The Silver Lining

When morning came, Sophia was woken up by Gawain and a somewhat hungover Galahad. They led her to the kitchen where most of them were already eating. Galahad groaned as Bors yelled across the room at Vanora who just told him to sit down and be quiet. Two long tables were occupied by both the knights and what was clearly Bors and Vanora's children. All together they were quite noisy and Sophia found the only spot available was beside two of the more older girls. By the look of them they were twins, both had thick blond hair and rose coloured cheeks. Looking at the red headed woman, Sophia gathered that the blond hair came from Bors who was busy playing with a small dark haired boy.

She was surprised with how much the men ate and wondered how Vanora managed to cook it all for them. While eating, she overheard Lancelot saying that they had been called out and had to leave before noon.

Once the knights had left to obviously get ready, Sophia managed to locate Arthur's room and knocked on the door. "What is it?" She opened the door and stuck her head in. "Sophia? Can I help you?"

"I overheard Lancelot saying you had been called out. I was just-"

"You are not coming with us," he interrupted her.

Sophia frowned and stepped in, shutting the door. "Why not? I am capable enough of fighting."

"I do not need to be worrying about whether you are safe or not, especially when you try and inject yourself into every situation," he told her as he fixed his armour on.

She glared at him and folded her arms across her chest. "I do not inject myself into every situation but it is my job to help those who need it no matter where I am," she stated bluntly.

Arthur still shook his head as he passed by her and opened the door. She followed him out into the hallway. "My mind is made up, Sophia. End of discussion." Sophia smirked, knowing exactly what she was going to say back to him. Words were most definitely a strong point for Sophia when it came to needing them.

"Well I'm not staying and there is really nothing you can say against me leaving on my own, if I just happen to be heading in the same direction as you well that is just a mere coincidence," she told him, stepping into the stables before him and turning to face him, causing Arthur to stop and look down at the dark-haired spit fire who reminded him more of a fiery colt than anything else. They didn't say a word to one another until Arthur finally sighed heavily, relenting.

"Ask Jols to find you a horse," he mumbled watching her smile and turn, heading for where Jols stood talking with Lancelot. Arthur did find it amusing to watch Sophia just step right in between the two men and cut Lancelot off who didn't look all to happy that she had done so.

"Jols, Arthur ask if you could find me a horse," she said to the man who grinned and nodded at her, moving to a stall.

"Why do you need a horse?" Lancelot inquired. Sophia turned round to face him and said she was coming with them. "Arthur would never agree to let you come with us."

She grimaced at the man in annoyance. "Well- he just did," she remarked and he pulled a face at her.

Lancelot looked over at Arthur as Sophia moved to where Jols was saddling a white gelding. "Do I even want to know?" he asked his friend. Arthur merely shook his head.
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Sophia found that riding to the knights meant hard and fast. Knowing she probably was not on Arthur's good side at the moment she refrained from voicing her pain at having to ride the horse for so long without getting off every so often. It wasn't easy, in fact it was downright hard to keep up with them. Sophia noted that none of them actually sounded lively at all as they rode out. Anyone who actually wanted a life such as what they had would be deemed crazy to Sophia.

When they finally did rest, Sophia slid from the saddle and had to hold onto it for a moment while she tried to loosen her legs. "You really do not ride much?" Glancing up over the back of the horse at Agravaine she shook her head.

"I haven't since I was about twelve," she told him as he tilted his head to the side and she looked down as she jumped a few times, smiling as her leg muscles finally relaxed.

"Well we won't be resting long so try and stay on your feet," he stated.

"Much easier said than done," she retorted and heard him chuckle.

Sophia watched him follow Tristan out of the clearing that they had found and stopped in before glancing at the others. Gawain and Galahad were sitting on the ground beside one another and looked to be still suffering some of the affects of their drinking from last night. Bors, Dagonet and Arthur were all talking and it was then that she felt the person come up behind her.

"Not use to riding?" Lancelot asked her. She turned and nodded. He smirked. "Maybe you just need some practice."

Sophia watched him walk off, somewhat confused before she realized what he meant and gasped, spinning round to glower at the now laughing knight. Walking over to him, she slapped him across the back of his head. "Learn some manners," she snapped.

From the smirks and snickers from Galahad and Gawain, they found it highly entertaining to watch her go off at him. He turned and pushed her backwards. "Grow a sense of humor," he shot back.

Sophia outraged that he had actually pushed her, shoved him back, knocking him to the ground. "Well I find the sight of you on your back more than amusing so my humor is in good standings," she quipped which made him stop from trying to get up. "Every time you make a reference to me and your bed, I'll do more than hit you across the head, which by the way, you have been in need of for quite some time now."

Silence followed her words before the rest of the group started to laugh, even Arthur did. He felt sorry for his friend but he did have to admit that Sophia made a valid point.
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When Tristan and Agravaine returned, Sophia noticed the blood that was on both of the knights clothing. Swallowing the thick lump that suddenly formed in her throat she climbed into the saddle and followed Gawain as they left the clearing.

It took nearly the entire day to get to the village that had sent the letter to Arthur who had explained it all to the knights during their second rest even reading out the very short letter to them. The villagers seemed relieved to see the knights when they entered the village near nightfall. A man greeted Arthur as people took the horses. Sophia stuck in close to Galahad and Gawain as she tried to hear what Arthur and the man were talking about.

After a few moments, Arthur shook hands with the man and turned to the knights and Sophia who were all just watching him patiently waiting for him to speak. "No drink, no rest, we are on full alert tonight," he told them.

"What are we on alert for?" Sophia asked before anyone else had the chance to. Agravaine grinned from where he stood leaning against the wall of the tavern and inn. She was quick to the draw.

Arthur looked at her and then to the villager beside him. "A wolf."

Sophia just gave him a funny look, actually all of them did. The villager spoke up suddenly. "Not a wolf actually. It merely looks like a wolf but it is five times its size and walks on its hind legs."

Her eyes widened in shock.

They were here and she had walked straight into a village that could be massacred if everyone wasn't careful. "How many people have gone missing?" she inquired.

"The letter made no mention of people going missing Sophia, I only just learned of that fact, how did you know of it?" Arthur questioned her, frowning. Most of the attention fell on her and Sophia looked at the ground and then up at the night sky, fighting back crying.

"The things that are taking people, attacking them... are my brother and sister," she said. Or at least she thought that from the way they were describing the things. "I think."

She hoped to God that there was not more of them. Two were trouble enough.

"Your siblings? But these things are large wolves and you are human," Arthur pointed out.

Sophia rolled her eyes and moved away from behind Galahad and Gawain and towards the villager beside Arthur. "Is one of them covered in black fur?" He shook his head and Sophia frowned. Zach was a black werewolf and Clara had very dark gray fur. "What about dark gray?" Again he shook his head and Sophia chewed on her thumbnail for a moment in thought.

"They are very light in color. A farmer saw three of them running across his field only three nights ago," he remarked and she snapped her gaze up to his.

"Three? There are three of them?" she inquired, resisting the urge to shudder and run. She'd done enough running. He nodded.

"Would you mind explaining how it is you know what is going on here?" Arthur asked of her, grabbing her arm suddenly and making her look at him just as a loud howl broke through the air.

Panic seized most of the village who all ran into their homes or for the tavern. Sophia just asked Arthur to trust her and that she'd answer questions later. Agravaine asked what they were going to do. "We need to hide," she said before Arthur could. The man lead them into the tavern and Sophia noticed the windows had been boarded up during the panic.

People were huddled in corners and behind the bar as the knights all watched Sophia peer out through a small gap in the boards up on the windows. "Put out the lights," she said quietly. Arthur came up behind her as the knights all found ways to see out into the street. "You know those creatures that you only think exist in your worst nightmares?" He nodded as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's what they are. Werewolves. How three of them are here is beyond my knowledge though."

"Werewolves?" the village leader inquired. Sophia looked round at him and saw his eyes wide in terror. She slowly nodded. "Have you killed these things before?"

Sophia regrettably could not lie to him about something like this. "No, when I had my opportunity I ran, there are some things that a little sister can not do as easily as a stranger can," she told him and Arthur raised an eyebrow at her. Another howl ripped through the air and the people all started to make a noise until the knights all quietened them done.

Looking back out through the gap, Sophia resisted the urge to run from the window when she saw the large silver beast stop out in the street and look round. She knew that the sight of the thing had even the knights terrified. What it did next though would definitely have made things ten times worse. It shifted, shedding its fur and dropping to the ground. A half naked man hunched over on his knees was left there. A woman from one of the homes rushed out suddenly and Sophia gathered she had a tie to the man as she tried to pull him to his feet. Before anyone had the chance to stop it from happening the man had pounced like a tiger waiting for the opportune moment and shifted as he did, his large and sharp teeth sinking into the woman's neck drawing a blood curdling scream from the woman.

Despite knowing it was a stupid idea, Sophia moved quicker than even Arthur anticipated and ripped open the door of the tavern.

No one at first moved, not realizing what was going on.

Agravaine suddenly chased after her as Tristan ran up the stairs two at time, but as he got into the street he was knocked down before he could grab her.

He leaned his head back, spying the second large beast and quickly got to his feet, drawing his sword as it crouched down low and snarled at him. Agravaine smirked at the beast and slowly leaned down to pull a dagger from his boot. It seemed to take the chance and lunged for him.

He dropped to the ground and sliced upwards, getting the thing across the stomach. An arrow pierced its right back leg and Agravaine was grateful for Tristan's aim even in the dark. The others weren't going to come out here, the tavern door had been shut behind him, no doubt by Arthur who was protecting the people inside it more than he was cowering.

Sophia cried out suddenly and Agravaine's attention diverted to her. She was on her stomach with the first beast pinning her to the ground. The woman who had been attacked was laying not too far from where they were and unmoving.

Getting to his knees, Agravaine threw the dagger he had hold of and managed to get the first creature in the neck. He was left stunned as the large beast suddenly dropped away again and changed into a man. Sophia managed to fight her way free of him but Agravaine hadn't noticed the second wolf recover from Tristan's arrows and was suddenly shoved to the ground, claws digging into his skin as it rolled and threw him at least ten feet away. Groaning as he hit the earth hard, Agravaine felt hands on him and found Galahad pulling him to his feet, or attempting to.

They heard a cry of pain and found Sophia had broken the man's arm when trying to pin it behind his back, restraining him.

Looking at the second one, Agravaine made to charge it only Galahad held him back and it turned and ran off.

"Help!" Sophia called out, trying to keep the man on the ground which seemed to be difficult considering the size difference between herself and him.

They got to her and Galahad managed to take over as Agravaine retrieved his dagger from the man's neck none to carefully either. He was still alive which confused Agravaine as he watched the wound nearly close up as if healed up magic. Sophia ran for the tavern as Arthur opened the doors and she disappeared inside. Returning and with the occupants following her, Sophia shackled the man's hands behind his back.

Seeing the village leader raising a sword, ready to kill the man Sophia quickly pushed him away. "You are defending this- this- thing?"

"No but we need him alive or as close to alive as I can keep him," she retorted.

Arthur told Dagonet and Bors to take him and lock him in the jail. Sophia watched them go and noticed the large number of faces now directed at her. Agravaine stood beside her and she looked up at him before noticing how he was holding his side. Arthur noticed this too and asked for rooms and quickly.

She knew she had a lot of explaining to do.