Thanks to all my reviewers:
Babaksmiles: That's kind of how I'm leaning. But I think you'll be surprised at Derek's reaction to Sarah being alive. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Lady11Occult: Yeah, she can be stubborn, just like the real Sarah I know! And heartbreak is no stranger either. She'll survive, she's strong (and she will have Gawain to help her!) Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Devonshirelass: Yeah, the arrow was horrible. I wanted him to be hurt, but not really dying so I gave the arrow a really dangerous tip. You know, writer's license and all! Glad you like it. And Arthur is following Lancelot's lead in this by giving the two a chance to bond. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
LANCELOTTRISTANBABY: Is this soon enough? I'll try to go faster next time, but I had to catch up on all the terrific stories the rest of you are writing first. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Disclaimer: This is the last chapter I'm going to spend time putting this at the beginning! I don't own any of this and everybody knows it! This is strictly for fun (and my own fantasies) so please don't bother trying to sue. You wouldn't get much anyway! Now on with the story…
Sarah stepped to the side of the bed, "Would you like a drink of water or something to eat?" He wanted to tell her all he wanted was to look at her, but knew she would not appreciate the sentiment. "A little water perhaps. I don't think my stomach is awake enough for food just yet." He gave a small laugh, which brought a moan from jarring his shoulder. When he moaned, Sarah rushed to his side. "Is the pain worse?" She asked.
"No, I just forget that it hurts to move. It'll be fine in a moment." He smiled to show his words were true. He watched as she went back to the table and brought the cup of water to him. He reached for it and she pulled it back, "No, I will hold it. You might spill it." She laughed and he was mesmerized by the sound. He raised his head and she placed her hand on his neck for support. She held the cup to his lips and he took a sip. When he saw her offer another, he shook his head slightly. "No, thank you, I just wanted to wet my mouth. It was hard to speak with it so dry." He watched her take the cup back to the table and noticed that she was wearing the green dress without all the extra padding she had worn before.
"I see you find it unnecessary to wear extra clothes now, I'm glad, they are not needed. You are safe from unwanted advances here." He saw the slight blush that came to her cheeks and smiled. She placed her hand on his forehead, "You have no fever, so that must mean you haven't contracted an infection. That is good news."
Sarah fussed over him to cover the embarrassment she felt at his words. Then deciding it would be best to be honest with him, "I saw no need in wearing those clothes since you all saw me dressed otherwise on the trail. But, I'm still not interested in the flirtations of the men of this fort." She didn't mean for her voice to be so harsh, but she wanted him to understand. She softened her words when she continued, "As soon as you are healed, I will return to my home, to my betrothed."
He heard the way her voice changed with the words and how she emphasized the word betrothed. "Is that why you covered your beauty? Any man who forced his affection once he was told you were to be married would be dealt with as he should be. I would have personally seen to it." He didn't like having to say it, but he did not want to cause her any discomfort, for she would leave and possibly never come back.
"Is that why you kissed me when I told you I didn't wish it? The question was asked in a whisper. Her boldness surprised him, "I apologize for that day, Sarah, but in my defense, I did not know then that you were betrothed to another." He saw her face relax and felt the necessity to add, "Also, in my defense, I could not help myself. You looked so vulnerable that day, I only meant to show you that I would be your friend and when I saw the sadness in your eyes, it seemed the right thing to do."
"So, it was a kiss of pity for a girl that had no friends, who was alone and you thought her lonely? Nothing more?" Her words confused him. She said she didn't want unwanted attention, then she seemed upset because she thought he wasn't interested in her. "No, Sarah, I did not kiss you for pity. I kissed you because I found you irresistible. I am not so big a man that I would kiss a girl, a woman, out of pity. Even I must desire her to go so far." He hesitated for only a moment, then added, "I know you think little of me and my brothers for our ways, but we are not what we appear to be. Someday, when I am healed I will tell you about us, but not tonight. I'm tired and would like to sleep."
She saw him settle back down and close his eyes. She moved to sit on the chair and he opened his eyes, "You do not have to stay. I will be fine. Thank you for staying as you did, but it is no longer necessary." He then closed his eyes and she felt out of place sitting next to him as he slept. She slowly got up and walked to the door. She looked back before she opened the door, but his eyes stayed closed, so she left the room and headed toward her own.
She had meant to clear the air between them when she asked about the kiss, but all she felt she had done was put a wall between them. He thought she despised him for his ways. Which in all honesty, she once did. But not now. She had seen how they had treated her when they saved her from the Woads. They were brave and they fought hard in battle. They never hesitated when the Woads attacked. They rode headlong into the fray without regard for their own lives, as Gawain's wound proved.
Until her rescue all she had ever seen of them was in the tavern, drinking and chasing the wenches. She had the impression that they thought a great deal of themselves with little regard for the people they came into contact with. She knew now that was not the case. These thoughts followed her as she walked across the courtyard. She really didn't want to face the crowd at the tavern just yet so she walked to the top of the wall. She stood there looking at the countryside, lost in her thoughts.
Tristan was standing on the wall scanning the horizon for any signs of trouble. The Woads had been attacking Roman villages close to the wall and he worried that they would become brave enough to attack the fort itself. He saw Sarah climb the stairs to the battlement and lean over the turret to gaze across the countryside. He watched her for a couple of minutes, then decided to go talk to her.
When Tristan stepped up beside her, she did not acknowledge his presence. "Lady, is Gawain not fairing well?" He saw her jump when he spoke, "I'm sorry, I did not mean to startle you." She saw that it was the knight who had fought the Woads until the others arrived. "No, he's doing fine. And you didn't really startle me, I just didn't expect anyone to be up here. Did I disturb you?"
Tristan regarded her for a moment, "No, Lady. I was just looking out as you are." Dag said that his wound had stopped bleeding finally and that he was resting." He saw the confused look at Dag's name. "Dag is short for Dagonet. It gets cumbersome calling each other by our full names sometimes, so over the years we've shortened some of them." He shrugged to show it was no big deal, and saw her nod. "I'm sorry, Sir, I don't remember your name. When the Woads attacked, it just escaped my mind. Forgive me."
"Think nothing of it. My name is Tristan." He heard her repeat his name in a whisper and cocked his head questioningly. "I find it easier to remember something when I repeat it, otherwise I'll be asking your name each time we speak. It is a weakness of mine, remembering names. I remember faces, but names just won't stick unless I do the little trick." She smiled and he saw that Gawain was indeed right, she was prettier than any of them had believed. He could understand how the man had gotten caught up in her affairs.
"Arthur says you are still going home, even though he explained how the Saxons conduct themselves in battle. Do you think it wise?" He watched her as she turned back toward the countryside, "It is something I must do. How will I ever know for certain if I have anyone left if I stay here? They probably think I perished in the attack, I have been gone for almost six months as it is." He understood her desire to know, but felt compelled to point out, "Do you think they would have searched for you if they were alive?" He knew the question sounded harsh, even to his own ears.
"If they knew where to look, yes. But I am a long way from home and I doubt they would think to look this far south. I still wonder how I came to be so far. It took me almost two months to make it and I'll admit I wasn't in the greatest shape when I arrived." She gave a rueful laugh before she finished, "I still had on the clothes that I left home in and I only bathed a few times because I was afraid to stop long enough. I think I probably wandered around aimlessly for quite a while. I had never been very far from the village and I kept getting lost." She sounded ashamed of the fact that she wasn't a very good traveler and was rather ignorant of how to get along on her own.
"Lady, I think you did pretty well. Two months alone traveling through Britain is not easy for a seasoned traveler. You survived, that is all that should matter to anyone." He rarely complimented anyone, but his words were true, she had done well just to survive. "Well, Lady, I am going to return to the tavern. Enjoy your solitude and I will see you again." He bowed slightly and turned to leave. "Thank you, Sir Tristan. Sometimes it helps just to talk to someone without feeling that you have to explain your every move." He nodded and left the wall. She was different than he had first thought. Maybe she just needed to feel that someone was on her side. Shrugging, he headed toward the tavern.
Sarah spent a while longer enjoying the fresh air and scenery, then she headed toward the tavern to help Vanora clean up after the evening crowd. When she got there, she found that all but the knights and one or two soldiers were gone. The serving girls were beginning the cleaning ritual and she stepped in and started to help. She had only scrubbed a couple of tables when Vanora came up to her, "Sarah, you didn't have to come back, Dag told me you were sitting with Gawain. Now go ahead and get some rest. You can come back in the morning and work for awhile before you go back to take care of him."
She started to tell her that she wouldn't be sitting with him anymore. She would just stop by and check on him from time to time, but Vanora was steadily pushing her toward her room. She finally relented and just went to rest. It had been a long day after all. She quickly undressed and put on her night shift and climbed into her bed. She thought she would lay awake thinking about everything she had been told, but it wasn't long before she had drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.