The Silver Lining

Chapter XIV

Come morning, the knights were all awake and ready to leave just after sunrise. Sophia had been the first to wake up and had put Lancelot's cloak down near him earlier while they were all still sleeping. She had pulled her coat on and was sitting on a log waiting for the others to wake up with the little fox curled up in her lap as she stroked its back gently. While her forearm stung a little, she was glad that the damage had not been greater.

When Arthur asked her how she was, she just said fine. Getting onto her horse, Sophia tucked her new little companion into the saddle bag on the back, making use of the empty thing. They didn't travel as fast in the first half of the day and when they found a place off the track to rest, Sophia questioned Arthur on what they were going to do.

"We are going to free those who were caught," he answered.

She gave him a rueful look. "Yes, I gathered that we were but what I mean is how."

Agravaine grinned from where he sat beside her, again playing tug of war with the baby fox, distracting it from eating the bandage round its paw. She seemed to be a little more like herself today and he glanced up at Arthur as he stood up and headed for his horse. No one else moved, even when he ordered them to. They wanted to know what Arthur was planning for them to do as well. Looking at his knights, he saw Lancelot standing behind most of them, his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his face. "She raises a good question, as painful as it is to admit that," he commented and Arthur saw Sophia roll her eyes in return.

"I plan to have Tristan and Agravaine, under darkness knock out two of them on watch, Galahad and Gawain will then use their uniforms and walk into camp with a prisoner," Arthur explained.

Sophia thought the plan was ingenious until...

"And you, Sophia will be that prisoner."

"What?" she squealed, standing up and knocking Agravaine backwards off the log when she threw her hands around. Arthur just glanced at Lancelot and smirked, making him laugh as Sophia stood there like a fish out of water for a moment before she huffed and turned round to help Agravaine who was grumbling under his breath as he picked himself up and brushed off the dirt. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Don't apologize," he said as he headed for his horse and Sophia followed him as hers was close by his. "Arthur is using you because you're a woman."

"I still don't see why it has to be me, can't we put Lancelot in a dress?" she inquired, her voice getting louder as Lancelot and Bors rode past. Bors started roaring with laughter as Lancelot glared at her and Agravaine chuckled, shaking his head.

"If he had the legs and shaved off his beard then it would probably work," Tristan commented teasingly as he came up beside them on his horse. "If they were all very drunk." Sophia bit her lip, giggling as Lancelot threatened Tristan's bird for that remark. "Warn all you like for I know you wouldn't lay a hand on my bird for fear of me castrating you."

Lancelot went quiet at that and Galahad said he'd lost count of the score but currently Sophia was in the lead for points, which got a large smile from her and a scowl from Lancelot.
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They got to their destination just near twilight and Sophia listened had just gaped at Arthur in astonishment when he'd told her that one of the scouts would find a dress when they went to find the guards to knock out. "A dress? Arthur, where do you expect me to change into said dress?" she inquired.

Lancelot gave her a once over as she planted her hands on her hips and waited for Arthur to answer her. He waved a hand at the trees and she frowned. "I am not stripping off in the middle of the woods, anyone could see me," she said, actually embarrassed at the idea of doing such a thing. She noticed Lancelot quirk an eyebrow at her and she looked away from him, not exactly feeling as though she had the greater hand at the moment.

"You almost sound like a virgin," Lancelot remarked before noticing her go red in the cheeks and look at the ground. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Well... if I do that would be because I am one you oaf," she snapped back at him. Not many of the knights knew what to say in response to that statement. Bors cleared his throat and Sophia just turned and walked off. Arthur looked at Lancelot who just raised an eyebrow back in return.

"What'd I do this time?" he asked.

"You don't need to do much," Gawain retorted dryly. Galahad said he'd go and bring her back, moving before Tristan or Agravaine had a chance to.

They made to protest only Arthur told them to start heading for the raiders camp to retrieve the two uniforms they needed.
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Sophia was leaning against a tree, not too far from their hiding place, her hands covering her face as she tried so desperately to get over her embarrassment over what she had just admitted to a group of men who had been treating her nearly like one of them and knew she was never going to hear the end of it from Lancelot. "Me and my big mouth," she muttered.

"Ah don't worry about any of us caring about that." She jumped and looked up at Galahad who smiled a little at her. "Lancelot might give you a bit of hell, but he does it for attention more than anything else and it really doesn't matter Sophia if you are," he said.

She sighed heavily. "Its just embarrassing to admit it to a group of knights who have probably made more women blush by just their suggestions of things," she remarked.

He chuckled a little and spoke: "Well, I didn't start sleeping with women until I was nineteen and it doesn't matter if you are one, it is not that big of a deal to us."

"If this is you trying to cheer me up-"

"It is not working?" he asked and hung his head. "Sorry, I am trying."

She smiled and stepped toward him. "I know and I appreciate Galahad but I can already tell that my time is far more different than this one and it is going to take some getting use to."

"Don't turn into some real princess who believes in a dashing prince, a big castle and happily ever after," he interrupted, pointing a finger at her. "Before tomorrow morning I can safely say most of us will have forgotten what you said."

She giggled a little. "Yes because my life is some fairytale story Galahad that I truly think those things exist, in any time," she replied sarcastically and he grinned, stepping forward and hugging her. Sophia returned the hug, glad that she had Galahad who was not much older than her to talk to at time like this.
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They headed back to the others and found Agravaine was already back and was stripping off the unconscious man. "Couldn't I just kill him?" he inquired, not noticing Sophia behind him.

Arthur gave him a hard look and Agravaine heard the footsteps, glancing over his shoulder and up at the young woman who was just watching with a raised eyebrow Agravaine swallowed the lump in his throat and turned back, finishing stripping the man of his armor and clothing. He nearly woke up half way through only Agravaine punched him and a few of the others chuckled at Agravaine's rough nature.

Gawain was switching his armor when Agravaine stood up and turned to face Sophia holding up a dress. She pulled a face at it and saw him grin back at her. "It was the only one I could find within reach," he remarked.

"I am still not liking this," she commented, taking the dress from him.

She was just out of sight when Arthur told Agravaine to follow her and make sure that she didn't get lost or take too long. A bit embarrassed Sophia stayed ahead of Agravaine until she found enough of a closed off place that she'd be able to get changed. "Keep your back turned."

He held his hands up to her and turned round, arms folded over his chest as he listened to her begin cursing under her breath. "Is killing easy for you?" He raised an eyebrow at her and asked her what she meant. "Well you wanted to kill that man like it was just as regular as taking a bath."

"I'm a knight- I kill because I have to. Over the years of being closed off, I just found it was a way to find release," he answered. "Or I think, its not a thing I have been questioned about and as such have never needed to have an answer." He heard more rustling and cursing, making him grin lightly. "Do you require help, Sophia?"

She said he could turn round and as he did, he found her back to him. He stopped. Pale skin stood out vividly against the deep brown of the dress but it was the sight of the gorgeous smooth skin that he knew would feel so nice to run his fingers over that made him freeze. Her back held no scars like his own did. It just made him feel uncomfortable as she asked him to lace it up. He stepped forward, his fingers clenching into fists a few times as he brought his fingers up to the laces. He did them up as quickly as he could, making sure it was fastened so it wouldn't fall off her.
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When they returned, Sophia felt uncomfortable but found that Agravaine wasn't going to be staying with the others and left quickly. "Where is he going?" she asked Galahad who was changed and fiddling with the fur coat he was wearing. He shrugged and just asked her if she was ready. They had decided at last minute to switch round what they were going to do when out of earshot of Arthur, not wanting to really go against his orders but knowing that catching a woman round here would be slim to none and so they agreed Galahad would head in and just take up a position near where the prisoners were and Gawain and Sophia were to do whatever was necessary to look like they belonged in the camp while trying to find the man who had the keys.

"You up for this?" Sophia looked at Gawain and he could see plainly that she wasn't and he smiled at her, reaching forward and ruffling her hair suddenly and fiddling with her dress. "Now you look right."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

He smirked and grabbed her round the waist roughly. "We need to blend in, what other reason would a man and woman leave the camp for?" he answered matter of fact and she blushed heavily, making him grin widely in return. "You needed to look like you'd just rolled around in the leaves with me."

"I did not need that image imprinted into my mind," she told him as they walked.

He laughed. "I happen to think that'd be a quiet enjoyable experience. So long as I knew that no one was going to stumble across the scene and the woman was extremely worthwhile."

Sophia giggled, shaking her head just as they came into the camp and it was clear that they blended in well. The camp members were either drunk or sleeping, women lay with them here and there and she found it uncomfortable when Gawain put his hands on her like she was his property. It wasn't like she didn't trust Gawain or find him nice to look at it was just that he was a friend and very hands on as it were. He gripped her tightly by the waist and held her in close to him, pretending to be half drunk and barely able to stand on two legs. He played on it very well actually.

"Now how did I not notice this rare beauty?" Both of them stopped and Sophia helped Gawain turn and they found a large man standing behind them. Gawain chuckled and just slurred out something to do with him enjoying the fact only he had her eye. Sophia wished she could smile wide but she preferred to just keep her head down that was until she heard a familiar voice.

"Such a beautiful creature would have a strong spirit, be hard to break her." Agravaine smirked as he appeared from behind the larger man, who laughed out loud at his words. "I'll take her off your hands."

He held a hand out to Sophia and nodded a little at her, giving her a look that told her to come with him. She shook her head. "I think she is frightened of your appearance."

"Frightened or not, she is coming with me," he ordered stepping forward and grabbing her arm, pulling her towards him roughly and away from the others. When he pushed her into a tent, Sophia turned to look at him as he stepped inside and pulled the helmet off and threw it to the ground. "Always hated those things." She smiled a little, putting her hands on her hips only to back up when he stepped in closer to her.

"What?" she asked.

"I know who has the key," he said quietly in case of ears listening in on them and Sophia jumped when she ran back into a crate due to him stepping closer to her.

"So did you get it?" He shook his head and she bit her lip as he pressed himself in against her body, making her blush heavily. "Why not?"

"I needed you in order to get it," he explained as he leaned his head down close to her ear and wrapped his arms around her, making it look to any one who might peek in as though they were kissing.

Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck as he spoke:"This was the only way I could gain you without causing a mock fight with Gawain. This was much easier and less risky." This was not as awkward position as she thought feeling his breath of the side of her neck.