I managed to do one last chapter on this before I go away on holidays :-). I probably won't be able to update again until after Christmas, but please review and tell me if it is worth continuing!

Okay, maybe I was over reacting. It was just a rabbit – but waking and finding the still warm blood of a rabbit on my hands drove me a little crazy.

I ran to the bathroom and washed the blood off hurriedly. My parents burst in, their hair tousled and blinking sleepily.

'Jenny, what's going in?' my mother yawned.

'Nothing,' I muttered. 'Just a bad dream'

'Okay.' Dad yawned widely, covering his mouth with his hand. 'Next time, try not to scream will you?'

I nodded and they left, muttering about lost sleep. My wildly beating heart slowly calmed until it no longer felt like I was about to drop dead. I turned the light off in the bathroom and went back to my own room.

I stayed awake for a long time. I couldn't forget the feel of my talons driving through the skin and fur into the flesh underneath. The scent of blood wouldn't leave, neither would the taste of it. At last I fell into a fitful doze, but didn't dream again that night.

The next day at school I was tired and sleepy – and when I'm tired, I become grumpy.

By the end of the day, I had snapped at Rachel no less than fourteen times, bitten Linden's head off (not literally, of course) over a missing pen and yelled at a teacher. Not one of my best days.

On top of the fact that I was now feeling guilty about how I had treated my friends, I had a Friday detention as well. An hour and a half of picking up rubbish on Friday afternoon. Wonderful.

Expectably, my parents weren't impressed. They yelled at me for a bit, saying things like "I never would have done that when I was at school". All in all it was a pretty bad day. All I had to look forward to was the now normal dream of becoming the hawk.

I think that my parents are starting to become suspicious. I've taken to going to bed early in the hope of spending more time as a hawk and less time as a human. But tonight my parents realised how tired I was (might have something to do with the fact that I fell asleep over dinner).

Tristan smiled. It was a rare sight, and the flickering light of the torches threw his face into shadow – where it wasn't obscured by his hair. I think that I was the only one who saw the smile. No, I was wrong. Someone else saw it as well. Wenda.

I felt my feathers ruffle and I couldn't help but hiss slightly. I couldn't help but notice that the air was colder and that they all looked slightly different – a few months older. Four or five perhaps. So time in this world wasn't the same as in my world.

The woman came up to Tristan and kissed his cheek. His dark eyes shone briefly before the usual mask once again covered his emotions.

'Looking forward to the wedding tomorrow?' she asked with a flirtatious smile.

I fluttered my wings from my perch on a chair besides Tristan as he slid an arm around her waist in answer. Wenda's pale eyes fastened on me and she frowned prettily in annoyance. Her look was one of pure dislike.

'Tristan, when will you get rid of that bird?' she asked. 'It's ugly.'

I clicked my beak in warning, spreading my wings to balance as I reached forward to bite her. Wenda pulled back with a soft scream.

'It's vicious!'

'Wenda, she's beautiful,' Tristan said softly. 'She only bites if you insult her or if she doesn't like you.'

'Get rid of it!' Wenda said shrilly, stamping her foot. 'Get rid of it, or I will not marry you!'

I screeched and flapped my wings hard, sending her hair flying back form her face in the draught. I was prepared to attack her, when Tristan's hand soothed down the feathers on the back of my neck. I quieted, but my hate for the snake in front of me deepened.

'I will set her free then,' Tristan said softly.

Wenda smiled, once again the happy little girl. Before she had looked like a spoilt princess stamping her foot – but now she was sweet as honey because Tristan would do as she asked. I couldn't quite believe that Tristan would send me away for Wenda. He took me on his arm and bowed his head slightly to her.

'Until tomorrow, Wenda,' he said softly.

She smiled her most winning smile, showing her perfect white teeth. Still the smile didn't reach her eyes, which were cold and shrewd.

Tristan left the tavern, me on his arm. He went part of the way to his room and then stopped in the shadows.

'Girl, you'll have to go,' he whispered, stroking my back. 'I'm going to marry Wenda. You've never liked her. Both of you would be happier if you left.'

I could hardly believe his words. I screeched and flapped my wings slightly. He seemed to understand what I was trying to say.

'You don't want to leave, do you?'

I clicked my beak and chirped softly. He smiled sadly.

'Yeah, I don't want you to leave either. But I love Wenda, and she loves me. I'm sorry, girl. Goodbye.'

He threw his arm up, and out of habit I took off into the night. I still couldn't quite believe this was happening as I soared in a circle above him. Tristan was casting me off – throwing me out to make way for Wenda.

Anger built in me. I wheeled lower and could see his face as he watched me fly. I screeched angrily, and I saw his shoulders move as he sighed. I turned away into the cold darkness of the night.

Less than an hour later my anger was gone. I wasn't going to let Tristan marry Wenda – she was a snake, and he deserved better than her. I knew that she was hiding something – something she didn't want Tristan to know. I wanted to reveal her for the snake that she was.

I flew back to the tavern and perched on the roof to watch. Tristan and Wenda were in the shadows. She was unmistakable with that hair. She and the dark scout were sitting together, talking quietly, sometimes kissing. I felt my feathers ruffle in loathing.

At last Wenda stood and left with a beautiful smile that never reached her eyes. She left, gliding away into the shadows. I followed silently over head.

She wandered around the streets for a while, not going back to her room. I knew that something was up. She kept checking for followers, furtively glancing over her shoulder every now and again. She never saw me as she slipped inside a door – a door that I knew was one of many where Roman soldiers slept when not on duty.

I fluttered down to land awkwardly on path outside the door. My talons were not made for walking or landing on the ground. I could hear muffled voices from inside.

'At last, Wenda. What kept you?'

Wenda laughed, and it was a sound that made my feathers stand up. It was cold and mirthless with derision that made me shudder.

'The stupid Sarmatian dog kept me.'

The Roman laughed. 'Still deluded, is he?'

Again Wenda's cold laugh came through the closed doors. I spread my wings slightly to keep my balance as I hopped a little closer.

'Completely. Still, once I've gone through with that bloody wedding I can kill him when I'm in his bed.'

'Then we can leave here and go back to Rome.' The Roman's voice was full of pleasure. Obviously he was looking forward to returning to Rome.

I had heard enough. I spread my wings fully and took of as quietly as I could. Taking off from the ground was hard work, and I felt the strain in my wings. At last, though, I was in the air and flying back to Tristan.

He looked up and couldn't suppress a grin as I landed in front of him. He was sitting with the other knights, slicing an apple with his knife.

'Couldn't stay away, huh?' he said softly, stroking the soft feathers on my chest.

I clicked my beak urgently and spread my wings a little as I hopped towards the exit Wenda had taken. Tristan frowned slightly.

'What is it, hey?' he whispered, sitting up a little straighter.

'Looks like your bird wants to show you something,' Bors grunted through his tankard of ale.

Tristan stood as I screeched loudly. I flew up and led him through the streets. All the time he followed silently, his face in a slightly amused expression. At last I found the door I was looking for.

I paused as I landed on the ground. I had to do this – I had to show Tristan that Wenda was nothing more than a treacherous bitch. But if I did, how deeply would it hurt him? I had seen his eyes when he looked at her. He loved her, loved her a great deal.

But he had to see this. I couldn't let his wedding go ahead now that I had found out Wenda's treachery. Tristan bent down to kneel beside me.

'What is it, girl?' he asked softly.

I hopped towards the door. When I reached it I scratched at it with a forefoot. Tristan nodded and reached forward to open the door. I flapped my wings hard to reach his shoulder.

The door wasn't locked and swung open. There were startled gasps from inside. Tristan's eyes widened in shock, horror and fury as he saw what was within.

By the light of a single flickering lamp, the naked bodies of Wenda and the Roman soldier were clearly visible. They lay entangled on the bed, their faces aghast. The Roman stared, but Wenda started to scream and shriek.

'Get him off!' she cried, slapping at the Roman. 'He raped me, Tristan! Thank the Gods you've saved me!'

I felt Tristan pause. The hurt was evident in his eyes, but there was something else. He wanted to believe what Wenda had said. He glanced at me – I don't think he thought that I would be able to clear things up, but I did.

I flapped forward and landed in front of them. Wenda screamed and leant back against the wall, throwing her hands up. I leapt forward and grabbed her hand in my beak. She shrieked, but I'd found what I wanted.

I dragged the ring off her finger and tossed it towards Tristan with a flick of my beak. He bent down woodenly and picked it up, turning it around in the faint light. It was a gold band with three scarlet rubies set in deeply. I saw Tristan's mouth tighten. He knew that Wenda was playing him false.

'This is not the one I gave you,' he said softly, his eyes beginning to burn.

Wenda's face twisted. It changed from pretty horror and fright to pure hate. It made her ugly beyond all limits as she stood up and wrapped a cloak around her.

'I hate you, Sarmatian. Since you spoiled my lovely plan to kill you tomorrow nigh, I'll have to do it now!'

She leapt forwards, in her hand a steel dagger. Tristan was still clutching the ring and didn't move to defend himself. I leapt up from the floor with a screech. The sound seemed to jolt Tristan out of his trance as I raked at Wenda's legs with my claws and beak.

She shrieked again. I was really starting to hate that sound. Tristan knocked the blade from her hand easily. He grabbed her wrists in a crushing hold. She whimpered, the only expression on her face now was fear as Tristan slammed her into the wall. He held her there with one hand and turned to me.

His face was oddly strange. He was pained more by Wenda's treachery than by any wound he had ever received in battle.

'Get Arthur,' he snapped.

I gladly took off into the night. Tristan didn't seem to question the fact that I understood every word he said.

Arthur and his knights were still in the tavern, despite the late hours. They looked up as I dived down and landed on the back of a chair with a low call. Bors swallowed a mouthful of ale and looked at me, confused.

'Shouldn't you be with Tristan?' he asked, his words slurred.

I tugged on Arthur's shirt, chirping low in my throat. He turned to me and watched as I flapped my wings and snapped my beak. I tugged on his shirt again and he stood with a sigh.

'I think she wants us to follow her.'

Bors was too drunk to get up without Vanora's help. He sank back into his chair. Galahad, Gawain and Lancelot came with Arthur, as did Dagonet.

I led them to the house and found Wenda backed up against the wall, Tristan's sword at her throat. The Roman lay dead, his throat cut and his chest torn open.

'Tristan, what is going on?' Arthur asked, aghast.

Lancelot stared, unable to believe what he was seeing. Tristan, holding his future wife at sword point? Then he took in the dead Roman, and he frowned as things became clearer.

I took a look at the Roman. It was a horrible sight, and I averted my eyes. I had never really wished to see the heart and lungs of a human.

Suddenly everything faded, and I opened my eyes. It was dawn, and I was at home in my bed.

As I got up, I couldn't help but wonder how Tristan was feeling – and whether he now hated me for what I had done. The look in his eyes had been that of a man betrayed and hurt so deeply that he could never love or care again.