Chapter 13
Come morning, Adena had walked out with Lancelot and straddled their horses. Luckily for her, ever since they've returned to the fort, the Roman general has not come near her. Nor has he been seen since the returned. Looking around the barn, Adena had noticed that Arthur's horse was gone. Closing her eyes for the brief moment, she mounted Midnight just as her lover–she can finally admit he was her lover–mounted his.
Lancelot urged his horse quickly over to her, taking her hand in his. "It was his choice, Ena; there was nothing you can do."
Adena frowns sadly, gathering comfort from Lancelot squeezing her hand. They rode out into the courtyard and met up with the other knights gathered in between the cavern holding Vanora and her kids and the weapons belonging to not just the knights but the Romans as well, towards the front of the long line. She looked at all the men that she had come to love and enjoyed being around with.
She held back the tears; her own grip on Lancelot's hand squeezing so hard that Lancelot looks over to her with worry. Adena tried to smile, shaking her head for him not to worry, but that was all she can do; worry. Because she knew what was to come in just a few minutes after leaving the wall, there was going to be nothing that she can stop it. Adena wasn't a fighter, nor would she have the courage to run into battle just to save the ones she loves.
As they rode near the hill from which Arthur sat upon with his horse and armor, Adena couldn't help but hold back the sobs that wanted to tore from her throat. She could still see a few people wandering about the fields, pouring down oil and stacking hay just as the half Roman, half Briton, had asked them to. They were the strong ones–the brave ones–that wanted to fight the Saxons besides the Woad's and stay within the fort to heal when the time came.
It was about that time did Bors ride's away from the group to the bottom of the hill, drawing his sword and holding it high above.
"Artorius!" Bors yells to get his attention, saluting him with his sword, "Rus!"
As Bors lowers his sword slowly, Arthur raises his standard high above his head, yelling, "Rus!" in return. This, the man upon the hill, knew that despite all that they've been through the group has accepted him as one of them. Even when his best friend still believed what he was doing was wrong, though he had hoped that the other knights would salute him in return. With a nod of gratitude and satisfaction, Bors rides back to the group, the other knight's emotions filling the air around them of both sadness and anger.
It wasn't until the group was on the other side of the wall did it occur to everyone what it was they were doing. At the sound of the Saxon's drums the knight's horses began to shift nervously, pulling back from their rider's direction and towards the sound. As the knight's tried to calm their horses, Adena felt her heart begin to break of what was now to come. Again, and again, she had told herself when she realized what time she had woken up to not to fall in love with a knight–especially a knight that was destined to die.
Struggling with their horses, the animals continuing to turn towards the wall, the realization had finally sunk in. As Lancelot slowly strokes his horse's neck, he turns to look at his brother's for the past fifteen years. When the glance had finally come to Tristan, it was then the scout turned to his loyal hawk, raising his arm so he can be eye level with it.
"Hey," he started, clicking his tongue, "you're free." he tells the animal softly before raising his arm.
Once the hawk flies off, Bors looks towards his lover and children, Number seven waving at him sadly. Vanora, who was trying very hard to keep strong for her children, smiled, knowing that this might be very well the last time she may see him again. Lancelot nods in respect to Bors decision, looking towards Gawain next. At his nod, Lancelot looks up at the sky, a small, yet ironic, smile of satisfaction on his lips.
It was the signal for the other knights to dismount and begin to gather all the weapons and strap on the armor they can from the cavern behind them. Adena dismounts and walks over to the knights to give them advice, hugs, and threats for them to return. With Tristan, Adena hugged him the longest, letting him know that when he was becoming tired to take the coward way or he will not live. The scout frowned in suspicion but kept it in mind.
Lastly, Adena went over to Lancelot and cried. She hugged him tightly, knowing no matter what advice she gives him this will be the last time she would ever see him. She still told him, no matter of the consequences, of what he must do after fighting two Saxons.
"Just turn sideways whenever you fight with two Saxons, please." she cried, taking hold of his face and kissing him hard. "Turn to the left."
"I will, I promise." Lancelot whispered his promise with confusion. "Be careful."
"You as well my knight,"
Adena watched with her fingers pressing hard to her lips, the sobs coming harder than any other time she had cried. As they rode up the hill, the young woman brought her hands down and pressed them to her stomach, knowing a part of the knight she loves was growing inside her at that moment.
Mounting Midnight, Adena looked over to the cavern holding Alecto, Fulcinia, and a still injured Dagonet, seeing him smile sadly with a nod of comfort and knowing. Nodding in return, the woman nods Vanora to continue then over to the Roman in the weapons carriage; despite the knight's not being there, they still needed to move on in case some of the Saxon decided to wonder off and come after them.
The group was then surprised to see three Woad men running out from the trees to their left. They stopped before Adena, nodding at her as they also looked around in case the Roman's wanted to go at them at any moment.
"My lady, Merlin asked if there was any request that you wanted to be done?" one of them asked, a knowing look in his eyes.
Adena looks back towards the hill, watching the knight she knew belonged to her. "Yes," she whispers, looking back at them and motioning him forward. "Tell him, at any cost to me, to protect both Lancelot and Tristan. They are to die but I do not believe it is fair for them to die on the day they are now free."
The Woad bowed his head before running back into the woods. Adena lets out a shaky breath, an ugly feeling at the pit of her stomach. Once more she nodded to her friend and the Roman, continuing those on their way to safety once more. Adena rides closer to the cavern with the children and pat's Conner's head, giving him a kiss on the head.
"Take care of them for me, boy; don't come after me," she whispered with tears both in her eyes and voice.
Conner whines and lays his head over Number Three, who was frowning at Adena. Smiling at the young girl, Adena urges Midnight over to Vanora, taking her hand when she held it out.
"They well return, don't worry." Vanora says to comfort either her or the younger woman, or even the both of them.
Adena squeezed tightly, looking every bit lost. "I'm pregnant," she tells her in a broken whisper.
Vanora's eyes widen, looking almost fearful at the words. At the sound of other horses, they turned to see the Roman commander and a few of his men. Fearful of what they might do to Vanora and the children, Adena moves Midnight from the cavern, looking at the men surrounding her.
"Come with us or that woman and her children will not get hurt." he told her in a sneer, stroking his sword.
Adena looks back at Vanora and nods before following the Roman into the woods. She can hear Vanora and Dagonet yelling after her, Adena closing her eyes against the tears. Despite what these men were going to do to her, she wasn't about to let them see her shed a tear due to them. Vanora stood up on the board and looked back at Dagonet, wondering what they should do. Dagonet shook his head, as he was too injured to even move, let alone ride a horse after them.
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After riding for roughly a half hour, the Roman's finally stopped near a creek. The Roman commander was off his horse and dragging Adena off of hers, the other Roman's making sure that Midnight did not run off or try to do them any harm. The Roman commander dragged Adena over to the creek and threw her down. Adena gasped at the sudden coldness, reminding her of the frozen lake, the Roman coming to stand over her.
"It didn't need to come to this if only you had followed me!" the Roman tells her angrily, taking hold of a fistful of her hair.
Before Adena can reply, the mad man pushed her head underneath the water. Adena kicked and pushed the Roman as hard as she can, not able to take a breath. She gasped in some air when he brought her back up only to be knocked back by the punch the Roman delivered to her. Still, she tried not to cry (not that it mattered with water running down her face), Adena praying that he would leave her stomach alone in this abuse.
He takes her hair once more and pushes her, face down, on the water. Adena had barely taken a breath, hitting and pushing the Roman in the leg to let her go. Though, perhaps this was the consequence of saving the two knights from their death. Gasping for air, Adena was backhanded to her other side, sitting up on the waist high water, trying to keep her head above the water.
The Roman suddenly placed his hands around her throat and pushed her down into the water. Adena cried, struggling at the hands around her throat before pushing at the Roman smiling like a mad man. Darkness soon starts to cover her vision as her heartbeat starts to slow down. The name of her lover passes through her mind just as the strength around her neck suddenly leaves her.
However the lack of air has already done its purpose and Adena becomes unconscious, not knowing of the face full of fear leaning over her as they reach in to take her out of the water.
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–Battlefield–
Lancelot looks down at the Woad, holding out a hand to him. The Woad takes the offer hand and grinds his teeth together as the knight pulls him up to his feet. The arrow sticking out of his left shoulder hurt more than anything as the Saxon had used a bow that could pierced through armor; and since the Woad didn't have any armor, it was buried deep.
"Thanks," Lancelot told him gruffly, looking at the arrow still embedded in the other man's shoulder. "This is going to hurt,"
Bracing himself, the Woad gritted his teeth, only letting out a grunt of pain as Lancelot broke the feather end before pulling the arrow out completely from the back. A few Woad healers rushed towards them, already taking out the necessity to bandage the shoulder.
"I only saved you for the favor of the woman from another time." he told the knight through his teeth.
Lancelot merely looked at the man as though he has gone mad. He shook his head and left him to the care of his own people before walking towards his brother-in-arms, grateful to see them all well and alive; a little beaten up, but alive. He gave a small laugh, slapping a hand to Galahad's shoulder.
"Knight!" Lancelot looked back over his shoulder to the Woad, "The woman from another time is your lover. She was the one to ask save you and another from death."
Lancelot frowned, confused as to what the Woad had just told him. "How do you know who my lover is?"
Before the Woad could say anything, a thunder of hooves could be heard, everyone turning to see Number One riding on Dagonet's horse at full gallop towards them. The look of panic on her teenage face had gotten all of the knight's–especially her father–fear with worry.
"The Roman's took Ena!" she told them breathlessly. "They took her inside the forest!"
Panic rose within Lancelot as he whistled for his horse. The others called for their horses as well, Tristan (more or less) concealing his own injuries. Bors barked at his daughter to stay put as he and the others raced in the direction of the cavern. As they stopped next to Vanora, she told them in which the direction the Roman's took Adena, as well as Dagonet following after them.
"Lancelot," Vanora took hold of the knight's arm. "Adena's pregnant."
Heart tightening Lancelot drove his horse hard (the other's following behind him), hearing Conner barking in the distance. When the trees became too thick, the knight's were forced to dismount their horses and continue on foot. Arthur noticed the Roman's and Adena's horses, along with an unfamiliar horse that might have belonged to Dagonet, not too far off and knew that they had to be close by.
They saw their injured brother, and Number Two, up ahead, the knight giving a command to Conner, who ran full force. It was only a few minutes after Dagonet burst through the trees to see the one Roman fighting off Conner as the four others tired to fight against the injured Dagonet and the inexperienced son of Bors. Lancelot looked towards the water to see the Roman commander pushing someone down, the person trying to break free.
Fear taking hold of his heart, Lancelot ran towards the water, the other's stopping the Roman's that tried to get in his way. Lancelot runs his sword through the Roman commander before kicking him away from Adena. He looked down just as the woman closed her eyes, Lancelot quickly reaching in to get her above the water. As he rushed to the edge, he gripped the woman tightly around her shoulders and waist, willing her to wake.
"Come on, come on, love, open your eyes. Please open your eyes for me." he whispered in pure panic, feeling his eyes start to burn hot. "You can't leave me like this, not when I was to be a father."
Lancelot held back his cries and brought the woman close to his body, burying his face into her neck. The others watched on with sympathy and pain, having heard the last bit in the silent area. Merlin then appeared from the side, looking down at both Lancelot and the woman that did not belong there.
"She is to return to her own time," he told them, everyone looking towards him with confusion. "She did not belong here, nor did she have the right to continue on living as she did."
Lancelot glared with hatred at the old man–his enemy for the past fifteen years. "I don't care if she is from a different time! Bring her back! Damn it, she was to have my child!"
Merlin raised his chin, a glint in his eyes. "It is not my decision to make, it is now hers."
Lancelot looked back down at the woman he loved and brought her close to him again. "Come back to me, love. Please come back to me. I love you."
A/N: Uh-oh, Adena's pregnant! What's Lancelot going to do now that she died in that time era to return to her own time? Well Adena decide to return to her knight or stay in the future? PLEASE review to let me know what you think!