A/N: Sorry I didn't post on Wednesday, blame The Dark Knight rises and its official première in Belgium... ^^

Chapter thirteen: Parting

Leera and Galahad reached the top of the walls in no time. Weirdly, the Woad wasn't nervous about what would obviously happen. Being a woman and leading them would already pose a problem, being a Woad on top of that would be a mess to swallow.

But she had an advantage. She now understood what people uttered in her back.

"Ready?" She looked over at Galahad, who was ready to enter the square tower in which each and every archer of the Wall had been gathered, and slowly nodded.

There was barely a hundred of men inside. Leera, unlike many others would have, didn't feel this was a bad omen. She would only have thought it bad if there had been less that ten people up there. 75 was a good number.

Many gazes locked on her as she inspected the room. The bows on the walls were thick and hard to straighten, but no doubt that most of those muscular Britons could handle them quite well.

She turned to them and put her chin up.

Galahad cleared his throat. "Britons, as you now know, the Saxons are about to attack the Wall. Your captain, Arthur, has asked this person," he gestured at Leera, "to be your leader during the attack."

A small round man snorted. "Some might not notice, but this is a woman. I'm not taking orders from a woman."

Leera smirked devilishly and pulled on her sleeves. "And most certainly not when that woman is also a Woad, eh?"

Many huffed is surprise, some took defensive postures, and few even spat at her feet.

But she had been waiting for worse than that. She took a pace forward. "I'm not one of you, but I am Briton just as much. In my tribe, I am the most talented archer. I will not embarrass you with teachings you don't need. All we need is for you to listen to my plan and do it tomorrow, when the filth comes. I will not lead you. I will be you sister-in-arms."

Galahad smiled at her, obviously impressed at her words, but the same man as before wasn't convinced. "And what tells us you won't betray us and ask your kind to slaughter our families?"

She smiled. "Consider that I am not like any other Woad. Merlin has thought he could treat me like a dog someone whistles to when its job is done, but I am a free woman and I'll do what my heart tells me to! Are you with me?"

Some immediately shouted 'Aye'. Others waited a little longer, as if to think about it longer, and then more than half the men were shouting.

The man walked to her. His gaze was less unfriendly, but she could tell he still didn't like the idea. "And what's your name, woman?"

"Her name is Leera, Cort, and I'd rather appreciate if you remained a few paces back. You could regret it otherwise."

Cort looked at Galahad. "Oh, 'cause you're gonna hurt me, pretty boy, eh?"

Gal smiled. "Not me. Her."

Leera smirked, and Cort walked back.

She put her hands on a table and drew her dagger out, tracing a fictive wall onto the wood. "Now, gather round..."

After the whole 75 archers at her disposal knew what to do and when, Leera and Galahad got back into the Knights' quarters. Gal stopped in front of what was obviously his room, and gestured her to continue.

"If I'm not mistaken, Lucan and Guinevere have a room next to Arthur's."

Leera smirked. Of course Guin wouldn't be far from Arthur. She smiled at Galahad and walked again a few meters, until a door snapped open and the dark blonde head of her cousin turned to see her.

"Leera! Come, come, Arthur has given us a room!"

She smiled and walked into said room.

There were two beds only, but one large enough for her to share with Lucan. There also was a table on which rested a bowl to wash up.

"That's great, isn't it?"

Lucan, who had been used to far worse in his cell, was literally bouncing in every direction.

Leera caught him when he was jumping from one bed to the other, and pushed him down with all her strength. "Stop moving around. It is late, we should sleep."

Lucan protested a little, but when she took his shoes off and then hers, he scooped around in her arms instinctively.

"I want a story."

Leera smiled in the dark. "You're not a child."

"But I can't sleep! Please, Leera!"

She sighed and gave up. "Right, there was a time when a great wolf was walking this Earth. He was called Fenrir. He was as black as night and his eyes were-"

The door snapped open, revealing Galahad and Gawain, both wearing plain black tunics.

"Leera, you must come, now!"

She turned to Lucan and put her shoes on quickly. "Stay here. And do it, or you'll be punished!"

He sighed but nodded, and she ran after the two Knights.

That was it.

When she climbed onto the walls, all she saw was lights. Thousands and thousands of lights.

Camp-fires everywhere in the plain.

As she turned around, she caught a glimpse of Arthur arguing with Lancelot at the feet of a stair, and Guinevere not far behind.

Bors walked up to them. "Arthur has been clear about it. We have to help the people pack and leave as soon as possible."

Gawain nodded and walked away, when Galahad stayed long enough to curse the Saxons in a language close to Greek.

When someone tapped onto her shoulder, Leera turned swiftly around, only to face Dagonet.

"Dag?"

He lowered his gaze on her, almost sad. "I'm sorry, Leera. I have to ask you-"

"Take him with you. He can't stay with me, and I can't leave. Take him, I'll find you later."

He smiled and nodded. "I will take care of him, I swear."

She nodded again, and the giant was gone.

Better not get down that wall. If she was to say goodbye to Lucan, she would never let him go again.

As she was silently sobbing, facing the enemy, Leera started to feel something else than sorrow.

Pain.

And she knew why. Everyone was leaving, except Arthur and her kind.

It was going to be just like before. Her, her bow, and a dozen of men all begging her to mate with them, as hunters chasing a prey.

She had felt so good these last days. So human. So different.

So cared about.

Galahad was certainly slowly becoming a friend, as was Dagonet, if he wasn't already. Bors was like a big brother with his manners, and Gawain not much different.

Arthur never treated her badly, and Lancelot, even if he couldn't trust her, wasn't bad either.

And Tristan.

Leera sobbed again.

She didn't want to leave Tristan.

And just as she was thinking about that, a well-known horse whinnied just below her. Turning around, she saw that the mare's rider was strapping bags onto her back.

Leera wiped her cheeks dry, and got down the wall.

Tristan spotted her even though she was coming from behind. "Leera."

She smiled sadly. "Tristan." Then she sighed deeply. "You're leaving."

His hands stopped and his turned around gracefully, his dark eyes locking on hers. "Not right now. In the morn."

She nodded. "Right." She could almost not refrain the tears.

He saw it. "You're sad."

She nodded again, but couldn't take it anymore.

So she just turned around and nearly ran away.

She ran faster and faster, avoiding every person on her way, ignoring some greetings of her newly acquired men, and reached a dark alley where she stopped and fisted a wall in her rage.

She was so stupid!

And she didn't feel better when she heard a calm breathing coming from behind her.

"Why did you run away?"

Leera sighed and turned around, very slowly.

Tristan was standing there, not three feet away, his face almost swallowed in darkness.

It infuriated her that he was so turning her on even though she could only guess his features!

So she gave up.

She walked up to him as quickly as she could to make sure her would see her coming, grabbed his face in her hands, and pushed her lips hard on his own.

After a moment of stun on both sides, the impossible happened.

He kissed her back.

He kissed her back with such passion and rage that Leera thought he was angry with her. But in fact, it didn't really matter. After all, Tristan was kissing her back.

When she pushed him against the nearest wall, the scout let out a groan and reversed their positions, pinning her hard and pressing his body against every inch of hers.

And then they had to breathe.

Tristan put his forehead on Leera's and they breathed together for a few moments.

And then he sighed as deeply as she had done not so long before, caressed her cheek, and left.

And Leera cried again.