Post by Lancelot on Feb 3, 2013 4:18:23 GMT -6
The Hidden Village
With Lancelot and Uriell
Castra, Valentia Province,
South of Antoine's Wall
early October 468 AD
The days ride was accomplished mostly companionable silence after leaving the side of the mountain. It was a hard day’s ride thru thick forest and foothills of the mountains that saw them skirting a high mountain at dusk...
The ride was casual, not hurried, as if they had all the time in the world… nothing appeared expeditiously important. Though the thick forest did concern him, as the Picts liked the forest… but they were allies now, were they not? But nothing had been heard from the Dark Archer in over a year… still Lancelot preferred to avoid that marksmen’s arrows. The exit thru the forest and into the mountains added no comfort to the First Knight, so many areas for ambush… where ever she was taking him could be easily defended by an old woman with a broom.
"When you see, you will understand why I ask you to disarm before." she finally spoke after hours of riding silently... and then she was guiding him thru a hidden passage, covered in sheet moss and hanging ferns inside the mountain... it would be several long minutes in the dark, the two traversed thru the tunnel and then finally out into the light of day onto a shelf ledge that overlooked the inside of an ancient crater.. in which was nestled a small village...
He bent over, almost laying on the horse’s neck to avoid the hanging moss and ferns that seem to camouflage the entrance… and did not resettle in the saddle until well outside the far end of the dark tunnel. There, upon nature’s ledge, far above the village nestled within the crater, as he looked down, he was amazed at it all… With a smile, reaching back, he removed the deadly twins from their holder... and in trust and confidence, he flipped both in his hands, catching the blades simultaneously and handing the weapons to her, hilt first.
She smiled settling the twins thru a leather strap on her saddle made for such things, securing them with a firm, yet reverent movement of her hands... "thank you" she nodded her head softly as the night begin to close in on them the sun fading behind the ring of mountains to the west, making the long shadows of night seem to roll over the mountains like a dark fog, and creep into the vale... As they made their way down the craggy cliffs, the mountains provided a shelter from the wild winter winds, and thick snows... and while it was still winter in the vale, it wasn't the frigid frozen land outside the crater... there was a light snow still dusting the fields, but most had melted away leaving behind the brownness of winter, but come spring it would be a lush landscape of greens and blues, peppered with blooming crops and trees... it was her idea of heaven.
Some of the homes were dug into the rolling hills of the sheltered valley, while some were built in the normal style... it was a place were less than an hundred people lived and from what he would see... it was for the most part women and children... now he would understand her hesitance for armed knights entering the vale... it was a refuge of suffers of the Roman and Saxons… As they cantered down into the vale he would see more children than women... and the elderly, most all showing some healed wounds or crippling miseries that left them unable to fend for themselves.
He was amazed… such amazing scenery, hidden from the world outside… and here below, nestled in loving arms of peace and serenity, was a village of the downtrodden… and as he and Uriell entered the village, the people were hesitant to come out and greet her with him present… but several older women, one with a scared face in particular, pointed to the empty scabbards on his back. Lancelot refused to rotate his head in response to the multitude of inaudible whispers.
He sat solid in the saddle, and he could feel people’s hands touching his leg as he rode slowly, the prance of the proud stallion causing him to sway leisurely in the saddle.
As they rode side by side, out of nowhere, there was a shrill scream of happiness as a little boy about four came running thru the crowd and straight toward Uriell… with a swoop of her arm she caught him up and settled him before her in the saddle with a hug and a soft kiss to the top of his head… "Ma" his arms settled about her neck as he cuddled into her… she murmured something against his ear, then her hands signed to him quickly, his following hers just the same… as she guided both their horses to the center of the village..
From atop the stallion, Lancelot could see the crowd parting as a lad came from within the multitude, and he swiveled his head to watch Uriell capture the boy and nestle him on the saddle before her. He gave a soft smile as she kissed his head… but surely displayed an odd look as the lad called her Ma… And to add to his confusion was the flickering of fingers and the rhythmic sway of hands as they spoke to one another.
"Uri... Your back… we were worried…" it was Gerard’s voice above the crowd and as what appeared to be his wife, hurried along as well, to where they had stopped... "I see you bring a guest... the others rode south two days ago?" his arching brow was raised in suspicion that her hand signals cut off… of course they knew when the Knights had rode thru their territory... they knew everything it seemed that happened within these parts...
A recent familiar voice caused his head to swivel slowly on his shoulders, and he saw the man that unnecessarily warned Uriell of armed men in the village before their tenure in the cave. He canted his head at the man and listened to what he had to say.
"Ahhh Arn... there you are…" Gerard’s wife Maeve scowled at the little boy sitting atop the horse as Uri dismounted, then reached up for the boy. "You go running off quicker than a spring hen when I told you wash for supper." True enough the little boy was smeared with dirt as little boys often were... he looked up at his mom who merely nodded her head to do as he was told and ran off to wash up.
"There's plenty for you and your Guest... Uriell." she nodded wiping her hands on her apron and turning about… "Go wash up... It’s about ready." her hands scurried them off as she went back into the house.
Lancelot smiled at the woman’s words and bowed slowly and gentlemanly as he could. “My sincerest thanks M’Lady…” and his fist rest against a metal breast plate.
A young lad of some 12 years, came up and took the horses, but Uri stopped him, long enough to pull the twins and her own weapons from the saddle... making sure they were kept in sight, for Lance's peace of mind... and handed them to Gerard with a flurry of hand motions that both accepted the invite to dinner as well as charged him with the keeping of the weapons while they washed up.
"See you in a bit…" he waved the boy on with the horses, going with to see them tended properly and given a good helping of oats and curried down. His look however was disapproving of the knight being in her company, even if he had surrendered his weapons. The man was a weapon himself... and the fact that Uri seemed comfortable in his company seemed to suggest something more between them than just her being hospitable.
He watched his swords be relocated, from her to the man from earlier… far from his control, but oddly, and he canted his head at the fact, that he was not as concerned as he originally thought possible. Did he have such confidence in the She-Wolf and her men? In the men, unsurety… but he did feel safe with Uriell…
She watched the crowd thin out and wandered away like Arn, Maeve, and Gerard... and tilted her head to the side in a jerking motion that beckoned him to follow.