(Hey guys, what's the problem, do you all hate me or something? I know I
haven't written in a REALLY long time, but you guys are allowed to review,
ya know. Well, here's another chapter, maybe some people will feel like
commenting?)
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The group were on the move again by midmorning, and nobody had said anything further about the situation from the bedroom. Infact, Wat, Geoff and Roland seemed to have forgotten the whole matter entirely. But neither Will nor Kate had. They hadn't spoken to each other since that morning, and were doing a good job at avoiding one another, as if it would make the awkwardness disappear somehow.
They made good time that day, as they were all anxious to make it to Dieppe. Will was looking forward to seeing Jocelyn again, and ridding himself of the inner guilt he was carrying, though he still didn't understand where it came from. Everyone else was eager to stay in the castle of Jocelyn's father, where they could have feather beds and exquisite meals each night. Kate was mostly looking forward to setting up her equipment somewhere and getting back to work. Whenever she had a lot on her mind, she loved to immerse herself in her craft. She enjoyed the simplicity and the art of it all. But mostly she liked the privacy. It was her place, and she could be alone for hours on end, whenever she wanted. The men knew this, and hardly ever interrupted her in her smithy.
The trail was ridden mostly in silence, save for a few rounds of singing from the men. Any requests made to Kate were adamantly refused, and she wasn't pressured anymore. She was quiet that day, walking as she brought up the rear. Will led them, and he too seemed lost in thought for most of the afternoon.
It was dusk when they finally settled down for the night in a camp they quickly put together in a ways from the road. When everyone had eaten their fill, they all stretched out around the crackling fire with a mug of mead each. They talked for a while, mostly about the glorious food they would be fed in the castle, before Kate excused herself quietly and headed off to bed. She preferred to sleep in the straw filled wagon along with her tools, than with the men by the fire. Will watched her retreat into the shadows and the frustration in him wouldn't let him sit idly any longer. Kate had not spoken a word to him all day, and it was eating him up inside. He felt like he had done something wrong, but he couldn't, in blazes, figure out what. Roughly, he ran his hand through his blond curls and stood to follow her.
"Where are you off to?" Geoff questioned him.
"I, uh, need to speak to Kate for a minute. About, um, my armour. I'll only be a moment." Then he followed her out of the light of the campsite.
"That was odd," Geoff commented. Roland nodded in agreement, while Wat seemed oblivious to the whole scene.
Will caught up with Kate some distance away. Before he had a chance to think about why he had lied to Geoff, he called out her name.
"Kate," she turned at the sound f his soft voice, and was surprised to see Will standing a few yards away. "May I speak with you for a moment?"
His formality was slightly alarming to Kate; he always spoke so amiably and with such ease to his friends. But she nodded her head and he stepped closer.
He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly got a better look at Kate and couldn't find what it was he meant to say. In the full moon's light he clearly saw her dark eyes shinning back at him, patiently, expectantly. Their darkness was striking against her soft pale skin, and he felt the urge to reach up and touch her cheek. Resisting the temptation, though, he shook his head trying to find his words. She gave him a quizzical look.
"I, uh, wanted to apologize again, for this morning." At first, Kate imagined he was sorry for what he had said, and then she realized that was not what he meant. "I can imagine that must have been a shocking way to be woken. Not to mention a little painful too?" he gave her an apologetic smile.
But at that moment Kate wasn't in a very pardoning mood. She had forgiven Will for letting her fall off the bed, but there was something else she didn't want to forgive him for just yet. Something he hadn't even apologized for.
"I'm all right, thank you." With that Kate turned to leave. But Will's hand was on her arm before she could take a step, turning her back to face him.
"Kate, are you angry with me? I have the feeling I've done something to hurt you."
"I'm just tired, is all, and I'd like to go to sleep now."
"You know you can talk to me, right? You can tell me anything."
Kate closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side. "No William, there is nothing wrong," she said quietly. The movement of her head caused her dark tresses to sway around her face. Again, Will was struck by her beauty, and was about to raise his hand to run it through her hair when she opened her eyes.
"We're still friends, then?" he asked almost desperately.
Her reply held a sadness, a defeat, that tugged at his heart. "Yes, Will, we will always be friends."
"Alright, well then goodnight." He leaned forward then and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before giving her a smile. Then he turned and made his way back to the campsite.
Kate stood for a moment in the moonlight, surrounded by tall trees. She could hear the men laughing and joking around the fire, all oblivious to the sharp pain she could feel somewhere in her chest. She fought to control her emotions. Tears threatened to pour down, but Kate refused to cry any longer for the man she couldn't have. When she turned to walk back to the wagon, then and there she made a decision. It would do her no good to continue travelling with Will and the others. In the end, it only caused her more pain than she could handle. She had thought she could get past this deep caring for William and move on, but when she saw him everyday, it was damned near impossible. She only grew to care for him more. When they reached Dieppe, Will would be reunited with Jocelyn, and everyone would be so happy and busy with the tournament that no one would mind if she left. She could say a quick good-bye, then be across the channel, into England and on her way home, to Scotland.
When she settled down upon the straw she finally let the sobs escape. It would be difficult, she knew, leaving her friends. She had never known it to be so hard doing the right thing.
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The group were on the move again by midmorning, and nobody had said anything further about the situation from the bedroom. Infact, Wat, Geoff and Roland seemed to have forgotten the whole matter entirely. But neither Will nor Kate had. They hadn't spoken to each other since that morning, and were doing a good job at avoiding one another, as if it would make the awkwardness disappear somehow.
They made good time that day, as they were all anxious to make it to Dieppe. Will was looking forward to seeing Jocelyn again, and ridding himself of the inner guilt he was carrying, though he still didn't understand where it came from. Everyone else was eager to stay in the castle of Jocelyn's father, where they could have feather beds and exquisite meals each night. Kate was mostly looking forward to setting up her equipment somewhere and getting back to work. Whenever she had a lot on her mind, she loved to immerse herself in her craft. She enjoyed the simplicity and the art of it all. But mostly she liked the privacy. It was her place, and she could be alone for hours on end, whenever she wanted. The men knew this, and hardly ever interrupted her in her smithy.
The trail was ridden mostly in silence, save for a few rounds of singing from the men. Any requests made to Kate were adamantly refused, and she wasn't pressured anymore. She was quiet that day, walking as she brought up the rear. Will led them, and he too seemed lost in thought for most of the afternoon.
It was dusk when they finally settled down for the night in a camp they quickly put together in a ways from the road. When everyone had eaten their fill, they all stretched out around the crackling fire with a mug of mead each. They talked for a while, mostly about the glorious food they would be fed in the castle, before Kate excused herself quietly and headed off to bed. She preferred to sleep in the straw filled wagon along with her tools, than with the men by the fire. Will watched her retreat into the shadows and the frustration in him wouldn't let him sit idly any longer. Kate had not spoken a word to him all day, and it was eating him up inside. He felt like he had done something wrong, but he couldn't, in blazes, figure out what. Roughly, he ran his hand through his blond curls and stood to follow her.
"Where are you off to?" Geoff questioned him.
"I, uh, need to speak to Kate for a minute. About, um, my armour. I'll only be a moment." Then he followed her out of the light of the campsite.
"That was odd," Geoff commented. Roland nodded in agreement, while Wat seemed oblivious to the whole scene.
Will caught up with Kate some distance away. Before he had a chance to think about why he had lied to Geoff, he called out her name.
"Kate," she turned at the sound f his soft voice, and was surprised to see Will standing a few yards away. "May I speak with you for a moment?"
His formality was slightly alarming to Kate; he always spoke so amiably and with such ease to his friends. But she nodded her head and he stepped closer.
He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly got a better look at Kate and couldn't find what it was he meant to say. In the full moon's light he clearly saw her dark eyes shinning back at him, patiently, expectantly. Their darkness was striking against her soft pale skin, and he felt the urge to reach up and touch her cheek. Resisting the temptation, though, he shook his head trying to find his words. She gave him a quizzical look.
"I, uh, wanted to apologize again, for this morning." At first, Kate imagined he was sorry for what he had said, and then she realized that was not what he meant. "I can imagine that must have been a shocking way to be woken. Not to mention a little painful too?" he gave her an apologetic smile.
But at that moment Kate wasn't in a very pardoning mood. She had forgiven Will for letting her fall off the bed, but there was something else she didn't want to forgive him for just yet. Something he hadn't even apologized for.
"I'm all right, thank you." With that Kate turned to leave. But Will's hand was on her arm before she could take a step, turning her back to face him.
"Kate, are you angry with me? I have the feeling I've done something to hurt you."
"I'm just tired, is all, and I'd like to go to sleep now."
"You know you can talk to me, right? You can tell me anything."
Kate closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side. "No William, there is nothing wrong," she said quietly. The movement of her head caused her dark tresses to sway around her face. Again, Will was struck by her beauty, and was about to raise his hand to run it through her hair when she opened her eyes.
"We're still friends, then?" he asked almost desperately.
Her reply held a sadness, a defeat, that tugged at his heart. "Yes, Will, we will always be friends."
"Alright, well then goodnight." He leaned forward then and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before giving her a smile. Then he turned and made his way back to the campsite.
Kate stood for a moment in the moonlight, surrounded by tall trees. She could hear the men laughing and joking around the fire, all oblivious to the sharp pain she could feel somewhere in her chest. She fought to control her emotions. Tears threatened to pour down, but Kate refused to cry any longer for the man she couldn't have. When she turned to walk back to the wagon, then and there she made a decision. It would do her no good to continue travelling with Will and the others. In the end, it only caused her more pain than she could handle. She had thought she could get past this deep caring for William and move on, but when she saw him everyday, it was damned near impossible. She only grew to care for him more. When they reached Dieppe, Will would be reunited with Jocelyn, and everyone would be so happy and busy with the tournament that no one would mind if she left. She could say a quick good-bye, then be across the channel, into England and on her way home, to Scotland.
When she settled down upon the straw she finally let the sobs escape. It would be difficult, she knew, leaving her friends. She had never known it to be so hard doing the right thing.