《Shadows in the Dawn Mist》


 Prologue: Shadows

    Tuesday 28th August 2091


    Okay. Write it down. Good old fashioned pen to paper. Then maybe I can stop thinking about it and it won¡¯t drive me crazy anymore. If I hadn¡¯t lived through it myself, I¡¯d say it had the makings of a novel. But I did live it. To me it was real. Is real. But I''m afraid I''ll wake up one day it will all fade into a dream. No matter how terrifying and painful it was, I don¡¯t want it to have been a dream. I don¡¯t want to forget.


    Look I¡¯m no damsel in distress or a kick-ass heroine. I am an archaeologist, just like my Dad. I¡¯m organised, love history, and I don¡¯t mind hard work and getting dirty. Then there¡¯s Mum, amazing with people. She¡¯s so kind hearted and caring. Not afraid of tough love but you can¡¯t help but love her back. I swear, you put anyone in a room with her for five minutes and they¡¯ll come out as best friends. My parents are so loving and supportive, they have grown into some of my closest friends. I have lived my life in amazing places, with good friends, and I enjoy it. But despite all that, until recently, I was afraid. I was afraid of the things that came out of the half-light of dawn, through the misty fields and rolling hills of middle England¡­


    ***


    Part 1:


    From her bedroom window, the young girl watched intently, fearfully, not wanting to see but compelled to look. In the mist shrouded dawn, the shadows appeared. More than ever before. The familiar whispering drifted on a breeze with the morning mist, sending chills of terror down her spine. Hazy blood dripped from shadowy wounds only to disappear as it hit the ground. Fear froze the scream in her throat and the tears of a sadness not her own streamed down her face. In the chilled air, the frighteningly defined shadows loomed closer and closer until, with the rising sun they fade¡­ but she knew they were not gone. They would return with the new dawn.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Part 2:


    It was late now, or early. He shouldn''t be here. He knew it. But he had to. What compelled him? She was beyond him yet he continued to torture himself going to see her. He just couldn''t seem to get anything right. And nothing he ever did filled the void in him, not even her, his untouchable Angel. No home, no family, no love. No hope.


    I don¡¯t belong in the light. He thought, gazing up and the Angel in the window. Always it slips through my fingers leaving me lost in the dark.


    Everyone who might have helped him left. Abandoned, alone. Only the shadows were constant. They haunted him relentlessly. Malevolent. Turning against him like everyone else except they didn¡¯t leave. Yet he was still worth nothing, fit only to be lost in shadow. Every day the cold darkness within him seemed to consume him more leaving him numb. Nothing filled it. He could feel himself falling and, what was worse, he didn''t want to fight it anymore. The light of the rising dawn chased away the shadows, but he felt no warmth. It''s was too late, he was lost to the darkness within him, and he finally knew what he had to do¡­

 1. Persuasion

    "Serenity please!! It''s just a three week initial dig, nothing intense."


    "No."


    "But you''re one of the best and this is a sponsored dig"


    "No"


    "Look. I''ve come all the way out here, to Cyprus, just to offer you this job. Don''t leave me hanging here. Please!"


    "Terrance. No. I don''t take UK digs. You know that. And now I have work to do. Feel free to make use of my tent until the transport arrives. Excuse me."


    The tall, blue eyed brunette swung away and strode purposefully towards her trenches and the sound of steady digging. Behind her, Terrance watched her go, exasperated but determined. Professor Serenity Neville was a good leader, confident but not arrogant, approachable and kind, yet firm when push comes to shove. She was efficient and always got the job done, no matter what obstacles she encountered. She always found a way. On the rare occasion she lost her temper, she was like a fierce lioness. She was a damn good boss and someone worth having as a friend. Not that she had many Terrace mused.


    Though popular, Serenity didn''t socialise much. She put a lot of her life into her work, which was one of the reasons she was so good at it. Her love of history, inherited from her father, had become her focus early on. Comfortable only in small groups and work orientated, she never really engaged in personal relationships. Despite all her fine attributes, she never seemed to apply them to a romantic relationship and the few she had ventured into ended very quickly, usually with him heart broken and Serenity feeling contentedly amicable and oblivious to the fact that only she had come out of it unscathed. The fact that she had no clue how lovely she was and her effect on the opposite sex didn''t help matters.


    Sighing, Serenity briefly contemplated her conversation with her old colleague. Not much of an archaeologist, though his knowledge of history was as good as hers, Terrance was more of an agent, promoting digs and staff, gathering funds, networking, organising and generally a driving force. He loved history as much as the rest of them but he disliked getting dirty himself in the trenches. Charismatic, charming and likable, he was very good at his job but because of that, Serenity naturally kept him at arm''s length. Still he had always been a good guy and an old family friend. But this request¡­ Serenity frowned. What on earth had possessed him? He had known her longer than most, he should know better. No matter who the sponsor was¡­


    Giving herself a little shake, Serenity focused again on her dig and the progress they were making. Just before Terrance had pulled her away, Trench 3 was showing promising results. She couldn''t wait to get back in there and immerse herself in the hidden history. The puzzles that needed solving, the secrets waiting to be uncovered. Gathering knowledge about people who had lived hundreds of years ago. Discovering all that was lost. Realising what we have gained¡­ She could lose herself for hours in those trenches. Grabbing her tool kit and re-tying her long cascading hair so it wouldn''t interfere as she worked, Serenity stepped down into Trench 3 grinning and, within minutes, was lost in the scraping of her trowel over the earth.


    ***


    The sun was almost hidden when Serenity finally looked up from her digging and, leisurely stretching out her stiff limbs, she took her first good look around all afternoon. Most of her workers had already called it a day but a few of her long-time friends had stuck around, knowing her propensity to lose herself, and all track of time, in her work. Appreciating their dedication and friendship, she gave them a tired but happy smile and took the proffered hand that waited to help her climb out of the trench.


    "Did you have a good day boss?" Sam smiled as he pulled her up.


    A quiet man, but with presence, he never said much. When he did, it was always worth listening to. His glasses glinted in the fading light, briefly obscuring his eyes. He only wore them when digging because "contacts were a pain when you''re hands are constantly covered in dirt".The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Thanks Sam. Great day.¡± A small frown crinkled her brow. ¡°Well, apart from Terrance''s visit¡­"


    Her friends passed significant looks in a telling silence. They all knew that, normally, she got on with Terrance, so there was only one thing he could have done to invoke her ire. And they all knew that the relentless Terrance and stubborn Serenity wouldn''t settle this quickly.


    "Don''t tell me he wants you to head a dig in the UK? He should know better than that!"


    Beth, a short, spunky red head with lots of energy but the good sense to go with it, was right. Although Serenity was one of the best archaeologists of her time, she had a few quirks. One of which was that she never took jobs in her home nation, the UK. No one really knew why, only that, for as long as they had known her, she refused to physically work on digs in the UK. Despite that fact that her knowledge of the islands'' history was superb and she frequently analysed and handled UK artefacts from all eras of history, but she just wouldn''t dig there. Over the years, her friends had learnt not to question it too much¡­


    Walking into the main tent, Serenity was satisfied to see all her workers were well fed and winding down for the night. As she moved to the food area, she greeted her workers and, casually walking from table to table, exchanged words about their day. Her good mood and the days progress was palatable around the tent and she smiled contentedly. Until Serenity spotted Terrance in the corner quietly reading an archaeological paper while drinking tea from a thermos. Shopping dead, Serenity squeezed her fist trying to remain calm as her good mood rapidly dimmed as her temper began to fray. He knew, they all knew, that she would not take this job so WHY was he still here? What more could he have to say? Taking a deep breath, Serenity turned away and grabbed her food. She was tired and needed the energy and some rest. Soon.


    Letting out a calming breath, she forced her hands to relax and turned to collect her food and find her seat. But throughout her meal, no matter how much she tried to focus on the good work of her dig, her mind and eyes kept straying back to Terrance and the reason for his visit. What could be so important that he would risk irritating, and possibly angering, her? They were good friends and she didn¡¯t want a fracture between them but she just couldn¡¯t deal with this.


    I wonder who the sponsor is. It could be an iron age dig, those were popular, or Roman. Novices always love the Roman digs. They think it''s glamorous, sophisticated¡­ civilised. Yeah right. What if it was from the dark ages? Surely she would have heard if something that important had been discovered. None of my sources have mentioned a dark age dig in the UK, just the normal archaeological scene.


    While Serenity pondered and mused, the tent had begun to empty as archaeologists and volunteers sought their well-earned beds. Before long only five people were left in the tent, Serenity, Terrance, Sam, Beth and a very hungry young volunteer named Wick. Knowing she had to deal with this sooner or later, Serenity quietly got up and headed to the corner of the tent, cup of tea in hand.


    "Did you miss your transport Terrance?"


    Looking up from his papers, Terrance smiled knowing she didn''t mean anything by her comment and indicated the chair across from him.


    "Would you like to take a seat Serenity? We have a lot to talk about."


    "No we don''t Terrance. Why did you bring this to me? You know me better than most, I will not work in the U-"


    "Your father is working on this dig. He requested you¡­"


    Serenity was silent. Stunned. Her gaze drifted, clouded by memories. She could remember her father showing her his digs when she was a child, quizzing her on her history, hours spent in the museums together.


    "Dad and I never work together¡­" She suddenly snapped her gaze back to Terrance. "What is going on Terrance? What is this dig?"


    "I can''t tell you"


    He looked incredibly uncomfortable. And so he should! He was asking her to go against all her instincts, her principles, to work with a family member (a logistical nightmare) and put her reputation on the line on a dig she knew NOTHING about.


    "You want me to take a job without knowing a thing about it? I wouldn''t do that normally not to mention a UK dig. How am I supposed to prepare, research, gather qualified workers and materials? This is madness Terrance. No. I just can''t."


    "I know this is difficult for you Serenity but this is important. And not just for archaeology. Look, we know you won¡¯t talk about it but you can¡¯t spend the rest of your life and career avoiding your home. I don¡¯t know what he means, but your father said this could be the opportunity for you to finally lay to rest the shadows of your childhood¡­ Besides, I was told not to come back without you."


    The silence between them was heavy, but not uncomfortable. Terrance''s words unsettled Serenity and she struggled to know her own mind. When it was obvious that their conversation would not continue, Terrance collected his papers and stood.


    "I have secured a tent for the duration of my stay. Take a few nights to think it over." He placed a hand on her shoulder. " I hope, whatever you decide, you will be at peace Serenity. No matter what, I¡¯ll always be youth friend."


    And with that, he left the tent.


    Serenity stood, now alone in the main tent, silhouetted against the setting sun. She remained, transfixed, lost in a sea of memories with Terrance''s words echoing over and over in her. Shadows. Would she never escape them? Perhaps? No... but what if? ¡­Perhaps this was her chance¡­


    Serenity finally roused herself from her mind wondering. She was too tired to deal with this now. She rubbed her gritty eyes and headed to her private tent. She would sleep and see what the dawn would bring.


    Unnoticed, from the darkness, grey eyes intently watched her leave the main tent and disappear into the night. They would watch over her, just as they had once watched her before.

 2. Dreams

    Serenity moved around the site like a whirling dervish as her team tried to keep up. The whole time, she never stopped talking


    ¡°And don¡¯t neglect the older methods, we need to use all the tools in our repertoire for this site. I know some of the team are tempted to rely heavily on the tech. And don¡¯t forget to regularly check in with the security team concerning the status of the No Tech radicalists. They keep moving closer. Oh! The engineers said the satellite system is fixed up now and they did an upgrade of some of the software so it should be more reliable now. Please make sure you upload the daily updates as well as the monthly reports and phone me if you find anything¡­¡±


    Beth and Sam share amused looks. Beth laughed as she caught hold of Serenitys arm and swung her around so she could look into her face.


    ¡°Serenity relax. You can trust us we know exactly how you like things to be done. And the dig will be wrapping up in two weeks anyway. Trust us.¡±


    Baths sweet face grinned reassuringly and Serenity sighed out her stress, relaxing a little under her friends reassurance.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Beth. Sam. I do trust you, you know that. I¡¯m just being silly.¡±


    ¡°We know hun. We¡¯re so proud of you for deciding to do this. We¡¯ll join you as soon as this dig is wrapped up.¡± Beth enthused.


    Sam, characteristically quiet, smiled knowingly. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re both dyeing to know what this huge secret is.¡±


    The three laughed together and Beth pulled them all into a quick hug. Serenity loved her friends and was so thankful and happy to have them. Sam produced her luggage from now where that she had packed last night and left in her tent. She smiled her thanks and turned to her transport while her friends waited to wave her off.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget that everyone needs to submit their private tablets for records update on the last day.¡±


    Sam and Beth exclaimed in unison. ¡°Yes now go!¡±


    Serenity laughed and climbed into the transport that would take her to the Solar Vapor plane. Waving she watched until her friends were out of site.


    ***


    Since the signing of the Paris agreement in 2016, the great world leaders had made great strides towards cleaning up the beautiful blue planet. The greatest achievement was the development of a vast array of clean energy technologies. The Soar Vapour plane was one of the most popular of them, clean fast and able to stay in the air for indefinite periods thanks to utilisation of moisture in the high altitudes. It also made sure that the journey was quiet. So quite that now, aboard the plane back home, Serenity hadnothing to distract her from her own thoughts. Feeling anxious and on edge... Serenity irritation was directed at the man sitting next to her. Although it really wasn''t his fault.


    She had decided to accept the job despite the fact that it was in the UK. And she knew nothing about it¡­ not even a quick call to her father could reveal the era of this oh-so important dig let alone it''s locale. That was another reason to be annoyed. She loved her dad but they had never worked together before. Doing so now was¡­ unsettling.


    "Sigh, no use worrying about it. I''ll just deal with it when I get there."


    Talking to oneself was never a good sign. And Serenity was feeling tired. It had been a rush to get all the necessary personnel and procedures in place at her Cyprus dig before her very early flight. Two days was not enough time and Serenity had hardly slept to get everything ready. Not only was she, the head archaeologist and dig co-ordinator, leaving but Beth her very experienced dig supervisor, was coming with her. Thank goodness Sam, her equally experienced but less sociable supervisor, was staying behind. She trusted him to do a good job and handle any unexpected obstacles, but she was leaving him shorthanded and she didn¡¯t like it¡­


    Serenity liked to think of herself as a strong person. Someone who faced issues and dealt with them, but as she sat on the plan heading towards her home, she had to acknowledge that she had run away. She wasn¡¯t as strong as she thought she was. When she got out of university and offered some dig experience in Finland with her professors colleague, she jumped at the chance. It was only after her arrival that she realised she didn¡¯t see the shapes any more. Okay, she still dreamed about them, but they didn¡¯t haunt her mornings anymore. The relief was¡­ overwhelming. She just wanted a break from the stress, but each time she moved to a new dig, in a new country and the shadows were absent, it became harder and harder to face the reality of them at home. But now she had no choice. She had to face her nightmares.


    Yawning, Serenity tried to settle in as the plane accelerated quietly into flight. Not only had she slept little, but what miniscule sleep she did get was plagued with unsettling dreams that had not experienced for a long time:


    All was black as night, like she was blindfolded. She was frozen in place, waiting for her eyes to encounter any hint of light or an echo of sound. Slowly, the blackness seemed less black. She peered into the dimness and light filtered in and out as the sounds of a battle reached her. She was assaulted by the cacophony of shouted ordered over screams and the clashing of metal. Fast on its heels the images rushed at her like a charging cavalry. She was in the middle of a field and men at battle stretched in all directions for acres. The once green lush grass was now a muddy plain, scarred and gouged and tinted with blood. Gore-covered men wielded sword and shields, the horribly wounded reached for help and the eerily still and silent dead leapt out at her in contrast to the surrounding chaos. Everywhere she looked the horrors of war that no words can convey invaded her mind giving her no reprieve. Desperately she tried to cover her ears, close her eyes but still she could not escape. Just when she felt she could no longer take it, silence pervaded¡­ opening her eyes slowly, she found them all just looking right at her, accusing, pleading. Her mouth went dry. "What do you want? Why me? WHY??". At the sound of her voice, the dead, the soldiers and the wounded, all still staring right at her reached out their hands. Hoarse whispers more penetrating that any shout bombarded her continuously. A unified voice engulfed her, "Help us, save us, save us, HELP US!"


    Serenity sprang awake with a gasp. The familiar nightmare still buzzing in her mind began to recede. Looking around, she saw the cabin of the plane and a concerned stewardess hovering over her. Terrance was oblivious and Beth slept on in the next seat. Reassuring the stewardess, she tried to settle again but her mind was in turmoil.


    Why had her childhood nightmares suddenly returned with a vengeance? The horrors she had endured every night as a child, that she thought she had been freed from, had returned weeks before Terrance arrived, relentlessly hounding her worse than ever before. Was this dig worth it? No answers were guaranteed and if her nightmares were any indication, this would just drag up all her hidden horrors. Her fears. A shiver of apprehension rippled through her. She didn¡¯t want to do this. But the decision was made... She had her responsibilities now and, no matter what was to come, she would face it bravely.


    ***


    The seatbelt light pinged on and the plane began it''s decent. Apart from the dreams, it have been a smooth flight. On the ground, as she waited hopefully for her luggage to appear, Serenity was met by her father and three suited men. The formal attire and serious look on her father''s face told her that he was here in a professional capacity. That explained why Mum wasn¡¯t about, she usually left them to it when it came to their work. Or she could still be in Africa, Serenity couldn¡¯t quite remember when she was due back. Or what day it was for that matter.


    That must also mean that one of the stiff looking men was the enthusiastic sponsor that fought so hard to get her here. Terrance appeared beside her, probably to make sure she was being good.


    "And now, I think we can expect some answers. That is our sponsor with your father, Sir Andrew Robinson. Apparently his grandfather was quite the archaeology enthusiast. Set up his own team and made a TV programme out of digging different sites in just days¡­ Bit eccentric if you ask me, and the grandson is said to be just the same."


    "Really? You wouldn''t think so by looking at him. You know, that programme did a lot to reignite the enthusiasm of the public for archaeology. It¡¯s good to have passion but I hope he won''t be interfering too much in the dig. We have to practice good archaeology, follow procedure and have good judgement while still being sensitive to the site." Serenity sighed. "Well. We¡¯ll deal with what we get there. Into the breach."


    They headed towards the waiting men, luggage now safely in hand having appeared stealthily while she wasn¡¯t looking. She was so glad they passed the legislation limiting mechanical labour and favouring human employment. People really began to value employment when the mechanical labour crisis hit. It¡¯s a shame the legislation wasn¡¯t enforced on the southern hemisphere.


    The tallest of the three unknown men stepped forward to meet them and extended his hand. His eyes seemed to pierce through her as they closed the distance. Momentarily stunned, Serenity steps faltered and Terrance stepped forward first to meet, who she assumed was, the famous¡­


    "Andrew Robinson. I am so glad to finally meet you Professor Neville. I am so glad you decided to accept my offer. I''m looking forward to working closely with you."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Belatedly shaking his hand, Serenity arched her brow.


    "Oh, it was an offer? You, Sir Andrew, are relentless, I doubt you would accept a no from anyone. Never mind, I look forward to what this dig has to offer. Do you wish to begin today?"


    Sir Andrew looked mildly surprised. Terrance seemed to stiffen waiting for the offended sponsor to throw a fit. Serenity half hoped he would, but now that she was actually here, she was beginning to feel excited about this highly secret dig. Half a heartbeat passed and Sir Andrew suddenly grinned widely and chuckled. Everyone, including her father, seemed relieved and a little non-plussed.


    ¡°I like you Professor. We¡¯re going to get along well, I can tell.¡±


    Sir Andrew lead them to a group of waiting cars which took them directly to the dig site. As they pulled up to a giant tent, Serenity got a sense of the size of this dig and how important it was. Inside the tent, small groups occupied the different areas.


    One area was filled with a colossal table covered in maps and geo-phys print outs. There was a large finds area where artefacts were cleaned and catalogued, a social area with comfortable seating. Large screens connected to an ocean of wires occupied one end of the tent and several people watched live video feeds. Terrance and Beth were awed by this display of resources but Serenity still felt uneasy. This dig, or digs if the screens were any indication, scared her. She didn''t know if she could handle what she would find.


    "I hope you like out main tent, there are separate tents for the kitchen and sleeping areas but everything else will be done in here. I want to be able to pool everyone''s ideas and contribution to get a real picture of these sites. And it helps to keep an eye on everyone too. Until the dig is finished, I don''t want any information leaked."


    It was the first time Serenity had seen their sponsor be anything but jovial. Why was this dig so important? Turning her attention back to her facilities she began the run down.


    "Thank you Sir Andrew. The facilities are fine. Can we talk about staffing and the running of the dig. I hadn''t realised you wished to connect to other sites, so I''ll have to change my structuring slightly. I''ll put a main team at each site, people I trust who are competent, and I want to meet with them every other day. I''ll also need to visit each site before we start digging. Where are they?"


    "Buckinghamshire, Colchester and Durham"


    "Wide range there. Right, first things first what staff do you have in place? I have some suggestions."


    Aa she rolled up her sleeves and dove into the work before her, Serenity didn¡¯t see the relieved and satisfied smiles on the faces around her.


    ***


    The dig was progressing nicely. Wonderful archaeology and evidence of large settlements never before recorded. Serenity had even been able to forget her fears and enjoy her work. Not that she had much time for sleep anyway. Overseeing the many sites left her less time in the trenches but she got first dibs on all the new finds. Everything was going so well, even working with her father was proving to be less awkward than she had imagined. And so inspiring. He had so much experience and insight.


    The only mar was the slightly over enthusiastic Sir Andrew. He had insisted on a few conditions when she agreed to take the job. She had free reign on structuring and running the dig but he had to be updated daily and would often make unannounced visits at his convenience. Thank goodness she had Beth with her. She handled people much better than Serenity could. Still, often, she had to send Beth to the other sites to manage and oversee the work leaving her the joy of public relations. She missed digging.


    Serenity was in Trench seven (for once) at the main sight. As usual, she was losing herself in the scraping and brushing, inch my inch, clearing each square she mentally mapped out. Happily working away she noticed in the very corner of her square a smooth surface. A shout from Trench five distracted her attention and before she could get out of the trench, Beth, acting as her assistant, ran over.


    "Boss. We''ve found something in Trench five. It isn''t normal. Looks important."


    Serenity and Beth jogged together towards the commotion. A crowd had gathered on the edges of the trench and one of her main team, Sandy, was kneeling in it just staring. As Serenity approached, she noticed the unusual quiet of the crowd. The atmosphere was tense and sombre, and then Serenity saw why.


    In the 12x6 metre trench, as she looked down on it, were skeletons. Dozens of them. They were piled up so thick that no one could distinguish one set of bones from the next. Only the skulls gave them an idea of the number in the trench. Looking more closely at the bones, it was clear there were both adult and juvenile bones. Some had grooves cut into them and skulls were crushed or sliced. Everyone here were professional archaeologists, no volunteers this time, but even they could not detach themselves from the obvious situation they had uncovered. So much life lost.


    Serenity began to recover from the¡­ what they had found. History was definitely more real with this job. Sometimes too real. A slow cold spread through her body and a bad feeling twisted the pit of her stomach. She tried to breathe normally and slip back into her professional skin¡­ but another shout from trench two was heard¡­


    ¡°I need to call the police.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What are we looking at Beth?¡±


    Beth rubbed her face and rested her hand on her knees. They were all working overtime now that the site was cleared by the authorities.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Serenity. It¡¯s only been a couple of hours. Whatever it is, it¡¯s gonna change our history. It doesn¡¯t fit into the known timeline.¡±


    It had taken the police a relatively short time to confirm that the bones weren¡¯t modern, although they were so close to the surface. A few hours after they had got back access, it was clear what they had found but not why it was here.


    It was a mass grave, several mass graves. And not just at the main site, similar graves had been found at every dig. Some were mass graves for Anglo-Saxons and some Normans and some both. They were a mix of what looked like villagers of all ages and solely men of fighting ages. Andrew was having conniptions.


    There seemed to be no consistency between the sites except that over a hundred bodies were found at each site and they all dated to the same time frame. Although the test could not be so accurate, Serenity felt that they had occurred within years of each other. Coinage and other artefacts were beginning to point towards her hunch. One thing had been established, these graves were not a part of the 1066 invasion. It happened around a decade later and the locations were all wrong. Why were they still fighting? All records indicated that there were no major uprisings or battles in this area at this time. The Norman control on the land and the people was too strong¡­


    Standing in front of the live feeds, Serenity watched as the skeletons continued to be uncovered and recorded. This was it. This was what she was supposed to find. This was why she was here. But why? What could have happened to these people that the effects were still felt almost a millennium later? And why did this all feel so¡­ personal? Ever since Terrance had turned up at her Cyprus dig, this had all felt¡­ inevitable.


    The ringing of her private line interrupted her thoughts. Picking it up she saw Sam''s number flash on the screen. Sam? She''d had the regular reports from Cyprus so this was unusual. She hoped nothing had gone wrong.


    "Hello? Everything alright Sam?"


    "¡­ Serenity. We have a problem here. One of the volunteers has gone missing. No one''s seen him since just after you left¡­ and there are some things missing from the dig and your tent. But all his stuff is still here. The local authorities think he was smuggling artefacts and something went wrong."


    "¡­ Who was he? And how badly was the dig compromised? Have you smoothed things over with the sponsors or do you need me to talk to them?"


    "No we had almost finished the dig so not much was taken and the sponsors have been understanding. Mostly, they are concerned about us, apparently the smugglers can be quite reckless around here.¡±


    "What about the crew, is everyone alright?"


    "We''re a little shaken but we''re all fine. It¡¯s not the first time there have been unscrupulous people in the team. Especially with large digs. Once the authorities let us go, we''ll head back to the UK. Do you still want us to join you on your new dig?"


    "If everyone feels up to it, I''d like the support and it might help them to keep busy. But if anyone doesn''t feel up to it, they can go home. We don''t need distractions on this job, it''s too big and¡­"


    Serenity sighed, suddenly feeling breathless.


    "What is it Tee?"


    "There¡¯s something strange here Sam. I feel¡­ uneasy. Maybe even a little scared."


    "Are you sure it''s the dig? It could just be the fact you''re back in the UK."


    Serenity was pacing slowly.


    "No Sam, it''s this dig. Wait ''till you get here, you won''t believe what we¡¯ve found."


    "I''m coming Boss. Just don''t do anything drastic till I get there. You always have all the fun."


    Serenity smiled the first genuine smile since she left Cyprus.


    "Whatever you say Sam. I''ll be good. Keep me updated and let me know when you''re due to arrive. I''ll have you and the crew picked up."


    "Okay boss, talk soon."


    Serenity hung up. Knowing Sam was on his way felt reassuring. But the problems in Cyprus were nagging at her. It was unusual. Hopefully it was finished and wouldn''t go any further. She''d have to tighten up her volunteer screening and security for all her sights here. Damn!! Sam never said which volunteer had gone missing. Despite what he''d done, Serenity hoped he was okay.


    ***


    Two days later and Serenity still felt uneasy. Sam was due in tomorrow, thankfully. It would feel good to have her top team back together. Beth and Sam were her right hand men. She and Sam had worked together since they had left university and they made a good team but with Beth, they were great. She helped round out their skills and made sure they were never too serious. It helped that she had the social skills lacking in Sam and herself.


    Serenity had sat in front of her computer since finishing supper, trying to summarise the entire dig across all locations. She also had to co-ordinate the next few weeks of work, organise supplies and wages and check up on the preservation teams. Sir Andrew needed to be consulted about transporting the finds to the appropriate museums, and he had mentioned something about an important visit from an expert.


    Serenity stretched and sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. Taking a break was a good idea. She needed to stretch her legs, being in charge of a dig like this meant more responsibility and less time in the trenches. Thank goodness for Beth, she made the days bearable. Reliable, competent and hands on, she coped well both in and out of the trenches.


    ***


    Lying awake in her bed, Serenity was chaffing from a lack of dig time. And the dreams¡­ They were almost constant now. But something had changed. Among the shouts, battle sounds and pleas, three silhouettes stood at the centre of the chaos, waiting. Three enemies silent and still. One was like a void, a shell that felt dark and corrupt. It acted like crude oil seeming to engulf her in its inescapable slick grasp. She felt like those sea birds caught in oil spills, unable to breathe or fly away. But the other two were different, they repelled the oil-like darkness. Not completely but enough. They protected her. Suddenly, the three enemies clashed, entangled together but not merging, still distinct before flinging apart and, out of nowhere, surrounding her. All stilled and the silence pierced her ears, all battle stopped and again all seemed to watch her. As if waiting for her choice. What choice? What do they want? Rousing herself from her memories and dreams, Serenity shook her head and stood.


    Taking advantage of the good weather, Serenity left her private tent and headed towards the trenches. The sky was clear and, out here in the country, the stars shone bright. It was so quiet, she felt totally alone, peaceful. How odd. She hadn''t felt a moment of peace since arriving. It was a nice change. Serenity headed towards trench 17, a remote area of the dig that had security cameras and motion sensors to protect it. Sir Andrew had provided his own security men and equipment to guard all the dig sites, so thankfully that was one area she didn''t have to deal with. Though having to be ID''ed every time she moved sight was a pain. She honestly loved archaeology but the bureaucracy of it all was¡­


    Reaching the trench, she lay down on her stomach to look over the side, giving a little wave to the hidden security camera. Although she was technically a scientist, she was also a bit of a dreamer. She watched the shadows play in the trench and imagined this place all those years ago, the people, the houses, the pottery, coming and going. Sometimes, she wished she could live in those simpler times, when they lived life.


    When life was about working with the land, helping one another as a community and horses. Everywhere there were horses instead of polluting airplanes and cars. As long as the health care improved a little, she would love to have lived in history. As the clouds moved, the moonlight shone into the trench, illuminating the progress of the dig. It was coming along nicely.


    Laying her head on her arms she lowered her eyelids to squint at the shapes. She hoped to spot a pattern or shape emerging from the dirt. But she only saw¡­ a glint. Was that right? Something glinted in the moonlight. She knew she shouldn''t reach for it, it had to be recorded and lifted with care but, at that moment the world narrowed.


    She could see only that glint, think only of holding it. It was so important, that little object. It was ridiculous, she didn''t even know what it was yet she needed to hold it. It all happened in slow motion, her hand reached out and her fingers brushed against the shine. It seemed to come loose from the dirt so easily. Kneeling up from the ground, eyes fixed on her fist, she opened her hand and brought it close to her face to inspect.


    A ring. It was a small ring, so unique, like nothing she had ever seen before. It looked old¡­ and new, like she was seeing two rings. Two¡­ times. And then everything began to dim. The loudest ringing assaulted her ears. And it brought pain. She began to shake and the world tipped towards her¡­

 3. From Dreams to Reality

    Serenity struggled awake slowly, helped by the loud, persistent ringing in her ears. What happened? Did I faint? Surely not. Despite working hard to complete this irksome dig as fast as possible, I made sure to eat enough and get adequate sleep. Well as much as those nightmares will let me. I remember being in my tent on the computer but then¡­


    Her head spun. The ringing in her ears was receding but looking around, nothing looked right. Where were the tents, the staff, the trenches? She hadn¡¯t sleepwalked off the dig site had she? Looking around again, the dizziness increased and her vision blurred. Why was it so misty?


    Suddenly, her ears stopped ringing with a small pop and she blinked. There was a moment of quiet before a roaring filled her ears and a cacophony of sound exploded, crashing into her awareness. Serenity realised the ringing in her head had been blocking everything out. It sounded like children on a sugar high, screaming at the top of their lungs let loose in a kitchen full of pots and pans. The peal of metal on metal harsh on her poor ears.


    It occurred to Serenity she was on the ground so she pulled herself up on rather shaky legs, only to find herself in a deserted field with bright blue skies and a distant mist. What? Where am I? this doesn¡¯t look like any of my dig sites. A particularly load clash startled Serenity and, in a confused daze, she stumbled up a hill, slowly and reluctantly towards the sounds. Her nightmares. It was all from her nightmares, the sounds, the scenery¡­ the mist. Maybe she was still dreaming.


    At the crest of the hill, the scene that greeted her was horrifying. Adrenaline spiked through her system as panic flooded her. She swallowed the high pitch scream tearing at her throat and fell to her knees hand covering her mouth.


    She looked upon what looked like the remains of a medieval, half a dozen small huts hemmed by an expansive forest to the East. But the huts were ablaze and the people, all the people men, women and children, lay slaughtered, slashed and bloodied. No longer people but empty voids staring out at a world they no longer belonged to nor registered. The dead, the dying and those still being cut down assaulted her with the stench of blood, gore and death. The tears that filled her eyes mercifully blurred the detail but they could not block the smells and the sounds that still sought out and haunted her. Wake up¡­ please. Wake. Up.


    Several well armoured men milled among the destruction. One particularly tall man still fought his target. As she focused again on the scene before her, she was filled with a white hot anger that built within her. Enough. No more. Whatever the blazes this was, she would not be subject to this anymore. The horror and anger erupted from her in a scream.


    "NO. STOP THIS. STOOOOP!!!"


    She did not even register that she spoke in French. Her anger and desperation to save someone, anyone, gave her strength. She got to her feet she flung herself towards the tall solider and the man he battled with. They must have noticed her for they both stilled momentarily, giving her the opportunity to run pull pelt into the tall solider with all her strength. He barely budged. Sword still poised to strike, his steel arm wrapped around her before she could react. She looked up into glazed vacant eyes.


    His face was pale under his weathered tan and sweat and dirt marred his brow. Serenity was momentarily stunned by his eyes before realising she was at his mercy. Hands balled on his chest she could do nothing but desperately plea.


    "Stop please! They¡¯re only children. It¡¯s over now, it¡¯s finished. Please!"


    His muscles trembled with tension under her hands, his breathing heavy and ragged. As she stared, his blue eyes seemed to spark to life and focus on her¡­


    ***


    Robert de Montford looked down into wild, desperately wide eyes as he struggled to shake off the battle rage. Blinking and trying to focus, he found himself in the middle of a scene of mayhem. He held a tall striking young woman in one arm as she frantically searched his face, demanding answers. What had she said, children? There weren''t supposed to be children here, this was a rebels camp. Some men still fought the Kings right to rule even after so many years and often formed these bands to try and rout the Norman nobles and servants, anyone who had Norman blood. They were killers so why¡­?.


    Looking around again, things seemed to be blurry, he had trouble focusing. And then he registered the bodies of women and children. Bloody and broken. They shouldn¡¯t be here. Suddenly he felt sickened. Indeed, what had he done? How had this happened? Their information had always been reliable. Looking around again, he noticed his men also seemed to finally register their surroundings. It was his fault, they were his men and because of him, they would always carry this shame. This terrible burden. As would he.


    An icy malevolent finger traced down Robert spine as he felt a gaze fix on him. Whipping his head to look towards the tree line he saw nothing. That wasn''t right. Something wasn''t right here. He turned his attention back to his men. They were confused and horrified, some beginning to tremble. Robert knew how they felt, he needed to regain control quickly.


    "Lieutenant, send a scouting party to the forest. Don''t go too far in and be back before two notches of the candle. Hawkin, organise the men and begin the clean-up. Give the women and children decent burials. Check the settlement for valuables or information, I want an inventory made. Bring any survivors to me."


    His men went about carrying our his orders, more settled now with something to do. The sound of quiet sobbing brought his attention back to the women still caught in his arms, staring up at him and the sword in his hand. He had thought that she was the one weeping but, though her face was tearstained and her eyes moist, she did not make a sound. Suddenly, she turned her head away, relieving him of that piercing stare and rushed out of his hold towards a few bodies where the sound was coming from. He was still too stunned to stop her, she shouldn''t be here. She felt¡­ out of place somehow.


    Following, he watched as she gingerly rolled the bodies of two women aside, placing two fingers to their necks before turning away to give her attention to the source of the sobbing. A small boy, maybe five years old, lay curled up in a ball, sobbing quietly, hands covering his face and head. The woman gently lifted the boy in her thin arms and, inattentive of the gore covering him, cradled him to her as she whispered and rocked him. The sobbing gradually stopped and yet, she continued to hold him. Eventually, she looked up at Robert. He expected her to be accusing, but instead he found only sadness and questions in her eyes. What had happened here? Robert had no answers for her. They had done something terrible, something they could never make up for, something that should never have happened. And he was going to find out why.


    ***


    This all felt so real that Serenity couldn¡¯t just observe, she had to do something. So when she heard a child¡¯s cry, she just acted. Rocking him in her arms, she didn¡¯t know how to console him. He had witnessed such terrible things, he may never recover. All she could do was care for him, tend his wounds, feed him and hope that one day, this horrid day would not haunt him. Perhaps he would not remember. The mind is good at protecting itself.


    After a time, he fell into an exhausted doze. Serenity looked around her and saw that the clean-up had already begun. To her surprise, the soldiers treated the dead with care and respect. The looks in their eyes told her they were just as haunted by this as she was. Even her soldier, who had issued commands, looked haggard and stunned and he worked alongside his men. Yet, if they felt this way, why had they done this? Watching, she saw their sorrow and stunned awkwardness. She couldn¡¯t get the image of a pair of cornflower blue eyes from her mind.


    Serenity stood stiffly. She couldn¡¯t just sit here and do nothing. She felt numb, shock maybe. With a brief glance around, she began checking for survivors and tending the wounded. Answers could be had later, right now, she needed to do whatever she could. She set about ripping up whatever clean clothes she could find, she walked to the small fire someone had started. Water was boiling she poured some into a separate pot and dropped in the rags.


    Wounded soldiers and a scattering of villagers lined the ground in the makeshift camp, so she retrieved the boy and lay him close to the fire to warm before beginning the bloody work of nursing. Her first aid skills and in depth knowledge of biology and the human body helped her save as many as possible. She worked in silence beside the surgeon, or what passed for one here, and prayed this was just another dream. But the numb coldness in her finger and toes and the grime and sweat on her body felt all too real. What horror had she found? A shiver raced down her spine and an awareness, ancient yet still familiar, settled on her mind, quiet but very present. Somehow, this was real and she had to deal with it¡­


    ***


    Robert took in his surroundings, dazed. The scouting party had returned with little to tell, quietly joining their fellow soldiers in digging the mass graves. It took hours but, as twilight neared, the area was finally cleared, the dead safely laid to rest. Cold graves gaped open, awaiting the dirt and peace.


    Robert looked and saw but couldn¡¯t understand. This was not war, this was not his wish. Why? The women had drawn his eyes again and again as she worked with his men. She held the child even now, and had been within sight of him since they had met. Who was she? Where had she come from? Perhaps she was his angel, sent to guide his path. She had certainly saved them from further horrors today.


    As the sun sunk closer and closer to the horizon, each man gathered around the grave. His heart ached for them and the dead. Robert prayed in silence for forgiveness and for everything that had been lost today, the villagers and his men. A voice rose into the cold dark night, beautiful, sweet and soft. She sang in a strange tongue.


    The Lament of War


    Weep for what you see


    Weep for what was doneYou might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Weep for what you have lost


    And weep when others are done


    Forget not these few who are lost


    Who died in horror and pain


    And always remember that war


    Is nothing but foolish and vain


    You fight to defend your families


    You fight to protect yourself


    But the truth is we fight when we¡¯re told to


    For someone else¡¯s power and wealth


    When your weeping is done


    Forgive yourselves for your part


    Learn the lessons or war


    And always keep peace in your heart.


    Though he could not understand it, it was beautiful yet haunting. He felt and no doubt his men felt, the sorrow and anger in her melody. It spoke to him. After a brief silence, he began to sing. An answer of sorts. Him me quickly joined him and soon everyone was singing.


    Mourning Lament


    Our Warriors, our Brothers are lost


    We will mourn them now and forever


    But never as fiercely as now


    Remember


    Our women, our children are lost


    Our past and our future, never


    Will we ever find another?


    Remember


    Mourn with me our loss


    Of hope and past and future


    And remember that, through us


    They will live forever.


    Every man was silent. It was and old lament and each man acknowledged the truth of it today. Oddly enough it was comforting. In the deep silence, Robert vowed to know the truth of what had happened this day.


    ***


    Okay Serenity. Let¡¯s put together what we know. Main tent on the dig. Left laptop and mobile by security monitors. Went to get a hot drink. Blank spot. Woke up in a field. Green everywhere, far off trees, nice weather. No roads or traffic. Bloody battle with swords¡­ Stupid headlong rush into path of man with sword¡­ speaking French¡­ Triage battlefield¡­ funeral where songs in archaic language randomly pop into my head¡­ Sleep on the ground with orphaned little boy¡­ two day horseback journey to castle¡­


    ¡­ uhhhh¡­


    Deeeeep breathes Serenity. Deep breathes.


    Bloody battle with swords. Archaic language. Horseback. Castle¡­ Bloody battle¡­


    It has to be a dream. Historical re-enactment. But they were really dead. Main tent at the sig. Woke up in a field¡­


    Serenity sat on her horse, it¡¯s tether held by her mystery leader, with the orphaned buy sitting in front of her. It was a two day journey back to the castle where these men came from. After the clean-up, they had set out and moved with haste to reach a safe campsite for a night under the stars, followed by a day on horseback. Serenity occupied herself with thinking, riding and looking after the child.


    And glancing at the men around her. One in particular.


    The long journey certainly gave her plenty of time to think herself into circles. She was used to horses, having ridden every weekend since she was a girl, but the long hours were punishing. That, she certainly wasn¡¯t used to. The quiet helped as well. Conversation was almost non-existent. She didn¡¯t blame them, not after what they had been through. And it¡¯s not like she could explain her presence to them, or who she was¡­ or anything really. She didn¡¯t know herself. She knew who she was¡­ but it made no sense. She remembered Cyprus, Terrance, the plane ride, several weeks at the Dig¡­ Oh! It was dark. Did she fall and hit her head? Or someone hit her? Arrrrr it was so frustrating.


    Serenity was startled from her thoughts by the softly spoken words next to her.


    ***


    ¡°Are you well My Lady?¡±


    Robert¡¯s mind was spinning, caught up in images and sounds. What happened? Why? He was a seasoned soldier, he knew death but this¡­ If he continued to think on this he would go mad. So, to distract himself he had turned to the riddle of the woman.


    She started at his question. She too must be wrestling with her thoughts. He was concerned for her, how could one so unused to violence and battle cope with what she had witnessed? Even he and his men were horrified by this¡­ he could not even call it a battle. Her soft voice pulled him from his dark thoughts.


    ¡°In truth My Lord, I am a little confused. And so very tired. I have recently travelled from overseas.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I had heard that the King was finally calling in more of the Nobel families to settle the land. Perhaps you arrived with them? Ah forgive me, I have not introduced myself. Robert de Montford, Duke of Andenburry, commander to the Kings armies. At your service.¡±


    ¡°Greetings My Lord, Serenity Neville at yours.¡±


    Robert was surprised but didn¡¯t show it. She carried the name of a Nobel but her colouring was mixed. He knew of the Neville¡¯s, they were known for their chestnut hair and forest green eyes. Serenity only possessed one. Her hair, mannerisms, mother tongue and family proclaimed her Nobel, yet her ice blue eyes and given name did not fit. And what was she doing alone out here?


    ¡°My Lord, can you tell me, how is the King? And the kingdom, is all safe and prosperous?¡±


    ¡°The King and the Prince of Wales are both in fine spirits. They have finally achieved their goal of obtaining this land after seven long years. And the Prince is due to marry the dead Kings daughter within the year. The people are fairly settled with only a few rebellious pockets. I assure my Lady you are quite safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you my Lord. That is good to hear.¡±


    Robert glanced over and was concerned to see that instead of looking relieved, the Lady had a small frown cranking her brow. He could understand her concern yet why was she unhappy with his news? Did she perhaps sympathise with what he assumed must be the other side of her family?


    Or perhaps she was afraid. Considering what she had witnessed, her could not blame her. Again, Roberts thoughts turned to the recent horror and the mystery of it all. The slow trudge home lapsed once again into silence.


    ***


    Riding into the bailey about 12 hours after breaking camp, the boy in front of her and her hands tied, Serenity again tried to contemplate just what had happened to her. She now had to accept that this was, in some form, real. At least to her. Whether or not she had gone back in time, was in a coma or now living in some sort or trauma induced dream, she was here and she had to deal with it somehow. And it was changing her too. She still remembered everything from her normal life, except what happened after she left her computer¡­ But she also knew things she shouldn''t, like how to sing a lament. And the language and custom of these people. Okay so she couldn''t remember them all the time but she got flashes of them and they sort of¡­ took over her body. Weird.


    As her group came to a stop and the portcullis closed, her immediate situation took precedence. What kind of men had she fallen in with? She felt their shock and sadness at their actions yesterday, yet they had still done it. The night she spent camped with them showed her they were well disciplined and congenial. Lord de Montford only tied her up when they left that morning. And only because they didn¡¯t have time to question her but for her name. After all, she had appeared out of nowhere and didn¡¯t act like someone in her situation should. And they were right to, for all they knew she was a spy or a crazed women out for revenge. Not that she could do much to these large muscled men. She wished they made them like that in her time. Focus Serenity! She had noticed however that last night they were, a little odd. All their pupils were dilated and they would quickly fall into their own world. Lord de Montford was good at pulling them back. They must still be in shock. Or...


    The boy in her arms was another factor, she needed to care for him. They hadn''t been separated since she found him, he wouldn''t leave her and she couldn''t bring herself to let him go yet. She was concerned, he hadn''t spoken since she had found him. On some fundamental level, she knew he was important to her. But she didn''t even look after herself when she was tied at the mercy of these men, all men of this time. Oh this was going to be fun.


    Sir Robert dismounted and came towards her. Lifting her down but leaving the boy on the horse, she felt the tingle of danger up her spine. He looked at her like, assessing her. Taking his dagger from his belt, he closed in.


    "Come, give me your hands. On my word as a Norman Lord, you will not be harmed."


    Norman? Serenity slowly raised her tied arms to him, hands open and up, looking right into his eyes. He paused. Slowly he raised his dagger and cut her bonds. She let her arms drop and released a small sigh.


    Still looking into his eyes, she saw. His eyes. Stepping forward, intent, she cupped his jaw and held his face searching those eyes. He froze but she didn¡¯t notice. She stared into his blue eyes trying to remember how they looked when she first saw him. She was right, they were different now. They weren¡¯t dilated. Her eyes widened in understanding.


    "Your eyes¡­ My Lord, were you yourself when we first met? That is, did you feel different?¡±


    He seemed to pause. Blinking in surprise, he nodded staring back into her eyes with suspicion yet, what she said was true.


    Growling in aggravation Serenity frowned. "I suspect you were drugged¡­ probably in your meal before the battle."


    She looked around. She remembered back to the battle and the aftermath, the stunned, distant behaviour. "They all were.¡±


    Serenity began to pace muttering to herself, unconscious of the men intently watching her, straining to hear her fast, whispered words.


    ¡°Poppy juice? No. wrong effects. Nothing from the Americas would have made it here yet. What hallucinogens are naturally available now? It could be hashish. Came in with the merchants on the trade routes. Small amounts cause a high, euphoria, silliness like your drunk, and hyper-focused. Large amounts can lead to disorientation, restlessness and fear. Even hallucinations. If you¡¯re hallucinating and scared, you might attach people. And if your acting drunk and sent to battle, your judgment is going to me way off. It could fit. But who did this?¡­


    Security must have been tight right before a battle, someone on the inside might have slipped it in the food or wine then left. But why drug your own men? It makes no sense. And why kill a village of innocents? Are they trying to start a war?"


    Serenity stopped, the crinkle of a frown marring her forehead. The question kept bouncing around in her mind. Why? She turned to face the big man again. She still didn''t know his name.


    "This wasn¡¯t your fault, not entirely. I saw you when you realised what had happened. You did not want this. I think¡­ I think you were given drugs, uh, poison. It makes you act differently. You shouldn¡¯t blame yourselves for this. Do you understand? Someone did this to you. Remember what happened, remember these people but don¡¯t blame yourselves. Find who did this and why and make sure it never happens again."


    When he nodded again, in a daze, she nodded in satisfaction, happier in the knowledge that this man who had her in his control was not at least, a cold blooded murderer. Turning back to the horse she had ridden in on, she held her arms up to the young boy. He looked terrified, like he had finally come out of his shock.


    "Come on little one, let''s get you something to drink."


    Quick as a flash, the boy lashed out and scratched at her arms. She pulled them back, out of range of his flailing but refused to step back. He stilled and again she stretched out her arms to him, smiling gently. This time he kicked out catching her jaw and splitting her lip. Still she kept her arms out to him smiling and pleading him with her eyes. Silence settled on the bailey as the stayed locked in their positions. The only sound was of his rapid, fearful breathing. Serenity could feel the eyes of everyone on them and the tensing of all the soldiers when she was struck. The air was thick, she could sense the danger. The soldiers, still raw from a bad conflict, could snap again at any minute. But she had to stay calm, not show her worry. Maintaining a sense of calm and patience, she simply waited for the boy to trust her. Looking into his eyes, silently telling him over and over again that he was safe. She offered him her protection.


    Watching her, the boy seemed to shudder and his little face crumpled. Falling off the horse and into her arms, wrapping his legs around her hips, he sobbed into her hair. With a sigh of relief she wrapped him in her arms, smiling with tears in her eyes, she rocked him gently.


    "Shhhh, that''s it. Just let it go. Let it all go. You''re safe now, I''ll protect you. You''ll be all right little one."


    She continued to sway with him and, when he had calmed a little, turn and walked slowly but confidently into the main hall of the keep.


    Normans. And Anglo-Saxons. Even though there wasn''t supposed to be open warfare, the treatment of Anglo Saxon and Normans was VERY different. What would happen to the boy? And her looks were much more Anglo-Saxon than Norman, which would most likely put her at a disadvantage. The serf systems was practically slavery, and Serenity couldn¡¯t think of a way to avoid it¡­


    ***


    Robert and everyone else in the bailey were just stunned. What manner of women had found them? Because she had certainly not been among the villagers, he was sure, and she was nothing like them, unlike any other women her had ever met or even heard of. When she had held up her hands to him as he had instructed, his world was lost in her eyes and, momentarily, he had seen her as his lover. Her arms open to receive him, face inviting and gentle. He had to remind himself to breathe. And then when she had grabbed his face so intensely, he was momentarily affronted, he didn''t know what to do. Her steely, searching gaze had unsettled him. She seemed to see right through him into his soul. All that he was, all that he could be seemed to be laid bare to her. And, inexplicably, he desperately wanted her to see the best of him, to think well or him.


    Bahh, nonsense. She was a Halfling and nothing like a proper Norman lady. She wasn''t fit for him¡­ so why did it feel like they fit together perfectly. She had fire and dignity. Honourable and gentle¡­ arrrrrrgh and now she was under his care, he could not, in all honour, touch her. Not when she bared the name of Neville. Besides, she would never touch a maiden. It wasn''t right. Now if only she were a widow¡­ No, no use wishing, he had a colossal mess to deal with and a potential spy in his midst. Who was this vermin who dared to interfere with the Kings business and cause he and his men to lose their honour? It must have something to do with that ominous presence in the forest¡­


    Robert turned sighing and headed into the keep after the most extraordinary women. He beckoned his second and issued orders to have his men disarm and informed of the poisoning. He couldn''t afford to have them lose control while in possession of their weapons. He''d have the reserves checked for poisoning and assigned to guard the keep until his men were free of unnatural influence. And he''d need something strong to keep control of himself. He could not afford to be out of the loop while he recovered. Nor could he lose control in front of her.


    ***


    How could she be here? He thought he had closed his route. Long ago he had accepted he could never touch her light but now it was within his reach, trapped in the hands of those he wished to destroy. Cruel fate kept pushing them together but never within reach. He was tired of only watching, his grey eyes had seen enough. Now it was time to take what he wanted, what he had always wanted and drag her into the darkness with him. She was the flame to his wick, he would burn and consume all around him, and she was his fuel. His reason. Now she was here, their shadow would engulf history and ripple throughout all time.

 4. Echos of History

    Serenity was beginning to panic. She¡¯d gone through adrenaline, dazed numbness, focused, efficient calm and now¡­ What do you do? She had gone from working on her archaeological dig site in England 2067 to the middle of a battle field in¡­ 1067? 1069?, looking after an orphaned boy and trying to handle drugged, traumatised Norman nobles¡­ Okay. Yep, she''d gone crazy.


    No doubt about it. Not only was she living in her nightmares, which felt far too real to contemplate, she was acting recklessly, getting herself as close to being killed as a girl can among well-armed, well trained, drugged soldiers can. And then to top it all off, she was having romantic feelings for the first time ever¡­ for a medieval figment of her imagination¡­ and her captor¡­ Yep, definitely crazy. Even if she could imagine, just imagine, that this was somehow all real, why the blazes did she have to have her first real romantic feelings for man who tied her up, barely talked and killed people for a living? It''s not fair. She wanted to fall in love achievable at least. Someone nice, safe, a secure modern gentleman. Someone who shared her interests and didn''t own acres of land, soldiers, serfs and a very sharp sword!!!


    Serenity sighed. You''ve had your hissy fit, now you have things to take care of, a five year old being the most important at the moment.


    Looking around the large hall she had just entered, she looked for some water for the little one. She walked over to the long wooden table and seated the child next to her. He didn''t want to let go and certainly wouldn''t be wondering far from her side for a while. And who could blame him? He had just survived the destruction of his whole village, seen his mother and presumably sisters killed before him and was now under the power of the man who was responsible. He must be terrified. Poor mite, she''d make sure to keep her promise and keep him safe. For as long as she was here¡­ wherever here is¡­


    Serenity was roused from her contemplations of the reality of dreams and the reality of¡­ reality by the entrance of Lord Robert and two other men whom she recognised from the many soldiers she had encountered at the battle site. They came to stand before her as she sat at the long wooden table with the child on her lap. The big noble knelt down so he was face to face with the boy, who, though scared, bravely looked back into the man''s eyes. He must have seen something there because he relaxed infinitesimally.


    "Child, what is your name?" He waited but when Lord Robert was given no response he gave a little sigh and continued. "Child, I am sorry for what has happened to you and your family. What happened was not our intent, I promise you will be safe under my keeping. I''ll make sure you want for nothing¡­"


    After a further silence with no response, the Norman got up and turned his attention to Serenity, no doubt to begin asking the numerous questions he had brewing within him.Before either of them could speak, the boy spoke so softly into his chest that both closest to him barely heard it.


    "Osgar"


    Pleasantly stunned, Lord Robert smiled down at him and Serenity hugged Osgar closer. It was the first thing he had said since she found him, hopefully the shock was beginning to wear off. He may never again be the same but at least he was not broken beyond healing. Looking up into Lord Roberts smiling face, her own relief evident, Serenity suddenly saw a vision of who this man was, regardless of orders and title, and all that he could be despite them.


    She saw a man who would be the support of his King, who would help build a Kingdom that would endure for centuries. A man who would embody the original meaning of the title gentleman. Protector, warrior, incorruptible, just. A man whose name and house would stand by their kings for generations, making them what they are. A man whose integrity would mean his descendants would abandon a Monarch not worthy. An integrity that would transcend time and wait until they were needed again, to once more be the foundation of progress and all that is right. A man beyond his time¡­


    Blinking, Serenity looked away from the man and the vision and doted on little Osgar. Wisely deciding not to push too far, Lord Robert simply said, "Well met Osgar" before turning once again to her. "My Lady, I would like to talk with you. Would you like to sit by the fire and we can partake of some food while we speak." Nodding her ascent, Serenity stood up with Osgar in her arms and walked the length of the hall with him in pregnant silence. She was not uncomfortable but she had no idea what she would tell him. As little as possible while still telling the truth was her best option she thought. He could fill in the blanks with his assumptions and contemporary knowledge, she wouldn''t correct him unless necessary. Her intuition and that vision made her believe he would do the right thing by her and the child.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    They came to the hearth, which was huge, and Lord Robert indicated her chair. She sat, feeling warm and comfortable and a little sleepy. She waited for him to give out orders and sit opposite her. It was not long before the food had arrived along with small mead and a healer who Lord Robert insisted look at her wounds, most of which were just scratches. Well ministered too, the healer then left and the pair ate in companionable silence¡­ until he asked his first question. The moment of truth, or mostly truth in her case, had arrived.


    ***


    "Where are your kin my Lady? I will do my best to return you to them."


    Serenity took a small sip of the warm mead. She seemed nervous, understandable for a young woman in her position, without family and under the protection of a stranger. A stranger whom she had seen do terrible deeds. Even if those deeds were not truly their own. Robert was not sure if he would ever forget that night. She was to him a salvation. Her presence had prevented worse atrocities, and revealed the danger in their midst. He felt he own her a life debt. She had saved his honour and the honour of his men. He would do all he could for her.


    "Sir Robert, thank you for your offer but I don''t know where my father is, or in fact, where we are He is my only kin in England at this time, I know of no other. But you do not have to care for me, I will not be a burden on you or your people."


    Robert was adamant in his response. "I cannot allow you to be unprotected. You have my protection for as long as you need it. You are no burden. Now, there is a Lord William Neville, close friend to King William. You are not related to him? There are very few Neville''s in this land."


    "I do not know him or if we are related. As I said it''s just my father and I in England. He is the last of his family and my mother''s family¡­" How do you tell a medieval Lord that her only family are hundreds of years away?


    "They reject you? Forgive me but you are not full Norman are you? Your colouring is Norman, beautifully dark, but your height and eyes are Saxon if I''m not mistaken."


    There was a pause in their conversation and Robert feared he had offended his young charge. And she did look so young, vulnerable. And yet, her every action and word showed a maturity he did not expect. She was honourable, responsible¡­ and beautiful. He could not deny it, though the way she acted, it was as if she herself did not know it. Which was ridiculous, anyone could see her attraction.


    "N-no. I''m not sure. I don''t know much about them¡­"


    "Very well. I will inquire for you among the Neville family. They may know of you or your father. He must be worried for you. Now, do you know where you and you father were last, or where you were headed?"


    Robert felt he had skirted the issue long enough. He was burning to know how this surprising you woman had ended up alone in strange garb in the middle of a battle ground. What about her upbringing or people made her so¡­ any other young women who had witnessed what the Lady Serenity had or found herself alone in the world, as she seemed to be, would be hysterical by now.


    "I do not yet know the names of this land well. Do you have a map so I can show you where father and I were. We were staying with an acquaintance of fathers. The last I remember was being in my private room before waking to the sounds of battle in the field¡­ Something is missing, I know there is more¡­"


    Robert watched as she bit her lip with growing frustration. He began to have an idea of what may have happened to her. The fact she could not remember suggested a shock or head injury. This was worrying. Why take a girl and leave her in the middle of nowhere so close to battle unless¡­ unless someone was trying to kill her. Pass her off as one of the fallen. What if her father¡­ no if he was ashamed of her lineage he would have done so long ago. And when Serenity spoke of him he felt warmth in their relationship. No something else was going on here it he suspected it tied in with his experience at the battle and the malevolent feeling from the woods.


    Robert had a map brought and Serenity showed him where she and her father had been, an area to the south he was unfamiliar with, that belonged to a faintly familiar Lord of comfortable wealth and little political ambition. It was unlikely her father or his acquaintance was involved. Robert only hoped her father was unharmed. If Serenity herself was taken so easily, what had become of her guardians?


    ***


    Serenity was agitated. Lord Robert''s questioning was gentle and she had not had to lie to him, thankfully. She suspected he thought foul play was involved, he seemed to become very protective when he looked at her. By the end of his questioning, and reassurances that she would have his protection for as long as she needed it, the hall had filled with his soldiers and the people of his house. She relaxed into her chair watching over Osgar as he slept, tucked up on her lap. Lord Robert excused himself with a murmur and went to his people, promising to return soon. While she waited, Serenity thought back over her dreams and that missing gap before she appeared here. Something about all this pulled at her, as if someone had orchestrated it all, pulling the strings.


    As she thought, the voices around her faded and an icy shiver slowly slide down her spine. She sat up in the chair, her eyes unfocused and her head tilted back to fix on the balcony above them. The hall was silent and her breathing slowed¡­ it was here.


    ***


    He held back a gasp. Wrapped in his shadows he knew no one could see him but she was fixated wholly on his position. Fear and pleasure washed through him at the realisation. They were connected somehow, it was more than he had ever hope for. Soon, she would come to him, she couldn''t help it, their destiny was pulling at them. Together they would tear history apart and re-write it. Whatever had brought them both here had blessed them with this opportunity and he was not going to waste it. She would join him or suffer with them.


    Still gazing at his love and his bane, he glided down to the bailey in silence. It was time to see how far he could go¡­

 5. Castles and Swords

    Serenity awoke feeling warm, comfortable and safe. As she came to awareness, she registered the small body tucked into her and the coolness of her face. Her eyes struggled open and as she looked around, the events of the last 48 hours rushed back. She looked down at little Osgar and decided that whatever was happening, it wasn''t all bad. Trying not to disturb Osgar, she slipped from the bed and shivered in the cold air of the room. Her shakes weren¡¯t just from the cold. Last night, she was frazzled and exhausted and so just dropped off into oblivion. But now, the reality of her predicament was staring her starkly in the face. The images of the battle, particularly, would not stop running through her minds eye.


    Taking a deep breath, Serenity looked around. Knowing her history, she searched for the chamber pot and made use of it... with difficulty. As an archaeologist, she was well versed on how things in history worked, to an extent. However, knowing about such things and having to actually do them were two entirely different experiences. She was going to have to learn quickly. She couldn¡¯t just think of herself though.


    Osgar stirred and Serenity went to him, approaching slowly and calmly so he would not be startled. The child had been through so much and she wanted him to feel safe. When he opened his eyes, the biggest grin spread over his face when he saw her, and her heart melted. How he could be so happy after his ordeal, she didn¡¯t know, but she want it to continued. She sat on the bed and opened her arms. Without hesitation, Osgar shuffled forward and climbed into her lap where he stayed for a while. Both felt content. After their hug, Serenity leaned back and looked into his little face.


    "Osgar, it''s time to get up. The chamber pot is under the bed okay?"


    Osgar nodded and climbed down. Has he went about his business, Serenity looked for something to wear. Though her bed was warm, the room was colder than she expected. She wanted her modern cloths but she couldn''t find them anywhere, and she couldn''t figure out how on earth to get into the dresses of this time alone. Plus, if she was forcedto wear a dress like this, she wanted her thin leggings on underneath. Thank goodness she was un-married and could refuse a wimple¡­ ugh. She needed help. While she waited for said help, and for Osgar to finish exploring, she observed her room more closely. It was ornate, not ornate in terms of Georgian decadence but ornate in so far as the medieval goes. The tapestries on the walls that helped keep in heat were giant and she could see gold thread and purple silk woven in. The furniture was sold wood and there was a lot including the bed, desk and two arm chairs near the roaring fire. Lord De Montford was clearly well off, heck he was rich, but he didn''t act like a typical rich Lord. He was more considerate and fair. She liked that.


    As she was contemplating her host, a quiet knock sounded at the door, which opened to reveal a small blond maid. She seemed tentative so Serenity smiled at her and spoke gently,


    "Good Morning"


    "Good Morning My Lady. Do you or the little one need assistance?"


    "Yes thank you¡­?"


    "Hilda, My Lady"


    "Hilda. Lovely name. Could you help us dress please Hilda? And do you know where my garments are, the ones I arrived in? I should like them close."


    "As you wish My Lady. Your garments are being cleaned, they will be returned to you shortly. Your clothing for today is being warmed by the fires of the Kitchen. My Lord thought it wise, considering how cold a morn¡¯ it is. I will fetch them for you M¡¯Lady and some water for cleansing."


    "Thank you Hilda"


    Serenity smiled at the girl as she hurried away. She would have to speak with the servants, make sure they were happy. Lord De Montford had mentioned that not just Normans but those who worked willingly for them were attacked too. They might have some ideas about who was responsible for the antagonism and attacks.


    Hilda returned shortly with a beautiful yet practical dress and a ewer of heated water for washing. Serenity pored some into the basin and, with a slightly rough wash cloth, set about washing Oscars face before giving him the cloth to clean the rest of himself. Finding another cloth, she discretely turned away from Hilda and the boy to wash herself as best she could. When they were as clean as could be, Hilda helped them dress. Thanks to Serenity''s gentle coxing and easy manner, Hilda opened up and Serenity found she was a joyfully fun girl who liked working for De Montford. But she was scared, she had hear rumours and whispers from friends on other estates about the brutal killings.When they had finished dressing, Hilda took Serenity and Osgar down to break their fast.


    ***


    Robert had had a busy morning. So much had occurred that he was struggling to handle it all. Checking on his men was his first priority, closely followed by the security of his castle. Having satisfied himself that both were as well as they possibly could be under the circumstance, his mind turned to his third concern, his unexpected house guests. He had had much time now, to contemplate the odd pair and had at least managed to dismiss any notions of spies. Yet everything about this girl, young woman, was a mystery. She was unlike anything he had encountered. How was she able to snap him out of his blood rage? Stay so calm in such atrocious conditions? How did she sooth and reassure his men when he could not and tend to their many wounds? Who were her people and, more importantly, where the blazes were they? She should not be alone.


    Coming out of his musings, Robert caught a glance of his guests as they descended the stairs to join him. He restrained his gasp and had to remind himself how to breathe normally. He had known when they met on the battle field that she was special but looking at her now¡­ she was beautiful. Stunning. Not that he hadn''t seen many beautiful women during his service to King William. Still, she was different, enough for him to take notice. Perhaps she wasn''t as harmless as he had first thought. He sensed trouble. Suddenly his chest felt tight and his heart beat erratically. A sure sign of the coming battle. Only danger and the prospect of battle could illicit such symptoms in him. Yes she was trouble, if not for him then certainly for his men.


    ***


    In the Great hall, Lord De Montford sat at the long table near the fire with food and drink, waiting. When he saw them enter, he rose and gestured from them to join him. Breakfast was a delicious affair and wonderfully relaxed. No rush and good companions. Serenity got to see De Montford interact with his people, greet almost everyone that went by. And they were all very kind to her. It seemed word about the battle incident had spread quickly.


    "My Lady -"


    "Please, if it''s alright with you, call me Serenity. My Lady is too formal, I can''t get used to it. Besides, it seems like we have gone through too much to remain formal now." Serenity smiled shyly, unsure if he would be offended by her lack of Lady like behaviour.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Of course. Serenity, such a beautiful name it deserves to be used. Then you must call me Robert." He returned with his own charming smile and Serenity felt herself supress a blush.


    "Is that not too informal, I don¡¯t wish to offend your people or give them the wrong impression. What about Lord Robert?


    "So I may call you by your given name but you may not call me by mine? Will you call me Sir Robert, then I''ll be satisfied"


    "But you are a Lord not a Knight"


    "I am both, but, unlike my inherited title, I earned my Knighthood. I''d prefer you use it."


    "All right, Sir Robert"


    "There, now that''s settled¡­ Did you sleep well? Was all to your satisfaction? I do not have an abundance of female clothing for your rank but I hope my Cousins garments are suitable. She left them here on her last visit."


    "Everything was fine thank you. Our room is simply beautiful. I''m not used to such clothing but they are lovely and quite comfortable."


    "Good, I''m glad you are comfortable here. I''d like to extend an open invitation for you. You may think of my home as your own and you are welcome here indefinitely. I do not wish to upset you but I have no guarantee I can find your relatives, so I offer you my protection, chaperoned of course."


    "¡­ T-Thank you Sir Robert. You are far too generous."


    "Hmmmm¡­ Would you like to take a tour of my castle? It is newly constructed and has some unique features. I get the impression you may enjoy it."


    A small voice piped up from next to Serenity, "Me too?"


    Serenity looked at the sweet little angle next to her and couldn''t help but smile at him. She stood from the long table and opened her arms for Osgar, lifting him onto her hip. Looking towards her host, she smiled even wider.


    "Thank you, we''d love a tour."


    Together the three spent the better part of the day touring the grand stone built castle and it''s grounds. Sir Robert showed her the layout of the upper rooms, most of which were occupied, but he pointed out his room (the Lord''s and Ladies¡¯ chambers) and the rooms of the important people in residence. He showed her the bower, her bedroom essentially, for her use and to entertain visiting women of rank. He also showed her the solar, with wardrobe, which he made open to her should the bower not meet her needs, and the luxury of the bathroom, wooden barrel and all.


    The mezzanine between the ground and first floor was used as a sort of gallery with paintings and other decorations. Downstairs he showed her the chapel, the common rooms and the large hall, called the Great hall which she had already seen. There was also the kitchen, buttery, bottlery pantry and storeroom. She explored the kitchens and met the staff, cooks, guards, housekeeper and steward. She would make sure to spend time some of her time contributing in the kitchens.


    After a brief lunch, Sir Robert showed her the armoury (called the casemate) and the Place of Arms where the soldiers assembled before they went to the grounds. Within the castles walls, he had beautiful gardens but the majority of the outside bailey was given over to training grounds and stables. She loved the stable, immediately hitting it off with the head stable keepers and remembering the names of all the stable boys. She already had her favourite horse, a spirited yet soft footed grey gelding. She suspected she would spend a great deal of time here. There were even a couple of ponies that Osgar could ride if he wished.


    As she stroked the geldings strong neck she contemplated her tour. It occurred to her that something was¡­ off. If the Normans had only just arrived, they shouldn¡¯t have been able to build such a structure. A castle would take decades to complete, at least to this extent. At best they should only have the earlier mote and bailey type structure so soon after their arrival. The castle looked new so it wasn¡¯t Anglo-Saxon and the design was all wrong anyway. Could she be wrong about the date she landed in?


    Tearing herself away from the horses and her thoughts, Serenity insisted they spend some time on the training fields. She was concerned about the men she had travelled with and was curious to know how well prepared and trained Sir Roberts men were. It would give her an idea of not only when she was, but also what sort of state the land around her was in. It wasn''t good. He had enough equipment and men to stock half and army.


    Not a lot was known from this time, but would all castles be so well equipped in a settled country? It would make sense I suppose after conquering a land and people she thought. King William was no fool, he had ordered the mass building of castles for fortify his new lands. It must have been some years since the initial battle. She hoped her presence wasn''t distorting things. At least the men seem to be recovering well, though, she could tell, many still struggled with those events. Understandable. They may be soldiers, but they weren¡¯t heartless. Turning to Sir Robert, an idea struck Serenity.


    "Will you train me in the sword¡­ or the bow? Please?"


    "¡­ The bow perhaps but not the sword"


    "Why not?"


    "When you have a sword in your hand, you immediately become a target"


    "But what if I become a target and don''t have a sword in my hand? With no one around to help me. I''m as good as dead."


    "I''ll make sure you''re never in danger"


    His eyes told her he was telling the truth¡­


    ***


    That night, in her room, Serenity contemplated her position. It was the first quiet moment she''d had to really think things through. She was in the past. Or was dreaming of the past. Was any of this real? It felt real. "Okay, figure it out Serenity." The landscape was definitely British. She was speaking Norman French, in a Norman castle, with a Norman Lord so it must be after 1066. They seemed rather entrenched and the style of castle is advanced, so they''ve been in England for a few years at least. At this time, the native Anglo-Saxon population were a part of the serf system, possessions of their Norman masters, practically slaves. The Anglo-Saxon ruling class was either killed in battle or married off to Norman Lords to legitimise their new position on the island. Lord Robert made mention of King William, so he must still be alive. She was perhaps a generation into the Norman era? "Hard to tell, records from this time are sketchy."


    Pacing and muttering to herself were not helping her figure this out. Sighing and easing herself onto her bed, she watched Osgar sleep, making sure her fretting hadn''t wakened him. She could not figure out what the dig in her time had to do with her being here¡­ in the past. Mass graves usually indicated an epidemic, famine or other natural disasters or prolonged battle, with large numbers of casualties. Each of these situations need speedy disposal of the large number of bodies to prevent them decaying in the open and spreading disease.


    Battles with such large casualties should be long over by now, yet Serenity saw no evidence of plague, famine, floods or other disasters. Then there was the strange event she witnessed on her arrival. It made no sense. The use of drugs and such subtle manipulation of large numbers of people were sophisticated tactics that shouldn''t be in effect at this time. Something was very wrong here. Is this why she was brought back? Which brings her back to the main question¡­ is this real? It can''t be can it? ¡­ regardless, she had no idea how she got here or how to get back. Real or not, she had to let it play out. There was no other way.


    ***


    Serenity was woken by a small voice moaning. She became aware of the little body next to her thrashing about and the moans quickly turning to whimpers and cries. Quickly rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Serenity gathered Osgar up into her arms, holding his limbs and rocked him gently, whispering and soothing him as best she could.


    "Shhhh, it''s okay, it''s alright. I''m here, your safe Osgar, your safe little one. Shhhh."


    Eventually, he quietened and looking down, Serenity saw his eye lids flutter open. He looked up at her, his eyes brimming with unshed tears, yet loving trust shone from them as he watched her.


    "A bad dream?"


    He nodded.


    "Do you want to tell me?"


    He blinked and Serenity thought he would refuse. He pulled in a big sigh and closed his eyes, his little body relaxing into her. Serenity would let him sleep. She was stilled from lying them both down by his little voice.


    "At home, the swords and noises were there. Mum and Sister running with me, but we couldn''t get away. We fell and there was blood and angry men and I''m scared. Why did the men hurt us?"


    Serenity''s heart broke for the boy. How did she explain what had happened and why they were living with the people who had destroyed his home and his family. It was a wonder he was not scared still or had not yet run away. Hugging him close, she sighed and tried to explain.


    "In your village, did you have a healer woman?" He nodded "Mhmmm and she had herbs didn''t she. Herbs that make you sleepy, herbs that heal and herbs that can make you sick yes?" Again he nodded. "Right. Well, you see, the men who came to your village, the men who are looking after us now, they went to your village to make sure everyone was peaceful. Someone had told them that bad men were hiding there. They were just supposed to look but a bad man gave them herbs. Like the one you would find in the healer woman''s hut. But these herbs made them believe everyone in the world wanted to hurt them. What do you think a warrior, a fighter would do if he believed everyone around him was trying to hurt him?"


    "He''d fight them."


    "Exactly, so that''s what happened. Sir Robert and his men believed that everyone in your village wanted to hurt them, they couldn''t even see that there were women and children around, because of the bad herbs. Do you understand?"


    He nodded


    "Osgar, I will never let anything bad happen to you again okay? You don''t need to be scared of anyone in the castle. But if you are, you just let me know and I''ll fix it okay?"


    Osgar nodded again and gave her a lazy smile. His little eyes were drooping.


    "Are you ready to sleep again? Let''s settle down. We can explore more tomorrow if you like after breakfast. Would you like that?"


    "Yes. Thank you Sery, love you."


    Serenity smiled as they cuddle down to sleep and gently kissed his forehead.


    "I love you too Osgar"

 6. Waiting Games

    A few days later, Serenity and Osgar were quietly talking in the Great Hall, watching the people work, when a messenger ran in, going straight to Sir Robert. One of many, she assumed, considering the many that had been sent out, searching for the traitor, information¡­ and her father. She knew the last would yield no result but it was the two others that concerned her. Not only did she wish to understand why these good people were haunted by that day, why this unknown would do this, but she hoped that the answers would answer her questions as to why she was here. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t remember what happened after she sat at her desk.


    Intent on the messenger and Sir Robert''s reactions to the news, she did not notice the muscled soldier beside her until he quietly cleared his throat. She should have been more attentive. She had noticed Osgar was somewhat leery around certain soldiers, he probably saw them that day. She feared he did not fully understand the circumstances and would grow bitter and vengeful living here. She could understand his pain but prayed he would understand the event. It would not be healthy for him to grow up in hatred.


    Looking to the soldier, briefly glancing at Osgar, she smiled gently at the obviously uncomfortable man. He shifted his weight, cleared his throat again and finally settled, looking her in the eye.


    "Forgive me, my Lady, for interrupting you but¡­ I have heard that you sometimes speak with the men. May I¡­¡± Serenity nodded for him to continue. ¡°My Lady, I am a seasoned soldier, I have been in many battles. You do not forget the ones you have killed but always I have acted with honour for my Lord and for my own conscience. But¡­ I am plagued by the memories of that day. Of my actions. It was not right my Lady. Not a battle at all, just slaughter. How do I live with this?"


    The anguish in the man''s eyes and voice pierced her heart. Standing, she placed her hand on his arm lightly. Unsure what she could do, she simply looked into his eyes and spoke the truth.


    "This was not your fault. You must accept that these were not your actions. You were not in control. In all your soldiering never have you ever acted this way before, correct? The very fact that this troubles you shows you to be an honourable man. Face the memories knowing this and they will fade. You may never forget, indeed, I do not believe you should. But do not dwell on this or it will destroy you. Live to honour those who died, and to ensure such things never happen again. Fight to protect any weaker than you. You cannot change what has happened, it will always be a part of you but you can choose how it affects your life. You can let it destroy you or you can overcome it and be a better man for it. For now, live one day at a time¡­ Already Lord De Montford searches for the conspirator. See?"


    She indicated Sir Robert and the messenger. Sensing a change in the man, she quickly thought of an idea.


    "Perhaps, you may find some purpose, some relief, in the coming search. Mayhap you should speak to My Lord about it. I''m sure he would understand."


    Smiling again, she gently squeezed his arm and encouraged him towards Sir Robert. He gave her a grateful smile and headed away from her. Before he got far she called,


    "Wait Sir, your name?"


    "I have the honour of sharing the name of our King, William."


    "Sir William, if you feel the need to talk again, I should be most happy to obliged. I''d like to know how you fare."


    He smiled again and left to pursue his peace. She feared there would be many more like him.


    ***


    Days turned into weeks and Serenity watched and waited, never quite settling. It wasn''t that she was uncomfortable or felt unsafe, quite the opposite, she was beginning to feel too comfortable here. Lord De Monftord - Sir Robert- was making a home for her right here and she didn''t know how to interpret it. He felt terrible that he could not find her father, but of course he couldn''t. Even Serenity was starting to feel like this was her real life¡­ Maybe it was now. It didn''t help that she suspected she was falling in love. Which was actually fairly likely when she considered that she was socially inept and her love life was non-existent. Of course she would fall in love with a handsome, capable, noble gentlemen¡­ who was as strong as an ox and could take care of himself. Not to mention that he was responsible, looking after his lands and people who all seemed happy. And he was so gentle with her, completely different from when she first saw him on the battle field. But she didn''t like that he was so close to the King. Never trust those with too much power. Especially when they have invaded and conquered a land.


    She and Osgar had fallen into an easy routine. The would rise and eat breakfast in the great hall with the castles inhabitants. Most of the time Sir Robert joined them. Then they would spend their days riding, exploring the land around the castle, helping out in the stables or kitchen getting to know the staff and workers. For lunch, sometimes they would take a packed basket out on their rides or to the gardens. Or they would bring their labours from the kitchen and share them in the great hall. Hilda was often near to help with Osgar or act as companion, guide and chaperone to Serenity. In the afternoons, Osgar loved to watch the soldiers and knights train in the bailey. Serenity often found herself speaking with the men who struggled with their memories and conscience. It was difficult to know what to say or do but she did what she could. It was better than nothing.


    A particularly loud clang of metal roused Serenity from her musings. Osgar watched enraptured as the soldiers trained. He had grown more confident in that past weeks and spoke a little more every day. Though it was rare that he wandered far from her side. So, inevitably, she found herself often in the training grounds, watching those about her and hoping Osgar would continue to grow in confidence and learn as much as he could. He needed to decide where he wanted to be. She wanted him to be happy but knew that if¡­ when she left, he would need a stable place in this world. She also knew he needed a man''s influence in his life. All young boys, young men needed a positive man around to guide them and teach them, who could understand and relate to them. She thought Sir Robert would be a wonderful father figure.


    Watching the training with Osgar, Serenity smiled at familiar faces. Many had heard of her encounter on the battle field and respected her. Most were grateful for her actions but some still could not meet her eye or accept her presence. Perhaps they were still ashamed or they simply didn''t trust her. She wasn''t exactly truthful and little recommended her, a half breed who came out of nowhere with no one to vouch for her. Still the majority trusted Sir Robert and had gotten to know her. As the training continued, one of the older trainees who also watched the soldiers smiled and waves when he got her attention. Gwain. A good young man, Serenity got the impression that he was well off, his clothing was of good quality, though not elaborate, and he had the mannerisms of one she associated with the nobles.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "Gwain, good morning"


    "Good morning My Lady. Master Osgar. And are you both well this morning?"


    "Yes thank you Gwain"


    ¡°Good morning Gain.¡± Little Oscars eyes were fixed briefly on the young man before looking back to the training grounds shyly. The two had begun to form a bond and Osgar looked up to Gwain like a big brother, though too shy as yet to really be comfortable.


    ¡­Serenity let the companionable silence extend between them as they all continued to watch. How beautiful it was, she couldn''t take her eyes off the rippling muscle that swung the glistening swords in arcs¡­ she glanced at Gwain and saw in his face the same emotions that must be on hers and an idea flickered into her mind. She tried to ignore it, it would never work and they would both be disgraced, but the more she tried to deny it, the more the idea stuck. She stared, transfixed at Gwain and, when he noticed, he seemed concerned.


    "My Lady? Are you well?


    "Gwain¡­"


    Serenity stepped closer and whispered in the young man''s ear. When she had finished, she saw the conflict on his face, but he too was tempted.


    "Please Gwain. Tonight, in the Gardens a notch after evening meal? Osgar will be asleep by then."


    Gwain hesitated then nodded. Serenity smiled and returned her attention to the soldiers, content with her decision. After a time, Serenity tired of the inactivity. She turned to Gwain.


    ¡°Gwain, would you be so kind as to watch over Osgar until Hilda collects him? He so loves to watch the training and I know he will be safe and happy with you. I feel the need to walk in the gardens. Mt apologies, I know I ask much of you.¡±


    ¡°Of course My Lady. It would be a pleasure¡±.


    Osgar¡¯s head wiped up to look at her, frowning slightly. ¡°No! Seri stay. Please?¡±


    Serenity smiled and knelt down to face the boy, brushing his hair away from his eyes and stoking his cheek with the back of her hand before enveloping him in a hug. She pulled back to look at his eyes. Though he was not afraid, Serenity was concerned with how dependant he was on her. She knew he needed to start to interact with and trust others. He needed to be okay if she disappeared.


    ¡°Osgar, you know Gwain. You like him. And I¡¯ll just be in the Gardens, you can find me if you need to. Don¡¯t you want to stay and watch the training? I¡¯m sure, once everyone is finished, Gwain can show you a little archery or the horses.¡±


    Serenity glanced up to make sure this was okay and Gwain nodded, smiling gently. Osgar frowned and he thought, wrestling with his love of the training and his need for Serenity¡¯s security. Eventually he nodded.


    Serenity beamed at him and pulled BIM into another hug. She was so proud of him. She kissed his cheek, turned him back to face the training grounds and made sure he was absorbed before smiling her thanks to Twain and making her way to the Gardens.


    It was too nice a day to not be outdoors, and the castle could be horribly dim with only small windows covered in tapestries. Serenity walked a while then decided to find a spot to take in the sun and the beautiful scene the gardeners had created, smell the flowers and herbs that grew in abundance. Sitting on the sun warmed ground Serenity relaxed.


    Serenity enjoyed the brief peace in the sunshine. Although her modern knowledge helped her understand the trauma Osgar and the soldiers were going through, knowing how to deal with is wasn''t easy. And she so wanted to help them, but she worried she would do or say the wrong thing. When to push and when to back off¡­ she hoped she was doing the right thing. Closing her eyes, she let the residual tensions and worries melt with the sun and drifted into her thoughts.


    At first she didn''t pay attention to the coolness creeping over her skin. She heard the rustle of leaves and thought the wind would die down. But slowly the coolness turned cold and grew to encompass her yet the sun still shone bright and no breeze touched her. The cold seeped into her bones, her very core and quicker than shecould breathe, she froze, paralyzed, unable to move or speak. Then she heard it, not rustling but whispering. Serenity began to panic, this felt wrong¡­ the same feeling she got from that other thing that watched. The otherness continued to hold her imprisoned and her breathing became ragged. She felt herself slipping into unconsciousness but fought it. She had to fight it. Feeling herself fall on her side, something brushed her neck, the world flickered and the darkness slipped so easily into her eyes¡­


    ***


    He had watched her enter the Garden and smiled. She was finally alone. Finally, after weeks of watching her, watching for his moment, it was finally time. When she sat, he began. He whispered to her, weaving his way into her mind, her subconscious. The idiots of this time would think it magic, but He knew the power of words. Psychology had always fascinated him and, thanks to his studies, he was a master at suggestion and manipulation. His Serenity would not expect this, which was why it would work so well. He whispered to her as he had done for weeks, this time wrapping her up in a blanket of cold, chilling and overwhelming her, urging her to sleep. He whispered to her his devotion and desires for them his plans for the future. And he whispered his suggestions to her. Trust him, love him, join him.


    He continued to whisper and watch until she fell to her side. He was there, next to her, his finger under her neck, easing here down as her eyes slid closed. He emerged fully from the foliage and knelt next to her unconscious form. Looking down into her peaceful, sleeping face, he gently traced a line from her forehead down her temple with his finger, brushing her hair from her face, and smiled. Mine. He leaned down so their noses almost touched and her shallow breaths caressed his lips, a shadow of a kiss. He closed his eyes, lowering his head to hers.


    Crunch.


    He snapped his head to the entrance of the Garden. Damn it! Again they were interrupted. Quickly, He stroked her cheek then melted back into the foliage to watch. Always his Angel was taken from him. No more! He trembled with frustration and his fists clenched in anger, the nails drawing blood. This wasn''t working, he had to rethink his plans. She''s MINE. He needed a new approach.


    ***


    Robert had been so busy. The reports showed no unrest¡­ that wasn''t good. How did they appear out of nowhere, with no sign of training or preparation. They were random and deadly, with no way of predicating their next attack. It was frustrating, but Robert couldn''t let it get to him. And he had other duties. Leaving the Great hall, Robert walked down to the bailey and watched his men train and prepare. He was proud of each of them, men he and trained himself and trusted with his life and the lives of those in his care. He spotted little Osgar with young Lord Gwain to the side and walked over to greet them. The young boy was quickly growing, in height and confidence, and Robert was very fond of the lad. He had all but decided to do all he could for the boy. That and Lady Serenity seemed to love him unconditionally. Robert didn''t want her hurt or worried, she had already been through so much. Not that one could tell, she was so strong, seemed to cope with everything thrown at her. But he was not blind, he saw the tiredness behind her eyes, and the uneasy air she sometimes felt. Something haunted his little guest and it concerned him¡­


    Enough. She is not yours to protect. Robert struggled to rein in his emotions and thoughts. Thankfully, it seemed he gave no outward sign of his unrest.


    After a brief time watching with the young men, Robert was satisfied with the progress of his warriors and the younger of his guests. He left Lord Gwain and the boy to watch the training, and followed their directions to the garden and Lady Serenity. He walked sedately, his thoughts once again ensnaring him. Upon entering the garden, Robert immediately felt uneasy. It was too quiet, as if even the birds and the elements had hidden themselves. Quickening his step, he scanned as far as he could see, hoping he would spot the colourful materials of her dress. Rounding the corner of the castle wall, he was alarmed to find Serenity unconscious underneath the bench. Hastening towards her, he felt his heart clench and suddenly speed up, yet still, he scanned the area for danger. He had failed to protect her, broken his word. She must be well.


    As he reached her, Serenity began to wake and as soon as she opened her eyes, he saw the fear. She hid it quickly, but he saw and it worried him. Supporting her as she raised herself from the ground, she was ice cold. He turned to call for help but her small hand restrained him.


    "Please¡­ Sir Robert, it''s okay. I''m well. Please don''t make a fuss."


    "Lady Serenity, what happened? If you were attacked, I must call the guards"


    "My Lord, I must have fallen asleep in the warm sunlight. Nothing is amiss I assure you."


    Robert watched her closely, trying to determine why she lied. And he knew she did though she did it well, yet it was obvious, she didn¡¯t want him to pursue this, her eyes pleaded with him to let it go. Deciding to humour her, he nodded to show he understood.


    "Thank you"


    Her smile was genuine and full of relief. She was strong, too strong for her own good. Whatever had occurred, she wanted to deal with it herself. Robert vowed to himself he would find out what threatened her and crush it. He would start by increasing his security, and making sure his Lady guest was never alone. They walked together back to the Great hall in companionable silence, but he noticed her quick, assessing glances around her. Determination flooded him anew. Whether she knew it or not, he would protect her.

 7. The Good Life

    The passing of several more weeks had helped her settle even more into her comfortable routine in the castle. The sense of otherness seemed to have retreated somewhat and Serenity began to wonder if it was even there at all. Had she allowed the strangeness of her new life to spook her so completely? It was possible but she could not convince herself of this reasoning. What she had felt, it wasunsettling. Dangerous. The incident in the garden¡­


    Regardless she was comfortable in the castle. Perhaps too comfortable. Her own chamber to share with Osgar, breakfast with Sir Robert, friends and healthy activity in the castle. She loved being in the kitchens but her absolute favourite was to watch the men train. They were so skilful and hardworking, very rare in men from her time. They trained with the assurance that their skills would save their life of the lives of those they cared for. To her it was a noble and natural skill to acquire.


    She wanted to train but daren''t broach the subject. All the men here were so protective and, she feared, a little arrogant believing she would not need to learn. They would protected her and the others. Perhaps she was doing them an injustice thinking so but she didn''t want to risk insulting them. It did not stop her secretly learning what little she could from good old observation and the young solider-in-training, Lord Gwain who trained her late at night in the gardens. Well a girl should be prepared.


    Serenity was happy here, and things had improved, but she could never quite shake the feeling of being watched, but she could never pin it down. The incident in the garden, especially, rattled her. It was disturbing and each time she began to feel unsettled, she would remember her dreams. While disturbing, they reminded her of her real home in her time and she felt a deep sadness. Would she ever get back? And if she did, would she ever be content know all she had left behind in the past? Osgar was like her very own child and the people of the keep had become her family. She loved them all and was sure they loved her too. And Robert de Montford¡­


    Serenity was distracted from her wandering thoughts by a horse and rider galloping into the bailey. It must be a messenger, Sir Robert was always receiving messages. He was a powerful and well liked Lord with many duties and responsibilities. Moving over to the new arrivals, she tended to the most beautiful grey gelding she had ever seen. The messenger ran off but she barely registered her departure as she and the stable hands set about caring for the horse. Horses. They were the only thing in her new life she could truly lose herself in. When she was with horses, it was the only time she was not constantly searching for that thing that haunted her or trying to deal with the constant thoughts whirling in her mind. Thinking about why she was here, about home... Sighing contentedly, she grabbed a brush and got lost in the rhythmic stokes of grooming the beautiful grey gelding.


    ***


    Serenity. So like her name, as she had proven in the weeks since they first met. He watched her from his room as she came to the gardens and roamed contentedly, glancing around every now and then for Osgar. She was like a rock, calm but strong and immovable. She nurtured the boy and all within his keep, even his men in ways he had never considered. She tended to wounds of body and mind, encouraging, comforting or just listening.She had become their confidant and a wise advisor. She was smart and thoughtful, fair and just. She loved to be in the kitchens and there was always a rush for the food she made. She brought order and relaxed authority to everything she did, efficient yet not intrusive. And she got on well with the servants who looked up to her. Thank goodness for that, he needed a peaceful home with the life he led. He was amazed at how swiftly she had settled in his heart.


    His only concern was the glint of something in her eyes, as if she was always on edge, ready to flee or fight. It saddened him, he wanted her to be at home here, maybe even make it her true home¡­ well and why not? She fit in perfectly, not like the spoiled, timid or stupid maids he was accustomed to. His enquiries had led nowhere, no one knew of her or her father and the Lord she had claimed an acquaintance with was senile and fast approaching his end. No answers there. He was satisfied that she had no guardian and he wanted to become her protector, her rock. She was so strong but she never really let anyone in, let them be her strength. He was determined, he just had to court her and convince her of what he already felt. They belonged together.


    Robert''s steward approached bearing a message for him. Opening the missive, he read his orders. A Saxon band had been reported attacking Norman lands and strongholds. He was ordered by the King to hunt them out and end it. Save some only for answers and information. Sigh. Robert was wary and weary of such tasks, but he needed to protect his lands and people. And Serenity. He would be extra careful this time, no knave would dishonour him again. He must come back safely, too much was at stake, too much to lose this time.


    Rising from his desk, he set about making arrangements for this new mission. Soldiers, supplies and protection for his home and all within. He''d tell Serenity now. He didn''t like leaving her, it would be the first they were separated and his heart hurt to think of her in danger and him not being there to rescue her. Hopefully it would not be too long before his work was done.


    ***


    "How long will you be gone?"


    Serenity''s brow creased with concern and she contemplated the men making last checks in the bailey. The messenger yesterday had brought bad news and new orders for the Lord of the keep. Considering how his last orders had turned out, Serenity could not help but feel worried. In addition, she was not convinced the keep was wholly safe, the thing had not gone away as she had hoped, but neither had it done anything. This might be just the opportunity it was waiting for. She felt ridiculous, she wasn''t even sure if this thing was real or even tangible to any but her.


    "I''m not sure but I won''t be gone long. If we don''t have them within two sennights, we will return to restock and strategize. You needn''t fear, I''m leaving plenty of men to protect you and the keep. Just don''t leave until I get back and don''t let any unknowns in understand?"


    Serenity nodded. What else could she do? Picking up Osgar who had run to her side, she gave a quick curtsy and Osgar grinned at the tall Lord.He mounted and gave a signal, his men mounting up quickly and falling into formation behind him. He looked at her and grinned, putting his heels to the charger under him and surging out of the keeps gate following by his warriors. She watched until they had all exited and the gates were secured behind them. Running up to the battlements with Osgar she continued to watch until they disappeared from sight. A cold, empty feeling settled in her stomach. When would she see them again? Her family. Steeling herself, she turned, endeavouring to maintain her life, her routine while they were gone.


    "Come on Osgar, let''s bake some sweetmeats" she went off humming a happy tuned, eyelashes veiling her true thoughts.


    ***


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    The Shadow watched too as the men departed, satisfied with his work. He would have liked to follow and cause more destruction like last time but now he had found her, he would never let her out of his sight. Now that the Lord was out of the way, he could begin his entrapment. Besides, there was plenty of destruction to reap right here in the lands of Lord Robert de Montford. He would enjoy that so very much. He allowed the shadows in his heart to consume him further and revelled in the power they gave him. It wasn''t hate, he simply loved to watch the world fall apart around him, delighted in the fear and panic it induced. Chaos and destruction were all he desired and to watch those around him come to embrace it like he had. So he was no longer alone. More. He needed more. And he needed her. It would not be long now.


    ***


    Six days. It had been quiet yet everyone was a little on edge. With all that had happened lately, things were just a little cautious with Robert away. He was well loved and everyone prayed for his swift and safe return. Serenity found herself distracted from her normal routine, but couldn''t say why. Osgar was doing so well, gaining confidence along with his new skills. Eloquence, manners, and of course his ever growing knowledge of all thing knights. Soon he would be old enough to begin his lessons. He was even beginning to become more social.


    The keep was productive and safe and the regular messages from Robert or his allies held no ill news. Even her faint homesickness and unease had not bothered her of late, yet still, something nagged at her. The waiting felt¡­ pregnant, as if something were imminent. Sitting in her solar, she had hoped the quiet would help her focus.


    The door opened, and Osgar¡¯s head peeked around. When he saw her, his eyes lit up and he scampered across the room to sit with her. Smiling, Serenity scooped him up and sat him on her lap. It was amazing how well he had coped and adjusted. Resting her chin on his head, Serenity frowned. What would happen to him when she disappeared?


    ¡°¡¯Ren¡¯tee¡±


    She smiled. He still couldn¡¯t say her name properly. ¡°Yes Osgar?¡±


    ¡°May we go see knights now?¡±


    ¡°But we normally go in the afternoon don¡¯t we. And what about helping cook? Are we not doing that today?¡±


    The little boy frowned adorably as he thought about his options. Serenity knew about his growing fascination with Roberts knights and his increasing interest in joining them.


    ¡°Kitchen tomorrow? I want see Gwain. Please?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Run down and tell cook we can¡¯t make it today. Then we¡¯ll go and find Gwain.¡±


    Osgar was already across the room. He was so excited, Serenity was happy to see it. She smiled wanly, so tired today. She sighed and closed her eyes.


    The images flowed fast, unrelenting. Standing in the mist, the shadows surrounded her. No longer faint, she could see the gaunt faces and horrendous wounds. Blood dripped and voices moaned in pained screams. She could not find relief. They reached for her, holding her in place and the bloodied mud cling to her. In her hair and on the hem of her dress, the weight was unbearable. She couldn''t breathe. Searching for escape, she saw something amidst the shadows. Immovable, it stood, a solid darkness so deep she felt it tug at her, trying to drag her within. Looking closer, she saw chains extend from the darkness to ensnare the shadows, dragging them toward it and they reached for her¡­ for help. She grabbed a hand and pulled, desperately trying to free a shadow but the chain held firm. Exhausted, unable to move, she held on unwilling to let go. Glancing again at the darkness it seemed to expand and grow, dragging more towards it but within, faintly something emerged. All stilled as the darkness resolved into a figure. Faint and blurred, the face turned to look at her and Serenity was afraid. The darkness was¡­


    Her eyes flew open and she sat up in her chair, breathing hard. She had not been asleep, but the images were not her imagination. The shadows she had been afraid of her whole life were trying to talk to her. They were enslaved, tortured and chained. They were reaching out to her and she could not leave them as they were. She had to help¡­


    ***


    ¡°Relax your shoulders. Good, My Lady. Stop. That¡¯s enough for today.¡±


    Serenity relaxed and lowered the sword gently. She re-sheathed it and turned to her mentor, Gwain, with a grin. She was so happy.


    ¡°So Gwain, how am I doing?¡±


    ¡°Better and better My Lady. You are becoming quite accomplished. Now all you need is the strength, and practice. We are lucky to have my old training sword, or you would not have been able to lift wield it half so well as you do.¡±


    Serenity laughed quietly. These late night training session had become one of her favourite times of day. Gwain was great company and a patient and understanding teacher. And it felt great to do something to protect herself. She felt empowered. And she had always loved swords. They were fascinating.


    They always practiced in the gardens after dark, away from prying eyes, hidden by shrubbery. Gwain had set up four or five torchesto light them, but it was still dim. Sometimes, Gwain had her practice in the dark to hone her other senses and teach her not to be distracted.


    ¡°Thank you Gwain. You¡¯re are a wonderful teacher. I still have so much to learn though.¡±


    ¡°It will come with practice My Lady. Of which I am glad, for you shall have to protect me when Lord de Montford finds out what I have been doing. Now come, we should finished for tonight.¡±


    Serenity, smiled again at Gwains comments. It took some convincing to get him to agree to this and it continued to be a conversation between them. Serenity headed inside, tiredness setting in. She should sleep well tonight.


    ***


    Serenity came out of her slumber into awareness swiftly but not alarmed. She was unsure what had awoken her in the middle of the night. The moon was big and high in the sky and she glanced out her uncovered window. Over the last month and a half, she had become accustomed to the castle and all that came with living in it, noise, light and smells, though she had yet to conform to the ideals of a Lady. Doubt she ever would. This was not her time and she would always be different. Different speech, different priorities, different way of thinking.


    That difference had her climbing out of bed and slipping on her boots and a cloak instead of alerting a guard. Slowly she made her way along corridors and down stairs, pausing every now and then to listen and watch, following some instinct in her search for that which woke her. At the edge of the Great hall, which was uncharacteristically empty thanks to the current campaign, she listened and waited. Minutes passed but nothing revealed itself to her. Sighing and resigned to the fact that her feelings were wrong, Serenity turned to head back up to her chamber.


    Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the light and movement and before she could react, she was surround, held fast and gaged. They had made no sound and as she struggled, they swiftly and efficiently hustled her through the kitchen and out the door into thegrounds. Serenity saw guards all along their path, inert on the ground and she fear for them. Her struggles increased but to no avail, they simply held her tighter and she depleted her energy. Suddenly relaxing with a huff, she tried to look around gleaning what information she could. It was not much, maybe six or seven men made up the party who had so expertly kidnapped her. And why would they do that? Hardly anyone knew she was at Roberts castle. Huh, "Robert", funny how quickly he had become so familiar to her. Drawn from her musings by the decreased pace of her bearers, she realised what had bothered her about them that she had not registered until now. They were not Norman¡­


    At the back of her mind, she felt relief. History may not be the most accurate medium but all agreed that the Normans could have a nasty, brutal streak in them, especially the Norman Lords from this time. Something about war must bring out the old Viking blood in them, laced with French passion and the arrogance of the wealthy. She had not seen much, but she feared history had been right this time, with Robert and his ilk the exception. But that begged the question again, who where they and why had the kidnapped her? A sickening thought occurred. Perhaps they sought retribution for the events surrounding her arrival and thought her proximity to Robert would harm him or give them advantage¡­ but surely they would have just killed her or ransacked the castle. They had gotten in and she was still alive so what- ?


    Serenity''s thought were rudely interrupted when she was roughly, but not unkindly, plopped down on the cold hardened ground. The men immediately stood a little away and conversed quietly. She took the opportunity to push thegag out of her mouth with her tongue, ignoring the coarse texture and unpleasant taste. She didn''t want to think about what is was made from. Finally clear of the obstruction, she tried to listen in to her surroundings. It was only then that Serenity realised they were speaking old English and all her conversation until then, with Robert and all those in the castle, had been in French. And they likely thought she didn''t understand them¡­


    "She is not what we expected"


    "No"


    "Is that good for us or bad?"


    "I don''t know yet, but we can use her"


    "What do you think Aelfwine?"


    "Quiet!"


    "¡­"


    "She could be dangerous. We don''t know what to expect now¡­"


    "Ahem." At her gentle throat clearing the men turned to her. In the bright moonlight she could see they were all on the younger side of adult. Not juvenile but none older than 25. And only one had the hardened body of a tried warrior. She tried to appear non-threatening but not weak. She spoke to them in their own language, an old form of English as familiar to her as French and the many other languages she spoke and studied.


    "Well met. I am Serenity Neville. Since you went to the trouble of kidnapping me, I''m hopeful that you have no intention of killing me. But that begs the question, what do you want from me? If I can help, I will."


    Stunned and sceptical silence met her little announcement. The youngest of them seemed to swing from awe to fear while the single warrior merely stared at her in a thoughtful scowl. Serenity tried to be patient, and sat quietly, benignly watching the warrior.

 8. Two Sides to the Coin

    Robert had been unsettled ever since he had left the castle. Now a week later and things were irritatingly slow to progress. They hunted their quarry who slipped elusively through their hands, right into the forests and mountains. All Robert and his men had succeeded in doing was to be lured further and further away from his lands, away from Serenity. And he didn''t like it. With a feral snarl, Robert took one last look into the misty expanse before him and turned on his heel. He barked orders to his men and they began the long trek home. He needed a new strategy¡­


    ***


    Serenity waited for the men to speak again. She had probably startled them and didn''t want to push her luck, though the warrior, as she liked to call him, seem less surprised than the others. Smart chap. As the seconds ticked past, their stares went from surprised to a mixture of cautious, irritated and amused. And all the time, she kept her eyes on the Warrior. From the corner of her eye, she could see the others, younger than expected, shifting their feet and looking to their leader. Finally, the silence was broken.


    "So you can speak Saxon. I knew you were not all Norman, you have the eyes of our people.¡± He leaned closer to look into said eyes. ¡°You may not be full Norman¡­ But that doesn''t mean we trust you. You were in the castle of the Norman Lord. Normans have killed many of us."


    "You have killed many of each other."


    ***


    The Warrior narrowed his eyes at her but could not deny her words. The Normans had taken much since they first established themselves on his home shores a decade ago. Even more since their mysterious leader and schemer William the Conqueror showed up and finally took power almost two years ago. The Normans had already wiped out most of the Anglo ruling class in battle and those left were traitors. The People had no say, so they fought for their freedom and the way of life they wanted to preserve.


    ***


    "This land is full of death and it must be so if we are to get our freedom. I do not expect you to understand half-breed that you are."


    "Serenity, my name is Serenity Neville. And I should think a child of both Norman and the Anglo-Saxon would understand better than most what both sides want. And I know more than almost anyone is this land about this war. And how to stop it. Do not belittle me Warrior."


    Again the Warrior narrowed his eyes at her, this time in amusement. His lips twitched but he quickly controlled himself. Serenity saw it and, watching him, she saw who he was.


    He was a warrior of Nobel blood. A holder of his peoples ideals and beliefs. A speaker of the truth. A honourable heart that loved deeply but hurt with equal measure. A man who would either save his people or fight to the death before betraying them. He would be a deciding force in the future of the Angelo-Saxon¡¯s and their fateful association with the Normans. He will forge an unbreakable bond that will save all who trust his judgement and preserve his people. Without him, the Anglo-Saxons would be lost to history.


    She would trust him.


    When he replied, he was less hostile towards the undoubtedly strange woman at his feet.


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    "You are right that I am a warrior but that is not my name. I am Aelfwine."


    "Greetings Aelfwine¡­"


    "Greetings Serenity. You are well named¡­"


    "Thank you. And you Elf friend. It is an honourable name for an honourable man."


    "No doubt you wish to know why we took you from the castle."


    Serenity nodded, eager to know more. A thought occurred to her.


    "Are the reports of an Anglo army a distraction or a trap? You wanted him away from the castle. If you plan to kill him then I am of no use to you and you would have killed me in the keep. But if the army was a distraction, then you risked much to bring me here¡­why?"


    Aelfwine didn''t answer as he crouched in front of her and reached out his hand, gently lifting a strand of hair from her face in his two fingers. Unsure of his actions, Serenity flipped her head to move her hair out of the way. Her eyes flickered away from his and she was thankful for the dim light that hid a faint blush she could not supress.


    "Part of you belongs to us, our people. You have the right to choose a side before you face your fate... Why were you with the Norman?"


    Serenity paused and narrowed her eyes at him this time. She was not convinced by his explanation. They had not known she was a halloing when they took her. But she was patient, she could wait for real answers. She sighed.


    "I was with my father as we visited his acquaintance. I only remember writing at a desk before I woke alone in a field to the sounds of battle. Lord De Montford and his men were attacking a village so I stopped them. They had been dru- poisoned with hashish and were unaware of what they were doing. He has cared for me as I am unprotected. And he was grateful. I recognised the effects of the poison and restored his name and, somewhat, the honour of him and his men. He has been attempting to find my father for me."


    The silence that followed was uncomfortable for her. Not only could she not lie to them, she could not give them the truth either and explaining that her current protector was killing Aelfwines'' people when she met him would not bode well for her. She looked closely at the others in the group for the first time. They were not as young as she had first thought, all at least eighteen. But they we inexperienced. One looked very like Aelfwine, she suspected he was a brother. And, thankfully, she did not find the anger she expected on his face, or any of their faces. They spoke quietly to one another.


    "Poison?"


    "It would explain some of the odd reports we''ve had."


    "It doesn''t matter, this is still a war."


    "But some of you men haven''t been right for a while now. Could this explain things?"


    "Quiet!"


    Aelfwines command was not shouted but his men immediately silenced. Serenity could tell he was a natural leader, and probably an accomplished warrior, though still young. Now, her fate was in his hands¡­


    ***


    Through his men''s discussion, he had watched her intently as she watched them. If what she said was true, it changed much. Not only had this de Montford proved himself honourable, taking her into his care despite the fact she was not pure Norman, it now seemed likely that Normans and Anglos had been affected by this poison. Though he had never heard of using poison for anything other than death. A poison that changed a man''s actions and thoughts¡­ Someone was pulling the strings of both sides, which did not bode well for his People. Aelfwine didn''t like this. He needed more information.


    "How did you stop them? Soldiers in the midst of battle can lose themselves, but if they were lost to the poison then they would be even more unstoppable. You were in great danger."


    She looked confused, her eyes turned inward lost in memory.


    "I-I don''t know. I saw the children dying¡­ it was wrong so I just ran at him, yelled at him and put myself in his path. He heard me. He looked¡­ ill and so did his men. They were upset¡­ and angry. I just acted without thought.


    As he watched, the sadness of the event and the horror clouded her face and she turned questioning eyes on him as if to ask "Why would someone want this?".He wanted to wipe away her hurt and protect her. She reminded him so much of¡­ He turned from her and walked towards his horse, calling to his brother.


    "Cenric, untie her and put her on your horse. We''ll move to camp and inform the elders. Serenity, you will tell everything to the elders. Let''s move, we need to inform the army to withdraw."


    "Wait! Aelfwine I can''t go. What about Osgar? I can''t leave him. And when Robert finds I''m gone he''ll come after me. You may be bringing a battle to your front door. Please let me go back and explain¡­ Aelfwine!"


    Aelfwine turned around quickly and regarded her closely. She had proven herself more trouble than he had expected. But he rather liked her feisty spirit. He made her smile, and it had been a while since he could forget his responsibilities even for a moment. She freed him. And for some reason, he felt protective of her, like a sister. Trying to be patient, he answered her.


    "Don''t worry, we work quickly so by the time de Montford gets back or a messenger meets him, we''ll have answers. We are well hidden so even if he pursues us, he would not find us. And who is Osgar?"


    ***


    Serenity sighed with relief. She still wanted to return to her¡­ the castle but knowing no one would be hurt because of her was a weight off her mind.


    "Thank you. Osgar is a young boy I rescued from the carnage. All his family were already dead. He has become somewhat like family to me. I''m surprised at how fast he''s recovering from the trauma. He is so sweet, like a younger brother. I love him very much... I need to know he''s okay."


    Steel had come into her voice as she finished speaking. Watching the leader Aelfwine, she knew he had heard it.

 9. History within History

    The ride from the innocuous field was quiet, but not uncomfortable. She made light conversation with Cedric, the brother of the Warrior Aelfwine. He was an enthusiastic yet kind soul, eager to learn about everything. Totally insensitive about her supposed mix heritage, he launched question after question about her history, much of which she tried to adapt from her true life. Her mother compassionate nature, her close relationship to her father, her varied education from both her parents, their travel together and her involvement in some of their work. That last one, slipped out before she had thought and was a little difficult to explain. In return, she asked a little about his family and people, wanting to learn as much as she could about these people and their way of life. Her academic interest was misconstrued as curiosity about the missing half of her heritage.


    "Your father seems to be a reasonable men¡­ for a Norman, but you know so little about your own people. Did he deny you and you mother?"


    "No, not at all. I suppose because we lived in my Fathers homeland, I had little access to Anglo-Saxon culture. He loves my mother very much, but she also loves him and they made sacrifices for each other. He, the confidence of his friends and family, her, her culture. Living as we did, it was dangerous form her to speak of it or me to learn too much¡­ Does it bother you so very much?"


    "No, I want you to learn as much as you can. We can''t let the Normans wipe out who we are. I want you with us again, like you should have been from the start¡­"


    The silence settled on them.


    Riding from early morning until mid-afternoon, Serenity was tired and happy to see the small village emerging from the beautiful scenery.The prospect of getting off the horse for a stretch and a warm meal was appealing. She also relished a break from the oddly intense pressure that young Cenric ''s deep and meaningful chat had invoked. Oddly enough, she felt no trepidation about being in a strange, possibly hostile place. She trusted Aelfwine at least and she knew, for now, he would keep her safe. Or so she hoped.


    As would be expected, the arrival of the group within the village caused excitement bringing with it attention which soon turned to curiosity when individuals began to notice her¡­ unbound and rather Norman looking. Serenity began to feel uneasy with the attention, she was never comfortable in large groups, and soon she had reason to be nervous. She had noticed a group of older men approaching, looking unhappy. These must be the elders.


    ***


    The elders approached swiftly, but he was confident that he could explain the circumstances before they acted with undue hast. The more he had listened to the girl talk with his brother as they journeyed, the more he was convinced of her innocence. Although he did not shown it outwardly, he had found her account difficult to believe. Yet, if it had even a hint of truth in it, he must inform the elders of the potential traitor among them. Having spent time with her, he believed she was sincere, a rare thing among any Nobles, Norman or Anglo. But now they had to convince the elders, or she did anyway. It would not be easy, this village had suffered greatly under the Normans, especially in recent months, and were determined to resist the invaders.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sometimes, Aelfwine felt that the elders didn''t care about the consequences, as long as they hurt the Normans. They were being consumed by their own pain. Perhaps Serenity, and the heritage of her eyes, would make the impossible possible¡­ maybe she can make them understand that not all Normans and not all Anglo-Saxons had to enemies. Maybe then, one day, he could see her again.


    The elders had reached them, each one now staring at her beautiful blue eyes that shone with the brightness of a Robin''s egg. She did not know the meaning of those eyes, but we all did. Addressing the elders in his native tongue he began the task of ending the ceaseless blood shed that had saturated their land for too long¡­


    "Honoured elders, allow me to introduce to you, Serenity¡­"


    ***


    Oh boy. Each one of them was staring at her, yet they didn''t seem to see her at all. They were staring at her eyes. Her Anglo-Saxon eyes? No way, they couldn''t hold that much power, she looked practically like a full Norman.


    Serenity''s mind continued to contemplate the elders and she was studied by them when her musings were interrupted by the sound of Aelfwines voice. Trying not to squirm under such scrutiny, she was patient, but she couldn''t help but be nervous. She had to answer their questions, many of which they would be unable to comprehend. How to tell the truth while hiding it? Finally it began.


    "Your mother was Saxon?" the oldest of the men asked.


    Serenity smiled to remember her mother. "My mother had blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes. Father says I have her eyes." (All true)


    "She was a Saxon Noble?" another questioned.


    Serenity frowned. "I don''t think so, though my Mother''s family were wealthy." (also true, mum''s family always had plenty).


    "Where is she now?"


    Serenity paused, remembering the blank spot in here mind. "I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t remember. My Father and I were travelling but Mother had duties somewhere¡­ I miss them both so much. I hope they are together for safeties sake but also because, whenever they apart, I cannot stand to see the pain they go through¡­ They met when they were both young, Father was always travelling around even then, when the old Monarch was still alive. Even when he was away, the wrote one another. They married for love¡­"


    "Were you taught about your Mother''s people?"


    "No, Mother never had the opportunity to teach me and Father does not know a great deal about the Anglo-Saxon people or culture. Coming here with Father, I had hoped to learn a great deal about your people."


    "Our people Serenity, You will always be a part of our people." Aelfwine looked at her with warmth.


    "Alefwine, she is almost full Norman raised by Normans" someone spoke up.


    "She is not like them!!"


    All fell silent. There was an emotional element to Alefwines outburst that Serenity was sure did not entirely relate to her. She knew she needed to make her point and bring them back to the issue at hand. However, before she could, she was again questioned by the elders.


    "Why are you here?"


    "¡­ Aelfwine and his party brought me here but I wanted to come. I wanted to know... It has to stop. The land is becoming drenched in blood. Whole families, whole villages are gone and can never be restored. I understand that the Normans have been oppressive and even cruel, and your¡­ our people have suffered. You may feel that they deserve the death that plagues not only us but them as well. But you must see that the massacres we have seen of late are not normal. They are born of chaos and make no sense. There is a traitor working upon both sides. If this continues a generation will disappear. There will be no one left to farm the land or raise the animals. And with no fighting men, Norman or Saxon, another force will invade. This has to stop. Not all Normans are cruel. The oppression won''t go on forever¡­ but the massacres¡­ nothing good can come of them. We are killing ourselves¡­ Please. Don¡¯t let this happen."


    They all looked as her as if she had punched each of them in the gut. Finally. It looked like they were finally listening. Their future, and her history, were deliberately being changed¡­ for the worse. They had to stop it.

 10. Negotiations

    Serenity held her breath. She didn''t know how they would react. Did she offend or anger them? She had gotten a little heated but who wouldn''t in her position? What more could she do to convince them? What if she failed? Even with the help of the Anglo-Saxons she may still fail. And history would be changed¡­ everything would change, her whole world would never exist. Suddenly, everything seemed too much for Serenity. She couldn''t, wouldn''t contemplate failure. It simply could not happen.


    The silence stretched out until she felt she couldn''t take it anymore. The stares didn''t help. They had neglected to move to a private location for this little tet¨¦-a-tet¨¦, probably because they didn''t trust her and so didn''t want her too deep into the settlement. As such, her little speech, in their native tongue, had attracted the attention of the inhabitants¡­ oops. Well, it might work in her favour.


    Eventually, the elders stirred and whispered together. Serenity caught the odd word but not enough to know their thoughts. Surprisingly, it was only a short time after that they turned back to her.


    "We have agreed that your claims are serious and warrant investigation. Until we can find the truth, you will be put under the care of Aelfwine. You are not a prisoner but you will be restricted. You wished to learn about our people Serenity, this is your chance. Learn well."


    "Aelfwine, she is under you care for now but if we see any signs that you are compromised or not performing your duty, we will give her into the care of another. Remember your place son of Oswin. Go."


    And with that, the elders left. Feeling a little stunned, Serenity was left surrounded by many curious and apprehensive people. She knew how they felt. And then realisation hit her. She couldn''t return to Osgar and Sir Robert. Gasping, she spun around.


    "Wait, elders."


    But they were already out of sight. She made to go after them but Aelfwine caught her by the elbow. Turning to him, she begged.


    "Aelfwine, I cannot stay, I must return to Osgar. He is only a child and now he is alone. Please."


    "Will not Lord De Montford care for him?"


    "Yes but he has already lost so much. I cannot disappear like this. He sleeps in my room, he will have woken up without me. I have to go to him."


    "Serenity, please be patient. If what you have told us is true, you are not safe there anyway. This knave has already attacked you. The elders take this seriously, it will not take long."


    "I''m not safe anywhere Aelfwine. He has influence among both sides. If he is determined, he will find me. And the longer you hold me, the harder it will be to enlist the help of Sir Robert. He takes his responsibility for me very seriously. Please."


    "You must wait."


    Serenity''s face fell, but she understood. She could only pray that all went well and that Osgar¡­ and Robert would be safe and strong. And forgiving.


    "Come, I will show you where you are to stay. You will be safe in my household. You know my brother Cenric already but there is also my sister, who will be your chaperone, Annis."


    "Meaning Unity. What a beautiful name. Each of you siblings have strong names, Aelfwine. The Elf friend, elves only choose the noble and pure to befriend, and Cenric; bold power, he is very confident for one so young and Annis; unity, one who bring people together."


    "Perhaps you should be called Annis, for I''m sure you will bring our two peoples together. I hope with all my heart you succeed."


    Serenity looked at him and saw the mixture of sadness and hope in his face. Something plagued him. It was not the fighting that caused such a complex reaction.


    "¡­Tell me Aelfwine."


    ***


    He looked to her, surprised by her insight. He desperately needed someone to confide in. Only the elders knew of his pain for they had a hand in inflicting it. Not without regret.


    "Serenity should be your name for you are well suited to it. So calm. Perhaps your insight can bring me my own peace. If you will allow me, I would confide in you."


    Her small nod of consent encouraged him. Taking a deep breath he continued.


    "There is a reason I was willing to listen when we first captured you. In every way, you reminded me of the one who has captured my heart. We cannot be together and most likely never will. Only if we forsake all else in our lives can we be together. But I cannot leave my clan for I am one of the few warriors left and will not leave them to their deaths. And she is trapped within her duty to her family, unable to break out on her own to come to me. Even if she could I fear my clan would not accept us together. She is called... Evelyn."


    He waited for her to realise the significance of that name. The pain he suffered from the separation was unceasing, only intensified by the presence of one so like his love and the hope she brought that, one day, maybe he could be with Evelyn. It would be less painful if he accepted they could never be together and think of her as dead just as the elders suggested. But he couldn''t. Never would any other but Evelyn rule his heart.


    Serenity''s words brought him back from his pain and stung as she lay out the truth.


    "Evelyn. She is Norman?"


    He nodded. Serenity would understand. Not only were he and Evelyn enemies by virtue of birth and the war that had waged most of their lives, but most of the Normans that reside in Britannia are Noble or Gentle bred. Few females of the peasant class had yet to came over to Britain. Thus, her family would be even more adverse and difficult.


    "I understand. You suffer not only the pain of separation, but also the pain of knowing there is no hope of being together. She''s so close but never obtainable. But there is hope, don''t you see. This feud between Norman and Saxon can''t last, as long as you both love each other, there is hope you can be together. Find a way! And, if I''m not mistaken, before the Normans arrived, you had some status yourself¡­?"


    Surprised by both her perception and her empathetic manner he stumbled over the question.


    "¡­ Aye, how did you know?"


    "Well, your status among the elders at such a young age and you mannerisms and speech are polished and formal at times suggesting a noble or genteel upbringing. And, I can just tell."


    Aelfwine felt pleased and annoyed at her insight. He had done much to hide the dangerous knowledge of his heritage but being able to confide in someone other than the elders was a relief. Cenic found it harder to leave the past in the past, and Aelfwine often had to bear the burden and danger alone.In some ways he felt freer, he had never wanted his father''s title. But the cost, everything he had lost... It was not worth the freedom he found. Perhaps he did not deserve happiness, or Evelyn. His wishes had brought ruin to his family and his people.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Why do you blame yourself? I see in your eyes, you bare too much, more than you deserve I think."


    How did she know his thoughts? She truly was special.


    "Don''t I deserve my burdens? Perhaps you know better than I, My Lady."


    "¡­ I think, Aelfwine, that you are a good and noble man. No matter what is in your past, the man you are now I am proud to know. And I will always be your friend, if you wish. And as your friend I will do all I can to help you bare your burdens or rid yourself of them. Do not be so hard on yourself."


    Her smile eased the weight on his shoulders and, as he registered her words, the last of the pain in his heart melted. Serenity. She gave him peace and hope again. He smiled in return and decided to fight. For her, for Evelyn and for peace. They would find a way to co-exist with the Normans as long as he lived. And he would pass this legacy onto his children.


    "¡­ Thank you... Here is my home. Cenric, Annis, come welcome our guest."


    ***


    Then followed the longest week Serenity could ever remember. Missing Osgar, her concern over the unknown, Robert and the constant and rather unfriendly messages back and forth combined to leave her as tightly wound as¡­ well a spring. Neither side would trust each other. The unknown had done an excellent job at sowing more distrust and hatred between the two sides than ever there was before. Unfortunately it only made her job harder. The messengers always met in a neutral location, so only the Saxon messenger came to the village and only the Norman messenger went to the castle. As Serenity had predicted, Robert was becoming increasingly intolerant with the Saxons the longer she was held by them. She had written a letter saying she was well and treated properly but still he would not relent. And the Elders were being just as frustrating, not willing to relent on anything.


    Both sides wanted proof of good will. The Normans had removed scouting parties from the wild lands so the Saxons could hunt game without fear of battle. The Saxons had returned Norman prisoners, all they had, to the various estates close by. Yet still they refused to trust each other. Perhaps it was not unexpected considering recent history. But then, history was not as clear to her now as it once was.


    On her suggestion, the last message was a request to meet where the two messengers exchanged correspondence. It was the only way they would ever begin to trust each other, by looking each other right in the eyes and seeing the truth and sincerity there. She hoped she would be allowed to attend, goodness knows what would happen should they be left alone. At least with a "lady" present, the men should stay civil. Well, one would hope¡­


    ***


    Robert felt like he was on the rack. What was taking so long? Gone. Just as the messenger had said she was gone. Upon his discovery, his world dropped from beneath him. The ringing in his ears was deafening and he felt hollow. For days, he sent out every man he could spare looking for any sign. He ate little and joined many of the search parties himself. Little Osgar was his only solace. They bonded so quickly in her absence, brought together by their mutual love of her. Love. When had affection turned to love?


    No matter. Now, finally, he would see her again. All those blasted messages back and forth had paid off. A meeting and Serenity would be there. About time, he had made more concessions to the ene- Saxons this past week than ever before. But it was worth it. He would do nothing to harm Serenity. He would do anything as long as she was safe¡­ she had to be safe. If anything had happened to her. They would pay. Dearly.


    "My Lord. It is time."


    Time. Strange. More and more he felt that time was running out. But until what?


    ***


    Word came to Aelfwine not long after they had watched the messenger go to the elders. The meeting had been accepted. With a few conditions of course. Serenity had to present, each side was allowed only five warriors and tree servants. Wise to keep the numbers low. What angered him was that the elders had insisted Serenity be bound from the moment they left the village. She didn''t deserve that. She would never run away and having her bound would only enrage the Normans.He had no love of most Normans, few he had met were as honourable as Evelyn and her brother. He hoped Serenity was not erroneous in her faith in De Montford. He could not easily put aside his animosity for De Montford, he had seen the damage wrought by the men under him¡­


    As soon as word about the meeting was announced, the preparations began and they were underway before nons. Despite arguing with the elders, Serenity was bound and surprisingly understanding. They did not have to ride long before the meeting place and the approaching party beyond were visible. As they neared, Aelfwine felt his temper rise as viewed the leader of the men who had killed so many¡­


    ***


    Robert strained his eyes to catch a glimpse of Serenity. Coming back to the castle after the failed raid to find Serenity missing¡­ he had not slept this week. The messenger his sergeant-at-arms had sent upon discovering her disappearance had only just reached them as they came upon the crest of the castles neighbouring hill. He had returned to a distraught Osgar and the household in uproar. The guards had been knocked out and bound and the path the kidnappers had taken disappeared out the kitchen door and into the garden before it became obscured. They had managed to determine a brief direction before it was lost in the river.


    For the first time in days, Robert felt alive and he wanted blood. He did his best to rein in his temper. It stemmed from distress. He had broken his word to protect her. What was worse was that, after her disappearance, he found she meant more to him than he had originally thought. Though he had only know her months, it was as if he had cared for her for years. He wanted to protect and provide from her. Certainly never wanted to be parted from her again.


    The two groups grew closer and halted at the designated spot. Dismounting, they all shuffled into some sort of order and Robert caught a glimpse of her. When the crowd settled and he could see her properly, he saw that they had bound her. His temper was already high but seeing this¡­ he was livid. Without thought, he drew his sword and, with singular intent, stalked toward the curr that stood next to her.


    ***


    Aelfwine saw the great and noble Lord draw his sword and felt his heart rise in grim satisfaction. They would meet in battle and settle their feud and their tempers. Bring your worst de Montford. I will reign down the wrath of the Saxons on you.


    ***


    Both swords drawn and raised, ready for the attack, the men closed on one another. Their swords came down inpowerful swings, braced for the were clash against enemy sword, but they were thwarted. A third sword appeared from nowhere, intercepting the blades before they could join in duel. The resounding ring of metal on metal brought stillness to all gathered and reigned over the resulting silence. Both men were stunned and looked to the source of the interference.


    Serenity, with her hands still bound, held the sword and, with surprising deftness flicked the enemy swords apart with a twist of her wrists. Momentarily, all was still, surprise evident on every face. But again, the two men moved in for attack. Her face set with determination, Serenity pounced. First she tackled Robert, who was the closer, and then Aelfwine, blocking the oncoming blows and flinging their swords from their hands. Both breathing heavily with agitation, the men looked as if they would continue their fight regardless. Serenity felt anger bubble to the fore. She pushed it down, determined to kale them see sense.


    "Shame on you both. You came under a flag of truce. Honour it like the men I know you. This behaviour is unworthy of you. You are falling into the will of the conspiritor by continuing this war. This will stop now or I will ensure you both pay for your rash actions. This is a negotiation, not a tourney."


    She stood between both sides, her swords¡¯ tip resting on the ground in front of her, immovable, like a warrior Goddess scowling at the offending sides as if she would, at any moment, strike down those foolish enough to disobey.


    "Serenity move aside. He took you from my very keep, and is responsible for the deaths of many of my men. He deserves his fate. I will have my justice."


    "Aye and you are not blameless. Slaughtered a village babes and all, his people have enslaved every one of us. I, too will have justice."


    "Vengeance you mean. You are both consumed by anger and wrath. Robert, I have been treated well and suffer no ill effects. And did they not keep their word to you? Aelfwine, he was not himself at that time, poisoned by this unknown man. He tended the survivors like they were his own men. And he cannot be held accountable for the serf system that King William imposed. He may obey this system but has he not been a good Lord for all his people? You are on the opposing sides of a war and have both done harm to each other but if we are going to make a truce and defeat our common enemy, you must put these grievances in the past. Can you not see that your hates and prejudices only bring harm to yourselves and those around you? Forgiveness is the only course you can take now if you wish to avoid destruction."


    The thirst for battle shone from their eyes and it was affecting the others. These men wanted to battle each other and cared for little else now. This was not about Normans and Anglo-Saxons anymore. They had been fighting so long that they didn''t know any other way of dealing with each other. Serenity desperately tried to find a way to make them see. In a flash, she had an idea, they were warriors so talk to them as warriors. In a quiet voice she began¡­


    "A great man of war once said, "The greatest victory is the battle not fought." Even he who spent his life in battle understood that there are better ways to resolve conflicts before finally resorting to the sword. You both want what is best for your people and so you have both become strong to protect them. But true strength does not lie in swords and spears, but in the heart. Choose to find another way to resolve this conflict. Use the strength in your hearts and find a way¡­"


    They said nothing, staring at each other, battling themselves and their history. It seemed there was much between these two warriors. Serenity felt that familiar prickle as the hairs on her neck raised. An eerie whisper floated in on the breeze that caressed her cheek. Serenity. She shivered, her eyes fluttering against the strong pull of the whispers. He was here. But she couldn''t risk turning her attention from her friends. They had to make this choice themselves or they would fail. And history would never be the same.


    Serenity¡­ Both men suddenly shifted, wary. Perhaps they too sensed the enemy close. Perhaps this would be the push they needed to decide.


    Serenity come where you belong.


    "He¡¯s here. Decide. Now."


    Serenity plunged her sword into the ground before her had made quick work of her bonds. Now free, she sprinted to her horse and, mounting despite the hindrance of her skirts, fled the group and rode at a gallop in the direction the unnatural vibe was coming from. Unsure what compelled her, she searched the landscape for their foe, needing to end his madness. She heard the noise of pursuit but ignored it, intent of her mission.


    In a dip in the land close to the cover of hedges, she dismounted and found what she had been looking for. Or at least evidence of it. The ground was disturbed where he had lain and the evidence of him lingered, a gash where he had stuck his knife, fabric torn from his mantle. He had been here, watching.Again he alluded them. Frustration and anger at his callus behaviour and disregard of life left her feeling drained and vulnerable. She sank to her knees and covered her face with her hands.


    She heard them approach but did not move. She did not want them to know how much this mystery enemy affected her. She felt so exposed whenever he appeared, and after her encounter with him, she felt as if he had somehow changed her, connected them somehow. It felt¡­ invasive. When the footsteps were too close, she stood and faced them. Her frustration and fear made her words harsher than she intended.


    "He was here. We have no more time if we are to stop him. What do you choose?"


    Robert and Aelfwine exchanged looks and nodded. One of the elders spoke up.


    "You are right Milady¡­ We have a truce."


    She nodded and continued.


    "I would suggest we move to the castle. It''s location is already known to all and it is easily defended and the elders are not ready to entrust the location of their settlement yet. At the castle we can control who goes in and out so there is less chance the knave slips in. We allow only the most trusted of your men inside. Fighting men from both sides and some women folk to make the men behave and for the castle to appear normal. And we can act as healers should a battle ensue. Now that we have joined forces, this enemy will be even more desperate. I doubt we will have to wait long for his next move. Let us just hope he has no influence on those close to the King. Then we are all doomed."

 11. Present

    Xander strolled across the field towards the huge tent indicated by security. Acting as the HQ for all dig sites involved in the Robinson Project, he was hoping to find the site manager and start work. He had heard good things about Serenity N¨¦ville apart from her odd refusal to work in the UK. He wandered what Robinson had done to overcome that? Many others had tried but, so far, none had convinced her to come back. It was a shame. Such a talented archaeologist was needed in the UK. She always got the job done, with great procedures and preservation and recording methods. Her team was top notch.


    He hoped it wasn''t money that convinced her, she didn''t seem like that kind of person. He had heard a story from a colleague that when she was offered three times the going rate to stop a job halfway through and join a team in Egypt, she had blown her lid, yelling at the poor messenger until he had handed over his phone so she could yell at the idiot of an employer who had made the offer. Word was, he was so enamoured with her spunk, he delayed his own dig and waited until she had finished before offering again.Apparently, she only took the job because the elusive Nubian Pharaohs were involved and she insisted on taking base line pay so she could put the excess back into the dig.


    Xander smiled at the thought. Looking around, he began to wonder if Serenity really was in charge of this dig. It looked like utter chaos. She was the only reason he had agreed to come on. He didn''t like thetrappings that came along with a sponsor like Andrew Robinson. He was a good guy and genuinely interested in archaeology, Xander just couldn''t stand the way he threw money about. It was dangerously close the being cavalier. Oh well, the money would come in useful. It was so hard to get the equipment they really need on a dig, especially spread out over to many different sites. And it helped pay for experts such as himself. Expert on William the conqueror thanks to a lot of hard work and some, never before seen, documents hidden away on his family estate. It was amazing how much was squirreled away by these old families like his. It''s what first got him interested in archaeology, exploring the old manor and the dusty papers in the attic on wet afternoons.


    Finally reaching the tent entrance, he walked into a buzz of activity. Well, at least some work was being done. What why the blazes wasn''t anyone out digging. It wasn''t like the weather was a problem. He hoped a modern skeleton hadn''t been found mixed in with the others. The police would cause innumerable delays. Making his way through the throng to a table full of harassed looking people, the glimpse of a florescent police jacket confirmed his fears. Walking up to them with purpose he cleared he throat.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Ahem, I''m looking for the site manager, Serenity N¨¦ville. Can any of you direct me to her please?"


    A young but tired looking red head looked up. She seemed sad and dark circles hollowed under her eyes.


    "I''m the deputy site manager, Beth. Who are you?"


    "Oh, excuse me, I''m the expert Andrew Robinson brought in, Xander. I''m sorry I''m late, I was delayed in Bath."


    "Oh Mr -"


    "Just Xander is fine. Um, can you tell me where Serenity N¨¦ville is? If the dig is delayed, I''d like to get a preliminary overview of the situation to begin forming theories before we get stuck into the details."


    There was a loaded pause and the whole table seemed to hold it''d breath. Xander had a very uncomfortable feeling at the pit of his stomach that shivered up to the back of his neck, making the hairs rise. The red head, Beth, frowned. She looked close to tears.


    "Mr Robinson didn''t contact you? All the work on this site is on hold for now. We can''t¡­ the police need¡­ you see¡­"


    "What''s happened?"


    "Serenity''s missing"


    Beth''s face crumpled and she began to sob into the shoulder of a capable looking man in designer glasses. Xander felt stunned. He blinked and tried to catch his breath. He didn''t understand what affected him so badly, all he knew was that this woman, that he had so looked forward to meeting, his idol, was gone, possibly in danger. He had to do something, he had to help.


    "Tell me."


    The young man answered, stretching out his hand to shake Xanders. He too looked haggard and sad. Xander realised in a spark of memory that these two were a part of Serenity''s standard team. She rarely dug without them.


    "Sam. I just got in from Serenity''s last dig in Cyprus. She was last seen here in the command tent after dinner last night. Security cameras show she worked here into the night before heading out to one of the trenches. She smiled to one of the cameras as she walked past. She¡¯s like that, likes to acknowledge the security guys and the work they do.The camera at the dig site shows her kneeling by the trench when something off screen caught her attention. She appeared to turn and lean down, at which point she was off camera. Noting has been seen of her since. I don''t know if it''s relevant, but a volunteer from her Cyprus team also disappeared shortly after she left for the UK. No trace of either of them. They''re just¡­ gone."

 12. Truce

    In the several months he had known her, Robert had never before seen Serenity this angry. Even when she witnessed he and his men on their first encounter, she was not angry. He was ashamed of himself, of letting his temper almost destroyed not only his men but the chance for peace and a settled country. He had failed himself, his people and his King but worse, he had failed her.


    Days it had taken. Weeks even, to agree the details of their alliance, choose the warriors and others that would join them in his castle. Weeks to try and get back into Serenity''s good graces. She still wasn''t entirely happy with them, but Robert took consolation in the fact that she was still mad at Aelfwine too.


    Something about the man just¡­ it wasn''t that he was a Saxon, or that he was a skilled and formidable warrior who had killed many of his people. No he could understand these things, even admire and respect the man. He may have even liked the man, despite his Saxon ideals if not for the fact that the damned man had the audacity to break into his castle and steal his charge from him. He had promised Serenity she would be safe in his home, among his people and Aelfwine had made a liar out of him. What was worse, he couldn''t do much about it, he had to obey the orders from his King. Orders that where made with the information Robert provided in his reports.


    Robert looked up from his trencher of food to watch the mix of Norman and Saxon warriors and women. There were very few children in the castle, safer to keep them out of the battle areas, but the small form of Osgar could be seen mingling among the warriors. The boy had shown a remarkable affinity for the knights, their equipment, horses and battle tactics. He even had his own practice sword and was slowly gaining strength and confidence. He would make a fine man someday soon. Robert was proud of the boy, would be proud to call him his son. Perhaps he would adopt the child, if he and Serenity agreed. But a boy needs a mother as well as a father. Not that any man would admit it but, even fully grown, a mother always holds a special place in his heart. Will always be someone he will make time for and at least listen to¡­ It had been months. And nothing could be found of Serenity''s family.


    Roberts eyes search out the figure he wanted to see most. He could no longer deny the place this phenomenal women held in his heart. Brilliant, beautiful and compassionate¡­ He loved her. He wanted her by his side, as his wife. Always. But she was like no women he had ever met. Would she be happy with him or was he being selfish? Should he ask for her hand?


    Roberts thoughts were interrupted by the voice of his right hand man. He looked up to at his man and sat back.


    "My Lord, the gathering is due to begin."


    "Very good, thank you Percival. Inform the Saxon leaders and Lady Serenity. I will be in the meeting chamber with the rest of my advisors. Bring them straight to me."


    "As you wish my Lord."


    Walking to the meeting chamber, Robert could only hope a solution would be found swiftly and that Serenity''s anger had eased. He entered through the thick doors and saw them gathered. He had been surprised the King was willing to entertain and alliance with what was left of the Saxon ruling class. Not that it was a bad thing, on the contrary, Robert thought it wise to end the fighting. The country could ill afford it now. But the King had been so adamant about destroying any who thought to rise against him in his new kingdom.


    Looking around for Serenity, he found her at the back of the room, almost hidden, observing the men. She seemed different, determined. When the room noticed his presence, all fell quiet.


    "Gentlemen, let''s get to work. We need to plan our next move. Making this alliance was the first step in thwarting this man who has made himself out enemy. Moving our forces to the castle will make defence and training easier. Those most vulnerable are hidden away from our main forces here and we have plentiful supplies. Aelfwine, how are the Saxons settling in? Have there been any incidents?."


    ¡°Thus far, all is well Lord Robert. Each one here has worked hard to ensure that all runs smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now to business. This traitor is dangerous. He has manipulated both sides, resulting in major loss for us all. He hides well and has great influence over people. We need to capture him and then he must be dealt with."


    A brief silence lasted after Roberts summary before Aelfwine spoke up.


    "Where do we start? We don''t even know who this person is."


    ¡°We know what he has done.¡±


    ¡°Do we? Until recently, we thought all the deaths were caused by each other. A view I am not entirely willing to dismiss¡±.


    ¡°What are you saying? Are you trying to blame us now Norman?¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen, enough of this. We have already agreed to a truce. We must turn our attention to protecting our people.¡±


    The chamber erupted into a babble of noise as ideas, arguments and frustration flowed with no cohesive thought or order. Robert withheld a groan as he watched the first attempt at cooperation become a veritable shouting contest.


    Robert looked around the room trying to find someone who could bring all here together, to act as one. But he found none, even Aelfwine seemed to have withdrawn from the chaos, deep into thought. Then he heard a voice rise above the rabble.


    "Does anyone have a map?"


    ***


    Serenity had hardly heard the wordless noise around her, she had hardly hear Robert''s introduction. Already she was making plans, trying to understand who they were working against and how to go about ending this war. Capturing this one instigator may not be enough, but it was a start. If he was smart he would have made contingency plans. First they needed to know all they could about his actions so far.


    At her question, the noise around her suddenly stopped. In the silence, she looked up into the surprised and irritated faces around her.


    "Why is there a women here. This is a war council not a village f¨ºte."


    Before anyone could answer or add to this complaint, Robert spoke up.


    "Because I summoned her here. Do you to question me Sir West? Do you believe you know better than I who among my people can aid me best?"


    ¡°No M¡¯Lord. I meant no disrespect,¡±


    The chastised Sir West dropped his eyes from his Lords anger and resolved to think before speaking again. The awkward silence that had followed lingered until Perceval, Roberts right hand man at the castle, a man Serenity was not overly familiar with, appeared with several large sheets of parchment. Laying them on the long table, Serenity saw the maps she requested, the castle clearly marked of each one.


    "Thank you Sir Perceval. Now, we mark on the maps, in the order they occurred, the locations of each attack we, perhaps we can learn something."


    As Roberts military men began to outline the information she requested, Serenity watched the map. Slowly, a pattern began to emerge and a smile tugged at her lips. Now they had a start.


    "What do you think My Lady? What do you see that we do not?"


    Serenity looked up at Robert, drawn from her contemplations. She realised the room was again quiet, the men looking at her waiting for her to explain.


    "My Lord look. He began here, in the Northwest with the first battle, near the coast. But look. See here? He has moved steadily Southeast towards where we are now at the castle. So he''s either following something or he has a target. Either way, we know that he has to be somewhere close to each battle. From the little information we have, we know he has a personal role in each confrontation. How long have the attacks been going on. When did they begin?"


    "About six months ago My Lady" answered Robert''s captain "although¡­"


    He seemed reluctant to continue.


    "Although what, sir? It could be important."


    "¡­ Forgive me My Lady but, in the three months since you arrived, there seem to have been more battles¡­ especially in this area, close to the castle. If he had followed the pattern you showed us, he should have moved further Southeast by now." He indicated where on the map.


    There was an uncomfortable silence, but no one dared speak against her. Serenity knew she needed to put to rest any doubts or fears they had. They would be foolish not to be suspicious but, now more than ever they could not afford for them to turn against her or one another.


    "I see what you mean Captain. Indeed it is a strange coincidence. My presence is a factor perhaps? A new element so close to Lord Robert could have made the traitor nervous, made him increase his attacks, try to destabilise the area. Or it could simply be that Lord DeMontford is a powerful adversely in the area, a known warrior. Or that attacking a castle takes more effort, more men to tackle, more battles, more time. Yet if you consider the manner of my appearance, rather out of the blue, my family¡¯s disappearance, that you don''t really know who I am. Of course you are suspisous. Alternatively, take into account, I have brought to light some of this and requested the current cooperation¡­ it is difficult to know. So the question is, do you trust Lord DeMontfords and Aelfwines judgment in this, in me?"


    Someone from the back of the room asked, ¡°Now My Lady?"


    "I''m afraid so. We do not have the luxury of time."


    ***


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The Captain who had first brought up the issue nervously shifted. He felt bad that he had indirectly accused Lady Serenity of treachery. He cleared his throat and spoke up, "My Lady, you have done nothing at all to harm us since you arrived. In fact you have made us stronger. If My Lord trusts you and we know he has good judgement then we will trust you My Lady."


    Robert breathed a silent sigh of relief and watched as Serenity smiled at the captain and nodded her head in acceptance. Looking around the room, he saw the truth of the captains words in every face, including the Saxons. He was glad, Serenity could not be in danger, especially from his own men. She had lowered her eyes so she wouldn''t betray how much their acceptance meant to her but he knew. Truthfully, she had been afraid. She whispered a thank you, so quiet only he had heard.


    "You''re welcome"


    Roberts reassured her, gently resting his hand on her back. She looked up at him smiling and determination to do whatever she could to help these men shone from her eyes. They had all become so dear to her.


    Robert took over the discussions.


    "Captain, you are correct. He has spent a great deal of time here, more than anywhere he has previously been. We can use it to our advantage. We know he has to be close by in order to plan and put into action the skirmishes. But he had to be able to reach both sides. These maps show all the villages, so then he has to be based either¡­ here or¡­ here."


    He indicated two villages on the map that were equally close to the castle and the lines marking the borders of his immediate boundary. The lands beyond, though technically Roberts, were full of the Saxon rebels as there just weren''t enough men to secure them permanently yet.


    "This knave works to stay anonymous. He would disguise himself as someone recently brought in by the new Lord to live and work. He''s cunning, so he''ll be able to slip in and out as he wished. I suspect that when he encounters our soldiers, he would work in the lower ranks where he can hide his identity. The menial workers, kitchen staff. Places where staff are always changing. That''s where he hid before. A village is more difficult as new faces stand out so it should be easier to find him."


    Aelfwine nodded.


    "I agree My Lord. It is sensible, but we will have to search carefully. We cannot alert him to our purpose. What about the security of the castle? We know he moves about a lot and he most likely has found a way in. We cannot risk him hearing our plans.¡±


    ¡°We must only speak of them in this room, nowhere else and with no one else. Agreed?¡± Everyone nods their ascent. ¡°Good. Captain, I want you to double the guard but keep it discreet. If by some chance he does get in, I don''t want to make him suspicious. Keep the extra guards in casual garbe but make sure they''re well-armed. I don''t want any man in danger.¡±


    The Captain bowed to his Lord. There followed a lull in the discussion and hopeful conversations were murmured among those gathered in the chamber. Robert could tell Serenity had given only half her attention to his words. Her brow furrowed in concentration, probably trying to follow the little spark of a thought that had struck her. Still frowning she muttered.


    At her softly uttered words, those closest to her, including Aelfwine and Robert, turned questioning eyes to the Lady. Unaware, Serenity continued to study the map before her in concentration. When she didn¡¯t continue, Robert spoke.


    ¡°Lady Serenity?¡±


    Startled from her reverie, Serenity looked up into the curious faces around her. Turning to Robert, eyebrows raised, she waited.


    ¡°You asked ¡®Who is he¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°My Lord, we know nothing about him, so we do not know how to proceed. Would it be possible to send a scout to the coast where he first appeared? I believe if we can ascertain who this man is, we will have a better chance of finding and stopping him.¡±


    Robert nodded.


    ¡°I agree with this suggestion My Lady. What would you suggest our scout look for? If we do not know anything about this villain, we have nothing to reference when looking for him.¡±


    ¡°Tell him to look for anything out of place, anything that doesn¡¯t belong. I don¡¯t think interrogating the locals will help, he knows how to blend in. Search areas he can hide, the forests, the keeps. I have a feeling he will know it when he sees it. But whatever happens, he must return within six days.¡±


    One of the Saxon leaders frowned. ¡°Why six days Child?¡±


    ¡°I do not think it wise for the scout to be away from the safety of the castle for long. Especially as we do not know how this man will react. He may be observing our movements. If there is something to be found, our scout may be in danger.¡±


    ¡°Very well. One and a half days travel each way. That leaves three days left to search. We will also begin discreet scouting of the two villages, small groups under the guise of running errands for the castle. No one is to leave the castle without orders or permission.¡±


    The discussion continued, details were discussed and finalised for all the aspects of life in the castle, the upcoming searches both in the villages and the scouring mission and he schedules for guard duty. All was divided equally with members of both sided involved in all aspects. Eventually the meeting began to wind down.


    ***


    Serenity¡¯s mind ticked away, blocking out all around her. What was it? Something nagged at her persistently pulling at her attention. She just couldn¡¯t quite¡­


    There! Her eyes went wide in understanding as she gasped. Her hand went to her mouth.


    ¡°How could I have been so blind?¡±


    Once again the room¡¯s attention was on her but still she barely noticed. She began to pace in agitation, eyes moving constantly trying to think. Was she right?


    ¡°My Lady?¡­ my Lady¡­ Serenity!¡±


    Robert stepped into her path as she paced and held her upper arms to still her. Looking down into her face he waited until she focused on him.


    ¡°What is wrong.¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡±


    Serenity paused, trying to gather her thoughts. She gently broke out of Roberts grasp and crossed her arms across her body. Lips pursed, she paced away from the table and back again.


    ¡°He attacks indiscriminately, Norman, Saxon. And now we have a truce we are bound to look to other potential enemies. Who is he? A Norman, a Saxon, Scotsman, Welsh, Irish, French? He seems to not care at all who prevails or who is harmed. This isn¡¯t about starting a war.¡±


    One of the advisers spoke up. ¡°Of course it is My Lady. He cannot expect his actions and the battles he has caused to not result in a war or uprising.¡±


    ¡°No, good Sir. Though a war or uprising may occur as a result of his plans, it is not his purpose. He wants a person¡­ One specific person. Someone he believes will be present at his orchestrated disturbances. He causes enough trouble and this person will come. Be drawn in. That is why he favours neither side.¡±


    They could all see the how she could be right.When no one said anything, Serenity looked to Robert curious of what he thought. He frowned but nodded. Aelfwine was the first to follow her line of thought.


    ¡°But then who does he want and for what purpose? It is most likely a man and one of the gentry or Nobel class who have the authority to deal with the kind of trouble he is creating.¡±


    Robert nodded and continued the thought.


    ¡°And it is not likely to be the King. Even should he decide to travel this far from the capital, he would bring an army to quash the trouble. He would be too well protected. I will send a missive to all the local ruling class and warn them of the risk. No one is to travel alone as of now. I think that is enough for today. Be about your business.¡±


    The gathering stood and bowed before filing out of the meeting chamber. Serenity waited for the room to empty before letting out a deep sigh. She felt drained. Being cooped up in the castle without her customary excursions outside and having to face the combined leaders of the shaky alliance had left her feeling almost claustrophobic. Robert had indicated for Aelfwine to remain. When the three of the were alone, Serenity relaxed into a chair and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Good work Serenity. Thank you both for your input. It is a good beginning.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Serenity. Lord Robert is correct. You have given us a great advantage.¡±


    Serenity smiled. She didn¡¯t like that her role had become so prominent. She worried that she was interfering too much. If this was real, she could change history, and if it was not, she could become to entwined in this life she¡¯d never get out. It was a dangerous balance to keep. Standing, she headed towards the door.


    ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling us Serenity?¡±


    ***


    At his quietly asked question, Serenity froze. He knew she had been hiding something. And now he believed he knew what it was. She turned to face him and, from the corner of his eye, Robert caught the movement of Aelfwines¡¯ startled glance between them.


    ¡°In the gardens, you didn¡¯t just fall asleep or faint did you? It was him. What did he do? What aren¡¯t you telling us?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I saw the fear in your eyes when you woke. Please tell us, this could be important.¡±


    ¡°Wait, My Lord, Serenity a moment please. What incident in the garden?¡±


    Robert didn¡¯t take his eyes off Serenity as she moved to the fire, her back to them both. He wished he could see her face and know her thoughts. Keeping his eyes trained on her still form, Robert answered Aelfwine.


    ¡°Shortly before you took Serenity from the keep, I found her unconscious in the inner garden, cold to the touch. The atmosphere in the garden was¡­ too quiet. Threatening. Serenity insisted she had fallen asleep in the warm sun and she was well but¡­¡±


    Her quiet voice interrupted him.


    ¡°I was sitting on the ground, enjoying the warm sun. At first, the coolness on my skin didn¡¯t bother me, I thought the breeze would pass. But there wasn¡¯t a breeze. I thought the wind was rustling the leaves, but as I got colder, I heard the whispering. I couldn¡¯t move, I tried but it was so cold and I was getting so tired. I tried to fight it but the more I tried the worse it got. As I dropped to the ground, I felt his fingers on the back of my neck easing me down before everything went dark. Then I woke looking into Roberts face... I saw nothing, I can¡¯t even be sure someone was there.¡±


    ¡°What else Serenity? I¡¯ve seen it in your eyes. Sometimes you just stop and look around, like you¡¯relooking for something.¡±


    She half turned from the fire to look at them both. Her arms were crossed protectively across her body and Robert could see she was reluctant to say more but he needed to know.


    ¡°Sometimes it felt like we were being watched around the castle¡­¡±


    Robert frowned and Aelfwine stepped forward asking,


    ¡°Do you mean the servants and retainers? They are curious.¡±


    ¡°No that¡¯s not what I mean. It felt like someone who didn¡¯t belong, someone who wasn¡¯t quite right, it just felt like they weren¡¯t part of the community around them, so foreign and yet hidden so well.¡±


    ¡°You think it was the one we¡¯re looking for. Presumably he was watching the castle for his plans, Lord Roberts castle is difficult to penetrate.¡±


    ¡°You would know Aelfwine.¡± Robert quipped.


    At his comment, Aelfwine grinned cheekily at his way but Robert found he was not as irate as he pretended. Against his initial instinct, he was beginning to actually like the Saxon Nobel who was more like a¡­ mischievous puppy.


    ¡°True¡­ but why would he focus on Serenity in the garden? And how did he do that. It sounds unnatural.¡±


    Serenity, who had been quiet since recounting her tale, surprised them both by spinning around. Her hands had moved to her hips as she looked thoughtfully at the table.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that Aelfwine. We know he is very manipulative and charismatic, but I think he is also very smart.¡±


    Robert was totally confused. And he could see by the look on Aelfwine face that we too was lost. They glanced at each other before Robert tentatively asked.


    ¡°You think he merely¡­ decides on course of action and others just¡­ follow?¡±


    Serenity smiled as if he had answered an age old riddle.


    ¡°Not exactly but in essence, yes that¡¯s what he is doing.¡±


    She must have seen the sceptical look on his face because she rolled her eyes and elaborated.


    ¡°Alright. If you were in the midst of a battle, about to chase another foe and someone yelled at you, ¡°Don¡¯t go¡±, would you be inclined to listen?¡±


    Both men shook their heads in the negative. Serenity, seemingly satisfied with this, nodded and smiled.


    ¡°Ok. Now in the same situation, what would you do if some yelled ¡°Halt!¡±? Are you then more likely to listen?¡±


    Both men stood silently, contemplating what she had said. Before either could give an answer, she continued.


    ¡°See? You can see the same result everywhere. The words you use affect how people respond. What about rumours?¡±


    Again, Robert was confused by the sudden change in topic. Looking over to Aelfwine, he didn¡¯t look much better off.


    ¡°Robert if you hear a particularly unbelievable rumour one or two times. You will mostly likely dismiss it, correct? But what if you heard the same rumour twenty, thirty, fourth times from many people. You would start to believe there was some truth to it, yes?¡±


    Robert nodded.


    ¡°This is what he¡¯s doing. He starts by telling a lie, like ¡°Rebel Saxons were potted village, they plan to attack us¡±. He tells it to as many people as possible over and over, mentioning it here and there, ¡°Hey, did you hear what about that attack?¡±. He repeats rumour over and over again until it becomes his truth. Then he uses the drugs to make them more susceptible to him and push them into action¡­ It¡¯s horrifically brilliant¡­¡±


    Robert was stunned. It was like the politics at the Kings court but much more subtle and far more deadly. Who could one man have caused so much damage?


    The three of them discussed the consequences behind this discovery. They agreed that they should keep this information to themselves. Robert was worried too many would resort to tales of magic and Faye and he didn¡¯t want anything like that associated with Serenity. Robert wasn¡¯t sure Aelfwine was entirely convinced. Lost in his own thought, Robert didn¡¯t catch Serenity¡¯s last words.


    ¡°But how does he know¡­?¡±


    ***


    Serenity sat in her solar, a place of refuge and stared out at the sky. She was tired. The war meeting and the following questioning with Robert and Aelfwine had left her drained and feeling a little vulnerable.


    She couldn¡¯t let any notions of magic or the supernatural gain any credence. For one it could draw attention to her unusual arrival and she didn¡¯t want the locals persecuted for their more superstitious beliefs. And she didn¡¯t like reliving the incident in the garden and she still wasn¡¯t convinced she should be interfering so much in the past. What if she irrevocably altered the timeline? Then again, if this was all on her mind, she needn¡¯t worry about such things, it wasn¡¯t real. That thought sent a shaft of pain through her heart. What if Robert and Osgar weren¡¯t real? And Aelfwine, Gawain, all the people she had come to love here?


    The tears she had kept at bay for so long poured down her cheeks. The pain was too much. Either this was real and she would never get home to her family again, or it was all in her mind, and those she felt so much for never even existed. What a horrible thought. Great racking sobs tore from her chest and robbed her of breath. It hurt. It hurt too much. Serenity cried and rocked herself trying to control her feelings, but she had been in control too long and now it was broken. She squeezed her eyes tight and wish with all her heart for her mum and dad. For the comfort of their arms, their gentle words and the sage advice they seemed to have in abundance. She felt so lost.


    Eventually, the tears slowed, her breathing evened and she heaved a great sigh. Too tired to think anymore, and too hurt to contemplate her situation, she decided to take the easy way out and go to sleep. It had been a long day¡­


    The mists hung around her, enhancing the already dark landscape, but the expected clamour of battle, death and screamed pleas was absent. Instead, the silence engulfed her, waiting. Looking around, Serenity expected to see the shadows that dogged her dreams. Were they gone?


    No. Not gone. There, in the mist, the shadows watched. For the first time they were still. Serenity stepped forward. She trembled as she realised she should have been afraid. But she wasn¡¯t. For the first time, she could almost see the shadows, the people they represented. Almost. Frustration suddenly reared in her. What did they want? And what could she possibly do? Was this even real? She was losing her mind.


    ¡°Return¡±


    A voice whispered from all around. In her head? Return where? What? Or who? ... Serenity took another step forward. Deep breath.


    ¡°Return to beginning. All back. Last two. Changes. Must return. Erase.¡±


    What? What does that mean? Where am I supposed to return to? My time? The field near the battle?


    ¡°Did you bring me here?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Message. To you. For you. Listen. Beginning, end. You loop. Go back. Take back. Erase changes.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand. How do I get back? I don¡¯t want to erase anything. I don¡¯t want to lose them.¡±


    ¡°No time. Listen self, heart. Must end. Save them. Back. Erase changes, heal. He¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°What? Who? ¡­ Hello?¡±


    But the shadows in the darkness were silent.

 13. Old Friends

    Robert was concerned. All had been quiet since the move to the castle and the regular meetings with the Saxon leaders and his counsel usually went well. The first one especially. They had gathered a great deal of information and were finally closer to finding their man. But the more Robert learned, the more he suspected that Serenity was more involved than anyone could have suspected.


    He looked down at the papers on his desk. Any one of them could contain the information he needed to end this. But time was quickly running away from him. The missive in his hand confirmed that. They would arrive soon. And he needed to make sure he had all the evidence to convince them this was not a rebellion. It was much worse.


    He hoped he was successful. Because if he wasn¡¯t, he would lose everything. Because he was very much afraid that this villain was searching for Serenity. Robert had to find him before he found her. He needed help.


    ***


    Serenity hurried down the stairs into the main hall, barley stopping to scan the length of the room before heading out to the courtyard in search of her quarry. Osgar, she knew, was again with the soldiers, watching them train. Although he was several years too young to begin squire training, and nothing in Oscars future was certain, he was awed and obsessed with the knights. The Anglo-Saxon elders were not entirely happy about it. They wanted Osgar to be raised with their traditions and beliefs. They had lost so much and feared, that if things continued as they were, all Anglo-Saxon culture would be lost in Norman beliefs and traditions.


    The courtyard was bustling with activity. People moved with a purpose, back and forth completing chores. Soldiers and skilled men worked on re-enforcing the wall and checking the weapons, cleaning them and making repairs. And there, by the castle gates, she saw them, the group readying to depart for the village. Hurrying over, she prepared what she would say. The group of soldiers were due to make the next supply run to the nearest market and Serenity desperately needed to persuade them to let her join the expedition. Not only was she going stir crazy cooped up and watched faithfully by the over protective Lords¡¯ best warriors, many of the women needed supplies that the male population of the castle just didn¡¯t think of. And the healer, Aggie who normally took care of such things, was away at the moment so, Serenity was the default person to go to, to fill in.


    ¡°Sir Henry! A moment please, I must join you. Aggie is away and there are supplies we need.¡±


    ¡°My Lady! My parsons but you cannot leave without My Lords permission. He is responsible for you and will be most displeased if you are put in danger.¡±


    ¡°But Sir Henry, I won¡¯t be in danger as long as I am with you and your men. Besides this is my responsibility to the residents here. I cannot give it to another.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Sir Henry, if you do not take me with you, I will go on my own. Then I will be in danger. And you would have disobeyed your Lord. Besides, I have accompanied the men before.¡±


    ¡°Yes My Lady, but Lord De Montfort was always with you when you did. I wonder what would invoke My Lord¡¯s anger more, locking you in your room or taking you with us¡­¡±


    The look in his eyes told Serenity he was entirely serious.


    ¡°I promise you I would make sure it was the former. Let me come, we will have returned before the end of day. And I will not go out of your sight. I promise.¡±


    Henry groaned and sighed out his exasperation.


    ¡°My Lady, you are going to get me killed by my own Lord. You will not leave my sight. No matter what.¡±


    Serenity smiled beautifully at his surrender, then quickly frowned at his words.


    ¡°No he won¡¯t Henry. I won¡¯t let him. Come along, let¡¯s go before you changed you mind.¡±


    Serenity climbed onto the cart they had prepared for the supplies, not wanting to delay while a horse was saddled for her. She felt the keen eyes of the men on her and felt a momentary pang of guilt. Her presence put extra work on them and, if anything should go wrong¡­ she didn¡¯t want to be responsible for any of them getting hurt or punished by Robert. She would just have to make sure nothing happened.


    ***


    Serenity enjoyed the long journey to the village despite the slightly bumpy gate of their large wagon. For once, she left the tense alertness of lookout to the mounted knights and absorbed the beauty of her surroundings. She didn¡¯t often have time to just¡­ be. Or relax. Between everything that¡¯s been going on, trying to find the cause of the recent conflicts and the stress of looking after a traumatised child and adjusting to living in the past, time for self-reflection and philosophy was low. Bear low.


    Okay, so here it was. Either she was insane, or in a coma, and this was all on her head. Or, somehow, this was all real and everything she said, everything she did affected these people, for good or for bad. How do you deal with that? Nothing I do matters or I¡¯m responsible for a sizable chunk of history. History. It didn¡¯t quite fit. History says William killed King Harold II and became King himself in 1066. Thing are sketchy until 1068, when the Doomsday book was complied, a census of all the inhabitant and their property in the whole of the isles. William the Conqueror reign ruthlessly, continuingto supress and practically enslave the Anglo-Saxon natives under the serf system, wiping out the old culture and history until his death in 1086. It can¡¯t be much after 1068, at yet the Normans seem to have been here for a while. Maybe not as conquers, that still wasn¡¯t quite clear. And the Anglo-Saxons weren¡¯t serfs, just persecuted natives. At least here, away from the capital. Other small things¡­ it could just be the distortion of history, and records for this era weren¡¯t started until the Dooms Day book which doesn¡¯t seemed to have occurred yet. But, for goodness sake, these are key points of history. Unquestioned for decades¡­


    Bah! How meant times had she argued through this with herself? She was driving herself crazy! Heaving out a sigh, Serenity closed her eyes and tried not to think. The wagon creaked and bumped, the horses tackle jingled. It was such a beautiful day. Serenity sighed again, this time in contentment. She had been so stressed lately, they all had. They were practically at war. Well, that was her decision then. For now, all she had to think about was surviving this trouble making war-mongerer. Which meant helping Robert, his people and the Anglo-Saxons survive. Which would change history. If this was even the past¡­ Enough! It seemed like, ever since she arrived, she spent too much of her time trying to decide how to act, the consequences were and trying to resolve this endless internal battle. Okay. New plan... Focus on supplies.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The wagon rolled into the village and Serenity jumped off. She should have brought her horse. Henry immediately came to stand with her and started issuing orders to the men, who swiftly split off to fill their orders. When only two of his men remained, Hendry turned to her.


    ¡°My Lady, Imust insist that you stay next to me at all times. When we have acquired all our necessary supplies, we will return immediate to the castle. Please give me your word.¡±


    ¡°Of course Henry. I understand the dangers. I give you my word, I will remain with you until we have returned to the castle.¡±


    Although Roberts best knight relaxed a little, he did not seem reassured. Serenity smiled and turned to look at the village. It was huge, more of a town really. And, as you would expect on market day, it was crammed with people. The noise, smells and colours were invigorating and the smile on Serenity¡¯s face grew.


    For the next two hours, their group moved slowly through the market, collecting the many supplies needed at the castle. It was going well. And fairly fast considering all the bartering they had to do and the extra wagons they had to acquire and then load up for the long transport back.And Serenity wasn¡¯t even tired yet. There was so much to do and see. So many people to talk to and watch.


    Serenity loved people watching. You could tell so much from just watching. 90% of all communication is non-verbal, we don¡¯ realise how much our movements and eyes and expression say to the Wold. It¡¯s fascinating and one of the reasons she sometimes becomes frustrated with her archaeology. So much is lost over time and no amount of pottery, pictures or texts cab ever convey it adequately. To be able to experience that lost communication, culture was wonderful to Serenity. So she people watched and just absorbed all she could. And maybe, she would find that familiar face she was sue she had glimpsed this morning but just couldn¡¯t place. It was beginning to bother her that she couldn¡¯t recall who it belonged to.


    Sir Henry was just finishing up the last barter and arranging for the goods to be brought to their loading point when one of his men appeared looking urgent.


    ¡°Sir Henry. There has been an accident. A wheel came off one of the wagons and the goods crushed some of the men. We need assistance and a healer immediately.¡±


    This was bad. If the injuries were too serious, the men would likely die. Serenity was no doctor but she could certainly help. Maybe her advanced knowledge would be enough. She stepped forward to be level with the Knight.


    ¡°Sir Henry, I have the supplies we will need. We should go now if we are to have any hope of saving them.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Sir Henry¡¯s voice was firm and everyone turned to him. His natural authority and leadership were evident in that they obeyed him Ben when they did not understand his reason for delaying them.


    ¡°Those wagons were sound, we checked each one before using them. My Lady, you will remain here with two of my men to guard you while I take the rest to secure the area around the wagon. I will send someone back for you once we know it is safe.¡±


    ¡°But the I juried men may not have that long. I must go with you, you cannot get another healer here fast enough.¡±


    ¡°I must ensure you safety, I promised his Lordship. And I do not believe this was a mereaccident My Lady. Your safety is my responsibility and I will not let you come to harm. If you contest this further, I will have you escorted back to the castle immediately.¡±


    ¡°My life is not worth more than the lives of those men, Sir Henry. I will not be coddled while they suffer¡±


    ¡°It is not coddling, you have already been attacked.¡± Serenity¡¯s gasp was quiet but still audible. ¡°The longer you argue with me, the longer those men go without your aid.¡±


    Serenity paused, but swiftly nodded her agreement. He had a point and she could not stand being sent back when she could help. Sir Henry gave one last word to her guards before moving swiftly off with the rest of them men. They stood watching from the side of a bright fabric covering and Serenity hated it. She wanted to help. Her guards suggested they move off a little, away from the overly crowded areas to prevent any dangers from being hidden from them and the movement was a relief from the angst off waiting which quickly grew from her inactivity. Thankfully, the wait was not long. But instead of the expected messenger calling her to tend to the injured, the wait was ended by the enveloping darkness of unconsciousness.


    ***


    Serenity woke to soft grass beneath her, the bright blue sky above her and a familiar face watching her. The face she had been looking for in the crowd. A face that shouldn¡¯t be here.


    ¡°Wick!!??¡±


    Squatting next to her, gently lifting her to sit, he grinned happily.


    ¡°Hello Serenity. Taking your work a bit seriously aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Serenity gaped into the face of one of her volunteers. Her missing volunteer. How on earth is he here?


    ¡°Wick? Is that really you? What are you doing here? How did you get here?...¡±


    Wick just smiled at her. His eyes were so deep, they seemed to hold her frozen. Her breathing hitched and an ominous cold seeped up her spine.


    ¡°Wick. How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°The same way you did my Serenity¡­¡±


    Serenity just looked at him, confused. Wick reached out to brush her hair from her eyes, stroking her cheek. She didn¡¯t even lift her bound hands to push him away. She was in shock.


    ¡°Do you remember when we first saw the shadows? When we were both children?¡±


    Serenity¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise.


    ¡°It was dawn, cold air brought mist swirling in from the lake. I couldn¡¯t sleep so I sat at my window watching for the sun. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I watched you from the shadow of the forest, just like I have done ever since. You looked so beautiful there in the fading moonlight. And when they appeared, I knew it was for you. And for me. We are the same Serenity. Two parts of something bigger. Something more. We were meant to make history.¡±


    ¡°Wick, I don¡¯t know how we got here, but we can¡¯t interfere in history. We could cause such damage, we could risk our reality.¡±


    Wick frowned. He gripped her arms and stared intently into her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong Serenity. We¡¯ll make it better. Think about all those tyrants through history, all those atrocities. Cultures and civilisations wiped out by empires and conquers. World wars, the extinction of so many peoples and species, the destruction and death of the planet. We can right the wrongs. Humans are weak, flawed, they fall easily into vices, but we are above that Serenity. We can re-write history, rule a utopia. We can save the planet. We¡¯ll use our knowledge of history to re-shape it. It¡¯s our purpose, our Destiny Serenity.¡±


    ¡°That makes no sense. There is so much history before 1066 that shapes our world. We can¡¯t change that. And what about free will, Wick? What do you do with those that won¡¯t conform to your utopia? Kill them? You can¡¯t just murder those that disagree with you. It¡¯s a fantasy Wick¡­¡±


    ¡°No! History is ours. And you will join me. Now remember. Remember Serenity. Remember how it felt that first time. Remember the focus, so intense so sharp that the world blurs around you and condenses down into darkness. And you become thin, like a ghost, fading into pure light. Think!¡±


    Serenity tried to deny what Wick said but something about it sparked a memory. She frowned in confusion, trying to chase it down. It felt so familiar.


    ¡°That¡¯s it Serenity. That is how you Jump.¡±


    ¡°Jump?¡± she asked vaguely, still chasing her memory.


    ¡°Time Jump. We can go anywhere in history. Anywhere in the world. Up until your present. It¡¯s a lot less precise getting back though. There¡¯s a month leeway from you departure time. Kinda hard to explain sometimes.¡±


    Stunned silence was her only response. Wick let her go and jumped to his feet to pace impatiently.


    ¡°Oh, come on Serenity. You know it¡¯s true! You feel it. You¡¯ve experienced t. Not just being here, but the knowledge. The glimpses of what will be. Of what we change.¡±


    ¡°No Wick! It¡¯s not true. It¡¯s not possible.¡±


    Wick stilled. His calm confidence unsettled Serenity and panic began to crawl up her back.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible Serenity. How do you think we got here? Haven¡¯t you remembered yet?¡±


    A spark flashed in Serenity¡¯s mind. The trench.


    ¡°No¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The ring.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°You see? Serenity, we have all of history in our hands. You¡¯ll make the perfect Empress of Time.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡±


    Wicks smile of triumph and pleasure was the last image in her mind and the world blurred and went dark. Again.


    She Jumped.


    ***


    Serenity blinked the blurriness away and tried to breathe through heavy weight of panic on her chest. It was true. It was true. It can¡¯t be. But it was.


    Serenity screamed her frustration and pain into the sky until there was nothing left. Breathing heavily, she was lying facing the stars, still bound hand and foot. It had been midday when she was talking with Wick. She really had time jumped. What was she?


    Calmer now, serenity struggled to sit up and look around. It was dark but she knew this place. She¡¯d seen it on the journey to Robert¡¯s castle.. it must have been months ago now. She could probably walk it. It was better than sitting here, waiting for rescue, moping and over thinking. The idea of trying jump occurred to her but, even if she wanted to, she didn¡¯t know how. And goodness knows what would happen if she suddenly popped into existence and the castle bailey. She just needed to try to free herself and she could walk back. Easier said than done.


    Serenity looked to her binding and began pulling at them with her teeth. Robert was not going to be happy. Poor Sir Henry¡­ The rope tasted awful and was tied tight. She wasn¡¯t getting anywhere with her hand bindings. Maybe she¡¯d have better lick on her ankles, but trying to contort herself to get to the knots was tiring and she couldn¡¯t hold that position very long. She looked around for anything that could help but the place was bare of all but grass. Sighing, Serenity turned back to the rope. The next few hours were exhausting and painful and she repeated the elastic contortion and numbing task of picking apart her shackles. Her frustration and pain grew and she indulged in brief screams and a few tears. But she kept going.


    Finally. Back aching, ankles, wrist and finger chaffed raw and numb and she was pretty sure her fingernails were bloody, she felt something give. Collapsing with relief, tears spilling over, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to unfurl from her uncomfortable position. She slept.

 14: Aftermath

    Robert was, surprisingly, calm. Or maybe he was just numb. He couldn¡¯t afford to be anything else. If he let himself feel, if he let go of his fiercely held control, he would destroy everything. She was just gone. Snatched from a crowd under the noses of his own seasoned men without a trace. It had been three days since they had found her. Bound. Exhausted. She hadn¡¯t uttered a word. Three days he had tormented himself for his failure. It occurred to him that he simply couldn¡¯t leave her anymore. This was the second time she had been taken from him in his absence. There would not be a third.


    His unnatural calm was scaring his men. But if he let go of his tightly held control, he could kill someone. Sir Henry was prepared to suffer the consequences, he was an honourable man, but Robert didn¡¯t want that. Not really. Oddly enough, it was Aelfwine who eased his mind best. They sat together now in his private study, the fire crackling as Robert stared into its flickering light.


    ¡°What are we going to do Aelfwine?¡±


    The unexpected question was a relief to Aelfwine. He had been concerned. If Roberts absence continued, the alliance between their peoples would fall apart.


    ¡°We just have to patient Robert. Both the physician and the healer said she was well physically. She¡¯s had a shock and was exhausted from her struggle to free herself. Not to mention she was exposed to the elements for some time. She will come out of this melancholia soon.¡±


    Robert sighed. ¡°I hope so Aelfwine. Osgar is most distressed. Not even he can draw her much. I cannot bare to think what happened to her. What he did to her.¡±


    Aelfwine glanced at him sideways. ¡°She needs looking after Robert. She needs protection and security, just look at everything she has been through in the last few months. Will you -?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Robert interrupted him. ¡°Don¡¯t ask it of me Aelfwine.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I know you care for her. And she for you. Will you abandon her to Him? Or to be used as the Kings pawn?¡±


    ¡°WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO? I am betrothed by the King¡¯s will, he will not release me. I need an heir like any other Lord and the good will of the King. None survive his wrath. I need to provide for my people, my vessels and my family. My role is one of responsibility more than privilege. I have a duty.¡±


    ¡°Robert, the King favours you. Surely he would forgive you once he knows for you love. You could make Osgar you heir and have more with Serenity.¡±


    ¡°Never trust the favour of Kings Aelfwine, it is a fickle thing. Neither the King, nor the other nobles would accept an heir that was not Norman. Like they would barley accept a so called half breed as my Lady. The King sits ill at ease on his throne. He still fears the fierce resistance of your people and the many lost nobles that slipped through his fingers. He knows, from experience, how dangerous a long entrenched foe on his very door step is. He fears his own tactics will be used against him. No, the King will not support this. There is no way.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Aelfwine straightened in his chair. ¡°And what of our alliance Robert? What is the point if you cannot convince the King?¡±


    Robert sighed and dropped his head back to rest on his own chair. ¡°I can only enforce the alliance within my own fiefdom Aelfwine. Luckily, it¡¯s a large piece of land and my neighbouring Lords are some of the more reasonable ones. All we can do it make a difference where we can. We cannot change the world all at once, we can only lay the foundation for the next steps.¡±


    Aelfwine didn¡¯t argue and Robert was grateful. He wasn¡¯t sure when he had fallen in love with Serenity. But when he realised it, the pain of never being able to give her his name, his position, his love in an honourable way was excruciating. He couldn¡¯t even give her comfort when she so obviously suffered. His heart seared with pain at the thought, clenching fiercely in his chest. What would he do now?


    ***


    Serenity, listened as the two men spoke. Hidden in the shadows, she felt something more than focused determination for the first time in ages. She felt a little sad. The last thing she wanted was to worry them but it was hard to keep track of time when she jumped around. When she did spend some time here at the castle, she was tired and despondent.


    It had taken so long, years even, but she had finally perfected the art of accurate departure and arrival. Coming back to the castle, Serenity had been lost in her own mind. The shock of what she could do slowly seeped into her and so she decided to experiment. That first time, jumping deliberately, hurt so much. Not physically. Physically she felt nothing. But mentally... she had ended up in the last place she wanted to be. Right outside her childhood house, below the bedroom window.


    At first, she wanted to leave but something niggled at her. Something anchored her there, to that moment. So she decided to try something, anything really, to understand what was happening to her. She tried to comfort her child self, protect her from the nightmares and the shadows. But time is a funny thing. It¡¯s it¡¯s own master. You can¡¯t exist more than oncein the same moment so everything was out of sync. Serenity couldn¡¯t interact with her. No matter how many times she tried and how many different ways, the child never saw her or heard her. And the shadows still came, more and more until, finally Serenity realised. Too late.


    In trying to look back and change her past, she¡¯d created it. Serenity was the shadows. Serenity was my own nightmare.


    She almost lost myself then. As a child, she became more and more anxious and expressed, withdrawing into herself and as the adult watched, something within her broke and died. It was a long time before Serenity could bring herself to act again.


    Jumping had become so nature to her with all the times she had visited her childhood, she¡¯d narrowed the margin or error from months to hours. But what to do now? What was the point. She couldn¡¯t help herself and she didn¡¯t want to leave the past behind her. Something was still going on, history was messy and Wick would not leave his ambitions. So she would hunt.


    Wick said he was there when the shadows came, watching her. Well she would find him and figure out how to end it. She may not be able to interact with herself, but she may be able to interact with another. There would be time for that later. First she had to deal with now. Her friends needed reassurance. She may be struggling but she could make things difficult for others.


    She slipped away and returned to her room. Water for washing and clean clothes would help. Refreshed, Serenity opened her door and made her way to the great hall where delicious aromas told her food was being served. Robert, Osgar and Aelfwine sat at the head table so she headed towards them. The hustle and bustle of the hall quieted but she just kept walking. With a small smile she rounded the table and Robert stood to pull out her chair for her.


    The noise in the hall resumed and Serenity turned her attention to her food. They said nothing, but she saw relief in the eyes of her friends as she quietly ate and drank, listening to the conversations around her.


    The meals was finishing when the hall door where thrown open and a page ran up to Robert.


    ¡°My Lord! The guests have arrived.¡±


    Aelfwine tensed briefly before assuming his usual manner and Robert stood to greet his allies. The part was small all things considered, composed of a Lord and a handful of his his grizzled knights. But Serenity did not expect the delicate yet firm figure that Stroud next to the Lord. She knew, even before she heard the softly exhaled name from her friend.


    ¡°Evelyn.¡±

 15. Promises

    The visitors came forward and Robert rose, moving forward to greet them.


    ¡°My Lord De Monford. My thanks for your hospitality.¡± The old Lord sketched a respectful yet shallow bow.


    ¡°Not at all My Lord. You are most welcome. Please joins us, you must be hungry after your journey.¡± He turn back and direct them to seat at the height table offering introductions. ¡°My guests, Lady Serenity Neville, Lord Aelfwine and my ward, Osgar. My I introduce Lord Roger Beaumont and his daughter, Lady Evelyn Beaumont.¡±


    They all murmured greetings, the visitors weary from travel and the everyone else wary. Serenity seemed to be oblivious to the intones of the great hall, too busy watching the glances shared back and forth between Evelyn and Aelfwine. It was sweet and somewhat amusing for, if anyone cared to look, the truth of their love was obvious.


    After satisfying the sharp edge of hunger, Lord Roger finally spoke. ¡°Montford, you¡¯re invitation to deal with this rouge element up here was most fortuitous. I have been tasked with delivering a message to you from the King.¡± He removed a sealed parchment from some place upon himself and handed it to Robert. Serenity, sitting next to him as she was, saw the large seal. It was the kings seal, a knight with a spear riding or a horse. Shoe knew this would come eventually.


    ¡°My thanks for your service Lord Beaumont.¡± Robert took the parchment, his manner reserved. He broke the seal and read the letter, quietly recorded it and put it away in his blazer. No one was brave enough to enquire and Robert swiftly move the conversation on.


    ¡°Lord Beaumont, I do not wish to be a bad host thus I¡¯ll have your party shown to their accommodation. If you will, we shall meet after break fast to discuss the recent unrest and my new alliance that I believe will help us bring peace our lands.¡±


    Lord Roger smiled and nodded. ¡°I am most agreeable, however I must confess there is another matter that I have come here to resolve, if you are agreeable.¡±


    Robert nodded and Serenity braced herself. Would this be bad or good?


    ¡°My daughter, Evelyn, has long been faithful and obedient child. But, of late, I know she has been troubled.¡±


    Evelyn and Aelfwine both watched a little stunned. Neither was aware that anyone knew of their hopes. They both believed that anything between then would be impossible. And now, their fears would be confirmed. They could not endanger the alliance that Lord Robert has forged, too many people would be hurt.


    ¡°She had fallen in love with a man most would deem unsuitable. A Saxon princling leading a rebellion against our good King with nothing to his name to offer either to myself, my daughter or the kingdom...¡±


    Aelfwine clenched his jaw to keep his angry words behind his teeth.


    ¡°Thankfully, I have found her a suitable match. A Saxon princling allied to one of this new kingdoms most powerful lords, working to catch a dangerous man who has killed many brave Normans, who has been gifted a generous land grant with a suitable income to support my daughter in the manner she deserves and whose alliance will benefit myself and thus my king who was quite agreeable.Ow all that remains is for his to accept the engagement. Aelfwine. Come and take my hand and sign the engagement papers.¡±


    Evelyn, hiding a grin, glorious happy, had to give her intended a little shove to get him to move. Lord Roger had manoeuvred them all just perfectly. He¡¯d used Lord Roberts alliance to refute any objections that Aelfwine was an enemy, he used Wicks activities to redirect hostility and provided the land needed to make Aelfwine a desirable match. And by making it all public in front of the host and Evelyn herself, he had made it impossible for Aelfwine to be stubborn or prideful about being managed.


    Aelfwine moved forward and shook his future father-in-laws hand. The papers were produced and signed in the spot, seal already affixed. It seemed Lord Roger Beaufort would do almost anything for his daughters happiness. A rare thing in the 1000¡¯s.


    The meal came to a happy end and they all drifted off to their rest. Serenity took Osgars hand, content that her friends were happy, and they made their way to their room. She would spend some time with him. He¡¯d been doing so well at the castle but last three days had set him back again. She felt terrible about that. Osgar deserved safety and stability. It was good that Robert had offered him a home here...


    ***


    Osgar had finally fallen asleep but Serenity could not rest. She debated jumping but decided that she could afford to be absent right now. A feel was growing in her gut that things where happening here and she needed to be present.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    She didn¡¯t know if she could risk walking around the castle with guests around but she was used to sneaking. Perhaps she didn¡¯t even need to, jumping worked with space as well as time. But where to go? Closing her eyes, she reached for that light in her core, searching the pictures, sounds, sensations for something that felt right. Somehow, this was harder than jumping through time even with practice.


    There. That was it. Serenity grasped at something and then let go. She opened her eyes and found herself in Roberts office. He was sitting at his desk, just staring into space. He hadn¡¯t noticed her.


    Jumping to his office made sense. Proprietary would be met and the last thing she needed now were rumours or insinuation of being a mistress. Roberts people had been kind and open with her and had accepted her easily, all things considered. But with her ¡°mixed¡± status in the current climate and her strange ideas, not to mention hyper appearance coinciding with Wicks activities, she needed all the help she could get when it came to her reputation with Roberts allies. Serenity knew that Robert was planning a trap for Wick. One decisive moment to get rid of the threat. Then he could work with his Saxon allies to change the dynamic of this new kingdom.


    Knowing what she knew about history, about the cruelty of William the Conqueror and the Norman Lords, she had to wonder if Robert would succeed. Maybe the history she knew was all wrong, written too long after the fact to convey the subtle balance of power that existed. Maybe she and Wick had changed it all and nothing she had done would survive. She didn¡¯t know.


    Shaking off her thoughts, Serenity cleared her throat and Robert started.


    ¡°Serenity. I didn¡¯t hear you come in. Please, have a seat.¡± He stood and offered her a chair not far from his, the desk in front of them both. Serenity sat and waited. The letter from the king had upset him and she thought she knew why.


    ¡°Are you well? You seem to be more enlivened today.¡± Robert enquired.


    Serenity paused to really think about it. ¡°I am I proven thank you though not quite back to how I was before.¡± She realised as she said it that it had felt good to eat with the castle residents and spend time with little Osgar. For a while, she forgot about Wick and Time Jumps, Shadows and danger. For a while she was just a friend. Was she letting Wick manipulate her? She hated that thought.


    Why was she so detached. On some level, none of this felt real. She might as well be back in the Cyprus sun. Ever since Terrance had found her there, she¡¯d felt off. But the thought that Robert, Aelfwine, Osgar, Gawain and the rest were not real was painful to contemplate. If they weren¡¯t real, then they were never her friends but they¡¯d also never suffered because of Wick. Because of her. To distract herself from her guilt, Serenity focused back on Robert.


    ¡°So Robert, who did the king choose?¡±


    He simply looked at her, sadness in every line of his body.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you know. The king has chosen a Norman woman, sister to one of his close friends and new Lord of Sussex. We are to wed in the spring. I cannot disobey.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re a good man Robert, loyal to your people and your King. It was inevitable.¡±


    ¡°And yet, I would do almost anything to change it.¡±


    ¡°No you wouldn¡¯t. That¡¯s not the man I have come to... to admire.¡± Serenity couldn¡¯t continue with this. ¡°I am glad that Aelfwine and Evelyn can be happy together.¡±


    Robert didn¡¯t answer, contemplating the news he had received and knowing he would find no such happiness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have been so distant My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Are we back to My Lord?¡±


    ¡°You are now an engaged man...¡±


    ¡°It changes nothing. If you agree that is. I would not want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable...¡±


    ¡°...Robert¡±


    The silence stretched between them.


    "I understand. You have been through so much and you need time to heal.¡± He paused to clear his throat. Emotion fought to overwhelm him. ¡°I thought I''d lost you." Robert took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.


    She could see the love and intensity in his eyes and it tore at her heart. How could she decide whether to love him or not? No matter what she would lose him, either because this was all and dream and he wasn¡¯t real or because staying would destroy history and everything she knew. How can you love a figment of your own imagination or someone who died long before you were even born? It seemed it didn¡¯t matter how, because she already did. Yet she couldn¡¯t leave Wick to cause his destruction. Only she could stop him. Serenity felt her heart breaking.


    "Serenity, I¡¯ve never met anyone like you. You are ¡­ compassionate but strong¡­ brilliant. If you were a man, you would be a Prince. I wish there was some way¡­"


    The look in Serenity¡¯s eyes stopped him. Instead, he clasped her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. An idea occurred to him.


    "Here, for now take my ring. If you ever need help, this will show you have my protection."


    He pulled out from his pouch a beautiful ring made of white gold. It was her size with an beautifully intricate knot design and an inscription on the inside. It said "Holder of my Heart". Serenity couldn''t take her eyes off it, it felt so familiar, like it had been hers for a lifetime.He must have worn it on his littlest finger, it was just the right size for fit on her middle finger. She slipped it on and the weight of it calmed her, as if she had worn it before.


    ¡°But won¡¯t people believe¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I would not do that to you Serenity. We may never be allowed to marry but¡­ I¡¯ll find a way. Make you my sister or my ward. I don¡¯t care how, I¡¯ll keep you safe with me.¡±


    Serenity was quiet. She knew it would never work. At some point this disaster of a jump would, she have to go back to her time. Once it was all fixed. And Robert would notice when she didn¡¯t age properly. She had spent years jumping and hadn¡¯t aged a day. She suspected she would until she returned to her own time. And she couldn¡¯t live two lives, pretending that everything was okay. She was in love with a man who died more than 800 years before she was born.


    ¡°Is that for the best Robert? To be so close but unable to have what we really want. We¡¯d have to watch each other marry, have other peoples children. I don¡¯t think I could suffer through that. Maybe it would be best for me to leave. Break away cleanly.¡±


    Roberts¡¯s face crumpled with pain and desperation.


    ¡°I won¡¯t marry, Osgar will be my heir.¡±


    ¡°You know the King will not accept that. You¡¯ll lose your land. The next lord will not be as kind as you. He won¡¯t honour your pact with the Saxons. You know you will have to do it Robert. If I stay, it will only make our lives more difficult. I don¡¯t want you to suffer Robert. I love you too much.¡±


    He pulled her into his arms and felt her silent tears soak his vest. He did not want to accept this. He wanted to find a way, but he knew there wasn¡¯t one. If he kept her, he would hurt them both. If he have up everything, he could not protect her or her people. He would not sacrifice those she loved.


    ¡°When?¡±


    His voice broken. He couldn¡¯t say anymore.


    ¡°Not immediately. I promised to make sure Osgar was taken care of, it¡¯s still to soon for him to be truly settled. And we still need to catch the traitor. He¡¯s too dangerous to leave at large. I promise I won¡¯t just disappear Robert. I won¡¯t leave you like that.¡±


    He just nodded. He would cherish every moment they had together. He continued to hold her on his arms, desperately wishing he could stop time and spend the rest of his life holding her like this.


    Robert drew her to him, tucking her head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her. They sat like that in silence as he gently rocked her. She began to drift off to sleep, the emotion and exhaustion of the day pulling at her. Just as her body melted into a boneless sleep, she felt the soft brush of his lips across her temple and a single last tear escaped her closed eye. She slept.

 16. The Present Search

    Beth was on the war path. Despite his first introduction to her, she was a spunky, no nonsense type of person and, once she had her release, very quickly took charge again, organising her staff. She had flung herself into work to try and distract herself from her worries for Serenity and to try and deal with the huge spanner in the works that was the police investigation. Even though the remote sites were still working, they had to make do with fewer resources and input. The command centre was in lockdown for the police investigations so Beth was reduced to phone calls and old information rather than the live feed, life sized holos of the remote sites. The remote sites just didn¡¯t have the equipment to process all the data they were recording either.


    It was worse here at the main site. They were reduced to old school methods of analysis, ground penetrating radar, manual cleaning of find. For goodness sake, they were sifting soil. Archaeologist hadn¡¯t sift the spoil heap in years! Mind you, Xander hadn¡¯t heard any complaints. Serenity was well known and well liked. Keeping busy with old school manual labour was a welcome distraction. Even Xander and jumped right in with Beth and Sams blessing.


    The reason for all the upheaval, apart from the missing people, was that the police believed the cameras had been tampered with. They could find no footage of Serenity leaving the sight and it would have been impossible for anyone to leave that spot without passing by at least five cameras. There was also much concern about what had caught Serenity¡¯s attention. It didn¡¯t look good...


    Xander want to do more to take his mind off it. Beth had given him permission to access all the data he¡¯d wanted and he had decided to do a comprehensive analysis of the main and remote sites. There had been much excitement as the initial discoveries and he was beginning to see why. These structures were huge, capable of holding hundreds of people, even thousands, all radiating out from on point. And they found evidence of people from every walk of life. It was a wonder this site had not been discovered and excavated before now. How had it remained hidden?


    Xander lost himself in his analysis and planning for hours and was only roused by the complaints of his body, specifically, his back and his stomach. He made his way to the communal food tent, stretching as he went. Though he could do his job with outdated techniques, he was glad that didn¡¯t extend to the accommodations. Morden ¡°tents¡± were made from a light, strong material that, when erected in their custom frames, went rigid forming a study, self contained, self heated structure. They were a marvel and great for professions like his.


    Entering the tent, delicious smells drew him in and her oiled his plate high. Finding a table, he settled himself and dug in to a well earned meal. Lost in satisfying his hunger, Xander failed to realise he had company.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Xander, thank you for all your hard work. You¡¯ve produced some really valuable findings we can use going forward.¡±


    Despite the obvious tiredness, Beths enthusiasm and gratitude for his work was evident.


    ¡°N-not at all. Glad to contribute.¡± Xander managed to stutter out, surprised by her presence. Beth nodded back and made to turn away when he managed to pull himself together and regain his faculties.


    ¡°How are you Beth?¡± She paused and turned back to him, debating why to say. ¡°I know you and Sam are close to Serenity, you¡¯ve worked together for years right? This is a nightmare situation for you.¡±


    Beth hesitated again, scrutinising him. She seemed to come to a decision because she pulled out a chair and collapsed into it with a sigh, eyes closing. ¡°In our profession, Xander, we bump into a lot of the same people. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve met you on a few UK digs. Despite her dislike of working in her home country, Serenity is well known and well liked. Sam and I are really luck to be on her team.¡±


    The man in question appeared from nowhere, plate piled high much like Xanders. ¡°Definitely. Beth and I basically grew up on her digs. Gained real experience. Not just archeological experience, life experience. We¡¯re basically family.¡±


    Xander smiled, he knew exactly what they meant. Thinking about it, his smile dimmed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this has happened to you. Is there anything more I can do to help? Your dealing with a lot.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Xander. You¡¯re a good guy. I spoke to the police and because of the size of the site, they¡¯re going to be calling on volunteers to help with the search. I think they were going to make the announcement after dinner. They haven¡¯t stopped but their man power just isn¡¯t enough. They said they¡¯ll need to stop the search after a week and seriously reduce the man power after five days. They¡¯re gonna rely heavily on volunteers.¡±


    Sam jumped in. ¡°I expect a lot of our staff will join the search. They¡¯re concerned and we¡¯re fast running out of ways to keep them occupied. There¡¯s not much more we can do in this state.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll put join the search. In all honesty, I¡¯ve struggled to concentrate. It will be good to do something proactive to help Serenity.¡±


    His sentiment was emphatically echoed by the pair and they all settled back into their own thoughts, loading up on yummy file for the long hours of searching ahead. As the meal wound down, an officer entered the tent and, after surveying the tables, approached Beth.


    ¡°Ms Thompson. We¡¯re about to make the announcement. Can you make sure it gets to everyone on site?¡±


    Beth nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    The officer turned and headed to the most visible area and cleared her throat. Beth tapped her AI and began recording. ¡°Can I have your attention please.¡± The from quieted. ¡°Due to the large area of the site, we are calling for volunteers to assist in our search for Professor Serenity Neville and an individual known as Wick. We¡¯ve not been able to ascertain his true indenting. Those wishing to volunteer, please gather outside the command tent in ten minutes. Wear warm, rain proof clothing. You will be divided into groups and assigned to an officers. We can also provided torches, water bottles and energy ration should you need them. Listen to your officer. You will be walking in lines, searching the ground. If you find anything that meets the parameters of the search, shout out and the whole line stops. Any questions, direct them to your groups officer. Thank you in advance, for your assistance.¡±


    With that, the officer left the tent briskly. There was a quiet pause before, one by one, people began to leave the food tent. Some rushed the last of their meals before heading out. Beth, Sam and Xander rose almost as one and left to prepare.

 17. Discoveries

    Serenity looked at her hand, gently rubbing the ring that sat happily on her finger. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. The longer she stayed here, the more... numb she felt. Like a cold, tingling that crept up from her fingers and toes. She struggled to sleep too but Serenity couldn¡¯t just leave. If Wick was left unchecked, he¡¯d just keep coming after wreaking havoc and destruction behind him. She felt... a duty, almost compelled to deal with this. And then there was the other matter.


    Stupid to fall into this trap that she saw right from the start but how are you supposed to control your emotions? She had made friends, tended their hurts, ate with them, fought with them. And she suspected she had begun to fall in love. A little boy clung to her when his world collapsed and a man, kind and strong torn between duty and conscience built castles and alliances to protect her. And no matter how many times she told herself it wasn¡¯t real, or it wasn¡¯t feasible, they had burrowed into her heart and would leave.


    It would bring them and her nothing but pain. What¡¯s worse is, she had no way of knowing if any of it would survive. When she had dealt with Wick and returned to her time, would this experience be erased and the history she knew resume, or would they remember her as she would remember them? She desperately wanted them to remember and damn history, even is she had to live with the pain of losing them and vice versa. A kinder Norman reign would not be a bad thing. But there were warnings about messing with time for a reason...


    She was thinking in circles now. She had to find Wick but where? She jumped


    ***


    He¡¯d said something about when they were both children, so she¡¯d start there. There were already so many shadows there that one more wouldn¡¯t cause a problem. She arrived outside her childhood house but instead of looking for her younger self, she turned away and searched the surrounding area. Where would a young boy be? The nearest neighbours were acres away in every direction and the access road was long. He could have come from anywhere.


    The trees. He could have hidden in the small artificial woodland her parents had created for the wildlife. Serenity drifted speedily over to the woodland and searched it. Wick wasn¡¯t there but there were signs of someone moving through regularly. Rather than wait, she jumped a few times to times she knew her younger self felt the shadows and, sure enough, a small figure appeared before her. She quickly pulled away, not wanting to alert him to her presence.


    Okay, she¡¯d found a childhood Wick, now what? She could wait for the adult Wick to show up. But there was no guarantee he¡¯d care about his younger self. She needed to learn more about him. Serenity waited and watched for a little while but she couldn¡¯t see anything about the younger Wick. He just stood and stared out towards her house. She didn¡¯t want to risk jumping forward to speed up the process in case she lost him, so she waited and waited. And waited. Suddenly, near dawn, childhood Wick disappeared. He¡¯d jumped! How could he jump so young?? Serenity was stunned. He¡¯d known for so long, he had so much more experience than her, how was she going to deal with this? Her hopes of finding Wick diminished.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s look for him where I know he¡¯s been.¡± She thought aloud. Wick had volunteered at many of her digs. She¡¯d start with the most recent one in Cyprus. Jump. It was the first time she¡¯d been in another time outside of the UK and there was absolutely no difference. She was a slightly incorporeal shadow and no one around seemed to see her at all. She spent hours moving around, occasionally jumping to an earlier or later time but there was no sign of another presence. Serenity was determined to find something that would help her deal with this. She systematically jumped to each of her dig that Wick had volunteered at, slowly growing more and more annoyed. Eventually tiredness tugged at her and Serenity suddenly felt weary. The responsibility, the stress, she just want a break. More and more it felt like she¡¯d never find Wick.


    On a whim, she decided to give herself a treat and visit one of her favourite archeological sites. She jumped. Hot sun warmed her skin and she basked in delighted, a smiled lighting up her face. A gasp startled her and she whipped her head to the sound. A small crowd of men and women dressed in traditional second dynasty garb stared at her before dropping to their knees and bowing their heads to the floor. They gabbled in ancient Egyptian, which Serenity somehow understood, panicked. Something about a goddess, omens and an angry pharaoh.


    In her confusion and startled state, Serenity¡¯s first instinct was to calm the crowd and said the first thing that came to her. ¡°Please calm down, I will be leaving soon.¡± What came out of her mouth was ancient Egyptian, again which she didn¡¯t know how to speak, saying ¡°Peace children. Soon, the son of Ra shall depart with me.¡±


    The group calmed and gave thanks, never once raising their heads. Serenity began to feel her own panic and decided to keep her promise and leave. She went back to her childhood home, a familiar and safe haven, and sat curled up on the garden bench. She hadn¡¯t meant to jump back in time, just to the site in her present. She fervently hoped she hadn¡¯t messed up something in Ancient Egyptian history, or harmed that group who seemed to be asking for help. Her break hadn¡¯t been restful at all but it had taught her something. She was only incorporeal in her own life time. If she jumped to before her birth, people could see her. She could interact with them, make a difference.


    This was dangerous. This was what Wick wanted to do, jump around and change this how he wanted. Serenity didn¡¯t understand how this was possible or why she and Wick were had this ability, but this was her reality and she needed to decide what to do. She may not know what was right or what was true history and what was the result of tampering, but it was her responsibility to stop Wick. He was dangerous and unstable and he had fixated on her. He was already responsible for many deaths, she would let him cause anymore harm. She would find him and she would stop him, maybe find a way to stop him jumping and get him the help he needed. So, what did she know about Wick?


    He was obsessed. About power and about her. He wanted to rewrite history to ¡°fix¡± it and had fixated on the Norman conquest of 1066 but what else would he see as problematic? Hitler? American independence? The occupation of India, French Revolution, Cromwell and Charles I, the fall of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and that¡¯s not even touching the surface! The Chinese and Persian empires, African tribal wars... the world was to big and history too long... there was no hope of finding him by chance. He could be anywhere and anywhen. She needed to change her strategy.

 18. Planning

    Robert was in the war room, an area designed to accommodate the numerous people involved with planning, strategy and tactics. There were also weapons stored here as a mini armoury. He had gathered allies from the surrounding lands, including the leaders of the former Saxon rebellion, to address the issue of this traitor that had appeared. They had far more information than before and Robert suspected he knew the aims of his enemy, if not his identity.


    ¡°Gentlemen, and ladies, thank you for your presence and promised support. We¡¯ve had trying times of late but it is our allies that help us bare this burden. I trust you are all up-to-date with the situation. Since our good King claimed his throne, there has been trouble between the Normans and the Saxons and out enemy has taken advantage of this. He has used tactics we know little about and caused the deaths of many good men, women and children. He has dishonoured good soldiers. Now it¡¯s time to put an end to it.¡±


    There were rumbled agreements from all sides. Robert, seeing he had their support, continued.


    ¡°I have been gathering information, what little there is, and I believe I may know the aims of this enemy. I suspect he is an agent from Normandy, sent to undermine the King whom many call ¡°the Bastard¡±. He has grown in power since taking this kingdom and many don¡¯t like it. As such, the enemy is a threat to the King and must be stopped.¡±


    Robert paused to let that sink in. It was important that there was no hint of the northern Barons moving against King William or his line. He spotted Serenity by the wall, observing the assembly, a small frown between her brows. She was slowly regaining herself but she seemed to have developed a more serious manner. It still bothered Robert hat she had been taken while in his care. No one had been able to get from her exactly what happened during her captivity.


    She seemed more angry or soldierly than traumatised by her experience. There always a firmness about her that he suspected had always been there but hidden. Now, it had come to the fore. As if she had decided to finally take action. He brought his attention back to his allies.


    ¡°Now, we cannot ascertain any single base of operation our enemy is working from so, I believe it¡¯s best to begin a systematic search of the area. We need to find him before we can deal with him. Take upmost care, he has a history of disguise and infiltration on both sides. I want my Norman allies to each take and compass point from my lands to search, Aelfwine men will take the four direction in between. Well pool supplies and provisions in ten locations so is one group is cut off, or my lands besieged, none will go without. We cannot afford for this to be prolonged so prepare to-¡±


    Robert was interrupted by the doors opening and running doorsteps. Robert withheld his ire at the interruption as a young man, barely out of his boyhood, ran to him and delivered a parchment. Robert patted the lad on the shoulder with a nod and looked at the parchment. Another Kings seal. A Boulder sunk his belly as he opened the message. It wasn¡¯t good.


    Robert sat down, shoulders beginning to droop before he forced them back again. The silence in the room was tense but he needed a moment to absorb this blow. What could they do now? He must tell the others.


    ¡°The King... has ordered our men to disband and us back to our own lands. He wants no further talk of a hidden enemy and to deal with those who challenge his reign. We have a sennight.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Robert refolded the letter and hid it away in his vest. His friends an allies were petered but also indignant. King William should know their loyalty. All they wanted was to make this new life in a new land and good one. Prosperous and peaceful. And they couldn¡¯t do that with someone in their midst intent on causing division. He let them talk among themselves.


    ¡°What now.¡±


    ¡°We have to obey.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t, the King will be in danger is this continues.¡±


    ¡°So we become traitors ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But there could be another way.¡±


    ¡°What if we each searched our own lands? There can be no objection to that.¡±


    ¡°What about the lands we have no right to search.¡±


    ¡°He could hide with any of the Barons or land owners.¡±


    ¡°What about a trap?¡±


    Though her voice was soft, Robert heard Serenity. That firmness cut through the hubbub of the room.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    She looked him right in the eye. ¡°What if we set a trap? It would mean less of your men out and about, obeying the Kings order. Somewhere contained where we have the advantage despite not being able to use the overwhelming numbers we¡¯ve gathered. It seems to be one of our only options.¡±


    On of Roberts allies piped up. ¡°It could work. We¡¯d need some sort of bait and a way to disguise our men.¡±


    Lord Roger Beaufort chimed in. ¡°We could use my daughter engagement. Have a feast.¡±


    Robert protested, ¡°My Lord, we cannot intrude upon your daughters celebration!¡± He would not risk Aelfwine happiness, but Lord Roger was immovable.


    ¡°My daughter is loyal and would be delighted to help remove this threat.¡±


    Robert could not argue so simply accepted with a nod. ¡°Let us make plans...¡±


    ***


    Serenity left them to their planning, drawing back against the wall again. She let them do most of the work and make sure the plans were viable after with Robert. She instead contemplated the behaviour of those around her. They shouldn¡¯t be this militaristic. The Norman era didn¡¯t really have soldiers, just serf who were called from their friends as and when they were needed to fight. Even then knights weren¡¯t really soldiers, just better equipped and more learned. Was this something else to lay and Wicks feet? Was it her doing, though she couldn¡¯t think how. Or was this something they always had but no one ever found. More nuances lost to history...


    The meeting broke up and the room emptied leaving she alone with Robert. They had not been alone since he had given er his ring. She treasured it. The more she learned about Robert de Montford, the more she liked him. But she couldn¡¯t get close, it would only hurt them both. She did not wish to lower him in the eyes of his allies or men either.


    ¡°A good suggestion. But I feel remorse for Aelfwine and Evelyn. They deserve a celebration dedicated to them.¡±


    ¡°Lord Roger is right. Aelfwine has been harmed by this, his people have been harmed by this. He will want to do everything he can to ensure the safety of his people and the woman he loves. And though I do not know Evelyn very well yet, she seems like the kind of woman who doesn¡¯t take nonsense from anyone. Who will do what it takes to protect her people, just like Aelfwine. It will be alright Robert...¡±


    There was a long pause. Robert looked tired, shoulder that he had held back so well when the news hit him, were drooping here in private.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it all on your own you know.¡± Robert looked up at her. ¡°You have a family here Robert, friends and allies. They can help, let them take some of the burden.¡±


    ¡°I am ultimately responsible Serenity. I cannot just abandon my role.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But you do not have to do it all alone.¡±


    ¡°You will leave...¡±


    Serenity didn¡¯t hide the tears gathering in her eyes. ¡°I cannot stay.¡±


    Robert just nodded. There was nothing more to say really. He may not understand the true why, but he felt it. She had to return to her time, her family. Before she didn¡¯t something irreversible.


    ¡°I am going to speak with Lady Evelyn. We can plan the feast together and prepared her dress. I¡¯m sure it will all go to plan.¡±


    Serenity smiled for him. He rose, came to her and took both of her hands in his. He stared into her eyes and smiled, warmth lighting up his face. He squeezed her hands and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.


    ¡°Enjoy yourself Serenity. I will see you at the evening meal.¡±


    Serenity smiled back at him and turned, leaving the room. She didn¡¯t know where Evelyn and her father were lodged but she suspected she knew where to find the young woman. Turning left, Serenity walked the length of the great hall and up the stairs, passing busy servants and focuses men at arms. She opened the third door she passed and found Evelyn in the solarium. Smiling as Serenity entered, her happiness obvious, Evelyn rose a greet Serenity warmly. ¡°Lady Serenity, please join me.¡±

 19. Family Matters

    ¡°Do you mean to say that we shall use the engagement feast as a trap?¡± Evelyn asked. Serenity nodded, slightly apprehensive. Would Evelyn object and kick up a fuss? She thought the young Norman would enjoy the chance to aid in the capture of someone who had caused such harm to her family and the man she obviously loved.


    ¡°What a wonderful idea! Serenity, what a gift to be able to play some part in capturing a man who threatens the King and has done such harm to Aelfwine people. Tell me, must I do anything? What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    Serenity smiled at her. It was good to know that her instincts were so close to the mark. If she had the time, she suspected they she and Evelyn would have become close friends.


    ¡°Well, though I do not know all the details, I can try to explain the general plan. It shall begin with a feat at mid-day, that way we have all morning to be ready. Though most of the men Lord de Montfords allies have brought will be returning to their own lands and homes, a good number will remain to protect their liege lords. These men will be patrolling the walls and watching the guests for anything suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Are you hoping to catch him as he enters?¡±


    ¡°No, quite the opposite. We want him to enter so that we can close the gates and have him trapped so he can¡¯t flee as he has so many times before.¡±


    Evelyn thought about it, her nose scrunched in concentration. ¡°So what happens then? You could close the gates and he¡¯s not yet inside.¡±


    ¡°As I said, the celebration will start with the mid-day feast, followed by the recitation of one of the epics. You¡¯ll have to choose which one you want. Then, there¡¯s the signing of the contract of engagement which we¡¯ll follow with the dancing and toasting and, finally, we end with the gift giving.¡±


    ¡°But what about the trap?¡± Evelyn asked.


    Serenity reached over to gently squeeze her hand. ¡°Evelyn, we have no intention of ruining your engagement day. The gift giving will end when we all go outside to see Lord de Montfords gift if two prized horse. You must parents to be surprised.¡± Serenity joked. ¡°Once we¡¯re all in the courtyard, the doors to the hall will close and the man ceased.¡±


    ¡°But how will you know who it is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why were doing it at the end. It¡¯s to give our men enough time to identify the culprit and manoeuvre him to a position where we can easily apprehend him. We believe it is the best way to get him. What do you think?¡±


    Evelyn nodded, ¡°It seems logical to me. You know, you don¡¯t have to worry about the celebration. I¡¯m just happy father is allowing it.¡±


    ¡°I know but if we can give you and Aelfwine a perfect celebration, we will.¡±


    Evelyn surprised her by lunging forward and enveloping her in a fierce hug. She seemed to suddenly realise what she was doing and hastily released Serenity. She stammered in her embarrassment.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry L-lady Neville-¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Evelyn.¡± Serenity tried to reassure the young woman who suddenly seems very young indeed, pulling her back in a brief hug. She looked into her eyes, searching for what had broken Evelyns normal poise. ¡°What is amiss? You have handled this all so well, even when it seemed your father would reject Aelfwine.¡±


    Evelyn heaved a delicate sigh. ¡°I think I am a little afraid. Aelfwine and I come from very different world and it was always an almost impossible dream to be together. It feels like a dream and I am afraid to lose him. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll feel better once the contract is signed, then father will not be able to change his mind so easily. I want this so much but I have so little control.¡±


    Serenity nodded in understanding. ¡°Be brave. I¡¯m sure all will be well. After all, the hardest part is over, your father has agreed.¡± Evelyn smile at Serenity, her happy mood seeming restored. Serenity continued, ¡°Now have you chosen a dress for the feast? We don¡¯t have time to sew a new one but I¡¯ll help you sew decoration into one of your current wardrobe.¡±


    Evelyn agreed and hurried to pull out her choices. The two spent the rest of the morning working on the dress and other preparations to give the happy couple the perfect engagement celebration.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ***


    After so long cooped up doing fiddly finger work, Serenity was received to stretch her legs. She and Evelyn had eaten together and accomplished much but Serenity wanted to look for Osgar. She hadn¡¯t seem a great deal of him lately and though she had always planned to put some distance between them, hopping it would make her leaving less upsetting for him, she still missed the boy and wanted to assure herself that he was doing well.


    She eventually found him with a few older boys watching the knights train. Robert was also there, watching the progress of his knights and answering all the questions that Osgar threw at him. The two seemed to comfortable standing side by side, bonding. She was reluctant to intrude. But she felt a little selfish too. She wanted a few more happy moments with the pair. If the feast trap was successful, she would be leaving soon.


    The decision was taken from her when one of the boys spotted her and sketched a hast bow. The observers all turned and followed his example, even Robert and Serenity laugh in delight. She curtesy back and joined them. It was a beautiful afternoon and Serenity simply enjoyed being with her friends, cheering the knights and listening to Robert offer advice. It was a small slice of peace in an otherwise hectic, stressful time. In that moment, there was no threat, no Wick, no Jumps, no heartache. Eventually the boys ran off to find their fun else where and a comfortable silence fell between Serenity and Robert.


    ¡°I have some good news to tell you.¡± Roberts voice was low and gentle, serenity turned and found a smile of his face. It was good to see. She waited, watching his face and enjoying the view. ¡°I have officially adopted Osgar. The confirmation arrived today withall the appropriate seals and signatures. He cannot be by heir nor inherit but he is considered¡ê mine and I will ensure he has every advantage.¡±


    Serenity didn¡¯t even think, she just threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around Roberts neck, tears tried to leak out but she idiot let them. Squeezing tightly, she couldn¡¯t make herself let go, she was just so relieved that Osgar had some guarantee of safety and stability. Arms wrap gently around her back and finally, Serenity was able to relax. They separated, putting a little space between them though still close, and both grinned happily.


    ¡°I take it you are happy my Lady?¡± Robert teased. Serenity huffed out a laugh and nodded.


    ¡°Have you told him yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though I¡¯m not sure he truly understands. I will never replace Father or mother but I think I was able to convey that we were family now and he would always have a place here.¡± Robert had a grin on his face. It was clear that p, whatever his many reason for pursuing an adoption, he was genuinely pleased to have Osgar in his family and in his home.


    ¡°How did you sell the idea to the King? To be honest, I¡¯m concerned with the Kings edict. Do you think there are others that are influencing him? Just one has been very dangerous for us and we haven¡¯t caught him yet. I don¡¯t think we can cope if he is not alone.¡±


    Robert seemed to think on this. ¡°... I don¡¯t know. The King has been... overly concerned ever since he won the crown. With so many challenges and battles and even his own people back in Normandy questioning his legitimacy, he is jealous of his throne and his power. I fear he sees enemies everywhere, even among his own a Barons. I hope there is not another but if there were, we cannot do much about it.¡±


    They mulled that over. He as right in that there was no use in borrowing trouble. They needed to deal with Wick, anything that came after could wait.


    ¡°To answer your question, I emphasised to the recent treaty with the Saxons and the benefits it brings to him and the Kingdom. I made the point that having a Saxon award would strengthen that treaty and ensure it lasted. Whatever he may think, the King does not want to continue with battle of attrition with the rebels. If they fall inline, he won¡¯t it question too much as long as they no longer cost him money and resources.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. If the integration of Normans and Axons is willing, perhaps the Saxons will be allowed to keeps some of their culture. Just be careful Robert, the further from his centre of power we are, the more suspicious he will be. Take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I will do all I can to stay safe and ensure my home is always here for those who need it.¡±


    She heard the hidden message there. Wherever she ended up going, she would always be welcome back in his home. She ducked her head but quickly raised it again, looking into his eyes, seeing him. And she tried to show in her eyes that she understood.


    ¡°It is almost time for the evening meal. Will you join me my Lady?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Together, they turned and entered Roberts home, the great hall meeting them with delicious smells and jovial sounds.


    ***


    It was dark and Serenity was wearing her work clothes, easy to move in and light. She didn¡¯t notice the cool night air as she worked on her sword skills and the training area. Everyone was asleep except for the guard who looked out over the curtain wall, searching for any threat.


    She had needed to practice, though she knew neither Robert nor Gwain would be happy about it. There was a persistent feeling in her gut that something was coming and she needed to be ready. Not that wielding a sword would do her much good, despite her practice, mastering a weapon was a long process that she had barely begun. But it at least had the benefit of working out her nerves and whiling away the long sleepless nights. A great deal was happening and yet they were all stuck in a waiting game. It was maddening.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to out here m¡¯lady.¡±


    Hearing the voice, Serenity whipped around, sword raised and stance balanced. Gwain waited just outside her reach, watching for her reaction. He seemed to like what he saw and gave an approving grunt.


    ¡°Gwain, you startled me. What are you doing here?¡± Serenity dropped her sword, walking to the edge of the training area to return it to its place.


    ¡°I should be asking you that. Aren¡¯t you the one who was taken not so long ago. Why would you leave the safety of your rooms?¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about me Gwain? We¡¯re still within the castle walls after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes but this man has managed to get into some pretty secure places. It better to not take the risk. But you know that don¡¯t you. So I ask again, what are you doing Serenity?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t pull one over on you can I? I really did need a little exercise. I hate waiting.¡± Gwain just huffed and stared at her, waiting. She looked away. ¡°Part of me thinks that if he just wants me, then I can lure him away and the rest of you will be safe. But I know it¡¯s it true. He has plans here. Another part of me just wants to face him again and beat him. Because I¡¯m sick of him taunting us and plaguing us. I just want it to end. Like I said, I hate waiting. And then there¡¯s part of me that wants to taught him back. ¡®Look, here I am and you can¡¯t have me. You¡¯re going to lose¡¯...¡±


    Serenity trailed off, not realising how much she had been feeling. She heaved a sigh. ¡°I need some sleep.¡±


    Gwain hopped up and sat on a spare barrel. ¡°I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re ready. Getnit all out and you¡¯ll sleep better. You¡¯re not the only one feeling like this you know. It doesn¡¯t get any easier, but you do get used to it. We all find ways to cope. Next time, just don¡¯t come out here on your own Albright?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Alright Gwain. And... thanks.¡±

 20. Best Laid Plans

    oday was the day. The guests had arrived, the preparations made and all that was left was the execution. Not literally. The plans was, once Wick was captured, they¡¯d transport him to the Capital to face judgement from the King. Serenity was very concerned about this decision. She feared that Wick had spent some time among the Kings men and had his claws in there too but she couldn¡¯t prove it. Even Robert admitted that if that were the case, they would just have to do their best to protect their lands and people. The King likely wouldn¡¯t listen.


    Handing Wick over to the King made sense if he really were a foreign spy and saboteur, but he wasn¡¯t. He was a moderne man who should be held to modern justice, but even that was inadequate because Wick was also a being with the supernatural ability to jump through space and time. Serenity doubted they would even be able to hold him when they finally captured him. But she had a plan, of sorts.


    It had been a busy week, or sennight as the locals said. Serenity had spent a great deal of time helping Evelyn sew gold thread ornamentation into the forest green gown for the celebration. It had ended up looking absolutely beautiful. When they needed a break, they would either sit together to share refreshments or walk down to the training yard to watchthe practice. There were far fewer people about due to the Kings orders and Serenity found it much easier to find the time and space to practice her sword work. If helped keep and tight feeling in her abdomen at bay.


    She had also found herself taking quick jumps to look for Wick when she could sleep. She was on her own ever since Robert adopted Osgar and gave him a room of his own so it was a lot easier to leave undetected. Still, she never found a way to track Wick through space and time. Occasionally, she find soft echoes like spider silk against her skin which she thought may have indicated that someone had travelled there recently but it was impossible to tell. Maybe she was imagining it.


    So here they were. The engagement celebration was due to start in minutes and Serenity had just finished getting Evelyn into her dress. ¡°Are you ready? It¡¯s a happy day for you Evelyn.¡±


    The young woman just beamed. A knock on the door reveal Lord Roger ready to escort his daughter to the head table. Serenity followed closely behind. As they enters the great hall, the feast was a sight to see. The men had hunted a wild boar and is sat proudly at the head table, smelling delicious. The many tables groaned under all the food that sat on them and Serenity didn¡¯t know where to look. There would be plenty of left overs for the local villagers at the need of the day.


    And to the celebration began, a day of happiness but underneath, everyone felt the tension of an ending to the recent trouble. This celebration not only represented the solidification of the peace treaty but also the removal of a threat that had shadows them for months, if not longer. There were toasts to the Lords and the happiness of the couple and long winding ballads of hero¡¯s who journey to fight their foes and finally claim their proxies. The Normans love their epic hero¡¯s with a dash of romance. At one point, Wick got up and recited a Saxon love poem full of sweet words...


    Beloved


    Grief is for the one who must wait in longing for their beloved


    Thus,Treasure adored one, have I waited for thee


    In grief. Neither the joy of horses nor treasure


    Nor riches nor mead, can compare to thy presence


    For, people long most for a loved one


    Love, let this be a glimpse of what lies in the cavern of my heart


    A token of affection for thee, Elf-shining.


    Dearest and sweetest of my soul, Light of my eyes


    Sweetest sunbeam, woman of radiant beauty


    Let me know if thy heart feels the same.


    Never wonder if I am in earnest for I am seized with longing


    Let not any man prevent us when hearts align


    Clever in thought, and with the beauty of an elf


    Save me from further grief, for then even by deathThis tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    We shall not be parted my darling.


    Finally, as the afternoon wore on, the tables were cleared and the dancing began. Throughout the day, Serenity had kept an eye on Robert and some of the men among the crowd tasked with looking for Wick. The longer they went without finding him, the more tense she became. Could he have somehow become aware of the plan or was he just not taking the bait? She been careful to be seen but never alone almost every night, almost as a tint to Wick. She hoped being within reach but unattainable would have made him desperate. Desperate enough to come here today.


    Robert pulled her from her meandering thoughts when he appeared close to her. ¡°Care to dance My Lady?¡± Serenity took his hand with a smile and they joined a group just forming. Like the language and customs, the dancing seemed to just come to her. It may not look well practiced but she knew all the steps. In this dance, the partners changed every set so soon, she and Robert were separated. They circled the room as they danced and changed partners, again and again and Serenity glanced out the door as the passed. The sun was bright though fairly low in the sky. It was a beautiful afternoon. She changed partners again and looked to see if she knew him, and froze.


    Wick took advantage of her surprise and swept her out of the hall doors. Too late, Serenity recovered from the shock as she felt the familiar darkness try to engulf her and Wick initiated a jump. He could taker her anywhere or anywhen but Serenity had thought of that. She rapidly focused on the celebration feast and jumped her self. Pain spiked in her chest as the two jumps fought each other, each trying to overwhelm their adversary and pull them to their own jump. The pain built and built but Serenity held on until she felt the darkness that was slightly foreign to her slip.


    Wick and Serenity slumped against the castle wall but the hall door, tired and feeling the pain slowly ebb. She had done it, she had kept him here and now but Serenity had not time to celebrate as a fist slammed into her temple. She reeled from the pain and felt herself lift over a shoulder, then jolting pain in her head and footstep ran and bumped her around. She tried to struggle but the blow had left her dizzy and sick. She saw stairs beneath her so Wick must be running up to the curtain wall. That made no sense, he had nowhere to go. Thinking seemed slow and difficult for Serenity and she couldn¡¯t figure out what to do.


    It felt like ages but could only have been minutes, it was hard to tell how long they¡¯re been in the jump darkness, when finally a shout came. They had notice she was missing. She locked onto that and again tried to release herself from Wick when suddenly she was falling. A gasp escaped her as she looked up to see the wall getting taller. He throw he over the wall! Serenity flailed and caught a glimpse of Wick close to her before she as engulfed in... straw. No wait, that was hay. How the hell had he been able to leave a hay cart by the wall? The patrols should have seen this.


    Slightly winded from the landing, Serenity realised she was able to think a little clearer when the pains made themselves know in her chest, her temple and her backside. She ached but Wick would let her catch a breath. Her pulled rope from somewhere and tied her wrist together then dragged her out of the hay cart and began to run for the trees. She tried to resist and delay him, even managing to trip him by hooking his ankle taking them both down but she just got and and slung her over his shoulder again. She heard the big gate in the castle walls screech and looked up, waiting. If they could see her before they reached the tree line, she had a chance of them finding her. Come on, come on. The gate was in the east wall and Wick had thrown her off the south. They¡¯d have to-


    There! She caught a glimpse of knights on horse back. They spotted Wicks fleeing figure and let out a shout. Serenity smiled then lost sight of them as they reached the tress. Wick must have known this place well because he took a path at an odd angle to the tree line and move nimbly. They came to a slightly clear area though it couldn¡¯t be call a clearing and lay her down, breathing hard, never taking his eyes off her.


    Serenity took stock. She needed to delay him and give the others time to catch up and find them, a difficult time consuming task in the woods. She wasn¡¯t sure how large the forest was but already, she was lost. If she escaped, she wasn¡¯t sure she could find her way out and her head was splitting. Wick had hit her hard. She sat on the ground watching her captor as hestared intently back. They were at a stand off. If he tried to jump her away, she could stop him. They were stuck here for now and both of them were feeling the pain. So what to do? She continued to watch and listened for anyone approaching. Wick was quickly regaining her breath and Serenity knew soon they would move off again.


    Serenity saw Wicks p eyes narrow. He was staring at her bound hands and suddenly, his eyes widened and his face flushed with rage. He lunged at her and Serenity raised her arms to protect her head in case he struck ether again but instead, she felt him jerk up her bound hands and rip the ring from her finger. Her finger stung from his rough handling but she didn¡¯t really care, she was more concerned about losing Roberts ring. She watched helplessly as Wick flung it away and it became lost in the undergrowth. She couldn¡¯t see it and was still searching when Wick turned on her and gripped her arms, tugging her to her feet and pushing his face close to hers.


    "You are nobody''s but mine you understand? MINE!"


    Her arms hurt from his grip and she refused to answer him. She was her own person and belong to nobody. She decided who was in her life and Wick could do nothing to change that. He began to ramble.


    ¡°No one can touch you. Nobody can touch my Angel¡­ not even me. Only the shadows. They¡¯re yours, they can be with you. Only the shadows. But I want to touch you. My Angel.¡±


    Serenity frowned and really looked at Wick. The rage seemed to have left him and he looked oddly hollow and child like despite his strong build. He looked... broken. He rested his forehead on hers, his breathing deep. Serenity realised that she had known this man for a long time and something was wrong, beyond wrong. What could she say to him? Someone who was once a friend who seemed to be lost in a nightmare. She felt sad that it had come to this and scared that this would be her one day. Is this what jumping did you a person.


    She was saved from having to find the right words to pacify him when they both heard the sounds of horses in pursuit. Wick almost growled in frustration. He swung away from the noise still gripping one of her arms, and dragged her off onto some unknown path through the trees. She was tired and the terrains was already difficult, she didn¡¯t have the strength to hinder him much more, though her weaving gait was hinder acne enough. As she was pulled long, the sound of horses receded and another rose to take its place. It sounded like¡­ water. Rushing water¡­

 21. Lost

    Faster. He had to go faster! Why couldn''t he protect her? Again and again he failed to her. He couldn''t lose her. Duty, loyalty, he¡¯d give it all up for this spirited, smart, beautiful, unique woman. There was no one like her and never would be. No one would ever live up to her. He couldn''t lose her. They had to go faster. When they caught up, as soon as Serenity was safe, Robert was going to rip this scum to pieces. Never again would he hurt those Robert loved. He leaned down closer to his horse neck.


    ***


    They were gaining, thank goodness. Serenity''s arm hurt from Wick''s unforgiving grip and her feet ached. He had forced them to run non-stop and she was really feeling it, but Wick seemed to have gaineda second wind. There was something unnatural about it and Serenity began to wonder what other abilities may come with these Jumps. But there was no time for that now.


    Serenity was growing desperate. The plan had failed, yet again Wick had thwarted them. How was he doing it? She was beginning to think he was more powerful than her. If he could do even half of what he envisioned¡­ Fear shivered its way up her spine and the hair in her neck prickled. The realisation numbed her. He had to be stopped. No matter what, he couldn''t be allowed to continue. This wasn''t just about history or Robert and the people she cared about here. This was bigger than she had let her consider. Wick was truly dangerous. He had to be stopped.


    Wick was also getting desperate, running erratically , eyes wide and face pale. The sound of pursuit only got louder and it gave Serenity hope. Perhaps- Suddenly the tree line broke and they stopped short, staring. They were standing on the edge of cliff, looking into a ravine with a torrent of water rushing beneath. Despite the sunny days, the river was high and fast. There¡¯s was no way to cross, the edge was treacherous and the forest, with their pursuers, was at their backs. Serenity smiled. Robert would catch them. It would be okay.


    Wick had the look or a cornered wild animal and his eyes darted everywhere for an escape route. He knew it was over. He stared at the waters below as if contemplating jumping into their cold embrace. He couldn''t be that desperate could he? Despite everything, Serenity didn¡¯t want him dead. He needed to be stopped but he also needed help.


    "Wick¡­ Wick! Look at me, it''s finished. You have to stop now. Please."


    He turned wild eyes on her, lost and uncomprehending. He was lost. Why hadn''t she seen it before. There was fear in his eyes and it was almost more terrifying than the hollowness from before. He didn''t know who he was anymore or what to he was supposed to do. What had brought him to this? Serenity suspected she already knew and was afraid. Maybe she could reason with him. It might work this time. It was now or never. But her time was up. Horses crashed through the undergrowth of the forest and Wick eyes hardened as he renewed his punishing grip on her arms, holding her in front of him, their backs to the cliff.


    Robert, worried and resolute, appeared like a ray of light out of the trees, his war horse large as life. Wow, relief was making her a delusional. He dismounted and strode forward but halted when he saw her and Wick, his face turning red with anger.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Let her go, and we will show you mercy."


    "Silence Norman. Stay back or I will take your beloved from you. As she was taken from me¡­ I was going to allow some of you to live and serve me and my Queen but you have sealed your own fate. I will rend asunder everything you care for. There will be nothing left but ashes and you will be but shadows under my feet." Wick spat out savagely.


    "Enough of this madness. Release Serenity. After all you have done to claim her you cannot wish her harm."


    "You know nothing. How foolish to think my Angles can belong to anyone. No one, not even I, can have her. She is to be admired, adored and pampered as she rules over the universes and shapes them to her will. If she cannot take her place as my Angel, then I shall ensure no other will lay hands on her. No, she will never be in the hands of another."


    Serenity wanted to throw up. Wick had completely lost it. Robert growled and she tensed, the animosity among the company growing. "Then I will take you down before you can harm her. I will protect her." Robert looked into her eyes. "I will protect you."


    Serenity nodded. "I know. I trust you Robert."


    Robert signalled his men who had stayed back, partially obscured by the trees. They now fanned out around her and Wick. Despite the swelling on the side of her face, Serenity could see Gwain and Aelfwine among them, both grim faced and focused. She felt Wick tense and grimaced at the pain inflicted on her arms. Wick intently watched their movements, and moved his grip to hold her wrists behind her, wrapping a hand round her neck once her wrists were secure. She swallowed convulsively and tried to breathe normally. Roberts eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.


    Behind her, Serenity could hear Wick whispering frantically, nonsense words and ramblings. It scared her. The hair on her neck prickled and her throat went dry. The wind tousled her hair and the air turned cold. How did he do this? The clearing stilled under the eerie breeze and suddenly Serenity understood. It didn''t matter if it was real or not, whatever Wick did had power over these people. He¡¯s made the kill, he¡¯d manipulated them to his will. They were at his mercy, and he had none. It had to stop. She had to stop it.


    She looked up and saw the fear on her rescuers faces. She remembered the faces of the refugees they had taken in. She remembered the hate that Wick had cultured and understood that if he remained, the medieval era would never be the same. The world would never be the same. She flicked her glance around and saw men emerging from the forest behind Roberts men. Her heart sank. Wicks followers had found him. She had to finish this and now she knew how. It hurt, knowing what she had to do, but she had to do it. Some things didn''t belong. She only prayed she was strong enough.


    Serenity looked at Robert, still poised to attack as soon as he saw an opening, and despite the tears gathering in her eyes, she grinned beautifully at the man she loved. "I wish we¡¯d have more time Robert, but it¡¯s time. I protect what I love." Robert frowned in confusion at her odd words and she had to hold back a laugh. She supposed it was an odd thing for her to say considering her position. Closing her eyes briefly, she took a deep breath to calm herself andlooked back at him. "You¡¯re a good man. Look after Osgar, and stay strong. Watch your back.¡± Her eyes that swam with tears, finally spilled over to run down her cheeks, but she never stopped smiling for him. Robert looked worried but she knew it had to be done.


    "Serenity¡­?"


    Robert tried to moved forward. Wick twitched causing renewed pain for her and Robert stilled but she still smiled. With love in her eyes, she whispered her final good bye to the man she loved. "I love you Robert¡­ always."


    Before she could see the panic and sadness in his face, she closed her eyes and leaned back into Wick as if she¡¯d run out of strength. He stumbled as he took her weight and Serenity, taking advantage of his unbalance stance, straightened her bent knees and launched back violently. The cliff edge shifted beneath her feet and she gave one last push with her toes. And then they were falling.


    "NO! SERENITYYYYYYYYYYY!!¡±


    Serenity heard Roberts voice before the roaring of the water drowned him out and the tears never stopped falling. Please, don''t let him live in pain she prayed. It was the only way to save them. She and Wick were too powerful, they didn''t belong here in the past. Her last thoughts were for Robert the man she loved and Wick, the lost friend. "Forgive me". Then the cold blackness consumed her and all was silent¡­

 21. Answers

    ¡°You know, according to history, or at least the history I learned, William the Conqueror was the illegitimate son of Robert Duke of Normandy. He was born in 1028, and became the Duke or Normandy upon his father¡¯s death in 1035. When Edward the Confessor, King on England died in 1066, William, now Duke of Normandy, believed he had a claim to the throne and expected to be offered the crown, with support promised by Harold Godwineson. Harold Godwineson decided that Williams claim was false and took the throne for himself. The King of Norway, Harold Hardrada or Harold the III of Norway decide that this was a most operative time to invade. And that doesn¡¯t even mention the celebrate Kings great nephew, Edgar Atheling.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to see why Wick would have chosen 1066 for his great plan... A three way bid for the throne with two Harold¡¯s, and a William. Sounds like a joke. Godwineson goes north to deal with Harold Hardrada and William finally gets the good weather to invade. Godwineson deadbeats Hardrada but his men are tired and he¡¯s a long way from the coast. From September to December 1066, William invaded England, won the battle of Hastings where Harold Godwineson died, secured the treasury and subdued London forcing the Saxon heir, Edgar Atheling, to surrender the throne and the kingdom. William was crowned King of England in December 1066 at Westminster Abbey.


    ¡°Why does history have to have so many dates??? Dates are boring, but delicious. I like history for the people!! People are weird but interesting. Look what we¡¯ve done... William did a lot. He knew he¡¯d face problems so he went about securing his throne. He implemented the feudal system: all land belonged to the crown rather than to those who lived on it, I meant come on William!! One quarter was treated as Williams personal property and the rest he leased out, but under the strictest of conditions. He split the country into manors which he gave to Barons who, in return with their Knights, must serve on the royal Grand Council. They had to pay various dues and, when required, provide the King with military service.¡± Serenity sighed.


    ¡°The Baron kept as much of the Manors land as he wished for his own use, then distributed the rest among his Knights. In return, the knights were bound, by honour, by oath by desperation, I dunno, to meet the military needs of their Baron when either he or the King called for them. The knights in turn allocated sections of their lands to villeins, or serfs, who had to provide free labour and food and service, with or without warning, whenever it was demanded. It¡¯s like a really shitty cake, all these tiers with the bottom one taking all the weight... I don¡¯t like cake. I like crime br?l¨¦e. And pastries.


    ¡°William distributed land to his trusted Norman Barons so, four out of the six most powerful men were Norman. Everyone would have had to learn french and I¡¯m not great with languages. Accents I can do but I can¡¯t remember the vocabulary. William was careful to ensure that in any given region, no one man was given too big an area. The estates were scattered over the entire country to ensure any sign of rebellion against Norman rule was easily dealt with. Great castles were built in wood and stone all over the country as reminders of Norman rule and centres of power.


    But you know, dictatorships don¡¯t work. William''s new barons quickly grew problematic. They taxed and bullied the defeated Saxons until, in 1070, the entire country broken out in revolt with the backing of Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland, Swein Estrithson, King of Denmark and little Edgar. They failed and William, despite knowing how his Norman barons acted, burned and slaughtered the Saxons into total submission. Large areas of Yorkshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire were decimated and left derelict. They recovered eventually and are great places to holiday in.


    William was really horrible. In 1072, he introduced the forest law which made every animal, tree and leaf in any forest property of the King, and life the native Saxons who relied on the forests, couldn¡¯t hunt and kill the animals for food or collect fire wood...¡±


    Serenity fell silent, contemplating.


    ¡°The Norman invasion of England was a defining point in English history. So much changed. They say history is written by the victors, we have no idea how much we¡¯ve lost. What if history is not what it seems? What lays hidden from the history we know? What if history is ¡­ wrong?¡±


    ¡°History cannot be wrong Sierra. Only how we perceive it.¡±


    Serenity startled and jumped, looking everywhere. Where was she anyway? She seemed to be floating in the dark and she felllllt drunk.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the woozy feeling, it will pass. You¡¯re just readjusting after so long away. Please don¡¯t stop, we were enjoying you¡¯re jazzed up recounting of history, though we do wonder who you think you¡¯re lecturing too. Hasn¡¯t it been a long time since you agreed to guest speak?¡±


    Serenity blew a raspberry. ¡°Boooooring. I like finding history. You know in the ground. Much more fun... Who are you anyway? Am I dead.¡±


    There were chuckles all around. ¡°You¡¯re not dead,well, not right now. Are you feeling a little more with us? We have a great deal to tell you.¡±


    Serenity groaned. She didn¡¯t want to deal with anything, she was tired and she couldn¡¯t Reiner much right now. But the shadows were patient and slowly Serenity came back to herself. Sadness made itself known in her chest and she wallowed briefly in it. Serenity knew that her jumping experience would always be with her but she hoped one day it would not hurt so much.


    Finally, Serenity gave her full attention to the shadow voices that had waited for her, moving to float in a relaxed sitting position. ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. We understand what you are dealing with.¡±


    Serenity¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Really? How?¡±


    ¡°Time for a little more history.¡± The voice said warmly. ¡°Serenity, you were not the first to have this ability, but you were the first to use it in a very long time. In the ancient days, this gift was both revered and feared. Many good things were accomplished with it but also a lot of messes. Eventually, the problems became so great that they could not justify the continued use of the gift. It was decided that all knowledge of the gift would be hidden, allowing it to go dormant until such time that the gift could be used properly and safely without negative affects. But something went wrong and the gift was neverawakened. We suspect it was a deliberate act.¡±


    Serenity was enraptured ¡°How long ago was this?¡±


    ¡°Long ago, before we can properly comprehend. The complexities of the gift mean that even years of reality have been lost. There are many aspects of the gift you have not yet tapped into. But you are the first since then to discover and use the gift. But you are not the last. You began a new age. You asked where you are. This,¡± the shadow gestured around, ¡°is the Sanctuary. It is a place outside of time for those with the gift to rest and to seek help.¡±


    Serenity frowned. ¡°A sanctuary? But it¡¯s just darkness and shadows.¡±


    Again the shadow seemed to nod. ¡°It reflects our moods. You are very sad and a little scared. When you are better, you will see it is very bright and we all have solid forms. We can see you quite well.¡±


    Serenity shuffled uncomfortably and peered a little closer at the shadows. They did seem a little more human like, but not much.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to force it. The Sanctuary knows what you need, the rest will come with time.¡±


    Serenity nodded and accepted that. ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    ¡°First and foremost, to rest. You have been through much and you have done it alone. You have time, all of time, any time, so rest. You need to heal.¡±


    Another not shadow spoke up and Serenity realised that several of them had been speaking to her.


    ¡°You can also learn. We can teach you all about the gift and help you not be afraid. We know you fear ending up like Wick.¡±


    ¡°You think that the gift leads to madness and will want to never use it again.¡±


    ¡°Wick was unfortunate. He too was alone and didn¡¯t understand his gift. He also discovered it so young that fantasy and reality blurred together.¡±


    Serenity grew upset. ¡°If you knew that, why didn¡¯t you help him or at least stop him?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t. To directly interfere with others in their birth time is one of the causes of the Messes. Here in the Sanctuary it safe to interact, help, advise even lend some power or strength but once we¡¯re back inside time, it becomes more complicated. That why we have rules.¡±


    Serenity thought about it. She was still scared to end up like Wick but maybe there was a way. ¡°So I won¡¯t lose myself. I¡¯ve felt numb for a long time. I can¡¯t seem to shake it.¡±


    ¡°Our own time is where we belong and whenever we leave, we are not entirely whole. The only other pace we are whole is here, outside time. You¡¯ve spent too long away, that why you felt numb. You need to regularly heal here or in your present or you will get worse until you are like Wick. Clashing with another Gifteds jump will also make the decision worse.¡±


    ¡°So Wick never made it here? Or went back to his present?¡±


    There was a sad sigh from the group. ¡°No Wick never made it here. He as too obsessed with running away from something and creating his ¡®perfect world¡¯. He latched onto you and made everything worse. It¡¯s a sad case and the only one I the New Age of the Gift.¡±


    ¡°New Age?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You making it here to the Sanctuary is the beginning of the New Age of the Gift. You are the first of us. You set down the rules, researched the effects of the gift and help police time to prevent more Messes. A part of you echoes here, always.¡±


    Serenity was incredulous. ¡°I haven¡¯t done any of that! I can nearly cope with this last episode. I-¡±


    ¡°Serenity, calm down. You have all the time and if you really don¡¯t want to do it, other will. What matters is that we are in the New Age and it has worked well. This has been a lot for you so we¡¯re going to let you get the rest you need. Just a few more things, okay? The Shadows that you experience as a child are have been resolved now you have found the Sanctuary. Similarly, all of Wicks tweaks in the Norman era have been smoothed out. They still happened but the consequences have be reduced. You¡¯re time still happened but they are isolated and the History you know is unchanged. Everything else can wait. Rest. We will take care of you, so you¡¯re not returning until we think you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Serenity sighed and replied tiredly ¡°I should be mad but I get it. Thank you.¡± Before they could even reply, she drifted in the darkness and let everything slip away.

 22. Found

    Serenity had spent a very long time in the Sanctuary. It surprised her how long it took to begin to feel like herself again. It was an interesting place and, though she was reluctant to embrace her abilities, her curiosity had won out. She observed some of her favourite moments in history and learned a lot about what she could do.


    As she¡¯d healed and her mood improved, she got to see the beauty of the Sanctuary. The only constant was that it was bright and beautiful and she could create whatever surrounding she liked. Today, she made a terraced balcony overlooking a lake. She also finally been able to see the others in the Sanctuary, individuals of all races, genders and species. They were all kind but some were a little in awe of her being the ¡®first¡¯. She decided to not pay it any mind and just be herself. It usually worked.


    The surrounding dimmed a little as Serenity contemplated her goal today. She was all healed and ready to return to her present but she needed closure. One of her new gift allowed her to view and specific time from up close rather than from a distance and she planned to check in with Robert and Osgar, a sort of final goodbye. She closed her eyes and concentrated.


    A swirling windows the side of a long, wide mirror appeared and Serenity opened her eyes, staring into it. Out of the swirling darkness his face appeared, just as she had last seen it. Grim set to the mouth yet eyes pleading. In a blink she was back there on the cliff top. She was insubstantial and no one seemed to see her. She hadn¡¯t meant to use this gift, it was too soon and she wasn¡¯t ready to be this involved.


    Serenity calmed herself and focused, she needed to say goodbye. He was alone at the same spot she had fallen. Using her invited senses, she realised it was about a week after the engagement celebration. Oh! Poor Aelfwine and Evelyn. Their big day was marred by her ¡°p¡¯death¡¯. The sky was inappropriately bright, a gentle breeze picked up and snapped her hair and ruffled her dress. He seemed so sense her though he didn¡¯t look her way and she longed to reach out and touch him, feel his warm arms comfort her and watching his face split with a smile. But she was anchored in the Sanctuary and it was unwise to revisit this time and place.


    "Why did you let him take you?"


    His voice was quiet and strong but he sounded so lost. She knew what he really meant. Robert was stubborn and Serenity suspected he always intended to find a way to stay close to her. She knew it wouldn¡¯t work and told him so often. Yea was really asking, ¡®Why did you leave?¡¯ The pain of her decision was still raw. She didn''t know what awaited her when she jumped to her present. She was still falling after all and she knew she couldn¡¯t stay at the Sanctuary forever. He time with Robert was very real but she had family and friends in her present and she needed to return, feel that connection again. She needed to finish her healing.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Maybe she¡¯d die, maybe not. You never know with these things, nothing is certain. So, if she could remove this threat that Wick represented, save her beloved Robert and little Osgar, save Aelfwine and his people, her death wasn''t so bad was it? Serenity had finally accepted that this was real, not some kind of dream and she was received. She could deal with losing them, never being able to see them again, and that, from her time, they are long gone. But for a while here, they were real and they were her friends. So how did she answer the man she loved, how do you explain why you chose to leave rather than stay?


    "I couldn''t lose you Robert. I couldn''t let Wick twist and destroy all that was good in you and this land. He had to be stopped. If our places were reversed and you could save me from that, would you have hesitated? I don''t want you to suffer Robert, not before and not now."


    He was silent, the sadness in his face so pronounced, yet the hint of acceptance crept into the line of his shoulders. Had he dared her? She didn¡¯t care, she had to tell him, even if he never heard.


    "Robert I love you with everything I am. And though I hate leaving you, will suffer that loss every day of my life with every heart beat, this fate is far better than if I had never loved you. You''ll always be a part of me and I regret nothing because you and Osagar and all my friends are now safe. Please forgive me my Love."


    Tears escaped her eyes to slide down her pale cheeks. She had to make him accept this, so he could live the rest of his life, even if it was just a little.


    "... I don¡¯t know if this is a miracle or I am going insane. All I know is that I love you Serenity and I''ll never forget you. So please, please somehow be alive my love. I can carry on if I know you are alive somewhere¡­"


    He had tears in his own eyes but she managed to smile, just a little.


    "I''m here aren''t I? I''m safe now. I promise, I''m alive."


    "I won¡¯t chase you, I know you¡¯d want me to look after my people and try to keep this treaty with the Saxons. I have responsibilities here so I have to stay but I''m not letting you go Serenity. Never. You are alive in my heart." Robert cleared his throat, unable to continue. He turned his back to the cliff and slowly walked way. Serenity noticed a path had been cut through the trees.


    Serenity tried to smile through her tears and whispered "Thank you." And with that, as if his words unlocked their little bubble, everything began to fade around them. She held desperately to her calm and smiled her most radiant smile for him. "See you in your dreams darling."


    He turned as if her heard her and opened his mouth to answer but before he could, the world went black and she let go of herself, unsure what the Sanctuary would look like when she woke again but for now, she needed to rest again. In the darkness, a voice seemed to call out and her heart ached¡­


    Never let me go, Darling


    My place is in your heart


    And my heart is in your hands


    I will love you for all my days


    And all my yesterdays are yours


    So Darling, never let me go

 Epilogue

    The search parties were scouring everywhere looking for the lost archaeologist. It had only been a week so hopes were high yet the areas close to the main dig revealed nothing. Xander and his assistant quietly discussed this strange turn of events as they searched away from the others. Typically inappropriate, the sky was clear of cloud and the sun shone happily. Edging closer to the river as they walked, something caught Xander''s eye. Was that¡­ a boot? He rushed forward raising the alarm.


    "Over here, we¡¯ve got something! Phillip go, quickly. Get help."


    As Philip ran off, Xander waded into the cold waters dragging what appeared to be two bodies into the shallows. One was a women. His heart skipped a beat and, holding his breathe, he desperately felt for a pulse on her cold, clammy neck¡­


    ***


    He sat when he realised that pacing was not helping, and watched for any sign of improvement. Her friends were exhausted and had been convinced to go and get some sleep so he was alone. As he watched, her eyes fluttered and rolled in her head as she tried to look around the room. She looked so pale and the livid bruises on her wrists and face hurt him for some reason. Made him angry. What happened to her, how could anyone¡­? She murmured something and half opened her eyes again. When they alighted on him, she half smiled then frowned in confusion.


    "Robert?"


    Xander couldn''t take his eyes off her, but gently shook his head.


    "Serenity Neville? I''m Xander Montford. I¡¯m an expert in Norman archaeology that was brought in before¡­¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°I found you. You''ve been missing a week and unconscious four days. How are you?"


    She nodded. Suddenly her head snapped up and she focused intently on his face.


    "The man I found you with-¡± Robert continued but trailed off as a smile lighting up her face. When he saw it, that was it. Words trailing off, his chest tightened, it almost felt like his heart would never beat again, and his eyes widened in wonder.


    ¡°Montford? That¡¯s an uncommon name¡­¡± Serenity didn¡¯t even blink.


    Xander gave a stilted nod. ¡°Old family...¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    ¡°Your colleague, the man found with you, didn¡¯t survive. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Serenity didn¡¯t say anything, just stared at him quietly and Xander wasn¡¯t sure if it was shock or that she just didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d heard this Wick had become a problem. All appearances suggest he had been fixated on Serenity for some time. Goodness knows what had happened.


    ¡°Is the dig site safe?¡±


    Xander nodded with a smile. ¡°After everything you¡¯ve been through, that¡¯s what your worried about?¡± Serenity just shrugged, wincing as she aggravated her wounds. He understood she had cracked ribs, likely from a fall and her shoulder had been dislocated. ¡°The site is fine. They¡¯ve uncovered the foundations of a previously unknown Norman castle and, most exciting, there is a beautiful shrine completely intact. Quite exquisite.¡±


    ¡°No mass graves?¡± Serenity asked.


    What an odd question. As far as Xander was aware, there was no record of mass graves in this eared or from this era. ¡°No, no mass graves. There are no records of plagues or battles near her, were too far North I think.¡±


    A comfortable silence descended where they just watch each other, never blinking. Suddenly, she smiled at him again and his heart thumped making it difficult to swallow.


    ***


    How odd the world is, how strange it''s workings. Were they related? When she looked at his face and saw the look in his eyes, she recognised it and, oddly, the memory didn''t bring her pain as she thought it would. It brought her hope. Wick was gone and Rober-. No Rober was long gone. This was Xander and he was here. In the present. She remembered resting in the Sanctuary but not how she got back here. Being in the present felt comfortable, a relief like a weight had been lifted off her chest. It was time to live in the present... at least for a while.


    ¡°When I¡¯m released from here, would you take me on a tour of the site?¡±


    Xander smiled back at her. ¡°I¡¯d be delighted. I¡¯ve waited a long time to work with you Professor Neville.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Serenity.¡±


    ¡°Serenity¡±.


    ***


    Tuesday 28th August 2144


    Okay. I¡¯m writing it down, with the good old fashioned pen to paper. I¡¯ve gotten used to it by now. In part so maybe I can stop thinking about it so persistently and it won¡¯t drive me crazy anymore. I¡¯ve done a lot of healing, but there¡¯s still a ways to go and I¡¯ll never forget it. Af first I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever use it again, it¡¯s taken a toll on me and the effects, I suspect, will be with me for years.


    If I hadn¡¯t lived through it myself, I¡¯d say it had the makings of a novel or movie, but I did live it. It was real, is real, and I don¡¯t want to lose it. Because I had a family there, Osgar, Robert, Aelfwine and Evelyn, Gwain, Henry... I''m afraid I''ll wake up one day it will all fade into a dream. No matter how painful it was, how much of a struggle we had, I don¡¯t want it to fade. I don¡¯t want to forget.


    I was never equipped to deal with this. I¡¯m not a kick-ass heroine or a superhero and neither am I a damsel in distress or shrinking violet. I am an archaeologist, just like my Dad. I¡¯m organised, love history, and I don¡¯t mind hard work and ending the day caked in mud but I managed to learn a bit from my mum too. She is amazing with people, so kind hearted and caring. Not afraid of tough love but you can¡¯t help but love her back. I swear, you put anyone in a room with her for five minutes and they¡¯ll come out as best friends. My point is that, from the start, I was just an ordinary person like any other. My parents are loving and supportive, they have grown into some of my closest friends. I have lived my life in amazing places, with good friends, and I enjoy it. Yes, until recently, I was afraid. I was afraid of the things that came out of the half-light of dawn, through the misty fields and rolling hills of middle England. I was afraid of the shadows and what they meant. But not anymore.


    Now I understand a little better and I want to keep learning. You see, the other reason I¡¯m writing this, dear read, is for you. Because I was not the first, but I had no one to help me. No one to explain, to teach me the rules and outline the consequences. And I won¡¯t be the last. More of you will be like me, and I don¡¯t want you to create your own shadows. I found the Sanctuary and learned so much. So, please, have a read, because this is what I learned...

 Short Side Story: Wick

    This was nice... quiet and... calm. Peaceful.


    He was just floating. Not sure where. Everything was a bit hazy. It wasn¡¯t dark... but it wasn¡¯t light either. But it was nice.


    You know, he couldn¡¯t remember the last time he felt good. He had a feeling it had been a very long time. He floated there just relaxing, existing, and as the long eons passed, he noticed little chinks, little chips of... something gradually drawn close and fuse. Drawn into him like a puzzle piece slotting into place. He watched it happen again and again trying to understand.Stolen story; please report.


    Eventually he realised. He was fragmented. Broken. But not as much as he had been. Something... light, something happy tried to swell in his chest but never quite manifest. So he went back to watching, floating p, relaxing in the peaceful quiet. For a few more eons at least.

 Short Side Story: Devotion

    ¡°Father?¡±


    Osgars voice called out to him. Robert knew his time was up so lay down the flowers on at the base of the memorial and rose to his feet. Osgar had come up beside him and, despite the energy with which he had arrived, quietly contemplated the view before him.


    Osgar had grown into a fine young man and Robert was so proud. At first, he didn¡¯t think he could cope after... but somehow, each day he woke up and continued on. He had found contentment with his wife and joy in all his children. But he would always love and miss Serenity. That¡¯s why he had built this memorial and made sure to tend it carefully. His private chapel said prayers for her every day. They never found any bodies and for a long time, the threat of Wick had hung over them. Nothing ever came of it and life soon had other trouble for him to address.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost ashamed to say that I don¡¯t really remember her well.¡±


    Osgars voice interrupted him thoughts again. He turn to his son, and smiled as he watched him. He lay an arm around Osgars shoulders.


    ¡°Do you remember nothing? I know the nightmares stopped before you reach adulthood but we never really discussed it much did we!¡±


    Osgar looked away from the memorial and blink away the past to look at Robert. ¡°I remember little things like her voice as she calmed me when I was afraid. The warmth of her hugs. He laughter as we watched you and your men train. But I don¡¯t remember much else.¡± His son fell quiet again, looking away as a sadness entered his eyes. ¡°Sometimes, I long for something, a nostalgic feeling mixed with sorrow yet can¡¯t understand why. I think it¡¯s because I miss her.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Robert squeezed his son in a hide hug and looked back to the memorial. ¡°I miss her too. It doesn¡¯t take away from all the wonderful people in our lives, the things we¡¯ve accomplished or the struggles we¡¯ve over come. It¡¯s just that, we wanted to share all those things with her. It the little things like coming home at the end of the day and telling her all about it. Knowing that, if you struggle, you can ask her advice. Crying on her shoulder when I lost my best friend. Celebrating with her when your sister was born. Asking her for help when the politics get too much.¡±


    Robert sighed. He¡¯d lost many people over the years and he felt each one. But something about Serenity took root in him and he missed her all the time. That love for her stayed with him always.


    ¡°Do you regret it? Do you regret our presence in your life?¡±


    Robert heard the fear of a little orphaned boy in his sons voice when he asked that question. He turned back to look at the man Osgar had become and grinned, joy shining out from his face.


    ¡°Never. I regret nothing and I¡¯d change nothing... Even losing her. She was right, we could never have had all that I wanted. You can¡¯t defy the King and live peacefully. Though I miss her, I¡¯ve lived a full life. Full of both happiness and sadness, struggles and triumph. And you. My son. She gave me you and I love you with everything I am. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    Robert let Osgar soak up his words, the confident young man returning as he smiled up at his father, just like when he was little.


    ¡°Come on Osgar, let¡¯s go break our fast.¡±


    As they turned away, Robert gave one more look at the memorial he¡¯d built, a placeto come and remember and have a little peace. Osgar had turned with him.


    ¡°Will you tell men about her? I want to remember more.¡±


    Robert looked at his son and smiled gently. ¡°Of course. Where shall I start?¡±


    They turned again and finally walked away. But Robert would return. He always did.