Escape

(A/N: I have no excuse as to why this was so late. Sorry for the delay. Hopefully I'll get better about posting the remaining chapters.)

The timing couldn't have been better Lancelot noted, when Gareth got back with Brandelis and Gawain. Their sudden arrival saved their sorry backsides. It was nothing short of a miracle they'd stayed alive thus far, but they wouldn't last much longer so they needed to run. They did so the minute the other three joined up with them, fleeing out of the castle and running towards the bridge. "There it is. We're almost home free!" Lancelot said, pointing it out.

Stephen pulled off his helmet to wipe his face. "Sevause?!" Gawain said in shock upon seeing him. He couldn't identify the one with Stephen, or the one that had come with Brandelis, but if the two mystery knights weren't of the school then they were probably two of his father's men or Arthur's.

"Y' thought we'd leave ye t' that monster?" Servause replied, smiling at Gawain and Brandelis before putting back on the helmet.

"We're trying to figure out why it was you in particular who came," Brandelis replied.

"Because I knew what would happen t' ye here. I couldn't let what happened t' Selices happen to Gawain or keep happenin' to you, Brandelis. So I asked t' come because I couldn't stay back doin' nothin'. In retrospect it probably would've been smart t' bring along Lamorak and Palamedes too," Servause replied.

"Third and fourth place in the school," Brandelis confirmed, grimacing. He still couldn't believe it himself, at least not with Lamorak. Palamedes was kind of a given, given the Saracen reputation for churning out some of the finest warriors you'd ever see.

Stephen nodded. "Whoa!" Lancelot suddenly shouted out, throwing out his arms and stopping the others. They slid to a stop and gasped as arrows pierced the rope bridge's, well, ropes, and collapsed it!

"Dammit!" Brandelis shouted angrily. He looked quickly up and gasped, paling. "Dad," he said numbly. The others looked back and sure enough saw Brian standing on a battalion with two other men at his side. Caradoc and Turquine! And all three of them had bows. "No, this can't be happening, it can't be happening," Brandelis fearfully said, shaking his head in denial.

"It isn't," Stephen replied, picking up a javelin laying next to a skeleton in the rubble. He took up a long length of rope and bound one end tightly around a nearby ruined pillar then tied the other end onto the javelin, hooking it so it wouldn't pull off.

"That javelin isn't going to hold our combined weight!" Lancelot protested immediately.

"It won't have t'," Servause replied. He took aim at the ridge, muttered a prayer under his breath to who knew which deity, and threw with all his might. The javelin soared through the air, crossing the chasm, and landed behind two great big boulders, the rope falling into the space between them. Stephen pulled hard and the javelin moved but caught on the rocks and lodged there. He grinned victoriously and tightened the rope that was around the pillar swiftly.

"The rope can't hold our combined weight!" Lancelot protested.

"Course it can," Stephen replied. They stared at him dubiously, but there wasn't much time to question. Arrows began flying and they heard men running towards them. They gasped, looking back.

"Screw it, I'm gone," Gareth said, quickly grabbing the rope and starting to move hand over hand across it. He grimaced at the strain. Oh, he should have ditched the armor he dryly noted. Servause frowned, noticing the boy's straining, and followed in pursuit just in case Gareth couldn't make this climb and dropped. At least then Gareth would have something of a chance if Stephen managed to catch him before he fell.

"Come on, we don't have anymore opportunities coming our way," Lancelot agreed, quickly following. Brandelis grimaced and started after him quickly. Gawain went last.

They moved steadily across the rope despite the arrows flying at them. They had a very short window of opportunity here if they were going to make it before the ropes were cut by the footsoldiers when they arrived and found it. Brandelis looked down at the lava dully, silent. He began to slow down as he stared. "Keep going, Bran. This isn't the time to get distracted!" Gawain insisted. Brandelis had stopped, though, just staring at the lava. "Bran, what's the matter? Hurry. We're running out of time!" Bran was quiet, watching. He looked back towards Dolorous Guard at his scowling father who watched murderously. He was through hoping he could ever escape… He could never get away… He didn't want to go back. He couldn't ever go back! But… but the only way to make certain that happened… He looked down again. Gawain, puzzled at first, began to catch on, eyes slowly widening in horror. Uh oh… "No," he said quickly. "Don't do it, Bran. Don't you dare do…" Brandelis drew a sharp and deep breath, letting go of the rope. "Bran!" Gawain shouted. He reached out, catching the other's hand, and cried out in alarm as he lost his grip on the rope, falling too!

"Gawain!" Lancelot cried out. He yelped, nearly letting go of the rope himself, when Gawain's quick reflexes led the crown prince to catch his ankle and cling on for dear life, almost taking Lancelot down too. "Help!" Lancelot cried out. He could manage this weight for a grand total of maybe a three minutes, or two, and that was working off pure adrenaline and little more. He heard the others curse and looked over with a gasp. Quickly Gareth and Servause were returning. They reached him in record time.

"It's okay. We have ye. Y' can let go if you really, really need t'," Stephen said as both he and Gareth wrapped their legs around Lancelot's body. Lancelot nodded frantically but hung on tight. Slowly Gareth and Servause began to uncomfortably and awkwardly make their way back across the ropes again, Lancelot helping as well to move with the other two. It was risky, but they couldn't stay in one spot because if they did they were sitting ducks.

Bran, after getting over the initial and total shock that this had actually happened, freaked. "Are you crazy?" he screamed at them. "You could have gotten yourselves killed!"

"You're the crazy one for letting go, you total moron!" a ticked and terrified Gareth shouted angrily. He didn't disguise his voice, but that was fine because Gawain was probably too preoccupied right now to notice.

"Gawain, let me go! You can't hold me up like this much longer!" Brandelis insisted.

"No," Gawain said through gritted teeth, eyes screwed tightly shut as he strained to hold himself and Bran both up.

"I'm not going back there! I can't!" Brandelis begged.

"You won't, dammit, you won't!" Gawain desperately pled. "Bran, please! Let us help you! Let us at least try! Don't do this! Don't do this! We can't promise you'll be safe forever, we know that, but we can promise we'll bend heaven and earth to keep you away from him just hang on! Just hang on," he begged.

"Bran, Gawain can't keep this up and he's like an eagle with a fish. He's not going to let you go. If you fall, he falls. We get you're willing to do this to yourself, okay? Gods know the sort of hell your life has been under that psycho freak who calls himself a man. Are you willing to take him with you, though?" Lancelot challenged.

"I'm not letting go, damn you! I'm not letting go," Gawain confirmed.

Brandelis stared up at them, lips parted in awe and disbelief. They wouldn't let go… They were moving along centimeter by centimeter at a snail's pace trying to get him to the other side alive. They weren't going to give up. Even at personal detriment, even at risk of their own lives, they weren't giving up… Tears threatened his eyes and he swallowed, looking down again. He winced, closing his eyes tightly and gritting his teeth. "Okay!" he said. He wrapped an arm around Gawain's waist. Gawain hesitantly let go, honestly afraid Brandelis would take the opportunity to end it, but he didn't. He held on tight with the other arm now too, giving Gawain the chance to cling to Lancelot with both hands, which was an immense relief.

"He can't climb up me," Gawain said, gasping. "I barely have the strength for this!"

"Hold on. I'll help with that," Gareth said, looking at Servause. Servause nodded in understanding. Gareth unwrapped his legs from Lancelot and grimaced, looking down and hoping he didn't regret this. Piece by piece he began to kick off parts of his armor to make himself lighter and give himself a better chance of actually pulling this off. He swallowed then moved around Lancelot so he could seize Stephen tightly, letting go of the rope and gasping a bit, hoping that Stephen could keep him up. Stephen reluctantly unwrapped his legs from Lancelot so Gareth could climb down him, hoping Lance's adrenaline would give the guy enough strength to hold Gawain and Brandelis up a little longer on his own. Gareth knew he had to move fast. Gareth climbed down Stephen's body. Brandelis grabbed onto Gareth's legs. Gareth was so glad Brandelis wasn't heavily built, and that Servause had wrapped his legs around him, because if he hadn't, Gareth would definitely be falling about now. Brandelis began to climb up Gareth while Gawain climbed quickly up Lancelot, reaching the rope and looking immensely relieved.

Quickly Lancelot, Gawain, Servause, and Brandelis climbed their way awkwardly onward. Gareth started to cautiously climb back up Servause, hating he was suddenly in the back but also relieved that everyone was on track again. Gawain allowed Servause to pass him by - something about the other armored knight had him unsettled and a bit concerned - before following. They made it to safety one by one. Brandelis, Lancelot, Stephen, Gawain, and Gareth. Rather, they almost made it to safety. Just as Gawain was about to reach the edge, the rope was cut from the other side and he and Gareth cried out in terror as they dropped and swung into the cliff!

"Guys!" Lancelot cried out, diving for the edge and reaching over, seizing Gawain's hand. He saw the surprise and suspicion in Gawain's eyes and cursed the fact he hadn't disguised his voice. He hoped it was only a suspicion and Gawain hadn't figured out who he was for sure just yet. If he had, he hoped the other kept quiet about it. He, like Gareth, was kind of inclined to keep his identity secret.

Lancelot hauled his friend up. Gareth, numbed by fear, stared down in horror at the lava. Lancelot and Gawain quickly moved to pull him up. Gareth reached for the edge, seizing it and trying to pull himself up, kicking off whatever remaining parts of the heavy armor he could. Never again, he promised himself. Only light from here on. At least lighter metal. He pulled himself up and grabbed his helmet, throwing it off and gasping for air as he started to panick. He didn't even care anymore that Gawain would realize who he was. He just wanted to breathe!

"Oh my god!" Gawain exclaimed. Okay, now Gareth regretted taking off the helmet.

Gareth winced and looked sheepishly and awkwardly over at his utterly horrified brother. "Uh… s'up bro?" he lamely said, forcing an innocent grin.

"What the hell are you doing here?! What the hell were you thinking?! You're so dead! Dad is going to have your head you little crap!" Gawain freaked. "Are you crazy?!"

"Oh cut me a break. It's not like Gaheris and Agravaine were volunteering to come!" Gareth argued, folding his arms over his chest in annoyance, rolling his eyes. Dad's so busy ripping the teachers a new one he didn't even realize you were gone. It was mom who ended up sending for help."

Gawain was quiet. Gareth winced, realizing the slip, and looked sheepishly over. "Mom?" Gawain finally asked, looking somehow both exhausted but also… hopeful, maybe?

Gareth shifted and bowed his head. "Yeah. It was a once in a blue moon miracle, but yeah. She was the one who requested help. I mean not from me, I kind of joined up solo, but still."

"You can talk and chastise and argue and embrace later, boys. Right now, we have to go," Lancelot said, standing up and starting to climb up the ridge. "We got away safe this time, but Brian obviously has a way to get out of Dolorous Guard despite the lava lake, so we're limited here. While the going's still good, let's get…" He heard weapons being drawn and gasped, looking up. "Going," he squeaked as he found himself gaping up at a whole lineup of knights standing all along the ridge surrounding them, each one with a weapon at the ready. He gasped, sliding back down, and quickly backed away from them towards the others. Servause quickly moved to join him in the front, frightened and nervous but willing to fight if he had to. Both drew their own weapons uneasily. Gawain and Gareth subtly placed themselves between the lava lake and Brandelis, the guy most likely to choose to throw himself into it before choosing to go back to Dolorous Guard alive. That little fact didn't escape Brandelis either. He was torn between being deeply touched by the gesture and deeply upset.

"I knew it was too much to hope," Brandelis whispered, staring numbly up at the men. Stephen was eerily silent. The men began to advance in sync. The boys backed up until they couldn't go any farther, then huddled nervously together staring.

Suddenly there were cries of anguish and alarm from behind the advancing knights! They turned quickly and hardly had time to cry out in fear before men in the armor of Orkney and Lothian leapt over the ridge, cutting them down with a vengeance either on foot or by horse. Leading the onslaught was none other than… "Dad," Gareth gasped in fear. Oh shi…

Lot fought his way viciously over the ridge and leapt the rest of the way down, dropping into a crouch on the boys' level and sharply looking up, eyes narrowed. He started and rose quickly, looking pale. "Gareth, Gawain!" he exclaimed.

Meanwhile…

Brian gaped in shock and disbelief as the group of boys made their way across the ropes, even after Brandelis had tried to escape through death. They wouldn't let one another go and kept fighting to move on, and it was shocking enough that literally all three of them could only stand there and gawk like they couldn't even process what they were seeing. Brian, of course, was the first to snap out of the disbelief when the boys reoriented themselves again. "Get down there and cut the rope!" he shouted at the footsoldiers below. They moved quickly to obey and did so, almost knocking off two of them, but of course the lucky little bastards managed to escape that fate as well and make it to the other side. Brian wasn't concerned, though. He knew what awaited them there. When his men lined up on the ridge, he smirked wickedly thinking he'd won himself a treasure trove. Then Lot arrived, taking out those men without mercy, eyes blazing.

Brian scowled murderously. He should have let Turquine utterly ravage and break the man's little prince when he'd had the chance. He despised Lot and woudn't half mind watching the king be ravaged and broken in front of his eyes, but it would hurt Lot so much more to break his children. Until Lot's little brats were in his clutches, though, he had other options for hurting and devastating the king of Orkney. The man's two little princes had such perfect targets painted on their backs…

"Poison your arrows and shoot the princes of Orkney dead," he darkly said to Caradoc and Turquine. They darkly chuckled and moved to obey, applying the poison and taking aim. Lot had made the scene now and was looking towards his little boys so frantic to hold them… "Fire," Brian shouted, pointing. And they did. Unfortunately for them…

KAK

"Dad!" Gawain and Gareth exclaimed, immediately breaking for their father. Right on cue a knight that had been sticking tight to Lot's side moved to take their places, deducing why they'd been making themselves a barrier between Brandelis and the lava lake. That knight planted himself just in time for the arrows to be let loose. One flew wide, missing completely but startling the knight. Said knight wasn't so lucky with the second, though. Having removed a good portion of his armor to make it lighter—all of it, in fact, except the helmet, gauntlets, and boots—he didn't have even half the protection he should have. He screamed in anguish—a sound that chilled all of them to the bone—as the arrow pierced his back, knocking him down.

"Lamorak!" Lot exclaimed in alarm.

"What?!" the rest of the boys freaked, going pale and looking sick at the exclamation.

The until-then-unknown knight gasped. "I'm okay," he said. "It-it didn't go deep. It-it didn't… it didn't…" Lamorak trailed off, wavering a bit.

Gawain frowned in concern before his eyes widened in realization and horror. Slurring words, dizziness… "He's been poisoned!" he exclaimed in to the others.

Lot, gaping in horror—he'd realized effective immediately who those arrows had actually been meant for—instantly sprang into action. "Oh hell no! I am not going back to Pellinore after lecturing him for three hours about not being able to keep my boys safe, only to tell him I couldn't keep his boy safe! You will not die you little bastard Lamorak!" Okay, so it was semi-action. "Gawain, get your healing herbs from my horse and pack him! We aren't setting foot in Far Far Away until he's recovered so totally that Pellinore won't even see a mark on him!"

"Wow. That's a selfish reason," Brandelis said.

"Oh don't worry, I like the boy too," Lot said, brushing the remark off. "In fact, I would have preferred Gawain to buddy up with Lamorak and his brothers over your little jousting plague."

"Hey!" Brandelis protested, offended. Lot moved quickly to Lamorak, picking him up in his arms. Gawain ran to get his healing herbs and salves and whatnot. Lot turned, glaring darkly and murderously back at Dolorous Guard and the three men high on the parapets who stood there scowling murderously.

"I'll be back for you!" Lot shouted out to them. "You can be sure of it!"

"We'll be waiting! Hopefully with a sweet little surprise for you as well," Brian not-so-subtly threatened. Lot wanted to draw a bow and shoot him dead there and then, but right now Lamorak was the priority. Lamorak and getting the boys' little rescue party to safety. He marched back towards the ridge, calling off his men from Brian's and ordering prisoners to be taken. Gawain fell in step a little way behind his father. His brother and the unknown knight—Gawain had a pretty good suspicion as to who it was—moved to his side.

"Who are you?" Gawain asked the unknown knight, looking over at him.

"Dude, were those freaks about to…" the rescuer, obviously flustered at everything that had happened, began.

"Molest me? Yeah. Nice timing," Gawain replied.

"How are you so calm?!" the warrior demanded.

"Keeping calm is better than panicking," Gawain replied. "Now who are you?"

"Just-just call me the Proud Warrior of the Lake," Lancelot replied, getting a hold of himself again. That freak had been… Wow… He'd barely even realized creeps like that lived around these parts until crossing Caradoc, Turquine, and Brian.

Gawain nodded. The Proud Warrior of the Lake… It all but confirmed his suspicion, but he stayed silent anyway not wanting to leap to conclusions. "Thank you. All of you," he said. "Did… did my mother…?"

"Pick me? Yeah… Ar… The king suggested it," Lancelot said. That was honestly more surprising to Gawain than almost everything else thus far had been.

"Seriously? He asked for you specifically?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Well at least he's building bridges." Lancelot gave Gawain a sharp glare out the corner of his eyes but stayed silent, not snapping up the bait despite really, really wanting to. Finally they could take some time to breathe. He wasn't ruining it by getting into an unnecessary argument.