Percival breathed a sigh of relief. It was so nice just to have some time to relax. Ever since Morgana's attack on Camelot a month ago, they had all been running around like chickens with their heads cut off, recruiting and training troops for an attack they knew would be coming soon. Percival had finally managed to wrangle a day off out of Leon, and had put off his chainmail to ride into the woods for a spot of fishing.

He found the perfect place—a grassy bank by a cheerfully burbling stream. Leaving his horse to graze, Percival settled himself down with a fishing pole he had borrowed from one of the stablehands, put some bait on the hook, and then sat back against a tree to enjoy the day.

It was cool under the shade of the trees, and the birds were singing. Percival closed his eyes and listened to them, to the wind in the branches, the rustling of the leaves…

—and a scream.

Percival sat up straight. That was a woman's voice.

Dropping his rod on the ground, Percival sprang to his feet and raced through the forest to the source of the sound. There were the sounds of struggle—then someone running—then a shriek.

Percival saw draggled blonde curls, a girl falling to the ground, unable to get up, trying to scoot backward from a man who ran forward, about to throw himself on top of her.

No time—or reason—to stop his momentum. Percival pounded up, grabbed the man's shoulder, spun him around, and punched him directly in the face. There was a crack as his fist connected with the man's nose, and the man dropped like a rag doll. Percival had pulled his punch at the last moment so as not to entirely knock the man unconscious, but the would-be attacker stared up at him, stunned, as Percival loomed over him.

"I should kill you," Percival growled, looking and sounding unconsciously like a huge bear, "but I'll let you live so you can tell anyone you meet: if I ever catch you or any of your cronies threatening a woman again, I will make you wish you had never been born."

The man stared up at him in abject terror for a moment, then climbed unsteadily to his feet and made off through the trees as fast as his staggering legs would let him.

Percival heard a whimper behind him: the girl had tried to climb to her feet again, but an injured ankle wouldn't let her, and she sank to the ground.

Percival knelt down a few feet from her. Her face, though white and pinched with pain, was lovely—a little heart-shaped face, full lips, long-lashed, brilliantly blue eyes, all framed by golden curls—just now, a little tangled and dirty. Her eyes were still wide with alarm and she was panting piteously. And, Percival thought for a moment, she looked vaguely familiar.

"It's alright—you're safe now," he said kindly. "My name's Percy. What's yours?"

"L—Lily," she panted.

"Lily. May I examine your ankle?" he asked.

After a moment she nodded, and he very slowly, very gently, unlaced and removed her boot, pausing when she winced. Her ankle was swollen, but didn't seem, when he felt it, to be broken.

"I think it's sprained. There's a physician in Camelot who could take a look at it. It's not far away, and we could get you something to eat and a place to sleep. May I take you there?"

"Yes—thank you," she said faintly. She reached out her hand to be helped up, but instead Percival scooped her up in his arms, carrying her as gently as if she were made of glass. She clung to his neck with one arm and held tightly to her boot with the other. She was shaking in his arms, feeling to him as delicate as an injured bird.

In a few minutes he located his horse, and placing her lightly on the saddlebow, he sprang up behind her and made for Camelot.

She was silent as they rode, but Percival could feel, with his arms around her to hold the reins, that she wasn't stiff—it was the silence of exhaustion and upset, not fear. So he began to talk: innocuous comments about the weather, how the crops were doing, to whom the fields they passed belonged to. She answered him a few times, her voice getting stronger every time. Finally they entered Camelot, and Percival pulled up in the courtyard.

"Oh, Trefor!" he exclaimed as the man came up to take the horse's reins. "I completely forgot your fishing pole! I'll have to go back for it."

"That's alright, Sir," Trefor said, sneaking a curious look at Lily as Percival helped her down from his gigantic horse. He carried her up to Gaius's surgery.

"Oh dear, what happened?" Gaius asked, rising from the table as Percival came in.

"Sprained ankle, I think," Percival answered, setting her down gently on the edge of the cot in the corner.

Gaius examined her. "I believe you're right. What's your name, my dear?" he asked.

Before she could answer, Anna entered, just returned from her rounds in the lower town.

"Ceri's daughter seems to have colic," she announced, "and—LILY!"

"ANNIE!" Lily shrieked, and in a moment they were in each other's arms. A confused flurry of questions and answers followed.

"I take it you know each other, then?" Gaius said dryly when they paused for air.

"Oh! Sorry—Gaius, Sir Percival: my sister, Lilwen."

So that was why she looked familiar, Percival thought. There wasn't much general resemblance between them, but there was a similarity in their noses and the shapes of their eyes.

"Sir Percival?" Lily was saying, looking up at him in surprise.

"Yes—a knight of Camelot," Anna answered, checking over the ankle Gaius had just examined.

"A knight in shining armor—without the armor!" Lily exclaimed, the presence of her sister seeming to have loosened her tongue. "He rescued me," she explained when her sister looked up at her curiously. "Just like a fairy tale." She smiled up at Percival, who blushed.

"It was nothing," he muttered, unable to hide a smile.

"I was never gladder of anything than when you decked him! BAM!" She threw her fist out.

Anna raised her eyebrows. "I need to hear this story." She stood up to fetch a bandage to wrap her sister's ankle with. "I thought you were in Deganwy?"

"I was. Until Morgana's forces came through," she added darkly.

"Morgana's in Deganwy?" Percival exclaimed.

"Not anymore. They were heading east. I got out before they came and headed south because I knew the last time I'd heard, you were in Camelot. But I got separated from my group when they were attacked by bandits, and you know I never could navigate to save my life. I got lost, and then this man started chasing me—and then Percy stepped in." She smiled up at him again.

Percy? Gaius mouthed at Anna, but she just grinned and shook her head.

"Well, I, um, should go tell Arthur about Morgana's movements," Percival said, moving backward toward the door and almost running into the table. "It was nice meeting you, Lily."

"It was nice being rescued by you, Sir Percival," Lily twinkled. "Thank you again."

"My pleasure." He smiled, nodded to her, and left.

"Goodbye, Sir Percival," Gaius called to him.

"Oh! Goodbye. Goodbye, Anna," Percival said, sticking his head back in the door, his face cherry-red. Anna's shoulders began to shake with laughter.

TBC