Tristan rode at the back of the group with his head slightly bowed seemingly looking at his horse's ears. He wasn't really, he was looking back to the conversation he'd just had. He couldn't help but think about what Dagonet had said. He didn't think there existed such a thing as an unsolvable puzzle and he knew the answer to this puzzle lay in Dagonet's words. He just had to dig it out.
Looking up he saw Dagonet riding a little behind Bors but not enough so that it was noticeable to his friend. Tristan began to mentally tally what he'd learned from Dag. One, he loved Vanora. Two, he loved his friend and lifelong comrade. Three, he couldn't have both. Four, he couldn't choose either. "Damn, what a mess", thought the scout. Clearing his head with a small shake, he began to look around. It was his duty after all. He'd have to decipher this dilemma another time when their lives might not be in danger.
Bors was trying to talk to Dagonet and was a little annoyed that he had to turn his head so far back. "Dag, get up here before you make me break my neck trying to talk to you." He yelled in his usual commanding tone. He was just about to turn around and repeat his order when Dag came up beside him. "Yeah, Bors, what do you want?" Bors, looked at his friend with his eyebrows knitted together. It wasn't like Dag to sound so distant. But then he had been a little different the past few days. It was probably just all the talk of freedom that had him so preoccupied.
"You still planning on staying at the Wall when we get our papers?" He asked. "You know with the Romans pulling out we'll be the closest thing to the Lord of the land that these people will ever see." He paused a moment and then continued, "Who knows, maybe you could settle down with one of those ladies I see giving you the eye."
Dagonet looked at his friend and was almost angry that he was so dense. How could he not see the love in Dag's eyes when Vanora was around? Dag thought his heart would burst and worried that someone besides Tristan would figure it out just by looking at him.
"I don't know, yeah, …probably." He stammered. He wanted to tell Bors that he wanted to get as far away from him and Vanora as he could, but deep down he knew he would never be able to. There was no way he could live and never see her beautiful face again! He looked at Bors and saw a look of concern in his eyes. He hated worrying his friend, but the last few days had been especially hard for him to hold his thoughts inside.
Dagonet felt time moving past him, seemingly faster than usual. It was like the headsman was holding an axe over his neck and unless he did something it would fall at any time, ending his life. He didn't like this feeling and how it made him react. He was usually a patient man. He had waited 15 years for freedom and he had thought if he made it alive, he could win Vanora's love in the end. Now his patience was running thin. Time was no longer his friend.
"I don't know, Bors. Sometimes I think of going back home just to see what things are like now. But even if I do, I'll be back." Bors watched him for a second, nodded his acceptance, and started rambling about other subjects. Giving a relieved sigh, Dag pretended to listen and grunted in what he hoped was all the right places.
Bors wanted to tell Dagonet that he knew of his love for Vanora. But he didn't want to do anything to ruin their friendship. So far the man hadn't done anything other than moon over her and Bors understood all too well why a man would do that. She was the most wonderful woman he had ever been around, after his own mother of course. He wanted Dagonet to be as happy as he was, but not with his woman. It was time to put a bug in some of the wench's ears again and arrange for Dag to be occupied with someone for a while. That usually worked. Who could tell, maybe one of these times something would come from it.
They reached the fort and rode in to a hero's welcome. Bors looked around and spotted his kids. That meant Vanora was close by. He glanced at Dagonet and saw him looking around the crowd. He knew exactly where Vanora was when Dagonet's eyes lit up. He followed his friend's gaze and saw her. She had a smile on her face and something that looked like relief. He felt guilty that she worried. He tried to explain that he would be all right but she would just have to accept that some day he might not be sitting his horse when they returned. That usually just made her angry. Not that he minded her anger. There were lots of ways to work anger out of your system.