Free

Chapter 1;

The three women were huddled together in the dungeon. One was Guinevere, the small dark red haired one is Morgan and the raven haired woman is Rowan.
“Are you ready to covert to the one god?” the crazed priest questioned.
All three women shook their heads. The priest scowled and opened the cage, he grabbed the black haired woman and dragged her to a wall that had chains attached to it. The other priests came over and helped the other one chain her to the wall. The priest that had dragged her out of the cage turned to a fire and pulled a long metal rod out of it. The woman’s eyes were locked on the rod as it came close to the tattoo on her thigh. A crash made the priest turn.
-
Tristan walked into the dark place. He heard chanting among other noises.
“Who are these defilers of the lords temple?” a priest asked.
Tristan pushed him out of the way and glanced around.
“The work of your God. Is this how he answers your prayers?” Lancelot questioned heatedly.
Arthur looked at him and then looked away. “See if there’s still any alive.”
The Knights spread out, Arthur opened the cage of one cell, Dagonet opened a cell and recoiled from the horrid smell.
One of the priests grabbed Lancelot saying, “How dare you set foot in this holy place!”
Lancelot stabbed the priest in the stomach.
“There was a man of God.” one of the other priests stated.
“Not my God!” Lancelot shouted, angrily.
Dagonet opened a cage. “This one’s dead.”
“By the smell, they are all dead.” Gawain breathed, he then turned to the priests, holding up a finger, pointing at them. “And you. You even move, and you join him.” he then pointed to the dead priest on the ground after he finished.
Arthur looked at a dead withering old man. Dag opened another cell and finds a nine year old blonde haired boy.
“Arthur!” he called, lifting the boy out of the cell. “You must not fear me.”
Gawain and Tristan were searching for other survivors, when they reached a wall, Gawain looked at the woman hanging off the wall in horror.
“Is she alive?” he asked Tristan.
Tristan shrugged and walked over to the body.
-
Rowan was staring at the man as he came closer, she moved but hissed in pain. The man quickly got the keys off the priest and unlocked the chains. He caught her as she fell and started to carry her up the stairs as two of the other men carried Morgan and Guinevere up behind them.
-
Fulcinia ran over to Arthur and Guinevere, she handed him a water skin before moving to Lancelot and Morgan.
Morgan grinned up at Fulcinia.
“Hello Nia.” Morgan coughed out using Fulcinia’s nickname.
Fulcinia smiled warmly at the twenty year old. “You’re safe now.”
She handed Lancelot another water skin. She stood and slowly walked over to Rowan and Tristan, she knew Rowan and that she would become afraid if approached to quickly.
“Here.” Fulcinia handed Tristan the last water skin and walked back over to Arthur and Guinevere.
-
Morgan looked up at the man, who was supporting her.
“What’s your name?” she questioned. “Who are you?”
Lancelot raised an eyebrow but decided to answer. “I’m Lancelot, a Knight from Hadrian’s wall.”
“Oh, well that’s interesting.” she mused, getting raised eyebrows from Bors, Galahad and Gawain.
-
“She’s a woad.” Tristan stated, looking towards Arthur then Guinevere.
“What about the red haired one?” Lancelot asked.
“I happen to be Irish and damn well proud of it.” Morgan answered the question, glaring up at Lancelot.
-
“I’m a Roman officer. You’re safe now.” Arthur soothed Guinevere, who was fingering his cloak. “You’re safe.“
“Stop what you are doing!” Marius Honorius bellowed, stalking over.
“What is this madness?” Arthur questioned.
“They are all Pagans here!” Marius shouted furiously.
“So are we.” Galahad spat.
“They refuse to do the task God has set for them! They must die as an example.” Marius argued.
Guinevere huddled further into Fulcinia’s gentle embrace.
“You mean they refused to be your serfs!” Arthur shouted back angrily.
“You are a Roman. You understand. And you are a Christian!” Marius was shocked that a fellow Roman didn’t understand the will of God. He looked at Fulcinia who was comforting Guinevere. “You! You kept them alive!” he screamed, slapping her.
Arthur stood and punched Marius, knocking him to the ground. He grabbed Excalibur and pointed it at Marius’ neck as the mercenaries start coming to Marius’ rescue.
“No, no! Stop!” Marius looked back at Arthur. “When we get to the Wall, you will be punished for this heresy.”
Arthur grabbed Marius by the front of his robes. “Perhaps I should kill you now and seal my fate.”
“I was willing to die with them. Yes, to lead them to their rightful place. It is God’s wish that these sinners be sacrificed. Only then can their souls be saved.” one of the mental priest stated.
“The only way you could save my soul is for you to go fuck Marius and then throw yourself off a cliff.” Morgan stated, causing Bors, Galahad, Gawain and Lancelot to chuckle quietly.
“Then I shall grant His wish.” Arthur ordered, then turned to the Knights. “Wall them back up.”
“Arthur.” Tristan said, looking up from what he was doing.
“I said, wall them up.” Arthur shouted this time.
“Yah!” Bors urged his horse towards the priests.
“Don’t you see it is the will of God these sinners be sacrificed!” the mental priest half-sobbed.
The serfs started to push the priests into the dungeon and wall them up.
“These sinners! These sinners!”
Guinevere looked up and then passed out.
-
While all this was happening Tristan was trying to get Rowan to speak.
“What’s your name?” he asked Rowan.
She looked up at him for a moment before turning her head away to look at the snow covered mountains. Tristan looked at Gawain, Gawain shrugged and let out a gruff chuckle.
“Would you answer the question?”
Rowan looked at him then to Morgan.
“She doesn’t talk a lot. Her name is Rowan.” Morgan called.
“Where is she from?” he questioned Morgan as he and Lancelot picked them up.
“Don’t know, wait. I think somewhere like Sarmatia or Greece or both.” she replied.
“Oh.”
Morgan watched as Rowan carefully laid her head on Tristan’s chest, this action got a raised eyebrow aimed in her direction. Rowan closed her eyes and ignored Morgan as Tristan gently set her in the caravan.
-
Tristan, Arthur and Lancelot climbed into the silent caravan.
“Hello.” an overly chipper voice made Lancelot turn to Morgan.
“Hello Lady Morgan.” Arthur greeted.
“Don’t call me Lady.” she paused. “Do I seem like a lady to you?”
Lancelot shook his head and grabbed Morgan’s odd looking hand carefully.
“I have to put your fingers back in place.”
“You hurt me, I will sick Rowan on you.” Morgan seethed and cursed when he put her fingers back in place.
Guinevere was letting Arthur unwrap her bandaged hand.
“Some of your fingers are out of place. I have to push them back . If I don’t do this, there’s a chance you may never use them again.” he stated slowly.
Guinevere pants when he cracks the first few but then screams in pain.
“He tortured us. With machines. He made us tell him things we didn’t know to begin with. I’m Guinevere. You’re Arthur, of the knights from the great Wall.“
“I am.” Arthur answered sternly.
“Famous Briton who kills his own people.” After say that, Guinevere fell back into exhaustion.
Tristan carefully knelt next to Rowan, who was staring vacantly out at the mountains.
Fulcinia tapped Tristan’s shoulder and handed him some healing supplies.
Tristan nodded his thanks.
“Rowan.” he paused when she look at him for a moment before looking back at the mountains. “I need to know where you are hurt?” he sighed when he got no answer. “I’m just trying to help.” this statement made Rowan look back to him again.
“Rowan he is only trying to help.” Fulcinia soothed.
Rowan looked at her then at Tristan, aware of all the eyes watching her from inside the caravan and outside of it. She slowly sat up and turned her back to Fulcinia and Tristan.
“On your back?” Fulcinia whispered.
Rowan nodded and felt someone cut the back of the rags she was wearing open. Fulcinia gasped at the mess on Rowan’s back, bruises and cuts along with what looked like a dislocated shoulder. Tristan looked at Dagonet.
“Tristan you hold her, I’ll push it back in place.” Dag ordered.
Tristan moved so Rowan’s body was facing Tristan.
“May I?” he questioned.
Rowan nodded and let Tristan pull her to him and rest her head on his shoulder and wrapped his right arm around her waist, he noticed how tense she was in this position.
“Rowan. I’m going to count to three and push your shoulder back in place, okay.” Dag stated softly.
Rowan nodded in understanding.
“One…Two…Three.” Dag pushed Rowan’s shoulder back into place.
When Dag had done this, Rowan had buried her head into Tristan’s neck. Fulcinia was stoking Rowan’s hair to sooth her. Tristan gently held Rowan.
“Someone has to clean her back.” Fulcinia said. “When we stop, I would like to get them to have baths, so just clean it and bandage it.”
“I’ll do it.” Tristan volunteered.
“Okay.”
Everyone except Tristan and Fulcinia left.
Rowan had been watching the mountains again, when Tristan moved her so she was lying on her stomach, she turned her head to the side to keep glazing at the mountains. Tristan looked at her back, carefully he cleaned the untouched skin then moved to the cuts and bruises.
“I need you to sit up for me.”
Rowan sat up and turned her back to him. He moved so he was facing her side.
“I need you to remove your top.” he said.
Rowan looked at him then Fulcinia before shaking her head. Fulcinia left the boy Lucan and walked over.
“Rowan would you like me to do it?”
Rowan nodded her head. Fulcinia motioned for Tristan to turn around and set to working wrapping bandages around Rowan’s torso. Ten minutes later and Fulcinia finished the last bandage.
“Sir Tristan could you get Rowan a spare shirt please?” she asked.
Tristan nodded went to the entrance of the caravan, he jumped out and went to his saddlebag, grabbing a shirt, he walked back to the caravan and got back in. Fulcinia glanced up and smiled. Rowan was once again staring at the mountains but clad in a fur.
“Rowan.” she gazed at him for a moment then went to looking back at the mountains.
“Rowan he has a shirt for you to put on.” Fulcinia stated.
Rowan looked at Tristan again then at Fulcinia. Fulcinia stood and came over to help Rowan into the over-sized shirt, Tristan this time turned around without being told to. When the shirt was on Fulcinia went over back over to Lucan. Rowan looked at Tristan when he sat next to her, she then bowed her head before looking back to the mountains. Fulcinia smiled. “It’s her way of thanking you.”
Tristan nodded and placed some food at Rowan’s feet before getting up and walking out. Rowan carefully picked up the food and slowly started to eat it, while looking at the mountains.
“Rowan are you hurt anywhere else?” Morgan enquired.
Rowan shook her head, not looking away from the mountains. Fulcinia smiled when she noticed Rowan eating something. She still remembers when Rowan would give her food to Guinevere and Morgan.
Morgan looked at Rowan and shook her head. She knew parts of Rowan’s life but not a lot, in fact no one knew to much about her but that she had no desire to live. Rowan stared at the snow covered mountains with one thought in her head, Why are they so treating me so nicely?…