Lioness of Stormwind
Warcraft belongs to Blizzard
Fate/Stay Night belongs to Typemoon
UPDATED! 9/12/14: Xbox432 said, since he was such a bad ass mutha...well he did this chapter too!
UPDATED 8/29/14: Thank you to Wayfarer for volunteering to edit this fic and all future chapters of this story! I cannot thank you enough!
Also, this fic take place during the first Orc -Human war.
Chapter 2
**** Azeroth, The Black Morass ****
Saber could not believe her eyes, before her was her most trusted friend and the person who was the catalyst for the destruction of her kingdom. "Lancelot..." she said softly, taking in the sight.
"Arturia, you know a Brotherhood Knight?" Gerald asked. He can't ever recall Arturia having met anyone like the handsome knight before him. It was also strange that he called Arturia "King".
"Arturia?" Lancelot said as if tasting the name on his lips before smiling. "Not Arthur?" he asked, looking at the footman next to his King. The way the footman looked at him as if he was stupid only made him grin wider.
Suddenly a horn blared out and a loud cheer went up as the greenskins were driven off. Saber watched as Lancelot gave her a nod before wheeling his horse around and rejoining his battle formation.
"Not Arthur?" Gerald parroted in a confused tone. He looked at the blond girl he knew all his life and failed to see how anyone could mistake her for a boy.
"We should secure the town and find the highest ranking soldier left in our garrison, you must coordinate the effort," Saber commanded, not wanting to answer Gerald's inquires. Lancelot calling her King in front of company was quite tactless.
"R-right," Gerald responded and snapped a salute before going to form smaller squads to search for wounded and survivors. It wasn't until he was midway through coordinating his efforts with the other soldiers that he realized he obeyed Arturia as if he would any superior.
Saber took her longsword and sheathed it, she wasn't even sure who it belonged too but it should serve for now. The effort to look for the survivors now fell upon Gerald and the newly arrived troops. For now she will go back home since she had no authority here.
"Arturia! Thank the Light you are alright!" Igraine exclaimed as she rushed out to her daughter. She stopped short as she took in her daughter's appearance. Her blond hair had a tint of red in it and looked a bit disheveled, while the armor she wore showed dents ina multitude of places, proof that she had been fighting. What concerned her the most was the blood splattered all over the once greyish armor of Stormwind.
Saber looked up at her mother then look down to see what she was looking at. "Oh, do not worry mother. It's all theirs," she reassured her mother and started to unclasped the breast plate to show her mother her uninjured skin. "See?"
"Oh Arturia!" Igraine broke down and embraced her short daughter tightly. "It looked so hopeless out there, I was afraid I had lost you too," she whispered softly.
"Stonewind and Sunshire sent reinforcements," Saber explained as she enjoyed her mother's embrace.
"So we are safe?" Igraine asked, looking at her daughter.
"We are," Saber confirmed, recalling Lancelot. "We have some of the finest Knights out there, they will not fail us."
With that, the mother led her daughter inside where she helped her take off her armor and gave her a cleaner set of clothes. "I will go get some water since it's safe now," Igraine said before leaving her home, leaving Saber by herself.
Saber nodded and found herself alone in her home watching as the sun started to set. The battle had taken its toll, and a sudden wave of fatigue hit her. Without Avalon to constantly rejuvenate, her she found herself not as relentless like she once could be. After closing her eyes to rest for a brief moment, when she opened it to find that it was night out and that she had a blanket over her. She made to move when she felt a body weight leaning on her.
It was her mother.
"Mmm Athan..." Igraine mumbled in her sleep softly as tears leaked from her eyes as she started shaking.
Saber looked at her mother and slowly embraced her who instantly subsided at her daughter's touch. "I'm sorry mother," Saber whispered softly as she stroked her mother's hair. Leaning her chin on top of her mother's head she closed her eyes.
Had she still been King she would have been out there meeting with the rank soldiers to coordinate any relief effort. As it stood, she's just a civilian and so allowed herself a moment's respite.
+++++ Morning ++++
Saber woke up to the smell of frying bacon and blearily blinked away her tiredness.
"Good morning, Arturia," Igraine greeted with a smile. When she woke up with her daughter's arms embracing her protectively, she couldn't help but be moved. Just who was supposed to be the guardian here?
"Good morning," Arturia replied formally as she got up to wash her face from the well they had in the back. When she came back in she was surprised to find her friend Tiffany in her home. The girl was in her white acolyte robes that looked worse for wear and had a stressed look to her appearance but otherwise appeared unharmed.
"Arturia!" Tiffany shouted excitedly, and ran to hug her friend. "The whole town has been talking about you!" she exclaimed, looking at her friend with something akin to awe.
"Why?" Saber didn't do anything unusual.
"Why?!" Tiffany looked at her friend incredulously. "Everyone is talking about your actions during the defense of our town!"
"Why?" Saber responded with a curious expression. "All I did was help defend our town. I was able bodied," she explained and saw the look her friend gave her. It was one she recognized, it was the same one she used to give Shiro when he said or did something stupid.
"Helped?" Tiffany shouted in incredulity. "According to the soldiers, you single handedly took command after Captain Johnathan fell in battle and rallied the rest."
"They exaggerate," Saber huffed. Soldiers were telling tall tales again. "I was there at the wall to help defend and made a few suggestion of encouragement at best."
"You did more than that, lass," Gerald interjected from the door way. He looked to Igraine for permission to enter and received a nod.
"Gerald, things are going smoothly?" Saber asked curiously.
"Yes milady," Gerald replied with an exaggerated bow. "I did as you commanded," he stated with a wry grin.
"You are making fun of me," Saber chastised the older man in an embarrassed tone, blushing.
"On the contrary, I am giving you the highest amount of respect possible," Gerald explained seriously. "The Knight Commander wants to speak with the person in charge of our garrison, see they were worried they would not make it to Marshal's Keep in time so they fell back near Redridge pass to start fortifying the area."
Saber recalled that the Black Morass was connected to the rocky area of Karazhan called Deadwind Pass due to the recent lack of growth there, but the populace was reassured that the Arch mage Medivh was on the job. While up north was Sunshire and Lakeshire two other bastions of Stormwind's might, but one that lacked natural defenses like Deadwind's Pass.
"So that was why they took so long to arrive?" Igraine asked a bit angrily. "They had written us off for dead?"
"Their scouts reported that the greenskin forces were too large for them to make it here in time," Gerald pointed out as he stroked his chin. He saw Arturia nodding her head in understanding.
"So what prompted them to come to us anyway?" Saber asked, curious. It was something she had done before, throw away a town so that she could fight from a better position. She had done what she had to do; it was either save one town and lose ten or sacrifice the one for the greater whole.
Gerald then suddenly grinned. "Well that little Missy is where you came in," he replied to a startled Arturia. "As you know Marshal's Keep is the most outer lying town. When our scouts went to get reinforcement they warned our neighbors, who then fortified their villages and prepared for an invasion also."
"Make sense," Saber reasoned as she shifted in her seat. "But that does not explain why I am accredited anything," She gave Gerald a perplexed look with her emerald eyes.
"It is because we are the most outlying town that the hammer struck here first. However, after an hour the other towns had sent scouts to see that we were still fighting the greenskins and started to evacuate their towns and headed for Redridge pass," Gerald said grinning.
"Those cowards!" Tiffany shouted angrily. She had visited those towns and knew some of the people there, for them to just leave while her town was under attack. She felt betrayed.
"It's not cowardice," Saber spoke up in a commanding tone, silencing her friend who stared at her in surprise. "They did the right thing: evacuating the citizens was more important."
"Still think that's a crappy thing to do," Tiffany grumbled under her breath but quailed under Arturia's look. Was she always that intimidating?
"Their soldiers came back for us once their people were safe, how else do you think they were able to turn back a force of that size," Gerald explained to a now mollified Tiffany.
"Still waiting for why I am in this discussion at all," Saber piped in patiently as she drank some tea her mother served her.
Tiffany and Gerald exchanged a glance at the casual way Arturia accepted the tea and appeared to dismiss her mother from the conversation. It was almost like she was a noble.
"It's because Lord Knight Armin had expected to fight an invading force at Redridge pass while the Brotherhood forces were waiting at Deadwind," Gerald said and started to puff out his chest proudly. "Well, imagine his surprise when the majority of the citizenry he had written off as dead came flooding through."
"Hmm." Saber looked contemplatively at the tea inside her cup. "He's an honorable man then," she said finally.
Gerald smiled at her deductive reasoning.
"Wait, I don't get it," Tiffany chimed in, lost by the intricacy of the two before her.
"His task was complete," Saber explained. "He did not have to come back for us at all, if anything we granted him a boon for holding out so long. By coming in to help us he was gambling on the fact that we were still here. It was a risky decision as he could have arrived at a town taken over by the greenskins."
"Exactly, young lady," a rough booming voice said from the doorway, revealing a tall broad shouldered man with long brown cloak and black heavy armor which signaled his affiliation with the Brotherhood Knights. "And one that I was honor bound to take regardless of the consequences,"
"Knight Commander," Gerald saluted and stood at attention along with two of the women in the household.
Saber stood up out of respect also but felt she needed to reply. "Still a foolhardy decision, had we been overrun you would have had to fight a retreating action at great cost," she countered. She did not see the shocked expressions from her friends and family at how she talked to such a high ranking official as an equal.
"It was all of the militia forces in the area that volunteered to come back for your town so it's a moot point now," Armin agreed with an easy smile as he looked at Arturia from head to toe. "So you are the angel of the battlefield, huh. They were right about your beauty," he said and then bowed to her.
"I am afraid I am not well versed in courtly etiquette," Saber replied. 'From here that is,' she added silently.
"No matter," Armin brushed it off easily. He would not be offended by any breach of etiquette. "I just wanted to see the Angel of the battlefield with my own eyes, pretty thing isn't she, Lancelot?" he asked while looking behind him as another knight entered the door way.
Tiffany instantly had hearts in her eyes as the knight gave her a winsome smile.
"A bit underdeveloped," Lancelot answered with amusement in his eyes. "But should grow up to be quite a beauty."
Saber narrowed her eyes at her former first knight who replied with a broad smile.
"My, my, I like her even more now!" Armin burst out with a boisterous laugh. "The first girl I have ever witnessed who did not swoon over your looks!"
"I believe Arturia is no ordinary maiden," Lancelot defended with an amused smirk still gracing his face. "But Commander, a word outside if you please," he said softly as he walked out with his superior.
"Arturia," Igraine gushed to her daughter. "That gentlemen is interested in you and such a handsome knight at that!" she swooned.
"No fair!" Tiffany cried bitterly."Why do all the boys like you?"
"Mother, I love you but I will tell you this now," Saber growled in a low deadly tone, stunning everyone with her ferocity. "I would never, in a thousand years, ever consider anyone like him. EVER."
Tiffany and Igraine looked at Arturia as if she was crazy. Gerald could not help but smile at the girl's declaration, the guy who wins her heart will be one lucky person. Then of course there was that odd thing Sir Lancelot said last night.
"You know now it kind of make sense," Igraine said suddenly. "Mrs. Baker and Lordue came here earlier to drop off our milk and some of the bacon we're having. They refused to take my coin as payment."
'Tribute?' Saber thought to herself. She was interrupted from any further speculation when Lancelot and Armin returned with serious expressions on their faces. "What is the matter?" she demanded.
Armin was about to reply when he stopped himself. He looked at the blond girl with something akin to puzzlement. He couldn't understand why he was about to actually explain the situation or even why he had to but his fellow knight had no such qualms.
"A massive horde of greenskins is marching a half day out from here," Lancelot responded in a professional manner, looking at Arturia. "Our scouts said their number were at least in the ten thousands."
"So this was the vanguard," Saber concluded and slowly looked at Lancelot. "We need to evacuate everyone immediately while we still have time, the two thousand or so we have here is a mere pittance against something of that size."
"It is as you said," Lancelot bowed then turned to look at Armin. "Orders, milord?" he asked.
Armin, like the rest of the others, was stunned by Arturia's grasp of the situation and suggestion. "Do as she says," he ordered numbly. He then turned around and gave the blond hair girl a good look again.
"Yes, Sir Knight?" Saber asked. She did not feel like addressing anyone as milord. Something in her wouldn't let her.
"If I gave you command of the local militia forces, can you lead them?" Armin asked, looking at her as if searching for something. "They are not like the garrison troops that we have," he said tactfully.
"They are not as disciplined as trained troops like Gerald, you mean," Saber pointed out.
Armin laughed. "Why am I not surprised anymore? I will have it ordered, Militia Commander Arturia."
Lancelot of course would not let it go and had to go inside one more time to look at his King. "Well from the looks of it, I will be serving you again in no time," He smirked before bowing respectfully low to Arturia and left.
"Good luck, lass," Gerald said as he too marched out.
Saber closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Just like that she was pulled out of her peaceful life and thrust into a position of command. In her old life, she had been prepared for it, trained for it, wanted it because it was her duty. Yet, in this strange new world, she was free to choose and found herself once more at the crossroads. Was she ready?
"Arturia," Igraine said coming up behind her daughter. She recognized the look on her face. "Whatever you do, I will support it," she stated simply.
Saber glanced at her mother and wondered if she was so transparent. "Mother, when you get to Lakeshire, will you be able to stay with Aunt Cecilia?"
"Of course," Igraine said with a smile as she saw the decision on her daughter's face and pulled the surprised girl into a tight hug. "Your father would have been so proud of you," she said as she freed Arturia from her embrace.
"I miss father too," Saber replied softly, her mother had pretty much said she would be okay. "If you need coin, write me," she ordered.
"Yes, my little Arturia," Igraine whispered as she watched her daughter turn and leave with her friend in tow. Something told her that this might be the last time she'd see her daughter for a while. Going inside she started to pack whatever she could carry.
+++Outside +++
Saber, with her friend Tiffany by her side, approached the militia camp that was on the outskirts of the main force encampment. True to their style they were disorganized and scattered loosely. This just would not be acceptable for any forces under her command.
"You there!" Saber pointed at the bugler next to the Stormwind battle standard. "Give the assembly alarm."
The bugler, a young boy of fourteen, was surprised but obeyed due to the tone of her voice .
A few minutes' later eight hundred militia men gathered, not knowing who called them.
Saber looked at the men and nodded. They weren't bad just undisciplined, she could work with that. "Attention!" she shouted, bringing their attention to her. "My name is Arturia of Marshal's Keep, I was tasked with being in charge of the militia by Sir Armin," she stated authoritatively and watched as they broke out in murmur.
"A young girl like her?"
"Is that girl serious?"
"What can she do, this must be a joke right?"
"Quiet!" Saber barked and watched as everyone shut up at her command. "Right now as we speak, there is a horde of greenskins bearing down on us. Our TASK is to be the shield for the civilians fleeing Marshal's Keep," she said looking around. "For the duration of this task, you are under MY command. FAILURE in this task is NOT an option."
"Arturia!" Tiffany hissed quietly as she felt a lot of the eyes of the militia on her and her friend. "What are you doing?" she asked while still smiling at the hostile crowd. Her friend was antagonizing these men!
"However!" Saber continued and ignored her friend. "Anyone who is dissatisfied of my command may come forward right now and challenge me for it. If they best me in combat I WILL relinquish my command, but if they lose I expect TOTAL obedience. Now, are there any dissenters?" she asked, looking at everyone.
There was a loud murmur as the militia men talked to one another. Slowly about one hundred men stepped forward.
"Arturia!" Tiffany shouted in alarm.
"So you are all who are dissatisfied, correct?" Saber asked, ignoring her friend. "ANYONE ELSE?" she questioned and looked to the rest of the forces. After no one else stepped forward she gave a brief nod.
"Ar-tu-ri-a!" Tiffany enunciate as she tugged on her friend sleeve.
Saber ignored her friend again and turned to face her dissenting soldiers. "Unfortunately, time is short so we will do this the fast way, you ten," she said pointing to the first batch of ten people, "take me down if you can."
The men in question looked at each other, then at the girl as if she was crazy. They nodded to each other and charged the small blond.
+++ Main encampment++++
Lancelot was busy untying horses as they broke camp when the footman that was with Arturia earlier approached him. "Yes, can I help you?" he asked facing the man.
"You know lad, I racked my brain but I can't ever recall seeing someone like you talking to our dear Arturia," Gerald said looking at the handsome knight. "And believe me, I think I'd remember someone like you."
"Ah, is that your concern." Lancelot replied in an amused tone. "Believe me, my intentions toward her are completely pure and chaste," he assured the man.
"How do you know her?" Gerald asked seriously. He did not believe for a second this man had no intentions toward Arturia.
"Let me ask you this before I answer you," Lancelot cut the man off as he got onto his horse. "What was Arturia like as a child?"
Gerald was taken aback by the question but could see no harm in it. "She was a sweet and lovely girl. Very helpful though and very serious but easily flustered by her friends," he recalled fondly. That girl was like a shining ray of light to whoever she talked to.
"So she laughed and smiled?" Lancelot asked softly.
For such an innocuous question, Gerald felt that it was important to this Lancelot. "Aye, she had plenty of playmates, still does," he confirmed then added. "Plenty of suitors too before this bad business happened."
Lancelot closed his eyes and looked to the sky. "Is that so..." he said, to Gerald's surprise, the knight smiled widely. "Thank you sir."
"Wait, what are your intentions toward her, and why did you want to know that?" Gerald demanded as he did not understand what was going on at all.
"The reasons are my own," Lancelot grinned as he wheeled his horse to join the other cavalry unit. "However, rest assured, I want to protect her just as much as you," he said as he rode away.
Gerald was left standing there alone with his thoughts.
++++Militia's encampment ++++
The last man fell down on his back and was about to get up when a shield slammed into his head knocking him out cold.
Saber breathed a bit harder than usual but finished off the last of her challengers in front of a stunned crowd. Composing herself she glanced at the men who were slowly picking themselves up and the other militia members. "Per our agreement, I will now have your complete obedience," she said to the quiet crowd.
No longer were they whispering or murmuring. They were looking at the small blond with complete respect and open awe.
Saber nodded and turned to her friend who had called upon the Holy Light to heal her fatigue. "Thank you, Tiffany," she said and gave her friend a small smile before turning back to her troops.
"Now here is what we are going to do," Saber started, and proceeded to organize her forces in a manner that best benefited them.
***** Black Morass *****
Gul'dan the Orcish Horde chief warlock was per his instructions waiting for his ally to show up. Soon enough a black raven flew close by and took the shape of a small pink skinned being. He recalled that he was told this was a Human. "Master," Gul'dan said bowing low.
"You have failed me, they are ready for you!" the smaller Human told the bigger Orc.
"How is that possible? We had sent a sizable force ahead to crush any villages so they couldn't warn these people you were concerned about," Gul'dan questioned but quickly bowed his head as he saw the murderous look in the smaller being's eyes. Despite him being bigger the raw power radiating off this Medivh was staggering.
"It does not matter! You will make with all the speed you can NOW and break through from here!" Medivh bellowed dangerously and showed a map of the land. "At Redridge and Sunshire borders."
"Wouldn't it be faster directly through here?" Gul'dan said, pointing at Deadwind pass.
"No, that part is now heavily defended due to YOUR failure to crush the local citizenry," Medivh pointed out as Lothar had started to fortify the choke hold lest the invaders brake through, through Redridge or Sunshire it would be more open and even then the main army from Stormwind were still days away. "If you were to make haste now, you can overwhelm this weak spot before they reinforce it."
"Bah," Gul'dan said confidently. "We are the HORDE, even the mighty Draenei fell to us and they were a lot stronger than the pink skin you are wearing," he reassured his master.
"Do not underestimate them or it will be your undoing," Medivh threatened. "Now make haste!" he ordered before turning back into a raven and flying away.
Gul'dan bared his teeth in defiance briefly before going back to the main Horde force. One day, he promised himself to steal Medivh's power and then they will see who bowed to whom.
"Warchief," Gul'dan prostrated himself as he approached Blackhand, a massive green orc sitting on a throne of skulls, in a submissive manner. "The force you have sent to crush the pathetic natives has been slaughtered," he reported to the surprise of Blackhand and Doomhammer, another massive but slightly smaller orc.
"Bah, last time I'll send some Bleeding Hollows to do a Blackrock's job," Blackhand spat in disgust.
"Warchief, I have divined that the best way to catch those who escaped our wrath is through the north road," Gul'dan offered quickly and looked at Blackhand.
"The Western Road is shorter," Doomhammer pointed at the map with his massive black hammer.
"I believe it is the Warchief 'sdecision or have you become the Warchief while I was away?" Gul'dan retorted snidely and watched Doomhammer grow enraged.
"Enough!" Blackhand ordered, holding up a hand to prevent any more bickering. "We take the north road."
"Might I humbly suggest we make haste to catch the rabble that dared defy the Horde's might?" Gul'dan suggested, still not looking at Blackhand.
"Hmm, you are right, tell the Horde to double march, we shall make a game of it," Blackhand said with a grin.
Doomhammer frowned but did not voice his opinion. "As you command, Warchief."
TBC...
AN: So the mood hit me so here is another. For those that are not familiar with WC 1.
Sunshire = Duskwood/Darkshire (WoW)
Stonewind located in Redridge across from Lakeshire (WoW)
There are others like Grand Hamlet and Moonbrook. Might see the others before it's over. I am still not worried about Shiro much, so I'm not even focusing on it. I gotta be good on Saber here and now first. :D
Oh and if some people are wondering why there is no tension about the whole Guinevere thing not being addressed , itwill be eventually when the danger has passed. As for Gawain, yep, he hated Lancelot but he also felt guilty for turning away Lancelot at Camlann according to Fate/Extra and just wanted another chance. He'd still hate Lancelot though so we will see how that works out. :D
As always C+C welcomed.