Disclaimer: I do not own King Arthur, or Tamora Pierce's The Imortals quartet.

A/N:Just for readers of The Imortals, bits of that story line has been changed to suite my needs. Just try to keep an open mind! Also, you don't need to have read the Immortals, or any other Tamora Pierce book to understand this. It just helps get there quicker...

Chapter 3: Can You Hear?

Daine's eyes snapped open. She laid perfectly still, only her eyes moving as she carefully surveyed her surroundings. Such survival skills had been instilled in her since she was barely thirteen. All of the People knew better than to move when there was the scent of danger in the air. To do so was a quick way to be caught, especially when you were the hunted. Then she realized what was wrong; the silence was ominous.

None of the animals were up and about, going through their usual routines. There was no rustle of mice in the underbrush. There was no flutter of bats in the air, or even a hint of their nearly unheard voices. The foxes were silent, and not even the owl, the most fearsome of night's hunters, ventured forth. Even when she had been disconnected, she could still hear them going about their business; she just couldn't feel them. Now, though, she could feel them, but not hear them. They were all laying low. They could scent the danger, too.

Fully aware now, Daine carefully slid out of the bedroll that had been lent to her by the ever helpful Gawain. She had felt bad to take it from him, but he had insisted, saying it would not be right for a lady to sleep unprotected on the hard ground. Galahad, being the closest to her height, had given her a pair of breaches and a large, white broadcloth shirt; at least she didn't still need to wear the ruined ball-gown. Arthur had been apologetic of having nothing more ladylike. She hadn't bothered to contradict him.

She crept over to the still slumbering Arthur and regarded him for a moment. Would he be one to react violently to being woken up? It didn't matter; she didn't have a choice. She still remembered clearly the first time she had had this feeling. That night she, the Queen's Riders' Horse Mistress, the King's Champion and a camp full of the Kings Own had nearly been taken by Spindreds. It didn't feel exactly the same, but she had been no more than thirteen, and new to her power. She had spent long years refining her senses since then.

She laid a cautious hand on the Commander's shoulder, and shook him gently. "Arthur." He startled awake, his hand automatically going to the sword at his side. "Don't! It's just me."

"Daine?"

She nodded, moving back as he sat up. Then, incase he couldn't see her, "Yes." She knew that most two-legers didn't have the eyesight that she did.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, trying to comb it back to a semblance of normalcy. Then he rubbed his face, and she instantly felt bad for waking him. But she couldn't afford not to. "What is it?"

"Something's wrong."

He looked up sharply, his green eyes meeting her stormy blue. "What?" He quickly scanned the clearing, taking note of all his knights. She felt the corners of her lips quirk up; he really was a good leader. Concerned with the welfare of those he led. When he found nothing out of place, he turned a frown on her.

"Listen!" She was all urgency now. The feeling was getting stronger. "It's too quiet. There're no animals out. Is your scout back yet?"

"No."

"Should he be?"

He was silent for a long moment. Then, as little more than a whisper, "Yes." With that he stood swiftly, and went to wake Lancelot.

Daine ran over to where Galahad and Gawain were lying and shook them awake. There was no time to be gentle now. "Up. Now!" She was about to run off to get Dagonet when a hand wrapped around her upper arm. It was Gawain.

"What's going on?"

She shook his hand off. "No time now. Something's coming! Get up!" She turned, found Dagonet already on his feet, waking Bors, and nodded to him. At least he had some sense. Then she looked for Arthur. He was still arguing with Lancelot.

Lancelot was scowling, and gesturing wildly. Daine found it amusing, cute even, that this grown man was able to act like a child at a time like this. But they didn't have the time! She quickly marched up to them and placed herself firmly between them. She saw Lancelot open his mouth to say something and glared at him, shutting him up. Then she proceeded to ignore him. "Arthur, do you have a bow I could use? Or anything, really." She hated going into trouble unarmed. No matter who she was with.

She almost laughed when she saw the men's shocked expressions. Arthur recovered first. "You are proficient with the bow?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Did you really think I was defenseless?" She looked anxiously around the clearing. Whatever was coming was getting closer. "Please. I think we're running out of time."

"And just what would you know?" Lancelot had regained his tongue. He was glaring angrily at her, his eyes dark. "You are a woman, no warrior! Do you want chaos, girl?"

Daine drew herself up to her full height. She was finished with his attitude. She had gone into full Leader mode, and her power became obvious. She wouldn't stand for this… this idiocy! She was alpha! "You idiot. Listen. Don't you hear?" All the knights had gathered around them by now. They looked at her strangely. "Exactly! There's nothing there. No mice. No foxes. No bats. Not even the owl stirs this night! Something is coming that can scare even the great owl into hiding."

"Lancelot. Tristan's not back yet." Arthur's quiet admission silenced Lancelot before he even got started. "I asked him to report back with the dying of the sun."

The dark knight sighed tiredly. He wouldn't even look at her. "So… something really is wrong."

Daine clenched her jaw; she was growing weary of his stubbornness. "Yes. Something is wrong. So I would suggest doing whatever you lot do to prepare for battle. Because one is right on our doorstep." By the strange look in his eyes Daine could tell that her sudden dominance had shaken him. Well, too bad. She continued on anyway. "And you know what? I do know what I'm talking about; every single time this has happened, good people have almost died! The only reason they didn't was because I managed to listen to the natural warnings of the earth, and warn them. Animals grow silent when danger is scented in the air!"

Arthur regarded her with a guarded expression, his eyes hard now, and she realized that she might have made a mistake. "And how would you know of such things, Lady? I have been lenient with my questions, but this one you will answer."

And she had just made things that much harder for herself.

She visibly deflated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. How much could she tell them? Should she tell them? She did want to tell them… Arthur really did remind her of John, inspiring a kind of loyalty. She recognized a type of caring, and concern, for those he felt responsible for. She could clearly see the bonds of brotherhood between all of the knights, and their leader. A part of her wanted to be a part of that again, after being so thoroughly cut off from her own extended family. She was very much the pack animal, needing the close-knit companionship family presented. After being reintroduced to two-legger company, she had grown to depend on it. It almost frightened her how much.

She had been silent for too long.

A knife had appeared at her throat, held by a darkly glowering Lancelot and accompanied by a protesting yell from his commander. She lifted her chin, completely stilling. Then a voice growled in her ear, and she shivered in fear. A dark strength was emanating from his very form. "I knew we couldn't trust you."

Her heart aching, she looked desperately around at the other knights. Their eyes were just as cold. It was then that she decided. She would tell them as much as she could, as honestly a she could. Everything that didn't raise uncomfortable questions. Everything but the Magic. Nothing less would suffice. Feeling her surrender, Lancelot backed off, carefully pulling the knife from her skin. She started quietly.

"My village was raided, my family killed, and my home destroyed by bandits when I was thirteen. The village wouldn't take me in; I'm a bastard, you see, and the headman wanted my Ma. I was left to the wolves. Literally."

She let out a snort of derisive laughter. Literally. They would never know just how true that was. Arthur raised an eyebrow, but she just shook her head and continued.

"I managed to survive by learning from the earth, and its most primitive creatures. I hid when they hid, and hunted when they hunted. They'd survived so long like that, so why couldn't I? But the men of my village were hunting me. Revenge for a wrong I'd never done. A crime I'd committed simply by being born. The village priest had managed to convince them that I was Demonspawn, and that I needed to die. I lived like that, a half life—running, and hunting, and drinking from streams—for months before I finally remembered I was truly human, and not one of the beasts I'd tried so hard to become. But the village was poor, and the winter was coming, so the hunters had to turn around; they were no longer a threat."

"One moment." Arthur's voice was commanding. Diane jumped, her eyes focusing on him again. She'd been so focused on the story, reliving it even as she carefully chose what to reveal. She gave him a slight, wary nod, prompting him to continue. "You say your village was poor? Then how do you have such a good grasp of language? I could almost liken you to a Roman noble, in your level of education."

She only blinked in irritation. "I was getting to that. If you would let me continued…"

Arthur leaned back, amusement joining the suspicion in his eyes. Daine quickly glanced at each of her other listeners, trying to gauge their reactions. Galahad and Gawain were intent upon the story, hanging off her every word. Dagonet, on the other hand, was frowning slightly, and Bors was playing with his knives, a tragic look in his eyes. She had to wonder if he had children of his own… She didn't bother looking at Lancelot.

She launched back into her story. "Once I'd remembered to walk on my own hind legs again," At the men's looks she ducked her head, blushing. She'd best make light of all of this. There was no way they could possibly understand the whole impact of it all without the knowledge of Magic. "Yes, I had started moving like an animal. Things like this often get worse before they get better."

Anyway, it was near a festival day in a nearby city, so I waited. I ended up getting a job. An amazing opportunity. You see, Onua was important where she was from. She was the Horsemistress for an important scouting group in this…city. The Riders. Obviously, they all had to be able to ride, and each rider would be given a pair of horses. She took me in because I was a fair hand with animals; it was not common for the breed of Mountain Pony they used to behave, but they did around me. I went back to her city with her, and she kept me on.

I ended up a student to one of the head… scholars of the city, who was a good friend of the ruling family. They, especially some of the knights that stayed there, taught me and helped me to sharpen my skills. Sometimes I would go out scouting with the Riders or the knights. But now I'm here, and far from all I knew. And I don't even know if my friends are safe…"

And that was more than enough.

The camp was silent for a few long moments, and Daine kept her head down now, not wanting to see their reactions to the rest of her story. She didn't know what women were allowed to do there, but feared by their earlier reactions that it wasn't much. Would they cast her out?

She shivered, the itching feeling from earlier returning. It had all but muted itself during the storytelling, but it was back full force now. She didn't know if that was good or bad. She would bet on bad. Her sense of urgency returning, she jumped to her feet, looking boldly up at them, allowing only a hint of the pain she felt into her steady gaze. "Is that enough for you?"

Arthur at least had the decency to look sheepish, and somewhat ashamed. "Yes, My Lady. I am most sorry… I did not think…"

She smiled, already forgiving. She knew he had only been reacting out of concern for his men and his land. She might have done the same, and she was sure most of her friends would have. "It's alright. But we really do need to get moving. Whatever it is, feels closer now."

Arthur nodded decisively, and started shouting out orders. Galahad solemnly handed her a bow, and she admired the workmanship. She'd never seen a bow like that… It would have good results. She could feel it.

They broke camp and stood, back to back, watching the woods.

They'd be ready.