Hello everyone! Sorry for the longer wait for an update. Finals are coming up, and every professor was trying to squeeze in one more test. Tons of fun, let me tell you. Thank you so much KnightMaiden, foursidedtriangle, Scout Earane, Brooke1sg, and Fuzzy Makes Me Happy for reviewing! Your words of encouragement and how involved you get the story make me happy and excited to write more. Also, you met my goal of 5 reviews. Thanks, guys! You're awesome! Anyways, here is the next installment. Just a warning to some who might have been reading this story, I had to increase the rating because of this chapter. If you're very finicky about blood and death and other such things, I'm just warning it gets a little more intense. In order for you to identify with the characters, I had to let you know what they were seeing and going through. So anyway, I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!

Chapter 7: A New Home

Carina awoke during the gray hours of the next morning lying on the ground next to the dwindling fire. The blanket she had been clutching was wrapped tightly around her, and another folded blanket placed underneath her head. She must have fallen asleep sitting up.

She rose up slowly, yawning and stretching her arms. Tristan came around from behind her, leading his horse.

"It's time to get moving," he said gruffly.

Carina got up, remembering her thoughts from the knight before. Here, in the gathering sunlight, they seemed even more foolish. Tristan was a good friend, nothing more. She unsuccessfully tried to make her heart believe it.

Knowing she could not dwell in her emotions, Carina instead focused on getting their small camp packed away. She roused Arabela, who got up sleepily but still did not utter a word to her.

Soon they were riding again in silence. Arabela nodded sleepily with the movement of the horse, held tightly in place by Tristan's arms. Carina felt a twinge of jealousy that her sister got to experience Tristan's embrace all day when she had never felt it.

They rode quickly but not fast enough to overly exert the horses. None of the riders had an exact idea of where the estate was from Hadrian's Wall, but Tristan was a good scout. Carina had no doubt they would find her old home easily.

They did not stop all day, and by the time evening was falling, the woods were getting a familiar feel. They were getting closer. Carina knew they could reach their destination the next day. Her stomach started to feel queasy thinking about it. The excitement was starting to fade, replaced by apprehension. The closer they got, the more worried she became of what they would find.

Tristan pulled his horse to a halt in a small clearing. "We'll sleep here tonight." They were the first words he had spoken since they started riding that morning. He dismounted easily, and reached up to help Arabela down. The younger girl giggled as he grabbed her midsection.

"You're tickling me!" she laughed.

Tristan smiled, but merely set her down and turned to take care of the horses.

Carina climbed off Mea and stroked her mane gently. The horse whinnied and pawed the ground, as if sensing they were close to home.

"I'm afraid things will be much different when we return, girl," Carina said softly. "Home might not be what it was."

Mea whinnied once again, bobbing her head like she understood.

Tristan built another raging fire, and the three sat around it, eating large chunks of bread. Arabela laughed and joked with Tristan. The scout did not say much but would laugh at the young girl's jokes. Carina sat in silence before eventually resigning herself to sleep, curling up underneath a blanket away from the fire. She woke once during the night to find another blanket had been placed on top of her and wrapped tightly around her. Her eyes glanced around and she saw Tristan, sitting with his back against a tree, his eyes open, staring out into the night. Carina smiled slightly, rolling over and pulling the blankets closer to her chin, feeling safe that Tristan was watching over them.

Morning came too soon, but Carina managed to get up on her own. Arabela complained a bit, but she was doing well for a six year old out in the forest. Carina reminded herself that they had done this before in much worse conditions.

After riding for only around two hours, they entered a large clearing. Carina stared in amazement at what had used to be their estate, their home, her heart caught in her throat. A skeleton of their house remained, parts of the walls still standing, but everything burned. The wall surrounding the house was missing large chunks, the gate completely gone. The small village which used to surround the house was demolished; all that remained were a few burnt piles where houses had been.

Carina looked over at Tristan, tears sliding down her face. They rode slowly up to the sight, Carina's eyes seeing what her heart had feared. Nothing remained. The Saxons had burned everything. Bodies were still strewn on the ground, left where they had died. Some were burned like they had been caught in a fire; others were rotting in the summer heat, arrows sticking out from them or gashes cut through them. Carina had to look away, unable to bear the horrific display.

"Arabela, close your eyes," the older sister said softly, still trying to protect her innocent sister. Arabela merely looked at her, her brown eyes large and round, tears welling up.

They were riding through it now, and Carina was getting a glimpse of the people she used to see everyday; those she had laughed with, cried with, played with. She found the house where Delanna had used to live. It was merely a pile of ashes. She remembered Paolo gathering his family inside the house. Carina saw three bodies in the pile of ashes. Sobs escaped from her throat as she dismounted Mea quickly, running over to the scene but stopping where the ashes started.

Tristan pulled up his horse behind her as Carina dropped to her knees, getting off his horse and moving to stand behind her. The bodies were unrecognizable, but she knew who they were. The stench waved up to Carina, and unable to bear it anymore, she leaned her head to the ground and threw up.

"Who are they?" Tristan asked softly.

Carina had her head in her hands now, weeping. "My friends. Delanna was my best friend."

Tristan didn't say anything but wished he could do something. Arabela had her hands over her eyes, shutting out the sight. He was glad for that, at least. The destruction of the Saxon was nothing a six year old should see.

Carina finally stood up, wiping the tears from her face. She looked up at Tristan, whose eyes showed compassion for her pain.

Arabela had released her eyes and she was staring at something off a little farther from where they stood.

"Father!" The young girl suddenly cried, clumsily climbing off the horse herself and running to the figure on the ground. Carina and Tristan hurriedly followed until they stood over the body.

Carina studied their father in death, the arrow still protruding through his chest. His eyes were closed in eternal sleep, and the smell was more than she could stand. Carina whipped around, her hand covering her mouth, trying to muffle the sobs that were escaping. This was not how she wanted to remember her father.

Arabela was crying loudly, her fierce shrieks covering the silent land with mourning. She raised her fists to the sky, then turned to Carina. She rushed her older sister, leaning into her, pounding her tiny fists into Carina's body. Tristan moved quickly towards the girls to stop the tirade, but Carina took it without a flinch. He took a step back to watch.

"You let him die! You let him die!" Arabela was shouting, wildly flailing her arms.

Carina looked down at her sister and slowly began to wrap her arms around her. At first Arabela resisted, but soon Carina had her arms completely wrapped around her, and Arabela fell into her older sister's body, her arms hanging loosely at her sides, her sobs muffled in Carina's dress. Carina rubbed her back gently, whispering soothing words to Arabela. Eventually the young girl's cries subsided, and she carefully wrapped her tiny arms around Carina's midsection. The two sisters stood there, hugging each other in silence.

Eventually, Carina broke the embrace and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She slowly turned to Tristan. "We should bury them."

Darkness was quickly falling when they finally finished burying the bodies. They had buried her father first and then Delanna and her family, along with every other body they could find. Finally, they rode a ways back out into the woods and collapsed. Tristan had suggested they ride back into the woods that evening. He knew how traumatic it would be for the two girls to stay the night in the disaster which had once been their home.

Arabela was asleep before the fire was even lit. Carina sat up against a tree trunk, her eyes glazed over. After building the fire to a sufficient height, Tristan went to sit by her.

"I am sorry about today," he said softly.

Carina looked at him and smiled slightly. "You tried to warn me about what it might be like, but I didn't listen. It was my choice to go back."

"I should have known better," Tristan shook his head.

"No, it was my decision. And I am not sorry for it. We were able to give my father and friends a proper burial. There is nothing more I could have asked for."

Tristan nodded, continuing to stare at her. She placed her head back against the trunk of the tree, closing her eyes. After a few more moments, he moved silently away, letting her sleep.

Carina woke with a start. Tristan was standing over her, his finger pressed to his lips, signaling to stay quiet. The fire had been snuffed out, and they were sitting in complete darkness.

"What's going on?" Carina whispered, sitting up.

"Woads," Tristan answered.

Carina's heart jumped. It seemed as if the forest was almost alive with their presence. A twig snap here, a slight rustling of leaves there. Seemingly all innocent sounds, but suddenly they held danger.

Carina stood up and ran to her sister. She wrapped her up in her arms and pulled her tightly against her body, pressing one of her hands to the young girl's mouth. Arabela woke with a jerk, her mouth pressing hard to open against Carina's hand, but the older sister allowed no sound to escape.

Tristan was standing in the center of the camp, his bow ready, an arrow ready to fire. His eyes shifted back and forth, waiting for the first Woad to appear. Suddenly one flew out of the trees. Tristan shot him in a split second, and had reloaded the next second. Another one attacked; he too fell quickly. They were coming in numbers now, flowing out of the trees as if the forest were made of Woads. Carina watched in terror as three Woads attacked Tristan at once with more flying at him.

He'll never survive! There's too many of them! her mind raced. However, she stayed where she was with her sister.

Tristan drew his sword and made quick use of it. Death was an art for him. If not for the growing pile of dead Woads around him, one might almost think he was lost in some sort of dance.

The stream of Woads was slowing now. Carina was just beginning to relax a little when she felt strong hands grab her from behind. Somebody was dragging her up forcefully. Something cold and sharp was pressed to her throat: a dagger.

Tristan turned to see Carina being held by the Woad. Anger flew across his normally unreadable face. Quick as lightning, he grabbed his bow and had loaded it and fired. It hit Carina's captor directly in his eye. He fell backwards, his body becoming as limp.

Arabela was screaming continuously, her mouth opened wide. Tristan looked over at the girl. "Hush!" he said harshly. Arabela quickly obeyed.

The scout ran over to Carina, where she was still standing in shock, her face pale and drawn.

"Are you okay?" Tristan asked, grasping her shoulders tightly and turning her toward him.

Carina slowly met his eyes. She nodded her head, her mind still not registering the completeness of what had happened.

Tristan was staring at her, looking deep into her eyes. Something new was swirling around inside of him. Fear. He had never felt fear before, but fear was what had jumped into his throat when he saw Carina held by the Woad. He quickly dropped his hands, taking a step back.

"No more sleep tonight. We must get back to the fort."

The two sisters willingly obeyed, grabbing their things and climbing back atop the horses, which seemed just as ready to leave. They rode the rest of the night and all of the next day to reach Hadrian's Wall, their new home, once again.