Dag walked to the guards who stared at him with wide eyes. He didn't say anything just stared into them with two frigid eyes. They slowly moved away practically shaking from fear. He nodded at them as he reached for the door handle.

"At ease." Dag said before giving a knock.

"If it's Tristan go to hell!"

"It's Dag." He called.

"Oh… Come in." she chimed with a pleasant voice that made him smile. He slowly walked into the room and shut the door behind him. She was sitting at her window sill her long leg dangling outside the window as a cool breeze tossed her hair. He saw the tiny wooden horse he had made for her held in her grasp.

"I was surprised you still have it." he said.

"I wouldn't get rid of this it's one of my fondest possessions. One of my only possessions mind you but I'm still very fond of it."

"You were crying." He said diving right into what was troubling her.

"You saw that huh?"

"You do not deny it?" He inquired in a surprised tone.

"No point with you." She said with a smile. "It was only a few tears I wouldn't even count it as a cry."

"What did Tristan do to make you let loose those few tears?" he inquired as he sat down on a stool beside her window. "Is it something I have to kill him for?"

"Can't kill Tristan, you know that."

"Then hurt him immensely?" she smiled softly as she looked to him.

"No…"

"So what did he do?"

"I don't think it's just him I think it's a lot of what's been going on… For years… My mother used to say buried things have a way of sticking back out of the ground… Those tears were just buried secrets coming to light once more… Don't worry though I've put them back into the earth."

"I have never seen you angry with Tristan…"

"That's because I never have been angry with him..."

"You can speak freely with me Ari…" he said using her nickname. "I would never reveal anything said to anyone else…" she looked at him for a long moment.

"Is that why you're so quiet because you're keeping the secrets of others?" He only smiled and it made her laugh. "That's a yes."

"That's none of your business." She laughed again.

"Tell me something Dag we're friends aren't we?"

"Yes." He said.

"And the rest of the knights they are my friends?"

"Cept Jameson and Lucan."

"Well yeah I don't really know them…"

"Then yes." He said with a nod.

"I have clung to that knowledge forever that you all were my friends and that you were my family and I could rely on all of you to have my back… But Tristan he told me something that makes me rethink that."

"What did he tell you?"

"Not so much told as mentioned…" she looked down at the horse. "He told me that the day I saved him from the roman soldiers whip he made a promise to himself that he would never let any harm come to me… So that friendship that I always thought I had with him was never really a friendship…"

"You think it was just him repaying a debt…" she slowly nodded to him.

"I love you guys like you were my flesh, like you were my blood… But Tristan I care for him quite deeply…"

"I know…" He said with an understanding expression.

"I have had this kinship with him for as long as I can remember…" she laughed shaking her head as a tear fell. "Or I thought I did…"

"Did you tell Tristan how you felt?"

"In a way…"

"Did you tell him Ari?" he inquired.

"Yes…" she said. "Yes I'm very sure I did…"

"He came after you, you know…" he said.

"He did?" she asked looking to him.

"Rode in on his horse right after you went up the stairs. I had to stop him from going after you. I think he may have seen the error of what he said…"

"Do you think he was my friend because-."

"No Ari I think he is your friend because he genuinely cares for you…" he saw her smiled softly as she looked to the horse. "Adne may I inquire something?" she slowly nodded. "Do you care for Tristan?"

"I care for all of you."

"You just said though that you cared deeply for Tristan how deeply do you care for him?" she looked to him.

"Did I say that?" he slowly nodded. "I don't think that's what I meant, I'm just flustered… What I mean is that I have an understanding with Tristan that-."

"A lot of us don't have, I'd agree with that."

"What do I do?"

"You let him speak his peace."

"I tried that before tonight and he just ended up yelling at me. Treating me like I was some feeble woman he could order about. He has started treating me differently than he ever has…"

"It's because of the bear attack he feels as though he failed in protecting you."

"It's not his job to protect me…"

"Is it your job to protect us?"

"Yes." She said without skipping a beat. She slowly looked to Dag with a smile. "You're quite good at this."

"I know… You need to forgive him Ari…"

"I don't want to…" Aria said.

"So stubborn." He said and she smiled.

"It's not just how he was treating me; he literally put his hands on me and tried to drag me up the stairs back to this bedroom to rest…"

"I see... Then give him a hard time for a few days and then forgive him…"

"I can tell everyone wants me to just make up and get it over with."

"Let me handle them." He said standing up, Aria following his movements.

"You won't say anything will you?"

"I said I wouldn't…" he said with a smile. "Now I'm not saying it but I am asking… Would you please rest? You need your strength for being mad at Tristan."

"I guess you're right…" she said. "I am tired." He nodded.

"Good night Adne."

"Good night Dag…" she watched him leave and slowly walked over to the bed where she lied down.

How deeply do I care for Tristan?

-o-

Arthur walked out of his room and smiled as his Paige Jols walked up to him.

"Morning Jols."

"Morning Arthur, I was just taking Aria her new clothes, I figured she'd want out of that dress, shame though she did look good in it." Arthur only nodded; he hadn't really noticed how she looked in the dress.

"I'll take it too her good job Jols." He nodded and handed over the wrapped bundle. Arthur slowly walked over to her door and went to knock.

"She's with the doctor." One of the guards said.

"Oh I'll wait then." He said with a smile. "She's a handle to look after hmm?" they only shrugged. The doctor came out from the room and saw Arthur.

"How is she?"

"She's resting… I asked her to try and stay in bed for the rest of the day, and she reluctantly agreed but asked for no visitors just I."

"Oh then on your next time in would you take this to her?"

"I'll take it to her now Arthur…" he said taking it with a smile. Arthur walked away as he heard the doctor knock. With every step he took he got more and more worried.

She's so angry at Tristan now she won't say to any one… Hopefully she'll work out what she needs to work out today and then tomorrow everything would be fine…

-o-

"I went and saw Aria last night." Dag said sharpening his sword.

"How is she?" Lucan asked.

"She was very angry."

"Well clearly." Gawain said.

"She had her reasons…" Dag said.

"Other than Tristan ordering her about?" Lancelot asked. Dag slowly nodded and Bors tilted his head.

"What is it Dagnet?"

"Nothing…" He said shaking his head.

"She told you something didn't she?" Galahad asked.

"Maybe…"

"Don't hold out on us." Lancelot said.

"Is she here?" they looked up to see Tristan had walked in. Dag slowly stood before rushing forward and grabbing him by the shirt.

"Whoa!" Gawain said as they watched Dag slam Tristan up against a wall. Dag put his mouth next to his ear and took a breath.

"You are to never ever lay an angry hand on her again…" he said quietly before punching him across the face. "Understand?" he asked so the others could hear.

"I was doing what was best-."

"Dragging her about that was best?" He asked.

"Dragging who about?" Galahad inquired.

"Are you speaking of Aria?" Lancelot inquired before looking to Tristan. "You dragged Aria around?"

"I was trying to get her up to bed, so she could rest." Tristan said standing. "She wouldn't listen."

"Well of course she wouldn't listen she's Aria the girl normally doesn't listen as a general rule." Gawain said. "You really tried to drag her?"

"If you were in my position you wouldn't have done the same?"

"Has she ever laid an angry hand upon you?" Dag asked, and Tristan slowly looked away.

"I was afraid for her…"

"Doesn't make it bloody right." Galahad said.

"What's happened?" Arthur asked seeing Tristan wiping blood from his chin.

"Tristan deserves every bit of what Aria is dishing him." Gawain said.

"Can I be let in on the knowledge?"

"He dragged her about." Gawain replied.

"I did not drag her I pulled her."

"Same thing." The twins said in unison.

"I won't defend my actions which were entirely for her own damn good." Tristan stormed off once more and Arthur sighed.

"Who punched him?" they all stayed silent. "Who punched him?"

"It was I…" Dag said.

"Next mission you get to keep watch while we all sleep." Arthur said.

"I do anyways." He said walking off.

"I'm not good at punishing am I?" Arthur asked Lancelot who just smiled and patted his shoulder.

"You're doing fine mate."

-o-

Aria slowly stood from her bed. It had been a long night which she had luckily slept all the way through, but instead of resting peacefully was plagued with the usual nightmares she had had since being taken when she was a child.

Today was the day she would face Tristan again, and the others. She was nervous in an overall way but was more nervous to face Tristan. She slowly put her usual gear on and secured the weapons that had been returned to her. She looked herself over in a mirror and sighed.

"I look good for nearly being killed…" she winked at herself and gave a small laugh before heading out and throwing her wild hair up into a messy bun with her bone pick. When she got down to the barn it was to find everyone readying their horses.

"There's our girl." Bors said before hitting his chest and throwing up a fist. "Roooooooooossssss!"

"I'd do that in return but it wouldn't sound as man like." He smiled as he clapped her on the back so hard she stumbled forward right into Gawains arms who picked her up and spun her in a circle.

"The prodigal child has returned!" The others laughed as they watched this.

"Gawain…" she gasped. "C-can't Breathe…" he dropped her and she pushed him away while gasping.

"Sorry." He said with a cheeky smile.

"You suck." She said with a good hearted look.

"Hope you haven't gotten soft in your day off we have a mission." Galahad said.

"Really?" she asked with a smile.

"We're meeting a roman on route here, we are to protect him from woads…" Arthur said. "Feeling up to it?"

"I'm a hundred percent." He said.

"Even still if you can help it don't get off your horse I don't want you knocking around your head for a few days. Doctors' orders and mine."

"I'll try and stay on…" she said with a smile. "I'm just glad to be back into the action." They all smiled until Tristan walked in with a solemn look he froze seeing Aria who instantly turned away from him and walked over to her horse. "Time to get saddled." She said as she lifted the light saddle up and rested it over Teleri.

"Watch yourself…" Dag muttered to Tristan as he walked by him. Aria slowly turned feeling a looming presence behind her. She turned to see Tristan holding an apple. She looked at it for a long moment before taking it. She watched Tristan relax as he looked her over.

"Gawain?"

"Yeah?"

"Here's that apple you always wanted from Tristan." She threw it and he easily caught it. Tristan looked at her for a long moment before sighing.

"Aria..." He said so softly she doubted the other knights could hear him. "I-."

"Get saddled we have a mission." She said turning away from him. Tristan turned and walked away.

"Are we going to have a problem here?" Arthur asked.

"No problem here…" she said with a sweet smile as she looked to him. "By the way thanks for having my chain mail remade I can tell it's a lot stronger."

"You're welcome…" he said with a nod instantly being put at ease with her pleasant smile.

-o-

Aria looked around as they rode a bow readied with an arrow resting on her lap. Her eyes scanned the tree lines for any movement. Her ears were peeled for the sound of war horns. So far she had sensed nothing for which she was glad. Her body still ached from the ordeal with the bear and she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to protect herself from a group of renegade Woads. Though she saw no devil ghosts amongst the trees, and heard no horns of battle she had an unsettling feeling. It was like a hundred eyes were set upon her but she had no idea where those eyes were situated.

"Aria?" she looked to Arthur who waved at her to come up. She road up to the front of the line and got right next to him. "Do you sense anything?" she looked around.

"I don't see anything and I hear no drums but my stomach is turning to rot… I have an unsettled feeling…"

"As do I…" he said.

"I think we may want to travel faster and meet this carriage as soon as possible."

"We cannot ride as fast as you can… I want you to ride ahead."

"Alone?" she asked.

"Are you up to it?" Arthur asked and she smiled with a nod.

"Hell yes I am." She said with an eagerness that made him chuckle.

"Keep going straight when you see the woads or the carriage you come right back and tell us how far. Can you manage?"

"Easily… Come on Teleri…" the horse instantly took off at a fast speed making the others look up.

"Where is she going?" Lancelot asked.

"She's the lookout for this mission."

"You sent her alone?" Tristan asked.

"She can handle herself." Arthur said.

Aria bent close to Teleri as she ran fast and hard against the soft British earth. She was glad that Arthur had trusted her enough in her abilities to be sent ahead alone, but she was also nervous. She hoped for the ride to be easy with little difficulty. After an hour of riding she started to slow hearing the sounds of yelling. She halted Teleri and jumped down from the horse as they neared the top of a hill.

"Down girl…" she said and the horse got to the ground. Aria got on her knees and slowly moved forward, when she made it to the edge she peered over her body going rigid. She had found the waods, but she had also found the carriage they were too meet. The roman soldier that accompanied were giving a good fight but they were steadily losing. She jumped back as a man in blue paint sprung up from below the ridge she had set herself on. She rolled backwards over her shoulder before leaping onto her feet.

"Teleri get the others!" she shouted as four more came into view. The horse got to her feet and rushed away at its top speed. One of the men rushed at her and she pulled her bow firing an arrow into his chest before pulling her ax and killing two woads at the same time. She then snapped the neck of the last one and took a breath before placing her fingers to her lips and whistling. She smiled as a roman horse left abandoned below began to trek the hill towards her.

-o-

"They must be farther then we thought…" Bors said his thighs hurting from the rough ride.

"I hear a horse…" Dag said. They saw a massive horse come up over a hill and rushed towards them.

"That's Teleri…" Lancelot said.

"Where is her rider?" Gawain asked instantly fearing for Aria. The horse met them and started neighing in a panic way while throwing its head.

"We follow her." Dag said.

"We follow a horse?" Lancelot asked.

"It has a kinship to Aria it will lead us to her Arthur." Dag said.

"Right lead us there." He said to the horse and to his surprise it turned and began to run at its top speed.

"How far do you think she is?" Lancelot asked.

"I hear yells it can't be that far." Bors said. After a few minutes of riding they made it to a hill and looked down to see Aria atop a roman horse slicing the head off a woad.

"Stay on your horses!" she yelled to the three Roman soldiers that helped her surround the carriage and protect it.

"Go!" Arthur ordered as he watched Teleri rush down the hill. Aria smiled as she saw the other knights come down the hill firing arrows.

"Hold on a little longer and you might survive this!" She saw a woad flying towards one of the roman soliders and fired her bow it hit the woad sending him to the ground. The roman soldier turned to say thanks before pointing.

"Look out!" Aria turned just in time to be tackled off the horse. She grabbed her sword and slammed it into the woad before kicking him off her body she leapt up onto her feet and pulled three daggers from her thigh holsters and threw them at woads that had begun to sneak up behind Arthur. He turned when he heard yells form behind him and spotted three woads lying dead on the ground.

"You're welcome!" Aria called making him smiled before he turned and sliced the head off a new attacker.

"Lucan Jameson protect the carriage!" he ordered.

"Right!" they yelled rushing over.

"Teleri!" Aria called. The horse rushed over and she grabbed onto its main and threw herself back onto her saddle. "Ride!" she pulled her second sword. As the horse moved Aria cut the heads off men on either side of her horse simultaneously

"I knew a second sword would come in handy!" Lancelot said as he rode past her doing the same. Aria turned in time to see a woad tackling Tristan to the ground. Her eyes narrowed as Teleri rushed to the scene, just as they were coming up on the two Aria jumped off her horse and tackled the Woad off Tristan before pulling an ax and slamming it into his face. She turned just in time to have a shield swung at her head, she ducked out of the way and slammed her ax into the Woads stomach. Aria slowly looked around to see the clearing riddled with the bodies of waods their numbers down to three. She watched Dag and Bors kill off their opponents and then saw an arrow strike what she thought was the last one.

"You're mine." She turned as did the others to see a large man as big as Dag rushing at her. She smiled as she picked up her speed and ran straight towards him. She smiled as he swung a large ax at her. She slid down across the ground on her knees and slid through the woads legs before leaping onto her feet turning and firing an arrow into the back of his head.

"Woad kill of the week?" she asked the men who just smiled at her antics.

"No I think Bors had that, he hit a woad in both eyes with one arrow." Gawain said.

"How did you manage that?" she asked walking over.

"Through the nose…" He said.

"Nice."

"Thank you." Bors said with a smile.

"We have a problem." Arthur said making them look to the carriage.

"What is it?" Aria asked as they walked over.

"Whoever was in this carriage they're gone…"

"What?" Aria walked over and peered inside to see it was empty. "That's impossible we surrounded the carriage…" she looked to the one roman soldier left. She eyed him for a long moment before pulling her bow and shooting him through the shoulder.

"Aria!" Arthur yelled.

"Where are they?" she asked rushing over and grabbing the soldier by his armor.

"He would have told us! He was their guard!" Arthur yelled. "Aria stop it!"

"Where are they Woad?!" she punched him across the face.

"Woad are you nuts?" Jameson asked.

"You're a little too clean for being in battle." She cut his armor from his body and ripped it off before cutting away his shirt and revealing woad tattoos. "Where is the family that was in this carriage?"

"You'll never find them…"

"Oh no?" she asked before pulling out her ax and cutting two of his fingers off. The woads head threw back in a silent scream before he turned and threw up. "Sing birdy or your toes go next!" she shouted.

"Just like James…" Lancelot said.

"What?" Arthur asked looking to him before looking to Aria.

"Fucking talk!" Aria yelled.

"I won't tell you anything!"

"Gawain take his boots off." She said.

"Righto." Gawain said.

"Okay okay!" The woad shouted scooting himself up against the carriage. "I'll tell you I'll tell you!"

"Where are they and you better not lie." She said pointing her ax at him while she stomped on his unscathed hand securing his fingers in place for further chopping.

"They took the family north of the wall, for ransom." He said. Aria looked at him for a long moment before swinging the ax down on his hand and cutting his fingers away.

"Aria!" Arthur yelled.

"Fucking hell…" Bors said.

"I told you!" he screamed. "I told you! why!?" she went to swing again but he cringed and looked away, she halted her movements before looking to Arthur.

"I think he's telling the truth Arthur…"

"So do I." He said with a serious gaze.

"Should I kill him?" she asked and the mans eyes grew big. "He is a waod."

"No leave him to speak of our mercy." Arthur said.

"You live today." She said. "Tell your waod friends." She walked away and the man collapsed back on the ground. "Arthur if we go now we may be able to stop them to taking the family north of the wall…"

"Gather any arrows un used we ride as soon as we can." Arthur ordered.

"How did you know that guy was a woad?" Galahad asked as they all began to scower bodies for arrows.

"Under his finger nails there was blue." She said with a shrug. "Also I could see a tattoo sticking out from his neck wrap. "Here you are." She handed him a fresh bag of arrows. She moved away and holstered tons of arrows that had spilt from a carrier into her own.

"Thanks for getting that woad off me." She looked to see Tristan kneeling beside her. She didn't say anything just shrugged as she reached for an arrow before she could pick it up Tristan rested his hand over hers halting her movement. "How long are you going to stay cross with me?"

"Why do you care?" she asked. "We're not even friends." She stood before he could say anything and walked back to her horse which she mounted. "Arthur should I start tracking the woads?"

"With Tristan." He said and she looked at him for a long moment before sighing and trotting off.

"I don't know if that's wise…" Dag said quietly to Arthur.

"They need to work out of ever it is that is going on, they are two of our strongest links and they are strong when they can work off each other which they aren't doing right now so they will track together."

"Alright but if Tristan dies it's on your hands… You still don't know about James…" Bors said as he and Dag walked away.

"What happened to James?" Arthur asked once more.

"Shh…" Bors turned. "I told you we don't talk about James." He whispered.

"Did someone say James?" Aria asked looking around.

"No!" they men said except for Arthur who looked at all of them with raised eyebrows.

"Good…" she said before looking to Tristan. "Ready?" he nodded as he mounted his horse and rode off after her and Teleri.