Thank you Scout Earane and Brooke1sg for reviewing! I love getting good reviews. I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter because it was fun to write. Oh, and I understand there is some debate about how to spell Tristan, but that is how I'm spelling it because I like it best. Anyways, enjoy, and as always, please review!

Chapter 3: Fight for Survival

They rode well into the night, long after the threat of the Saxons was far behind them. Carina would not stop. She whipped through the forest at blinding speeds, tree branches cutting her face and dirt and mud splashing up onto the two girls.

Arabela had lulled into silence, her head leaned back against Carina. Finally, after many hours of pressing Mea harder than she had ever gone before, Carina relinquished the speed. She slowed the horse to a trot and eventually to a stop. Arabela lifted her head.

"What are we doing?" she asked sleepily.

"We are stopping to rest," Carina answered, dismounting the horse. Her legs felt like gravy underneath her. She lifted her arms for her sister, Arabela gladly taking hold and letting her sister help her down.

"Where is father?" the young girl asked.

Carina looked away, trying to control her staggered breathing and tears that were welling up. "Father will not be joining us."

"Where did he go? Why did he leave us?" the six year old's voice raised to a hysterical level.

"I mean, he will not be joining us…yet. He will meet us at Hadrian's Wall." Another lie to her young sister, but Carina could not tell her the truth. It still hurt her too much. Maybe it would be easier by the time they reached the fort.

"Where is Hadrian's Wall?" Arabela asked, her large brown eyes searching for answers.

Carina realized she had no clue. She just knew it was south, so south they would go as far as they had to. "It's not too far from here," she lied again.

Arabela still looked curious, but her eyes were fluttering shut even as she stood. Carina grabbed the blanket she had packed and wrapped it around her sister. "Get some sleep, babe. We will be riding again tomorrow."

The young sister nodded drowsily, sitting down in the dirt, too tired to mind. She pressed her back up against a tree and was soon breathing deeply.

Carina watched her, wishing it was that easy for her to fall asleep in the dark, unfamiliar woods. Every snap of a twig, every brush of a branch, could mean death for them. Her head whipped around with each new sound. She knew she would be getting no sleep tonight. Getting cold, she crawled over to Arabela, wrapping her arms around her and burying her face in her sister's neck.

"All we have is each other now, love," she said softly, not disturbing the sleeping girl. "I promise I will not let anything happen to you."

Morning came, bringing a bright sun that did not seem fitting of what had transpired the night before. Carina raised her head wearily. Unbelievably, she must have dozed for a few minutes. Her neck was stiff and her body ached all over.

Arabela was beginning to move about as well. Her eyes fluttered open, heavy and red. She looked over at Carina, rubbing her hands over her face.

Carina tried to smile but she didn't know if it was convincing. The young girl smiled back, hope still living in her.

She believes our father is still alive, Carina thought, all strength leaving her. But her father had told her to be strong, and so strong she would be. Arabela needed her.

She dug in her pack, pulling out some of the bread she had packed. "Here, eat this," she said, tossing it to Arabela. The young girl practically stuffed the bread down her throat. Carina had forgotten they had not eaten last night.

The older sister picked at her portion, hungry, yet she was not sure if her stomach could hold food. The image of her father falling of his horse, the blank look on his face…it was still too clear in her memory.

As soon as Arabela had finished her share, Carina stood up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Maybe we should wait for father. He might be looking for us," Arabela said.

Carina pressed her lips together. "No, Arabela, father will not be looking for us. I told you, he will meet us at Hadrian's Wall."

"But don't you think he will come for us?" The young girl's eyes were so pleading.

"Yes," Carina said softly, "I know he would. But we must keep our promise and make it to safety."

Arabela finally relented, allowing her sister to help her onto the horse. The six year old was heavier than Carina remembered despite her small frame, and it took her two times to get her high enough for Arabela to swing her leg over. Carina hoisted herself up with some effort as well. She had not ridden many horses before and was not used to their large frames. However, she made it up her first try and grabbed the reins, nudging Mea into a gentle trot and slowly faster and faster until they were once again running through the thickening forest.

It began to rain later in the day, merely a drizzle at first but then harder and harder until the pouring down rain forced Carina to stop the horse. She and Arabela huddled under a tree, soaked to the bone, waiting and praying for it to stop.

Praying, Carina thought. I wasn't sure I was still capable of believing in God.

But pray she did, for her father, for her friends left back at the estate, and for her sister. She prayed for her sister most of all.

When the rain finally died down in the evening, they ate a few small bites of dried meat and continued to ride. Carina was anxious to reach her destination. She only hoped she could find it.

Falling darkness caused them to stop once again. The rain had stopped and the sky had actually cleared to reveal a night full of stars. Carina got out her extra pair of clothes, also wet but at least not as wet. Arabela did the same. They huddled close together again that night, Arabela dozing off while Carina stayed awake, listening to the sounds of the forest, hoping they could reach this Hadrian's Wall she had heard of but never seen, and wondering what kind of life that would bring if they did reach it.

It was getting toward morning when Carina's thoughts were interrupted by the violent shivering of her sister. She wrapped the blanket tighter around Arabela but it did not help. The younger sister's eyes opened into tiny slits.

"Arabela, what's wrong?" Carina asked.

"I-I don't feel well," Arabela answered, clutching the blanket and curling up into a ball.

Carina, panicking in the inside but trying not to show it, felt of her sister's head. It was burning up. "You've got a fever." She got up and walked over to her bag. She had brought no supplies for sickness. Father had grabbed some things, but they were in his pack which was laying back at the estate where he had fallen.

Carina squatted, trying to gather her thoughts, tears unwillingly squeezing from her eyes. What was she going to do now?

They were riding again, with even more urgency than before. Arabela was wrapped tightly in a blanket, but the fever still raged and she shivered uncontrollably. Carina, exhausted and running on the pure will to stay alive and keep her sister alive, pushed Mea faster, trying to find something, anything to give them hope.

They rode all day, Arabela sliding in and out of consciousness as her fever worsened. Darkness was settling in, and Carina was terrified of spending another night out in the forest. She had to find some place for her sister to sleep. However no such place appeared. They were still in the thick forest with no way to tell if they were even still going in the right direction.

Fear was forcing its way through Carina's body even though she struggled to fight it. She wouldn't give in now…she couldn't. Arabela was moaning now, delirious even in her sleep. The fever must be getting worse. They couldn't continue to ride like this. Carina finally relented and slowed the horse. The night had become so black, no moon or stars in the sky, that she could hardly see. Wind whistled through the trees as if sensing the worsening troubles of the girls.

Carina gently lowered her sister from the horse, settling her on the ground. Arabela never even woke but merely laid exactly how Carina had placed her. The older sister straightened and tightened the blanket around Arabela, trying to hold back the sobs that were choking her throat. Carina wrapped her spindly arms around the younger girl in an attempt to keep her warm.

"Stay with me, babe," Carina whispered. "Please, stay with me."

Tristan watched them curiously. He had come across them by pure chance after being out scouting for too long. He was returning to the fort when he heard the sound of a horse and he carefully and quietly went to investigate.

Now he was watching them, getting an idea of who they were and why they were here. His eyes were used to seeing in this blackness, but he still hid himself behind a tree a few yards away in case they noticed him. Tristan sensed no danger from the two girls, but he wondered who they were and why they were riding through the forest. He slowly stepped out from behind the tree, towards them.

The older girl's eyes had been closed slightly, but they flew open at the sight of him. She scrambled to her feet, her eyes wild, her face revealing her fear and exhaustion.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Tristan held up his hands in an attempt to calm her fears. "My name is Tristan. I am a Sarmatian knight under the command of Arthur Castus stationed at Hadrian's Wall. I mean you no harm."

"You…you are a knight?" she asked, her shoulders relaxing a little bit.

"Yes."

"Are we close to the wall?"

"Somewhat," Tristan answered, taking another slow step towards the two girls. The younger one was still laying on the ground, obviously feverish. "I can lead you there."

The older girl still seemed unwilling to trust him, but after staring at the younger one for a few moments, he could see her start to slump.

"Please, help my sister," she whispered.

Tristan nodded, quickly gathering the younger girl in his arms. "You must follow closely," he said, his voice soft but gruff. "It will take some time to get there." He put the girl on his horse and quickly mounted behind her, holding her in place with his arms. He looked over at the older girl. "Are you going to be okay to ride?"

She looked so exhausted, but she nodded her head. "I will be okay."

Tristan eyed her cautiously but knew his horse could not handle two girls, no matter how small. The older one must ride. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Carina," the older girl answered, mounting her own horse.

Carina followed closely, just like he said. Tristan did not ride extremely fast but still at a quick pace. She noticed they had turned to the right when leaving their small camp. She muttered to herself, realizing she must have turned slightly east at some point during the ride.

After another hour or so, they finally entered a clearing. Carina squinted her eyes, able to make out a large and high wall with a wooden gate. They had arrived.

Tristan led them through the gates into another clearing. After riding for several more minutes, they entered a small village and finally, they reached the fort. Another man came out to meet them.

"Who is this?" the man asked.

"This girl needs help immediately. Get Dagonet," Tristan replied, handing Arabela to the man. He looked down at her like he wasn't sure to do at first, then noticing her fever, he quickly nodded and hurried off.

Carina swayed back and forth in the saddle. They had made it…they would be safe. Somebody was here who could take care of her sister. Relief flooded her body, and finally she gave into the exhaustion of the past three days…

Tristan dismounted and caught her just as she fell off the horse. He cradled her in his arms for a second, then hastily carried her to a room.