'd been seen by the Physicians. Opening her brown eyes, she stepped toward her brother from the crowd as he looked at the people starving, their poor and nasty conditions were truly appalling it made them all gage. You could smell the stench coming up the mountain in the winter. She didn't even want to know what it smelled of in the Summer. Sharing a look with her brother, Arwen carefully, and softly, nodded her head to him. Giving her agreement that she would follow him into this as well as out the other side.

Nodding in return to his sister, Arthur took a deep breath for the courage he would need for the consequences of what he'd be doing upon returning to the Wall. "I tell you now. Marius is not of God. And you, all of you, were free from your first breath!" Arthur shouted to them all. His eyes made eye contact with his Knights. It was then they realized that he'd been burning this angry for some time. Now, he had finally snapped. And it made them worry as to what that scroll had read.

They all watched as both siblings swung their swords at the iron chains in syn and both cut through the metal irons holding the old man captive. Arwen dropped to her knees as she caught the starved and boney man before he hit the cold and unforgiving earth to rest him down carefully then draped her cloak around him to give him some warmth.

"Help this man. Help him!" Arthur shouted, a few villagers jumped into action, making their way to the man and lifting him up to take him to get seen for his wounds and the possible frostbit he likely had. "Now hear me! A vast and terrible army is coming this way. They will show no mercy, spare no one. Those of you who are able should gather your things and begin to move south towards Hadrian's Wall. Those unable shall come with us. You," he said turning to Ganis, startling the poor man, "You serve me now. Get these people ready." He ordered. He saw a spark of light being awoken in the man's eyes that gave him a purpose. To live and fight for his lie, for his family, his people.

Nodding with a new fire of hope lighting in his chest, Ganis turned and began to usher people off to get the things they could take for travel and leave as quickly as possible. "Right, you heard him. You, go grab enough food and water for the journey. Let's get a hurry on, else we're all dead!"

Standing from the ground, Arwen felt the warmth of a fur cloak wrapping around her shoulders. Looking over her shoulder to who it could be, she smiled at Tristan, her hand came up, and took his hand into hers. "I am sorry," she told him.

Smiling his calm and charming smile, Tristan kissed the top of her head with loving intentions. "Why are you apologizing? You have done nothing wrong," he told her.

"I came, left the Wall-"

"To protect your brother, Arwen, there is nothing wrong with that." He told her.

"It was not just me she came to save, Tristan," Arthur said, approaching them both. While he still burned with anger, Arthur burned with the love and loyalty he had from his sister. Pulling her into his arms, he held her tightly. "He will demand your execution the moment you return to the Wall. What have you done, Arwen?" Arthur whispered sadly into her hair. He could not lose her as well.

Wrapping her arms around her brother, Arwen held her brother as close as she could as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'd rather die knowing my family was safe from betrayal from those who should have kept the loyalty you gave them with such shine." She told him. Her voice broke as her brother pulled her back from him and held her face in his hands, his thumbs wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "You all are all I have. If I had to, the Devil wouldn't have gotten past me." She whispered up to her brother.

Smiling, Arthur kissed the top of her head. "And so shall Rome have to go through Hell and a fortress of Dragons before they can have you."

All of them were confused about what was going on. But now they had a different fear. What the hell was going on? And why was Arthur saying Germanus would demand her death upon her return? "I don't understand," Tristan started, "What is going on Arthur?" He asked. His chest throbbed with fear as he looked at Arwen as she turned to look at him with tears in her eyes. "What have you done?" he asked her with confusion and fear.

"She betrayed the Bishop, as well as Rome. However, in her defense," Marcellus said walking up to them, "The Bishop had every intention of betraying all of you first. The message I handed to your Commander was a message written by Bishop Germanus, demanding, not requesting, the Execution of Arthur Castus's his Knights, but also a plan to permanently ensnare your clans into servitude under the Roman Empire or be slaughtered in the night. It also demands that Arthur be stripped of his rank and executed among you all. As traitors to Rome. Lady Arwen was ready and willing to fire upon the Camping Roman Soldiers who were sent out to deliver the message to Rome and bring the message to her brother and you Knights. They were stuck down before she could release her arrows. Either way, Rome has betrayed you all, and in return, she betrayed Rome." He answered their fearful curiosity. "That is why Arthur is so fearful for her. Germanus knew she'd hear him, knew she would betray them to save Arthur, therefore, sealing her own fate. So, she could tell no one of what he and Rome have done to you all as well as your people."

So, he knew then. Suddenly fearful of the Knights and Arthur knowing of all of what had been discovered back at the Wall, Arwen felt her lung tighten. "Marcellus, don't-"

"They deserve to know!" He snapped. "They were my people too,"

"What the bloody hell is goin' on?" Bors demanded.

"The Romans sacked three of the small villages of your clans a few weeks back. Germanus left the report open for her to see, to send her into a rage, and placed himself and me in the perfect place for her to come upon us and have her witness him hand me that message. I apologize, Lady Arwen, but I lied about who I was. Marcellus was one of the men that was killed in the group of soldiers the night the Woads caught me in the woods further back. My real name is Dindan. Three years after Rome came for you all, they came back, demanding the orphans be handed over. With no protection for themselves, they handed us over. We were sent to Rome and have been there ever since." Dindan explained.

The Knight shared a looked between themselves then looked to Arwen, Bors marched up to the young woman and grabbed her by the back of her head, wanting to look at her in a different light, and as he stared at her, he tried his best not to shed a tear of worry for her as his belly and chest ached with fear for her possible pending doom. He knew with that message being sent out that the fool of a Bishop had wanted them all out of the way. Pulling the young woman into a hug, Bors kissed the top of her head. It was something he hadn't done since she was young. But this was not for comfort for her, it was the comfort for himself, and in respect for what she had willingly sacrificed for them and saved them. Even this soldier had risked everything, his freedom, his career, his life. Stepping back from her, Bors turned to the man who'd disclosed who he was, he'd never met this man, never knew his name, but it was definite that at least one of the Knights, living or dead, must have known him. Nodding his head to the man, Bors walked back towards his horse as the rest of the Knights approached the young woman, kissing her cheek and hugging her. Not many women would do what she did for them. Hell, the only one to have stood up for them, against Rome on their behalf was Arthur. Because he had the authority. Had Arwen done that, she'd have been reprimanded. Or Arthur would have been forced to reprimand her, and Arthur was never harsh or forceful with his sister. He'd raised her well. Hell, they had all raised her pretty much, even Vanora had aided in her upbringing. Once Vanora had her children, Arwen had returned the favor in aiding the woman and supporting her when she needed help when Bors and the rest of them were away.

Looking at Tristan, Arthur nodded his head to the man, "Go, check our paths, we need to know where they are and how many," he said.

Nodding, Tristan walked around his Commander and pulled Arwen into his arms. Pressing his lips to the top of her head, "I will be back, stay here." He told her and headed for his horse.

Suddenly her chest felt a weight of fear as he slipped out from her arms and headed for "Wait, what?" Arwen asked, rushing after him. "What do you mean, you'll be back? Tristan-"

Turning to her, Tristan grabbed her face and pulled her against him, claiming her lips and kissing her deeply.

She could hardly breathe as Tristan's mouth came down over her lips, his tongue sliding into her mouth, his hands sliding back into her hair as he held her against him, her hands held onto his armor like a lifeline as she returned his kiss.

Smiling against her lips he'd finally taken claim of Tristan and pressed his brow to hers as he held her against him. That had to of been the best moment of his life. "Stay here, with your brother." He told her, kissing her brow, then buried his face into the crook of her neck and breathed as deeply and calmly as he could before stepping away from her, pulling himself up onto his horse, "I will be back." He said, and then he was gone.

Arwen had walked inside with her brother and stood at an open window and balcony for a while, looking out into the slowly dimming daylight after he'd left. Her lips still burned with the heat of his kiss and her heart pounded in her chest with fear for him.

He'd had enough of it, they all had. She'd stood there for a while too long. Refused to eat and refused any drink. Even Marius's wife had been unsuccessful with her soft and polite pleadings for her to sit and fill her belly. While the men had sighed and watched her carefully for a short time, Galahad walked to her side, and took her still-wrapped hand into his, "Arwen, come sit and eat, he'll be fine." He said calmly.

"I don't want to move," she whispered. The cold wind gently brushed across her numb face as she stood near the large, opened window.

Sighing, Galahad looked over his shoulder to the men, Arthur was close to coming over himself. And that was not going to be a good thing. "Arwen, you're keeping the home cold, everyone inside is freezing," Galahad told her. When she hadn't moved, he did, moving to the large windows and the double shutters from the balcony and closing them, latching the shutters closed to keep the cold air outside as much as possible. Then, he turned to her and grabbed her arm, forcing her back to the cushions, and sat beside her. He'd even handed her some meat and a small cup of wine.

When she sighed and simply held onto the meat and drink, sitting on the cushions in silence, Dagonet had taken it on himself to do something when he knelt in front of her, took the meat from her hand and set the wine aside, and gently grabbed the back of her neck, forcing her to look at him. "Arwen," he started, his cold, bright green eyes burning into her dark brown eyes, "If you do not eat something, I will make you." He told her, removing his hand from her neck, he placed an apple in her hand and then handed her the small cup of wine. "Eat," he said, re-taking his seat beside Bors. After that, she had taken a few bites from the apple and sipped lightly on the wine.

When all was done, they returned outside and started helping everyone get everything packed to leave. The Knights, Dindan, and Arwen helped the others finish getting the carts covered and fully loaded up.

"Come on, hurry," Ganis said, calling for the people to hurry.

He'd been gone for almost a day's time, the Army was getting close, he could feel them breathing down his neck. Tristan rode up, returning a few hours later, out of breath and with news for his comrades and Commander. "They have flanked us to the east. They're coming from the south, trying to cut off our escape. They'll be here before nightfall." He said out of breath.

Arthur could feel the Saxons breathing down his neck as it was, "How many?" he asked. Needing to know what to expect. Where to go. What the best and safest route would be for them all to travel.

"An entire army," Tristan answered, looking around all the village, looking at everyone rushing around and packing. His mind was running with concern and logical thinking. They'd never make it.

"And the only way out is to the south?" Arthur asked him, hoping he was correct, he really rather go through Woad territory, but as Tristan shook his head at him, Arthur swore he felt his stomach drop.

He shook his head to his Commander. He had debated this decision very carefully as he searched their paths and other options. "East. There is a trail heading east across the mountains. It means we have to cross behind Saxon lines, but that's the one we should take." He said, looking around at all the people hustling and packing carts and getting their horses and things to leave. They already had a line on the road to travel. But Tristan was honestly confused, he had not expected to be taking everyone with them. "Arthur, who are all these people?"

"They're coming with us," Arthur said plainly. Was it not obvious by them packing? He wondered if the Knights truly would have thought they'd leave all these people here to be murdered. The family was their main objective, yes, but were the others not also their priority to protect as well? Were their lives of no importance than that of the Roman nobles?

Looking at his commander, Tristan almost laughed at the man, then breathed a breath of coming demise. He saw it now. Their deaths. All of theirs. "Then we will never make it."

Arthur had sighed internally and been ready to say something to his friend and Comrade, however, their attention was drawn to the sudden sounds of War drums echoing off the mountaintops. The soldiers of the Roman Noble house began snapping and growling orders to two monks at the wall side of the house's entrance. It had them wondering why they were blocking it up. The moment the Saxons got here those bricks would do nothing for them. And if Arthur was correct, there had once been a door there. But these fools were hindering the packing by not helping themselves nor by letting the two people help in the packing. Instead, two were bricking up the wall and three soldiers were standing there, hands on swords snapping orders at them. "Come on, get back to work! Back to work!"

Dismounting his horse, Arthur drew his sword from his horse's saddle and made his way to them. It appeared these soldiers and that man needed a reminder that there could be no hold-ups. They were on a crunching time as it was. Raising his sword as the three soldiers approached him, he pointed his swords at them, "Move." He ordered them, there would be no room for discussion. This was an order. Not a request. "Move." He repeated, his anger boiling up from the depths of his belly. When they seemed to only back up and began to spread out around him, he was ready to kill them all. The sound of horse hooves came from behind him, he knew it was nothing to worry over, his Knights were always there. "Move!" He snapped. His eyes snapped over to the sound of a sword scratching against its sheath, but the sword that came to the closest soldier nearest him, the blade resting at the man's throat had him smirking at the long-haired curls of the brunette that forced the soldier to step a few steps back from him.

She'd seen him go to draw his sword from his belt, knowing that no one seemed to have noticed her approaching her brother on foot to tell him they were packed and ready to leave, her heart had frozen over at the sound of those drums hitting her ears. It was almost deafening for her really. Even as far from them as those drums were, she felt a block of ice sinking in her belly. However, her brother's sudden curiosity about the three Roman soldiers and the two monks had her curious now. But the moment the soldier nearest her brother moved to pull his sword free, she had acted, drawing her own sword and leveling her blade against the Soldier's throat and moving between him and Arthur. "That was not a request. Now, take that hand off your sword, or lose it." Arwen ordered. She'd be damned if this fool got a swing on her brother.

He couldn't help the smirk that ticked the corner of his mouth, but he quickly went back to his previous engagement of dealing with something. If he knew this man's cruelty, then there were likely people in there. "What is this?" he questioned, looking at the frightened Monk.

"You cannot go in there. No one goes in there. This place is forbidden." The monk said nervously.

Infuriated, Marius approached them with anger and in a tone of order and demand, "What are you doing? Stop this!" he ordered. Trying to appear he was still in command here. He would soon realize just how mistaken he was. He was silenced and his advancing to the work was hindered by a man on a black horse stopping him.

They had no time for this! Sighing, Lancelot looked around them to the mountains and the forestry, the Drums sounding again. They were getting closer. His brown eye snapped over to Arwen and he felt his chest tighten. What would they do to them if they were captured and killed? What would they do to Arwen? "Arthur, we have no time," Lancelot said with eagerness to leave now.

Feeling the fear and worry Lancelot was feeling, Galahad looked around them as well. They really needed to leave. Now. "Do you not hear the drums?"

She stood where she'd been, though she'd lowered her sword from the Soldier, knowing he was no threat. Yet. But they others were right. They had no time for this! "Arthur, Lancelot, and Galahad are right, we have no time," she said. Thinking that three times might be the charm. When she got nothing from him but a glare from over his shoulder, she wanted to groan at his persistence. But, he had his reasons, and if he were right, then there were likely people down there. And that did not sit well in her belly either. Sighing, she waved her hand at him, a silent sign that she surrendered to him and he could continue without judgment from her.

Approaching the freshly bricked wall, Arthur turned and looked to Dagonet upon his horse, if anyone could get this wall down in a matter of seconds, it was him, "Dagonet," and without question, the man was off his horse and grabbing his axe and swinging at the bricks, knocking them down in just a few blinks of his eyes. When the bricks were finally down and Dagonet had tried opening the door, kicking it even and it had not budged, Arthur turned to one of the soldiers. "Key." He ordered coldly.

"It is locked." He said, but when he got that scowl from the Commander, the Soldier closed his eyes with humiliation at how he'd said that. "From the inside." He corrected himself.

Turning back to Dagonet, Arthur nodded to the man and waited as he took a few tries at breaking down the door. When it was open, he turned to his sister and pointed at her, "Stay," he said and made his way into the depths of the door. "Gawain, Lancelot, with me and Dagonet,"

Grabbing the two monks nearest him, Gawain "You, you... go. Move!" he shouted and shoved the two monks forward. He and the others who had been taken from their home had been dealt a nasty, and rather insightful look at Priests of God from the Roman empire. He and many of the Knights despised them. For good reasons. But he never questioned Arthur's choice of religion. The man had been submerged into it from birth. And once you were born into a religion, it was your choice to keep it or walk away from it. And Arthur wished to keep his faith, and there was nothing wrong with that. It was the way others dealt the Religion onto others that mostly bothered him. It was why he and many of the other knights had left the man alone, Arthur had never pressured them with his Religion or his God.

"Gawain," Lancelot said, handing him a torch. And they made their way down, further into what they would have thought was close to Hell.

"Exaudi orationem meam. Exaudi orationem meam. In nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis et in virtute Spiritus Sancti." He'd been praying for the dead, for himself, to clean this place of the deeds and to mark it a holy one. But as the soldiers in armor that he'd never seen before came down the steps he'd become outraged, "Who are these defilers of the Lord's temple?" the Priest demanded with anger at the underground prison being entered in such a way. This was becoming a holy place and they were intruding!

"Out of the way," Lancelot said coldly, shoving past the filthy and stench-covered man. He was… Grose. Looking around at the dead, Lancelot huffed with disbelief and looked at Arthur, "The work of your god. Is this how he answers your prayers?" he asked with disgust and anger. But he saw the same thing in Arthur's eyes that they all felt. Disgust and anger. Yet, he said nothing.

Arthur glared at the man, his best friend, as he asked if this damnable torture was how God answered his prayers. The answer was no. This was not how God was meant to answer Prayers, this was the sick, and diluted torturing of people by equally sick-minded and twisted Christians. But he was not having that talk with Lancelot here and now. "See if there's any still alive." He ordered.

Losing what was left of himself as he watched these disrespectful men disrupt what they were supposed to be doing, he charged the man nearest him, wanting to stop him from looking any further, "How dare you set foot in this holy place?!" he raged, but he was struck by the surprise of his own at the sudden flood of burning pain that filled his stomach, then came the knowledge of his death as he sank to the floor.

He stepped back from the dead Priest as he fell to the floors of the temple he'd been trying to purify. Looking from the dead Priest to the man who'd killed his fellow member of God's Holy Order, he stared at the man's angry face, "There was a man of God." He said with shock,

"Not my god!" Lancelot snapped. Oh, how he wanted to run this one through as well.

"This one's dead," Arthur said with a sigh of regret. How long had these people been in here to die in such a way? Well, that was an obvious answer, clearly, they'd been in here for a while.

He frowned, the stench was repulsive, even to him, "By this smell, they are all dead." Turning to the remaining two monks, "And you. You even move, you join him." he said, making himself clear.

He'd lifted every grate he could see into, making sure they were dead, he even went as far as to see if they moved or had a pulse, but the last grate he lifted, he felt his heart drop as he found the child inside, a boy with a look of terror in his green eyes looking up at him. "Arthur!" he called, lifting the boy out from the stone holding and sat him upon the stone, when he fought the desire to flinch at him, Dagonet looked at him clearly, "You must not fear me." He said to the child. He was given nothing but silence from the child.

Looking over his shoulder as he and Lancelot stared into the last holding cell, the woman that turned to look at them, her eyes meeting Arthur's, the fear in her eyes as she shivered. Standing, he swung his sword at the chains holding it closed and the lock. He and Lancelot stood back from the cage door dropping at their feet and Arthur wrapped her up into his arms and carried her out with Dagonet behind him carrying the boy with the others behind them. "Water! Give me some water!" he called.

Hearing Arthur shouting for water, Horton and the Lord's wife, grabbed water skins and rushed to two men with people in their arms while Arwen grabbed blankets from the cart and made her way to them. He watched as Dagonet was gentle with the boy, helping him drink from the skin and catching any falling water from the boy's mouth. Looking the child over, he noticed something rather unsettling. "His arm is broken." He stated with shock and looked to the Knight, then around to the others, expecting to see others, but there were none, "And his family?" he asked with concern. Dagonet simply shook his head to him, answering the question silently. Horton's heart dropped.

Tristan looked at the woman carefully, it was obvious who she was, or at least, what tribe and clan she belonged to, looking at others on horseback he answered all of their silent curiosity. "She's a Woad," he said. Now they knew why the Woads may have been attacking them more frequently. The Romans were taking their people as well. And none of them had known of this happening.

Ignoring Tristan, Arthur helped the woman drink from the skin, when she almost choked he took the skin and set it aside, Lady Flucinia held the woman's head in her lap, and his sister dropped by them and wrapped the woman up in a blanket before moving to the boy being cared for by Dagonet and Horton, "I'm a Roman officer. You're safe now. You're safe." Arthur told her, he smiled a little when the woman looked at him with hope and thanks in her eyes. Free from the pain these people had done to her.

Infuriated, Marius charged through the crowd, "Stop what you are doing!"

Standing from beside Dagonet and Horton, Arwen stepped a few steps away from them with anger in her heart, "What is this madness?" she demanded,

Irritated with the woman for speaking to him, Marius huffed and ignored her.

"Answer her!" Arthur growled up at the man.

Huffing once again, Marius went ahead and gave the fool an answer, it should have been obvious! "They're all pagans here!" he ranted.

"So are we," Gawain said bluntly as he returned to his horse's saddle.

Shaking his head to the man, not giving a damn about them any longer, Marius returned his attention to Arthur, surely the man being a Christian would understand! "They refuse to do the task God has set for them! They must die as an example!" He said, trying to justify this cruelty towards other human beings.

This was outrageous! The insanity this man must be under! "You mean they refused to be your serfs!" Arthur snapped, standing from beside the woman to face the man. If he wanted to beat up innocent people, then why didn't he pick up a sword and call it exactly what this really was? Abuse. Cruelty. Murder. There was more he could add to that list, but for now, he'd stop.

Marius blinked back his confusion and his irritation with the man. The Devil was in his eyes! He swore it! But that had to be impossible. He must have been raised around Savages. But he had to assume he was a Roman Christian. Or had the fool allowed himself to become tainted? "You are a Roman. You understand!" He said with outrage at this behavior from a Roman, stating something they all knew, he'd heard the man speak of God, so he knew the man had to be a Christian. No Calvary of Roman would have been led by a non-Roman Christian! "And you are a Christian!" he said loudly, his head held high with his noble pride. But in a sudden burst of anger that they two had still been alive, that being a child and a woman. There had only been one answer to that case. His wife. Turning his anger from the Commander and the Knights surrounding him, the judgment he saw being dealt upon him by Pagans and this man who led them, most of all, the woman who seemed to have been left unruly in her youth was far out of line. But he could not punish her, that was not his right. Not at this moment. But for now, he needed to discipline his wife. "You! You kept her alive!" He roared with anger, swiftly backhanding her. He was not expecting the Commander to attack him. The pain that erupted through his chubby cheek had stung, but it had not dazed him enough. He'd once been a Soldier. He could take a hit. Maybe. But from the heated glare of promised death from the Commander, Marius found himself suddenly fearful as he looked up at the man and nearly pissed himself at the sword that was so close to his throat that Marius thought the Commander would truly run him through.

"My lord!" His Soldiers called for him, drawing their swords, in turn, Arthur's Knights drew their weapons, ready to kill them all. And himself. Knowing he needed his Soldiers if he were going to get his revenge for this, Marius quickly found his voice, "No! No, stop!" he ordered, with a sigh of relief that Arthur had not run him through, Marius looked over his shoulder to his Soldiers forcing themselves to stop in their advancement to help him. Turning a hard look to the sword still in his face, Marius sighed and glared up at Arthur, "When we get to the wall you will be punished for this heresy." He informed the man. Threatening him to know he was going to have them all punished for this.

Leaning down, Arthur grabbed the man by the front of his robes, "Then perhaps I should kill you now and seal my fate."

She could feel the fire burning from her brother. He was angry. Very, very angry. "Arthur," Arwen called for her brother with fear for his life. For his sanity. "We must leave," she said firmly.

Stepping forward with a heavy heart that he'd failed his charges, the Priest lowered his head, "I was willing to die with them. Yes, to lead them to their rightful place. It is God's wish that these sinners be sacrificed. Only then can their souls be saved." He said softly.

Arwen's eyes closed and she breathed a breath of doom. He had no idea what he'd just done by opening his mouth. Opening her eyes, she saw her brother looking at the Priest from over his shoulder then smiled. And it was a frightening smile. "Then I shall grant his wish," Arthur said calmly. Releasing Marius, he looked to Dagonet and the others, he breathed in and then released his breath, "Wall them back up."

Sighing, Tristan licked his dry lips with worry. The Saxons were getting closer by the minute! "Arthur-"

"I said wall them up!" He shouted with rage.

In shock and completely fearful for his life now, the Priest looked around the gathering of people that were beginning to charge toward him and the other Priest beside him, "Don't you see it is the will of God that these sinners be sacrificed- Unhand me, devils... They're sinners!" he shouted, struggling against the group of villagers shoving him and the other Priest who was weeping and pleading to not have this done to him as they were shoved back down into the Prison, the door was pulled back up and the stones returned to their placement quickly.

She watched her brother with a heavy heart as he approached her, his green eyes were cold and distant. He was slowly losing something in him today. Something that she knew had meant the world to him. His Faith was slowly slipping out of his reach.

Looking into his sister's dark brown eyes as she looked up at him, her eyes shining with an innocence he was so glad she still had in her. Slipping his hand to the back of her neck, Arthur pulled her into his arms as he watched over her head the door being rebricked up with hast. Kissing the top of her head, Arthur pulled himself back to the problem at hand, their time was running out to run from the Saxons. Or they'd have to fight. "Let's go, quickly. We've lost too much time in this event as it is. Put the woman and the boy in the cart, the ill and weak will ride there as well, Dagonet, ride with them." He ordered and lifted the Woad woman up into his arms and placed her safely in the cart himself. Turning he looked to Marius grabbing his wife and forcing her up onto her feet with brutality, his sister quickly intervening and escorting the clearly frightened woman to the cart and helping her into the back of the cart.

Dagonet held the boy out for Flucinia, and she took the boy without a peep and without complaint as the man climbed into the back of the cart with Horton who went about checking the boy and setting his arm as best he could while they traveled.