Chapter 11
Adena was startled awake with a cry, jerking Lancelot to wake as well. She was panting, her eyes scanning the area as quickly as possible. Lancelot was calling her name, shaking her arms. The young woman then sighs, leaning against the confused knight. She clam herself down, rubbing her face tiredly as worried crept up inside her.
"What happened?" Lancelot asked quietly.
"I… don't know. I was dreaming and I felt someone watching me so I woke with a panic. God, what a dream,"
Lancelot frowned at the use of God but let it slide for now for he was worried over her after what just happened. "What was the dream?"
"It—uh—" Adena frowned, looking back at the knight confused. "I can't remember."
Rubbing her arms, Lancelot looked around as he now felt someone watching him too. But he shook his head, thinking it was just his imagination. With a sigh, Adena stood, stretching out her arms and legs. Lancelot also stood, grinning at the woman, who tried not to notice his mischievous stare. The couple walked back to camp as soon as Lancelot put on his armor, the knight holding the woman around the waist.
Yelling and swords could then be heard, Lancelot and Adena running to see what was happening. Lancelot unsheathes his swords, knowing that is where the Roman's were sleeping. But they soon came to a slow stop, Lancelot resting his swords on his shoulders, the blades crossing behind him. Marius was dead on the floor with an arrow sticking out of him, and Dagonet took his sword with a growl, glaring at the mercenaries.
"Artorius!" Adena jumps as Bors yells, galloping to stop behind the mercenary. "Do we have a problem?"
"You have a choice. You help or you die." Arthur tells the mercenary.
Bors' horse whacks one of the mercenaries, who glare up at the horse then Bors. Then the head mercenary throws his weapon to the ground, nodding to the others as he looks around at all the knight's—except Tristan—surrounding them.
"Put down your weapons! Do it, now!" he yells to the others.
"Yeah!" Dagonet cries angrily.
Arthur nods to Jols, who immediately picks up all the weapons. At that moment Tristan rides in, the group watching him carefully and curiously.
"How many did you kill?" Bors asks him.
"Four," Tristan tells him in a hurry.
Bors laughs. "Not a bad start to the day."
Stopping his horse, Tristan drops a crossbow at Arthur's feet, "Armor piercing, they're close; we have no time."
"You ride ahead." Arthur tells him worriedly.
Tristan does so, the group of villagers quickly moving about to pack. Sheathing his swords, Lancelot nodded at Adena towards the knight's area, the couple walking away. Guinevere glowers at them but turns away, lowering her bow to her side. After Arthur left, she spoke with her father of this woman. He had no idea who this woman was or where she even came from.
But Guinevere felt that her father was holding back on information. When she had mentioned about this woman, her father became very quiet and thoughtful. Whoever this woman was, Guinevere was going to find out and get rid of her. She wasn't supposed to be here, or with her knight, so the Woad Princess had to get things done quickly. To make her father's vision come true.
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—Couple of hours later—
Adena wrapped her cloak around her tightly, looking about her. She knew what was now to come and desperately wanted to stay on the ice and help. But alas the young woman didn't know how to use a bow or a sword. She was the most defenseless woman on that island when it came to weapons. As well as hand to hand combat, but only if the enemy wasn't too strong.
When Lancelot had to go meet up with Arthur of the route they were to take, Adena had spoke to Dagonet of wearing a leather vest or extra armor beneath his tunic from now on. When he asked why she told him just in case something were to go wrong on their trip back to the fort. Hopefully he would heed her warning and save his life some. After what happened with Marius, he would not see her suspicious... she hoped.
Adena had also taken to riding away from Guinevere, having received a deadly look from her before leaving the camp. Ever since then the young woman couldn't help but feel that Guinevere didn't like her at all. For reasons the young woman couldn't really understand or think of.
'Well speak of the devil,' Adena thought as the Woad Princess walked up next to her.
The young woman continued on, looking forward, pretending not to have notice the Woad. However, it didn't take long for the Princess to start speaking.
"I have noticed that you know the knight's very well. How did you meet them?"
Adena glanced at her but didn't say a word. She felt that the princess was trying to get answer out of her. Guinevere scowled before placing a façade.
"What was your purpose of coming along with the knight's? Surely you are not a knight?" Guinevere continued to try and get answers.
Growling in frustration at the silent woman only a few years older, Guinevere grabbed her arm and turned her around.
"Why won't you answer me?"
"Because she is mute to those she just met. Now let go of my betroth," Lancelot's deadly calm voice said behind them.
Guinevere immediately let her go, regretting that she was caught as such—especially by her knight. Then her face dropped as her anger rose as the word betroth repeated over and over again. Adena turned to Lancelot—having noticed Guinevere's dark look—the knight placing a protective arm around her waist. Guinevere glowered when her knight kissed Adena, walking away angrily.
"I do not think she likes me being with you." Adena whispered the obvious.
Lancelot sighed, having noticed the lustful looks coming from the Woad. He would have flirted at once as soon as he saw the lust, but after the talk with Arthur a few days earlier he decided against it. He was not going to do anything stupid to hurt the woman he held in his arm.
"Then that is too bad, for I am with you and will always until I die." he told her before kissing her.
They were soon interrupted by Dagonet. "Lancelot, Adena, come quickly ahead."
The couple looked at each other before mounting their horses and following the gentle giant.
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Adena gulped the lump in her throat, having been dreading this one moment. Arthur and Tristan spoke, but all the young woman can think of was Dagonet's death. The scene continued to replay itself over and over again. Her glazed eyes scanned the frozen water, never having realized how large the lake really was. She was startled out of her thoughts when Lancelot touched her arm.
"Let us go." he told her softly.
Nodding, Adena follows the knight, concentrating in not falling. Adena gripped Lancelot's hand that rested on her hip, feeling the melting ice beneath her feet. Lancelot responded by gripping her hip and bringing her closer. But it was not meant to be; Adena slipped, bringing down the knight with her. Lancelot fell on top of her, Adena's breath leaving her. But the knight quickly pressed his weight on his knees and hands, looking down at her with concern.
"Mind getting off of me?" Adena breathed out.
Lancelot smirked mischievously. "Why, do you not like the bottom anymore?"
Adena blushed, glaring at the knight before slapping his shoulder. She accidentally moved her hip as she squirmed about though immediately stopped as Lancelot growled, his eyes darkening. Adena's blush darkens as she felt Lancelot getting hard.
"Get off the woman already, Lancelot! There will be plenty of that once we return home!" Gawain yelled in good humor, despite the situation they were in.
The couple got up, Lancelot placing Adena in front of him. Soon the rest of the villagers caught up to them, the people spreading out. The sound of ice cracking below their feet scared the villagers, praying to whatever God they believed in to keep them from falling below. Arthur suddenly holds up his hand, halting the train of people. The Saxon drumming could be heard closer to them, the knight's all looking to one another. Arthur then turns to his knight's.
"Knight's…" Arthur sighed, the knights walking closer together.
"Well I'm tired of running." Bors started, looking at his brother's in arms. "And these Saxons are so close behind, my arse is hurting."
"Never liked looking over my shoulder anyway," Tristan told them with a ghostly smirk.
"It'll be a pleasure to put an end to this racket." Gawain starts.
"We'll finally get a look at the bastards." Galahad finished.
Dagonet nods. "Here, now."
Arthur turns to Lancelot, who shakes his head in disapproval. Adena places a hand on Lancelot's arm as Arthur calls over Jols. The knight looks down at the woman, who was looking up at him to the verge of tears. Lancelot hugs her close as Jols orders some men to unload weapons from the wagons.
"You're seven against two hundred!" Ganis told Arthur in disbelief.
"Eight. You could use another bow." Guinevere tells them as she passes by.
The men look at her before Ganis looking back at Arthur. "I'd rather stay and fight!"
Lancelot guided Adena over to their horses, Arthur and Ganis continuing their conversation of staying and not staying. The knight turned the young woman to face him, holding her hips and placing his forehead to hers. They merely smiled at each other, content in simply holding each other. The young woman wrapped her arms around his neck, staring into Lancelot's eyes.
"Come on, then! Move on!" Ganis yelled out to everyone.
Lancelot gives Adena a chaste kiss, taking hold of her face and rubbing his thumbs over her soft skin. "Be careful. Should anything happen—"
Lancelot started but Adena kissed him to shut him up, pretending not to know what was to come in merely minutes. She pulled back, taking hold of his face so that he will only look at her.
"Do not speak such words! You will return to me, understand?"
Lancelot sighed, nodding. He smiled suddenly, leaning close to her ear. Guinevere glared at the couple, noting the dark blush rising to the woman's cheeks. Growling at the back of her throat, the Woad turned, quickly getting weapons she was to need. Pulling away from Adena, the woman punches his shoulder before looking away with purse lips, but the hints of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
The knight smirked as he watched the flushed woman trying not to smile walk behind the villagers, holding his left shoulder. His smirk faltered, hoping to the Gods that he will be alive to return to her. Adena smiles sadly at Dagonet, tears forming. He waves goodbye to Lucan, who also waves back. She prayed that the gentle giant will survive and come back to them all.
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—An hour and a half—
Adena wrung her hands together in fear. She was walking along side Midnight, continuously looking back. She gave the advice to Dagonet, but if he took it is the question. Adena sighed and looked to Midnight when he nudged her. She stroked his nose, placing her head on his mane.
"If I'm not here to save them, then why am I here?" she asked her stallion quietly.
He neighed, pulling back and stopping. Adena turned to her horse, trying to calm him as he continued to pull back. She then turned at the sound of horse hooves and smiled brightly, eyes wide.
"Stop! Stop! They've returned!" she yelled to the villagers.
Adena turned and looked over the knight's, her heart racing. Dagonet had heeded her advice and was now slouching forward in his horse, injured–better than being dead. She quickly scans the others just in case her interruption with death didn't take another. Luckily the other knight's were safe; merely scratched and tired. Smiling widely, Adena walks to meet them, which slowly became a jog.
Lancelot dismounts with a smile, jogging to the woman. The couple hug, Adena trying hard not to cry.
"No more of these stupid battles, please." she whispered.
"I promise," Lancelot whispered.
The knight's smiled both in surprise and wistfully. Lancelot held the woman closer, as the group continued, seeing the Hadrian Wall only a mile away now; a mile away from freedom.
A/N: Okay, a bit dumb when it came to saving Dagonet, but I couldn't help it. I love all the knights and it wasn't fair that he had to die! Some conflict between Guinevere and Adena, and why is she so supicious? Please review to let me know what you think!