Tristan's POV

I awoke at daybreak, with Caeli still asleep on my shoulder. Not wanting to wake her, I carefully got up and returned to my camp to go scout around the surrounding area.

Caeli's POV

I slowly opened my eyes to see I was alone in my clearing. Downhearted, I stood up, wrapped my cloak around my shoulders, and began to wonder if I had dreamed of falling asleep on Tristan's shoulder.

I picked up my sword from the ground where I had placed it in easy rach the night before. I found Ashen near the river eating snow dusted grass.

I was about to lead him back to my camp when I saw Tristan coming toward me with his horse.

"I'm sorry I woke you." He said with a small smile.

"Oh, it's all right." I replied, then noticed that he had his horse saddled. "Where are you going?"

"To scout our surroundings, the Saxons are getting close." He answered, then asked before I could. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Yes." I said a bit too quickly, then waited a moment and added, "I would."

Tristan smiled and followed me back to my camp. To my surprise, I was smiling too.

Once back, I quickly gathered my things and saddled Ashen, then hung my quiver on the horn of my saddle.

Bows in hand, we each mounted our horses and headed out riding northeast in the soft light of the early morning.

After about 20 minutes of riding, we happened upon a small group of Saxons, seven of them. Four were sitting around a fire, one was digging around in a saddle bag, one was asleep, and one was holding a loaded crossbow, staring off into the early morning mist.

Tristan and I each drew an arrow from our quivers and knocked them to our bows, then took aim. Tristan aimed for the lookout, as I aimed for the only other one that could reach for a crossbow, one of the ones sitting at the fire. We let our arrows loose and they easily met their targets. The remaining Saxons, having seen one of their companions drop dead started to scramble for their weapons.

We each drew another arrow and took aim. Tristan was first to find his next target, the man who had been sleeping, as I shot one of the men who had been sitting at the fire. While all of this was going on, the man who had been digging through the saddle bag had started to run away. Tristan now had killed the remaining two men who were going for their weapons, as I shot the fleeing man.

Silence rang for a moment, then Tristan asked, a bit amazed, "Where did you learn to shoot like that?!"

I smirked. "There were very few things that a Queen's cousin has to do, and Dwyn was always better than me at archery, so I used to spend half the day practicing."

"Looks like it paid off." Tristan replied, smiling, as he dismounted his horse, then walked over and picked up one of the Saxon's crossbows to examine. "Armor-piercing. Better head back and warn Arthur that they're getting close."

Crossbow in hand, Tristan mounted his horse and we rode back to camp.

Dwyn's POV

I hardly slept a wink the rest of that night, thoughts of the coming war that suddenly seemed so real to me invading my mind. I found myself rising with the sun, just as it was peeking over the horizon.

I strapped my sword around my waist and stuck my dagger in my boot. I was just leaning down to get my cloak when I heard commotion in the clearing nearest me. Expecting the worst, I bent to retrieve my bow, grabbed my quiver, and set off, throwing it over my back.

Swiftly and silently, I moved through the trees, finally emerging into the open clearing where the boy, Lucan, and the Knight I was fairly sure was named Dagonet were sleeping.

What I saw made every vein in my neck throb with anger and hatred.

Marius stood on the far side of the clearing, his pathetic army surrounding him. He had Lucan in front of him, a large knife to his throat, Dagonet stood looking on helplessly at swordpoint, and everyone else could only watch, unable to do anything.

"Get him!" Marius yelled, nodding his head at Dagonet.

I came forward, knocking an arrow and closing half the gap between Marius and I all at once.

Marius looked at me for a moment, then began laughing, the hideous sound ringing through the cold air.

One of his guards came at me, and I realized I could not kill them both.

But ARthutr, appearing out of nowhere is seemed, stepped between the guard and I, intent upon letting me fight my own battle with Marius.

He shook Lucan, emphasizing the small target area I had. "You dare not take the chance." He said, then turned his head back to the mercenaries surrounding Dagonet.

"Kill him now!"

I took my shot, releasing the arrow just as he turned. It whistled through the air and struck true. Marius fell to the ground.

"Seems my aim is better than you think." I said loudly as his eyes fell closed for the last time.

Dagonet took thechance and put Lucan back in the tent, grabbing his axe. Bors rode in, and trapped the rest of the mercenaries that had been with Marius on that side of the clearing.

Arthur pointed his sword at the remaining members next to us. "You have a choice. You help, or you die."

"Seems a simple choice to me." I said conspicuously, knocking another arrow.

The head mercenary threw his weapon to the ground, as did his men on his order.

Arthur turned to me and came closer. "That was a perfect shot."

"Arrows seem to fly truer when they're aimed for a man who locked you in hell." I said.

Arthur smiled, and put an arm around me briefly.

I was shocked for a moment, but let him hug me.

Suddenly, Tristan and Caeli rode in, and Arthur pulled away.