(3 years later)

Arthur's P.O.V

I walked down to the training field in high spirits, wearing my armour and ready to train. All the other knights should be down there by now and with a new addition. I had finally managed to convince the main commander that Zala should be able to join us despite being young and despite being female. At ten, she was growing quickly and it almost saddened me to see her growing up so fast from the little girl that I had first laid eyes on. I'd been trying to train her in secret until the commander agreed to let her join and even the small amount of lessons I'd been able to give her had shown how much she'd improved.

When I reached the training field down by the wall, I was greeted with a round of applause and cheering from the men but before I could acknowledge them, I was nearly knocked backwards with the force of someone colliding with me and wrapping their arms round my chest.

"Arthur thank you! Thank you so much!" The excited and delighted squeal put a smile on my lips and I kissed the top of her head gently.

"It's fine. You deserve it." I answered and she smiled up at me with the usual devilish glint in her eyes. We had been through a lot and Zala had been with us practically every step of the way. When one of the boys had been injured, she never left his side until he was well on his way to recovering and it is something they were still grateful for and would be forever. She has even witnessed some of them dying. It has been the only time I have seen her cry and each time I did, it made my heart ache even more.

I smiled and ruffled her jet-black hair before gently pushing her back into the line, where she received affectionate glances from everyone standing there.

"Ok men. I believe a celebration is in order to welcome Zala into our midst as our first female knight." Everyone clapped and cheered and she received many thumps on the back. I laughed as she turned crimson but it soon faded. Her eyes fixed on me and everyone became quiet.

"Now let's see how well she copes with a sword." I teased. I gave the signal for everyone to pair up and everyone jumped forward, most jostling to pair with Zala. Lancelot walked up to me with a mocking glint in his eye and said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh Arthur I really don't think I will be able to beat you today. I mean I've only beat you twelve times in a row where as you've beat me a round total of twice. Really I can not see me winning today can you?" I suddenly felt a tug at my arm and I looked down in surprise to see Zala standing there looking a little wary.

"Can you show me what to do Arthur? I want to try to get it right first time but I've only fought with you. Gawain's fighting with Galahad and you're commander! Can you show me more skills?" I looked down at her, blinked, looked up at Lancelot and grinned.

"Lancelot can show you what to do because I'm going to walk round the group and see how everyone's doing today. Is that ok?" She nodded eagerly but Lancelot gave me a dark look. I laughed.

"Just teach her your basics Lancelot." He still didn't look reassured but Zala was beaming. She pouted and tugged Lancelot's sleeve.

"Oh come on Lancelot please!" It worked. He managed a small smile despite his annoyance and I chuckled.

She proved to be very good with a sword…even better since I had last trained with her. She blocked well and parried but she still needed a little work on her attack. Her arm was still weak for swords designed for grown men but she done marvellously for her first try at fighting someone other than me. She made everyone extremely proud of her.

"Well done sister." I said with a grin and she flushed but smiled back. I started a trend then, for from that moment on she was no longer just Zala. She was our sister who we would all have died to protect.

*

(2 years later)

Gawain's P.O.V

I rode on my stallion up the dusty road towards the forest. We had been set an assignment to track and kill a band of woads that were wreaking havoc on some of the eastern villages. This assignment, however, was special. Zala, my little cousin, was coming with us. I rode beside her now chuckling at the huge grin on her face at finally being able to come with us. At 12 she wasn't so little anymore and I sometimes missed the little Zala that ran about the fields and stables chasing butterflies and trying to catch them with her chubby little hands but I knew she had to grow up some time or other, I just wished she wouldn't grow so fast.

"What are you dreaming about Gawain?" I jerked my head up as her voice cut through my thoughts and half smirked. She was looking at me questioningly, sitting on a chestnut brown horse that looked way to big for her but who she rode with apparent ease.

"I just happen to be remembering a little girl running round outside the stables chasing a butterfly who she called Lucia." I laughed when she flushed and scowled at me then punched her playfully on the arm.

"Cheer up it's you're first assignment with us! Come on lets strike up a tune!" Zala laughed and was just about to open her mouth when Tristan, who Arthur had sent as a scout, came cantering back up to us. I gave Zala a significant look and together we spurred out horses forward to hear what he had to say.

"They're in the woods. I think they know we're coming. It could be an ambush." Zala looked at me and I sent her a look saying "be careful". We were all going to be on the lookout for her today. Bors was covering her left side, Dagonet her right and I was covering her back. The rest were going to position themselves as close as they could to help if we needed them.

Arthur turned in his saddle and nodded to us then sent the same look at Zala as I had, as did everyone else. She huffed and said loudly.

"You know I can look after myself. You know I'm really not going to put my life in any risky situations." She rolled her eyes making us all laugh but we were heartened by this good sign. Our laughter was short lived as when we drew up to the forest there was a loud twang and Arthur narrowly missed being hit with an arrow. His horse reared and he drew his sword quickly.

"Draw your swords! The enemy is near! Stay together!" He shouted and immediately everyone spurred their horses closer to his. Zala predictably was caught up beside him in the centre and she did not look very happy about it from where I ended up stationed near the back of the right wing of our group. I caught a flash of blue out the corner of my eye and had to duck as an arrow flew by me. The woads then charged out the forest carrying daggers and axes looking as bloody and vile as ever. I immediately spurred my horse forward and began hacking at the nearest bodies possible.

There were more than what I expected and I was nearly overwhelmed when another sword hacked into one of their necks then cut down two more by stabbing them through the chest. I looked up completely shocked to see Zala fighting her way through them. She glanced up and grinned slightly.

"Are you ok? Need a hand?" She turned in the saddle and brought her sword down into someone's shoulder then twisted and swung it up into a bare, blue chest. I stared at her but had to drag my attention away when I was nearly knocked out the saddle.

I did not spy Zala again for a while for she was separated from me. As we were finishing off the last group of woads that had came charging out the trees I spotted Lancelot and Arthur dashing forward, followed hastily by Bors, Dagonet, Tristan and Galahad. Some of the others acted as lookouts though I saw worry etched on their faces. My heart plummeted as my eyes found what they were rushing too. Zala lay panting on the ground.

"Zala!" I cried and dashed forward. Even though I was last there, I quickly lifted her into my arms and stared at her eyes found mine and she smiled weakly.

"Don't worry Gawain I'll be ok. I got…knocked off my horse…is all." I made to pull off her armour and check if she had any wounds but Dagonet stayed my hand.

"We need to take her back before we do that. It wouldn't do any good to have an open wound here." I nodded and Arthur, who was looking white, put his hand on my shoulder.

"You put her on your horse and get her back now. We'll follow as quickly as we can." I could not speak my mouth was so dry so I nodded slowly. Carefully I lifted Zala up who felt light as a feather in my arms and placed her gently on my horse. She moaned and protested but I wasn't hearing any of it. I mounted up behind her and spurred the horse back towards Hadrian's Wall praying a doctor would be on hand. Her breathing was sharper than I would have liked and my heart pounded in my chest as the Wall loomed before us.

"Gawain I'm fine. My horse reared when a woad ran in front of her. I'm not wounded." I knew she was just trying to make conversation to ease my worry but it didn't ebb.

"We still need to be sure." I could not say anymore and as soon as we were allowed through, I dismounted hastily, pulling Zala off after me. I headed straight for the doctors carrying Zala in my arms and did not even knock before I burst through the door. An old little man with a beard was sitting at a table and he jumped as I burst in.

"What is the meaning of this? I must…oh, I see, well, put her down." I laid her gently on the wooden bench by the window and held her hand even though she scrunched up her face in annoyance. The doctor hovered over her for a second before rolling up his long sleeves. He slowly took Zala's armour off until she wore only her under clothes and started pressing different places of her body. She winced a little as he touched a spot on her back and he sighed, looking a bit ruffled.

"She will be fine. There is nothing wrong with her. Only some bruising to her back. Now if you excuse me I have important work to be getting on with." He left the room muttering under his breath but I breathed a sigh of relief. I gathered her in my arms and though she winced again I did not want to let her go.

"Zala you scared me to death! Everyone else will be worried sick about you." She lifted her head and looked at me with a kind of withering patience that despite my fear made me laugh. I pulled her back into a hug and she joined in.

"I'll be fine. I told you all I was fine." She managed to gasp after the laughing died away and I smiled at her, unable to say anything to justify myself.

"At least we beat them, didn't we?" I laughed again because it was so typically Zala. I couldn't help it. I knew she would be fine then. For sure. I hugged her tightly again and I felt her arms wrap round my chest in return.

"We beat them alright. We beat them."