Ok here is chapter 1. It's long but it deals with what happened before the flashback scene in the prologue. It's me so expect plenty of angst.
Hope that you enjoy. Its been a real pleasure to write this chapter
Chapter 1
What seemed like hours later Djaq awoke in the same position that she had flung herself onto the bed in. Unable to cry any longer and simply exhausted from grief Djaq has fallen into a troubled sleep.
A sleep that was full of haunting images of Will.
She pushed herself from the simple bed and made her way to a small table that was against one of the whitewashed walls. On the table Djaq kept the small collection of cosmetic powders and hairbrushes that she had aquired since her return to Acre.
Without the need to hide her femininity Djaq had grown her hair longer and worn cosmetics again. Will had been fascinated to see her applying kohl around her eyes with a small brush and would sit and watch her brush her now shoulder length hair when she removed her headscarf.
As Djaq reached across to table she looked down at her hands and saw the intricate henna designs that ran from the tips of her slender fingers to midway on her arms. They had been tattooed for a local wedding the previous week and the dye was now beginning to fade as was the memory of that happy evening when some of the locals had finally began to accept Will after months of hostility.
Still…that didn't matter now. He wasn't here for them to accept anymore.
Djaq picked up a small knife from the desk and lifted it to her head. The life she had grown used to again was over. There was no denying it now. She began to cut.
The dark shining locks of her hair began to fall to the ground around her.
2 days earlier…
Will leant against a wall and sighed closing his eyes. He could feel the sweat trickling down his back and slowly start to seep into his thin linen tunic. The whole morning helping Bassam to dig an irrigation channel in the fields adjacent to their home had sapped him of energy in the sweltering sun of Acre.
He had been here for months now but was still finding it hard to acclimatize to the extreme shifts in temperatures between day and night. Now as the sun had reached its pinnacle they had returned to the shady courtyard of the house to rest.
He brought his hand to his face and wiped it across his brow.
A small laugh began just besides him and he looked up to see Djaq smiling down at him in amusement. Her hair waving in the gentle breeze and framing her beautiful face.
"You just wiped dirt all over your face Will!" she said in her singsong voice.
He smiled and gratefully took the platter of food that she offered him. Full of food that he had found so strange at first but now found comforting. A sign of how much his life had changed. Food here was not scarce at the moment what with a lull in the fighting and they had enjoyed a peace that neither had felt in years.
Yes his heart still ached to see the gang…especially Allan whom he had just began to rekindle a bond with before they left but then he looked up at Djaq who now sat besides him and rubbed her own delicate hands across his face to remove the dirt. She meant more to him than anything right now.
They had talked more than ever before. Simply able to talk to each other, say anything and then at night fall into each others arms safe in the knowledge that they were under a solid roof and not a forest canopy with the ever present threat of discovery.
Life was good.
He began to tuck into the food with gusto and washed each mouthful down with water still cool from the well having worked up a considerable appetite with all the physical activity.
Later when the irrigation channel was complete Will planned to work on the table that he had been crafting for Bassam. Something towards repaying the kindness that he had shown them.
"So what do you have planned this aftern…"
He was cut off abruptly mid sentence by the rhythmic pounding of galloping horses and was immediately alert. There may well have been a lull in the fighting but years of hardship had made Will ready for anything. Grabbing his small axe that was ever present at his hip he looked to Djaq as they both scrambled to their feet the plate of food spilling into the ground.
The galloping became louder and as Will tensed at least ten men on horses thundered into the courtyard all bearing the crest of the Lionheart. Richards men were here. Why?
The Knight at the front pulled hard on the reigns on his horse and said in a booming voice. "Are you William Scarlett and the Saracen known as Djaq?"
Will nodded cautiously. The King had not spoken to them since they had stood side by side at Marians grave. What did he want with them now?
"Richard commands your presence forthwith. You are both to saddle horses and come with us immediately!" said the Knight.
Will looked to Djaq and sighed. So much for the peaceful life!
-o0o-
As they were led into the encampment Will kept a protective arm around Djaq remembering the hostile reaction to her last time. Yes, the King and his personal knew them but other soldiers were trained to kill all Saracens.
The sun beat down on the camp and Will shielded his eyes whist scanning for the Kings Tent. It stood in the centre surrounded by his guards. Tall imposing men who looked at them both suspiciously as they cautiously entered the tent.
Inside it was cooler and Will saw Djaq remove the pink shawl that had been draped over her head to shield her from the heat. Towards the back of the tent the regal and bulky figure of the King paced back and forth both hands clasped into fists and held up near his chest.
Will exchanged glances with Djaq before dropping to his knees in reverence for his leader. Coughing slightly to get Richards attention he spoke "My liege. You summoned for us?" He saw Djaq incline her head and smile out of respect for the King.
Richard looked up startled as if he hadn't noticed them entering. He beamed at them making the worried frown that had been all over his features melt away and held his arms out to them. "Will, Djaq! It is good to see you my friends!"
He walked over to where Will was kneeling and grabbed him around the shoulders and guiding him up strongly to a stand. "It is I who should bow down to you Will and to you Djaq." Richard turned to Djaq and taking her hand is his own bent down to kiss it.
"You are both looking well! I see that the current truce is good for you. You both seem very…relaxed." Said Richard and smiled
Djaq blushed and lowered her eyes from the King.
Will was intrigued now though. Why had they been summoned here and why had the King been looking so worried as they entered the room? "Sire, did you need us for something? Your messenger seemed urgent" he asked looking closely at his King and noticing that the man seemed to have aged far too much since they had last spoken.
Richard looked up at him and his featured hardened. He nodded grimly. "Spoken like a true fighter Will. Come come my friends we have much to discuss and I fear I have a mission that requires you both!"
He lifted his arm and indicated for them to sit on a pile of cushions in the corner of the tent. "What I am about to tell you has implications not only for the Crusade but for England…I need you to return to Nottingham with vital information."
-o0o-
What seemed like hours later a weary Will and Djaq emerged from the tent both pale and shocked at what they had heard. Their heads buzzing with information and plans. Plans to sail back to England and the dangers that they faced.
Both had been reluctant at first. Reluctant not to help the King and see their friends again but reluctant to leave their new lives behind.
As they began to walk away Richard pulled Will back and frantically whispered something into his ear. Djaq stopped in her tracks and irritably wondered why she was not privy to this information. What worried her most though was the way that the remains of the colour on Wills face drained away and his eyes widened. She saw him gulp and close his eyes as he nodded slowly.
Richard released Will and immediately changed his expression to smile and look happy in front of his guards who had turned slightly at the frantic whispering.
"Go my friends! Your ship sails in two days. Until then return to your house. Say your goodbyes. Try to relax…and thank you!"
Hand in hand and with a heavy weight on their shoulders Will and Djaq began to walk towards their horses.
-o0o-
Will woke with a start. He was still lying, long limbs entwined around Djaq's small body, a thin linen sheet covering them. A crashing sound had woken him and now instantly alert he could hear horses neighing in the courtyard. There were others in the house!
Another noise echoed through the room and he saw Djaq's eyes spring open startled in the moonlight filtering through the window. Shaking his head silently he rose from the bed carefully and dragged on his trousers which lay scattered with the rest of their clothes around the bed. Djaq followed suit pulling a long linen tunic over her head…and then they heard it.
"Saracen scum!"
There were men in the house and evidently they had found Bassam! Will froze for a moment and looked to Djaq whose shocked expression stared back at him. In the next moment Will sprung into action and he darted forward to grab his axes from the corner of the room where they rested. He turned and grabbed hold of Djaq with his free hand before heading to the door.
-o0o-
Will held onto Djaq's arm tightly as they cautiously moved from shadow to shadow throughout the house. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest interspersed with the sounds of smashing and the incensed rages of Bassam.
"How dare you!" and "You have no right to be in my home…LEAVE now!"
This was swiftly followed by a dull thudding. The unmistakable sound of clenched fist impacting against bone covered in flesh. "Silence you Saracen filth!"
He felt Djaq tense besides him and he gripped her tightly to prevent her from rushing forwards. Shaking his head to urge caution he moved forwards slowly edging towards the large open reception chamber which seemed a buzz with activity. The tension in the air was palpable as they neared the corner entrance to the room and Will peered cautiously around to assess the situation.
Pulling his head in quickly Will closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath unable to looking into the terrified eyes of Djaq. "What is it….what do you see?" she pleaded barely audible.
"Black Knights…at least eight of them and they have Bassam knelt on the floor with a sword at his throat!" he whispered back. Djaq gasped but her battle experienced eyes darkened and narrowed.
What did the Knights want?
More importantly…what could they do to get Bassam out of the situation?
However the Knights evidently knew exactly what was going on though for suddenly a deep voice boomed out.
"We know you are there peasant boy with your Saracen harlot! Come out now or this filth will not see the morning!"
The muscles in Wills jaw clenched with rage and he could feel the sheen of cold sweat begin to form over his shaking body. He couldn't let Bassam die but then again how could he let himself fall into the hands of the Knights knowing what he did? Still…Bassam was family now and family meant everything to him after loosing his mother and father at the evil hands of the Sheriff.
He felt himself stand slowly and the alarmed tightening of Djaq's grip on his. "Will you can't give yourself up to them. We have to come up with something else to get Bassam away safely. The King needs you! I need you!" She whispered desperately.
"Time is running out boy!" came the voice again and followed by a cry of pain as someone, Bassam obviously, was beaten.
Will looked down on her and fixed his pale green eyes on hers. He cupped his hands around her face taking in all the delicate features and inhaled savoring the scent of jasmine mixed with spices that he associated with her now. Leanining he touched his own lips to hers and kissed her lightly. Afraid that if he leant in any further he would not be able to do what he had to he pulled back and dropped his hands from her.
"I have to do this Djaq. Trust me!" he said and slowly stepped around the corner his jaw firmly set and his head held high.
The Knights in front of him laughed when they saw him standing there glaring and wearing only his trousers his axes .gripped tightly in both hands.
"Lord preserve us! If we had known that you were such a scrawny fellow I could have brought my wench to do this job!" bellowed the man who had been calling them. "Still our source in the Kings encampment informed us that you are the one who has all the information."
Wills eyes were filled with anger mixed with shock. Someone in Richards camp had betrayed him…betrayed them. Had put them in mortal danger. What would Robin do now?
"I have no idea what you are on about, leave this house now. You have no right to be here" he said calmly concealing the rage he felt.
He shifted his eyes towards Bassam who was still struggling and was looking towards Will. Will shook his head ever so slightly urging the man to stop. It would not end well for him like this.
"Ah look lads! He thinks we will leave without the one thing we came for!" said the man spreading his arms and turning slightly at the others who all laughed. Evil laughs. Laughter which reverberated around the room.
The man stopped suddenly making a slicing motion at his throat and the laughter stopped abruptly. "What we want is you Mister Scarlett and what I want I usually get! The Sheriff will be very interested to hear the information that you know and then of course he will have you to toy with. I hear that he is very interested in human pain response!
Will kept his eyes focused on the man unwilling to show the fear that now coursed though his veins but from the corner of his vision he saw Bassam struggling violently. "He belongs here! You cannot take him! William listen to me. Do not give yourself up my son!" he shouted.
Will took a step forward to Bassam but the leader of the men pointed his drawn sword glinting in the torchlight towards the struggling man. "SILENCE!" he bellowed.
The air in the room was thick with tension and Will fought every muscle in his body that was screaming out to fight. He couldn't let Bassam be but down. The man was the only family Djaq had left in this country and by extension was now part of Wills family. What to do for the best?
Bassam however seemed to know what do to.
Will saw the man take a deep breath as though he was drawing strength from somewhere. Suddenly Bassam threw himself forward and managed to free his arms that had been held by strong arms. He yelled out "Run William! Get out. Make sure that Saffiyah is safe!" and aimed a vicious punch at the nearest Black Knight.
It all happened in slow motion. Will was torn between leaping forward to help and grabbing Djaq to run. Before he had the chance though the lead man moved forward with the ease of a skilled fighter and drove his weapon deep into the chest of Bassam turning the sword as it went in to cause maximum damage.
Bassam didn't even have the chance to cry out. His eyes widened in shock and then as the man roughly removed the sword he fell forward motionless.
Just as Will was about to react he heard a primeval scream of grief behind him and turned to see Djaq rushing forwards holding her dagger aloft. There was no time to run now and besides Djaq would not leave without a fight.
He lifted his own axes and ran forward with her pure rage showing on his face.
-o0o-
Djaq has been silently listening to the events in the room next to her. Head pressed flatly against the wall next to the doorway. She was sure that the pounding that her heart made would be heard as Will walked into the room.
She had stifled a cry when the man revealed that he wanted to take Will but it had taken until Bassam had yelled out for them to run that she knew they were in danger and she had moved into the doorway just as the sword plunged into his chest. Fury propelled her forwards as the grief sunk in and she screamed seeing Will move forward with her in her periphery.
They had no chance against 8 highly trained Knights.
Trying not to look at the fallen body of Bassam Djaq rushed to the nearest Black knight and emitted a war cry as she swung her dagger down on him. It collided with his upturned sword and reverberated off, the shockwaves rushing up her arm. She parried quickly before he could strike her and sliced her dagger across his outstretched arm satisfied by the flash of red she left behind and the howl of pain from the man.
To her left Djaq could see Will moving swiftly and deadly with his axes. He had already taken down one Knight with a brutal chop to his midriff and was now advancing on the main Knight. The man who had killed Bassam.
Defending herself once more from a longsword strike Djaq jumped backwards holding her dagger in front to deflect the blow. The man was strong and each strike robbed her of some energy.
A commotion drew her attention though and she saw Will holding his own against the leader who was a big oaf of a man. Will may have been quite slight but he was a good fighter and years of carpentry had made him strong and agile. But what he couldn't anticipate was another of the Knights coming up behind him a small dagger in his hand.
Djaq wanted to cry out but she was breathless from deflecting the flurry of blows from her opponent. She saw the glint of the dagger as it was plunged low into Wills back evoking a yell of agony from her lover and the malevolent gleam of satisfaction from the leader as he ceased his attack. Watching Will grasp feebly at his back and slide face down to the floor.
Forgetting her own attacker Djaq spun on her heels to face the man but felt a hard and painful blow to the head. As she slumped down her vision tunneling and fading the last thing that she saw were Wills eyes looking up to her and his mouth was opening and closing desperately trying to speak.
-o0o-
When she awoke untold time later Djaq was staring into the glassy eyes of Bassam. Clearly he had been dead for hours. Everything rushed back to her in a flash and she sat up far to fast clutching at her head. Where was Will?
Looking to where he had fallen she saw a pool of thick congealed blood which was smeared across the floor as though he had been dragged off.
He was gone.
Present
When all of her hair was cut she didn't bother to clear it. The house had nothing for her now so why bother. Bassam had been the life and soul of this place, his voice reverberating throughout its cool corridors and bringing it to life. He had been her last remaining connection to this place, now he lay rotting in the ground she had nothing.
With him dead and Will grievously injured and taken from her she could not stay here.
Despite everything she still had a message to deliver to Robin and she hoped beyond hope that he could help her find Will…if he still lived.
Will was her family now and if she could get him back home would be wherever he was.
In the darkness Djaq removed her clothes. They had been a comfort to her on their return, but now they had to be discarded. I order to get back to England safely alone Djaq could see only one course of action. She had to appear as a boy again.
Almost immediately the hairs on her skin raised in the cool night air but Djaq didn't notice so focused on the task at hand. She padded around the room gathering together some clothes and her jewelry. Useless to her now except as a form or payment for safe passage to England.
Then still naked she walked softly through the deserted house to the servents quarters. They were empty of course…the servants having run when the black knights had arrived. Djaq immediately went to a small chest at the back of the room and opened it. Inside were the few meager possessions of Ibou the kitchen lad, He was roughly her size and it was his clothes that would fit her best.
Using only the hazy moonlight to guide her she dressed quickly into his trousers and tunic top making her look very much how she had appeared the first time she had traveled to England. It broke her heart to loose the femininity that she had rightfully reclaimed but it would not be safe to make the journey as a lone female.
Finally she took hold of the tag that still meant so much to her and tucked it inside her top along with the small amulet that Will had intricately carved for her in the abstract Islamic style. These two most precious possessions could not be left behind under any circumstances.
It would be light in a few hours.
No looking back now.
-o0o-
Djaq was now stood back at the grave. The grave she had been forced to dig herself atop the hill overlooking Acre. Bassam had loved this place, he had loved life…but that life had been cruelly ended.
The first shafts of sunlight could be seen on the horizon now and Djaq could not delay any more. She had wanted to say a last goodbye to the man who had been like a father to her and taken them into his house.
"Farewell Bassam, you will not be forgotten." She whispered with her head bowed.