- Luthium –

I slowly woke up, to find that I was no longer in the dark and damp cell of the dungeon, while breathing in the smell of rotting flesh. Instead I was lying in the corner of a wagon, wrapped up in warm furs, breathing in the fresh cold air that was allowed to pass in and through the walls of the wagon.

I pulled the furs tighter around me, as I further into the furs, in attempt to block everything out, and just forget. Imagining that I was back in Sarmatia, I closed my eyes and breathed in the British air, just as I was beginning to drift off into a peaceful sleep, I felt someone kneel down next to me and gently pry the furs from my hands.

Out of reflex my eyes shot open and I began to struggle. A pair of strong hands grabbed hold of me and pinned me down to the floor of the cart. "Lay still" came a gentle yet strong male voice. I looked up to see the giant kneeling over me.

I slowly ripped my eyes off of his and spared a glance over to where Lucan was laying. I saw that the roman woman was watching over him, while he slept.

I returned my focus to the giant who was waiting for my consent to remove the furs. I slowly slackened my grip on the furs, allowing the man to carefully pull them down.

He began to inspect me for any signs of wounds, external and internal. As he reached my stomach I flinched and tried to pull away from him, but he kept a gentle yet firm hold on me. "I need to lift your tunic to inspect the extent of your injuries" he said as he slowly began to lift the edge of my tunic.

I winced as he ever so carefully lifted the tunic over the injuries on my stomach. As my injuries were removed I noticed that his expression went from tender to hard, as he saw the damage that the Romans had inflicted upon my skin.

The man gave my arm a reassuring rub and turned away to reach for something that was lying behind him.

As he turned around again I saw that he was carrying a container of some sort. I suppose that the confusion and weariness showed in my eyes, because the man gave a small smile and said "it is a salve it will sooth and disinfect the injuries" I slowly nodded and grabbed hold of the furs beneath me as an anchor for the pain that was sure to come.

Slowly gently he began to apply the salve to the wounds on my stomach, and although he was being gentle and careful, it still stung.

The treatment only took a few minutes but it seemed like it had taken far longer. Once he was finished he gently lowered my tunic back down and moved over to inspect Guinevere, who was giving him a look of mistrust.

He felt her forehead only to find that it was ablaze with fever. The sarmatian moved over to where Lucan was lying in order to pick up a bowl of water that was lying at the boy's side with a cloth. Once he retrieved the bowl and towel he moved back to Guinevere's side. He dunked the cloth under the water, wringed the cloth and gently placed it on Guinevere's forehead.

All the while Guinevere gave the man a look of caution. The sarmatian, gave Guinevere a gentle and reassuring squeeze on her upper arm and moved back to his vigil over Lucan.

I heard the commotion coming from the entrance of the cart; I lifted my head up to see the Roman commander and my brother come in. I watched as my brother came over to me and kneeled down next to me, "How are you?" he asked "Better" I said as I looked up into his eyes. I still had difficulty rasping the fact that after all that I had been through that I was finally reunited with my brother.

"Luthien, you need to tell me what happened" Lancelot said as he gently caressed my arms.

I looked up at him and threw myself into his arms and just sob into his chest "Oh Lancelot I thought that I would never find you, I left Sarmatia six month ago, it took me three month to get to Britain, by the time that I got to Britain I found an inn at the south of the wall, I was so tired that I did not stop to think whether it was Roman or not. I walked in and the people were so nice they offered me food and water, there was no way that I could have known that the food had been drugged"

I grabbed hold of his armor in an attempt to get closer to him where I knew it was safe. "The next day I woke up to find myself in a cart with men, women and children shackled, I tried to move my hands and feet but I realized that I was shackled as well. I was brought to a slave market, I could not possibly tell you where the slave market was, due to the fact that I was passing through consciousness and unconsciousness. I was bought by Marius" Just the name of that man made me cringe and I began to tremble at the knowledge of what I had to say next. "One night I was busy finishing cleaning the floor when a man came and took me into large rooms, I only noticed later that the rooms belonged to Marius. It did not take long before I realized what he had intended to do."

I paused for a moment and cowered further into Lancelot's arms, I felt tears begin to prickle my eyes. "He forced me onto the bed, and he made it clear to me that he expected me to 'warm his bed'" I felt Lancelot's arms tighten around me in protection, I looked up at his face and saw that there was a dark look in his eyes, but I knew I had to continue. "I struggled and luckily I found a vase that was near the bed, I grabbed it and smashed it over Marius' head, he crumbled up in pain and I ran. Unfortunately I did not get far before the guards caught me and threw me into the dungeon, they tortured me as a punishment for denying the 'spokes men for God', they then threw me into the dungeon to rot, and that was how you found me"

I buried my head in his chest and wept; now that this whole ordeal was over I felt like I could finally breathe again, Lancelot stayed there comforting me. After what seemed like hours I finally began relaxing and my eyes became heave. I took one last look at my brother and fell asleep.