Hello, I am currently writting a fanfic of FSN. My first fanfic/story ever. I was inspired by TypeMoonFreak and others to start writting my own. English is not my native language, so don't be to surprised by seeing strange words/frases. It will not be long now before I'll start posting my story (chapters I have already written that is) in full soon on fanfiction.net. By suggestion of Frostyvale I will be posting some chapters here on beast's lair for review. So please leave comments/ send PM of what was good/not good and suggestions for improvements.
Here are my first chapters of the story. I hope you guys like it.
Update 31/03/2015: Finally managed to find a good beta reader. I have subsequently corrected and improved my chapters and reposted them. Please have a look.
23/04/2015: Hey, Just wanted to let you know that I will be starting to post new chapters on this forum. I will also be posting this story on fanfiction.net from now on.
Prologue
Fate/stay Night: Across Time
Prologue
10 years ago
The 4th Holy Grail War had ended and Fuyuki city was slowly recovering from the destruction caused by the inferno 2 months ago.
The Holy Grail was destroyed at the end of the 4th Holy Grail War. The Einzbern Master, a Magus named Emiya Kiritsugu, won the war and obtained the Grail. However, he had for some reason chosen chosen to destroy it. The result was the huge inferno that destroyed a large area of Fuyuki city. The master went missing in the aftermath and the Association and the church rushed in to cover up any loose ends. That is when they discovered the anomalies.
In a small alley near Mount Miyama, the shopping district, stood two men observing something what seemed to be a black fog with silver streaks running through it.
“That is the fifth one in two months. This is starting to get on my nerves! These things just keep appearing.” The first man grumbled.
“Just be quiet or do you want to attract unwanted attention? Help me set up the boundary field before someone sees it instead of complaining.” The other replied calmly.
These two men were not ordinary humans, but magi from the Magus Association. Not long after the destruction of the Grail, these strange anomalies started to appear throughout the city. Fortunately, because the Magus Association and the Holy Church were present during the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe, they were able to discover these fogs early on and keep them hidden from normal humans.
They soon started an investigation to discover what they were and although they had no proof for it, both parties knew that the destruction of the Holy Grail was somehow the cause of the appearance of these anomalies. It was the only possible explanation but as to why this was happening was currently a total mystery.
The two magi started their work on the boundary field. This field's purpose is to both conceal the anomaly and to prevent normal people from coming into contact with them. Any person approaching it will automatically go around it, or find another route entirely.
“Do we know what these things are, yet?” Asked the first Magus.
All they knew for now was that these things appear at random throughout the city and it's surrounding area. That there were no more then three at a time and that they exist from any where between three to eight days.
“Not yet. There is a separate team currently conducting an in dept investigation. Our task is to keep these things hidden.”
“These things are luckily not difficult to find if we are close enough, but it's tiring to keep patrolling the city. They are all so goddamn random. Do you remember that one fog in the sewers? That was truly a revolting experience!” He shuddered at the mere thought of it.
“Apparently not all of them are random. They found a fourth one underneath Mount Enzou. This one appears to have 'latched' on to the leyline, or something like that, and is bit more stable.”
Underneath Mount Enzou, in Ten no Sakazuki, the investigation team, consisting of both members of the Holy Church and the Magus Association, were feverishly studying the strange anomaly which wasn't easy, considering the relation between the Church and the association.
“Do you think this will yield any results?” Asked a magus called Eagle-eye, a muscular, middle aged man. This Magus had a love for eagles and uses them often as familiars. He loves to watch the world from above through their eyes, hence the self-appointed nickname. His favorite eagle, named Himmler, was resting on his shoulder.
“It has to if we are ever to discover what they are,” said one of his colleagues.
“I want to go back outside. Himmler is getting agitated and those priests aren't fun talking to.” complained Eagle-eye. “Charles, is your golem ready yet?”
“Aarg! Yes! This time he is ready.” The Magus, named Charles Greywood, was exceptionally skilled in creating golems. He had suggested to send one of his creations in to the fog to examine it closeup. The idea was unanimously accepted and Charles had just finished preparing a child-sized, copper golem to send into the fog.
“I am sending it into the fog right now.” The group looked on tensely as the golem approached the fog. When the golem came into contact with the fog, they witnessed it being drawn inside the fog, but it returned almost instantaneous much to everyone's surprise. The golem was flung towards them, forcing several members of the group to jump aside.
“What happened? Did the fog do anything to it?”
“No, I don't think it did but look.” Charles pointed at something the golem was holding. The golem stood up and walked up to Charles. It handed him something what seemed to be an oak branch. The golem provided Charles with the knowledge that it was safe to pass through.
Upon this discovery, they decided to send in a small team to investigate the other side: Eagle-eye, Charles' golem and one priest. The priest was in his mid-twenties and rather tall, sporting brown hair and eyes.
The team stepped into the fog. At that moment they were violently sucked inside. When they reached the other side, they were literately thrown out of the fog.
“That was rather rough.” The priest said as he brushed of dirt from his coat. When they examined their surroundings, they found themselves standing in a small clearing within a huge forest. “Where do you think we are?”
“I don't know. But I can feel that this forest is ancient. Places such as these are rare in the present day. I'll use Himmler to scout around which should help us to determine where we are.” The priest nodded in agreement.
Eagle-eye released Himmler. Looking through Himmler's eyes, Eagle-eye saw how huge the forest was. Except for trees, hills, rivers and a few dirt roads, there was pretty much nobody around for miles until he spotted a small village.
Back underneath Mount Enzo the others just witnessed the team being sucked inside the fog but before they could even start to wonder if the team made it safely through, Eagle-eye, the priest and the golem returned. Less than five seconds had passed.
“Back already!?” Charles and the others were stunned by their fast return.
“What do you mean with 'Already'? We spent nearly half a day on the other side!”
“Half a day!? But you returned two, maybe three seconds later.!” Said one of the priests in bewilderment. The others nodding in confirmation.
“A couple of seconds?” The priest and Eagle-eye looked at each other in bewilderment.
“Whatever! We will figure that one out later. Now tell us! What did you find?”
“You are not gonna believe what we saw!” Replied Eagle-eye with a broad grin.
As the investigation continued, they discovered that the anomalies where portals to the past. Using familiars to observe the locals and layout of the land, they were able to discern that this was England during the 5th or 6th century.
Meddling with the past is dangerous. Even if you were to change something, hoping that it would benefit you in the present, there was no guarantee that it would bring about the desired outcome. Even worse, it could cause the exact opposite of what you wanted to achieve. That was one reason why they sought to close these portals as soon as possible. That and the fact that it only led to that one time and place, severely limiting it's potential. So it was agreed upon, by both the Church and the Association, to erect a boundary field to conceal the other side and to ward of anything that could otherwise wander through unintentionally. Two supervisors, one from the church and one from the Association, would be appointed to keep watch over this side of the portal.
Both sides agreed to use the next Holy Grail War to close these portals. Luckily, the Holy Grail was almost completed at the end of the War and they predicted that the next War will take place within 10 years from now. The winner of the next war will probably be forced to give up his or her wish, so they would need to offer an appropriate compensation in return.
The next day, Eagle-eye and the priest were standing in the clearing. They were in charge of overseeing the making of the boundary field and providing security.
“Do we know who will become the supervisor?” Asked Eagle-eye.
“They are still undecided but they will soon reach a decision. By the way where is your eagle?” Replied the priest.
“I'm using him to view more of the land. It is quite beautiful. The grassy plains shine golden in the midday sun. Simply beautiful.”
Another priest came through the portal and walked up to them.
“Kotomine Kirei, would you follow me, please. There is something we want to discuss with you.”
“Looks like my presence is required elsewhere. I'll leave things here in your care then.” Eagle-eye simply nodded and continued to view the landscape through Himmler's eyes.
As he was flying over the grass-planes he spotted a procession. Judging from their appearance they were knights along with their entourage.
Among the procession were an old knight with his son and squire. The time had come for a new king to be chosen and they were heading towards the king's selection. The squire was wondering who would become the new king. Deep in thought the blond haired squire looked up in the sky. It was a beautiful day with clear, blue skies.
Suddenly the squire noticed the bird flying overhead. Was it a hawk. No, it is too big to be a hawk. An eagle? Watching the bird, the squire slowed his horse's pace.
“What are you looking at? Come on! We don't want to be late for the king's selection.” the old knight called out to the squire.
“I am sorry, sir Ector. I was just admiring that eagle.” The squire replied, pointing toward the eagle.
“Yes. A magnificent bird indeed.” He said in admiration. “But there is no time to dawdle. They will not wait for us, so pick up the pace, Altria.”
“Yes, sir.”
- - - Updated - - -
Chapter 1Fate/stay Night: Across time
Chapter 1: A foreign place
It's the night of the fifth of October. In the Shinto district, a young girl clad in red walks toward the Hyatt Hotel with her long black hair waving in the wind. Her name is Tohsaka Rin, Magus and successor to the Tohsaka's magecraft.
“It's all the way up there,” she sighed.
When her mother died, she became the official head of the family and responsible for Fuyuki city. Normally her duties would only consist of keeping an eye on any Magus who was permitted to run a workshop in Fuyuki. And if they broke the rules, she would exact punishment on them.
Luckily, there are no other Magi in the city besides the Matou family. They had immigrated to Japan centuries ago, but they did not manage to adapt to the land and thus their lineage as Magi came to an end. As a result she only had to worry about Magi who were planning on settling within the city.
At least, that is how it should be normally. The city has largely recovered from the disaster ten years ago, even though some scars still remain. However, another problem still remains. The destruction of the Grail had also created portals which connected present day Fuyuki city to 6th century England. The Church and the Association had conducted an in dept investigation of these portals and kept them hidden from public ever since they appeared.
There are no more then four portals at any given time. The biggest one, known simply as the main portal, is located underneath Mount Enzou inside Ten no Sakazuki. This one always appears at the same location. They theorize that it has connected itself to the leyline, and is therefore the largest and most stable.
This side of the main portal is well hidden underneath the mountain and the other side, in 6th century England, has been blocked of by a boundary field. The other three portals are more annoying, tough. They appear at random throughout Fuyuki city and its immediate vicinity. The Association dealt with covering them up until Rin was old enough to do it herself. They gave her a small, red notebook which contains everything they knew about them.
The investigation conducted by the Church and the Association had yielded quite some information about the three smaller portals. Firstly, they are basically side-entrances of the main portal. Secondly, they can appear anywhere and remain active from two minutes up to eight days. And they appear in intervals ranging from seven days up to three months. These are the most important findings pertaining the three smaller portals.
This time, a portal has appeared on the roof of Hyatt hotel. Rin was staring at the black and silver fog.
“Let's get this over with,” she started making the boundary field.
“Just four more months. When the Holy Grail War ends we'll hopefully see the end of these damned portals.”
“Still who would have thought that such a thing would occur? Even with that much power, this is nothing short of a fluke. -Sigh-” Tohsaka finished the barrier. “Using the Grail to close these things. What a hassle. Then again, the Church and the association would owe an incredible debt to whoever won the War.”
At any rate, they have been lucky these past ten years as the portals remained undiscovered on both sides.
************
It was six in the morning when Emiya Shirou woke up inside the shed.
“Good morning.” Said Shirou to nobody in particular as stretched himself.
“Hmmm. Sakura isn't here yet? That is rare. Whatever. I'll start making breakfast before she arrives.” He scratched his auburn colored hair.
Shirou stood up and made his way to the living room. Sakura was indeed not here yet.
So after changing in his light-brown school uniform, Shirou started making breakfast. He went to the fridge and took enough ingredients for three people. With the ingredients he had on hand, he decided to make a simple traditional Japanese breakfast. He started preparing some miso soup first.
The doorbell rang and he heard somebody entering.
“I'm coming in.” It was Sakura. Sakura Matou is Shirou's underclassman and the sister of his friend Matou Shinji. She lives with her brother in the foreigners' houses district of Miyama Town.
“Good morning, Senpai. Oh, you're already making breakfast.” Sakura noticed as she entered the living room with a bag of groceries. “Please, wait a moment. I'll help you.” She brushed some of her long, purple hair out of her face.
“It's alright. I'm almost done, but you could start setting the table, if you want.”
“Ah … Alright, senpai.” Said Sakura with a smile. Little more over a year ago Shirou received an injury on his right shoulder. It was around that time that Sakura started coming over to his home to help with the household. A couple of minutes later they were enjoying breakfast when the door to the hallway flew open.
“Good morning!!! I'm starving, what do we have for breakfast?” Fujimura yelled. Fujimura is noted for wearing black and yellow striped clothing, today she favored a striped blouse and blue jeans.
“How are you feeling, Sakura-chan?” Taiga asked.
“Ah... Everything is fine, Fujimura-sensei.” Sakura handed her a bowl of rice.
“Thank you, Sakura-chan.” Taiga took a bit from of rice along with some meat. “Hmmmmm! This is delicious. Well done sakura.”
“Oh... Actually, it was senpai who made it.” Sakura said bashfully. “He was a bit earlier today.”
“Ah, I see. Good cooking as always, shirou.” Fujimura laughed as she quickly worked down her food.
“You shouldn't eat so fast, Fuji-Nee. Slow down a bit.” Shirou urged her.
“Sorry. That is not possible” Fujimura grinned. “I still have to grade some homework and there is the Archery training as well.”
“Alright, I understand.”
“Ohh, it's almost seven o'clock. Come on, Sakura-chan, or we'll be late for morning practice.”
“Alright, Fujimura-sensei.” Sakura stood up and made her way to the hallway. “See you later, Senpai.”
“Okay, see you later. And remember, I will be returning late tonight.”
“Yes, Senpai. I shall leave something to eat for you.”
“That would be helpful. Thank you, Sakura.”
“And Shirou, my grandfather asked if you could pay him a visit. His bike is acting up a little. So he would like you to take a look at it sometime this week, Okay? And don't be late. See you later!” Fujimura jelled before closing the door.
“Raiga-san's bike? That will be something for this Sunday or so.” Shirou murmured before he returned to the kitchen. He heard the front door open and close, signaling that they had left.
Shirou left the house after doing the dishes and made his way to school.
When he arrived at school he was greeted by Ryuudou Issei, the student counsel president and Shirou's classmate.
“Good morning, Shirou. How are you this morning. Everything going well?”
“Just fine, Issei.” Shirou replied casually. “And how about you? How are things at the temple?”
Issei is the successor of the Ryuudou Temple and Shirou's friend for two years now. As the student council president, he also asks Shirou to fix broken school equipment on a regular basis to save money on the school's bill.
“Nothing noteworthy. All is peaceful and good.” Issei replied with a solemn expression while he adjusted his glasses. “By the way, there is some equipment that broke down again. Could you have a look at it? It is too much to do all of it now, so ...”
“Sorry, but I have to work at my part-time job. It was arranged two weeks ago and I'll probably return home late tonight too. But I could take a look at one or two.”
“Hmm. I understand. We have a little more than an hour before classes start. Enough for one or two repairs, so go and get your tools. Our first stop is the multi-media room.”
During the next hour Shirou repaired a projector in the multi-media room and a stove from the art club. When it was almost time for class, they walked swiftly to their classroom, but then they encountered Tohsaka Rin in the hallway. She was regarded as the schools number one idol and was admired by every boy in school. And that includes Emiya Shirou. She was really beautiful, with her long black hair and blue eyes.
“Gah! Tohsaka!” Issei's mood plummeted.
“Good morning, Ryuudou-kun.” Tohsaka greeted him casually while brushing through her hair. “Hmmm. Who's your friend here again? I believe his name was Emiya-kun, right?”
“Emiya Shirou, one of Issei's classmates. How are you doing Tohsaka-san?”
“Good, thanks for asking, Emiya-kun. So you're Ryuudou-kun's classmate? I see. So how are you today, Issei?”
“I'm fine, Tohsaka. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be late for homeroom.” Issei shot her an annoyed glare. “Come on, Shirou. Let's get to class before we catch some of Tohsaka's evil.” Tohsaka looked on calmly as they walked passed her.
“Hey, Issei. That was rather rude!”
“Perhaps, but is for the better. I won't let her work her evil on you.” Before they entered class, Shirou noticed something lying on the floor. It looked like a red notebook.
“Issei, you can go inside already. I'll be right there.”
“Okay, but hurry up.”
Shirou went and picked up the notebook. Upon closer examining the notebook, he saw Tohsaka's name written on it. Shirou looked down the hallway, but he couldn't see Tohsaka anywhere. She's probably already in class.
“I'll return it to her, the next time I see her.” He murmured and went to class.
The day went by quickly. After classes ended, Shirou departed for his part-time job.
At the school gates he saw Issei talking with Ayako Mitsuzuri. She greeted him as he approached the gate.
“Hey, Shirou. Off to your part-time job?” Mitsuzuri was in a cheerfully mood today. She is a second year student and the captain of the archery club. Sporting short, brown hair and brown eyes. Thought of mostly as mannish by others, she is also very responsible and dependable. And quite pleasant to look at too.
Before Shirou injured his right shoulder, he was briefly a member of the archery club. And he was good at it too, as he had missed the target only once. Mitsuzuri made it her goal to surpass Shirou before she graduates. “If you have time tomorrow, our heater has been showing malfunctions. Could you ...”
“Of course. Don't worry about it. I will take a look at it when I have some time to spare.”
“Thanks. You're really dependable when it comes to fixing things.” Mitsuzuri nodded approvingly. “But I must say, Shirou. You really should ask for a reward from time to time. You always seem to help people, but you never ask for anything in return. Some people will take advantage of that if you're not careful.”
“Nah, It's alright. Helping people with their problems is its own reward.” Mitsuzuri's gave him a concerned smile in response.
“She's right, Shirou. I've told you the same thing numerous times already. It's good to be a little selfish.” Issei nodded firmly. “To be honest, your lack of selfishness is concerning.”
“Thanks for your concern, but I'm alright with it.” Shirou looked at his watch.
“Dammit, I'm gonna be late. Sorry guys. I'll have to leave now or I'll be late. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” Issei and Mitsuzuri replied in unison as they saw Shirou off.
It was ten thirty PM when Shirou returned home. Thankfully, Sakura had left some food for him. Shirou put down his schoolbag and began eating his supper.
Hmmm? Haven't I forgotten something?' Shirou thought while eating. Then he remembered. 'Ahhh. That's right. I forgot to return Tohsaka's notebook.
Shirou took the notebook out of his schoolbag and looked at it. “Guess I'll return it tomorrow then,” he put the notebook in his back-pocket.
“Thank you for the meal, Sakura.” Said Shirou after finishing his meal. “Now it is time for my daily routine.” Shirou made his way to the shed.
Nobody knows this, because Shirou had done his best to keep it a secret. Emiya Shirou is a Magus. When he was adopted by Emiya Kiritsugu, Kiritsugu had told him that he was a Magus, a being that can use magic. Although Kiritsugu had no intentions of teaching Shirou magecraft at first, he gave in after being persistently asked by Shirou for two years.
Shirou began with creating a magic circuit in his body.
“Trace on.” Shirou murmured. A spell Shirou has thought himself for over eight years.
A Magus is born with a pathway called the magic circuit inside their body for magical energy to pass through. As Shirou wasn't born a Magus, he is forced to make one from scratch inside him every time. It feels like a hot metal rod being driven into his spine. Aside from the pain, it is also very dangerous. The tiniest error and he would end up killing himself. Yes, a Magus has death always right beside him.
Shirou is well aware of that. However, he wanted to be like Kiritsugu. Thus he has continued to train his magic for eight years. And he isn't planning to stop now. The magic Shirou is trying to perform is called 'strengthening'. The only magic he knows.
It took him a little more then an hour to make the circuit. He inhaled and proceeded with his training.
“Basic structure, analyze. ----------- Composition, analyze.” His body is hot.
“Basic structure, alter. ---------Composition, reinforce.” Shirou felt tense as he let magical energy flow into the rod.
“Gahhh!!!” Shirou gasped and his body cooled down. After fighting off the daze, he examined the metal rod. Strengthening reinforces an objects abilities by understanding its structure and channeling magical energy into it. He normally fails but this time he was partially successful.
“Better than usual.” Shirou sighed and he laid himself on the floor to rest for a moment.
************************
A bat was flying over the Emiya residence. But this is no normal bat, but a familiar. Familiars are usually small animals used by Magi to serve as their eyes and ears or as their messengers.
This one belonged to Tohsaka Rin. Rin uses several of them to scour the city for portals.
It just saw one appear behind what seemed to be a private dojo.
Rin was at the intersection when her familiar spotted the portal.
“This one is near. But, … Oh,no.” Through the eyes of her familiar she saw the light coming from the shed. If somebody was in there, he/she would see the portal immediately, should they step outside the shed.
“I've got to hurry!” And Rin bursts in to a run and activated her magic circuits.
“Es ist groß, es ist klein!” A spell used to enhance her legs which increased her speed tremendously.
“Hmmm. Somethings odd.” Shirou sensed a change in the air. “It's coming from outside.”
Shirou went out into the courtyard. There he saw the source of the change. Behind the dojo, there was a black fog with silver streaks in it. It was roughly the size of a double door.
“What is it?” Shirou started to approached it.
'Stay away from it. Don't get closer!'
His instincts were warning him, but his curiosity was winning.
He was standing in front of it. His arm stretched out, only centimeters away from it.
'Don't touch it!!!' Every part of his being screamed.
Rin arrived at the house, winded. She noticed when she got there, that the house was surrounded by a boundary field. There was another Magus in the city? Luckily this field was only meant to warn the residents of intruders with harmful intentions.
“There was another Magus in this City? Who …?” She broke off mid-sentence when her familiar saw someone exiting the shed and walking toward the portal. It was Issei's friend, Emiya Shirou. He was a Magus? No, time to think about that. I need to stop him.
Shirou was almost touching it, when …
“Get away from it!!!” A girl yelled from behind him.
Shirou startled so hard that he tripped when he turned around.
He only saw the face of the one who shouted at him for a second, when he was suddenly pulled into what seemed a black and silver vortex.
It was a scary to say the least. The experience seemed to last for an eternity, while it only lasted a few seconds, before he was thrown out violently. It took Shirou a while before he recovered from the wild trip. When he got back to his feet, he found himself in a small clearing within a dense forest.
“Where am I? That fog!” And he turned around, just to see it disappear.
“Guess I won't be going back that way.” Shirou sighed. By the way, was that Tohsaka who tried to warn him? He could have sworn it was Tohsaka. No, now is not the time to think about such things. First, he needed to figure out where he was.
“I'm definitely not in Japan anymore.” Shirou examined his surroundings. The oaks of this forest were definitely not the Japanese variant. And more over, it was spring here, while it is autumn in Japan right now.
“I'll take look around. Maybe I can find some help.”
He thought about waiting for the portal to reappear. But he got the sad feeling that it won't be returning anytime soon. So he started walking into the forest. He picked up a rock with sharp edges and used it to make markings on trees, so he could find the way back later.
Hours past and Shirou was beginning to tire. He had walked for miles now and still hadn't encountered anybody. It was getting dark too. Shirou found an overhanging rock and decided to use it as a shelter for the night.
“I guess this will do for tonight. There is even a small creek nearby.”
Shirou collected some firewood and managed to make a fire with some effort. He drank some water from the creek and sat himself near the fire.
“I hope I can find some help tomorrow.” He took Tohsaka's notebook from his back-pocket and opened it. “That's odd. It has Tohsaka's name on it, but it's clearly written by a man.”
Suddenly the words 'Holy Grail War' caught his eye. His father had told him about it 6 years ago. The Holy Grail War with the seven masters and their servants. According to Kiritsugu, the War ten years ago ended when the Grail was destroyed, which in turn had led to the inferno that destroyed a big part of the city. His father spoke about it with great pain as if he was blaming himself for the catastrophe.
The more he read, the more his disbelief grew. Apparently the fog that brought him here was a portal that connected present day Fuyuki City with 6th century England. There are never then more four portals in Fuyuki at any given time. One main portal and 3 smaller ones. They all opened and closed at random intervals. The most disturbing thing he learned about them was the fact that they could remain closed for anywhere between a week and 3 months, which was rather troublesome news for Shirou. The portal on this side followed a similar pattern, but had only one side portal.
The smaller portals were like side-entrances to the main portal. They would bring anybody to the exit of the main portal or one of it's side portals. If no portals were active, a temporary crack would be made when you exit, similar like a partially opened door.
“I'm in England? The 6th century?” Shirou sighed. “Oh man. Whether it's true or not, I need to find help if I want to get home. Perhaps I can find somebody tomorrow.”
Shirou was tired. He lied down and went to sleep, wondering if he could survive long enough in this foreign place, long enough to return home.
- - - Updated - - -
Chapter 2
Fate/stay Night: Across time
Chapter 2: Gawain
A sword. A golden sword, beautifully crafted. Shirou had seen it in his dreams so many times. He found the sword magnificent, but he sometimes wondered why it always came back in his dreams.
Shirou awoke when he heard voices and the marching of men could be heard in the morning, there was no mistaking it. There were people here.
“There are people here after all.” Shirou felt relieved. “I hope that they'll be able to help me.”
He made his way in the direction of the voices. When he saw the group, doubt set in. These people didn't wear modern clothing. They were clad in old, leather armor with tunics made from crude cloth underneath. A couple were wearing chain mail and all of them were armed.
“I don't think I should let them see me.” Shirou murmured as hid him self.
He carefully peeked at the group without revealing himself. There were roughly a dozen of them. Armed mainly with spiked clubs, rusty knives, axes and leather shields. He also counted two rusty long-swords and a large battle axe. In addition, half of them were carrying bows, one of them a crossbow.
The one with the battle axe was an older man, with streaks of gray through his brown hair and beard. He wasn't the tallest, but he sure had the biggest muscles of the group. In addition to chain-mail, he also had steel arm braces and a breastplate. He had an air of experience and leadership over him. Suddenly the man stopped and looked back. Shirou managed to duck just in time.
“Something amiss?” Asked the young man wielding the crossbow to the leader.
“Methinks I saw someone. Guess I imagined it.” The leader said scratching his head.
“We must make haste, if we ought to be in time for the ambush. Get yer arse moving, lass.”
Shirou decided to follow them when he heard him say 'ambush'. Shirou was poor at English but ambush was a word he knew. After a while they reached a dirt road. The group split in to two and they positioned themselves on either side of the road. Shirou hid inside some bushes.
They are definitely bandits, or something like that. I'll just stay out of sight for now. All I can do now is warn their victims before the trap is sprung.
“Are ye sure that they will come past here?” One of the bandits asked to the leader.
“Ay, I am sure. Me spy is reliable. There should be two wagons with goods and around eight guards for escort.” The leader grinned confidently. “Since we have the element of surprise, we should be able to kill the majority with our bows before they can even react. Beves, are ye and yer archers ready?”
“Aye, boss Giraud. They will feel the sting of our arrows. We will teach them just how good bandits can aim.” Beves grinned as he brandished his crossbow. Beves was the youngest of the group at 17 years. He had short, brown unkempt hair and light-blue eyes. He was rather sinewy, but he was in good shape. His face was rather plain, but not unattractive.
One of the bandits' scouts returned and warned them about the approaching convoy.
“We have trouble. There is a knight traveling with the convoy and he looks strong.”
“What. Nobody said anything about no knight. This was not part of the plan, Boss.” A tall, skinny looking bandit said panicking. His green, bloodshot eyes darting around nervously. “This changes everything. We'll lose a lot of men fighting him.”
“Shut yer trap, Lewis. We will just take him out first. Beves!”
“Leave it to me boss.” He knocked a bolt on his crossbow. “This bolt is coated with yew poison. Even if he is not killed instantly, the poison will bring about his downfall. Hehehehe.”
Meanwhile:
“How long until we reach Camelot?” A young woman asked. She had long, flowing blond hair, beautiful green eyes and fair lightly-tanned skin. The woman just turned twenty last month.
“It will take at least 3 more days of travel. If the weather holds that is.” Her father answered. He was a older man with graying, black hair and dull brown eyes.
“Hmmm. Do ye think we'll see something exciting along the way.” The woman's green eyes sparkled hopeful.
“If something happens, I hope it's nothing dangerous.”
“Don't ye worry, dad. We have a knight protecting us.” The girl smiled to the knight ridding besides the wagon. He was an older, but still young looking man with curly, dark-blond hair and aqua eyes, clad in shining white armor decorated with a flower design. “I thank ye, sir knight, for protecting us on our journey.”
“No thanks needed, fair maiden. It is a knight's privilege to protect the innocent. And Camelot also happens to be my destination.” The blond knight answered smiling. “Your daughter sure is a fine woman, mister Rauf. Surely you must be proud of her.”
“Well indeed, sir Knight. Elisa has grown to be a fine woman and she is also a gifted healer and a fine cook, I dare say.” Rauf said proudly, causing his daughter to blush.
“Cooking is indeed important. They do say a man's love goes through his stomach. When it comes to food, it is quantity and not quality that matters to me. Large amounts of vegetables, vinegar, potatoes and meat. That and ale. The King and my fellow knights eat it all without complaints.” The knight declared jovial.
“May I ask ye something, sir Knight?” Elisa looked at the knight with curiosity.
“Certainly, milady. What is on your mind?”
“I've never seen the king before. Can you tell me what he's like?”
“Ahhh, the king.” The knight's voice was full of admiration. “He is truly chivalry incarnate. He is the most fearless, diligent, just and fairest king in the world. England is truly blessed with king Arthur.”
“I hear he is very young. Is that true, sir knight?”
“Young, yes. But he is not that young, although many a man who see him for the first time would mistake him as such. When he pulled the sword from the stone, he stopped aging. Thus he looks like a beautiful young boy, but the king is already in his twenties.”
“That's incredible! Oh my ... I just realized. I never heard ye name, sir knight.”
“Ah … Of course! How rude of me. My name is Gawain, the White Knight of the round table.” He made a slight bow. “At your service.”
But one moment later, Gawain suddenly felt a killing intend directed at him and subsequently drew his sword. “Halt!!”
The convoy stopped. The guards drew their swords and moved into a defensive position.
“Sir Gawain? What is wrong?”
Then from the bushes flew a crossbow bolt, hitting the ground in front of Gawain's horse.
A voice shouted: “Ambush!!!”
Giraud became tense when the knight ordered the convoy to halt. This was bad! The knight had felt of their presence. Beves aimed for the knight's chest when he suddenly got hit on his back by a stone. The bolt landed in front of the knight's horse and from behind them someone shouted: “Ambush!”
Giraud cursed. His men had fired immediately after Beves missed his shot, but the guards had managed to block most of the arrows. Their position was revealed and now both sides were charging at each other. Giraud saw two of his men been cut down by the knight like nothing. He looked behind him, to the strange boy who ruined the ambush.
“Lewis, go skewer that brat! I will face the knight.” Lewis charged at the boy. Beves had recovered from the impact and was trying to find a new vantage point. Giraud ran in front of the knight.
“I will be yer opponent, knight.” Giraud beat his chest as he rushed in front of the knight. His men were already locked in combat with the guards. But now that the ambush had failed, chances are good that they'll be pushed back soon.
“You sure are brave to face a knight of the round table. Brave indeed. I grant you my respect for that, bandit.” The knight smiled as he dismounted and moved in to attack. He attacked with a series of well executed strikes and trusts. But Giraud was a veteran and managed to hold his ground against the knight's onslaught. No, not onslaught. The knight was not even considering to use his full strength.
“You are skilled as well. If you had chosen to serve the king, you could have become known as a warrior of renown. A pity you choose a life of crime. Time pay for it.” The knight continued his attack with more intensity. Giraud had to give it his all.
Shirou managed to foil the ambush, but now he had a bandit clad in chain-mail and wielding a sword barreling down on him. He picked up a branch and held it like a sword.
The bandit was almost on him now.
“Hahaha! Yer gonna fight with that!? Yer dead, lass!” Shirou wasn't good at English, but it was pretty obvious what the man said.
Shirou knew a simple branch wouldn't do much against a sword, so it was now or never.
“Trace on.” The rod was driven in his spine. He raced through the process.
“Basic structure, composition, analyze.---- Basic structure, alter. Composition, reinforce.”
He channeled his magical energy into the branch. The bandit had reached him and swung his sword at Shirou and he managed to blocked the sword with the branch.
“What??” The bandit jumped back a little. His eyes were full of confusion. Even if his sword was old, it should have still been good enough to cut through that branch. Instead it was repelled by it. Shirou smiled in momentary relief. His strengthening had succeeded. Unfortunately, the relief was short lived.
The bandit started a flurry of attacks, while Shirou desperately tried to block them. The bandit had some skill with the blade. Shirou tried to fall back, using the trees as barriers. He would not last long otherwise. Suddenly Shirou lost his footing and fell on his back. The bandit was on him in an instant.
“Say ye prayers, lass.” He raised his sword for the fatal blow.
'This is it!' Oddly enough Shirou felt surprisingly calm, as the blade descents.
Gawain was impressed. This man, while he was a bandit, had great skills with the battle axe. But now was the time to end the fight. The bandit launched a sweeping strike with the last of his strength. Gawain remained calm and parried the blow and followed up with a riposte. His sword cut through the bandit's armor like it wasn't there and made a deep cut in the man's flesh. The bandit staggered backwards and dropped on his knee, panting.
“You fought well, but now it ends.” Gawain was still smiling as he approached to deal the finishing blow. But then Gawain saw another bandit between the trees attacking a strangely clothed, young man. The lad was defending himself with only a branch, while trying to keep his distance from the bandit. He must be the one that foiled the ambush and basically saved their lives. As a knight he could not let him die.
“It seems that luck is with you, bandit.” Gawain he ran to the boys aid. Behind him, he heard the bandit sound the retreat.
The bandit's sword came down, but Gawain blocked the blow in the knick of time and promptly pushed the bandit back. The bandit took a defensive stance and looked at the knight fearfully.
“Are you alright, young man?” The boy looked at him and nodded. Gawain directed his attention back to the bandit. “I will be your opponent.”
The bandit was trembling. There was no way that he could win against a knight, so he immediately turned tail and followed his retreating comrades. Gawain didn't pursue them. There was no need to. He sheeted his sword and turned to face the boy.
“I thank you, lad. If not for thy warning, we would probably be dead now.” Gawain helped the boy up. While Gawain was shaking his hand in gratitude, he examined the young man with curiosity. He had never seen a someone like him before. His complexion told him the boy was definitely not from these lands. “Hmmm. I hast never seen clothes like that before and thou art certainly not English. Nor art thou Saksen, Frankish or Germanic. Who art thou? Where art thou from?”
The boy's eyes suddenly widened and he jumped forward, pushing him aside.
“Ah-boo-nigh!!!” He yelled, when he was struck by a crossbow bolt in his left shoulder.
The boy stumbled and fell to his knees. Gawain turned around, but the young crossbowman had already disappeared into the forest.
“Coward!” Gawain yelled angry and he turned his attention to the boy. “This is the second time you saved me. Let me ...” The boy started to convulse suddenly and fell forward. Gawain caught the boy before he hit the ground.
“Poison.” Gawain swore under his breath. He lifted the boy up and carried him to the wagons.
“Dad. 'Tis sir Gawain. He is carrying someone.” Rauf immediately sprang from his wagon and ran toward him.
“Sir Gawain. Are ye alright? Who is the boy?” Gawain hurried towards Elisa, causing Rauf to jump aside.
“He is the one who foiled the ambush, that is all I know. The bolt is poisoned. Can you help him, milady?”
“Put him inside the wagon. I will see what I can do.” Elisa hurried to grab her medicines. The boy had lost consciousness, so time was of the essence. Gawain put him in the wagon and helped Elisa to remove the bolt and clean the wound. Elisa determined that it was poison from the yew tree and quickly managed to make an antidote.
“I have administered the antidote, so his life is not in danger. But he will not regain consciousness for some time.” Elisa sighed with relief. “We should find him a place to sleep for the night. A comfortable bed would surely help him recover.”
“There is an inn called the 'meek ox' at the next village. We can reach it before nightfall.” Rauf suggested.
“Good, let us make haste then. Alright men. Put our dead in the other wagon. We can give them a proper burial at the village. Bury the bandits next to the road.”
“Why should we bother burying them? Just leave them for the wolves, I say.” One of the guards complained. The others nodded in agreement.
“Bandits or not, it is simple decency to bury the dead.” Gawain retorted.
“Tsst. Fine have it yer way.” The guards took some shovels from the carts and started digging the graves. It took them a couple of hours before they continued their journey.
“I hope they have enough room for all of us.” Elisa wiped away some sweet from the young man's forehead. “By the way, I found these on him. Maybe thou should hold on to him until he recovers, sir Gawain.”
She handed him what seemed to be a keyring and a small red book.
“I will do that. It might be important to him.” And he put them in his saddlebag.
“Who do ye think he is, sir Gawain? I hast never seen clothing like his before. His clothes are certainly not made from wool or linen. And I have never seen such strange shoes before. And than his appearance.. certainly not English.” Elisa looked at the young man inquisitively.
“I doth not know. But regardless, the boy saved our lives today. So he has more than deserved our aid.” Gawain declared. Everybody agreed unanimously. Some time later they arrived at the inn.
The 'meek ox' had enough rooms to spare. However Gawain offered to pay for the lodgings, but didn't have enough money to afford separate rooms and meals for everybody. Thus while the boy and Elisa both got separate rooms, Gawain, Rauf and the guards shared the same room.
“I am sorry thou have to share the room with us, sir Gawain.”
“No need to apologize, mister Rauf. It is not the first time I hast shared quarters with others. I hope the lads condition will be improved by tomorrow.”
“I hope so too. He saved our lives after all. We only lost two men against eight of the bandits. If he had not warned us...” Rauf shuddered at the thought. “Anyway, I bid ye good night, Sir Gawain.” And Rauf went to sleep.
Gawain yawned and took the keyring and book from his saddlebag. He had never seen key's like this before. Most of then were thin and serrated. All except for one rusty, old key. That one looked like the key's he was familiar with. He put the keys back in his bag and then took the book, hoping it might yield a clue to the boys identity., but it only raised more questions. The pages were white and smooth to the touch, nothing like parchment at all. And then there were those strange symbols written inside.
“What are these symbols? Some kind of code? Magic runes maybe? Or an unknown language.” Gawain marveled at the book. “Guess it yielded more questions then answers. Maybe Merlin can help when we reach Camelot. Guess we shall find out eventually.” He put away the book and went to sleep.
The next morning, Gawain woke up when somebody knocked on the door. He went to the door and opened it. There stood the innkeeper, a balding, chubby, middle-aged man. He went by the name of Tebald and was well respected by the locals.
“Good morning, sir Knight. I apologize for waking ye, but I wanted to inform ye that the boy has awoken.”
“Ahh, he did? That is good. Bring him some food and something to drink. The lad might be hungry.” Gawain was elated at the news. “Tell him I will meet him shortly.”
“Certainly, sir Gawain. At once.” The innkeeper hurried off to his duties.
Gawain started putting on his clothes. They consisted of black, linen tunic embroiled with a golden sun with matching trousers and leather boots. Gawain suddenly noticed that Rauf was awake. “The boy is awake.”
“I heard. Are ye going to see the lad?”
“Yes. I will eat something later. Seeyou at breakfast.” Gawain buckled his sword to his belt and closed the door behind him. He went up the stairs to the second floor, where he encountered Elisa in the hallway. She was carrying some bloody bandages. “Is see you have changed his bandages, milady Elisa.”
“Indeed, sir Gawain. The boy is on his way to recovery, but …” Elisa looked over her shoulder to the door were the boy was resting.
“But? Is there something wrong?” Gawain tensed up. “If there is something wrong … you must tell me!”
“Not necessarily wrong, but there is something troubling about it.” Elisa said with a discomforting tone.
“Something troubling? What do you mean?”
“His wounds! They are healing to quickly. 'tis not normal. At this rate his wound will be completely healed within three, maybe four days. 'tis unsettling.” Elisa rubbed her arm nervously.
“Hmmm. That is odd, but not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe Merlin can have a look at him when we arrive at Camelot. Why don't you go downstairs to grab some breakfast. It will do you good. I will go and have a chat with our savior.”
Elisa nodded and went downstairs. Gawain arrived at the boy's chamber when the innkeeper left the room with an empty bowl.
“Mister Tebald. How is he doing?”
“Good, I would say. He was quite hungry.” Tebald showed him the bowl. “I also tried to talk to him, but he does not seem to speak our tongue, except for a few words, but most of the time he seems to get the gist of it.”
“That is good to know.”
“Excuse me, sir knight, but may I ask ye something?” Gawain gave a nod. “Who is this lad. I have never seen someone with such a complexion.”
“I don't know, good sir. But he saved our lives by foiling the bandits' ambush. So the least I can do, is help him in return. It is only natural to do so.” Gawain gave a serene smiled.
“True enough. Those rotten bandits are getting more bold. But why?” Tebald wondered bitting his nails nervously.
“It is indeed a mystery. The king has already started to investigate as to why the bandits are so active. That is why I am on my way to Camelot.” Gawain tapped his fingers on his sword handle, his face turning grim for a moment “But now I will go see the boy. So, if you would excuse me.”
“Sure. I will have some food waiting for ye.” Tebald nodded and went downstairs. Gawain walked to the door and entered the room. The young man was sitting upright on the bed with his chest was exposed, except for his bandaged left shoulder. Gawain examined the young man. He had auburn colored hair and Golden-brown eyes and had above average physique. Gawain estimated his age to be around seventeen winters, a young man. Gawain took a stool and sat down facing the young man.
“Good morning. I hope you have managed to sleep well. How are you feeling, young man?” Gawain asked with a friendly voice. The young man looked at him with a puzzled expression. He thought for a moment, trying to figure out what Gawain said, before he nodded with a smile.
“It seems Tebald was right. you really don't fully understand our language. My name is Gawain and I am a knight of the round table. I ask you: What is your name?”
“Gawain.” An expression of both recognition and surprise showed on the lad's face when Gawain told him his name. Once the surprise wore off the boy snapped back to attention.
“Name? My name … is… Emiya Shirou.”
“But you can grasp the general idea of the things we say, most of the time. That's good. At least that we can understand each other somewhat.” Gawain nodded firmly. “Emiya Shirou, is it? Can you tell me where you hail from?”
“Hmmm. What country?” Gawain tried, when he saw the boy's puzzled expression. Shirou's confusion made way for recognition.
“Japan.” Gawain raised his eyebrows. He never had heard of a place called Japan before.
“Where is Japan?”
“East. Far, far east.” Shirou pointed towards the rising sun but then he suddenly flinched and grabbed his shoulder.
“You have recovered quite a bit, but you should rest some more. We will stay here one more night. After that we will make our way to Camelot.” Shirou's expression changed to surprise when Gawain mentioned Camelot.
“Camelot? Arthur?” Shirou's eyes went wide in amazement.
“Yes, King Arthur. You may be from a distant country, but it seems they have heard of the King's exploits even there.” Gawain grinned with satisfaction at the boy's amazed expression. “You should get some more rest, as you will need your strength when we leave. I will come to visit you again at noon.”
Gawain left Shirou to rest, while he went to get some breakfast. Rauf, Elisa, the other merchant and the remaining guards were already enjoying their meals.
“Sir Gawain, please sit with us. Mister Tebald says that yer food will be brought in a moment.” Elisa said happily.
“That is good to hear.” Gawain sat down besides Elisa, who got a slight blush on her face. “Is something wrong, milady?
“What? Oh eh, no, of course not. Say, Have ye spoken with him?”
“I did. He seems to be doing better, but he still needs to rest some more. I think it would be wise to remain here for one more night.”
“I concur. That would be for the best. Let me pay for the next night.” Rauf proposed.“I believe ye had spent most of yer money last night, sir Gawain.”
“And I will chip in too. 'tis the least I can do.” The other merchant declared. He was a young man, not even 25 winters old. He had blond hair, blue eyes and a nose like a hawks beak. He answers to the name Sagard. “By the way, sir Gawain. Did ye learn anything new about our savior?”
“His name is Emiya Shirou and it appears he hails from a country, far to the east, called Japan.” Gawain informed them. “The lad is still recovering from his wounds, so I didn't ask to many questions for now.”
“Emiya Shirou? An odd name, never heard of such a name before. Neither have I ever heard of a place called Japan.” Sagard pondered for a moment, then he shook his head as the name didn't ring a bell. “Anyway, was his tunic not ruined when he got struck by that bolt. I have some quality linen tunics he could use. Free of charge of course.”
“Hooo. I never thought ye could be so generous, sir Sagard.” Rauf said with a skeptical tone. “Ye always seemed so concerned about making a profit, after all.”
“I do indeed. But that does not mean that I don't know gratitude.” Sagard raised his voice. “The lad saved us. Giving him some new clothes doesn't even to begin to repay him.” Sagard grumbled as he turned his attention back to his meal. “I will bring them later to him after I finished my meal.”
“That was not a very nice thing to say, dad! Mister Sagard is concerned about money, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't care about others. Ye should apologize to him.”
“Mrrrr. Maybe yer right.” Rauf finished his meal and begrudgingly went to apologize to Sagard.
Gawain visited Shirou again at noon. He asked some more questions but they didn't yield much result. While Shirou could somewhat understand him, but he didn't know enough of the English tongue to give any detailed answers. Gawain figured that Merlin would be able to do something about the language problem when they reached Camelot. Somebody knocked on the door. It was Sagard, bringing the tunic.
“I have brought the tunic. From what I garner, it should be about the right size.” He walked to Shirou and handed him the red colored tunic. “It is made of the finest linen I could get my hands on. Thank ye for saving us.”
“Domo Arigato.” Shirou said and took it with both hands and made a slight bow. Sagard blinked and looked at Gawain with an uncertain expression.
“I think it means 'Thank you' in his tongue.” Gawain said unsure. Sagard nodded in response and left the room. Gawain left soon after.
The next morning, Gawain was saddling his horse while Elisa was supporting Shirou as they made their way to the wagon. Emiya Shirou seemed to be doing a lot better and the new tunic looked good on him. He noticed Rauf and Sagard walking up to him.
“Well, sir Gawain. Time to continue our journey to Camelot.” Sagard said, clasping his hands together and with a hopeful expression on his face. “I hope we won't get anymore attacks along the way.”
“True enough.” Rauf sighed. “I don't think well be as lucky like the last time, should there be another ambush waiting for us.”
“Rest assured. I don't think there will be any more ambushes taking place. This area is close to Camelot and is regularly patrolled by the king's men. They would be mad to attempt anything this close to Camelot.”
“That is reassuring indeed.” Sagard smiled in relief. “Do ye think that they were aware of our shipment?”
“I think they were.” Gawain said without hesitation. Rauf and Sagard usually dealt only with fabric, food, drink, jewelry and spices. But this time they were transporting a large shipment of quality weapons and armor at the king's request. “They have been attacking the caravans rather frequent as of late. And they only attacked those that carried weapons, armor or valuables. That is one of the things I was sent to investigate.”
“Mister Rauf, Mister Sagard. I suggest we resume our trip to Camelot. We still have two more days of travel ahead.” Gawain said with a serious tone and hoisted himself in the saddle.
“A splendid suggestion.” Rauf said. He and Sagard made their way to their respective wagons.
Gawain took position next to Rauf's wagon. His eyes met with Shirou's who was laying in the front of the wagon, being tended by Elisa. Gawain smiled at him reassuringly and Shirou smiled back. Gawain looked up into the clear sky. If the weather holds, they should reach Camelot within two days.
****************************
Meanwhile, Giraud and his men arrived at an old fortress ruin deep inside the ancient forest. It had been an unpleasant trip back. He lost six men during the raid, he himself was injured and two of his men died soon after because their wounds got infected. And worst of all they had to return empty handed.
“Are ye alright, boss?” Beves had been worrying about Giraud's health the entire return trip and rightly so. His boss had been silent most of the way back. Beves knew the boss was simply trying to save his breath, because of his wound. While Beves called him 'Boss', Giraud was actually more of a father to him than a boss as he had saved Beves from death seven years ago. “Once we arrive, we will go see the surgeon immediately.” Giraud groaned.
Deep inside the forest lay an old fortress. The ruin had been abandoned until recently. These last few months a rebellion had started to grow and this old fortress has become one of the rebels many hideouts. The rebellion started because some of the lords and common people had gotten dissatisfied with King Arthur. The main reason was that the king didn't seem to understand his people's feelings. Giraud, a bandit, never concerned himself with it. He was still wondered how he got recruited for this cause.
Inside the fortress courtyard, the rebels were buzzy with training, maintaining weapons and equipment and doing other important tasks. Giraud often wondered why so many people hated the king. And he wondered why he cared. He was a bandit, he usually only cared for the wellbeing of his men and himself.
When they walked through the gate, the commander of the garrison walked up to them immediately. An old soldier. His hair was gray and his gray eyes were bloodshot. Here he was simply called the 'Commander'. Giraud never asked his name, but he respected the man and he respected Giraud. He knew little about the Commander, but he knew that he was once on of the king's most loyal men. Giraud knew that he didn't hate the king, so why was he here, Giraud wondered.
“Report, Giraud. I only see les than half of thy men. Obviously you have failed in your mission.” The 'Commander' demanded with an impatient tone. His eyes staring sharply into Giraud's. Beves stared angry at the Commander. Couldn't this wait until later?
“Our ambush was foiled. A stranger showed up and warned the caravan when we were about to strike.” Giraud calmly reported, as he bid Beves to ease up. “Our information was faulty as well. There was a knight traveling with the caravan. He killed 2 of me men and injured me.” He groaned as his wound acted up.
“Hmmm. The knight was unexpected. Our spy reported that there was no knight when the caravan departed,” the 'Commander' frowned. “He must have joined the caravan after they left the village. And what was that about a stranger?”
Giraud and his men gave the “Commander' a detailed description of the failed ambush, the knight and the stranger.
“From what you have told me, the knight could have been no other than sir Gawain. We know that he has been investigating the recent raids.” The 'Commander' paced around. “Sir Gawain's appearance alone would have been reason enough to call of the ambush.”
“No, it isn't,” Beves argued.”If that scoundrel hadn't thrown that rock at me, I would have most certainly hit him!” He said so with complete confidence.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but Gawain wouldn't be a knight of the Table if a simple sneak attack was all it took to take him down.” The 'Commander' declared rather harshly, which put a damper on Beves' boasting. Beves was a good man and the 'Commander' felt a little sad for dampening his spirit. “I will order our spies to investigate the stranger. You men should get some rest and thou hast to see the surgeon. I will need to report this to Sir Mordred and mistress Morgan.”
“Finally. Uhh, we will see ye later then.” Giraud and Beves started making their way to the surgeon. Than Giraud suddenly stopped and turned toward the 'Commander'.“Say, Commander. Mind if I ask ye something?”
“What is on your mind?”
“You were once a loyal soldier to the king, tasked with hunting down folks like me. But ye seemed to accept me quite easily. Why?”
“You art a bandit, a marauder, but you also care for your men and you are known to show mercy and to disdain from needless killing.” The 'Commander' replied with a sincere tone. “You are different from most bandits. And it is this sense of honor what has earned you my acceptance and respect .”
Giraud smiled when he heard the 'Commanders' answer. At least one of his many questions has been answered. He looked up at the sky, rubbing his round chin, wondering where all of this will lead to.
05/02/2015: Chapters 5 and 6 are up on page 2.
26/04/2015: Chapter 7
03/05/2015: Chapter 8
10/07/2015: Chapter 9 & 10
17/07/2015: Chapter 11
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Originally Posted by Vagrant
