Alethea sighed. Life wasn't at all fun being stuck tied to a tree in soaking wet clothes which clung to her skin. The rain had long since stopped but there was now a chill wind which froze her skin, but there was nothing Alethea could do but suffer it. She was beginning to reach past caring what happened to her. She had no idea how much time had gone by, but she did know that if nothing was done soon then she would almost certainly spend the last days of her life in the lonely clearing. As time progressed, bit by bit her last hopes were cruelly being taken from her and torn to shreds before her eyes. What little hopes she had of being rescued were being dashed on the rocks of despair. She began to accept that no one was going to rescue her and that she would die here, slowly but she would die. She had survived so much and yet she would lose her life because of one sorceress' thirst for revenge. Alethea knew that the chances of seeing home again were very slim. She would never see her parents again, and the chances of seeing Camelot or it's Prince were even slimmer. Magic was forbidden in Camelot and Merlin wouldn't come. Not after how Arthur and Merlin had been whilst Alethea was there.
She was glad for being tied to a tree. It was the only thing that was keeping her upright. Her legs were weak but her feet were no longer sore. That had passed by a long time ago. Her throat was still dry and she would have given anything for a glass of water, but like her sore feet, her hunger had long since passed. She began to understand how those in poverty stricken countries felt, and she vowed that if she ever got home she would do what she could to help them. Tilting her head up, she saw the sky to be filled with clouds. She smiled slightly. They weren't rain clouds but it was somewhat reassuring to see them go past. It kind of made her realise that life didn't revolve around her. After all, if she died then the world wouldn't stop. It would just go on as usual.
The most frustrating thing for her was the lack of knowledge. She didn't mind so much that she was tied up and abandoned in the middle of nowhere, a bottle of water staring at her and taunting her, or that she may have been left there alone to die. No, it was the fact that she didn't know if Camelot still stood, or if the Pendragons still lived. She hadn't a clue if her friends still lived or if they had perished in a battle with Nimueh. She didn't even know if Nimueh had launched her attack yet or been discovered. Then again, if Nimueh had been discovered to be a fraud then wouldn't Arthur have come looking for her by now? Or had he had Merlin locked up after the warlock had confessed? Alethea just simply didn't know, and she was getting fed up with her mind and it's thoughts.
There's only so much time a person can spend away from home before beginning to miss it. Alethea didn't get homesick as a general rule, but now after spending so long away from it, she began to miss the little luxuries. She laughed at the whole idea of it. She was missing the most ordinary of things: running water, music on demand, the TV, radio, computer…Even a flushing loo. She knew that if she ever did get back the first thing she would do after hugging her parents was to have a nice warm bath whilst listening to music, before spending the rest of the evening doing homework sat in front of the TV. She was missing the little things, and she now understood the phrase 'careful what you wish for'. She was also missing the comfort of her bed and she began to wonder if she was missing that more than anything. She laughed at that thought.
As day turned to night, she closed her eyes and let the comfort of sleep envelope her and take her home. It was only in her dreams that she could visualise home, but even then parts were becoming hazy. It was that night that she saw a fearsome battle with so many casualties. As she picked her way through the bloodstained field she found who she was looking for, and sobbed as she cradled his lifeless body in her arms. Jolting awake, she swore blind that she would not let that happen, and so found one little piece of hope left within her. All she had to do was stay strong and then perhaps she could stop Arthur's death.
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It was a cold morning when the soldiers broke camp and began their march on Camelot. The young soldier called Benjamin couldn't help but wonder what had possessed Sir Ethelbert to attack Camelot. He had known that the army were gathered ready for a war against someone, but he hadn't actually been expecting to attack the land of the Pendragons. He was thinking more along the lines of Mercia. What troubled him was the fact that the whole idea of attacking Camelot had come from the mysterious woman whom they hadn't seen since that night, and that the plan had been put straight into action. Their march on Camelot had begun the moment that the sun had started to rise.
It didn't take the group of trained men long to break camp. They were a mix of young and old. Some had seen plenty of action, for others this would be their first blood. Ben knew that it would also be their last. He had heard of how well trained Camelot's men were, and getting to the castle would be no easy feat. They would lose many, and as they trudged along, talking of wives and families, old battles and tales, the young man knew that he would lose his friends and comrades if he didn't lose his life. It's easy to brag of old battles, but when in the field you see sights that you cannot imagine, and those that definitely cannot be forgotten. Ben had only fought one battle before as a squire to a knight. The knight had subsequently died but not knighted him and so was stuck as a page for the time being. He didn't mind so much.
They camped that night on the edge of a forest, hidden and perfectly covered. There was no chance of accidental discovery if any of Camelot's people walked by. Building up a fire, the men began to cook a meal for themselves and chatted as they did so. Many stayed awake long into the night whilst others slept. Energy needed to be conserved for the fight ahead. Ben knew that many of the men were itching for a fight, and that if it was won then the loot would be worth it. However, he also knew that many women would be widowed and many children would lose a father. Not allowing these thoughts to cloud his mind, he slept in the forest, thinking instead of his times at home.
His cottage was only small, but it was big enough for him and his family. He had two sisters but no brothers and his father had been killed in battle when he was only seven years old. It hadn't been an easy life being man of the house at such a young age, but he had somehow managed to cope. When his local lord had been recruiting men for his army, Ben had decided to join them. He had always been interested in fighting since he was a young boy when a group of warriors had passed through his village, and now he had been given the chance to be one. He seized it with both hands and the money he earned he gave to his family. He knew that if he died in battle then there would be nothing that could be done for them, but that just gave him all the more reason to stay alive.
Another day passed by, maybe even two before the castle of Camelot came into view. So far they hadn't been spotted and as they camped by a lake that night, Ben wondered whether any of them would live to see another. They were at the appointed meeting place, and all they had to do now was wait for the attack to begin. He didn't agree with what was going on, but he knew that it didn't matter if he agreed with what he was doing or not, just so long as he put bread on the table. Later that night on his way back to his pallet after relieving himself, he heard his master, Sir Ethelbert, speaking with a woman. Not wanting to be seen, he kept to the shadows and listened into the conversation.
"…I will not do that."
"This is war. Innocents always get caught in the middle."
"But women and children. I will not do that."
"Then our deal will be broken."
"You need me to succeed."
"No. I just need your army." There was a moment's silence.
"Very well. We attack at dawn?" Sir Ethelbert replied reluctantly.
"Yes. You are to sort out the villagers and the soldiers, but leave the royals to me."
"And prisoners?"
"What about them?"
"Should we take any?"
"No." Ben looked at the two people. This wasn't going to be a battle. It was going to be a bloodbath. They would slaughter women and children who had done nothing except live in the wrong place. It wouldn't be a battle but a massacre. He couldn't do that. He couldn't take part, no matter how high the pay. He turned and ran to his pallet, grabbing his things and avoiding the men on watch duty. He knew exactly what he was going to do.
He ran along the forest track, not knowing where he was going but with a little moonlight he could just make out the castle in the distance. It wouldn't take him long to reach it, perhaps he would get there an hour before dawn, and he prayed that this would be enough time to warn them and have them prepared. He never classed himself as a traitor, nor had he considered himself to be a turncoat, but certain things must be done, and this was one of them. It wasn't long before he was noticed to be missing though, and as he reached the other side of the lake he saw the woman who was the person behind the plan suddenly change into a girl who looked no younger than sixteen. Ben blinked, but then realised he'd been spotted. He sprinted as fast as he could down the track, with what little moonlight there was to guide him on his path. However as he ran he heard his fellow soldiers come closer and orders were shouted. It wasn't long before the familiar whooshing sound of arrows flew past his ears, but many of them missed. One of them found its target though, and Ben stumbled, wincing in pain but knowing that so many lives depended on his warning.
Keeping to the shadows, he caught his breath and bit his cheek to distract himself from the pain. The arrow was lodged in his side and he knew that there was nothing he could do to save himself. It was a mortal wound, but he knew that he had enough time to warn Camelot. He just hoped that they would listen. His pace slowed slightly, but he kept himself going. He knew he had to. So many women's and children's lives depended on his warning. He had to save them. Then, as the sun began to win it's battle with the moon and the sky turned from dark blue to a dusky pink, Ben reached the gates of Camelot. The doors were shut of course, and it took all that was in him to call out.
"Who goes there?"
"Ben, of Wessex. I bring a warning to the King. Listen, there's not much time."
"Weapons." As he was allowed in, Ben handed over his sword and dagger before begging desperately to be taken to see the King. His sight was beginning to worsen but that didn't matter. If he lost his life to save so many then it would be worth it. He was taken up a flight of stairs where he was made to wait. A tired looking man and his son appeared, and Ben took these to be the royals that the woman was talking about.
"What is so urgent?"
"Sires, I bring a warning." Ben said, bowing and wincing in pain. He glanced down at his tunic and immediately looked away when he saw the patch of blood staining his clothes.
"Yes?"
"Sir Ethelbert of Wessex has an army encamped at the lake not far from here. He means to attack Camelot at Dawn."
"How do you know this?"
"I overheard him talking with a woman, a sorceress. They mean to take no prisoners and will not…" he swayed a little and grabbed hold of a chair to steady himself "They will not rest until Camelot has fallen."
"A sorceress?" the son asked.
"She changed her form from that of a woman to that of a girl, no older than sixteen." The son didn't seem too surprised, but he was shocked none the less.
"You are wounded?" Ben just smiled.
"The price for my treachery. Please sires, heed my warning and save your people. Be prepared for a hefty battle. Wessex's men are trained well and…" He paused as he took a sharp breath. "And they will do anything for a price." The two royals looked at each other before turning back to the young soldier.
"This is truth?"
"I swear it on my life."
"Arthur, raise your men. Get every woman and child to safety and all men able to fight equipped with weapons. Sound the alarm." The son, Arthur, took to his heels and went to wake his men. The King turned back to the soldier.
"Thank you for the warning. Why bring it?"
"I cannot stand by and watch innocent people massacred and murdered in cold blood, just because someone wants power." Ben answered, clinging onto the chair now. His vision was beginning to leave him.
"How many men has Wessex got?"
"A hundred. Two hundred at most."
"Thank you. What's your name?"
"Ben sire. Ben of Wessex."
"Then I'll get the physician to tend to you." Ben looked once more to the King before he was taken to the physicians quarters. Seeing that the physician was an elderly man, Ben smirked before lying down on the bed. He knew as well as the physician that his wound was fatal. There would be no surviving this. As he was given something to drink, he felt a sharp bout of pain as the arrow was removed and Ben took to the darkness. If he died now then at least he knew he had done what he could to help save Camelot.
