The constant fear they lived in for seven years of their young lives left them unsure of their future. But one reassurance from their mother, and all their nightmares were gone.

Most children lived like this. Not understanding why, but by instinct cowering behind their mothers while papa stood by the door with a sword. That was what it took for children to feel safe; the assurance that if anything got through that great wall, it would never get in the house because daddy and mommy are there on guard.

One family in particular, didn't have a papa to guard the door. Their family relied on mama, the wall and beyond that, the sarmatian knights. Never once had the knights failed their protection, not then or now when an army so vast and brutal stood at their villages doorstep. With their freedom, they chose to stay and fight for this the knights became their protectors at the door.

Although how all owing and appreciative this family was, never did they expect to actually personally thank one of them in the situation they found at hand, or at all really.

It was the evening that the victory was theirs, and the children were relieved and able to sleep, knowing that there were no monsters under the bed or behind that great big wall mama never said to go past. Tucked in bed and warm, they lay, listening to a tale about the Sarmatian knights that sounded familiar with the current day and previous events.

"And all came back, safe and sound, bringing back a light for tomorrow, and the days to come" Mama finished as her twins fell asleep to on of her many improvised stories.

Mama kissed both Addy and Aiden on their small foreheads as she moved away the candles from their beds to the table in the center of the one great room. In that great room, her two other children remained awake, but their time was not limited. They outgrew early bedtimes.

Evelyn was due to last only a few more minutes as she already lay in bed humming herself a tune that she had heard near the pub when a woman was singing it. She was on duty to serve tired half-drunken mend, both sarmatian and Roman. The song brought peace to her, as she was right at home, so it served to put her to sleep. She never experienced a part from home so it was abuse of the song's true meaning of the home of going home. She liked the melody and words, she didn't know of the sorrow it caused the others if they were near.

Apart from her who was so close to the destination of sleep due to her own lullaby, stood her seventeen year old brother, Ryker, awake at the window. Their two year difference had no reason behind hi delayed bed time. Since the death of their father, he became a diagnosed insomniac. Seven years of sleep was lost to thought. Constantly during the night was he up thinking as during the day. Both times were set up for solitude as he segregated himself to be left alone. During the day he was reserved to silence, and his mind was always somewhere else if not interested. When he would come home from building chairs and tables for those who needed or wanted them, he returned to his own chair he built and either moved it to the shadow in either of the four corners during the day to escape the sun, or near the window during the night to enjoy the natural darkness where the silence was as equally pleasing as the solitude outside. When asked what he was thinking, he never answered. He thought upon various things, as to why something happened, or how a person looked. When he spoke, the answers would be short unless he chose to share the words generated from the thoughts in his head which rarely occurred in varied outbursts of random or related topics.

"Not all of the knights returned you know" his voice smoothly ran the words forth from his mouth and did it in such a way to hardly be heard. It was distinctive to those who have heard it before, it mostly always went unnoticed to those who didn't even know his voice existed.

A mother knew better.

"How do you know?" mama asked not looking his way as she busied herself sewing in the candle light.

"I counted as they came in. They did no know he was missing. They expected him to be following , meaning they know he's alive" he explained, spilling forth the calculations of his observing from his head.

"How did you come up with this?" mama asked amused and proud at how much thought her boys always put into things.

"I thought about it" Ryker simply said, his tone was confident, despite the simplicity of the answer.

"How do you know he is not passed?" mama asked brining the consideration to the table.

"The commander would of announced it, if not, you would be able to tell from the knights' faces. They figured he was behind them. They probably realized that now he wasn't"

"Perhaps he is on his way to returning to Sarmatia. Maybe he gave them word and went" Mama pointed out.

This sent Ryker into more thought. Simple situations like this merely kept him amused where as there were those that he broke down in detail in his head.

It fell back to a comforting silence where the crickets sounded and the rustling of sheets was able to be heard as the sleepers shifted in their beds.

It was the type of quietness that if the door creaked, people would be alert, let alone it bursting open.

Evelyn and the twins woke up startled as Ryker shot up alert. Mama dropped her sewing as the yarn ball rolled all the way to the feet of the intruder who entered head down. He was taller than Ryker who too had been complaining in his head about the how low the door was.

Not only did the height make his entrance difficult, but also the width as the person carried something long and bent in his arms. It was a girl.

As the figured walked deeper into the house with no sign of turning back, the twins jumped out of their bed screaming and hiding behind their mother who instinctively went in front of them and her eldest daughter. Ryker, stubbornly resisted his mothers protections and instead wandered toward the figure.

"You're the one missing" Ryker discovered as Tristan moved into the candlelight "You're one of the Sarmatian knights!" Ryker let out in awe.

Mama released her grip on the twins shoulders as Evelyn slightly stepped forward squinting her eyes in disbelief.

"What brings you into my house?" Mama asked carefully.

Instead of speaking, Tristan instead uncovered Salome's bloodied and bruised body. It was evident enough in what he was seeking.

"Oh!" she cried as she ran forward grabbing the candle off of the table. "Come this way" she said as she did not hesitate to lead him through her home to the back room beyond the kitchen. It was a room used for storage, and coincidentally it stored an extra bed, clean sheets, fresh hay, premade candles, a basin and many wash cloths. The room was also supplied with fresh air as there was a window that looked out to the back property, where a personal water well sat. Her husband installed it for the family's use personally.

She quickly spread a sheet over the bed and moved to the side as Tristan came through to lay her down.

"Eve! Get a bucket of water!" Mama shouted as she readied the basin and cloths. "Why have you returned so late?" Mama turned to Tristan as he began taking out different sorted pouches.

Tristan did not answer. Instead he cursed the reason for his nearly fatal delay.

(Flashback)

Tristan quickly carried Salome to the wood, where he intended a clear discreet path that would lead him to the wall fast. When the forest ended and wall met he planned to wait there until his fellow knights filed into the village, where he would travel close to the wall and slip into the village unnoticed. The path wasn't as clear as he thought. In his way stood cowards, who wouldn't face a small army, but had no problem with bullying one. He remaining Saxons were huddled afraid, they knew it was their enemies forest, but when an unlikely loner sarmatian knight crossed their path, they decided to take advantage.

"He can be used as a hostage" one suggested as they watched Tristan running through.

"Why would we need one now? Let him be" the other said retreating back to his miserable hiding place.

"His ransom could pay for a new army to come forth" the other more specifically pointed out.

This got the other's attention. "Go find Smiroff and Elston"

Apparently Smiroff and Elston weren't far at all, and seemingly were thinking the same thing as they started problems with Tristan's rush.

Tristan abruptly stopped as two Saxons cut him off. He subconsciously held Salome closer.

"I am in no mood to fight. Let me pass. You have no reason to fight me"

"We're not going to fight you, we're going to kill you" Elston sneered.

"Think more along the lines of use. Keep him alive" the other directed as he came up from behind Tristan.

Tristan did not listen to what was being exchanged further on as he tuned in to study his surroundings.

Two in front. Two in back. Sides open. Girl in arms...that he was holding unbelievably close. Tristan loosened his grip as he was ready to drop her during his newly formulated plan.

"No one uses me"

With that he sprinted to his right where he had spotted a bust to put Salome behind. He placed her down as gently as possible, but that gentleness was as a warrior and would be considered quite gruff.

With her out of his arms and the tree blocking the Saxon's view of both the bush and him, he was able to take down his first kill hidden .Behind the tree he waited until he heard one on his right proceeding to pass that fine line that Tristan created. This caused the Saxon a cut into the stomach that three him back with such force that it knocked down the companion behind him. Another was coming from the left, and in the same style he killed his second. He plunged his sword into the third's neck as he came out from behind the tree, and his fourth was no challenge as the others, where he plunged that deserter in the side and beheaded him as he fell.

No one crosses that fine line...No one crossed that fine line. Tristan made sure of that, to bad they knew no better.

Especially when Tristan was protecting something...

(End of Flashback)

Tristan caught a glimpse of the blood on his hands in the candle light as it rinsed off. In preparation to clean her wounds. The blood turned the water red instantly and clung to the edge of the basin threatening to leave stains . He was used to the sight, but never had it been blood of someone he was trying to save. Not for the 15 years he was under Roman control. Not since...

Tristan began to cough as if his breath was knocked out of him. Mama and Evelyn immeadietly went to aide as Ryker sat back and observed. The coughing was triggered and it couldn't be from simple gore. Tristan bee around death for a decade and five years...

Tristan noticed the attention drawn to him and regained his composure. He remembered what his focus was now, what he was going to prevent, what he was going to save, what he was going to prove, what he was going to give.

It took a about a few hours, a few buckets of clean water from the well, sweat and exhaustion, eight blood drenched cloths, six clean clothes to either hold together broken bones or cover deep wounds along with the ultimate key of healing, patient and experienced hands. They popped bones back in place, tied bones in place, smeared with herbs to either disinfect or begin the heal processes, sewed together and finally covered with the finishing wrap that would protect and keep things how they were supposed to be.

By the end of it, Ryker was asleep against the wall as Evelyn was spread out at the table in the front room from one of her trips to bring the bucket of water to the storage room. The twins were back in their beds without their mother as she stood in the back room with sweat coming from her pores as her hair stuck to her face in exhaustion. Tristan was the only one who's features never showed exhaustion, he looked accustomed to the grueling work and late night.

"Is it okay that she hasn't awoken during any of this? The pain hadn't stirred her once in her sleep" Mama mentioned concerned.

"Be glad that she's asleep. She would of thrown a fit if she learned of what I was doing" Tristan admitted.

Mama looked at him with her head tilted as she didn't understand as to why the girl would be upset with him saving her. She rather thought this sarmatian knight did a rather good job in putting everything back in place.

"Be expecting a fever to fall upon her in the next few days. I will find medicines to cure it. Also be expectant of her not taking so warmly to all that we've done. For your hospitality or my healing." Tristan warned.

"She, she's staying here?" Mama asked, this was the first time such a idea came up.

Tristan shot a look that made her feel dumb for thinking any other way.

"For how long?" Mama asked.

"Until I dismiss her" Tristan replied shortly.

"Yes. Will you be taking care of her?"

"I will come by every night. Your work here is finished. Let me be" Tristan dismissed the owner of the house he was in.

Mama blinked, unsure of to go or not. She wasn't used to taking orders from another, but she stood up for it.

"They'll be calling for her. Searching, everywhere for their prized heroine. You are sworn to secrecy"

Mama didn't fully understand Tristan's request for her to keep this girl in her house a secret, but she of course agreed. She shuddered to think what would happened if she defied any of his orders. His very presence frightened her imagination if cross. Before Mama left, she left the candle on a shelf next to where Tristan sat.

Her flickered image was transfixed in his eyes. "Yes, they'll be calling for you"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(In Woad Village)

"Salome, onde é você? Onde está nosso herói perdido? Esta inoperante? Ou é feita exame? Salome, Salome, onde é você?"

("Salome, Where are you? Where is our lost hero? Is she dead? Or is she taken? Salome, Salome, Where are you?")

- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -

Where they find their Salome? Or will Tristan have his way? Whatever way it is.

Stay tuned.

&& Review please!!!!!!!!!!