As we approached the lake I could see that Arthur and Tristan were already there, along with all the others.
I brought Flecha down to a slow canter and finally to a halt next to Tristan.
"Is there any other way?" Arthur asked Tristan.
"No; we have to cross the ice," Tristan replied.
"Get them out of the carriages, tell them to spread out!" Arthur ordered.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jols ride off to pass Arthur's message on.
"Wait!" I cried.
Jols reined in his horse sharply and brought him around to face us. At the same time I saw all the others also turn their heads to hear what I had to say.
"Could we not move around the lake at the edges?" I pointed at the sides of the lake. "There is a chance that there is firm ground." However, before anyone truly had a chance to take in my suggestion, I watched as Tristan shook his head no.
"You're right, there is firm ground, but only enough for us to pass: the caravan would plunge into the frozen lake," he informed us. I nodded in submission and continued to look ahead over the frozen lake as I heard Jols galloping to the caravan to give on the message for them to spread out.
It was not until I felt a hand on my leg that I snapped out of my trance and noticed that Gawain was gently rubbing my leg, and looking up at me from the ground, silently telling me that we had to move on. I nodded in agreement and slowly slid off Flecha.
We waited only for a short while until the caravan arrived at the ice and we could slowly and carefully make our way across the lake.
I brought Flecha to the left of Arthur in an attempt to try and even out the weight on the ice. However we only managed to get half way across the lake before it started to crack under the weight of the caravan. Horses began to neigh and squirm were they stood. I pulled Flecha to a sharp halt when I felt the ice crack under us, and with a sharp neigh, he skidded on the ice, bringing his hind hooves under him and prancing with his front hooves as he tried to follow my lead.
However, when we finally brought the horses under control and the noise from the cracking ice subsided another noise was heard, just as terrifying as the first one. The strong sound of the Saxon drums could be heard clearly from around the mountains.
We saw as Arthur turned around in order to be able to address all of us.
"Knights!"
"Well, I'm tired of running," Bors said as he looked around at all of us to gauge our reactions. "And these Saxons are so close behind my ass is hurting." He said as he made his way forward towards Arthur.
"Never liked looking over my shoulder anyway," Tristan said as he did exactly that in order to emphasize his point, and in response I noticed Dag smiling in agreement.
"Be a pleasure to put an end to this racket"
I looked to Gawain as he said this, giving him a warm smile in support.
I suppose Arthur noticed because he looked to me next to ask my opinion of the matter.
"I'm tired of appeasing the Saxons" I told him as I looked square in his eyes.
"Finally get a look at these bastards" Galahad said.
Dear sweet Galahad, I knew that although he said this with such confidence that it was the last thing that he really wanted to do.
"Here, now," Dag said as he followed Bors in walking confidently towards Arthur.
Lancelot on the other hand had nothing to say other then nod his head in submission for there was no way in which he could go against seven knights.
"Jols!" Arthur ordered.
"You two take the horses!" Jols told two of the Roman guards who had earlier tried to kill Dag and Lucan. Both men approached us and took the horses from us as we made our way to the pack horse which was being led by Jols in order to get the weapons which we would need.
"Ganis, I need you to lead the people," Arthur said as he placed his arm around the boy. "The main Saxon army is inland, so if you track the coast line until you are well south of the wall, you'll be safe"
"But you're eight against two hundred" the boy protested as he made an attempt to be able to stay and fight.
"nine," Guinevere said as she approached the two men.
"ten," came another voice. This time everyone looked up in shock to see Luthien stepping down from the wagon. "You could use two more bows," she told them when we would not look away.
I in turn smiled and nodded at them.
"I'd rather stay and fight" Ganis said after he turned his eyes away from Guinevere and Luthien.
"You'll get your chance soon enough," Arthur said in return, before he turned to the Roman guards and said, in a voice that left no room for argument: "This man is now your captain, you do as he says, am I understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the two Romans said in unison.
"Go, go!" Arthur told Ganis when he still tried to remain behind.
I moved over to where Guinevere and Luthien were preparing the bows. "Are you two sure that this is what you want to do? There is still a chance to go with Ganis" I told them.
Luthien looked up at me with firm eyes and spoke: "Merenwen, you fight to protect your brother and father back home. You also fight to keep Gawain safe. I no longer have a family in Sarmatia. However I do have my brother, and I also fight to keep Dag safe."
I held her gaze for a while and understood her passion for I too felt it. Slowly I smiled and nodded, returning to the work at hand.
"Luthien, what do you think you are doing?" I heard Lancelot speak in a harsh voice as he grabbed her shoulders roughly.
"What does it look like I am doing, I am preparing for the fight to come," she replied.
"You can't do this! You are a woman, and my sister," he told her as he looked at her with adoration and worry.
"Do not give me that! Merenwen is a woman and she fights on equal ground with you; so does Guinevere. So why should I not be able to?" she asked him with such a fire in her eyes.
" I cannot loose you!" he told her as he embraced her tightly.
Luthien quickly pulled herself from his embrace and, looking straight in to his eyes, said: "Lancelot, I will not perish on this day." With that Lancelot nodded and made his way back to preparing the bow and arrows.
Once the bows were prepared we all moved to stand in a row next to each other. I went to stand between Gawain and Arthur and Luthien stood in between Dag and Bors.
I looked to Gawain, who gave me a warm smile. "You alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," and with that I leaned up towards him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips; "Don't get yourself killed," I whispered to him
"you, too," he responded and we moved back to our positions.
It was not a moment later that we saw an army of Saxons emerge from behind the mountains which we had cleared a short while ago. The sound of the drums was now so intense. That it felt like my very heart would rip out of my chest and flee in fear.
It was only when I heard Arthur ordering us to hold until he gave the command, that I was brought out of my state of fear and reminded that this situation would require every ounce of concentration if I wished to emerge alive.
"You looked frightened," I heard Lancelot say from the other side of Arthur, and in curiosity I looked to see who he was talking to. For I knew that he would never say such a thing to one of the men, and Luthien was standing at the opposite side. To my amusement I noticed that he was talking to Guinevere. "There are a large number of lonely men out there"
Although I could not see Guinevere's expression, her next words were priceless: "Don't worry. I won't let them rape you." At this comment I allowed myself a small smile before returning my attention to the battle which lay ahead.
Eventually we saw as the army of Saxons come to a halt at the other side of the lake, and one of the Saxon archers stepped forward and released a single arrow that barely even made it half way across the ice.
"I believe they are waiting for an invitation," Arthur said as he looked upon the pitiful skills which these Saxons possessed with archery. "Bors! Tristan!" he ordered.
Guinevere apparently thought that the achievement of the Saxon archer was very good and said that they were far out of range.
Arthur merely ignored her and watched as Tristan fired three arrows in one go and Bors two. The rest of us stood back and watched as all five arrows found their targets in 5 different Saxons.
The response which the Saxon leader had to this was to order his troops to advance forward onto the ice, and this was also our cue to notch arrows into our bows and prepare to release them.
"Aim for the flanks, make them cluster!' Arthur ordered.
As I pulled back the bow string everything around me faded; I honed in on one of the Saxons positioned to the far left flank of the Saxon army.