A/N: so I hoped ya�ll enjoyed the previous chapter. :3 Now I�m off to do another since I lost pace last night. :3

Chapter Nineteen

Cuchulainn grunted and groaned in his sleep. He was uncomfortable on the pallet as he lay on it. It was quiet outside and he could hear his horses snort not far off. He groaned as he felt his chest for the wounds he had sustained, but found none. He hurt like hell, however.

He remembered the face of Ferdia when he had accused him of being a traitor. He looked so angry and hurt that Cuchulainn should assume the worst of him. Indeed, he had assumed too much. To think that blasted bitch of a queen would use Ferdia against him! Not only that, but she was doing this just to steal their prized bull for settling a score with her own husband!

He opened his eyes slightly and looked to the back of the tent. Laeg was not there where he had been sleeping since they started this stupid battle. Cuchulainn sighed and brought a hand to his mouth. He remembered something had happened while he was dying from his wounds. He could still taste her on his mouth; feel the soft locks of hair entangling his fingers. He could still smell her perfume on him. It had not been a dream, though it felt like one. It felt like the faery kiss he received on the battle field of Camelot. His lips still tingled as did every part of him that she had been pressed firmly against. Arturia Pendragon wasn�t as chilly as one might take her for, that was for certain, for he had coaxed the maiden out of her shell a little.

He didn�t want to fight anymore. He wanted to refuse anymore torment on the field, for he just didn�t have the heart to do it anymore. He had killed his best friend, a man who he called brother. Nothing could make that right, not even killing Maeve herself, though he did entertain the thought. He might as well have killed Emer for all the pleasure of doing that brought him. He couldn�t stand the thought of killing either Ferdia or Emer, for both he loved dearly.

He reached up to his ear and touched something odd on his ear. He took the earring out and eyed it. A simple silver cross on an enclosed hook had been on his ear in the place of the pair that he had bought from a trader coming through. He eyed the cross suspiciously before smirking deviously. So the little queen had liked his kiss enough to give him one of her earrings? He chuckled as he put it back on. He would enjoy keeping the trinket, for despite the connotations of the symbol, he enjoyed the idea of it coming off of her.

He recalled what little he could remember of the kiss they had shared. She had placed that sword and scabbard of hers on his chest and started feeding power into his body. When he had come to, he watched her as though she were some sort of faery. She always wore that hair of hers up in that bun that he wanted to see her with her hair down for once, for she always looked so stern. He remembered the adorable squeak she had made when he had kissed her. It had taken a great deal of effort to make her respond, but she did eventually and it was like kissing fire. He felt scorched and cold at the same time.

The sounds of men walking past alerted Cuchulainn. He frowned as he heard men talking and pulling out weapons as they went past toward the ford. He frowned more when he heard shouting and heard two forces clash. So the men of Ulster broke the spell cast upon them? He sighed and lay back against his pallet. He didn�t care anymore. He had done his share and now was his time to rest.

The shrieks of young boys snapped him to attention. He heard the wails of the boy corps as they fought and died. His whole body trembled as he brought a hand up to his mouth in revulsion. Did they honestly think they could fight off grown men!?

Laeg ran in and grabbed at Cuchulainn�s shoulders. �Get up! We need you, Cuchulainn!� he cried. �The boy corps went out and the men are being killed to the man as well! Please! Fight!�

Were the men still unable to fight up to par from breaking whatever curse had been laid on them? That the boy corps felt they needed to join caused Cuchulainn to grow numb. His friends, the boys he grew up with were still training in that boy corps along with the younger boys who were just learning how to grip a sword!

He shot to his feet and looked out. Though he didn�t want to fight, he couldn�t keep himself from moving. The horror he faced caused him to feel nauseated. Before him were boys and young men fighting their hardest and being slaughtered. Men of Ulster were in the mix as well, though they were further off. What he had heard going past the tent were the boys talking!

The blood of his old friends, of the boys who were learning to fight and the ones who were old enough to know the ways, all were being slaughtered en masse. Their blood showered everything before the pieces of their bodies fell to the ground, staining the grass red. The horror that Cuchulainn saw also made him angry.

His mind went numb; his body went numb as well. All he could see was blood before him and the people causing it. All he could feel was the thump of his heart in his ribcage. His body elongated, his teeth grew sharp and his ears grew long. His eyes grew wider and more lupine as his limbs stretched even longer than his body. As continued to grow, he advanced through the ford to the mess before his eyes. He ran and then joined the battle. Massive claws ripped flesh; large sharp teeth tore men�s arms off. He ripped and shredded all who were before him without a thought for who it was in front of him, for his mind was beyond that now.

Kill.

Kill.

KILL!

They moved silently along the edge of the ford until they came to a view of the most gruesome sight Arturia had ever seen. Young boys and young men were slaughtered all. In the middle of the mess were Connacht soldiers and a giant creature that Arturia could only describe as dog-like. She had seen it only once before and it had come at her and Gilgamesh while they dueled. It was Cuchulainn�s war spasm.

Arturia grabbed Excalibur from her belt and ran down into the battle. Bedivere and Gawain shouted at her, though she couldn�t hear them. Gawain and Bedivere, seeing their queen run in without a care for herself, ran in after her, Emiya close behind with Kansho and Bakuya in his hands.

The mess seemed to open up and accept the newcomers, the monster that was Cuchulainn ripping apart men and tossing them aside like they were dolls. Arturia swung her sword and sliced men apart as she joined the battle. However, when she reached Cuchulainn�s side, she was picked up as well, as though he had mistaken her for one of the Connacht men.

Arturia looked at the bright, glowing red eyes of the beast as he held her up. It leaned forward to take a bite of her, but sniffed at her instead, its elongated snout moving along her neck and armor clad breast. She felt his tongue slide across what skin was exposed, wanting desperately to get away. She kicked him on the jaw and fell to the ground as he wailed in fury.

An arrow shot right into the beast�s shoulder. Arturia turned to see Emiya with bow strung and ready to fire again. �NO! EMIYA! DON�T SHOOT HIM!� she called.

Emiya blinked and frowned, bringing his bow down slightly before bringing it up again and shooting at a man coming at Bedivere from behind. Bedivere saw the man fall back with an arrow in his eye and looked to Emiya. For the first time, Bedivere appreciated the boy�s combat skills.

The sound of a bull being shoved off alerted Arturia. Maeve was retreating with the bull, leaving her men to fight while she got away. The men started retreating as well when they saw Maeve moving off quickly. She ran after them beside Gawain as the beast headed straight for the men moving away.

She looked to Gawain and nodded. �Toss me up to his shoulder! I need to get it out!�

Gawain laughed. �This might be the only time I get permission to toss you!� Then, he picked her up by her waist and threw her up onto Cuchulainn�s back. She latched onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Cuchulainn roared and tried to pry her off, hitting her and clawing at her. She reached for the arrow and grabbed it; pulling it out with some difficulty. He roared again when she pulled it free from his shoulder and grabbed her. He threw her and snarled as he groped his bleeding shoulder. Arturia hit a tree and slid down. She stood slowly and groaned as she felt Avalon healing her ribs.

They chased after Cuchulainn for nearly a mile before they found him on the ground, exhausted from the war spasm and loss of blood. Gawain picked him up and looked to Laeg as he drove the chariot over to them. The men of Ulster were running past them as they went after Connacht�s forces. Cuchulainn, hero of Ulster, had fought well and now they too would fight just as bravely.

Arturia watched the men as they ran past, watched them smile as they passed her and Cuchulainn. She wondered how many of them remembered her before she remembered that Cuchulainn needed attention. She pulled Avalon off her belt and put Excalibur into it before once more placing it on Cuchulainn�s chest and feeding power into it. He didn�t stir like he had the last time. He seemed to simply accept the help and did nothing but let the scabbard do what it was meant to do.

When it was done, she took Avalon off of his chest and leaned over him. �Are you feeling better now, Cuchulainn?� she asked.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her, his eyes glazed from exhaustion. He smiled faintly and reached up, his fingers just touching her hair before they fell back to his chest. �Little faery queen,� he mumbled and then passed out.

Arturia frowned and looked to Laeg. �What will you do now?�

�Take him back home, to where he belongs. He can�t do anything more for Ulster right now the way he is. He�ll sleep for a very long time before he�ll be recovered, I think, for it was his friend he had killed on that field and those were his comrades that were slaughtered before his eyes. He�ll not want to do anything for a while except be with a woman,� said Laeg, smiling faintly.

Arturia�s cheeks heated at the memory of Cuchulainn�s lips against hers, his hands pulling her ever tighter against his body, as though she couldn�t be close enough to him. She wondered if he was that way with all his women.

Bedivere snorted and put his axe on his shoulder. �I bet any woman would satisfy him,� he muttered.

Laeg eyed Bedivere coolly and smirked. �Actually, Cuchulainn�s very particular about the woman he takes to bed with him. They have to be bold or have a spark in their soul, as he likes to put it. It draws him in like a flame and he can�t help but touch it. But, the flame bends to his will once he does instead of burning him.�

Gawain grinned. �A man after my own heart,� he laughed. �Come, little cousin, let us be off before this brings us more into their conflict. After all, you had only wanted to see to his welfare.�

Laeg eyed Arturia. �See to his welfare? How do you know him, miss?�

Arturia blushed and looked away. �Nothing of import. I simply heard that the hound of Ulster was fighting alone and wished to see if he were all right.�

Laeg smirked and nodded. �I see. Farewell, then, miss. I bid you a safe journey home to Briton.�

Arturia nodded and turned. Emiya came up with the horses, grinning slightly at his accomplishment. �I did it! I got to ride like you do!�

Arturia got onto her horse and turned it around. �Thank you, Emiya. Let us leave. Bedivere! Gawain! Come!�

Gawain shook his head and swung up into his saddle. �She�s embarrassed, mate, don�t let �er get to you.�

Laeg chuckled. �I�ve heard worse, believe me.�

�GAWAIN!�

�Coming AUNTY,� said Gawain, laughing as he nudged his horse after Arturia. Bedivere took one last look at Cuchulainn laying on his chariot before galloping after his queen and his fellow knight.

When they reached Camelot, Agravaine greeted her with a snort and Gaheris grinned at her. Merlin told her of the goings on of Camelot while she had been away and she sat down for the long discussion. Gawain told his brothers of their battle against Connacht, of Arturia going to see to Cuchulainn�s wounds and of the way Cuchulainn fought while in his berserker rage.

However, Emiya stayed out of the whole thing, staying away on the outside. He watched Arturia with the satisfaction that he had done well in the fight, though he had barely done anything. He had hit Cuchulainn and that brought him a rather nice feeling. Then, he heard it; people whispering in the hall.

He moved to the shadows and listened carefully.

�She�s impulsive and conniving and scheming!�

�I know, but we have to endure her, because she is queen,� said another voice.

�Best be quiet about it. I hear that weird looking fellow she keeps as a pet is her eyes and ears and that he has been sneaking around gathering information for her.�

�All right. Let�s leave and forget this even ever occurred for now.�

Emiya moved to see who it was that had been talking and frowned when he didn�t see anyone. They must have moved off quicker than he could to look around the corner. He moved back and looked back at Arturia talking to Merlin. He was her eyes and ears because she asked it of him.

With that, he moved away from the wall and went into the kitchen to cook.