Disclaimer: I don't own King Arthur or any of its characters. The King Arthur movie is the property of Touchstone Pictures. So there is no copyright infringement intended, nor do I intend to tick anyone off – so please don't sue me, I'm poor enough already! But I do own the story itself and the characters of Juliana and other non-King Arthurian types…. :O) I've tried to use real Sarmatian tribal names as much as possible here; additional tattoos mentioned and any sayings are invented by me though.

This is my second King Arthur fanfic; (and I have a third on the drawing board). It is still based on the 2004 film, as well as some legends I know a little about. I do not intend to rip off any other writer (I just can't wade through so many pages of stories to check, I'd lose the will to live!) so if this premise has been done before I'm sorry, I just hope mine is different enough for it not to be too boring. But if I digress from the movie and stuff a little, don't shoot me as I'm old and the brain (what little I have) is not what it used to be. Plus I might also change things to fit the story a little better –sorry. But that is what artistic license is all about! LOL

I wanted to do a slightly different story to my last one. It will be a Tristan/OC pairing, though will obviously bring the others into it too.

It's going to be fairly dramatic; romantic (I can't help it!) as well as fairly funny…in places anyway….. It is nothing but fluff, so if you don't like romance and stuff please don't read it! Just like the other one I suppose, but with a little twist. The main character, Juliana, is a mute….brought on through a severe trauma. IF she speaks in most of the story (from our point of view)it is thought only, for now at least. She communicates in other ways to those around her.

This story is before they set out to get Germanius' little mate. It starts before the film - the last mission, etc will still take place, but things will be different, including the end; hope that's clearer than mud anyway!

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE, SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

Anyway…on with the show!

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LITTLE BIRD AND THE HAWK

Chapter One – Finding

Tristan was on yet another scouting mission; he had seen nothing. This was surprising considering the Saxons were thought to be on the move, as were the Woads.

Still, only a few more months and they could leave… get their papers…and, well, probably back to Sarmatia. They had nowhere else to go. Bors wanted to stay, he knew that, and Dagonet would not leave the one he considered his brother. Arthur was going to Rome, Lancelot….well no one knew with him…probably back to Sarmatia, as was Gawain and Galahad.

It was a shame they were to fracture, he felt closer to them than anyone else, they more brothers than friends. They were certainly the only ones he had ever cared about.

A movement caught his eye…his hawk, riding on his arm, wheeled into the sky keening, "You saw it too, huh?" he murmured.

He slowed his horse and nudged it in the direction of the movement. He saw a mound of snow twitching, he dismounted and walked over. It moved again, drawing his dagger he leant down and cautiously brushed the snow off.

He was surprised to see a woman, around the same age as he, with similar tattoos to his. He stood quickly…looking around, he could see no one else – the tracks around her were leading south and away. She could not have been there that long…he checked around, the tracks were fairly fresh…they had left in the last hour. Returning to her, he could also see she was close to death.

He bent forward again as if to touch her and she opened her eyes. Almost black brown eyes registered him…her mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound came.

She tried to move, but the hypothermia that was quickly setting in was slowing her down – her mind too slow to send commands to her body to flee quickly enough.

As he cleared more snow off her, ignoring her feeble attempts to escape him, he could see she was quite badly injured, and he suspected she had been left for dead. Her abusers knowing the cold would finish off what they could not be bothered to do. No Woads or Saxons had done this…she was the victim of Romans. He knew a lot of them were retreating south; Rome was up to something….

She was almost naked, so he draped his cloak round her. There was something strange about her…she hadn't made a sound despite her obvious distress.

She was also a Sarmatian; and from his part too, judging by the tattoos. He looked at her left shoulder; there was the tattoo he expected to see…a cat's paw print. So she was of the Iazyges tribe, neighbours to his own.

She was shivering, but the movement was good – it meant she hadn't completely succumbed to the cold.

She was still feebly struggling, biting, scratching; he tried talking to her – but she was frantic. He gripped her face in his hands bringing it so she had to look at him. "I will not hurt you. You are Sarmatian?" He spoke in their own tongue, their local dialect…rusty, because it had been so long since he had used it, trying to prove what he said was true, but she seemed to understand him as she nodded; her eyes wide at meeting a fellow countryman.

"Then trust me, for so am I." he pointed to his tattoos. A frozen hand came up and rubbed one as if seeing if it would come off. When it didn't, she almost relaxed. "What is your name?"

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but again no sound came. "No matter…." He stooped and picked her up "You will come with me."

Ignoring her terrified look he swung her onto the saddle, making sure the cloak covered her. He rode back to Arthur.

"What have we got here?" asked his commander with a smile.

She had been placid all the way back, her eyes taking in everything, but she herself not moving at all. On seeing Arthur, blind terror crossed her face; she panicked and tried to run. Trying to will her frozen body and mind into obeying her need to flee.

Tristan easily caught her up; she only managed a few steps before collapsing. Enveloping her in his arms and picking her up, he muttered nothings to her; calming her as he did all frightened creatures.

Arthur was distressed to see the effect he had had on her. "What did I do?"

"Naught…it was that." Tristan gestured to his armour "It is Roman."

"Oh, I see…"

Dagonet went to take her out of his arms, but she would not let go – turning her head into his shoulder. The scout sighed "I'll take her Dag."

She would not even relinquish him whilst Dagonet examined her, retaining a tight grip on his hand. The larger knight could see it must hurt the scout; but the other merely ignored it, his face as passive as ever.

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"She is badly hurt…" He told the assembled knights outside the wagon a short while later.

"She has been badly beaten and raped. It is not the first time either…she has injuries that would have killed another, yet she is recovering already….almost as if her body is used to such treatment."

Angry glances were exchanged among the knights "I love the way your beloved Rome feels the need to defile all the women of this land, Arthur." Ground out Lancelot angrily.

"She is Sarmatian. She comes from my area, her tattoos bear that out. The only difference is she has another like a cat's paw print on her left shoulder. She is of the Iazyges tribe and I am of the Rhoxolani tribe; we are both situated near the Danube." Offered Tristan, quietly.

"I know the region; they are fierce fighters. They're saying is the same as yours is it not Tris; 'Born in a saddle, sword in hand – ready to battle for family and land'?" Gawain spoke.

"Aye."

"She was a slave; she has a marking on her thigh indicating her number." Dagonet cleared his throat "she has many scars on her back; she's been badly beaten in the past, but this time was the most savage. I think she may have tried to escape whilst they were going south."

"It would make sense; she would think this her best chance to slip away without being caught. A shame it did not work." agreed Arthur. "Can I see her?"

Dagonet looked doubtful. "I will lose this…" he pointed to his armour "I would not wish to distress the girl further."

The large knight sighed "It is not only that; she cannot speak, can she Tristan?"

The scout shook his head "Nay, I had wondered when she tried to scream and could not..."

"Injury?" Lancelot spoke.

"Nay, I can find no sign. I think it is shock."

"Shock? What would shock her to the point of being struck dumb?" Galahad entered the discussion.

"I don't know, but something so terrible it has scarred her mentally; judging by her abject fear generally, and of you in particular Arthur – I would say it is something at the hands of Romans."

"What to do?" Gawain asked.

"Make her comfortable and get her back to the fort as quickly as possible, I can do more for her there; the problem is she is only at ease with Tristan…"

All eyes turned to him. "But I scout; I cannot be in two places at once." He shook his head "I will speak with her."

He went into the wagon.

"She looked like a frightened little bird didn't she?" Galahad remarked; the others nodded.

Arthur breathed deeply; it angered him the barbaric lengths roman soldiers would go to for 'fun'.

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Tristan entered the wagon; saw her trying to fold herself into the corner, to make herself as small as possible – her arms up to protect herself……it was then he saw all the scars on her arms, knowing immediately they were defence wounds; he had to swallow hard to keep his anger down.

He gently touched her foot. "I have to speak to you…." she scooted forward as soon as she realised it was him, burying herself in his lap – finally relaxing. He sighed; this was going to be harder than he thought.