Caeli's POV

It was now near sunset, I had awoken some time ago, and now the caravan stopped. Arthur, Dwyn, the other knights, and I sat looking out at a forest. Dwyn was next to Arthur, I on her other side with to my dislike, Gawain on my other side.

"We'll sleep here. Take shelter in those trees. Tristan, ride ahead." Arthur said.

"May I go as well?" I asked, causing everyone to look at me. I could feel Gawain's eyes on my back like knives.

Arthur looked to Tristan, who shrugged, and then nodded, Arthur then turned to Dwyn, who also nodded.

Tristan set his hawk free to fly, and then started his horse off at a fast walk and I followed.

Once out of sight, I breathed in the cool evening air, it smelled of freedom. I had wanted to come with Tristan to get away from Gawain, but now another reason found its way into my mind, I wanted to talk to him.

Tristan's POV

I was amazed that Caeli had wanted to come with me. Of course, I was happy, I liked her. Through I didn't know much about her, but now would be the time to change that.

"I'm surprised you wanted to come." I said simply.

"I wished to get away from Gawain." Came her reply.

"He does seem taken with you."

"I wish he wasn't…" She said quietly.

For a few moments, we watched our surroundings, making sure we were doing the task we said we would.

"What do you plan to do after all of this?" Caeli asked.

I've never met someone who I actually wanted to be open with, but Caeli was different, I wanted to tell her everything. Yet her question was one I had not thought of much. Return to my homeland? I didn't even remember it or know if I had family there.

"I'm not sure yet." I answered. "I haven't really given it much thought."

"Will you not return to your own land like the others?"

"I'm not sure…I don't even know if I have anything to go back to."

We continued to talk as we kept our eyes open for any sign of the Saxons or Woads, but the road was clear. Caeli, too, didn't know what she was going to do. "I'll most likely just follow Dwyn, she's more like my sister than a cousin…"

She went on to tell me of how she lost her family and I told her what I could remember of mine.

On the way back to the caravan, I whistled for Owain, my hawk. To my surprise, he landed on Caeli's shoulder, rather than my arm.

Caeli's POV

I jumped as Tristan's hawk landed on my shoulder.

"Um…hello…" I said, rubbing his head. "What's his name?"

"Owain…" Tristan replied, looking at the bird as if it was the first time he had seen it. "He has never done anything like this before."

"Maybe he knows a nice person when he sees once?" I suggested, smiling at Tristan.

"I always knew he was intelligent." He replied with a small smirk.

I blushed a bit as we finally reached the others again and Tristan told Arthur the road was clear.

Over the next hour, the slow moving caravan reached the forest and everyone started to find a place to bed down for the night.

I unsaddled Ashen and lead him over to the stream. Owain had finally decided to go back to Tristan. I wanted to talk to Dwyn to make sure she was feeling well enough, so I set out to find her.

I found Dwyn unsaddling her horse.

"So, how did your day fair?" I asked.

"Well, select parts went well…" She answered, a hint of annoyance crossing the air between us.

"Mine as well…Lancelot?"

She tensed, and then answered. "Yes."

"Thought so." I sighed. "Gawain talked me near to death."

"Well, it's not exactly how much he talked, it's what he said."

"I believe he wants to marry me…" I said, annoyed.

"At least he wants marriage first." Dwyn said, looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh God. I'm sorry I fell asleep. I could've run him off sooner."

"You were not anywhere near us. Besides, I can handle myself." She threw her saddle to the ground and took Maldwyn's reigns to lead him to water.

I followed her. "And Arthur?" I asked, trying to turn to a better subject for Dwyn.

She stopped only for a moment, but it was enough to let me know something had happened. "Nothing."

"Dwyn, even in the cover of night, you are a poor liar." I teased.

She sighed, then turned dot me, looking up at the sky as she usually did when what she was saying was hard for her.

"Caeli, he's like no man I have ever met. It seems as though he can see right into my very soul. It's like he knows me better than anyone, even you." She paused, then continued, "Listen to me…going on like a lovesick child."

"I know what you mean…" I said quietly.

"What?" She asked, looking at me.

"I understand." I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Tristan?"

"Yes." I said, a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

"I knew there was a reason for you wanting to ride ahead with him." She said knowingly.

"At first, I just wanted to get away from Gawain, but we started to talk. I felt different around Tristan, like he was actually listening."

"It appears we've both found someone annoying." I could tell she meant this as an understatement. "And someone amazing."

"Yes. Now, if only we could keep the annoying ones away from us."

"If only…"