Tristan woke early the next morning: in the grey pre-dawn light when men speak in hushed voices and move quietly. Alennia was already awake, and she smiled shyly at him when she saw him open his eyes.

She was wearing her now dry dress, with her hair plaited demurely back, and she was relighting the fire. Tristan smiled back at her, stretched and yawned before standing up.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked as he went to see his horse at the back of the cave.

"Yes. It was better than freezing," Alennia commented teasingly.

"I'm glad you thought so, my lady," he replied, turning to her with a twinkle in his eyes.

An hour later, Tristan led his horse out of the cave, followed by Alennia. He stopped and bent to check the girth as Alennia gazed about. The morning after the storm had dawned bright and fresh, and the sun warmed Alennia's upturned face.

"Will you ride my lady?" Tristan asked out of courtesy.

Alennia looked at him quickly, and when she spoke it was in a guilty voice. "I don't know how," she admitted.

"You can't ride?" Tristan asked in amazement.

Alennia shook her head and laughed nervously. "I'm scared of horses."

Tristan raised one eyebrow. "She won't hurt you," he said, indicating the docile grey mare beside him.

"She might," Alennia said doubtfully.

Tristan laughed and swung up into the saddle. Alennia was momentarily thankful that he was not going to make her ride, but the next things she knew his arm had wrapped itself around her and he pulled her up to sit in front of him.

Alennia screamed in fright, but Tristan just laughed, and snaked his arm around her waist, holding her safely against his body.

"Put me down!" Alennia insisted, but Tristan just laughed again and pushed the horse forwards to a walk.

Alennia grabbed onto the arm around her waist, and clung onto him tightly. Despite the fear that she was going to die any second, Alennia couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of Tristan's arm around her waist, and the feeling of his body close against hers.

Tristan urged his horse into a gentle trot, loving Alennia's cry of fright and the way she clutched even more frantically at his arm. He pushed his horse forwards into a smooth canted, and this time Alennia didn't cry out in fright, but in pleasure.

"Why walk when you can fly?" Tristan whispered in Alennia's ear, as he let go of all restraints on his mare, and let her leap forwards across the heather. Alennia closed her eyes and hung onto Tristan so tightly she was sure she must be hurting him, but he gave no sign of it, and for all Alennia's fear, she felt perfectly safe with the knight holding her so carefully.

Slowly Alennia opened her eyes, and, momentarily forgetting her fear. She thought they really were flying. A Woad, a knight and a horse soaring effortlessly across the heather. Eventually, as they approached the pass, Tristan slowed the mare down to a walk, and let her reins hang loose.

Alennia twisted in the saddle to see him, and Tristan was delighted to see her eyes sparkling.

"Is it always like that?" she asked breathlessly.

"You get used to it after a while," he said dryly, enjoying watching her glowing face.

"Oh I'm sure I could never get used to it!" she exclaimed.

Tristan laughed, and swung off the horse.

"What are you doing?" Alennia asked nervously, clutching at the pommel of the saddle.

"She needs a bit of a rest, and I'm a heavy old thing."

"Let me down!" Alennia said, her voice high and panicked at the thought of being left alone on the mare.

Tristan laughed his deep, throaty laugh and shook his head. "Why walk when you can fly?" he asked mischievously. "I'm not far from my home. You still have far to go I think. You might as well rest when you can."

"You'll not let go?" Alennia asked nervously.

"No," Tristan assured her, shortening the mare's reins in his hands.

They travelled together in silence for some time, but eventually, Tristan spoke.

"What are you running from?" he asked in a casual manner, but was not unaware of Alennia stiffening at the question.

"Running?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice calm. "What do you mean?"

Tristan stopped the horse and turned to look directly at her. "I mean, a young woman is unlikely to be walking across the mountains in a howling gale with no food or warm clothing just for the fun of it. Therefore you must be running away from something."

Alennia bit her lip and looked down. "The Saxons," she said finally.

Had she been looking at him, she would have seen Tristan's eyes fill with pity. He knew too well the pain the Saxons had caused to this land: he had lost his own father to them, and was not unaware of the raids happening throughout the summer months.

"They raided the town where I lived: just by the sea. We thought we were safe. They only come in the summer and it was well into autumn. So we were unprepared. I was in the trees, collecting firewood. When I saw them coming I hid. But I heard every scream, every plea for mercy, every moan of the dying."

Her eyes turned to Tristan and he could see they were full of pain.

"I'm sorry," he said roughly.

"And when it was over, I ran," Alenia continued, oblivious to his gruff apology. "I couldn't bear to see all their dead bodies, so I just ran. I know I should have stayed: to see if any survived, and to bury the dead, but I couldn't." her voice choked up for a minute. "I ran to the mountains, where the Saxons wouldn't follow me."

"And now?" Tristan asked gently.

"I don't know," Alennia shrugged. "Keep going inland until I meet some of my own people. And then," she shrugged, "try to forget."

Tristan turned away from her, so that she wouldn't have to see the pain and sympathy for her in his eyes.

"Your people will be in the forests," he told her, moving forwards once more.

"And you know how?" Alennia asked. "Are you a spy?"

Tristan turned to look at her. "Yes," he said simply.

Alennia shrugged. "So why should I trust you when you tell me where my people are? You could be using me to lead them into a trap."

"When will you learn to trust me?" he asked in an amused tone.

"When you have shown yourself worthy of my trust!" Alennia flung back at him.

"And have I not already done that? I saved you when I could have left you to die. I gave you shelter and food. I let you ride my horse when I could have left you."

Alennia sat in a troubled silence.

At that moment a hawk swept down out of the sky, and landed on Tristan's outstretched arm.

"Hello my beauty," he said softly to the hawk, holding out some meat, which it pecked at. "How are you then?" he murmured to the bird, stroking its soft feathers.

"Is she yours?" Alennia asked quietly.

Tristan looked up at her. "Yes. I found her when I first came to this country. I rescued her from a storm….just like you."

"She is a Briton then?"

"Yes."

"If she is a Briton and she trusts you, then it seems I should also," Alennia said with a nervous smile.

Tristan grinned. "So kind of you my lady. I am deeply honoured by your faith in me."

Alennia punched him playfully in the shoulder, pretending to be cross at his teasing and he laughed even harder.

A/N – thanks so much for your reviews guys! They mean so much to me. How abut you keep on reviewing and I'll keep on updating!