Caeli's POV

Dwyn rode up beside me as the Knights, she, and I (except Lancelot) looked up at the hilltop Arthur was on. Bors rode forward.

"Artorius!" He yelled, and drew his sword. "Rus!"

Arthur held up the standard he was holding and called back, "Rus!"

Bors rejoined the caravan and we rode sadly on.

Dwyn locked eyes with me, then fell back, I did the same knowing Tristan would understand and not follows. She looked indifferent, I knew that she had left her hear ton that hilltop.

I looked into her deep blue eyes and knew that she would be leaving soon. I nodded and she smiled weakly at me.

"If you should change your mind," she said. "I'll be with the Woads."

I nodded, "Good luck, cousin."

She nodded and with that, I rode back up to where I was next to Tristan again.

No more than ten minutes passed before I looked back at Dwyn and she nodded 'goodbye' to me. I did the same as I said a silent prayer for her.

Not long after Dwyn made her escape, the sound of Saxon drums reached our ears and all of the Knights' horses reared up and turned back toward the direction we had come in. They all exchanged looks and my face fell, knowing they were going back and that Tristan would never let me.

'Dwyn…' I thought. 'How did you know?'

I watched as Tristan set Owain free, then dismounted and walked over to a wagon that held his other weapons and armor. I followed him on foot.

"Tristan," I said, knowing that this wouldn't work, but I had to try, "I'm-"

"No." He said firmly as he turned to face me, he took my hands in his. "Caeli, I won't let you come, I can't let you. If anything happened to you, I couldn't live with myself." I looked deep into his sharp brown eyes, they were set firm. No hope of me winning this fight.

I put my forehead to his chest and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. We stood like this for a long moment, then Tristan gently lifted my chin so I had to look into his eyes.

"Caeli…I love you." And before I could answer, he kissed me. Softly at first, then deeply and I returned his kiss equally. My head that had been spinning in worry a moment ago, stopped, and with it, the world.

As we broke away, the world and my mind began their spiraling again.

"I love you, too." I said firmly, though it was in a whisper.

"Caeli-" Tristan began again, but he stopped when I nodded. "Thank you." He then kissed me again, full of passion. He reluctantly let go of me and finished preparing.

Before he mounted his horse again, he pulled me close again and kissed me, softly this time, then he mounted his horse and he and the other Knights rode off.

I mounted Ashen again and rode off with all haste to find Dwyn and the Woads.