Caeli's POV

AT the news of Kosak, salty tears rose in my eyes and for once in my life, I didn't stop them from falling. I knew Dwyn would blame herself for what had happened, but I knew that the fault was more mine than hers. After all…I had struck him. I still could not see how anyone could treat people in the manner Marius did.

I let my silent heartaches fall from my eyes as I drifted into blackness yet again.

A time after that, I'm not sure how long though, a set of guards carried a young unconscious woad boy down into the bloody pit.

The two evil monks smiled at the sight, and told the guards to drop him down one of the holes across from where Dwyn and I'd cells were. This was again a show of Marius' devious thought of justice.

I prayed that the boy would be all right as I too fell into unconsciousness.

After another span of time passed, I was pulled out of sleep, if that's what you wish to call it, by the sound of one of the monks yelling.

"Who are these defilers of the Lord's temple?"

'What's going on?' I thought as I opened my eyes and let them focus, then moved to the bars of my cell so I could see what was going on.

"Out of the way!" A man ordered.

I heard footsteps of others following the first man in. The man then said to another one that was in Roman armor, "The work of your God. Is this how he answers your prayers?"

Ignoring the other man, the Roman said, "See if there's still any alive."

Now that the newcomers had moved further into this hole, I saw there were about four in all. They started opening the cells around the room…they would find Dwyn and I last, the way they were moving.

One of the monks grabbed the first man by the arm and said, "How dare you set foot in this holy place?!"

The man drove his short sword into the monk's gut, and he fell over dead.

"There was a man of God!" The remaining monk said horrified.

"Not my God!" The man spat, pushing past the monk.

"This one's dead." A bald man called.

"By the smell, they're all dead." A blonde one answered, then turned to the monk and darkly hissed, "And you, you even move, you join him." He pointed at the dead monk with his sword.

"Arthur!" The bald man called to the Roman.

'Arthur?' I thought, looking at the Roman. 'Arthur Castus?' The one the whole of Britan is talking about as if he is God himself? Of course, he would save us.'

The blonde man kneeled down in front of myself and glanced into my violet eyes, I looked back into his slate blue ones with just a hint of green.

"I've found one alive." He called in a sort of dreamy voice. He then stood up again and cut through the chains with his sword, the bars to my cell fell open, and then he leaned down and scooped me up into his arms.

Once I was free of the cell and in the arms of the blonde man, I looked back to make sure that someone had gotten Dwyn free as well. I found her in Arthur's arms.

Gawain's POV

I kneeled down in front of the lower middle cell and peered in at a young violet-eyes woman. She looked as if she had all but withered away to nothing and the dress she wore was covered in dirt, but even through all of that, I could tell she was beautiful.

Her violet eyes held my gaze for what seemed like an eternity, before I found sense enough to tell the others I had found someone alive.

"I've found one alive!" I called in a voice I almost didn't recall being my own.

I then stood again and cut through the chains to the tiny cell. The door fell open and leaned down, took her in my arms, and out of the cell.

(Note: we know this sounds like Caeli/Gawain, but it's not, we promise. We just thought a little love triangle drama would make it interesting.)

Third person

Arthur led the way out of the pit with Dwyn in his arms, and Gawain followed him closely with Caeli. Lancelot and Dagonet bring up the end, Dagonet carrying Lucan, the little Woad boy.

Dwyn's POV

My eyes opened at the sound of the raised voices of the monks.

"Who are these defilers of the Lord's temple?" I heard one spit. I didn't even think to wonder who it was that had come, I just prayed that they would not be put through what I was going through.

There were hushed voices, and a struggle. With one move of my head, I could have seen what was going on, but I felt like it would kill me, and I hadn't resigned to death just yet.

I let my head fall back on the wall, only the trembles of fever that now always stayed with me moving me. My eyes fell closed again, and I began to lose interest in what was going on.

Suddenly, there was a loud clang, and my eyes flew half open to see the gate I'd been confined behind laying flat on the stone floor, and a man gazing in at me, sword in hand. I was vaguely aware of how handsome he was, but all I cared about at that point was the fact that he was able to get me out. My eyes fell closed, but I felt him crawl in and pull me out. Once free of the cell, he stood up with me in his arms bridal style.

Forcing my eyes open once again. I made out a blonde man in front of us carrying Caeli, then laid my head back on the man carrying me's chest. After he'd climbed the stairs, I felt the cold wind of the coming winter smack my burning face, and the light of a somewhat dimmed sun penetrate my eyelids.

I silently praised God for the light after so long a time of darkness. I opened my eyes to look around, and saw that a light snow had begun to fall…what season had it been when we left? Was it really still winter?
The man carrying me called for water as he gently laid me on the ground. I shivered and groaned as my back became straight on the frozen, ice hard ground. I began to realize I was breathing hard in my fever, and though I was freezing, I felt sweat pouring off of my forehead.

As a woman I recognized to be Marius' wife ran over with water, the man leaned down and place the palm of his hand on my forehead. As shiver ran down my spine as he touched me and I met his eyes with my own. His touch was so gently and caring, and his eyes matched the feel of his hand. They were deep and wide, full of pain, it seemed, and longing, though I didn't know what for. And I had a feeling he didn't know wither. They were alight color, so clear. I felt I would drown in them, and they seemed to change color each time they flickered over my face.

I coughed quietly, the cold air stinging my raw throat. I saw Fulcinia hand him water and he brought it slowly down to my lips, tipping it slightly to allow the cold water to run down my throat. I swallowed it gratefully, though it stung and made me cough again. I laid my head back on the ground and closed my eyes, feeling faint.

"Dagonet, my bed roll."

The man said firmly, I watched the bald knight make his way over to a tall white steed and retrieve what the man had requested. He ran over and handed it to his leader, who spread it over me and felt my forehead again.

"I'm a Roman officer. You're safe now…you're safe." He said softly.

Suddenly, I heard a voice I'd never wished to hear again, the voice of the only man I'd ever hated.

"Stop what you are doing!" Marius yelled angrily.

The man stood and stepped over me, facing Marius, his long red cape blocking me from view.

Fulcinia kneeled beside me and felt my forehead. The next few moments, there were raised voice, though I could not make out the words over the darkness that was beginning to surround me…

Eventually, it overtook me, I fell asleep. But for the first time in a long time, I felt safe.

Caeli's POV

I snapped my eyes closed as we emerged form the pit, though it was not sunny, the sudden change from darkness to light had surprised me. I then slowly reopened them as the man that was carrying me sat me down gently on the ground. He then looked to the surrounding knights and called to the closest one.

"Tristan, bring me your water!"

I looked up at the man on horseback; he had messy black hair that fell into his eyes with a few braids here and there. Beyond his hair, I could see a pair of sharp brown eyes. He looked at the man who had been carrying me as one would look at a madman, before he dismounted and handed the blonde man his water, then kneeled down beside me as well.

"Thank you." The blonde man said, and then slowly brought the freezing liquid to my lips.

The water set my throat on fire and made me cough for a long while.

"Well." Tristan said. "They're not Woads."

"Stop what you are doing!" Marius yelled in outrage as he stormed toward Arthur, who was tending to Dwyn.

Arthur stood up and protectively stepped in front of Dwyn. "What is this madness?!"

"They are all pagans here!" Marius said as if that justified what he had done.

I tried to say 'no,' but I had not used my voice in…well, God only knows how long, so I only caused myself to cough.

"They refuse to do the task God has set for them! They must die as an example!" Marius continued.

"You mean they refused to be your serfs?!" Arthur roared.

Marius was shocked. "You are a Roman. You understand. And you are a Christian!"

Arthur punched Marius, knocking him to the ground. Arthur then drew his sword and pointed it at Marius neck. Marius guards rushed forward, but he stopped them. "No, no! Stop!" He then looked up at Arthur. "When we get to the wall, you will be punished for this heresy."

"Perhaps I should kill you now and seal my fate." Arthur said moving his blade closer to Marius.

Then, the monk spoke in a dreamlike answer, "I was willing to die with them. Yes, to lead them to their rightful place. It is God's wish that these sinners be sacrificed. Only then can their souls be saved."

Arthur moved away from Marius, who quickly got to his feet and headed back toward the monks. "Then I shall grant his wish." He then turned to his knights. "Wall them back up."

"Arthur." Tristan said, but he was looking toward the hills, not at to whom he spoke.

"I said, wall them up!" Arthur repeated.

The villagers stepped forward and pushed the monks back into the building that lead to the pit, then started to build a wall where the door had been

Arthur then resheathed his sword and lifted a now sleeping Dwyn into his arms. "Gawain." He said to the blonde man, who nodded and picked me up again. They took us to a nearby wagon.

First, Arthur climbed up and gently sat Dwyn down, then Gawain sat me down next to her. Arthur made sure. Dwyn was completely covered with a blanket before feeling her forehead. Gawain pulled a blanket over me then smiled down at me.

"Thank you." I whispered before coughing again.

He nodded before he and Arthur left. I closed my eyes and for the first time in a long time fell into a peaceful sleep.