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June 2008
Topic Started: Mar 23 2010, 07:18 PM (3,693 Views)
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: golden_trillium
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:54 am
Quintus


Titrus
 
"What is it, Quintus? What's happened?"


Finally, an officer on the scene! Quintus greeted Lieutenant
Titrus's arrival, adjusting his armor as though he had just
put it on, with some relief, though it didn't show on his
hard-carved face. There were soldiers dashing hither and
thither, organizing to start quartering the buildings (and
meanwhile, across the courtyard, the fight seemed to be
expanding, with Gawain now in the mix), but still no sign of
the little Woad girl. Damn it! She couldn't have gotten that
far, could she?

"Little Woad girl escaped, sir. A man was bringing her food- I
was farther down at the deep guard post- I heard something and
I came up to find her door open and his throat slit!" Quintus
maintained his stiff, military posture, though inwardly he was
cringing with having to admit it. This was a complete
disaster- and on his watch, too!

"The front guards..." now here was the really painful part.
Quintus felt almost like a new recruit again, scolded for not
having his equipment in order- but damn it, how was he
supposed to have known that the bloody idiots would leave
their post? The Centurion shrugged and plunged onward, getting
all the rest of the bad news out.

"Some other girl came up to them and said her sister was being
attacked, so they went to help her. They weren't there when
the Woad bitch got out. I'll make sure they regret it. Sir."
Quintus concluded his tale, then noticed out of the corner of
his eye that Brendyn, apparently another example of a bloody
stupid idiot, was still standing slightly behind him, as
though waiting for something else to be said to him.

"GET GOING, SOLDIER!!" the Centurion bawled in Brendyn's face,
venting his anger with the whole situation in his deafening
shout. Christ's balls, what did they teach them at Aesica??
Not how to obey orders, apparently.











Merlin

Juna
 
“I should be there if anyone gets injured.”


"No, you should..." Merlin started in on a vehement protest,
starting to give her shoulders an emphatic shake- but no.
Deliberately, he forced himself to open his fingers, to take
his hands off her shoulders and put them down. By the
determined set of her mouth and eyes, this might be a
drawn-out argument should he choose to pursue it, and he
didn't have time for arguments. And besides, she had a point,
in a fashion. A healer was never useless, and among healers,
she was the best. But if anything happened to her- the sick
feeling re-tightened his grip on his stomach. It was hard,
sometimes, to submit to the will of the Gods- and it was hard
not to know it, in moments like these.

"Fine. But stay well back." Merlin exhaled on a resigned, yet
irritated, note and dropped his eyes to make sure that she was
carrying her shoulder bag with her basic supplies. She was, so he
unceremoniously grabbed her hand and practically towed her
with him as he began to stride against the direction of the
column, picking out the other warriors he wanted in his party
as they went. These were not the best available- Nolan had
taken those- and many had minor wounds, or were younger or
older- but they would all stand by him, he was confident. They
would do what they had to do, and allow those more seriously
wounded, and the noncombatants, to get to safety. Once Merlin
had assembled about twenty, he gave instructions to them for
continuing back down the path toward Nolan's group, keeping to
the brush until they knew what they would find there.

It was only when he had finished speaking that Merlin reaized
he was still clutching Juna's hand, hard and apprehensively.
Once again he forced his fingers to open, to drop it and let
her have her freedom of movement back.

"Sorry," he mouthed at her, abashed, as his fingers slid free.
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golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Darya
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:45 am
Neeve


Gawain
 
“It should be alright. Luckily Lavinia’s skills are as
good as her manner is evil.”


Neeve smirked slightly. “Well, you know where to find me if
you change your mind…”, the healer replied with a firm nod and
let her blue gaze lock with Gawain’s for a moment. She knew he
would seek her out if necessary. He always had…

Vanora
 
"Oh by all means before it all gets cold...stew is
reheatable though and so is the bread.... Best not be
late for your appointment Neeve. Thank you for the
conversation both of you. Best I have had all day so
far..."


“Thank you, Vanora…”, the Briton said and gave the other woman
a faint smile and a grateful nod, “I’m sure your efforts in
putting this meal together will be very appreciated…” With
that, the raven-haired woman turned around with every
intention to leave the tavern with Gawain by her side…but
then…

Gawain
 
“I’ll be back for more later tonight, Vanora… Lead the way, fair lady.  Oh, bloody hell…Maybe you shouldn’t wait for me. This might take awhile,”


Yes, Neeve saw it, too. The argument between Alina and Galahad
had become a bit more…spicy…and had also turned into some kind
of team contest it seemed. She saw Lancelot’s curly head…and
another man who she could not quite place right now (Kolya)
but who apparently was the new target of Galahad’s anger. The
healer’s blue eyes narrowed but before she could react
herself, she felt the basket with the food pressed into her
arms and could only watch Gawain move…most likely to Galahad’s
aid. “Gawain, not with that injured arm of yours…!”, the
Briton called after him and then glanced at Vanora, giving the
redhead a rather unnerved look which was clearly caused by the
men’s’ behavior.

Then Neeve placed the basket back onto the counter and
approached the scuffling ball of male individuals… She was
very tempted to drag at least Gawain out of there…and
Lancelot. Both men were injured and another fight would not be
helpful for their recovering. But she was a healer…and not a
fighter…thus the raven-haired woman changed her direction in
the last moment possible and walked over to Alina instead. The
other woman looked miserable to say the least…and Neeve
instinctively just put a hand on Alina’s shoulder as she came
to a halt beside her.

“Isn’t it enough that we have to fight the Woads here these
days? Do you have to fight each other of that?”, Neeve barked
into the men’s direction before focusing on Alina. “Are you
okay?”, the healer then asked the dark-haired in a way calmer
voice and glanced down at the sitting woman, “…or did you get
hit as well?”
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golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Eledhwen
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:45 am

Bors


Bors didn't like the way she was whispering in his ear... it
was sneaky, secretive, and also damn bloody obvious that she
was talking about him the way Dag glanced over at him out of
the corner of his eye before bending his head to speak to her.

Maybe it was just the pain in his leg making him extra grumpy,
or the stuff that witch had forced him to drink, but he sure
as hell was cranky. He wanted Vanora to make him all better. A
small smile twitched onto his lips as he thought of all the
ways his woman could make him feel a lot better, and was still
smiling when Dagonet spoke.

Dagonet
 
"How is your leg? Lavinia told me that you should take
it easly... and she will return to check in on you."


Bors pursed his lips and pouted crossly. Who'd she think she
was, Telling him what to do? He had a mind just to get up and
walk out anyway, just to show her... if only his leg wasn't
still killing.

"I'm gettin' too bloody old for all this Dag," he replied,
shifting his bulk a little further up on the course pillow. "I
should be at 'ome now wiv me feet up an' a flagon of ale,
Vanora tendin' to me every need, not stuck in 'ere full of
bloody Woad poison."

He grinned ruefully, then through a scowl at Saoirse's red
hair for good luck.
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golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Pinkie
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 11:57 am
Saoirse


Saoirse felt like sleeping. From the way Dagonet shifted
beneath her slight weight when she spoke, she figured he
wanted to sleep too. If only it were in a more private place,
somewhere where it was just the two of them. It felt like
weeks since she had been with him just on his own. And due to
his injury it would prove to be days at least before he was
allowed to go back to his own rooms. The thoughts of staying
in the infirmary for that length of time was... painful.
Though it would give her a chance to learn a bit...

DAgonet
 
"He has leg injury, love. How is your leg? Lavinia told
me that you should take it easly... and she will return
to check in on you."


The red head grimaced when her lover addressed Bors over her
head. She was sure that the other Knight would know now that
she had been asking about him - and of course Dagonet had not
quite understood her quetsion. She didn't mean what was
physically wrong with him... she had meant more along the
lines of why he was glaring a hole in the back of her head.
She sucked her lips together and shut her blue eyes as Dagonet
spoke to teh other man. She half paid attention as Bors
responded --

Bors
 
"I'm gettin' too bloody old for all this Dag, I should
be at 'ome now wiv me feet up an' a flagon of ale,
Vanora tendin' to me every need, not stuck in 'ere full
of bloody Woad poison."


Saoirse gave a wry grin at the image. Her head tilted
backwards and she opened her sleepy blue eyes to look at
Dagonet. Would he be satisfied in a life like that? The smile
slowly faded from her lips but she did not look sad, she
looked... considerate.

Would he be satisfied with a life like that? She knew that she
wouldn't be. That kind of life would make her go stir-crazy.
She would as sooner eat her own foot than settle down so
permanently, so life-lessly. It wasn't that she wanted to be
out in the thick of things for the rest of her life, but she
also didn't want to sit back and just watch her life amble
past her at a snail's pace whilst waiting for death.









Kolya and Galahad

Lancelot
 
"And you're letting him?"


Oh come on!! As if he had any say in this at all!!

Kolya fell in a tangle of limbs outside in the courtyard. He
was relentless in hitting Galahad though - his fist balling up
tightly and landing solid punches on the younger man's side.
Once or twice he managed to lift his knee high enough to
engage the man's ribcage. Galahad was more a sprawling
irritation atop him than a menace in a brawl but Kolya wasn't
going to just sit back and let the little shit attempt to
pummel him!

A hand grasped his shoulder and Kolya almost welcomed the
break in teh fight, his chest tight with the pain of breathing
so hard after his sickness earlier. His eyes were seeing
silver stars as he glanced over at the blonde knight. His
teeth were bared in a snarl at what the other man said -

Gawain
 
“He’s drunk and he’s hurt. Save it for a fair fight.”


"A fair fucking fight!?" he snapped, about to continue with
something in defense of the fact that he didn't start the damn
fight when Galahad's arms wrapped about his lower legs and he
fell to teh ground again. Galahad swivelled his agile body to
the side and he scampered to his feet, finally feeling like he
was getting the hang of this situation when arms about his
waist sent him flying, landing on top of Kolya.

Lancelot
 
"You little shit! Stop it! You will be killed - and
can't you see your woman crying!"


Gawain
 
“Damn it, Galahad! Stop! It’s over for now,”


Galahad was not going to give up though.

With a brutal, pained snarl he started to kick at Kolya,
completely ignorant of Alina's pain even though he was told it
by Lancelot, ignorant of the fact that half his punches were
landing on Lancelot and Gawain rather than on Kolya, ignorant
of the cat-call from Neeve back inside the tavern. There were
other people joining in teh mix too - creating an out-of-hand
brawl in front of the tavern. The youngest Sarmatian Knight
turned towards Lancelot who was holding his waist.

"Let me fucking go!" he cried out, slamming his fist into the
First Knight's... shoulder, though he had intended it to be
his face. He staggered drunkenly to one side and tripped over
Kolya's feet, ending up elbowing Gawain in the stomach. One of
his arms was crossed over his own stomach, holding the wound
in his stomach together as best he could though he could
barely feel pain in it now - all he could feel was anger,
indignation, embarrassment...

"This is between me and this piece of shit!" Galahad declared
loudly, pointing at the fallen figure of Kolya.

The older Sarmatian growled and lashed out with his feet,
kicking Galahad's shins before launching forward against the
man's middle, knocking Lancelot, Gawain and Galahad over in
one smooth, brutal shove of his broad shoulders.









Drake

Drake really wished she wouldn't do that...

The smile she had upon her lips was sad, so sad - it was
heartbreaking. And he knew she mustered it for his benefit. He
didn't need to see her smile, not when her heart was breaking.
HE would rather take her as she was at face value and not have
to discern the agony in her heart by looking into her hazel
eyes. There was no need for those smiles. He wouldn't be
scared away by black loss.

When she turned to him he had his eyes downcast, looking at
the slack tapestry sitting on the bed, his fingers itching to
roll it up properly and stack it by the door ready for moving
to the next room. Once Drake had something to do he was rather
content. It was this lingering, the uncertainty on what he
should or should not touch, that made him feel like a bit of a
loose thread flapping in the breeze.

It felt strange to be tipping his head back to look at
Linnette, but her meagre height was assisted by the bed she
stood on momentarily. Drake was not prepared for the tender
touch she placed on his cheek. It was brief but it left a
burning sensation on his skin, it caused a stiff shiver to run
down the back of his neck, along his shoulders then downwards,
spiralling thickly over his taut skin back and front.

Outwardly he barely reacted though - his eyes hardening
marginally.

Linnette
 
“You’ve already helped me more than I can possibly repay
you for,”


The Spaniard swallowed hard and tensed his jaw, his teeth
creaking together quietly as he cleared his throat and stepped
back, allowing her room to step onto the ground before him. He
was frowning. A deep, dark frown, his eyes downcast to her
feet as she came back down to her normal height.

She turned away from him and started tugging the blanket off
the bed. Drake watched, his breaths coming in long, deep pants
now when he saw the tears coursing down her pale cheeks. He
felt so damn helpless!! What was he to do?

Linnette
 
“Do the new rooms have furniture?”


Her choked voice was too much. The strained effort of pulling
the sheet off the bed without moving the tapestry and
saddlebags coupled with the wounds on her palms was too much
in itself! But her tear-choked voice took the last bit of
restraint out of Drake.

"Stop - Linnette stop.." he murmured quietly, reaching out to
her wrist, stilling her movements without putting too much
pressure on her limb and stepped in behind her. He wrapped one
arm about her shoulders, his elbow crooked against one
shoulder, his palm covering the opposite one. He rested his
chin on top of her head and tried not to feel her shaking
against him. "You're hurting - stop pretending that you're
not. This isn't easy - no one expects you to make it look
easy." he told her quietly.

Licking his lips, the Spaniard released his hold on her wrist
but kept his hand close to her arm, ready to stop her from
trying to continue through the insufferable pain.

"Just stop - for a moment, stop." he begged, shutting his
green eyes and gently turned her body around a fraction so
that his back was to the door and she was facing the window,
the cloudy sky not giving much light and certainly no warmth,
but it was brighter than the empty wall they had been looking
at, it bore more hope than a blank plaster wall.









Mari

Mari could more than make up for Milan's inability to dream.
She could almost see the flowers growing in the little garden
come spring already! And she would not hold it against Milan
that he could not see it because she was used to being the
only person to see the sun through the clouds. And the best
bit about this idea, this plan of hers, was that the house
would belong to her. It would be hers and Milan's and no one
else's. She had money enough to do it too - with the guilt
money that she had gotten from Amadeus it would be more than
enough for the doing-up of the cottage.

And it would feel good to use that money for a decent purpose,
something practical. The money felt dirty to her, it had at
the time and it still did. But Mari couldn't throw it away or
give it away... she didn't have enough to be able to afford
such a silly action.

Milan was looking down at her with a peculiar look about his
eyes. Mari cocked her head to the side, smiling at him
hopefully.

Milan
 
"Tell...m..me,"


He unwound one arm from her waist and wrapped it about her
shoulders, the other arm gestured towards the room and he
spoke. Mari practically quivered with delight to hear his
awkward monotone - her face brightened adn she danced out of
his arms, spreading her own enthusiastically. She gestured
upwards first, with burning bright brown eyes.

"We will fix the roof first I think, then clear out all of
this. We can repair the bed and with a few well placed stones
the fire-place will be good as new. We can get flagstones for
the ground here - and a rug, a thick rug for over there. We
can have a screen here - so that our bed will be nicely hidden
and private." she babbled as if they were a married couple,
making it 'our' bed instead of 'mine' or 'the'. It just felt
right to be designing all this around her and Milan being
together. Nothing else would make much sense to her right now.

"We can put a shelf over there - maybe buy a book." she smiled
delightedly, hands clasped in front of her in delight even
though they both knew she couldn't read. However, mention of a
book and thoughts of her inability to read made her remember
the letter - "Oh! Where did that letter go?" she pondered, a
finger tapping her bottom lip as she looked behind her as if
it might be there magically.









Eala

Eala didn't mean to hurt him!

For a moment she had thought he might be about to give in and
help her, but instead of helping her he grabbed her. The
little blonde gave a startled yelp and sobbed heavily as she
was tossed over his shoulder. She wriggled, kicking and
groaning in an unnatural, animalisitc fashion as she tried to
get free. She kept seeing Donnchadh's face - kept seeing the
blonde man who stabbed him, kept seeing her brother fall,
slumping dead and she so wished she had have run to him then -
that she had been able to go to him and hold his hand when he
took his last breath but ... but Ash had stopped her.

Furious, Eala gave a ferocious toss of her body, convulsing
into such an awkward bundle that she got her foot in under his
arm and kicked...

She was dropped.

Immediately she staggered away, hunkered down and watched Ash
with wary black eyes. Seeing him in pain though, knowing that
she had caused it made Eala feel awful. The tears continued to
pour down her pale cheeks adn she gave a protesting shout at
Ash for letting her hurt him, gesturing with a flash of her
tiny hand to his side before falling down onto the ground on
her knees. She was over to one side and it took Ash a moment
to realise where she was as he stood.

Eala sniffed, looking at his pained expression with wavering
determination. She looked down and saw the blood on his
fingers and knew that that wasn't the hand he had used to
slice the guards throat. That blood was his own, from his
side. The little blonde keened, a terrible noise as she turned
away from Ash, shaking her head. She stopped two steps away
from him and stomped her feet, liftng her face to the clouds
and shouted, loud, heedless of those who might be searchign
for them.

If she could just vocalise what she wanted to say! If she
could just make herself understood. Biting her bottom lip,
holding the knife-doll close to her chest, Eala swung back to
Ash and tottered forward, taking his free hand in her tiny one
and tugged him forward, black eyes pleading with him. Soft,
whining noises broke from her throat now and then.

"Du-hn, duhna..." she tried to say her brother's name, her
voice shaky, her body itself shaky! Eala had edged them
forward enough that they were coming to the entrance of the
lane...
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golden_trillium

Admin
Author: TwistOfShadows
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:00 pm
Nolan and Ceinwyn


Neeria, the treacherous bitch, landed with a hard thump. Nolan
cared little for her wellbeing or her safety…because she had
led the Romans right to them. The Woad woman seemed to look at
him, imploring for mercy, but did Nolan grant it? No, and no
again. His jaw was sharp in its hard and aggressive line, and
his lips were thin with displeasure. In the midst of the
ambush, his eyes glared green with vehemence. The Woad warrior
had no patience for her declarations of innocence, nor her
attempts at being the negotiator. The woman was below him, and
would be murdered if she put a foot wrong. Nolan did not care
for mercy, it was weakness, and those that consorted with the
enemy were the enemy. Nolan heard the familiar whoosh and
thump of arrowhead, and he heard voices from within the hut,
barking muffled orders. He nearly smiled. They were trapped,
and what would they do now? The Woad was prepared for them to
fight, and he watched as his comrades dropped from the trees,
coming closer to the surrounded hut and sealing any
opportunity to escape. Negotiation? The Woad warrior breathed
a hard and shuddering growl.

Mordred
 
”Optio?!”


Amadeus
 
"Peace!”


Neeria
 
"Nolan!!! Nolan!! Merlin has not forsaken me! Nolan,
they wish to speak with Merlin, They have been sent on
the orders of Arthur Castus."


Nolan’s eyes took in every detail, and his ears listened
ardently to everything spoken. He heard the Roman’s call for
‘Peace’ but what was it worth? They were surrounded, and Nolan
looked to the empty horses once more. How many were trapped in
the hut…and did they believe him foolish enough to enter
without good cause? Or alone? The Roman beside them pulled his
horse into a high rear, and Nolan backed off for a moment. A
dark grimace marked his features, and he watched his army rush
to surround the man. His sword was drawn, but he looked quite
pathetic on his own. Could this singular Roman defeat an army
of twenty Woads? Indeed, the man would be shot down before his
first lunge pierced a British chest…When the man lowered his
sword, Nolan turned back to Neeria…certain his Woad company
would keep the Roman tightly surrounded.

“Hold your spited and treacherous tongue Neeria! Or I’ll cut
it out your mouth…” Nolan spat the words angrily in her face,
and grabbed hold of her hair, pulling her out the way. The
Woad warrior did not care for the words she spoke, nor her
supposed intentions. It mattered not to him. She was a
traitor, and a traitor’s words were false and useless. If
these Romans had truly been sent on Arthur’s orders, then
Neeria should not be dealing with them. It was Merlin’s
task…and Nolan’s negotiation.

Nolan eyed the entrance to the dark hurt, seeking to see
through the darkness. He squinted, frowned…but nothing, and he
growled darkly in response. He remained where he stood…and
spoke loudly.

“…and how much is your Peace worth, Roman?” His tongue lilted
awkwardly over the words, and they were heavy with repulsion
and impatience. He did not want a negotiation, he wanted Roman
bloodshed…but he had his orders. “There has been peace enough.
Why do you seek Merlin? And why should I take you to him?”

Nolan spoke to the dark entrance, but kept faraway from it. He
did not fancy a sword in his throat for venturing carelessly
nearby…and he knew a Roman’s peace was transient. He saw
Ceinwyn approach his side, her coltish features lifted
defiantly in the direction of the hut. Nolan was half tempted
to send her into it…but he could not sacrifice her health from
his army. The woman stood defiantly beside him, and Nolan spat
on the floor. Why could they not kill them all? He lacked
patience for negotiation…
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golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Pinkie
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:21 pm
Amadeus


Tristan had not cut a single throat yet - Mordred was
surrounded outside and Barbattus was hammering on at him from
one side...

Malcus
 
"Optio, what are your orders? Optio?!"


The Optio turned a fierce glare to the Captain, hsi grey eyes
narrow and his lips pulled out in stark displeasure and
irritation -

"Shut up!" he snapped quietly, gesturing to the hut door as he
listened to what was going on outside. Truth was, he had no
orders. He didn't know what to do until someone else made a
move. He could retaliate, launch an attack with himself and
Tristan and Barbattus hoping they could overpower 20 odd
woads, but that was bloody suicidal! And Amadeus had much too
much to attend to without facing death right now.

Shrewd grey eyes swivelled back towards Tristan who held a
knife at the throat of one woad prisoner and he nodded his
head, nostrils flared as he peered back at teh door.

He gave a startled gasp when he saw one of the woads was
standing close by, his face a picture of murderous intent.
What foul creatures these woads were! Their bodies pracitcally
naked save for the blue paint that they plastered upon their
skin as if it might protect them!

Nolan
 
“Hold your spited and treacherous tongue Neeria! Or I’ll
cut it out your mouth… and how much is your Peace worth,
Roman? There has been peace enough. Why do you seek
Merlin? And why should I take you to him?”


There has been peace enough, thought the Optio grimly,
glowering viciously out of the hut at the man who was now
accompanied by a woman. She might have been beautiful once but
now she looked manic, crazed. Amadeus narrowd his eyes,
looking beyond to Neeria who was being treated like the
traitorous bitch that she was. He only hoped that Merlin would
not be lenient on her...

"My peace is worth three of your own, Woad." Amadeus said,
tilting hsi chin and speaking out the door. Stiffening his
shoulders, Amadeus gestured behind him for Tristan to step
forward.

"Keep a hold of him but let them see we have one.." he ordered
then looked at Barbattus - "Watch the others." he hissed
before addressing the woad leader outside.

"I seek a meeting with Merlin to speak on behalf of Arthur
Castus." he intoned with all the authority and weight that he
possessed, which was quite alot. "And you should take me to
him because I have demanded it!" Amadeus said haughtily, his
voice a little snappish, brooking no arguments from the
wretched animal outside.
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golden_trillium

Admin
Author: sabor ice
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:56 pm

Alina


It had begun with a conversation, which had quickly led to an
argument - not a heated one, but the tip of the iceberg, a
taste of what would come, a cold front more than anything.
From there a brawl had ensued on her account, an inevitable
product of her shameful forthcomings. The brawl had since
escaladed into a complete circus, the sudden chaos very nearly
throwing Alina for a loop. Her dry sobbing ceased and was
replaced with utter shock as Lancelot and Gawain filed in and
joined the mix. Galahad seemed to ignore their pleas, or
perhaps he was just so out of control that he hadn't heard
them tell him to stop - Alina couldn't decide. To see Galahad
in such a rage was heart wrenching, stunning - a terrifying
side of him she had never witnessed before. This was her
Galahad, and yet in those long moments, he was a stranger to
her.

The fight exploded out the tavern door, spilling everyone out
into the courtyard. It was her first instinct to rush after,
to just throw herself between them come what may, despite
Lancelot's advice, and despite her own conscience warning her
to stay away. Everything spiraling out of control was her
doing anyway - possibly getting accidentally pummeled or
trampled in her efforts to make peace almost seemed like a
fair consequence for her actions. Kolya was recovering from a
life-threatening illness and Galahad was injured from battle -
she hadn't forgotten. Nothing good would come of them tearing
each other apart, all because of her.

Mechanically, Alina edged back and found an empty stool to sit
on. Damp, wavy locks sprawled artistically about her hunched
soldiers, her hands folding between her knees. Her features
were stony, unfathomable, as resolute dark eyes stared
unflinchingly toward the door. Waiting.

Neeve
 
“Isn’t it enough that we have to fight the Woads here
these days? Do you have to fight each other of
that?...Are you okay, or did you get hit as well?”


"No, I'm fine..." she replied listlessly.

Alina blinked heavily, peering sideways at the raven-haired
healer's hand on her shoulder. Such a gesture was made out of
general concern, yet Alina could only comprehend it as
sympathetic. Sympathy was the furthest thing she deserved
given the circumstances. A familiar face should've been a
comfort for the young woman, and yet she was hindered by
Neeve's presence. She absentmindedly shifted away from the
other woman's touch - a lazy movement, not brusque nor
insolent, and certainly it had not aimed to be anything
personal against the other healer.

"Men...they always think they have something to prove, don't
they?" Alina offered after a moment, her tone dull,
uninterested in the prompted subject. She'd tried to smile,
but alas her mouth refused to cooperate. The chuckle that had
escaped her lips following her words had been forced and
unconvincing.
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golden_trillium

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Author: lady ione
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:27 pm
Brendyn


He understood urgency, and was not an idiot by a longshot, but
he had waited to see what should be done in case of capture.
If it had been his own instincts, he'd have just killed her
and whoever else had helped her....

Quintus
 
"Some other girl came up to them and said her sister was
being attacked, so they went to help her. They weren't
there when the Woad bitch got out. I'll make sure they
regret it. Sir." "GET GOING, SOLDIER!!"


Brendyn did not wince when the man shouted at him. He was not
deaf and had no problems hearing orders. Shooting a glance at
Titrus, then at Quintus, Brendyn said nothing, but instead
deducted in his mind that the first place to look would be the
dungeons themselves. There was only one way in and out. Not caring that others looked at him as one would see a mangy dog, Brendyn ran to the entrance of the dungeons and took the flight of stairs at a good clip. They had to still be down here looking for a way out....unless they had already figured that out as well. Perhaps his smell would blend him into the surroundings of the dank prisons. When Brendyn's booted foot hit the dirt floor of the hallway of the dungeons, he slowed way down and began to get more cautious. If this woad killed a guard, he certianly did not want to be next on her list. Brendyn did realize that he was unarmed, but he had always been good at hand to hand defense or using whatever was around. Taking a deep breath, Brendyn moved down the aisles of the dungeons looking for footprints in the dirt floor...
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golden_trillium

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Author: Lancelot
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:48 pm
Lancelot


The first knight snarled a few unintellegible words into
Galahad's ear; the pup was not listening, and as Lancelot
tried to avoid the punches that were inevitably coming his
way, he jabbed at Galahad as well - if only to get the younger
knight to knock it the fuck off.

Galahad
 
"Let me fucking go! This is between me and this piece of
shit!"


An "ooof"ing sound made it's way out of Lancelot as Galahad
tried to punch his face, but instead connected with Lancelot's
shoulder - above the arrow wound on his arm. Growling,
Lancelot let go of Galahad's waist and slammed his forehead
into the back of Galahad's skull, the cracking sound
satisfying and dizzying. He briefly noticed that Gawain had
also joined the brawl - and Lancelot jerked at Galahad's arm,
trying to turn him around. "You fucking idiot! He'll kill you
- or I will if you don't stop - "

Kolya kicked out at the young knight, and the force of his
blow made the three other men stagger together. It would have
been a comic sight except for the pain involved. Lancelot
lashed out with his fist, catching the edge of Galahad's jaw -
he'd meant to knock the fool out - but Kolya barreled into
them, and the three Sarmatians tumbled to the hard, still wet
ground like so many game pins. Lancelot was beyond snarling
now; his voice did not sound like his own as he shouted his
annoyance and pain. His arm throbbed from where Galahad had
hit it earlier, and his eye was swelling shut.

"Get. Off. Me," he gritted out, his double blades poking into
his back and buttocks painfully as he attempted to squirm up
from the muck. He shoved the prone Galahad and Gawain, making
sure to use his elbows as much as possible. "Galahad, you
useless little fuck. Get your drunken, stupid arse off my
chest, or I will beat you senseless." He managed to get out
from the pile of flailing Sarmatians, and latched hands onto
Galahad's shoulders in an attempt to drag him up. "STOP THIS.
Now." He met Kolya's eyes and spat. "You're not helping, you
fucking old fool. Leave him be."
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golden_trillium

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Author: linnet
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:39 pm
Mother Lavinia


Lavinia knew that sooner or later, Fleur would wise up to her.
Obviously the girl was just temporarily oblivious to whatever
it was that caused other children to be suspicious and distant
toward the nun. Lavinia saw the spell break when she told
Fleur to smash any spiders with the paperweight. A pouty frown
replaced the little one’s look of eager interest. It was the
cutest pouty frown imaginable, but it made Lavinia sigh in
irritation at herself for hoping this child could be
comfortable around her.

Fleur
 
"Squash them?! Poor little things. What'd they ever do
to you?"


Bit me, Lavinia thought. But she decided not to say anything
more about the creepy bugs. No sense planting fear in such an
innocent soul. Besides, the spiders would probably take one
look at the cherubic urchin and just sit back entranced,
smiling and saying “Awwww.” The old woman took the rock that
Fleur handed her, and expected that the girl had changed her
mind about helping, and about trusting her. But instead the
child wasted no time. She plopped down on her hands and knees
before sprawling forward on her belly, putting herself right
among the items on the bottom shelf. Lavinia waited with her
ledger and quill poised, while Fleur worked diligently.

Fleur
 
"Thirty!"


The nun dutifully recorded the number in her ledger, as Fleur
backed out, looking pleased at her success. So what if thirty
was more than the child’s fingers and ‘foots’ together? It
would have to be close enough.

Fleur
 
"Did I do good, 'Vinia?"


Lavinia cast a genuine smile of affection down to Fleur as the
nun closed the closet door behind them. “You did perfect,
Fleur,” she said emphatically. “You should go back to your
sister now so she doesn’t worry about where you are. That’s
all the help I needed today. But I think I might need some
more help tomorrow.” Lavinia would have been happy to keep the
girl with her all day. But she really needed to get busy
composing a letter that would start things going to arrange a
fit residence for Fleur and her sister.
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golden_trillium

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Author: Starbelle
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:48 pm
Tatiana


Hearing the sigh that he released during his turn, Tatiana was
glad that her technique was doing its best and relaxing him.
Sounds like I didn't forget anything if Adian's sigh is any
indication

Feeling his head tilt back when she gave him his massage, she
felt happy that she was able to give him some peace during her
part of the deal. I'm glad to hear that he's having a very
good time.

Was her next thought when she heard him laugh, only made her
promise herself to try again another time with her playful
tickling. Feeling his arms catch her, Tatiana felt his heather
gray eyes mesmerize and hypnotize her emerald green ones as he
leaned forward and brushed his lips softly against hers.

Adian
 
"I had fun as well, Tatiana, and I feel much cleaner and
relaxed"


"Good, I'm glad that you had fun and are relaxed as that's
very important." She replied with a soft sigh of her own
before leaning in and returning his slow kiss with one of her
own, her eyes closing of their own accord, all of her thoughts
and cares happily disappearing so much like steam on a warm
summer's day from her mind during the kiss.
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golden_trillium

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Author: linnet
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:06 pm

Juna


Merlin
 
"No, you should... Fine. But stay well back."


Juna felt the insistence of his hands gripping her shoulders,
and saw a familiar flash of anger in his face. It didn’t
surprise or frighten her. Battles of will between them had
been going on for years. She knew his limits, and he knew her
stubbornness. When he agreed more readily than she’d expected,
she knew it was because things were too urgent now to waste
time in a standoff over her staying with him.

She grabbed her medical supply bag. Merlin grabbed her hand
and took off as if he were pulling a balky animal in his wake.
Even with her long legs, Juna had to take a couple of running
steps every so often in order to keep up. And her bag kept
slipping off her shoulder, forcing her to hitch it up as they
rushed back through the moving line of Woads. His grip on her
hand was tight enough to hurt when it pulled against her
knuckles. But Juna didn’t mind at all. He could drag her
anywhere, and she’d go along willingly.

Merlin worked fast and efficiently, gathering warriors to
accompany him. When he’d given them instructions, he let go of
Juna’s hand. He looked as though he hadn’t been aware of how
long and how tightly he’d been holding it.

Merlin
 
"Sorry."


“No need to be,” she said, a hint of smile letting him know
she didn’t mind. “Just don’t make me climb any trees.” She
wanted to let Merlin know that he didn’t have to worry about
her being along, one way or the other. “I’ll be careful and
not cause you any trouble,” she said to reassure him. She
wouldn’t promise to ‘stay well back’. Why should she? What
trouble could she get into? She obviously wasn’t a threat to
the Romans. Her calf-length skirt and her cloak, her skin free
of blue paint, her bag of healing items: nothing about her
would even attract their attention. But just in case, she
reached in her bag to feel where to quickly locate the lethal
looking dagger that Adian had given her.
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golden_trillium

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Author: golden_trillium
Date: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:07 pm
Linnette


Drake
 
"Stop- Linnette, stop...you're hurting- stop pretending
that you're not. This isn't easy- no one expects you to
make it look easy. Just stop- for a moment, stop."


"I'm not sure stopping helps, either," she murmured miserably,
but nevertheless, her busy, painful hands really did
obediently stop trying to tug at the blanket. She crossed them
in front of her instead, palms tucked protectively against her
sides, and made no effort to shrug Drake's arm off her
shoulders- now that they were not observed, the contact did
not bother her, and in fact she found it comforting. She even
went so far as to lean her head back against his shoulder as
he turned them just slightly, and her vision shifted from a
view of the bed and all the things she had to do to one out
the window of the room. Not that there was much to see out
there- just the wall and door and windows of the building
across the street. But above that, there was sky, open and
free, albeit grey, and she let her mind soar up there for just
a moment. How far would she have to go up there to find
Gedeon? Was there any way across that endless expanse? Any way
short of death for herself?

"How...what did you do? When your wife died?" she asked,
softly, and without turning her head from the view of the sky.
The last word was even quieter, barely a hint of sound, but
she did say it, and say it straightforwardly. When it applied
to someone else, then she could say it, though she didn't wish
to jar Drake's feelings either. Applied to Gedeon- in that
case, the word itself was unthinkable.












Tristan

Nolan
 
“Hold your spiteful and treacherous tongue, Neeria! Or
I’ll cut it out of your mouth…and how much is your peace
worth, Roman? There has been peace enough. Why do you
seek Merlin? And why should I take you to him?”


Amadeus
 
"My peace is worth three of your own, Woad. Keep a hold
of him but let them see we have one...watch the others.
I seek a meeting with Merlin to speak on behalf of
Arthur Castus. And you should take me to him because I
have demanded it!"


Bloody fool! That sort of demand wasn't going to cut any ice
with the Woad warriors at all. Because I have demanded
it...where did the Roman think he was, on the parade ground in
the fort? It was all Tristan could do to restrain a roll of
his eyes- but with effort, he did, though he did exchange a
significant glance with Barbattus, as he hauled the Woad in
front of him to his feet, his knife at the man's throat, but
merely in warning, not acutually pricking the skin yet.
Barbattus seemed to think much as Tristan did, that the Optio
was not handling this well, and Tristan wondered if there was
any possible way that the Captain could, well...take over this
little negotiation. Not likely- but he would almost certainly
do a better job.

Edging his way around the other two living and one dead Woads
who cluttered the interior of the hut, Tristan walked his
glaring, but acquiescent enough, prisoner to the doorway of
the hut. The Woad could only take tiny steps due to the cords
around his ankles, so it was an awkward process, but they got
there, and now Tristan could get a slightly better picture of
what was going on.

There were about 20 of them, he thought, scattered around the
clearing and all on the alert. The Woad who had spoken to the
Optio, and who seemed to be the leader, was a fellow Tristan
recognized from previous skirmishes- a rather high-ranking
officer, if he wasn't mistaken. The wild-looking woman at his
side was also vaguely familiar- hadn't she brought a message
to the fort for Merlin once? She looked different now, though,
more disheveled, with a light in her eyes that seemed to speak
of a perilous grip on sanity. Well, all Woads were at least
half-mad, and the Magician not the least of them. Maybe it was
something in their paint.

A little farther away, Neeria cowered on the ground, and
Mordred sat his horse, still holding his sword but making no
effort to fight, while several of the Woads watched him
warily. The horses, including Tirgatao, seemed to be all
right, which was an advantage. If all four of the men could
somehow get to their mounts, they'd have a reasonable chance
of getting away- but then again, the object of this excursion
was talking. Tristan suspected that things were going to get
more difficult long before they got easier.












Merlin

Juna
 
“No need to be. Just don’t make me climb any trees. I’ll
be careful and not cause you any trouble.”


"It's not you that I think may cause trouble," Merlin
answered, grimly at first, but shading into a wry smile and a
touch of a laugh at the sudden ridiculous picture of Juna
causing trouble in, say, the way a Roman causes trouble. No,
it was her safety he was worried about, which surely she knew.
Almost unconsciously he adjusted his stride to stay about half
a step ahead of her, to be that much closer to danger should
they encounter it. Nolan had hid the tracks of the main group
well, he noted- no one would think that a large group had come
this way. No one would think that wounded had come this way.
Good. He sent a silent prayer to the Gods for Nolan and
Ceinwyn and all with them, hoping that even now they were safe
and the four riders leaving his territory, never to return.
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golden_trillium

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Author: sabor ice
Date: Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:08 am
Milan


Mari
 
"We will fix the roof first I think, then clear out all
of this. We can repair the bed and with a few well
placed stones the fire-place will be good as new. We can
get flagstones for the ground here - and a rug, a thick
rug for over there. We can have a screen here - so that
our bed will be nicely hidden and private."


Milan didn't know about the blood money the Optio had paid
Mari for her silence, and had he, it would not have sat well
with him in the least. There was no amount of compensation
that could reverse the heinous act committed upon her, to take
away all she had suffered by the hands of a rapist allowed to
roam free. The dirty money signified a kind of acceptance for
what had happened, and had Milan known about it, he wouldn't
have allowed it to persist. He wouldn't have tolerated Mari
taking the blame for another man's monstrous crime. She
deserved better.

He followed her from place to place, always lingering a step
or two behind, remaining just close enough to feel the warmth
of her presence. She gestured toward the roof and various
other ruined pieces, and although he heard her words, his
attention was solely upon her. Once or twice when Mari'd pause
in thought, he'd come to stand behind her a breath away,
fingers outstretched to graze the soft texture of her dark
hair or face inclined to inhale her scent - little reminders
to let him know she was real, that he hadn't dreamed her. His
efforts went unnoticed.

Milan broke from his subtle ministrations when she made
reference to the bed. He instinctively threw a glance in its
direction, absentmindedly trying to imagine it the picture she
had painted. He shivered - stomach twisting in anxious knots -
suddenly a bit nervous as to why the bed had to be so hidden
and private. The young man quickly pushed the embarrassing
thoughts away, punch-drunk and slightly flustered as he turned
back to her. She continued.

Mari
 
"We can put a shelf over there - maybe buy a book. Oh!
Where did that letter go?"


Milan idly scratched the back of his head at her mention of
Rowan's letter, the ends of his dark hair sticking out every
which way as a result of his digits apprehensive prodding.
Last he remembered, Mari had possessed it, but perhaps she
might've lost it? Milan was hopeful.

In another desperate attempt to distract her from the letter
yet again, Milan gently pulled her to him. He took her hands
and placed them atop his shoulders, before winding his arms
lightly about her waist. He took a step back, toting her with
him, then made to step forward, causing her to mirror what he
had just done by stepping backward herself. He urged her to
follow the choppy, juvenile pattern he had set, all the while
trying his hardest not to completely smash her feet with his
awkward strides. Milan led the dance, their bodies eventually
moving in sync, swaying back and forth.

In all honesty, Milan had no idea what he was doing. Dancing
was forbidden to his people. He drew inspiration from a
painting he had once seen of fine ladies and gentlemen
enjoying festive frivolities. He only guessed what dancing
must've looked like up close and personal.

After awhile, Milan felt brave enough to tear his concentrated
gaze away from the clumsy shuffling movements of his feet,
confident Mari's feet would be safe for awhile. A sheepish
crooked smile graced his lips as he watched her face.

"La...la la...la la la...la la..." he mused quietly - resting
his forehead against hers - as he provided a steady beat for
their dancing, even if it lacked actual rhythm and rhyme.
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golden_trillium

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Author: golden_trillium
Date: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:27 am

Linnesse


As Derfel moved away from the bar, Linnesse scooped up a
couple more mouthfuls of stew, eying everything warily from
her seat at the counter- until she noticed that Alina, whose
argument with Galahad seemed to have precipitated this whole
thing, retreating to a stool out of the way of the
still-skirmishing men, her posture speaking of a frustration
near tears even though her back was to Linnesse. Picking up
her bowl and spoon to take with her, Linnesse slid off her own
stool and made her way over to Alina, arriving a second behind
Neeve, who had also joined her and placed a comforting hand on
her shoulder.

The fight was expanding now- a soldier, not originally
involved, seemed to have been struck by accident or something,
and blamed it on a companion, one thing led to another, and
now men were jumping on wholesale, flailing away with fists
and legs until the whole front entrance to the tavern was
virtually impassable. Linnesse had never seen anything like a
fight on this scale, before- well, excepting the Woad
invasion, which was in another category entirely- and she
winced inwardly each time a blow fell, thinking of how many
would need bandages and even stitches after this.

"What happened?" she asked Alina faintly, lowering her bowl
and spoon and beginning to feel a touch of nausea squirming in
her belly again.
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