Chapter Seven

Galahad watched as Hermione fought. Then he watched as Guinevere took aim and shot an arrow straight through Marius' head. Lucan ran into Dagonet's arms before Marius could fall slackly to the ground with a dead thud. A slight victory smile made its way to his face, before Arthur stepped up, sword pointed at the guards, who were just regaining their balance.

"You can either surrender and help us with these people, or we can feed you to the Saxons." He said loudly, head held high.

"It's your choice, really." Lancelot added from his place.

Hermione moved to stand near Guinevere just as the guard threw down their swords. Arthur smiled triumphantly and Hermione gave a smirk of satisfaction toward the guards, who looked at her carefully, fearing her for the first time.

"Good move." Lancelot offered a smirk of his own and collected the swords, along with Tristan, who examined them with interest.

Gawain turned to Hermione. "Well done, my Lady." He bowed to her graciously and she inclined her head, attempting to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks. "Exceptional fighting skills."

"Indeed, Lady Hermione." Lancelot added admirably. "It is a wonder that a lady can fight so naturally and fiercely."

Horton stepped forward, and Hermione felt a chill down her spine as he stared at her. "A wonder, yes. Almost... unnatural." His eyes narrowed and Hermione gulped, her nerves getting the best of her. "One would think it was witchcraft."

"There will be no talk of that while there are ladies present, sir." Galahad said, interrupting the Bishop's Man. "You will not be speaking to Lady Hermione like that, or you will lose your head."

"Because she will lose her temper." Gawain added hastily, making sure Galahad didn't incriminate himself.

"Enough of this talk for now." Arthur intervened. "Come, we must keep moving if we want to have crossed the river my nightfall. Or the Saxons will no doubt catch up with us." He jumped back on his horse and the other knights followed, just as Bors came thundering into the clearing.

"ARTORIOUS!" He shouted loudly. "Is there a problem?" He asked casually.

Hermione let out a laugh. "No, Bors, there is no problem now." She said.

He looked down and smiled at her. "Alright, then, Lady. Care for a ride to your horse?" He asked, offering his arm to her.

"No thank you, Bors. I think I'll walk amongst the people for a bit." Her eyes travelled over the crowds of people, some of them, barely moving with a speed faster than an injured turtle. "By the looks of things, they need all the help they can get. See if you can get some of the more injured people and a few children on horses, would you?"

Her eyes were locked onto his and he was reminded of his wife. He smiled. "Aye, I'll try."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"No problem, My Lady. Just be careful down there, then." He said and galloped up to the head of the large group in search of spare horses.

"You have a way with people, Hermione." Guinevere said, taking the younger girl's arm. "And a way with the knights."

Hermione felt a blush creep up again as the pack started moving. "Thank you, Lady Guinevere."

"Tell me, where you come from, is it a custom for you to help others, though you know nothing of their name?" Hermione nodded and Guinevere smiled. "You show much kindness and I think it will be your fate to change our lives for the better."

She was reminded of Luna at that moment, with her serene riddles and wisdom. She smiled. "I hope so."

"It has already started. Already you have touched the hearts of the knights. In more ways than you know." Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion. Guinevere laughed. "Happiness is right in front of you, Hermione. You just have look in order to see it."

"It isn't happiness for myself that I seek." She replied, stopping. "I want to see people here live better lives. I want to see a change within humanity. Just as Merlin asked me to. What makes me happy can't be found here." She told the older woman passionately.

"What makes you happy then?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "Home." She smiled. "My boys, Harry and Ron, though they're fighting over a girl at the moment and driving me crazy, are my best friends. We've been through everything together." She mused, smiling. "They know when I'm upset, and sometimes are too stubborn to apologise, but when they do, they can make my heart soar."

Guinevere smiled, seeing images of a redheaded boy and a boy with curly black hair and blazing green eyes. They were hugging the younger Hermione, laughing and joking. Then there was one of fighting. An evil wizard drawing his wand and aiming at the green eyed boy.

The green eyed boy stood tall and two figures appeared behind him; Hermione and the other boy. Together, the three of them looked proud and fearless in the face of danger.

She was pulled out of her trance of images by Hermione's talking. "Then there's Hogwarts. That's my school. I go there to learn magic." She told Guinevere with a soft smile. "It's home, it's a place I can feel... safe, though I've been in so much danger there before."

"So... that makes you happy?"

"Yes, yes it does. It's the most amazing feeling in the world. When you feel like you just belong somewhere, it's like you can't breathe when you're not near it." She told her.

"And what of love for yourself? I overheard you asking Galahad about it earlier. You seemed so intrigued by the idea."

Hermione laughed. "Oh, no. Love is only for the beautiful people. I thought I was in love once, but as it turns out, it wasn't right." She smiled. Guinevere frowned. "What?"

"You said it's only for the beautiful people. Don't you count as beautiful?"

Hermione looked down. "Well, I-I've never been told otherwise."

Guinevere felt a pang of pain. "Oh, Hermione." She sympathised. "Every woman, every man, with a heart that has care to it, every single one of them is beautiful. You are beautiful. There's no reason anyone should tell you that you're not."

Hermione smiled brightly. "Thank you."

Guinevere gave her a warm smile and looked down to find a small child walking along beside them, trying to keep up in her grubby little dress. "Hello there." She smiled, offering her hand to the small blonde girl.

The blonde girl looked up shyly through her lashes and took Guinevere's hand. "You're the lady in my dreams." She whispered. "I've seen you before." She then turned to Hermione. "And you. You've been there, too, my lady."

Hermione and Guinevere were stunned to silence. "Who are you, young one?" Guinevere asked, looking down at her as they walked.

"I am Helena." She said shyly. "You marry the Great King." Helena said, tugging at one of her braids. "Queen of the Free Land, saving the innocents. Enforcing justice alongside your husband, with the Mighty Excalibur."

Hermione inwardly smiled. "And what did you see of me, Lady Helena?" She asked.

The girl blushed and smiled again. "Sir Galahad's fair maiden, is what I saw." Hermione turned the shade of a tomato, all of the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Guinevere gave off a laugh. "Enough of that, now." She said, tugging on the Helena's hand as they kept up with the rest of the trailing group. The sky began to darken with clouds, the promise of more snow weighing heavily on their shoulders.

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat as they reached an iced-over lake, spanning all the way across their path. She looked back behind the big group of people, and though she was unable to see the Saxons, she could definitely hear their heavy marching, like the sound of a beating drum.

"Come, we must speak with the knights." Guinevere said, leading Hermione to the front of the crowd, where the knights stood, discussing their next move.

"We cannot outrun them." Lancelot said strongly from his horse. "They will catch us and slaughter these people."

"I say we stand and fight." Tristan added, playing with the string of his bow. "They are not far behind us. The least we can do is hold them off."

"You are both right." Arthur said. "We fight." He called to one of the peasant men and instructed him to lead the others to safety. "Take them to the other side and do not stop, understood?"

"But it's seven men against an army! You can't expect to win!" He protested loudly.

"Nine." Guinevere corrected. "You need all the help you can get. We're going to fight." She gestured to Hermione and herself. Hermione nodded in strong agreement.

"Fine. But be careful." The peasant man told them all, before clearing his throat and yelling instructions for the people, who willingly followed him across the frozen lake.

Galahad paled. "You shouldn't endanger yourselves, Ladies." He told them, his cheeks warming as Hermione glared at him.

"You fight for a cause. As do we. We fight together." She retorted calmly.

"Fine. Come on, I can hear them coming closer." Arthur said, striding across the to the other side of the lake.

They lined up, side by side as the sound of the marching got ever closer. Hermione was given a long sword and a bow and quiver of arrows. She stood confidently between Galahad and Guinevere, her heart thudding in her chest.

"Are you scared?" She head Lancelot ask Guinevere. "There are a lot of lonely men coming this way."

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Guinevere smirk. "Don't worry; I won't let them rape you." She said calmly. Hermione stifled a giggle and looked straight ahead just as they came into sight, led by a bald man with a dirty look on his face.

"They're quite intimidating, aren't they?" She asked Galahad uneasily. Now that she saw them, she wasn't sure she could face them.

"Not really. An opponent is an opponent. It isn't his presence that scares me, it's whether or not I have the skill to kill them." She looked at him and his eyes met hers, softening into a warm shade of brown. "Do not be afraid. If they touch you, I'll rip them to shreds."

The corners of her lips twitched up into a slight smile and her cheeks reddened, remembering the words of the little girl from earlier. 'Sir Galahad's fair maiden'. "Uh, thanks, Galahad." She grinned, before focusing her eyes on the Saxons.

Cautiously, they stepped on to the ice, a great groan issuing from the unsteady surface below their feet. "SPREAD OUT!" The bald leader shouted to his men. They obliged, looking menacing as their steps became more confident and they marched closer.

Guinevere and Tristan knocked an arrow to the bow and aimed for the sky. Hermione followed suit, her hands seemingly doing more than what she thought she knew. Slowly, she pulled back, aiming for a spot amidst the clouds.

"Fire." Guinevere said quietly. All three of them let fire, the arrows each finding targets. They fell with a simultaneous thud on the ice and silence over took the Saxons. The leader looked up, making eye contact with Arthur, fury leaking from him.

He gave a cry of anger and started his march across the ice. "Aim for the sides." Guinevere told Hermione. "Make them cluster; we may be able to drown them."

Hermione swallowed and nodded determinedly. Arrow after arrow was fired and the Saxons moved closer together, despite the protest of their leader. They continued across the ice, and Bors looked grim. "The ice isn't breaking!"

"We have to face them!" Lancelot shouted, drawing his swords.

Hermione's eyes flickered to him before letting another arrow loose. She kept firing, when suddenly, Dagonet branched out from them and ran toward the Saxons. "DAGONET!" Bors shouted after him. "Cover him, cover him!" He shouted as the Saxons began to fire at him with their own cross bows.

Hermione, Guinevere and Tristan began firing arrows straight away, aiming for the archers. An arrow connected with Dagonet just as he knelt to the ground, his axe driving into the ice with a force that made the ground shake.

A mighty crack sprouted from the wound in the ice, but it wasn't enough. He began to hack at the ice, the innocent face of Lucan running through his mind, determination heating his muscles.

"No! It's not working!" Hermione cried, dropping her bow and arrows.

"What are you doing?!" Bors shouted.

She ignored him and her hands rose in the air. Summoning strength from within her, she concentrated on Dagonet's form, the shower of arrows making marks on his body. A silver film formed around him and the arrows bounded off, going back to their original masters and hitting them squarely in the chest.

Suddenly, the ice broke. The cracks spread quickly across the white surface, the Saxons backing away. "RUN!" The leader shouted to his men. They obeyed, but most of them weren't fast enough. The ice snapped into pieces and they fell through with screams of terror.

Dagonet smirked at his handy work one last time, before he fell into darkness.

Hermione gasped as Dagonet fell into the water and gulped down the lump in her throat. C'mon... c'mon... she concentrated. Wingardium leviosa! She shouted in her mind.

With a sudden burst of energy, Dagonet's still body burst from the icy hell and floated in the air toward them and into the waiting arms of Bors.

"No, Dagonet, no..." He sobbed into the knight's chest.

"Bors, I might still be able to save him!" Hermione said, running to them.

"Well, by GODS WOMAN! Do it!" He shouted, making her flinch. He lowered Dagonet to the ground and put his cloak around his best friend.

The knights and Guinevere watched in awe as Hermione knelt beside him. "Sun and sky, warmth of summer, keep this man's heart to flutter." She chanted, wondering just where that spell had come from. Her hands were on his chest and warmth filled them.

A golden glow enveloped Dagonet's body and the water dried up. His heart gave a great big thud and a rhythm settled, his eyes flickered open and his breath came in sharply.

"Dagonet!" Bors cried happily, pulling the other man into a hug.

"Be careful with him." Hermione said. "Please, he's still very ill. He's not out of the woods just yet." She told them gently. But she knew he was safe. Dagonet would make it to freedom, after all.