28 – Take Me Home To My Heart
Scouting around was her job and instead of riding behind she rode to the side of the caravan. Tristan was up ahead with Arthur and most of the other knights. Dagonet was in the wagon with young boy and the Woad.
Cara caught a glance at her as she was passing by and Cara looked back at the woman disgusted. She was the reason Cara wouldn't have a happily ever after. As soon as their eyes met Cara urged her horse forward. Tears stung her eyes and the whirling snow wasn't to blame. Her vision was clouded and she refused to let the tears fall.
Lancelot and Gawain saw Cara's head hanging low and they knew all too well what she was going through. Cara hadn't spoken to Arthur since he saved the girl from death and they didn't know if she would ever forgive him. Cara saw it as a betrayal and what made it worse was that her betrayer was one of her closest friends.
The dark, curly haired knight stopped for a second as he debated whether or not he should go speak with her and he finally decided against it. Cara needed time alone. He saw Arthur glance at the young girl that lay in the wagon. Annoyed with his best friends kindness he rode over to him.
"We're moving too slow. The girl's not going to make it and neither is the boy. The family we can protect, but we're wasting our time with all these people," he said angrily.
"We're not leaving them," Arthur said simply, dragging his eyes away from the snow capped mountains to look his friend in the eye. Lancelot drew in a sharp, angry breath.
"If the Saxons find us we will have to fight," he said, trying to make his best friend as well as his commander see the danger he was putting the knights in.
"Then save your anger for them," Arthur responded rather harshly. Understanding dawned in Lancelot's eyes.
"Is this Rome's quest? Or Arthur's?" he asked. He didn't wait for an answer. Instead he turned his horse away from Arthur and rode toward Cara, unknowing that she had heard the entire exchange. Cara knew he was still steaming when he rode up to her.
Cara didn't say a word and Lancelot wondered if she had gone back to her mute self after the attack from the Roman. "How are your ribs?" he asked, his voice calmer now. Cara looked up to meet his gaze and nodded that she was fine.
"Arthur didn't deserve that even if it is true," Cara said keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "He made his decision and it's too late to let these people go on their own." Lancelot knew she was right, but the thought of the advancing Saxons kept him on the edge. Cara heard a creaky sound and looked to see Arthur entering the wagon where the boy was held.
Lancelot didn't miss the scowl that appeared on her face. "The girl is not like the murderers that killed Gareth," Lancelot said softly. Hearing his name for the first time in a long time made her chest tighten. Her voice quavered a bit when she spoke.
"She's a Woad," Cara said bitterly. Lancelot sighed in annoyance. Cara's hatred and stubbornness was going to get her killed one day.
"She's still human and not even the worst of criminals deserve to die in that horrible place." Cara glared up at him and there was as much spite in her eyes as there was in her voice.
"She does." Lancelot looked at her shocked, but Cara didn't wait for him to respond. She urged Aidan into a gallop and headed further up the line away from everyone else. Lancelot had never known Cara to be so hateful in fact she was the most compassionate of the knights, but now he had seen just how bad her hatred for Woads really was.
Cara's eyes burned with unshed tears. How could Arthur betray her like that? Her vision clouded and she could feel her tears overflowing and making trails down her cheeks. She wiped them from her eyes quickly when she saw Arthur approaching.
"I'm sorry if I offended you," he said simply. Offend? He did more than offend. He betrayed her after all these years. Cara's quick temper was surfacing and poor Arthur would be on the receiving end. That was someplace none of the knights liked to be. It was worse than having a sword stuck through you.
"Offended me?" she asked, her voice laced with disdain. "No. You betrayed me. After all these years. After telling me that everything was going to be alright you stab me in the back and save one of them," her voice was growing increasingly louder as her temper rose.
"Cara, no one deserves to die that way. Not even the Woads." He had said practically the same thing Lancelot had said and in return Cara gave him the same answer.
"She does," she spat, kicking her horse into a faster gait, but Arthur caught her reins. The horse reared slightly at the abrupt halt. "Let go!" she ordered. He led her horse so they could walk and talk without her running off.
"Not until I'm finished." The knights watched their exchange. They were happy that she was talking again, but worried that her sharp tongue would get her into trouble. "What has she ever done to you?" he asked; his voice serious.
"She's a Woad!" Cara exclaimed without missing a beat. Arthur let her go in understanding. He had temporarily forgotten about Gareth. He instantly understood how deep her hate for Woads ran. It did not matter who they were. All that mattered was that Cara was still haunted by that fateful day and Arthur realized just how deeply he had betrayed her, even if it was the right thing to do.
"It was the right thing to do," Arthur explained calmly hoping that she would calm down as well. Her anger only escalated.
"The right thing to do?" she questioned disbelieving. "The right thing to do would be to get rid of her before I do," she spat disgusted. Arthur moved to say something, but Cara cut him off before he got a word out. "Her people killed him, Arthur!" she shouted, refusing to say his name. Arthur saw the tears that brimmed her eyes. "They killed one of our own. Why shouldn't we kill one of theirs? A life for a life," she supplied.
"Is that what this is about?" Arthur asked, taking his eyes off the trail to look at her. "Revenge?" he asked disbelieving. Cara didn't answer. "Cara, no good comes from vengeance," he said handing back her reins. She grabbed them from his hand, but he grabbed her arm. "It's time to let go," he said softly before pushing his horse into a canter and leaving Cara behind.
