(arthur) mounting tension

[jez]

Jez was in her element out here on the wall. She had taken sentry duty on the wall since the first sighting of the five hundred Saxons outside of the wall. There was no way she was letting them passed her. She didn't like them for a number of different reasons. Most of those reasons had to deal with memories of the past that fed her fuel to kill at the moment. However she was perfectly calm about everything. She knew a battle could be looming ahead in the near future

There was something that this young female did not get. That was why in the world had the Saxons come with so many people. There were many a rumor running around at the moment. The King and Queen and everyone were keeping close eyes on everyone. Even poor little Helena was cooped up inside of the castle. Jezibella knew that was the best place for the young princess but she knew that the young princess was going to be running around as it were anyways. She did wonder why those that got the honor of guarding the young princess seemed to let her out of their sites. She sighed and let her mind wander to a time where she was well younger.

The sight of the Saxon mini army so to speak brought out the memory of the first time that she had seen them. That was not at all a pleasant memory. The only good thing about it was the fact that she had met Tristan and then Arthur when all was said and done. She was bored but tense because there was tension that she was sure even excalibur could not cut through. Everyone was on edge some showing it better than others. She felt the hair on the back of her neck perk up. She turned on the wall in which she was standing to be able to see who was coming and the Saxon's. she knew the person coming she could feel that much at the moment.

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[the goddesses ,]

Arthur looked at Remus grimly, inhaling deeply. ”I want you to station the trainee’s around the outer borders, keep 50 within the city.” He said, drumming his fingers on the hilt of Excalibur as he walked up to his mount, Andaleh, pulling himself up into the saddle. The young man wrapped the reigns around his fingers, squeezing the horses side, sending Andaleh lurching forward. ”Yah.” Arthur yelled, allowing the horse to gallop along side the wall, slowing to a stop as they came upon some steps. Sliding off, Arthur walked up the steps, skipping them two at a time, turning to one of his war lords.

”What news?” Arthur asked, turning his gaze onto the war lord, then back to the Saxon Encampment. ”The camp has been quiet, too quiet, but there were about five riders that rode to the East, towards the Eastern Entrance of the Wall.” Arthur drummed his hands against the stone wall; a shout caught his attention. Turning around swiftly, he watched as two soldiers began to wrestle in the mud; sighing, Arthur walked down the stairs and pulled them apart. ”Save your anger for the Saxons.” His gaze was icy, sending them away in a hurry. Making his way back up the stairs, he looked at the man once more. ”Station your men at the entrance, I won’t take any chances.”

The lord bowed before Arthur, before calling his men together, and a few minutes later, Arthur was left alone. He could see the Saxon flag, if you chose to call it a flag, waving back and forth in the wind. Biting his lip, Arthur shook his head, running his hands threw his curly hair. ”What am I to do?” He asked himself, before turning to look at a woman standing a few feet from him, she was extremely familiar; Jezibella. She had been a young girl that the knights had saved in the earlier days, before the battle of Badon Hill. Arthur forced a weak smile, as he walked over to the young lady, speaking softly. ”Jezibella, I hope you have a good reason for being out here. Does Tristan know you are here?”

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[jez]

Jezibella watched as knights and war lords moved up and down the wall. She was sure that something was going to happen. She just hoped that they would be able to save some lives and not shed so much blood. Least of their own. She had no qualms about spilling Saxon blood. Not after what they did to her group that she had been roaming with for years. That day was still in her head. It had been four years since her fateful meeting with Arthur's knights and the days were still fresh in her memories. She was wondering now if Merlin knew what was going on. He always seemed to know.

Her thoughts strayed more to who might be coming up behind her. She looked to see Arthur as one of his war lords road away. She gave him a slight bow as he began to address her. He was also like a father to her in a way. More like the loving uncle that always wanted to protect you. He should however know full well not to chide her for being up on the wall when she was properly armed. The way he was talking to her made her feel like a child again. Of course she wasn't as old as he was and she wouldn't go so far as to talk back to him. No she would simply answer his question and give him her reason for being where she was.

She looked up at him when he was finished. "Yes my King, I do have a reason for being here but it more of my own free will that I do not tell you. I am terribly sorry." She didn't like to say what happened the day that Tristan had found her. It took Tristan two years to get the full story and she was sure that Tristan had not told Arthur the full thing either. Then it dawned on her she had not seen Tristan lately. "No I have not seen him. Nor does he know that I am out. Though Toner will tell him when her finds him." The same as Tristan she had a hawk that followed her where she went as well. A scout of sorts and she had not seen Tristan's in awhile. If he needed her he knew where to look.

She was not thinking of something more important to the king. "My King, How is Helena? She didn't look happy a few days ago being told to stay inside. And I am worried about her Majesty." She knew that the young girl like to run off. Who wouldn't when the guards you had on you didn't pay you any attention. Jez knew how to stand up for herself but Helena didn't. With Saxon's out there it simply just scared her to think about what might happen to the girl. She hadn't seen the Queen since the ladies tea.

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[the goddesses ,]

Arthur held back a sigh that wanted to escape so badly from his throat as she bowed. He was still growing used the ‘Majesty’ and all that, and in a way, he wished he could put a stop to it all, in his mind, everyone was equal, but obviously not in other minds. He forced a smile as she bowed slightly to him, and leaned against the wall, folding his arms against his chest. When he had first met Jezibella, she had been a younger girl, she still looked like an adolescent when he laid eyes on her. ”No need to be sorry Jezibella, you sound like Helena.” He murmured softly, letting his thoughts stray back to his daughter.

Arthur turned his gaze onto her, contemplating on whether or not to send a servant to go look for him. But knowing his luck, he was probably running the borders with the other knights, he might as well just let Tristan be, it isn’t like he can’t take care of himself. ”He’ll come around eventually, he was extremely angry about the Saxons last night.” Arthur said, turning to gaze over the Saxon Encampment; he could see men and women scurrying around, but none of the Saxon heirs. They were probably in a tent, plotting to do something; they were Saxons.

He lowered his gaze as Jezibella inquired about Helena; Arthur felt bad in a way. The poor child was having to cooped up like she was a dog, but he was not about ready to allow anything to happen to his precious daughter; Arthur was taking precautions, and eventually, she will be allowed out, someday. ”She is not entirely happy to be cooped up like a dog, but Guinevere and I have both agreed that this is just a precaution. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to her.” Part of him felt horrible for this, but the other part of him, was reassurance that she would forgive them, and when she grew older, she would understand why; well, he hoped.

”Worried? What do you mean?” Arthur asked, raising his head, to meet her gaze. His hands drummed on the stone wall subconsciously, as he thought about what to do next. At this point, he was confused on whether or not to attack the Saxon’s, or wait for them to make the first move. Arthur was not going to use his people as a decoy; he flat out refused to shed innocent blood unless he had to.

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[jez]

Jezibella listened to her King. She knew very well that Arthur saw everyone as equal. The table that his knights sat at when discussing plans and everything was round. It was just that well she knew formalities in a sense. She felt wrong in a way to call him just Arthur or Knight for that matter. She let her mind stary from that. That was when he said that she sounded like Helena. In all honesty Jezibella was still a child. She had no real childhood to say the least she had always been taking care of herself. That and she hated the indoors as many of the other knights knew and even Arthur she was a roamer. Kinda like Helena was only on a different level so to speak. She would still feel like she was getting scolded with the question he had asked previous it was just the age old response to something like that. She was after all only four years older than when Arthur had first met her.

She nodded to his comment about Tristan. She was sure he would be around. Her hawk flew onto her shoulder and she could see Tristan's hawk coming as well. It meant Tristan would not be far behind that. She smiled at the birds having both now on her shoulder. They were a comfort in a way. The mounting tension from the Saxons and what they were thinking just didn't settle right with anyone. She wondered if Arthur was thinking about whether or not to attack or wait for them. She thought in a way that they should attack seeing as it was the Saxons that had brought their small little army here. Then again it was probably better to wait. She wasn't one up on all the battle statagey. She just knew how to fight when she as called to do so. It was a matter of survival in a way. A battle or wit and patience or a battle of arms it didn't matter really who started it just who won and at what costs. She looked back to the city. There were too many innocent here and the Saxons wouldn't care but she knew that Arthur did.

"I'm worried about everything Arthur really. How adventerous that Helena gets and the way her guards don't seem to notice. I've even gone to stop her from roaming too far. I don't like doing it but she does listen to me cause I can give her stories. And I worry that my stories make her want to wander more. I don't mean anything by them but it keeps her entertained. I'm just afraid something might happen to her to you or to Guinever that might take you all away from eachother. I guess I'm just scared." That was something that was hard for the young girl to actually admit to anyone. Being scared was not something that she liked feeling and the last time she felt that was when a small Saxon scouting band came through and destroyed what had been her life for well her whole life and killed those she loved. She was afraid to see it happen again. She wanted to know what the Saxons were up too. It might put her at ease but she wasn't so sure about that. "I do not like being scared. The Saxons worry me." There were tears from memories beginning to fill her eyes. Maybe it was about time that she told Arthur what had happened those many years ago.

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[the goddesses ,]

Arthur cupped his hands together; fingers from both were entwined together. He looked up to see a hawk, then Tristan’s following close behind; a smile was pulled upon his lips. Tristan wasn’t far behind, there were days Arthur thought he loved his hawk more than anything in the world. Arthur gazed at the hawks, his head tilted to the side. They were beautiful and magnificent creatures, but they just weren’t for Arthur. His thoughts went back to the Saxon’s as a few men stepped outside of there camp, staring at Arthur and the girl. Arthur would let them stare for all he cared, if his instinct was right, they wouldn’t be staring for long, in a few days, they would be dead. He had a feeling that they would attack, when, he wasn’t entirely sure about at the time, but his servants were working tirelessly to find out.

He turned his body to face Jezibella as she began to speak of her worries. Arthur nodded his head, in agreement about how Helena was so adventurous, and her guards. The man was on his wits end with the guards, they wouldn’t notice if Helena was gone, much less if she was kidnapped. Arthur had spent his nights talking to some of the older guards, about the younger; in the end, they promised they would speak to her personal guards about the matter. Arthur lowered his eyes, chewing on the inside of his lip as she continued. A few seconds later, he jerked his head up, as hearing that Jezibella was scared. Arthur looked at the city below, noticing that some of the faces looked frail and distressed, while some just looked normal, as if they knew Arthur would protect them. The King was willing to do everything in his power to protect his people, and when he saw someone that he had known since she was little, it made him feel sad. No one should be scared, he would take care of them.

Helena has a free spirit, that no one can tame, but I do understand about the guards. I have caught her many times, alone and wandering the streets of the city. There is no need to worry about your stories, she can’t do anything until she gets older, well at least I hope not.” Arthur gave Jezibella a reassuring smile, before he continued. ”Jezibella, you must understand that I will do everything in my will power to protect you, and my people. I will not allow the Saxon’s to harm you, I promise you.” Arthur glanced at the group of Saxon’s staring at them two, talking amongst themselves. Turning around swiftly, Arthur faced Jezibella once more. ”I believe the Saxon’s have us all worried, and I’m positive no one else likes to be scared either.” He said, his voice quite calm considering the circumstances. Arthur sighed softly as he noticed the tears in her eyes, the Saxon’s were really getting to Jezibella; he hated seeing her like this. Truthfully, she was like another daughter to him, Arthur had protected her when she was small, and checked in on her every few months.

Ooc; sorry it took so long.

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[jez]

To come out and tell Arthur what happened to her was probably harder than it had been telling Tristan when he knew some of it before hand. It had taken Tristan three years to get the full story out of the girl really and there was still more that could be told of her history. Not many people knew that not even the Queen. She was a very elusive young lady that had the uncanny way of showing up behind you and spooking you out because of how silent she was. He movements always so precise and calm. It had many in awe of the sixteen year old girl who was still very much a child because she had not had the luxury of living as one.

The hawks were calming her down considerably. She could see far out in the distance a man riding around the Saxon army. Tristan's hawk flew off to greet him leaving her with just her own as she listened to Arthur talk about Helena and her fear.

Jezibella had no doubt that Arthur would take care of her and all the rest. She wanted to fight along side him after all. It was just that with the memories and history that she held so deep inside of her she was scared. Scared of loosing those people that had taken care of her for so long. She didn't want that to happen she didn't want to loose all of her heart again because she knew that she wouldn't be able to take it. It took her long enough to let them all end to loose them would be to loose what was left of her heart which wasn't very much and was on the mend to begin with.

She listened to what he had to say about Helena. So he knew about how neglectful her guards were. That was a good thing because he could do something about them paying more attention to the young girl. "She's just like you and Guinevere, Arthur with the free spirit." She was sure that spirit came from the both of them and one day maybe Helena would be tamed by someone. At the moment the girl was four and what could the expect from the young child.

She looked down at Saxons that were looking at them. She almost shuddered as she realized she knew one of them and looked away back to Arthur as he turned back to her. "I know you will. And I want to help. Its just that well..." This was hard for the young woman to say. "I'm afraid of losing you all and I don't think I could handle that. I want to fight though. Its something I know how to do. I would die to protect you and the others regardless of my own fears." She looked down again and then back up to him. The tears that had been there seemed to have disappeared in a way but they both knew they were still there. "There are things I should tell you Arthur, but I don't know how to start." She sighed and pet her hawk as a comfort tool.

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[the goddesses ,]

Arthur turned his gaze as a lone rider rode around the Saxon army, it was Tristan. It had to be him, just by the way the hawk flew off Jezibella's shoulder. Diverting his attention back to Jezibella, he listened as she spoke about free spirits. Guinevere has a spirit that would never be tamed, Helena was exactly like her mother. Arthur on the other hand, he was the more serious one, not to say he didn't like spending time with his family. "She takes after her mother."

Tilting his head, Arthur leaned back and listened to the young girl. He did not enjoy seeing her cry and worry over something stupendous. "No one is stopping you from helping." He said, folding his arms across his chest as the girl continued on. Arthur lowered his gaze as he thought about what to say next, then looked back up. "You need not fear about losing me or anyone else." Arthur said, his voice calm as he tried to comfort her.

Casting a sidewards glance, he mind was filled with different thoughts; Did the people worry about losing their leader like Jezibella does? Jerking his head, Arthur gazed at her with warm and steady eyes. "What is it that you have to tell me?" He inquired softly, noticing that it was hard for her to even speak about telling him what ever it is that she has to tell him. Arthur wanted everyone to know, that they could talk to him about private matters, and his lips would stay sealed.

ooc; sorry it's so short & that it took so long, life problems