Chapter 4: Gaps, and Passes
Author's note: This… is where I begin a few things.
A short comedy/clues for story Omake will be posted at the end of the chapter.
Sometimes I will refer to Saber as Arturia, particularly if it is coming from the perspective of a Fellowship member. After all, nobody on The Fellowship calls Saber Saber after all.
Also, the shipping of Saber and Boromir will commence, which I think is an interesting pairing that has promise. If you don't like it please tell me, but I'm not moving my stance. In this fanfiction, I'd like to expand Boromir's role in the film as we only seem to see a very limited aspect of him. Also, they are of similar age, well Saber's technically 1000, but if we were to assume her age from Lancelot and everybody around her, who were actually her contemporaries, she's had to have lived for about more than 30 years which would give enough time for her to have a "Golden Reign" and an eventual fall. As they said in the legend and typemoon wiki, its just that Avalon kept her looking young. Also, Boromir is 41, therefore their age is actually not too far off though Saber looks like she's 19.
"Get away from the blade, Pippin." Boromir cut down, his sword clashing on Pippin's. "On your toes." Pippin jumped away. "Good, very good. I want you to react, not think."
Saber allowed the ends of her lips to curl up slightly as Boromir instructed Merry and Pippin how to fight. She would comment, but she had her own students. Besides, Aragorn was doing quite well with his quips.
"Frodo, Sam, try that pattern again, ten times. This time, with more power in the stabs," she ordered. The two Hobbits nodded and obediently began to make their way through the basic sword pattern Saber had taught them. Head block, low block, side block, followed by a step forward and a diagonal slash, and so forth.
"Arturia, don't you think you should actually use a blade in order to teach them?" asked Boromir. He had finally managed to extricate himself from the devils that were Merry and Pippin.
"My sword's form is too challenging for a beginner to duel against. Also, it is necessary for the students get the basic form down first before learning anything too advanced, or else they will develop bad habits that will get them killed in battle," said Saber, watching Frodo and Sam closely.
"Spoken like a true drillmaster, but we have little time before they might face combat. Surely one-on-one practice would be more practical?" said Boromir.
"You mean that tomfoolery that you and your "students" were showing me?" responded Saber coldly, eyes narrowed as Sam and Frodo went through a particularly difficult part of the pattern.
"You doubt my skill, sir knight?"
Saber glanced at Boromir. "I cannot judge it when I have not seen it," she answered honestly.
Boromir rubbed his chin, and began to buckle his shield on. "Then why don't we give our students a demonstration?"
Raising an eyebrow, Saber told Frodo and Sam to stop before she followed Boromir to a flat, sandy area of the hill they were camped.
Boromir drew his sword first and raised it in a salute. Saber drew her Invisible Air coated Excalibur, but to Boromir's eye, it looked as if Arturia had taken a stance… without actually holding a sword.
"Uhh Saber, we are waiting for you to draw your blade," said Boromir, frowning at Arturia's clasped hands. It looked as if she was holding something, but he couldn't see anything. Though, there seemed to be some sort of… warping in the air in front of her.
Saber smirked and brought her blade up, and slashed at the rock below her. With nary a spark, a thin cut appeared on the rock, raising Boromir's, Legolas's and Gandalf's eyebrows in surprise.
Gimli was far more vocal in his gasp and splutter. "What type of sorcery is that?"
Saber gave a few demonstratory swipes. "Invisible Air. It is a magical enchantment that coats my sword with a razor-sharp sheath of compressed wind surrounding a vacuum. This renders my blade nearly invisible to the naked eye, and increases its cutting power."
"What a cunning enchantment," said Boromir in awe.
Aragorn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It would make it impossible for an opponent to judge the length of your blade. Ingenious. Can you extend it over a wider area or larger object?" Saber nodded, addressing the ranger's astute question.
Legolas's narrowed almost to pinpricks. "You're right Aragorn. I can just judge the length of the blade, but barely. It is as if my sight is being bent and distorted all around it."
Saber smiled and saluted with her sword. "An accurate assessment, Legolas. Shall we begin, Boromir?"
Boromir nodded and the two fighters sprang at each other.
From what Saber had seen of Boromir while he was teaching, she knew his bladework was precise, and his use of the shield was effective. So for a normal man, Boromir was an excellent fighter. However, Saber had the overwhelming advantage of her Prana Burst ability. By concentrating the massive amount of mana she had and releasing it, her smaller body could keep up and even overpower Boromir's strikes.
The problem with that ability is that it required concentration and timing, but Saber had fought so many battles, that her instincts were honed to the point that surprise attacks were practically useless against her. Combined, her abilities should easily overpower Boromir.
For a time, they continued to exchange stabs, cuts, lunges, slashes and blocks, Saber restraining the amount of prana she put into them. Boromir often resorted to his shield to parry Excalibur's blows as he could not judge for the length of the blade or its movements. The first time he had blocked though, his eyes had widened at the weight of Saber's strike and he nearly buckled.
Saber reinforced her sword again as she blocked Boromir's blade and stepped back to dodge his shield bash. She had not broken a sweat, and Boromir was panting. Yet, he was not going down as quickly as she expected. She using but a tiny fraction of her prana output, but she was hitting him rather hard. Frowning, Saber added more prana to her body and lunged forward feinting to Boromir's leg, but bringing Excalibur up and down. He just managed to get his shield under, his teeth clenched as he blocked.
It was then Saber noticed that Boromir stepped back and to the side, allowing the curved surface of his shield to redirect the force of her attack, so that he was never taking the full weight of the blow. Even so, he had nearly buckled under Saber's newest strike, but by doing so he managed to keep his grip on his shield.
"Clever, you are redirecting the force of my strikes," said Saber.
"Orcs hit pretty hard, so I had to pick up that skill. I am amazed though. How can such a little girl like you hit so heavily—" Boromir lunged forward, bringing his sword down onto Excalibur in a two handed blow. Saber reinforced her body and met his block, before forcing him back. Not that it was an effortless task as Boromir was a man at the peak of his condition.
"I use the prana or mana in my body to augment my strength. It also provides energy that fuels my scabbard's healing properties," explained Saber lunging forward.
"So you're a wizard?" asked Boromir, wisely using the flat of his blade to somewhat clumsily knock the invisible sword aside. His eyes were narrowed as he carefully observed Saber's movements in order to ascertain her actions. The rest of their companions had gathered to watch... and were Gimli and Legolas betting on the outcome?
"No. I am a knight. I just use prana," said Saber, deciding not to tell Boromir she had the prana output of a dragon, whose blood ran in her veins. If Gandalf knew Merlin, who was the one that granted her this ability, he would probably recognize her. Lord Elrond's words had been some comfort to her, but she liked where she was in the group who recognized as a knight, an exceptionally powerful one, but only as a knight.
Not as a king of a fallen country.
"Then you were probably the best knight of your realm," said Boromir gingerly. To defeat a Nazgul meant that the girl was a master swordswoman, but now that Boromir was actually fighting Arturia, he realized it was an understatement. She was like an elf who had studied swordcraft all her life, and Boromir could tell that Arturia was holding back. It was only his vast experience as Captain of Gondor that allowed him to vaguely predict Arturia's next attack in order to block it.
He disengaged and began to circle Saber, looking for an opening in her posture. Boromir could tell Arturia's sword was a straight-edged blade of some kind. A broadsword, and each broadsword had the characteristic weakness of giving the wielder a slower time to react to attacks, due to their sometimes unwieldy length and weight. He decided take advantage of that fact.
"No, I was not," said Saber in reply, matching Boromir's footsteps. She knew that honor of the best knight in her realm went to Lancelot. And even he…
Saber tightened her grip on her sword as she remembered Lancelot's final fate. He had gone mad with hate for her for sentencing Guinevere, his love. So much anger had filled him that he had become the Berserker class of the Fourth Grail War, where he had met his end on the sword she now wielded.
She was so caught up in her own memories that Saber was taken aback as Boromir, who noticed her slight loss of concentration, charge forward. She was in no danger though thanks to her super-keen instincts and long years of practice. Using a large burst of her prana, Saber brought her sword up to block the blade, which she followed by a prana reinforced kick to Boromir's stomach.
Boromir gasped as he was sent flying backward into a rock where he slumped down. By Elendil, he had seen Arturia's eyes waver for a second and charged, but she had reacted so quickly, it was as if she had expected him to attack her. Coughing, the man gripped his ribs. He felt like a troll had kicked him, and this little girl wasn't even half the size of one.
Eyes widening, Saber sheathed Excalibur and rushed forward. "Boromir! I'm sorry, I lost focus and forgot to hold back."
"If that is what happens when you hold back, I'd hate to fight you when you aren't," groaned Boromir as he sheathed his sword and accepted Saber's hand.
Saber averted her gaze and then gasped as she went flying forward. "Aaaah!"
Instead of hoisting himself up, Boromir had yanked on Saber's hand, causing her to fall forward. He had intended it as a joke, a sly bit of payback, but Saber was so light even with her armor that she collapsed onto Boromir instead.
The two turned red due to the close proximity of their faces, and immediately scrambled apart from each other, brushing each other off and standing up. Saber could see Gandalf smiling knowingly, while Aragorn and Legolas smirked. Gimli and the Hobbits, even Frodo, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Sorry, I meant it as a joke," coughed Boromir. He was finding it rather difficult to stop thinking about Arturia's beautiful eyes though.
"None taken," said Saber, pointedly not looking at Boromir's face.
Just then, Legolas spotted something in the sky. Alarm spreading across his elven features he pointed to the air and shouted. "Crebain from Dunland!"
Saber had no idea what he meant, but the Fellowship, after seeing the fast-approaching black cloud, grabbed their equipment and began to hide. Saber found a bush and ducked into it, yanking Pippin after her and putting her hand over his mouth. He always got into trouble, so she was making him a priority target.
The dark, bird-like things screeched by, keeping low to the ground, but they did not see the Fellowship. When they had finally departed, the Fellowship emerged from their hidey holes.
Gandalf looked worriedly at the sky. "Spies of passage South is being watched." Saber grimaced. Gandalf had told her earlier that Saruman, one of the most powerful wizards, had betrayed the Peoples of Middle Earth, and from the looks of it, Saruman was going to hound them for a long time.
Pointing up to the snowy mountain Gandalf declared. "We must take the pass of Caradhras!"
A few days later…
The Lady of the Lake had blessed Saber, so she would never be impeded by water, granting her the ability to walk on water. Unfortunately, unlike Legolas who could somehow walk on snow, Saber didn't have that option. What she could do though was use her Prana Burst to reinforce her muscles and literally plough through any embankment or snow, using Excalibur's Invisible Air to help her bash through more difficult drifts. This was how she ended up leading the Fellowship up the mountain, with Gandalf giving her directions.
It also meant though that she missed the entire exchange over the ring between Boromir, Frodo and Aragorn, and only found out when Frodo told her in the evening.
"Boromir did that?" Saber glanced at the man, who was merrily having a brief snowball fight with Gimli, Pippin and Merry. In their spar a few days ago, he had been courteous, cunning, but all in all a good mannered person. Now he looked… relaxed, nothing like the entranced man Frodo had described.
"I didn't believe it too, but the look in his eyes…" Frodo shuddered as he placed his hand over his chest. "I know what I saw."
Saber narrowed her eyes at Boromir, recalling his speech at the Council. She didn't doubt Frodo for a second. She knew what love for anything, in this case, for one's own kingdom, could do to a desperate man. Thanks to Lancelot.
"Don't worry Frodo, I'll watch him," said Saber.
A day later they were ambushed by a blizzard. It had come out of nowhere, taking the Fellowship by surprise as they transverse along a treacherous ledge. Half-blinded and biting back against the dagger-like waves of snow that assaulted them, the Fellowship forged on. Boromir carrying Merry, Aragorn taking Frodo and Sam, while Saber grabbed hold of Pippin. That is… until Legolas cursed.
"There is a fell voice in the air," he stated his eyes looking for the source of a ominous chant that the wind carried and amplified.
"Saruman!" Gandalf shouted as the mountain suddenly shook.
Using her gauntlet to shield her face and Pippin, whom she was holding, Saber blocked several pieces of shale and clumps of snow fell from the cliff above. Everybody else managed to dodge them by hugging the mountainside.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain. Gandalf! We must turn back!" yelled Aragorn.
"No!" roared Gandalf, and he raised his staff and began to chant, his words resonating through the howling wind. But even as he spoke, the wind grew stronger, as did the menacing voice in the air.
There was a lightning flashed, and then the mountain heaved, sending rock, snow and ice cascading down the mountain. The Fellowship pressed their backs against the narrow cover provided by the overhang above them. Boromir, Saber and Aragorn grabbed hold of the Hobbits and braced themselves as they were buried under sleet and rock.
One by one, arms and heads punched out of Saruman's attempt to bury them alive. Legolas, Gandalf, Boromir and Aragorn emerged from the snow with their Hobbits, Merry, Sam and Frodo. However, as Boromir looked around, he saw that Arturia and Pippin were nowhere to be seen.
That was when they noticed an invisible gap in the snow, which promptly exploded outwards revealing Saber and a shivering Pippin.
"Too short. Had to use prana," coughed Saber to the relieved chuckles of her companions. Being the shortest and only woman amongst her tall male compatriots could be a bit of a drawback.
Turning to Gandalf, Saber narrowed her eyes. "Gandalf, Saruman knows we are coming and since you can't fight him off, he will harass us the entire way," screamed Saber through the howling wind. Her prana allowed her to reinforce herself against the storm and against any future rockfalls, but without warm food and at the rate she was burning it, she'd drop down lifeless before they exited the pass. Everybody else would have frozen to death long before her.
Boromir nodded. "It is as Arturia says. We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city. There is no point avoiding Saruman's gaze if we freeze to death!"
Aragorn shook his head. "The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Saber agreed, though it wouldn't be as bad as if they went through this pass. She'd honestly take the Gap of Rohan over this cold hellhole.
"We cannot pass over the mountain. Let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria," suggested Gimli.
The option seemed sensible, and Gimli had spoken of the fabulous halls and the hospitality of his cousin Balin over the course of the trips, as well as muttered about it during the storm. Yet, Gandalf had a very worried look on his face, causing an even colder pit formed in Saber's stomach. If Gandalf the Wizard of all people who was a colleague of Merlin was worried, then what in the world could they be possibly facing in Moria?
As Frodo made his decision, Saber gripped Excalibur, feeling the comforting grip through her gauntlet. Whatever their fellowship was going to face, she was determined not to falter.
Isengard...
From his Palantir chamber in the Orthanc tower of Isengard, Saruman sneered as he watched the Fellowship make their way down from the Pass of Caradhas. "So they will take the road to Moria, and risk the more dangerous road. They will not survive the long dark easily." His hands stroking his long beard, Saruman watched the smallest of the warriors, a blonde haired lady knight, help one of the halflings down, and the fallen wizard frowned.
"But then again… they might survive, for they have unexpected help. I wonder…" Saruman turned to a nearby orc guard.
"Bring our new guest here. I think she will be very interested in this," said Saruman. The orc nodded and scurried away. A few minutes later, and he returned with five others, dragging a limp, blonde-haired girl dressed in a blood-stained shift with them, who they tossed onto the floor. Saruman turned around to meet furious green eyes. They were moist with pain from the numerous injuries on her body, but they blazed with rage.
"I told you, I serve nobody, and I will not swear an oath to you," spat the the girl, her hatred undiminished.
Saruman's eyes glinted in amusement. After the destruction of two of his Nazgul, his master, Sauron, had instructed Saruman to start looking for replacements, which was when the White Wizard had sensed a beacon of hate floating in the chaos.
It turned out to be a spirit floating in the midst of chaos, the only thing holding her form together was her hate and her pride. So Saruman had fished her out and tried to get her to swear allegiance to him and his master, but she had been… uncooperative. She had a bad history with magi apparently, especially magi who liked scheming and had been incredibly obstinate. He had made numerous overtures, and offered many rewards, but most of them, the later ones, had ended up on her now battered frame, with little success.
"Oh I'm not asking you to serve me girl—"
"Don't call me that!" Saruman stepped back as the half-dead girl screamed and lunged at him, hands extended like claws. Raising his staff he thrust it upwards, sending the girl flying up, before he brought his staff down and the girl, crashing into the ground. Moaning, the girl tried to rise, but only managed to raise her head.
"Now now, I just want to ask if you know someone," said Saruman waving his hand over his palantir, a dark orb that he could use to communicate with Sauron and scry the lands of Middle Earth. Within that orb he began to form an image within its depths.
Despite the blood dripping from her mouth, the girl snorted. "I will have no part in your plotting or sorcery you filthy, twisted, magus—" Saruman levitated the girl, so she can see into the crystal ball, and the blonde-haired, green-eyed swordswoman, who shared the exact same features as the bruised girl.
Her eyes widening, the girl stammered. "A-Arturia…"
"So you do know her?" asked Saruman.
The girl shook, writhing in Saruman's grasp, kicking and punching out at the image in the palantir. "That bastard! How can she be alive! I killed her! I defeated her! She should be dead!"
"You hate her," Saruman stated, grinning as the girl continued to try to destroy the Palantir.
"Of course I hate her. I've killed her once, but it isn't enough! I want to run my blade through her again and again with my sword before spit on her! Then as the last of her breaths leave her body, I will tell her that she was wrong. That I have proved myself to be the better knight, that I should have been her only successor. And that I—am—her—son!"
Saruman nodded, and set the girl back onto the floor. "Then I shall give you the opportunity to kill your father, Mordred, if you—"
Mordred, The Knight of Treachery, homunculus and illegitimate son of Arturia Pendragon and Morgan Le Fay, looked at Saruman with the joyful eyes of a child who just unwrapped their Christmas present.
"Yes, I'll do anything!"
" —Pledge your eternal allegiance to me," finished Saruman. The wizard smirked as Mordred's anger evaporated into a look of sheer horror.
"You—" Mordred took a deep breath and sneered confidently. "You have no way of enforcing that oath."
But Mordred's sneer faded as Saruman continued to smile. "On the contrary, I just did. Magic is funny that way. Especially that which is not seen. Now get up and kneel, my Knight of Treachery."
Mordred blinked and screeched in fury as her body began to move against her will, despite Saruman not even moving a finger. She threw every last bit of her prana to fighting what she was being forced to do, but gradually, one knee came up, her right first touched the floor, while her whipped back arched down, followed by her lowered head.
Chuckling, Saruman "Until I die, you are bound to my service. Sir Mordred. Now go to your room. I will have words with you later."
Trembling as she continued to fight the control of the magic oath, Mordred bit back tears of humiliation as she staggered out of the chamber.
"Damn you Saruman!"
Saruman shook his head. "Anger and hatred. They make people act in such a predictable fashion."
Author's Ending Note: I must say something in advance. I have never read the entire translation of Fate/Apocrypha, but I've checked some of the Mordred sections just to get an idea of her dialogue and character. She's like… freaking sword-wielding Berserker, particularly toward her "father." However, I have studied the wiki extensively and in this world, Mordred never became a servant. If you do have any tips for her characterization, then please suggest, but don't expect me to immediately follow along as I don't want to jeopardize the plan I have for the story.
Also, Saruman… if you think he was big bad evil in the movies… *chuckles. Well then, I think you've just got an idea of how much I am upping his evilness. I honestly think that Mordred… she's stubborn, but her anger for Arturia makes her very predictable, so it's pretty easy for Saruman a Maiar (wizard with demi-god powers) to trap her into a magic oath that forces her to do his bidding. Rage at it if you want, but these are my reasons and I'm sticking to them.
Omake:
Mordred: YOU DAMN BASTARD I'M GOING TO KILL YOU 55 YOU %#(*$R #($&#(! #
Author: *running It'll all get better! It's a momentous plan to get you to… *whispers something to Mordred
Mordred: *eyes widen, her eyes moisten slightly. F*** YOU P*** OFF YOU C*** L*** D*** PIECE OF S*** THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WILL HAPPEN.
Saber: What will happen?
*Mordred glares at Saber and marches away. Saber stares at Mordred, mystified.
Author chuckles. Who knows? Enjoying Saber Lion, Saber?
Saber: *blinks. Saber Lion? who is…
*Elrond's stuffed toy pops up from behind Saber's breastplate, and a miniature Saber head pops out from the lion's mouth.
Saber Lion: Gao? *makes lion-doggy cutesy eyes at Saber.
*Saber stares, blushing at the cuteness.
Author: That's all for now folks!