A/N: I'm just not as sure that I'm happy with this one. I have another time travel piece I'm brainstorming on right now, but haven't started writing it yet. The next one will be going in the opposite direction with our gallant knights traveling to the future. I'm not stopping this one or the first one i started. i'm just babbling at this point. sigh.
Kass sat on the bale hay and had a small gleeful smile on her face. She put the precious cigarette in her mouth and lit it quickly, curling her hand around the flame of the lighter so it wouldn't extinguish before she had a good cherry on the tip of the smoke. She took a deep drag and held it in. Sighing she blew out the smoke. It felt like it had been forever. Kass put the lighter in her back pocket and took another drag looking at the horses around her. "Sorry guys, but don't worry I'm pretty sure you'd have to have years of exposure for the second hand smoke to affect you, and I don't have that many smokes left."
"They will not answer you."
Kass jumped slightly and turned to see Lancelot communing, or whatever, with what she assumed was his horse. "Yeah, I know, doesn't mean they don't understand."
"Lady Brianna seems to think you shouldn't be doing that." He said conversationally.
"Kids, what do they know?"
Just then Bri breezed through the open stable doors chatting with one of the young men who acted as squire for the knights. She didn't stop to say a word to Kass, just snatched the cigarette from her lips, extinguished it on one of the wooden posts, broke it into pieces and dropped it into a pile of manure. She and the squire continued out of the other side of the enclosure.
Kass looked sadly at the pieces of cigarette. "I only brought one."
Lancelot grinned as he brushed his steed. "The swelling in your face has gone down." He said conversationally.
Her hand reached up automatically and touched the side of her face lightly. "Yeah. Hopefully it will be a normal face again soon."
"Do your other wounds still hurt?" He'd moved and was doing something to the horse's feet now.
Kass moved closer to watch him. She'd chosen to wear the cable knit sweater, her jeans, and her boots for the day. It seemed chilly out. "My back still feels a bit raw, and my head throbs where Toothless grabbed my hair."
He looked at her perplexed. "Toothless?"
She gave him a bashful grin. "I named the men who attacked me. Baldy, Toothless, and Gut." She stared past him and winced as she remembered the men. "I wonder what happened to them."
"Arthur had Tristan kill them." He answered without reservation. She looked horrified. He caught her eyes, "Lady Kassidy, we do not lock people in cells here. Our justice must be swift."
Kass just nodded. "I know. It's just hard for me to accept that three men are dead because of me."
"But they're not dead because of you. They're dead because they broke the laws of King Arthur." When she just shrugged he didn't know what else to say. "And your other wounds?" he sighed.
"Well, the nose hurts, but the cut on my belly wasn't deep. I don't even think it will leave a scar."
Without warning the woman lifted her top from her taut belly to show him the healing gash. Lancelot's hands froze on his steed's hoof. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the expanse of tanned flesh so unlike the other women he was used to. The serving wenches whose company he sought on occasion were soft, and this woman seemed lean and muscled. Dancer, he thought, must mean something slightly different where she was from.
She'd lowered her tank top as she saw his stare. "Sorry. I guess I'm not used to your customs. Showing a little midriff isn't a strange thing where I'm from." She tried to explain.
His eyes darted to her battered face. "No, it is I who apologize Lady, we should make allowances for your ignorance of our ways, not take advantage of them." He went back to picking out the hoof. "Your body is not unlike that of the women of the Woad."
"Woad? Oh, you mean Guinevere's people." She shrugged again. "When you dance every day, train every day, eat very little, and train some more, you get a flat belly."
"You must have been very successful."
Kassidy laughed. "Actually, my butt and breasts are too big for traditional dance, but I did okay." He'd paused again at her description of her top and backside.
The two looked up as Gawain and Galahad entered the stables. "Ah, Lady Kassidy, this is where you've been hiding."
"Guilty as charged."
"Do you realize your sister is cavorting with Javin?" Galahad demanded.
Kass swallowed a smile. "Is that who the young man is? How old is he?"
"I believe Javin is ten and six." Lancelot offered.
"Okay, well Bri is seventeen, won't be eighteen for two more months. What's the big deal?"
Galahad looked at her as if she was daft. "Well surely you realize the boy will try to compromise your sister?"
"Galahad, Brianna is an intelligent girl. She wouldn't let herself be compromised. I trust my sister." Kass saw the frustration on his face. Ah ha. Then she saw the look on the other men's faces. Obviously this was a possibility. "You know though Galahad, I don't really know much about Javin; perhaps you could keep an eye on them for me. Just to make sure she's okay and all."
"Of course Lady Kassidy." He smiled in delight, and high-tailed it out of the barn.
Gawain grinned and leaned against the post looking at her. "Perhaps you'd care to join me for the mid day meal Lady Kass?"
Kass found herself staring into heavenly blue eyes. "Okay." She took his extended arm and he led her from the barn.
"So tell me about this village you come from?"
"It's not exactly a village." She grinned. "I lived right outside of New York City, and it's huge. There are thousands of people in it and it's like the city never sleeps." Kass sighed as she thought of home. "We lived in a fairly good sized four bedroom house that was our parent's house. I moved in with Bri and Brandon when they died. Before that I lived in a small apartment in the City."
"Apartment?"
"It's sort of like your sleeping rooms, only there is an indoor privy and a kitchen in each one."
"You would hardly have to leave." He said in amazement.
She laughed, "Yeah, well, unfortunately, or fortunately in some cases, I was hardly ever there. I was working quite a bit."
They entered the tavern and she saw Brandon sitting at a table with Bors and Dagonet. Her brother seemed to have taken to the two men, and she thought that they might remind him of Dad. Several children were running around the tavern giggling, and it seemed they were playing tag, using Bors as safety. "Who are all the children?" she asked. There seemed to be a dozen or so of them.
"They are Bors and Vanora's children. Though Lancelot likes to tease that some of them are his."
"Is it possible?" she asked arching an eyebrow at him.
"Nay." He told her with a grin. "Lancelot might be keen on the wenches, but wouldn't actually tup the wench of one of his fellow knights."
"Tup." She said the word finding it odd.
"Yes, that means…"
"Yes, I know what it means." She stopped him. "I'm just not used to hearing it referred to as such."
"What do they refer to is as where you're from?" he was intrigued.
She shrugged. "We call it lots of different names. It depends on the circumstances."
Lancelot stood in the back corner of the tavern. He'd just washed his hands and face and was joining the others at the table. Gawain escorted her to the table and they sat down. Lancelot grinned at her, "Watch this." He whispered wickedly, and then spoke loudly. "Bors, where's my youngest child today?"
Gawain snickered, and Bors scowled. Kass just shook her head at the naughty man. Vanora who was walking behind Lancelot and Kass, setting bread before them, swatted him across the back of the head. The eldest of her children walked forward carrying a child who was on the verge of becoming a toddler. The child was crying. Seeing Vanora extremely busy and Bors with his hands full of two other children, Kass decided to try to help. "Here Sweet Pea," she told the girl, "Why don't you let me hold that little bundle."
The girl looked at her with big eyes and handed the pretty baby over. The child stopped crying and stared up into Kass's face in wonder. "Now see darling, there's no need to cry. Yes, it's easy to see who your papa is. Look at those big blue eyes. Just gorgeous." She felt a tug on her pants and looked down to see one of the younger children looking at her. The boy was missing two of his front teeth.
"You like childrens?" he asked.
"Well of course." She answered with a smile.
"You wanna play wif us?" he offered.
"Maybe after I eat something we could play hide and seek. Do you know what that is?"
"Yes."
"Well, then, you let me eat some lunch, and then we'll play." The little boy smiled beatifically at him and raced away. She looked up to see the knights staring at her. "What?"
"There's no need to play with the little buggers Lady." Vanora spoke softly, not used to other women not of their group being kind to the children. The Roman's who'd lived here previously had been callous, and the Woad were still so new to them.
"No!" She protested. "I want to. I love kids. When Bri and Brandon were little we used to play together all of the time, even though I was older. You're truly blessed to have such beautiful children." She told Bors and Vanora, then she looked back to the baby in her arms balancing on her knee. "And so brilliant. Look at how brilliant you are, yes." The baby giggled up at her and clapped his hands.
Brandon shook his head in disgust. "Babies are okay and all, but women go all gaga over them. It's pathetic really."
"I changed your diapers Brandon." She reminded him, and he blushed.
Arthur, with Guinevere close behind, burst into the room startling everyone. "Lady Kassidy."
"King Arthur." He looked agitated so she waited for him to speak.
"I must know what the small silver square with the circular item in it was." He said.
Oh good grief, that's what this was about? She sighed. Curiosity killed the cat, and it's going to embarrass the king. "Okay. I'll tell you, but only you two." She stood slowly and handed the child to Vanora who'd been on her way to take him. She walked over to Arthur and pulled him to a quieter corner. Guinevere followed. She spent several moments talking very quietly and the men saw Guinevere gasp, and Arthur jerked.
"What mean you?" he almost growled.
She continued to whisper furiously, and it looked as if she was using hand motions to illustrate her meaning, and what interesting hand motions they were. The three walked back to the table, and Guinevere appeared dazed. Arthur was extremely red.
"So what is it for Arthur?" Lancelot asked for everyone as Kass sat back down.
"Lady Kass.." he croaked, and cleared his throat. "Lady Kassidy does not know any of you well enough to be having that conversation with." He told him hotly, almost using her same words from the day before. Then he turned, grabbed Guinevere's hand and practically dragged her from the room. She was grinning.
Kassidy looked at the group who seemed extremely interested in her at the moment. She shrugged. "I told him he didn't need to know."
"What was wrong with Arthur?" Tristan asked quietly while making his way to the table.
Gawain was still looking at her. "Lady Kassidy astounded Arthur with an item from her own time."
"Well, there did seem to be several intriguing items." He responded and reached for the bread.
The small boy was back at Kass's knees. "Is it time to play?" he whispered.
"Yes, I think so." She whispered back. She addressed the group. "If you'll excuse me I have a previous engagement with the young master here." All of the children giggled and led her from the room.
She played hide and seek with the children for three hours by the time they started getting tired. Kass had worked at a daycare center for a year when she'd been right out of high school, so she sat them in a circle and decided to tell them a story. She told them of the frog prince, as it had been one of Bri and Brandon's favorite stories when they'd been little. Before the story was finished they were all sound asleep, and Kass stood and stretched.
A man walked towards her, and at first she was frightened. He was tall and lanky, his hair longer than hers and mostly brown with some gray mixed in. He had facial hair, and wore blue paint. He carried a staff, and Kass figured he must be someone important. "You are one of the time travelers?" he inquired in a friendly tone.
All she could do was nod.
"I am Merlin. My daughter Guinevere told me of your arrival."
"Merlin the Magician." She whispered with some awe. When he looked at her quizzically she felt that she should elaborate. "Where we're from there are many tales about you. All of you actually."
"I heard you telling a story to the wee ones. You're quite the storyteller." He complimented. "Tell me the story of Merlin."
Kass thought for a moment, and began. She told the story as she'd known it growing up with the tale of Excalibur. When she got to the point in the story of Lancelot and Guinevere falling in love he chuckled, shaking his head, but urged her to continue. At the end of the story they sat silently. "My brother could probably tell it better."
"No, your story was entertaining. This is a story you should tell the others; Arthur and his knights." He told her and stood. "I know not why you've been brought back here Kassidy, but you are welcome." Merlin turned and left her and she went to wake up the children.
The children led her back to the keep laughing all the way, asking if she would play with them again. She told them of course she would, and they left her at her chamber door. She went in to find Bri scowling and sitting on Kass's bed. "What's up buttercup?" Kass asked sitting on the chair across from the bed.
"That man drives me crazy!" Bri snapped. "Everywhere Javin and I went today, we would turn around and Galahad was there."
"I see."
"Why can't he just bug off?"
"I believe he's protecting your virtue Brianna."
Bri's eyes widened. "As if! I mean seriously, does he, do any of them think that I'd just go have a roll in the hay with some guy I met this morning?"
"Bri honey, think of where we are. These people aren't the same as back home. Here, I should be married with six kids by now."
"I swear these people are like rabbits."
"Bri, they look at you and see a beautiful woman. There isn't anything wrong with that. Just stand your ground."
Bri crossed her arms over her chest and held her chin up. "I don't care what these people expect. I'm not getting married, and I'm not having sex unless I'm in love. And, AND, he has to totally be in love with me back."
Kass smiled at the miffed teen. "I've always been so grateful to you for that attitude Bri, you'll never know how much."
Brandon entered the room with a smile on his face. "You guys ready to go eat?"
"MEN!" Bri said scathingly.
"What? What'd I do?" he asked completely confused.
The three headed to the tavern and as they were entering could overhear a boy's voice. "I'll bet you I get to see her in them scraps of cloth Lord Dagonet was holding by the end of the eve. She's a hot one that one is. The girl had me burning up."
Brandon looked like he was going to explode, but Bri slapped a hand to his chest. "I have this one." She said with an evil smile. They continued to their table with the knights, and sat down in the spots they'd held the evening before. Bri's face was red with temper, and Galahad was scowling. "Excuse me for one moment would you all? I just have to have a word with Javin."
Galahad glowered even more, and Kass took a drink of her water. Tristan sat quietly. "Lovely evening isn't it?" Kass said politely. When it looked like Brandon would follow Bri, Kass gave him a quelling look. Bri had picked up a pitcher of water and taken it over to Javin. "Uh oh." Javin made the mistake of looking up at Bri with a smug look on his teenage face. Bri upended the pitcher of water into his lap, and with a little flip the last small amount covered his face. Looking at the startled faces around her Kass took a sip of the cool water. Javin was gasping in anger and shock. Kass met Tristan's amused eyes. "How about that Irish temper, eh?" Kass took another sip of water.
Bri gripped the pitcher tightly, "You looked hot Javin, just thought I'd help you cool down." Bri then went and refilled the pitcher, bringing it back to the table. She sat down and looked around at the men, and saw respect in their eyes. "Just so everyone knows, I don't sleep around. I do not have sex with just anyone who wants to." The men went back to eating, but Galahad stared at her fiercely. Bri caught his glance and blushed. He smiled at her and then looked away to speak with Gawain.
After supper Brandon started reading his comic books to the little children who were giddy at the thought of another story, and this one with pictures. Brianna pulled out her guitar and was playing, so Kass slipped out again. This time with cigarette in hand. She lit it and inhaled. Kass leaned against the ramparts and looked at the fields below. It was beautiful where it melded into the black sky, and the stars seemed brilliant on their velvety background. She tapped the ash and smiled.
"Your siblings would not be happy to see this sight."
Kass jumped, and sighed in defeat as the cigarette toppled from her fingers to the ground far below. She turned and leaned against the stone wall. "Bells." She muttered.
Guinevere looked at her. "I understand you have concerns with Arthur's decision to have Tristan end the lives of the men who attacked you?"
"Not concerns really. He's the king, his word is law. I'm just not comfortable having men die because of me."
Guinevere moved forward and stood next to her staring over the wall at the sky. "Not long ago, he wasn't king, and had very little say in how men treated the women and others around him. If he had let the men go they would have done this deed again. If he had brought them back to imprison them, he would appear weak. He will not let this land be undone by men such as this. He would have these men know that Arthur and his knights deal justice swiftly and completely. Perhaps then these men will not choose these lands to threaten."
"I understand."
Guin looked at her. "Your brother did not seem upset by this occurrence."
"No." Kassidy turned and looked at the sky. "Brandon and Bri were there both times Rob attacked me. The first time they managed to get him off of me. We called the cops and we moved. Left our family's home and hid. When he found us he locked Brandon and Bri in our sunroom on the second floor of our home. It was all this plexiglass. You could see through it but couldn't break it like glass. He did it on purpose so they'd see what he did."
"But you fought back?" Horror laced her words at the thought that the vibrant youths had witnessed such barbarism against such a lovely woman.
She gave Guin a sardonic grin. "He'd gone to get a knife. Decided he was going to carve me up. Then he told me he'd go after the kids. I could barely stand, but I managed to grab Brianna's baseball bat she used when she played softball in school. When he came back I hit him. I hit him a lot. Not enough to kill him. I was too weak to do damage like that."
"Then you went to the sick room?"
"Yes, I went to the hospital for three months. Broken nose, concussion, sprained wrist, broken ribs, and a dislocated knee."
"My people would have been proud to have you as a warrior." The other woman said softly. "Do not stay up here too long. It gets chilly, and you are still recovering."
Gawain andLancelot stood on the stairs, and Kass thought she saw something odd in Lancelot's eyes.He went withGuineverebackdown the stairs. "There you are Lady Kass. Everything is as it should be?" Gawain had a smile for her, and she knew he'd heard what she'd said about Rob.
She turned and smiled at him. "Sure is."
"I was hoping you would join me in a dance as your sister entertains us?"
Kass walked to the handsome man and gave him another smile. "Sure."
He looked down at her. "You are indeed lovely Lady Kassidy." He murmured. She knew he was going to kiss her, and so she closed her eyes and met him halfway. His lips were soft and warm. One thing was certain, Gawain knew how to kiss. Kass moved her hands up and into his blonde hair letting her body rest against his. His mouth teased hers and she opened hers in response. Gawain held her hips loosely in his hands. Finally they broke away from each other with a smile. "That was pleasing."
"It was very nice." She agreed.
"But…"
"But…" the two smiled at each other in agreement.
"I would surely like to kiss you again." He told her as they descended the stairs.
"I think that would be lovely." She said putting her head on his chest as his arm wrapped around her. "But I'm not sleeping with you."
"Ah, a man could hope." He grinned. "I'd still be pleased to spend time with you."
"I'd like that too Gawain." And she realized she was telling the truth. She did like kissing him, and he felt safe and comfortable to her.
"I'm glad we'll be friends when you do find your love."
"Oh, Gawain, I'm not the type of girl to fall in love. I just screw it up something fierce. I always pick the wrong man." Kass told him seriously. "I don't ever want to fall in love again."
Days passed and Kassidy's face healed showing how lovely she truly was. She spent a majority of her time with Bors' children keeping them occupied. Kass was becoming part of life behind the keep walls. She would find herself deep in conversation with Lancelot, or joking with Galahad. She spent time with Gawain in the evenings and he was turning into a true friend to her. Kass knew the others probably assumed they were sleeping together, but Brandon and Bri knew the truth, and that was all that mattered to her. When she'd laid in that hospital bed for three months she'd vowed that she wouldn't be with a man that way again. She knew her siblings didn't understand why she felt that way. They thought she'd move past it.
The night Bri talked Kass into dancing in the scarves she was a nervous wreck. It had been a long time since she'd been nervous before a performance. She dressed in the scarves and veils, and felt jittery. Kass wrapped a cloak around her person and headed to the tavern. They could see the veil covering her face and it made her look even more exotic to them. Some of the men looked at Gawain with envy, and he just smiled. True, he desired her, but it was obvious she wouldn't be with someone without love. That just wasn't meant for them.
Bri was giddy with excitement. She couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when they saw Kass in action. She was brilliant. Guinevere's father Merlin and some of his Woad warriors were sharing dinner with them this evening, and had already taken their places at the tables that had been arranged for all. They'd been arranged in a circle, much like the Knight's round table set up in the stone room upstairs. Kass would dance in the circle, and Bri and Brandon were doing the music for her. It wouldn't be difficult since it would be simple drums. They were standing behind the knights. Arthur had a word with Merlin before supper, and Merlin had promised his men would be on good behavior. Bri and Kass had warned Arthur that this was a provocative dance.
Brandon went around dowsing some of the candles for atmosphere. "Wait until you see this!" he chuckled to Dagonet and Lancelot. The knights seemed to have taken Brandon under their wing and commonly referred to him as 'The Young Scholar'. "She's the coolest! All my friends back home used to drool." The men smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. The smiles didn't last long.
As soon as the lights were right, and Bri and Brandon began the beat, Kass dropped the cloak and walked to the center of the circle. Except for the beat silence fell, and Kass felt the eyes on her. The green scarves hung low on her waist, and her legs moved through the folds exposing tanned flesh. The chain belt she wore tinkled with her movement, and the top was more of a gauzy bikini top than anything else. Her hair fell wild and tousled down her back and a thin green veil covered the lower half of her face. Kass shimmied her hips to the left with the beat and then hit them back to the right sharply. The beat increased and Kass undulated with it swinging her hips, and moving her arms in the graceful moves she'd known for years.
The Woads began to take up the beat, her dance somewhat similar to their battle dances, except more graceful and filled with beauty instead of violence. Kass smiled as the beat filled her and she forgot the eyes on her. The dance continued with her whirling and rolling her taut belly to the beat. She landed on her knees and rolled backwards to where her back touched the ground, then slowly she undulated her body slowly back into a kneeling position. The dance ended with her body in a posturing position. Silence blanketed the room, and Kass took a deep breath before looking up. The light sheen of sweat on her body made her thick kohl eyeliner run slightly but she smiled a triumphant smile. She saw the admiration and desire in the eyes of all of the men in the room, but didn't fearany of them.
Merlin stood. "You honor us with your grace and beauty." His men cheered. Kass bowed slightly to Merlin.
"I could not have said it better my self. You and your family have brought much to our kingdom." Arthur told her.
Kass winked at Gawain who grinned at her cockily. He sighed, "I really must try harder to woo her to my bed." His comment whipped Lancelot's head towards him.
As she was turning to grab the cloak she met Lancelot's eyes. A fire burned in them that she'd thought to see before, but felt she'd only imagined it. She shifted her eyes away quickly not understanding the burning in the pit of her stomach. A chill swept her and she looked to the doorway of the tavern. A man stood blanking out the outside, and his eyes were latched onto her. He clapped slowly and moved into the room.
"That was quite a show." The man's voice was gruff, and Kass was filled with fear. She took a step back automatically. "Quite a picture."
Brandon and Bri had strange looks on their faces, and both had gone pale at the stranger's entrance. Dagonet and Galahad moved to be closer to the two.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rubellius Pelagus, I come as a messenger from Rome." He stepped into the light. The man was tall with dark hair going gray at the temples. Gray eyes shone with malice and want, and his face was weathered and rough. A jagged scar made its way from his left eye to his jaw line. He moved through the small opening between tables and stood next to Kassidy. "Instead I find I like what I see here."
Kass looked like a trapped animal knowing its death was near. With a gasp she ran from the room dropping the cloak as she went. The man chuckled and watched her go. Brandon dropped heavily to the floor wheezing as he stared at the man, and Bri forced his inhaler into his hands with her shaking ones.
"Lady what ails you?" Galahad whispered staring at her with concern.
Bri grasped onto Galahad and shuddered; though she tried to be quiet the knights in front of her heard every word. "It's Rob. He's found us again."