Dwyn's POV

"Aim for the wings of the ranks, make them cluster!" Arthur yelled.

We all fired at once, and countless Saxons fell on either side. Like tumbling blocks, they clumped together, away from their fallen comrades. I smiled as I drew back another arrow, knowing the plan was working, and admiring Arthur's cleverness. Now, if only the damned ice would break. We fired again, each arrow hitting a target. But somehow, nine less Saxons didn't seem to make the mass any smaller, no matter how many rounds we fired.

Again and again, our arrows flew, I was doing my best to pick off the small ones and leave the large ones so there would be more weight on the ice.

We never missed.

But they never stopped.

Finally, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arthur kneel and put his hand on the snow-covered ice, and I suddenly realized how cold and numb my own fingers were. I would have looked, but I was too frightened that they would be blue.

"It's not gonna break. Back!" He shouted. "Back!" He drew Excalibur and glanced my way, I put my bow down and slowly drew my own sword. Our eyes looked for a moment before everyone else's weapons blocked our view of one another.

I looked at Caeli, who had just ripped her own eyes away from Tristan.

We nodded at one another.

"Good luck!" I whispered to the Heavens, meaning it for everyone…but mostly for Arthur.

"Prepare for combat!" I heard him yell.

Suddenly, with a loud cry, Dagonet threw down his sword and wielded his axe. He ran from the group, toward the Saxons.

"Dag!" Bors yelled.

"Cover him!" Arthur demanded.

I threw down my sword and took up my bow once again, shooting arrow after arrow at ravenous speed, this time, aiming for the archers on the front line.

Dagonet pounded the ice furiously, a cry piercing the air each time the axe met the ice. Our whole line shot feverishly, desperate to protect him in his attempt to save us all from the fate we'd almost resigned to.

Another blow and another.

Then finally, a loud crack, and the Saxons looked down nervously.

The ice was breaking at last.

Then, in that moment of aw, a single arrow struck Dagonet and he fell back to his knees.

"Dag!" Bors screamed yet again.

Arthur Left the line, running for Dagonet, who was a breath away from plunging into the icy depths, and somehow, the ice still did not break.

"Arthur!" I screamed. I ran after him, only my bow in hand, my cloak flying back behind me.

Dagonet took one last hack, and the ice finally fell from beneath the Saxons' feet. Then, he fell into the hole he'd made. Arthur, who I'd caught up to, slid to a halt on his knees, and reached into the water. I stopped beside of him as well, and then reached down, grabbing a fistful of Dagonet's cloak.

We pulled together, and for a moment, I even forgot the cold.

"Dag!" Bors shouted, he came up behind us with a shield, and then took Dagonet's arm, helping us drag him back with us.

The archers had regained footing, sending a shower of arrows down on us again.

"Pull back! Arthur!" I heard the distant cry of Lancelot.

"Dwyn!" He demanded roughly, dodging an arrow as one narrowly missed my right shoulder at the same time. "Get out of here!"

"I won't leave you!" I yelled back, dragging Dagonet with all my strength.

Arthur switched sides, standing in front of me.

"Help us!" Bors shouted over his shoulder.

Within moments, Gawain, Tristan, and Caeli rushed past us, shooting the archers down and leaving us to drag Dagonet.

As the last of the ice cracked, we lay Dagonet's head down gently, and I used my dagger to open the seem of his shirt.

I drew back my hand…and saw blood.

I looked at Arthur in horror, who was breathing hard and looked angry enough to scream.

I looked at my bands attain, and for the first time, they shook with the cold. The tips of my fingers were blue.

Arthur took them in his, rubbing them furiously to warm them. But he kept his eyes on Dagonet.

"Stay with me! Dagonet! Stay with me" Bors yelled.

Caeli turned back and met my eyes as the last of the Saxons, and Dagonet's eyes, fell.

I shook my head slowly, and lowered it in sadness, my fingers still in Arthur's, Dagonet's blood on both our hands.