The Return to Sarmatia 4
Sorry for being away for a while! First I spent a week in Austin, and I had to catch up on my reading and I needed to regain my muse for both of my King Arthur stories.
This might be shorter than the other stories, but it is wrought with emotion and Knightly struggles.
Focuses more on Galahad, Gawain, and their family, The Wolf Tribe!!
As Gawain handed his baby brother off to Lancelot, who had come to his side in support as he had done for the First Knight the day before, the brother of Galahad smiled lightly and greeted his eldest brothers, the heirs to the Coyote and Wolf Tribes, by way of marriage, cautiously. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but see Lancelot's father whisper into Ama's ear and point towards Emogen with pride. He smiled softly and thought at least one of use will not have any troubles whilst here….
Gawain couldn't help but bite his lip in sadness as he remembered his eldest half-brother, Donnoz son of the Late-King Donkir of the Coyote Tribe and his mother Malana, ex-Queen of the Coyote Tribe and Dowager Queen of the Wolf Tribe.
He couldn't help but be repulsed by his mother and her greedy ways.
Malana had always wanted power and a lot of it. Her father had been the Viceroy to his grandfather, King Agamemnon of the Wolf Tribe, and as such, her powerful lifestyle was one she clung to with a viciousness that startled many of the Sarmatian Tribes. In fact, her greed could only be matched by the ravenousness of the Roman Lords of the Empire.
Malana's thirst for power had started when her father, Viceroy Rabadron, started to groom her for Queenship as Queen of the Lion Tribe, at the age of seventeen. At the time, the Lion Tribe had recently lost its King, King Berk father of First Prince Babai, and all the eligible maidens were anxiously awaiting his choice of wife.
Malana, who was recently widowed due to her husband's death in a raid by the Huns, had four young sons from her first marriage. Her position as Queen of the Coyote Tribe was secure with the birth of four pureblooded heirs to the thrown, but still she wanted more power, more influence over all eleven tribes of Sarmatia.
Her main competition was Princess Ama of the Cheetah Tribe and between the two of them all others fell short. Malana wanted the power of the Lion Thrown because the Lion Tribe was were all other tribes descended from.
As the legends told, Ares, God of War, and a nymph named Harmonia, gave birth to the first Amazons named Hippolyta, Smyrna, Ephesus, Sinope, and Paphos. Each girl-child was groomed for battle and war by their immortal father, and each girl was familiar with specific animals: Hippolyta, the eldest, was familiar with the lion, Smyrna was familiar with the cheetah, Ephesus was familiar with the tiger, Sinope was familiar with the panther, and Paphos was familiar with the leopard. Unfortunately, all but Hippolyta had been killed with Hines's Blood and their remains were buried in the exact places that the cities were established in their honor.
Hippolyta, enraged by her sisters' deaths, swore to get her revenge by raising an entire race of both female and male warriors. In doing so, she created the famed warriors of legend called the Sarmatians.
Malana, with greed and lust for power in her heart, had tried to tempt Babai, Prince of the Lion Tribe, to her bed, but her evil maidenly actions and her horrible disrespect towards fair play in tournament battle cost her the Queenship of the Lion Tribe. Instead Ama had won the tournament for Babai's heart and Malana had to settle for the second most powerful tribe, the Wolf Tribe and Prince Buecan as her new husband.
Malana, ever a fertile young woman, gave Buecan two sons, Gawain and Galahad, and three daughters, Agrimpasa, Athena, and Areia, and all her children, except for her only daughters, were married. Each child had married princesses or noble ladies of the Sarmatian Tribal Courts, and still she was insatiable for more power.
His mother never cried. She never smiled. She never loved, and she never cared. When Donnoz died, Gawain had sent a letter home to tell her, and all he got back was a letter that said my eldest died in combat for an Empire that does not care. Why should I?
In that one moment, Gawain realized that his mother was a monster, who cared for no one but herself and her luxuries. In that moment, his childhood desire for love and attention from his mother vanished like the Briton mists. In that moment, his innocence melted away from his heart and left a hole the size of the Roman Empire within it. Donnoz, his eldest half-brother, the one he looked to for support and love, had been killed in combat nearly eleven years ago in a horrible snowstorm that had ravaged the lands of Vindolanda.
Even now, he could still remember the screams of his eldest half-brother as he was cut down that awful, appalling winter…
It was dark, rainy, and freezing. The sky above them rumbled ominously and Donnoz, Gawain, and Yvain had, unfortunately drawn the misfortune of guard duty that day. As they were on their last leg of the journey, before they reached the Wall, they had encountered a small band of twenty or so Woads. Gawain immediately noticed that his eldest brother was being singled out from him and Yvain and tried to go to his brother's rescue.
Not caring one way or another whether or not Yvain survived the fight at the moment, Gawain beheaded the Woad he was fighting and summoned forth his javelin and readied himself to throw it into one of the Woads' backs.
Seeing that Gawain had armed himself with a long reaching weapon, the Woads still surrounding him drew a dagger and or small knife from their sheaths and began to stall for time.
"Donnoz! Behind you!" shouted Gawain angrily as he slammed his javelin into the gullet of one of the Woads before him.
His brother shouted an exclamation back to him, alerting him that Donnoz had heard him. He moved in carefully, but forcefully, and attacked one of the Woads around him with a slash to the forearm. The Woad blocked it with ease, and counter-attacked with a blow to the head.
Gawain watched horrified as the Woad block the head strike with a dagger and kicked Donnoz in the knee, dislocating it.
Donnoz swore and popped the knee back in place with a yelp of sever pain.
Grimacing at the Woad, Donnoz planted his last javelin down butt first and swung himself up, kicking the Woad in the chest with both feet. Following through, Gawain's eldest brother landed solidly and thrust the Javelin through the chest of the Woad with a yell of victory.
As he died, Donnoz gasped and looked down in shock, the Woad that he had kept within his eye gaze during most of the battle, had come up from behind him and thrust his short, jagged edged, dagger through his gut and viciously yanked it out.
Gawain, who was still surrounded by aristocratic looking Woads, yelled in anguish as his only familial support, besides Galahad, bled to death on the pure white snow of Briton.
From his side, Yvain grunted and said in a non-committal voice, "Come, we have to go, we're out numbered three to one."
Gawain just looked at him and replied with scorn, "Fuck off! What do you think I am? Some weak willed fighter that leaves those to die alone?! He deserves to be buried with our fellow brothers-n-arms!"
But Yvain didn't listen to him. Instead, the older Knight, knocked him harshly behind the head, threw him over his horse, and road back to the wall leaving behind the slowly dying body of Donnoz and his and Donnoz's horses.
The last thing Gawain remembered hearing from his brother was his screams of pain as his life blood slowly bled out of him and his cursing him and Galahad to the deepest, darkest, levels of Arthur's hell.
And he had never forgiven himself for it either.
Gawain cleared his throat and started again, "Hello, mother, Rugon, Gowan…it's nice to see you all again."
Malana, not wanting to listen to her offspring greet one another so informally, cut in and announced pompously, "Gawain, First Crown Prince of the Wolf Tribe, these are, as I'm sure you remember, your elder brothers, Rugon Sharpsnout, King of the Coyote Tribe, husband to Queen Agrippa Gnarlteeth, daughter of Viceroy Ruzit Gnarlteeth of the Coyote Tribe, and Gowan Silentclaw, Prince of the Coyote Tribe, husband of Second Crown Princess Missinia Slithertooth of the Snake Tribe. The two beautiful women before you are your sisters, Princesses Athena Greenwolf and Areia Goldeneye of the Wolf Tribe."
She turned to her four offspring and said as Galahad awakened and marched back up to Gawain's side, "My children, these are your UN-dead brothers, First Crown Prince, Prince Gawain Gray-wolf of the Wolf Tribe, betrothed to Lady Hippolyta Slithertongue of the Snake Tribe, daughter of Lord Tyzon Slithertongue of the Snake Tribe, and Second Crown Prince, Prince Galahad Greenhill of the Wolf Tribe, betrothed to Lady Antiope Spottedfoot, daughter of Lord Warnoz Spottedfoot of the Cheetah Tribe."
Malana folded her arms and smiled selfishly as the attention that had been focused on her during her speech, seemed to fold in on itself as no one could think up anything polite to say to one another.
Gowan, with a sneer turned to Galahad and said, "Galahad, you are a pathetic, weak-willed boy! How dare you faint like a feeble Roman slut and cause dishonor to our Tribe!"
Malana, who had spotted her future son-n-law, Lancelot, by his almost identical features to his father's, King Babai, unfolded her arms, marched right through her protesting youngest son, and demanded shortly into Lancelot's face in an attempt to intimidate him because she thought he was used to such behaviors from his ex-Roman Commander and she hoped to easily manipulate him, "Where is Agrimpasa? Where is my daughter? Your wife??"
Lancelot casually folded his arms, looked her directly in the face, and said, "Dead."
Ama, with her lips just slightly twitching in her attempt to withhold her glee, answered in a respectful tone of voice, "Princess Agrimpasa Wolfhill of the Wolf Tribe, betrothed of First Crown Prince Lancelot du Lac of the Lion Tribe is dead. She was found to be Lord Atilla du Huk of the Horse Tribe's supporter and in contempt of court. Lord Attila had attempted to kill First Crown Princess Imogene Surefoot of the Horse Tribe, daughter of First Crown Prince Dagonet Surefoot of the Horse Tribe. He, fortunately, didn't achieve his goals, but he did murder an innocent girl in the castle. She forego her chances in the British courts and as such, it fell to Lord Miskoc of the Horse Tribe to end her life by the Oath of Blood and the Oath of Mithras when it was revealed that SHE, and not Attila, had cut and gutted the innocent, DEAD, woman (see Reunion to know what I'm talking about)."
Queen Ama continued with pride in her voice, "My son, when his fifteen years were finished, found himself a wonderful Briton woman, who has birthed my son twin girls and a son. Lady Emogen of Briton has shown my husband and myself her fighting prowess and Healing abilities. She will not have to undergo the trial against Princess Habren du Lac. We have deemed her worthy to be our son's wife and future Queen of the Lion Tribe. We also, acknowledge their daughters, Erlina and Enid, as Princesses of the Lion Tribe and Lancelot's son, Cadman, as First Crown Prince of the Lion Tribe."
Lancelot, Emogen, Tristran, Ula, Alma, Enys, Gawain, and Galahad all breathed a tiny bit easier at those words. One part of many had been completed. Now they just had to convince the other families of the same.
Areia and Athena, who had been eyeing Lancelot up and down hungrily with their hormonal driven bodies, jumped up and down excitedly, showing off their true immature mentality, and exclaimed, "I'M THE STRONGEST OF THE TRIBE!!!!"
The two youngest daughters of Malana, turned to one another in surprise, growled at each other, and cried out, "NO YOUR NOT!! I AM!!!"
Areia got into her sister's face and said, "I AM!!!"
Athena, who was three years older and Areia, jumped into her baby sister's face and said harshly as she pushed the youngest down, "I'M THE BEST ARCHER!!!!!!!!"
Areia jumped to her feet and yelled back, "BUT I'M THE BEST AT EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!"
The gathered group paid them little to no attention. Especially when they began to yell and scratch each other.
Malana, who had, had enough practice at ignoring her offspring, began to yell in her mind NO!!! That slut of a daughter of mine was my only chance to the Lion's Thrown!!! Now that, that bastard son of Ama's has a wife and heirs, it'll be that much harder to control him! If I cannot find a way to regain control of these BOYS, I'll never have the immortal blood of Hippolyta of the Lion within my line!! I MUST HAVE IT!!!! I MUST!!!!
She turned slightly to Lancelot and watched with a sneer as he held his only son close and placed a warm kiss upon his brow.
Such weakness is in him! How is it that HE carries the blood of Ares, Harmonia, and Hippolyta!?!? He is WEAK!!!!!!!!
She turned once again, slowly, towards her sons, Gawain and Galahad, and watched as they too held their children and wives close.
Those Briton sluts MUST go!!! The children I can use to control my sons. Once their WIVES are out of the way, I can place Hippolyta and Antiope in their places and raise the children so they are within my control…but HOW??? If I act to soon, suspicion will fall on me…
But I WANT the power! The influence of the Lions…how can I get Lancelot to rid himself of his British whore???
She eyed her quarreling daughters and watched in surprise as Galahad shoved each of them to the ground and said in a strict voice, "You are both of marriage age…ACT LIKE IT!!!!!!!!"
She spun back to Lancelot, saw him shake his head at her daughters, and smiled in a self-satisfying way. She'd use her daughters to her advantage. If her first daughter failed, then it wasn't her fault. It was Agrimpasa's. After all, she still had two more daughters-two more chances to the Lion Thrown.
And if that didn't work….
She could always kill Ama.
Gawain glared at his youngest sisters and started anew, "Mother, my brothers and sisters, the beautiful red hared woman before is my wife, Lady Alma Healing Wolfe, Lady of Medicine, Marquess of Ynys Wyth (Dragon Isle). The red hared angel in front of her is our daughter, Lady Briana Wolfe of the House of Wolfe and the babe is Lady Belaya Wolfe and the House of Wolfe."
Galahad waved his family forward and exclaimed proudly, "The pixie-like woman beside me is my wife, Lady Enys Tranquil Wolfe, Senior Lady of Medicine, Marquess of Lyonesse Isle."
He paused and watched his wife, with little Aithne securely held in her left arm, curtsy as best as she could.
He continued with a swelling confidence, "The young man before you is Lord Briac Wolfe of the House of Wolfe and the babe is Lady Aithne Wolfe of the House of Wolfe."
Their brothers weren't impressed with him at all.
Gowan smirked at his wife and said, "Your wife must be weaker than a roman high-born, for you my brother, are the weakest man in the entire Empire."
Galahad retorted, "I'd challenge you to see how well you can control yourself once your twin has been killed, but since you don't have one, I'll let that one go."
Gowan, the youngest prince to the Coyote Tribe, didn't like the fact that his even younger sibling was openly challenging him. In both the Coyote and Wolf Tribes, hierarchal power and political maneuvers were the only approved way to win in a challenge. To have Galahad openly challenge him was deviant and heretical!
Gowan stepped forward, pushed aside his mother like she was some common wanderer, and said heatedly, "I challenge you to a duel, boy!"
Enys shouted out in protest, "NO!!"
Lancelot and Tristran, who were eyeing the surrounding Wolf Tribesmen, all whom were related to Malana in some way, turned to one another and nodded as they fingered their weapons once more-no one would harm their family during this duel-no one.
Galahad hugged his wife close and said softly into her ear, "I must. This is the only way I can prove myself to my family and gain mother's respect. If I cannot do this, in their eyes, our children may suffer for my weakness."
Enys sniffed and nodded as Emogen and Alma cooed comforting things into her ears. Ula, who was behind Ama, crossed her arms and began to wish they had never left Britannia's shores.
Enys didn't agree with this AT ALL!!!
Garen, who had been shocked into silence by his relatives' reactions to one another, stepped forward and warned Gowan softly, "Be careful Gowan, Galahad isn't weak. He is the Trainer of the entire Briton Army and a Lord of Briton. Plus, his Roman Commander was the greatest one of all, Commander Lucius Artorius Castus, son of Uther Castus of Rome."
Gowan snorted and said as he pulled out his double bladed, doubled handed Roman long sword, "I don't believe a word you're saying, cousin. He's nothing but a weak pup that was pitied by a Roman."
Galahad, who had remained surprisingly calm during all the slams against his character, raised his blade and bowed respectfully.
Gowan glared at him and rushed in with Enys watching on helplessly with Briac hiding behind her and Aithne clutched in her arms.
As he came into his youngest brother's defense space, he swung his sword high above his head and cut down sharply into an arc aiming for Galahad's unprotected head.
Galahad frowned at him and simply slid to the right. He couldn't help but think that his brother was either going easy on him, or Gowan was incredibly lucky to have survived fifteen years in the wilds of the Roman Empire. The opening move was a move his novices made only once, and only once, during his training because the next move was predicable. Since the sword slid downwards, the only choice the sword wielder had was to swing the sword in a small circle with his fists to cut along the torso in a horizontal chop.
Which is was Gowan did. Galahad sighed, closed his eyes, and parried the chop to his side easily.
Enraged that his brother dismissed him as nothing but a distraction by closing his eyes, Gowan raised his foot and attempted to dislocate Galahad's supporting right leg.
Galahad, who had opened his eyes in time to see the kick, effortlessly jumped over the well-muscled leg and swung his sword down at his brother's unprotected chest at the same time.
Gowan yelped as he hurriedly raised his sword to block Galahad's swing and with adrenaline pulsing through his veins, pushed Galahad back and watched in victory as Galahad lost his footing and landed awkwardly on his feet.
Galahad swore as he gave up ground in an effort to regain his advantage over his older brother. He winced as his brother's tip sliced into his already wounded arm. He bit his lip as the cut deepened.
As Gowan moved in to end the duel, Galahad snorted at his impetuousness, tossed his sword into his left hand, and evenly matched his brother once again blow for blow.
Gowan's eyes widened in shock as his brother's skill with swords with his weaker left hand started to overcome his stronger right hand. Before he could regain his parries and blocks, Galahad stepped into his space, swung his sword tightly around them both, dislodged his sword and demanded as the tip of his sword met his bobbing Adam's apple, "Do you yield Gowan?!"
Gowan cursed but said, "I yield."
As Galahad removed his sword and rejoined his wife, children, and friends, Gowan promised as Rugon pulled him back behind his raging mother, "I'll get my honor back boy…just you wait."
The next chapter will hopefully explain some of the reasons WHY the Wolf Tribe is the exact opposite of what Gawain and Galahad remember from childhood. So, be on the look out alright!!! Oh, and Tristran's family makes and appearance!