Title: Visions of Death

Author: Shannon Vega

Rating and warnings: M due to sex, torture, death and adult themes.

Summary and/or pairing: An Irish seer sent to aid Merlin is locked with Gueneviere in Marius's dungeon. Will her visions help or hinder the Knights and can she change their fates? Lancelot/Fulcina, Dagonet/OFC, Arthur/Gueneviere, Bors/Vanora

Feedback: By all that is holy, please send me feedback. Either through this site or through email at Disclaimer: I own nothing save characters not appearing in King Arthur. This story is not meant to insult, impugn the dignity of, or otherwise cause difficulty for the reader. Flames will be used to heat my house, constructive comments will be welcomed and used to improve the story.

Author's Notes: I hope you enjoy this story.

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VISIONS OF DEATH

Chapter One: Rescue

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Brigid let her forehead fall against the damp stone walls of the cell, wondering why the Goddess had given her Sight but never the ability to foresee her own fate. No, she thought, my Gift, as it is called, is only good for others.

The visions came back unbidden. A wintry pass, an icy lake, a handsome giant breaking the ice with an axe and plunging into the icy water after crossbow bolts had pierced his leg, shoulder and chest. A fierce army of Saxon warriors falling through the ice as well. She moaned and slammed her forehead against the stone, praying for unconsciousness. But not before the second came screaming before her eyes. A slim man more of sinew and muscle than bulk being toyed with by a monstrous giant with blonde hair. The stab wounds and the final blow, blood streaming from every bit of his body. A hawk screaming above the smoke and blood. She squeezed her eyes shut, nails digging into her own palms. And, finally, the third. Black curls and two swords. He found a small man with a braided beard. Turning to other warriors, the man he had fought grabbed a crossbow and sent a bolt into his chest. She let a moan escape as the visions ended.

"Brigid?" whispered Gueneviere, hearing the dull thud against the wall of the cell they shared. "A vision?"

Brigid nodded then realized that the darkness eliminated Gueneviere seeing her. "Yes, Gueneviere. Visions that makes no sense about men I have never seen." She moved across the cold stone so that she sat next to the Woad woman. "I am truly sorry, Gueneviere. Were my Gift actually of use, I might have foreseen that Marius would capture us." The sarcasm and anger were clear, despite the fact that Brigid's voice, like Gueneviere's was roughened from dehydration and screaming from torture.

Gueneviere sighed and shook her head. "You could not have known, Brigid. And you are more than your Gift." She reached for the older woman with her bound hands and draped her arms around Brigid's neck. "Merlin shall rescue us, Brigid."

Brigid shivered and nodded against Gueneviere. "Of course he shall," she whispered. She didn't trust herself to speak any more. She didn't have the heart to tell the Woad that they would likely perish like the others in the dungeon.

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The sound of the door being broken in woke Gueneviere. She nudged Brigid, waking the Hibernian. "Wake, Brigid. Something is happening."

Brigid blinked groggily. "What is it, Gueneviere? I was having a lovely dream."

Gueneviere laid her fingers over Brigid's mouth, silencing her. "Someone has broken into our prison."

Torches danced in the hallway. The sound of steel being unsheathed, the sound of men's footsteps.

"Gawain," came a distant voice. Brigid moved closer to the iron gate that held them within their oubliette. She looked at Gueneviere, for the first time in days able to see the woman who shared her fate.

"They do not sound Roman," she whispered.

Gueneviere shook her head and motioned for them to listen..

"By the smell, they are all dead. " The voice paused. "And you…You even move, you join him."

Gueneviere smiled. How she wished she could look at the priest's face.

"ARTHUR!" shouted a strong voice. Brigid shuddered--it was the voice from her vision!

"Gods above, is it he?" she whispered, crawling to the grate.

Gueneviere looked at the seer sent by the druids to aid Merlin in defeating the Saxons. "Who, Brigid?"

Brigid shook her head, trying to listen harder.

"You must not fear me," came the same voice and Brigid heard the Woad boy, Lucan, whimper.

Suddenly the torches were at the gate that she and Gueneviere peered out of and Brigid reared back, the flames blinding her as she scurried deeper into the oubliette.

A man was peering in, horror in his eyes as he spotted Gueneviere. Oh, that he should see her fit and beautiful, thought Brigid. Another man looked down, his own eyes mirroring that of his friend. He spotted Brigid and took the torch handed to him by his friend.

The clang of metal on metal filled the small cell and suddenly the gate fell open. Then Arthur was reaching for Gueneviere. Brigid scrambled forward, trying to g et to her friend. "No!" she croaked, grabbing at the tattered clothing of Gueneviere. "Leave her! She's guilty of no crime!" she whispered as she fell onto the stones, every inch of her body crying out in agony.

Suddenly hands lifted her from the ground and she was being carried from the dungeon. "No," she whimpered, now sure that she was again to be tortured. "Not again." Suddenly she was lying on the snow and she dared to open her eyes. Above her crouched a handsome man with dark curls. She smiled and whispered, "Dathúil." She let her eyes roam, taking in her new surroundings, grey eyes still too sensitive for the dim British light. She looked to her left to find Gueneviere in the arms of a---Roman? She started to push herself up, only to be restrained by the man who held her.

"Calm, lady. You are safe," offered Lancelot, his brown eyes darkening.

Brigid watched Gueneviere worriedly. Her friend was fingering the Roman's cloak as she looked up at him.

"I'm a Roman officer. You're safe now. You're safe," he announced to Gueneviere.

Brigid stiffened. A Roman officer? She looked back up at the man who held her, eyes narrowing. Was it…she gasped and reared back from the knight holding her…it was him! She crawled backwards, attempting to flee the knight whose death she had seen. She looked frantically around. The gentle giant with the axe was tending Lucan. A whimper left her lips as she looked up and found the third, the lean man with the wicked blade, staring down at her with the tattoos upon his cheekbones. "Sweet Goddess, what is this evil?" she whispered to herself.

Meanwhile, Arthur ordered the priests walled back up with their victims.

"Brigid?" whispered Gueneviere as Arthur helped her to her feet, suddenly realizing that the Irishwoman was shaking. She leant down to her, eyes meeting Brigid's. "Come, lady, we have been rescued." She gave her hand to Brigid, carefully lifting her with the hand without the dislocated fingers.

Brigid nodded and let herself be lifted by the taller woman. "By walking dead men," she breathed.

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Translations:

dathúil: handsome