A/N: Hola amigos! (Yeah, I'm still teaching myself Spanish :P)

First and foremost, I want to thank you all a million times over for all the feedback chapter 5 got! It was wonderful and it completely made my week! Thank you! I really hope you enjoy this one as much as the last (:

Special thanks (and lots and lots of love! :D) to Druid Archer, Dark Alana, brandibuckeye, xXxFantasyAmorexXx, Girl In the Library Corner, alien.94, Gwilwillith and princesspomegranate for the reviews!

Thanks, appreciation, tea and biscuits to my wonderful BETA princesspomegranate, without whom, my stories wouldn't be half as good (:

Happy reading c: Please review at the end, I love hearing what you thought!

. : Chapter 6: Time : .

Time. We could never seem to find a balance with it. There was either too much, or not enough.

I remember that day, the day my childhood and life as I knew it, ended. The day that it turned to ash and blew away.

Word had been sent across the land, our land- no matter what a bunch of stuffed, pompous, Roman officials said. They were coming again.

First they were a month off, then a week, then a day, then an hour. And then we could see them, riding over the distant hills, towards us. For us.

The village was on edge, but they'd seen this too many times to be frantic. Anything of particular value was tucked away in nooks and crannies, safe from greedy eyes. The children were ushered into the tents, forbidden to leave them. Lest the Romans decide they were due anything else other than what they were already about to take.

Dag and I were seated in my family's tent, stuffing in yet another bowlful of Mama's stew. Ever since the first messenger had reached us, our mother's had started feeding us nearly double what we were used to. I'd mentioned, stupidly, to Papa that I feared they might make us fat. We ended up with five extra laps to run every evening and night.

Dag had tried to shoot me, twice. And I'd nearly let him.

Our siblings, Aunt Rali, Uncle Brin and our parents were crowded in around us, staring silently.

I was eleven summers now, Dag was sixteen. We had grown up and stopped being children long ago. We were accomplished warriors now, though we had yet to taste a real battle; were yet to have blood staining our bodies and our swords.

My brother had turned into a wall of muscle that I doubted even the most arrogant of Romans would ever go against. He was as sweet and as gentle as he always was though. He was a shy man of little words, but had more heart than anyone I knew.

I was still me, though I was a good deal more muscled than any other girl in the village. I'd shot up, but it was more a case of long legs. Thankfully I was yet to start getting my womanly curves, which Mama assured me I would get eventually, much to my disappointment. Cleavage and hips weren't likely to be an asset where I was going.

"I can't eat anymore, Aunt Phyla," Dag groaned, putting his bowl down and then resting a huge hand over his stomach. He gave the stew left a longing look. He'd consumed four bowls already, it was little wonder he hadn't exploded. "I will miss it, though. I doubt there will be many cooks like you and Ma wherever we're being sent."

Mama scoffed quietly, "Of course there won't be. No one cooks as well as Sarmatians."

I set my half-empty bowl down too. It was my third. I'd had enough after two, but Mama had insisted.

"Malise, you finish that right now!"

I groaned. "Mama, please. I'm not Dag, I can't eat anymore. I'll be ill all the way."

"Well, with any luck, you'll be sick all over a Roman," Uncle Darian grinned, though his smile lacked its usual happiness. "It's too cold this time of year to bathe, so the bastard will have to suffer."

I snickered while my Mama and Aunts fixed him with smouldering looks.

"Keep your trap shut, Darian," Aunt Ana snapped.

She turned to me and her expression soothed, "Don't worry, Mali. You won't be sick."

"You'll be fine, girl," Aunt Rali assured me, one of her hands resting over her bulging stomach.

She was eight months pregnant with her first child. They'd been worried they couldn't have children, but it definitely appeared that they could.

"You are one of us."

I smiled slightly. I was trying very hard not to become emotional.

Papa snorted and said, "Yes, yes, she's one of you. Evil and female."

"Secretly female," I put in, a grin plastering itself on my face.

"Secretly female, of course," Uncle Brin laughed.

He wrapped an arm around Aunt Rali's shoulders.

"Still, a Sarmatian woman is not to be trifled with."

The women grinned, and Dag and I exchanged an amused glance as our Uncles and Fathers cringed. Little Fallon, now a lively six summers old, stumbled across to me and flopped down into my lap. I wrapped my arms around her middle and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I will miss you," she informed me seriously.

I smiled down at her sadly, "And I you. But I'll be back again, and you'll have grown..."

I would miss her and my baby brother, Regan's, childhoods. She might even be married by the time I returned.

"But you're not to worry; and you have Mama and Caelan and everyone else."

I looked up at my older sister. Her eyes were watering and while she tried to smile at me, it broke and a tear rolled down her cheek. Caelan had most certainly grown into a beauty. At fifteen summers, the young men had started taking an interest in her and I had little doubt that she would be married and have many little ones by the time my service was over.

"Oh, Mali," she breathed as she collapsed onto her knees next to me and crushed me in a hug.

She pulled back and brushed my hair out of my face with her fingers. She kissed my forehead and gave a sad laugh.

"My little sister, off to become a knight."

"It won't be so bad," I said, curling my hand around her smooth wrist, suddenly not wanting her to get up.

For all the differences between Caelan and I; I would miss her dearly. I would miss both my sisters, and my baby brother more than I could express.

"You promise me you'll return!" she ordered.

"Promise."

I nodded, feeling the tears sting my eyes.

"I promise."

"Swear it."

"Would you like it written in blood?" I asked her, dryly, and earned myself an equally dry look.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Girls," Papa warned; then he sighed.

"Imagine it, no daughters arguing… well, almost. One less anyway."

"Faolan!" Mama snapped, reaching out to slap his arm.

"I would rather all my daughters here, at each others' throats, than one off to gods only know where and a quieter home!"

"Mama, please," I pleaded as silence fell over us.

Keal and the twins were sitting close to Dag as the adults sat in their chairs.

"I'm sorry, my girl," she said, cradling Regan close to her and running her fingers over his soft, fine hair. It was dark, like mine.

"I'm sorry."

I sighed.

"It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. Would you please stop it? I blame only Rome for this. This, which I shall survive, so would you all stop worrying? Dag and I will be home before you know it and you can stuff us full of stew to your heart's content."

"She's tough, she's ready and she's right," Uncle Darian said, giving me a confident smile.

"And Dagonet will always be with her to keep her out of trouble."

I snorted and grinned at my brother cheekily, "Yeah right, more like I'll be keeping him out of trouble."

Dag raised his eyebrows at me doubtfully.

We laughed, and I savoured the sweet sound. Unknowing of when I'd hear it again. Fifteen years is a long time. Time enough for many things to go wrong.

"Time to get you both ready," Papa said softly, drawing to his feet and holding a hand out to me.

"Come, my daughter."

It was the first time he'd called me daughter since… well, I couldn't remember the last time. Referred to me as his daughter, yes; called me it, not so often.

I shifted Fallon into Caelan's arms and took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. Dag was on his feet, and towering over me, in moments. I scowled at him.

"I should take you out at your knees. At least then I might not get a sore neck looking up at you."

He grinned at me and put a hand on my head to ruffle the hair. Like I was cute and amusing. I lashed out and caught him in the gut, enticing a satisfying grunt of pain. I strode, grinning triumphantly, into the bedroom followed by Mama as she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You should be nicer to him, you know," she chastised me as she collected all my armour and heavier clothing.

I was quite capable of doing this myself, and I usually did, but Mama had insisted she get to help me this once.

I shrugged and smiled, "Dag knows I love him."

"Hitting him isn't a good way to convey that," she said dryly, accepting the lighter tunic I'd pulled off and helping me pull the thick, heavy one over my head.

The few belongings we were going to take were already packed and attached to our saddles. A few sets of clothes, a medical pouch each, weapons, a trinket or two. Not much. It all fit into two saddle bags. Oh, and food. Mama, Aunt Ana and Aunt Rali had insisted that we take food.

Uncle Darian had had to assure me that while the Romans were evil bastards, they wouldn't actually starve us. Malnourished warriors were dead warriors; which meant unprotected Romans. "The food won't be good," he'd said. "But you can live off it."

Yeah, that put my mind at ease. I think Dag was more distressed then I was. Boys and food, a mystery I'd never solve.

Mama slid the equally thick leather vest on and set about fastening the ties at the front until I could only just breathe. That was how I would have to dress. When I began to get breasts, they would need to be bound tightly and then several thick, tight layers of clothing added over the top so my chest would remain flat. I would never have the muscle mass of a man, so Mama had given me strict instructions to only ever have my clothing made out of the thickest material. To make it look like I was broader.

It meant I was warmer too, and needed fewer layers when one tunic was equal to about three.

She grabbed my wrist guards and strapped them tightly to each of my wrists. Her fingers ran over my smaller hands, and lifted one to inspect it. After five years of training, they were calloused and had small scars here and there. Nicks and cuts from practice.

"I am very proud of you," she whispered, squeezing my hand before letting it go.

I let it drop back to my side.

"And I will miss you, my baby."

She caressed my cheek and smiled. Then she had me sit as she fetched my shin high leather boots and put them on me.

"You think I don't know," she said so softly I could barely hear her.

"They think they hide it from us. But we see it, feel it, in their eyes, in their touch, in their souls."

I didn't say anything; I just let her continue.

"I don't know what awaits you, Mali, but I know it is not good. When your Papa and Uncle returned home, their eyes were haunted, and their hearts were cold. They had become the men that Rome had wanted, they themselves were deadly weapons."

She looked up into my eyes solemnly.

"It pains me to think of you as haunted and cold, especially when you are so full of light and love. Please, please don't let it become your fate, my darling."

I could only watch in a sort of daze as she worked. She got my belt and fastened it around my hips, fussed with my hair until she was happy with it. Somehow, a tear escaped my eye as she finished tying my heavy black cloak around my neck, and her hands fell away.

"Oh, my baby, hush now," Mama soothed, pulling me to her and engulfing me in a hug that only mothers knew how to give.

"I promise," I drew a shuddery breath.

"I'll miss you, Mama."

"I know, I know. I will think of you every day, and I will wait for you to come riding over the hills again."

Drops of rain hit the top of my head as my Mother, the solid backbone of our family, buried her face in my hair and cried.

Cried for the daughter she was giving away, and knew that she would never get back.

oOo

"Don't let them bully you," Uncle Darian told Dag and I as we stood at the entrance to the village.

His hand was clasped tightly on Dag's shoulder. His son was nearly as tall as he was. Tama snorted and nudged my shoulder impatiently. No doubt wondering why we were all standing around. He'd turned into an even more spirited, and troublesome, two year old.

"But don't break the rules or cause trouble," Papa added, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You'll get whipped for that."

Dag and I nodded. We were holding our horses' reins, ready and waiting for the group we could now clearly see coming towards us. From what I could make out, there were only ten or so Romans on horseback. And I couldn't tell how many boys there were, some were riding, others were walking.

We were the second to last village to be collected from before they headed back to the shore. That would be where we'd be put in giant boats and shipped to our posts, wherever they might be. It could be Rome, could be Britain. Who knew? Papa supposed Britain though, since that was where he and Uncle had served.

The whole village had come out to see us off, apart from the young children, but I could see them peeking out of tent flaps anyway. Keal had been confined to our tent, too. Papa and Uncle Darian weren't risking anything.

"We'll be fine," Dag assured our teachers in his deepening voice.

Papa snorted, but he didn't say what he was thinking with the women and children around. We knew anyway. 'Not likely, boy, not likely.' No one ever escaped servitude unscathed.

"Here," Uncle Brin held out our swords in their sheaths to us.

"They are fit for you now, I think."

I accepted mine with a grateful smile that I hoped conveyed everything that I wanted to say, but couldn't find the words or the time for. I grasped the hilt and pulled up the blade far enough to read the inscription freshly engraved into it.

'Dark Warrior' it read.

I looked at Dag to see him looking at his own blade. His read 'Courage, Strength, Honour'.

It fitted him perfectly.

"They're nearly here," I said softly, drawing their attentions.

"I'd hurry up if you have any other advice you don't want them to hear."

Caelan stepped forward and hugged me, and I hugged her back. "Hurry home, little sister."

I gave her a sharp look for calling me sister now, but I nodded and kissed her cheek.

"I will."

I kissed Fallon's cheeks and ruffled her hair. Her cheeks were damp from where she'd been crying, though I don't think she understood what was really happening, only that I was going away.

Regan was in Mama's arms, blinking his dark eyes at me. I caressed his soft baby cheek with my knuckles, hoping that they weren't too rough for him. My baby brother reached up and snared my finger in his tiny hand, drawing it towards his mouth. I smiled at him.

"I'm sorry I won't be here," I told him, quietly.

"I hope I will get the chance to know you. But you won't remember me."

"He'll know all about you," Mama said softly.

"We will tell him all about the bravest sibling he has, and you will get to know him when you return."

I hugged her once more, mindful of Regan. I hoped she was right.

I looked up at Papa as he cleared his throat, and smiled, walking into his arms for the last time in who-knew how long. He hugged me tightly and even pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"Be safe, Mali, be strong. Remember who you are; where you came from. Don't forget your land or your people, and return."

"I will, Papa," I whispered, drawing back.

One way or another, I would return home. I smiled at my family and looked to Dag.

"Ready?"

He grinned and nodded, stepping away from his sisters and mother and mounting his big black horse.

"When you are."

I scowled at him.

"Don't make it so we're waiting on me, you great lug."

I slid one foot into the stirrup and hauled myself smoothly up into the saddle, laying a hand against Tama's tense neck once I was settled.

"Mali, we're always waiting on you," he teased.

I opened my mouth to threaten him, but gasped in horror as I realised something instead.

"What is it?" Mama asked, worried.

"My name!" I hissed quietly, giving the approaching Romans a frightened glance, the only one I would ever allow myself to give. They were close enough now that I could make out their faces.

"I can't be called that!"

Papa and Uncle Darian both swore.

"She's right," Uncle agreed.

"Hurry, what's a boy's name?"

"Faolan?" Mama suggested.

"Named for the father?"

Papa shook his head and said, "No, only Romans do that."

I don't know if that was true or not, but I was too scared to think about it now. "Hurry!"

"Rogue."

We all turned to stare at Caelan dumbly.

"What?" Aunt Rali asked.

My big sister shrugged, "Well, she is. And wouldn't you be wary, if a Sarmatian knight was introduced to you as Rogue?"

The adults exchanged a glance. Uncle Darian shrugged.

"Sounds good to me."

I nodded, "Rogue it is. Dag, do most of the talking."

He rolled his eyes, "Obviously, you sound like a…"

"These are your sons?" a new, accented voice asked abruptly.

Heads all swung round to fix on the approaching group that was now apparently here. The Roman that had spoken was several paces in front of the others. The other young knights were being kept back far enough to ensure that none could slink off into the village.

Papa and Uncle stepped in front of the rest of our people and came level with us.

"Yes," Papa said icily. He laid a hand of Tama's strong neck and patted him.

The Roman captain gave him a cruel smile, "Good. Though there are only two after all these years."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Obviously.

Uncle clenched his fist until it was white and growled, "Two is two more then you deserve, Roman."

"Remember your place, Sarmatian dog!" The man, who looked ridiculous, dressed in the Roman uniform, snarled. Someone should tell him skirts that short aren't practical here. Or anywhere. "You two, come! Time to go."

Dag and I looked at our fathers, who both gave us slight, stiff nods. And so we tapped our horse's sides and walked forward, away from our loved ones and all that we'd known, into the grasp of war's slavery.

A/N: And knighthood beings. How'd I do with the goodbyes? I didn't wanna make it to sappy, but it would've been pretty upsetting I'd imagine…you're the judge (:

I'm so glad you guys liked the layout of the last chapter, and there will be more like it, but there will be some like this one. Just events that I think deserve a whole chapter dedicated to them. Thoughts?

Another thing, if there's something (an event, a character etc) that you'd like to, or think should, happen-just send me a message or put it in a review (: There's a lot of time to cover between the current and the movie setting, so I'll probably be looking for ideas at some point!

Have a lovely day, please leave a comment!

Much love,

~Meg xx