This is my first KA fanfic, and my second fanfic EVER, so go a little easy on me...Still, I do hope you like it! I don't feel like updating unless I know people are enjoying the story so please review!

There will eventually be a romance between Senna and one of the knights. I'm not sure who yet, thought. I tried to have her notice each of them in this chapter, to give them all a "fair chance". I just can't say who she is going to pick yet. I know I didn't develop much character in this chapter-wait till the second chapter, that one will get a little deeper. Senna has some surprises in store for these knights...surprises SHE doesn't even know about yet.

Enjoy!!!!

Senna slowed Dusk's gallop as she spotted the fort through the trees. Just before she broke through the line between forest and field, she halted the stallion and turned to look into the green, shadowy wood.

"Thank you" she called.

Though she couldn't see them, she knew there were Woads somewhere nearby. There always were. Having never bothered them, they let the young woman pass through their territory without hindering her. Senna never knew why they hadn't killed her when they had first found her four years ago. She had been sixteen, and a runaway from a ravaged Roman encampment. But for some reason, they had let her live. They had not helped her as she had learned to survive on her own, but that hadn't troubled Senna. She had learned the harsh lessons of how to survive on the land, but she had also learned the blessings that came from a life of true freedom.

A freedom she was about to sacrifice. Sighing, she turned away from the forest, and urged Dusk into a canter towards what was probably an imminent imprisonment...towards the home of Marius Honorious, a man reknowned for his cruelty.

She was not there for him, however. She was there for the six Sarmatian knights and their Briton/Roman leader, Arthur Castus. She had dreamed of these knights, men she had never seen, for the past three weeks. Deep in her soul she felt the certainty that she was meant to go with them back to Hadrian's Wall. Still, that didn't stop the growing feeling of dread as she approached the estate.

She could hear shouting as the Knights milled about in front of Marius's home. She watched as the one she knew as Arthur dismounted, and ordered the large knight Dagonet to break down a small stone wall. Senna was puzzled--why break down a wall? Then the stones crumbled, and a door became visible. Dagonet also broke through this. Then he, Arthur, Lancelot, and Gawain all walked through the door.

Moments later Arthur rushed out, shouting. "Water! Give me some water!" In his arms was Guinevere.

Senna lost her balance and slipped over Dusk's withers before she managed to right herself. Though she had never personally spoken to the Woad princess, she knew who Guinevere was, and had seen her before in the forest, many times, perhaps moreso than any of the other Woads. When had she been captured by the Romans?

Senna was at the edge of the small village that surrounded the estate now. She paused again, irritated with herself, but not willing to go on just yet. Dusk pinned his ears, snaking his head down.

"Shut up," She snapped. "You aren't the one who's head is going to get lopped off if I startle them."

She heard one of the knights mutter "She's a woad."

She couldn't catch who said it. For a moment she was afraid that they would harm Guinevere, but then she shook her head. Arthur had rescued her. Even through her dreams she had been able to tell that once Arthur considered a person under his protection, not even hell and high water would harm them. Arthur at this moment was murmuring assurances to the young woman. Senna snickered quietly.

Dusk snorted, loudly enough that Galahad, who was nearest to her, glanced in her direction. "Arthur," He said, nodding in her direction.

Feeling extremely stupid, Senna smiled and waved, nudging Dusk forward, "Hello, Sir Knights,"

Oh, well that sounded...brilliant. What a wonderfully witty greeting, what an apt phrase for the strange circumstances. She shut off her mental tirade. Really, how long had it been since she had spoken to anyone other than the occasional Woad, or her horse?

She glanced over to where Dagonet was bending over a little boy. She had heard someone say he had a broken arm. Dismounting from Dusk she walked over to him, pulling a small packed of herbs from her shoulder-bag.

"Give him this, Sir," She smiled at the huge knight, "It will slow fever and encourage his body to mend."

"You are a healer?" He asked her.

"Not in the way you mean," Senna replied, "but I do know how to mend sickness."

"Stop what you are doing!" Someone shouted behind her. Senna turned to look at Marius as he strode furiously towards Arthur.

Standing up, the Commander glared at the Roman man, "What is this madness?"

Marius was so outraged, Senna judged him but a moment away from pure hysteria. "They are all pagans here!" He screamed.

"So are we." Galahad told him.

"They refused to do the tasks God set for them. They must die as an example!" Marius defended himself.

"You mean they refused to be your serfs!" Arthur shouted.

Senna looked up from the boy, "And him?" She asked quietly, "What task did a child refuse to do, that you would condemn him to this fate?"

Marius glared at her, then shook his head, turning to Arthur incredulously. "You are a Roman, you understand. And you are a Christian!" He then snarled at his wife, who was bent worryingly over Guinevere. "You! You kept her alive!" His struck her hard with his fist, and Fulcinia fell backwards.

Before Marius could hit her again, however, Arthur hit him, knocking the shorter man to the ground and holding him their with his sword. The soldiers started to rush forwards.

"No! No! Stop!" Marius shouted at them.

"God help us, the man has a grain of intelligence in there somewhere," Senna muttered to herself, brushing a lock of hair away from the boys forehead.

Marius muttered something along the lines of Arthur paying for his "heresy". Senna snickered, her amused increasing as Arthur responded with a threat of his own. She waited with interest, until she heard a hoarse voice.

"I was willing to die with them, yes to lead them to their rightful place. It is God's wish that these sinners be sacrificed, only then can their souls be saved."

Arthur looked at the priest who had spoken, his eyes cold. "Then I shall grant his wish. Wall them back up." He ordered.

"Arthur," Tristan said warningly.

"I said wall them up!" Arthur shouted.

The priests gave several more whining comments that Senna didn't care to really hear as they were shoved back into the dungeon. Arthur then turned and looked at her.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"My name is Senna," She replied with a smile, standing and pushing away the white-blonde strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes.

"What is your business here?" Arthur elaborated. Senna knew he wanted to know the purpose for her presence, and probably a small note of her background--not her name. Still, that was all she was willing to give him at the moment.

"It doesn't matter, at the moment." She told him briskly. "You shouldn't be wasting time interrogating me when death is marching towards us."

"You speak like a Roman." This was Gawain.

He had moved away from the dungeons door, where the villagers were excitedly re-bricking the entrance to the dungeon. Now he swung onto his horse to stare at Senna, though he spoke no more words.

Glancing around, Senna realized they were all staring at her.

"Right now, I think you'll be happy to simply hear me say I'm not a Saxon. You know, the men who are coming here right now? To kill you?" She turned away from the knights to mount Dusk.

Arthur gave her one last frown, then turned to the people surrounding him. They had only the few wagons and horses from Marius's house. They would be moving slowly. Too slowly, Senna knew. The knights knew as well. They glanced uneasily from the villagers to their commander, who was addressing the villagers.

"Travel in a line. Put the injured and the weak in the wagons. Dagonet, you will ride with the woman and the boy."

He mounted his horse, then turned to canter to the front of the loosely formed line the villagers had created. Senna waited to bring up the rear. Lancelot did the same, his face a mask of supressed anger.

"You're cute when you are pouting," Senna told him with a straight face. Perhaps she had never met the man, but she had dreamed of them all often enough to know how to tease them.

He stared at her, and Senna laughed. As the line of wagons, knights, and villagers began moving at a steady pace, he urged his horse into a canter and moved ahead of her. Senna didn't miss the glance he gave to make sure she was not following him. Beneath her, Dusk gave a little hop.
"I wasn't hurting anyone. It was funny!" She defended, "don't forget you are the one who was so eager to rush in here."

Senna halted him and turned to give the forest behind the small fortress one last look. Those trees had been her home for nearly three years. She did not want to leave them, and yet she could not force herself to lie and say they had truly contented her. She shook her head. Whether she liked it or not, fate had placed her here. Why was a question she wanted an answer too. But she knew she wasn't going to get it. At least not yet.

"Goodbye," She murmured, then turned forward, urging Dusk into a trot to catch up with the last wagon.