Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Na The Past. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
October 2008
Topic Started: May 1 2010, 05:17 PM (3,208 Views)
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Starbelle
Date: Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:15 pm
Tatiana and Jols


Darya
 
“I dare you…”,


Jols, after hearing her reply laughed in return but was unable
to turn down that type of a dare as it sounded just too good
for him to resist.

"You do, huh? I think that I'll just run that new title of
yours by Tristan and see what his opinion is on it." He
replied playfully teasing her, and then laughing heartly once
more before deciding to hang around the two women and see what
other little tidbits that they would discuss.

Darya
 
“Well, it seems you have already become quite acquainted
to the Fortress…”, , “…though I take it that your mother
is not too happy about that? How come?”


"No, not exactly. She really wanted me to follow in her path
of becoming a Healer, like she and my Grandmother are. I just
couldn't see myself doing that as I had other desires, dreams
and wishes which were quite different than the ones that she
had planned for me." Tatiana replied to her new friend.

"I did pick up enough of the training to be able take care of
colds and little things like that just nothing major."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: LadyCastus
Date: Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:54 pm
Neeria


Despite that the fact the cell was freezing cold and Neeria
lay her head against Arthur's armor, somehow the armor itself
was warm. Leaning against Arthur like that, Neeria felt
exhausted. She wanted to just close her eyes and sleep. The
commander gently pushed her off of him and the woad felt a
twinger of disappointment. She straightened a bit and sneezed,
then wiped her nose with the dirty tunic again. Arthur held
her steady as Neeria regained her composure and until the
strength came back to her legs. When she was completely
upright, she looked back up at the commander's face, shadows
still dancing there, adding even more mystique to his strong
features.

Tristan
 
"For fuck's sake...Arthur, she does that to make you
feel sorry for her. Did it to me, too."


Neeve
 
“And to me…”


“That’s not true, Arthur. I have suffered a great deal. Mikel
is dead and my people have turned their backs on me. I told
Tristan that my fight is not with the Sarmatians. It is with
Rome.”

The commander's lips were drawn thin and his brows slightly
knitted as he took all of her in. She could tell he was
thinking about something as he regarded her. He seemed to
weighing her words - trying to determine if she was telling
the truth or not. Would he send her out with nothing? Leave
her to fend on her own in her condition? As if reading her
mind, Arthur finally spoke.

Arthur
 
“I can only offer to escort you back to your people
today or allow you to remain here for the time being.
You have no need to fear me, Neeria,”


Neeria sniffed again and realized that Arthur still had a hand
on her shoulder. Without a reason why, Neeria reached out and
touched the breastplate that covered the commander's large,
broad chest. She traced the rivets and curves in the armor
with her finger, awed by it's thickness and smoothness. She
ran her fingers across the golden crest and touched the
chainmail on his sleeves. She'd never examined anything like
it up close before. Then Neeria touched the hand that rested
firmly on her shoulder and took it in hers. She looked up at
Arthur, wide-eyed, but said nothing, hopefully assuring him
with her eyes that she meant him no harm. The small woman
looked at Arthur's big hand and turned it over, palm side up.
Again she traced a line with her finger over the calouses and
healed-over cuts. Then finally, she raised Arthur's hand and
brushed her cheek with the backside of it. Letting it linger
for a brief second on her burning skin.

Neeria latched eyes with Arthur again. Her dark eyes searching
his for the truth.

"Merlin is headed back to our village," she said, swallowing
hard.

Arthur
 
“I intend to make peace with Merlin today. I ask that
you tell me where it is that I may find him and you may
either accompany me, or remain here until you are
recovered,”


Neeria anxiously looked around Arthur at Lancelot, Tristan and
Neeve for a brief second, but kept talking. The two knights
glared at her, each with a hand on the hilt of their swords.
She knew that look in their eyes well. They wanted to kill
her.

"Tristan can lead you to the other camp - he will remember the
way,” throwing daggers at the scout with her eyes. She would
cross paths with him again. Of that she was sure.

“Keep going north until you come to the river. The sun should
be on this side," Neeria continued, pointing to her left side,
"go past the mountain, through the forest, following the
river. You must cross the river. Look for the bridge – there
is a bridge where the tree open. After you cross the bridge,
you will come to a valley just after that. That is our
village. You should be there before midday if you ride hard.
It is only 3 days’ walk. They will see you coming long before
you cross the bridge."

Neeria dropped her head as tears filled her eyes for what
she'd just done.

"Arthur," she said softly, looking back up at him who towered
over her, with water-rimmed eyes, "please don't....please.
Please don't kill them. I cannot return to them, at least not
today."

Neeria was glad that Arthur had given her an opportunity to
stay behind the Wall for a while. She wanted to find the man
she'd seen with Mikel's knife. She wanted to taste his blood.

"When I heal, I will go back. I must make amends with Merlin -
that is if he will hear me. Most likely he will want me dead.
I was as close to him as Guinevere," she said softly. "I will
stay here until the time is right to meet with him."

The woad fell into a fit of coughing and dug in her head while
she waited for Arthur to digest it all. Then she looked up at
Arthur one last time.

"I'm sorry, Artorius. I know now that my fight is not with you
either."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Darya
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:57 am
Darya


Jols
 
"You do, huh? I think that I'll just run that new title
of yours by Tristan and see what his opinion is on it."


“Careful, Jols…or I’ll use the time with the hawk to teach it
to go after cheeky squires instead of mice and rats…”, Darya
quipped and gave the older man an almost challenging
glance…even though she truly didn’t feel like joking around.
Some really serious things still lay heavy on her mind…but
since those were deeply private matters, the dark-haired was
wearing her almost perfect mask again. A mask usually only
Arthur could see through. For everyone else, it was just
general concern about the mission and the men’s well-being.

However, Jols' teasing was a welcome distraction…for herself
and for everyone else who might get the idea of asking her
private questions…

Tatiana
 
"No, not exactly. She really wanted me to follow in her
path of becoming a Healer, like she and my Grandmother
are. I just couldn't see myself doing that as I had
other desires, dreams and wishes which were quite
different than the ones that she had planned for me. I
did pick up enough of the training to be able take care
of colds and little things like that just nothing
major."


Darya listened quietly to what Tatiana was replying to her
earlier questions. Some of the girl’s words sounded almost
painfully familiar. The Sarmatian, too, had been supposed to
follow in her mother’s path. But other than in Tatiana’s case,
the new path in Darya’s life had neither been chosen by
herself or her parents, nor had it turned out to be really
good. At least not for a long time…and even these days, the
dark-haired didn’t know where it would lead. Especially not
now…considering the latest development in her life. The Gods
apparently decided to test her…her and maybe Arthur, too. But
why now? Darya had no idea…

Blinking a few times, the female Sarmatian forced herself to
stop those thoughts and to focus on Tatiana instead. This was
the girl’s story…not hers.

“I see…”, Darya said and licked her lips stiffly, “…then what
are these desires, dreams and wishes of yours, Tatiana? I find
it hard to believe that it is working in a stable… And what
did you find so bad in the idea of becoming a healer?” With
that, the woman gave Tatiana a wry smile.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: lady ione
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:18 am
Brendyn


Tyranus had waited patiently for his master to finish whatever
business he had with the two fighting humans, but enough was
enough already. The horse shook his head and snorted in
impatience, and in doing so, had undone his reins form the
post it had been loosly tied to. The horse noded his head up
and down a few times, then turned and walked at a slow,
deliberate walk, to get the young soldier who was standing
next to the other human who had been so kind to him (Malcus).
The smell of blood sort of unnerved him, but then, he was a
war horse and had gotten use to the smell...sort of. The short
walk brought him to stand in front of the two men, and Brendyn
reached out a hand to take the reins, while Tyranus reached
out his soft muzzle to inspect the other man.

Brendyn prayed to god that the Captain would understand , and
not yell at the animal for wondering if he was alright. Horses
normally did that to their young or their companions after a
fight or in an unexpected injury of some sort. Animals just
had that instinct. "He said he was fine, Tyranus," the soldier
said as he looked from the horse to the Captain and back. The
horse was worse then his aunt had been: always wondering if
Brendyn was alright, or where he was, or if he was hurt, or
whatever. If Malcus did not need help or assisstance then
Brendyn would take his beloved horse and go back to where he
had waited before.

He waited a moment more, before saluting the Captain, and
taking the reins, led Tyranus back to the place where Brendyn
had loosly tied the horse up before. The fight had broken the
momotaniny of waiting, but it had not been a fun thing either.
With Malcus's temper, the Stable master was glad to not be
getting a good lashing. He had never seen such insolence in a
civilian toward a superior officer! The horse playfully laid
back his ears, and turned his head to nip at the soldier's
cloak, and Brendyn had to laugh softly, 'Aye, y' old mother
hen you...always curious and concerned eh?' he whispered to
the animal...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Elessars Girl
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:50 am

Arthur


Lancelot
 
"Arthur. What say you let the...princess sit down, of
her own accord, hm?"


As anticipated, Lancelot was instantaneously at Arthur’s side
the moment Neeria had collapsed against the Commander’s chest.
Arthur briefly ticked his eyes to Lancelot and silently
conveyed that he had Neeria well in hand…for now. But if the
young woman persisted in crying…..he released a deep breath
between slightly parted lips while still working to steady
Neeria on her own two feet.

Tristan
 
"For fuck's sake... Arthur, she does that to make you
feel sorry for her. Did it to me, too."


Neeve
 
“And to me… Who knows what other malicious ideas Merlin
has put into this one’s mind…in case she fails with the
original plan…”


All three of Arthur’s ‘protectors’ had immediately reacted
which had the Commander inwardly sighing. He knew that he was
in no danger from Neeria, however he did appreciate each of
them for their concern. And….both Neeve and Tristan had a
point. Arthur knew not what Neeria’s motives were. While
Malcus had brought her back to Badon by force, she may very
well still be capable of causing Arthur trouble.

And then Neeria did something unexpected….she reached out and
touched Arthur’s cuirass; her tiny dirty fingers traced random
patterns over the tooling and moved upwards until Neeria’s
hand had found Arthur’s at her shoulder. Arthur had remained
silent while allowing the girl to familiarize herself with his
dress. Her movements were slow and curious and certainly not
alarming to the Commander. But when Neeria took Arthur’s hand
in her own, his instinct was to pull away – not allow such an
intimate contact. Yet…he recalled Guinevere’s similar reaction
upon their first close encounter….and thus looked upon the
action as a way of silent communication and openness. However,
Arthur’s expression remained neutral even as Neeria’s tearful
eyes widened up at him as if she begged for his
attentions….perhaps she asked for his protection from the
others present…perhaps Arthur should heed Tristan’s
council….but Arthur needed information and was willing to give
Neeria her chance….

Neeria
 
"Merlin is headed back to our village, Tristan can lead you to the other camp - he will remember the way. Keep going north.  After you cross the bridge, you will come to a valley just after that. That is our village.  You should be there before midday if you ride hard. It is only 3 days’ walk. They will see you coming long before you cross the bridge."


Arthur listened intently while Neeria divulged the information
on Merlin’s location. He pulled his hand from her grasp –
albeit gently still – the moment Neeria had brought his
fingers to her cheek. Arthur had no intention of allowing any
further intimacies to occur. He nodded once in acknowledgement
as Neeria continued…..

Neeria
 
"Arthur, please don't....please. Please don't kill them.
I cannot return to them, at least not today. When I
heal, I will go back. I must make amends with Merlin -
that is if he will hear me. Most likely he will want me
dead. I was as close to him as Guinevere, I will stay
here until the time is right to meet with him……I'm
sorry, Artorius. I know now that my fight is not with
you either."


Arthur frowned in mild concern while the girl coughed and
recovered her composure; again speaking to him with apparent
openness. His wounded side slightly twinged and thus a hand
went to carefully rest over the location of the stitches. But
Arthur gave no outward indication of any discomfort. He bit
back the inclination to ask just who was this girl’s enemy if
she was professing to not fight Arthur now? Curious, but not
important at the moment for Arthur.

“I have no intention of killing anyone,” Arthur clearly stated
before continuing. “I thank you for the information, Neeria.
And in return, you have my word that no one will harm you
here. You are free to return to your people when you are
willing and able to do so,” Arthur said with a slight tilt of
his head and a small gesture with his free hand towards the
opening of the small cell. Lancelot still stood close enough
that Arthur’s fingers brushed over the knight’s shoulder in
the movement.

“Neeve,” Arthur called to the healer while he took a step to
the side so that he could turn enough to see the Briton’s
face. “I am placing Neeria in your care for now. See that she
is given clean clothes, food and access to the baths…I will
compensate you when I return,” Arthur said with an expression
that held his gratitude for what he had just requested of
Neeve.

“Neeria, I thank you for your cooperation and I will accept
your word that you will be of no trouble while you remain
within the walls of my fortress, hm?” Arthur said while once
again turning to look down into the teary dark eyes of the
Woad before him. Perhaps it was a weakness that Arthur held
compassion for the women caught up in the battles of men.
Perhaps he had been too indulgent to allow any of Merlin’s
people to take shelter at Badon over the years….but that was
the sort of man Arthur was…..he would give quarter to those in
need no matter their bloodline. He would always protect those
unable to protect themselves. And at this moment - despite the
fact that this girl had once held a knife at his throat –
Arthur saw only a frightened, hungry girl in need of his help.

He stood firmly before Neeria while awaiting her word….then
Arthur would go forth in search of Merlin and in search of
peace. The fingers of his free hand slowly opened once and
then closed into a loose fist at his side. Excalibur hung
proudly at his left side and despite the dimly lit dungeon,
Arthur appeared bright and strong and noble
effortlessly….completely confident and completely concealing
the maelstrom of pain both physical and emotional that
continued to rage within that calm steely exterior.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Pinkie
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:34 pm
Mari


Linnette
 
"Well- drawing is a skill I definitely lack, so I'm
grateful for anything you can do, I can show you lots of
those things, though, if you want."


Mari took the proffered sheet with a small smile, inclining
her head in gratitude. Now that she knew Linnette was a real
lady she felt obliged to defer to her, to almost genuflect to
her. It was not every day that she met someone who owned their
own Villa now was it? She was just about to continue into the
tavern when Linnette tossed out a most generous offer that
Mari was at first unable to articulate a response to for
better or worse. Her eyes bugged and her mouth dropped open in
astonishment, the prospect of being taught any of those
things, but especially things like reading and writing, was
... incredible. She felt her cheeks blush and she snapped her
mouth shut, looking down to the ground as Linnette proceeded
to comment on Kolya.

Linnette
 
"Mari...don't take this the wrong way, but...you have my
sympathies on your father. He doesn't seem like an easy
man."


The young woman didn't take offense. In fact she found herself
giving an impish grin that her father had made such an
impression in such a short time. She gave a weary shrug of her
dainty shoulders and breathed a laugh.

"I know." she assured Linnette, feeling for the first time in
her life, like a proper grown up, finally feeling like she had
come from under her father's thumb and was making her own mark
on the world. TO be able to speak about him without jumping to
his defense immediately was strange. But it was also entirely
foreign so Mari found herself adding, just as they passed the
pretty red-head behind the bar named Vanora who Linnette threw
a greeting towards -

"But he's not all bad you know. He's quite knowledgable about
horses. And all kinds of animals. It's his best skill." she
said, turning to give the woman behind the bar, Vanora, a
brief wave as she tottered onwards after Linnette, not
realising that she was in a part of the tavern she would not
normally be admitted to until it was too laet. She stopped in
the doorway and looked around with wide eyes, tipping forward
to look all the way around the little office but not crossing
the threshold out of politeness. Where she had gleaned such a
polite nature was anybody's guess.

"Did you really mean it? That you'd teach me to read? And
write? I would be so greatful if you would... Obviously, "
Mari became serious now, her brown eyes dropping in respect
for teh dead and the sorrow of the situation she was about to
recall - "Obviously in due time, when you've properly grieved
for your husband."









Galahad

Galahad took a long time to cross the courtyard.

His pace was slow and deliberate. His curly black hair was
tousselled by the breeze, then plastered in an odd array by
the sleet-like rain. It was not a heavy downpour but it was
chilling, making the young Sarmatian shiver more than once. He
looked up a moment and thought he saw Alina skirting towards
the infirmary but wasn't sure as a splattering of sleet
decided that moment to attach itself to his eyeball. With a
muttered curse, the knight half-turned away from the breeze
and used the edge of his cloak to wipe his eye, leaving it
bleary and red... more bleary and red than his other eye that
is.

The bruises on his face were slight, quite alot hidden beneath
his dark beard. He had a lump across his forehead and was a
little pale from the loss of blood from the wound on his side,
but other than that he was not looking all too shoddy. Turning
back to the stables, the Knight narrowed his blue eyes to
those in the doorway, giving a nod to those he knew best -
Bors, Jols, Darya, Malcus and Quintus. The others he gave a
distracted harumph to as he sidled past them, head bowed,
muttering something about 'morning', 'horse', 'scrub',
'manure' and 'hay'.

He was hoping against hope that no one would be bothered
stopping to talk to him because he was feeling much too sorry
for himself to do anything but whine.

At least Lancelot and Gawain weren't there...









Catherine

Catherine had not reacted in a noticeable way to the sounds of
commotion from the stables. She had her back to it and so when
she heard the noises she had resolved not to look back, not to
seem too eager. Her back straightened and had she been a dog,
her ears would have been pricked. Her eyes were very still,
her breathing very shallow as she tried to hear what was going
on amongst the soldiers. It was not unusual for fights to
break out amongst the men. Especially when things were so
uncertain...

Once there was quiet and the shuffle of feet dissipated the
blonde slowly tilted her head to the side, looking over her
shoulder with a puzzled, worried look on her pretty face - the
face of a woman looking for comfort. Of course she was not as
alarmed about what had just happened as she appeared to be -
but it never did any harm for burly men like those near the
stables to think a fragile flower like she was anguished by
their squabble.

Delicately the woman trailed a strand of blonde hair across
down her nose to touch her lips as she rested her chin on her
shoulder, watching the men without pretending she was not -
though she did not meet anyone's eyes more than the next
man's.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Starbelle
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:33 pm
Tatiana


Darya
 
“I see…”, , “…then what are these desires, dreams and
wishes of yours, Tatiana? I find it hard to believe that
it is working in a stable… And what did you find so bad
in the idea of becoming a healer?”


Listening to Darya, she thought about it before choosing to
answer the second question first. "It wasn't that it was a bad
idea..I just didn't feel that it was quite right for me or
that I wasn't quite suited for it, really. I don't know..I
just felt more drawn to the animals I suppose, than I was to
the plants. Being a healer is an ok profession, it
just..didn't..fit or feel right to me.."

"I suppose that I'll find them out for myself later..Since
I've got plenty of time to decide that, really." Tatiana
replied with a little shrug.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: golden_trillium
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:05 pm

Linnette


Mari
 
I know. But he's not all bad, you know. He's quite
knowledgable about horses. And all kinds of animals.
It's his best skill. Did you really mean it? That you'd
teach me to read? And write? I would be so grateful if
you would...obviously. Obviously in due time, when
you've properly grieved for your husband."


Linnette glanced up at Mari from behind the desk, where she
had ducked around to search for her best paper in the drawer
while Mari stood in the doorway. Her eyes were saddened-
sadness being so very, very close to the surface for her, any
mention would do it- but as she met Mari's tentative,
under-the-lashes gaze, a little, sad smile settled on her
face. She took a deliberate breath, once more pushing down the
tightening of her throat.

"I may need a distraction long before that, Mari. I'd be happy
to teach you whatever you want to know." Her smile twitched
bravely a little higher, her eyes solemnly blinked back a hint
of moisture, and then she dropped her eyes to the desk drawer,
continuing to rummage in it while with the other hand she
belatedly beckoned Mari to cross the threshhold.

"Come in, come in. I think I have some paper here..."
Exasperated by her inability to find it, Linnette dropped to a
crouch and dug deeper into the drawer, gritting her teeth
against the aching of her hand- and finally, there it was! On
the bottom of the drawer, several fine sheets, a higher
quality than were in her ledgers- the nice stuff she used to
write official reports to Arthur twice a year. Well, that were
supposed to be used for that- truth to tell, Linnette had only
written one of them, having been in the fort only- what was
it? Eight months? But anyway, that was what they were supposed
to be used for, but Linnette didn't think one sheet used for
another purpose would matter too much. It was the very best
possible purpose, after all.

"Is that good?" Linnette separated two sheets of the fine
stuff from the rest, straightened up, and pushed them across
the desk to Mari, their surfaces almost shining white, so
well-bleached were they. Very nice quality, that. Shutting the
drawer, Linnette reached for some ordinary paper from the
stack on top of the desk, separating off several sheets of
that and handing them over, too.

"That can be for practicing...I assume you might need to
practice first?" She looked at Mari, puzzled, realizing she
didn't really have any idea about how the artistic process
went. What else would Mari need? How much time would it all
take?

"And then a good sheet for the final picture?" Linnette asked
uncertainly, looking questioningly at Mari to see her
reaction, to see if this was considered adequate. What else
might she need?

"Do you need pencils? Ink?" Linnette looked about her desk
surface, aimlessly grabbing at an ink bottle, moving it a
fraction, then setting it down, before pointlessly adjusting
the position of a scrap she had been doing some figuring on,
too. Last time she had sat at this desk, she had had to take
frequent breaks to keep from getting tears on her ledger- so
this frantic drive of activity was an improvement over that.

"I'll get you anything you need," she added, a hint of her
former desperation now showing in her voice- but eagerness,
too, eagerness to get this started, while all was still as
fresh as it could be in her mind.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Lancelot
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:58 pm
Lancelot


The First Knight still kept a tight grip on the hilt of his
sword; he didn't care what Arthur thought about this girl -
yes, she was tiny compared to the hulking giant Roman that
Arthur seemed in contrast, but Lancelot himself had seen what
that 'tiny girl' could do with a weapon.

And then...she stepped even closer to the commander, despite
the three well armed folk standing around the two figures in
the cell. And she touched him - as if she knew him.

Lancelot's brain immediately screamed two things - danger! and
the more surprising get the fuck off him, girl. Jealousy
suddenly reared its head and the Sarmatian found himself
staring at the almost intimate way the chit was rubbing her
face on Arthur's hand - fucking Woad! Their enemy and she was
practically kissing Arthur's skin. Without realizing it,
Lancelot stepped closer and a small growl echoed out of his
mouth, the bruises on his face and the residual dirt making
him look almost feral - the torch light played on his angular
features, and his angry red eye still wept tears of physical
pain.

Neeria
 
"Tristan can lead you to the other camp - he will
remember the way. Keep going north until you come to the
river. The sun should be on this side. Go past the
mountain, through the forest, following the river. You
must cross the river. Look for the bridge – there is a
bridge where the tree open. After you cross the bridge,
you will come to a valley just after that. That is our
village. You should be there before midday if you ride
hard. It is only 3 days’ walk. They will see you coming
long before you cross the bridge. Arthur, please
don't....please. Please don't kill them. I cannot return
to them, at least not today. When I heal, I will go
back. I must make amends with Merlin - that is if he
will hear me. Most likely he will want me dead. I was as
close to him as Guinevere. I will stay here until the
time is right to meet with him. I'm sorry, Artorius. I
know now that my fight is not with you either."


Arthur
 
“I have no intention of killing anyone. I thank you for
the information, Neeria. And in return, you have my word
that no one will harm you here. You are free to return
to your people when you are willing and able to do so,”


No, fool, no!

Lancelot shook his head, making to speak, but the Roman
continued on, seemingly oblivious to Lancelot's obviously
annoyed reaction - even though in gesturing, Arthur's hand
brushed Lancelot's leather clad shoulder.

Arthur
 
“Neeve, I am placing Neeria in your care for now. See
that she is given clean clothes, food and access to the
baths…I will compensate you when I return. Neeria, I
thank you for your cooperation and I will accept your
word that you will be of no trouble while you remain
within the walls of my fortress, hm?”


Oh, therein lay the rub.

"Arthur," Lancelot spoke, before anyone could stop him. "Can
you not see through this? She is fooling us! Just because one
is tiny and 'helpless' does not make one trustworthy - she is
a Woad. Do you not remember what they did to me the last
time?" He held up his right hand, and spread his fingers, the
crookedness showing easily. "Do you not remember it was a
'helpless' woman who did this?"

He turned narrowed, darkly glittering eyes on the small,
seemingly pathetic figure in the cell with them. "Girl - it's
Commander, by the way." He cocked his head and took one step
forward. "You may have him blinded, but I am not so easily
swayed. I saw the knife in your hand; I saw you leap onto his
horse," he jerked his head toward Arthur, "and I saw you try
to murder my ala commander and my friend, just as easily as I
see the blue paint that still stains your skin."

He spat and cursed in his native tongue, and realized he'd
pulled his sword halfway out of the sheath. Slamming it back,
his leathers dragged at his thin hips dangerously as he backed
away from the damned Woad and the confines of the horrid,
claustrophobic room. He turned his injured eye on Tristan.
"You remember where to find the magician?" he asked.
"Otherwise, I think I'd say take this girl back to her
'family' and let them fucking sort it out."

His gaze found Arthur, the Roman's uniform and his presence
outshining them all. "I am making this known, as your second,
Artos, that I think this is a very bad idea. But, as always,"
and by the gods, but Lancelot had to swallow back the bile
that threatened, "I will...abide by your decision."

And now I need to vomit.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Kayla
Date: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:56 pm

Micah


Micah knew that the fact that he was practically sulking,
watching the interaction between Kayley and Smith, the woman
he loved and the man that she was talking with when it could
have been him, was unbecoming of a seasoned warrior such as
himself. He was quiet in nature and sensitive, never one to do
anything to disturb whatever peace was set upon himself or his
fellow woads and as such, he had never fully admitted to the
fact that he was in love with the woad woman. Letting things
stew inside of him was much more something that Micah was
prone to doing, rather then speaking out of term or when he
thought that he had no reason to be speaking. His energy went
into the fighting that he did for Merlin, for the cause that
all his people fought for and for the things that he believed
would set his people free. Never spoken aloud, though, he only
demonstrated this with his intense loyalty to his leader and
the way that he fought, which was brutal and perfected to what
would almost be considered an art, if that's what killing
enemies was.

Pressing a hand unconsciously to his neck, where one of his
worst scars was placed, he rubbed it gently, his expression
practically a glower as he turned away from the spectacle that
was making him want to turn territorial and if that happened,
going up to the two woads was almost inevitable, even if it
was just to join in the conversation. Love could be an awkward
thing, especially when the person that you wanted had no clue
of the feelings that were going on. Which wasn't necessarily
all Kayley's fault, since his emotions tended to be fairly
wrapped up unless he was on the battlefield, when the
good-natured man turned into the warrior that he truly was
meant to be since birth. His parents, like most woads, had
been warriors and from a young age, even before he was
typically ready to be trained, they had been strict about
drilling their ways into his head and he had never let go of
them, even when his mind had been other places, such as Kayley
and looking out for her as much as he possibly could.

"By the Gods, quit sulking!" His hallucinations never seemed
to leave Micah and they had the tendency to pop up at the
worst times - like now, for instance, when Garrett spoke up to
him. Micah knew that he should have been focused on the burial
that was about to take place, one of their fellow woads having
shown her disloyalty to Merlin but his mind strayed. It wasn't
hard, either, with the scene being played out right in front
of his eyes and taking away an attention from other matters
that he should have been dwelling on. Snapping to attention,
however, he turned away from Kayley and Smith and started
getting prepared to leave, not letting anyone see the jealousy
that had become quite clearly shown in the passing minutes
through his expression and in his eyes. If he had been too
embarrassed to tell her that he loved her all this time, then
by the Gods, he didn't want anyone seeing the way that he was
looking at the two of them.














Fiona

Worrying was not something that Fiona was good at nor was it
something that she did often. Being young as she was, she knew
that things could probably get a lot harder for her as she got
older, when the real trials started, instead of at her tender
age of just seventeen, which was why she was almost never seen
worrying about anything. It wasn't in her nature to be
stressed out over every tiny thing, like how she was curious
with almost everything that she came across. The only thing
that had ever really gotten to her and made her worry was when
she had been living with her family, the woads and all the
fighting that she was having to do went against what she
actually wanted to do. It had been something she had always
been adamant about, the fact that she didn't like the wars and
the fighting that was having to do, each killing like a mark
of some sort on her soul.

But this time, it was a different situation all together that
was making Fiona worry and she knew she had every right to.
Her encounter with Tristan and Neeve the previous night had
lead her to this point, where she was biting her lip and
wearing an expression that one would not usually see on the
young woad. The scout had managed to think of what she didn't
think anyone would figure out - that it had been her to help
the little woad Eala to escape from that horrible prison she
had been placed in. Of course, the dark haired girl had denied
it but the suspicions were still there and it made her anxious
about what would happen. He knew that she lied about not
having anything to do with Eala, since he had said so himself
and before leaving, Tristan had said that Arthur would be
hearing about it.

She didn't even want to contemplate thinking what would happen
once the Commander was told of Tristan's suspicions. She'd
been here at the fort for only over a week, and was already
managing to get herself into trouble, in the one place that
she had wanted to be for some time, if only to get away from
the fighting and the wars. She was away from it alright but
had found herself in another mess, one whose outcome Fiona
wasn't sure of. She could only imagine and concoct a few
thoughts of what might happen, always one for thinking big and
not always reasonably. Whatever happened, though, she knew she
couldn't stop it from taking place. The woad knew that she
couldn't exactly go to Tristan and ask him not to tell Arthur,
since it would be an admittance that she had done something
wrong and as for now, she was keeping up with the lie that she
hadn't.

Fiona knew she needed to get her mind off of this and the next
morning, after a night of restlessness, she headed for the
baths, having not been there in a matter of days. She took a
pair of her pants and a tunic and went there as soon as she
woke up. The warmth of the water that was in front of her as
she peeled off her dirty clothes looked inviting and as she
slipped into the bath water, she felt herself relaxing
slightly. The baths were empty of any people and she took the
time to just sit there and enjoy herself for a few minutes,
letting the water soak into her limbs and warm her from head
to toe, a relief after being out in the cold. Everything that
had bothered her in the past few hours was momentarily
forgotten, even as she finished scrubbing herself with the
soap that was available and got out of the warmth, drying
herself off with a clean towel and slipping into her pants and
tunic, her cloak placed on top of her shoulders to help a bit
with the coldness of the outside once she was back out of the
bath house.

Fiona was calm for the time being as she walked back to Bors
and Vanora's house to distribute her dirty clothes and take
off again, knowing not where she would go. Wandering around
the fort had become something that the young woman had started
to enjoy, just taking in the sights that were so different
from what she was used to. And the size of the place seemed to
go on forever, which made her exploring spread out over a few
days and then, she planned to try and memorize where
everything was, so that she wouldn't get lost.

All of this was distracting to her, so when the woad was
moving by where building repairs were being made and tripped
over something that had managed to get in her way and escape
her attention, she let out a rather loud cry of "Gods!" when
she fell to the ground. She landed on her hands and the feel
of a stray upturned nail that had been on the dirt going
through her hand made her whimper slightly. Fiona sat back on
her bottom, cradling her injured hand with her free one and
taking a closer look at it, trying not to let the sulking
expression on her face drift into a cry like she was tempted
to, both from the pain and the sheer fact that if this was a
sign of how things were going to start going for her, she
wasn't in for anything good.

The nail was lodged into her hand, not as deep so as to pierce
through the back of her hand but still painful and not
something she would have wanted to take out by herself. The
ache in her wrists from landing on them only added to what she
was feeling and she sat there for a moment, shivering from the
cold and almost despising the fact that she had no idea what
she should do, before the idea of the infirmary came to her.
She had been in it yesterday, after coming across Galahad,
Gawain and Lancelot, all looking bedraggled after a fight and
the woad had stuck around for a while, to help. And while it
wasn't a place that she was too keen on being, at least not
when she herself had gotten hurt, Fiona knew that there wasn't
anyway that she was going to get the nail out of the center of
her hand without some assistance.

A slight pout on her face, Fiona got up slowly, working her
way towards the infirmary, the place that everyone seemed to
dread but she herself was somewhat grateful for in this
moment. It didn't take long for her to arrive and once she
entered the building the young woman, still clutching her
injured hand with the one that wasn't injured, looked around
for someone to help her.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: Darya
Date: Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:50 am
Neeve


Neeve couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hearing.
Everything seemed to be so wrong about the scene in front of
her. Yes, Arthur was a compassionate man…but the Woad girl had
almost killed him! Was he refusing to remember this? Or had he
forgotten about that already? And again the Briton wished she
had never come here…or had just poisoned Neeria when she had
had the chance. It would have been easy to make it look like a
natural death…and no one would have missed the Woad. Of that
Neeve was certain. The woman’s fingers drummed on the hilt of
her small knife…

Arthur
 
Neeve, I am placing Neeria in your care for now.  See that she is given clean clothes, food and access to the baths…I will compensate you when I return,”


What?

The healer’s mouth dropped open for a moment as all her
instincts told her to protest against this…and her whole
expression remained rather annoyed; yet the woman closed her
mouth again without saying anything at first.

What have I done to deserve this…this punishment?

She pressed her lips into a thin line and just stared at
Arthur. No, Neeve was not happy about this request. On the
contrary, it was only increasing her anger, the general anger
and hatred against the Woads. But this was hardly the time to
argue about it with the Commander; he didn’t know what had
been exchanged between her and Neeria before…and he didn’t
know why the healer had such…issues…with dealing with Woads.
At least dealing with them so directly.

Now I am a Woad-sitter…can it get any worse?, the raven-haired
thought and lowered her gaze for a moment “I…”, Neeve began
but then bit her tongue. Gods, she so felt the urge to reject
Arthur’s request. Every fiber of her heart was screaming to do
just that…and her blue eyes were clearly reflecting this. “As
you wish…Commander”, she then murmured slowly, yet unable to
suppress the still present chill in her voice, “…though I
don’t think this is a good idea…” It was the first time in a
long while that the healer was anything but consenting with
the Roman…and she didn’t even try to hide her annoyance.

Neeria
 
Arthur, please don't....please. Please don't kill them. I cannot return to them, at least not today. When I heal, I will go back. I must make amends with Merlin - that is if he will hear me. Most likely he will want me dead. I was as close to him as Guinevere. I will stay here until the time is right to meet with him. I'm sorry, Artorius. I know now that my fight is not with you either."


Arthur
 
Neeria, I thank you for your cooperation and I will accept your word that you will be of no trouble while you remain within the walls of my fortress, hm?”


Now this made Neeve roll her eyes. She glanced at Lancelot and
hoped to find the same angry confusion in his face that she
was feeling. And indeed, the First Knight definitely seemed to
share her anger…and he voiced it clearly…

Lancelot
 
"Arthur, can you not see through this? She is fooling
us! Just because one is tiny and 'helpless' does not
make one trustworthy - she is a Woad. Do you not
remember what they did to me the last time? Do you not
remember it was a 'helpless' woman who did this?"


The Briton’s gaze shifted towards the Sarmatian’s hand and she
frowned at what she saw. Those fingers had been broken and not
been taken care of by a healer afterwards. No surprise,
actually…since Lancelot had always been the last person to be
seen in the infirmary. However, the knight’s words partly
reflected her own thoughts, thus Neeve just nodded slightly in
agreement. “Plus that a Woad walking about the Fort freely in
the currently tensed situation and atmosphere will definitely
become the target of the people’s anger…and I am no
bodyguard…nor am I willing to risk my own life for someone who
has tried to kill you, Arthur”, the healer stated and dared to
address the Roman in a less formal way, “…I can only agree
with Lancelot. Woads are not to be trusted…”

When the knight then addressed Neeria, Neeve could not help
but smirk slightly. Maybe she could talk Lancelot into
'assisting' her in baby-sitting the prisoner.

Lancelot
 
I am making this known, as your second, Artos, that I think this is a very bad idea. But, as always…I will...abide by your decision."


Amen to that, the raven-haired thought with a Christian quote
that she had picked up a long time ago and glanced from
Lancelot to Arthur to Tristan and back to the First Knight. If
even he could not convince the Commander to rethink his
plan…no one could.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: golden_trillium
Date: Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:39 pm
Tristan


Neeria
 
"Tristan can lead you to the other camp- he will
remember the way. Keep going north until you come to the
river. The sun should be on this side. Go past the
mountain, through the forest, following the river. You
must cross the river. Look for the bridge– there is a
bridge where the trees open. After you cross the bridge,
you will come to a valley just after that. That is our
village. You should be there before midday if you ride
hard. It is only 3 days’ walk. They will see you coming
long before you cross the bridge. Arthur, please
don't....please. Please don't kill them. I cannot return
to them, at least not today. When I heal, I will go
back. I must make amends with Merlin- that is, if he
will hear me. Most likely he will want me dead. I was as
close to him as Guinevere. I will stay here until the
time is right to meet with him. I'm sorry, Artorius. I
know now that my fight is not with you either."


Tristan shifted very uncomfortably, his fingers gripped
ever-tighter around the hilt of his sword, as the prisoner
spoke her piece. She described the location of the village in
unexpected, meticulous detail, and Tristan, for his part,
carefully memorized every word- but a large part of him did
not believe them. She would give away the location of Merlin's
village so easily? Just tell them exactly where to find it? It
had to be a trick or a trap. Neeria might not have had a happy
night, but she wasn't broken yet, and she was a Woad, which
meant she was devious and tough. And she had tried to kill
Arthur. That stood out in Tristan's mind still as the damning
evidence against her- she had tried to kill Arthur. And she
was a Woad. And Arthur, for his part when he spoke, was still
being far too kind...

Arthur
 
“I have no intention of killing anyone. I thank you for
the information, Neeria. And in return, you have my word
that no one will harm you here. You are free to return
to your people when you are willing and able to do so.
Neeve, I am placing Neeria in your care for now. See
that she is given clean clothes, food and access to the
baths…I will compensate you when I return. Neeria, I
thank you for your cooperation and I will accept your
word that you will be of no trouble while you remain
within the walls of my fortress, hm?”


"Arthur..." Tristan exclaimed in exasperation, almost
motivated to spill his whole suspicions about Fiona right then
and there. Arthur was letting Neeria out? Letting her have the
freedom of the fort, or close enough to it? Trusting her word?
Fiona, who had been allowed to stay at the fort because she
supposedly had no stomach for fighting, had still be extremely
willing to help the little prisoner escape! How much more
damage could Neeria, who was a proven warrior with
demonstrated murderous intentions towards Arthur, do if she
was free? Could not Arthur see it? Tristan's hand tightened on
his sword hilt so much that his knuckles went white and his
hand muscles cramped, but Lancelot, ever more glib, was
speaking too, now, voicing much what Tristan was thinking, and
the scout fell silent, letting the First Knight do the talking
for now. This time, though, Tristan didn't take his eyes off
Neeria for a second. He stared at her, projecting all his
hatred of Woads in that gaze, pinning her beneath it and not
letting her go. If she was to be let loose in the fort, at
least she would know that Tristan watched her. And he would-
he would never sleep again if he had to.

Lancelot
 
"Arthur, can you not see through this? She is fooling
us! Just because one is tiny and 'helpless' does not
make one trustworthy - she is a Woad. Do you not
remember what they did to me the last time? Do you not
remember it was a 'helpless' woman who did this? Girl -
it's Commander, by the way- you may have him blinded,
but I am not so easily swayed. I saw the knife in your
hand; I saw you leap onto his horse, and I saw you try
to murder my ala commander and my friend, just as easily
as I see the blue paint that still stains your skin. You
remember where to find the magician?"


"Aye," Tristan murmurred, upon realizing that Lancelot had
asked a question of him, but still not taking his eyes off
Neeria. He remembered the way to the camp, that was a given.
He had been there, so he remembered. But that was not what
preoccupied him now. Dark thoughts were beginning to form
themselves in his head- thoughts of slicing his blade across
Neeria's throat, of how the blood would smell when it ran, of
how she would choke and gurgle as her life drained away.
Thoughts of how much pain he could cause her, how he could
take on her some measure of revenge for all that had befallen
him in his life. Oh, he knew so many ways to do it. So very
many ways...Tristan hardly realized it, but he was leaning
ever so slightly towards the prisoner, swaying towards her as
though just barely keeping his black urges under control- but
quietly. Very, very quietly. Never a noise from the scout as
Lancelot ranted on.

Lancelot
 
Otherwise, I think I'd say take this girl back to her
'family' and let them fucking sort it out. I am making
this known, as your second, Artos, that I think this is
a very bad idea. But, as always, I will...abide by your
decision."


"You should slit her throat," Tristan near-whispered as
Lancelot fell silent, but though he said 'you'- he wanted to
do it himself, that much was plain. His mouth caressed the
words, and he found himself moving forward a step, drawn in by
the intoxicating prospect of painful, bloody revenge.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: sabor ice
Date: Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:25 pm
Ash


Ash had never meant to accept responsibility for Eala. He was
far from the warm brotherly type, or the guiding light of a
parental figure. He had always had his people, so in that
sense, he was never alone, but aside from his extended kin,
Ash had always been a loner. He led the life of a warrior, and
had never wonted for any other life. There was a part of him
that was very much resistant to the idea of prolonging a
protective hand and care over another human life, especially
one as fragile and impressionable as Eala. She would need him,
look to him for direction and advice. She already did. Ash had
never wanted to be that sort of constant in her life, and yet
somehow, it was exactly what he had become. Now that he was
apart of her life, and she his, he felt compelled to make sure
he kept it that way. He had never been good socially, with
human relations and the like - perhaps that was why he
preferred his solitude. He didn't know how to express emotion
without becoming almost territorial. He'd never been presented
the opportunity before to try. Selfish of him maybe to think
he had the right to claim possession over Eala like some piece
of land, but for Ash, it was the only way he knew how to keep
something he thought was 'his.' Damn any soul who would
challenge otherwise. Perhaps that had been why he had been so
intent upon rescuing her from the Romans. Not just because she
was one of his people, but also because he didn't want to lose
her - not to the Romans, not to anybody. She was all he had.

Merlin and Nolan
 
"Are you well this morning, Ash?"

"Ash, how are you? How are your injuries?"


With a stifled groan of discomfort, Ash pressed his free hand
to his achy abdomen and slowly rose from his crouched
position, his other hand encompassing Eala's as he gently
tugged her to her feet with him. With an unconscious sweep of
his fingers to her cherubic cheeks, he wiped away her fallen
tears, and rested a hand on her shoulder then as she looked up
to him. Her black eyes were always so deep with wonder, wonder
of things she didn't know or understand and wanted to. Just
then he caught sight of Merlin - and shortly after Nolan -
approaching. He dropped his palm away from his ribcage and
turned slightly from Eala to offer them a cordial nod in
greeting.

"No worse for the wear, I assure you," Ash answered. "Juna has
treated me well. She is truly gifted in her work."









Kayley

Smith
 
"In a moment...tell me what I have missed first. Merlin
told me of Eala, and Neeria. What of Mona? And what
possesses Guinevere to such sulky silences?"


"Gods willing, not the same thing that possessed Mona to turn
on her own leader," Kayley intoned.

She glanced over her shoulder and swept the area over with her
eyes, but Guinevere was now nowhere to be found. He was not
the only one that surely found Guinevere's behavior lately to
be odd. Kayley frowned in concern, wondering what might have
ailed the warrior princess. Surely she was well - Merlin would
have seen to that if it were otherwise. The old leader seemed
to be speaking privately with Nolan and Ash now, Eala by Ash's
side. Kayley couldn't help but smile to herself to see the two
spending time together. Surely with her brother gone, Eala
welcomed having a friend. As for Ash, well, the company
probably benefited him even more than it did her.

"Mona apparently attacked Guinevere whilst on return from the
mission at the fort, for reasons still unclear. Then, she
endangered Merlin's life just this morning and had to be
disarmed and restrained. After that...well..." She let her
voice trail off, glancing from Smith toward the brush that was
Mona's final resting place regrettably. Of course Merlin
couldn't have allowed her to live after making an attempt on
his life. She had been a liability, a threat, and above all
things else, a traitor, and for that she had paid a heavy
price. "It was just."

Smith
 
"And why is Micah glaring at me so fierce?"


The corners of her mouth quirked, her mood severely uplifted
by Smith's teasing.

"Maybe he thinks you're going to steal me away," Kayley mused,
with a dramatic roll of her eyes. The very idea made her shake
her head dismissively; her gaze momentarily fell on Micah's
back. The way he had sharply turned away had seemed rather
deliberate. She turned on Smith then with a light, playful
slap to his cheek. "Be nice," Kayley chided him.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: golden_trillium
Date: Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:57 pm
Merlin


Nolan
 
"Ash, how are you? How are your injuries?"


Ash
 
"No worse for the wear, I assure you. Juna has treated
me well. She is truly gifted in her work."


"She is, isn't she?" Merlin allowed himself a fond gaze and a
reminiscent smile over in Juna's direction- she was standing
with her back to him, examining someone's bump or scrape, and
as Merlin watched, the sound of her voice giving some
insistent, blunt directions for something came over to them,
the substance of them torn away by distance and the chilly
wind, but the tone remaining, the very essence of Juna's
personality distilled down to the minimum. Yes, she was
gifted- by the Gods, Merlin would venture to say. Sent by the
Gods to him- he was sure of that, at the least.

"Well, Ash..." Merlin turned back to his warrior, businesslike
once again. "Don't overdo it on the way back- there's always
the litter if you need it. Eala- keep an eye on him." Merlin
shifted his gaze to the girl with a paternal smile. He was
proud of her- despite her disability, she had the potential to
be one of his very finest some day.

"Both of you did well. The Gods acted through you." Merlin
assured them both of that with a confident nod, then shifted
his attention to his second, who stood by.

"As they will act through you and the others today, I
hope...when you find our fallen." Merlin bowed his head
briefly, letting a silent plea go up to the Gods for that- for
the safe finding and laying to rest of the two warriors they
had lost yesterday.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
golden_trillium

Admin
Author: LadyCastus
Date: Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:32 pm
Malcus Barbattus


Malcus was still massaging his jaw and watching the blond
beauty across the way when she turned slightly and looked over
her shoulder. The captain, as she turned, saw the
softess-looking tendril of her long locks fall against her
cheek. she's ripe for the plucking...or fucking ...Malcus
thought wickedly and chuckled out loud. Yes, it was time to
make his move so he could slip off with her before Arthur and
the rat showed up. He certainly didn't want to see Amadeus as
he still didn't trust himself around the other man. Just as he
was about to take the few short steps toward paradise, the
captain was practically knocked over by a big, over-friendly
stallion.

"What the?" Barbattus said as he turned around. "What is it,
man? Alright, alright!" he laughed.

The horse obviously smelled the oats soaked in apple juice in
the captain's pocket. He'd put them there for Falco's, his own
mount, treat. "Here you go, fella," Malcus said as he reached
in his small purse and gave some to the horse just as Brendyn
grabbed the horse's reins.

"He's a fine animal, Brendyn," the captain said and turned
back around just as Quintus approached.

"Quintus, I'll be leaving for a while. God speed to you
Brendyn, and to you Quintus...and to you too, Titrus," he said
loudly for Titrus to hear, "I'll buy all the ales you can
drink when you return."

With that, Malcus struck his chest at the three of them and
left the stables, making his way over to where Catherine still
sat.

"Lovely morning it is," he said walking around to stand in
front of her, taking her hand in his, "but not nearly as
lovely as you," he said, kissing the soft skin on the back of
her hand.












Neeria

Neeria still looked at Arthur as he gave his orders to Neeve.
Neeria was to be in her care and given an opportunity to
bathe, eat and get clean clothes. Neeve didn't seem to be too
happy about the whole order and needless to say, neither did
the Dark Knight.

Arthur
 
“Neeria, I thank you for your cooperation and I will
accept your word that you will be of no trouble while
you remain within the walls of my fortress, hm?”


Neeria, shifting her weight once again, thought about the
Roman soldier she'd seen with Mikel's knife. She knew she
would kill him, given the opportunity.

"You have my word, Arthur. There is no fight left in me," she
said. It was true, for the most part. Neeria meant no harm to
anyone as long as they left her be to heal herself. But
looking at those gathered around her, she knew that would be
difficult - for them as well as herself.

Lancelot
 
"Arthur, Can you not see through this? She is fooling
us! Just because one is tiny and 'helpless' does not
make one trustworthy - she is a Woad. Do you not
remember what they did to me the last time?" Do you not
remember it was a 'helpless' woman who did this?"


Neeria looked wide-eyed at Lancelot's slightly crooked
fingers. She'd been there the night it happened....how much
pain he had suffered. She had not been a part of that night,
but she had been there, watching. But the woad stayed silent,
not making eye contact with Lancelot and the black storm that
raged on the knight's face, even as he ranted on.

Lancelot
 
"Girl - it's Commander, by the way. You may have him blinded, but I am not so easily swayed. I saw the knife in your hand; I saw you leap onto his horse, and I saw you try to murder my ala commander and my friend, just as easily as I see the blue paint that still stains your skin. You remember where to find the magician?  Otherwise, I think I'd say take this girl back to her 'family' and let them fucking sort it out. I am making this known, as your second, Artos, that I think this is a very bad idea. But, as always, I will...abide by your decision." "


Neeria moved slightly to the right, standing a little closer
to Arthur so that the commander's large frame blocked her view
of Lancelot. Despite all of her bravery, his anger frightened
her. The dark knight's hand still gripped the hilt of his
sword and Neeria was unarmed with little room in the small
cell to attempt escape. What if he struck out? Would Arthur be
able to stop him? Would he stop him?

Neeve
 
"I...Plus that a Woad walking about the Fort freely in
the currently tensed situation and atmosphere will
definitely become the target of the people’s anger…and I
am no bodyguard…nor am I willing to risk my own life for
someone who has tried to kill you, Arthur…I can only
agree with Lancelot. Woads are not to be trusted…”


Neeria peered around Arthur and stared at Neeve who seemed to
be much taller than she was a few moments ago. The hatred and
anger was clearly streaked on her face, even in the shadows.
Do we (the woads) hate them as much as they hate me? the
thought popped in her head. This was the first time she had
seen the faces of hatred so close up and aimed directly at
her. Neeria felt extremely small next to them all. She wished
Merlin was with her. He would know what to do. She didn't know
what to do, what to say and she was becoming more frightened.
She took a step closer to Arthur again, wanting to hide her
face against his cuirass.

Tristan
 
"You should slit her throat,"


The voice was low and guttural. Animalistic, scratchy, like a
growl. It sent chills down Neeria's spine and she suddenly
realized her teeth were chattering. The small woman peered
around Arthur once again to see who spoke in the voice of a
demon. Neeria cringed when she saw it was the scout. It was
Tristan that appeared to harbor the most hatred toward her.
The icy coldness in his eyes was the most chilling thing
Neeria had ever seen before. He seemed to be in a trance, a
bloody, murderous fantasy in which Neeria was on center stage.
Tristan looked possessed by a dark force. He looked grisly as
shadows from the flickering flames danced on his face, making
the tatoos on his cheeks look eerily demonic. The braids
dangling on either side of his face swung like limp nooses.
Tristan was glaring at her, almost maniacally, when he took a
step forward. Neeria shrieked loudly and without thinking,
pressed her small body against Arthur, grabbing him tightly,
as though she was trying to melt into to him so as not to be
seen. But she was only seeking protection from the scout who
seemed to have gone mad.









Nolan

Ash
 
"No worse for the wear, I assure you. Juna has treated
me well. She is truly gifted in her work."


"Good," Nolan said and nodded, pleased that the young warrior
was well. Ash was strong and determined, a good man to have on
their side.

Merlin
 
"She is, isn't she?"


Nolan noticed the softness that crossed over his master's face
when he spoke of Juna. He was glad that Merlin at found at
least a little piece of happiness.

Merlin
 
"Well, Ash...Don't overdo it on the way back- there's
always the litter if you need it. Eala- keep an eye on
him. Both of you did well. The Gods acted through you.
As they will act through you and the others today, I
hope...when you find our fallen."


"Merlin," Nolan said, holding down his head, "I do not deserve
your blessings. I have failed you, my leader. Mona got next to
you without me seeing or hearing her. If she had harmed you,
it would have been my fault. I should have killed her long
ago. The gods were surely with you that you awakened in time.
She should have never gotten that close." Nolan snorted up
contents from the back of his throat and spat them violently
on the ground.

"May she burn in the hottest fires of hell," he said angrily.
Then he turned his brown eyes back to Merlin, "I will make it
up to you with whatever sacrifice you wish," he said and
waited for his due punishment.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Create your own social network with a free forum.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Vincit Omnia Veritas · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Christmas Theme made by Pandorasaurus of Zathyus Network Resources and Graphic Force.