AN: PEOPLE ARE STILL READING THIS!? WEEEE! I'll keep going then! The more reviews I get the more driven I am to update.
-o-
Aria slowly looked over her arms and face. She had cleaned every inch of blood from her skin and clothes. She now wore her lavender Grecian dress as her battle clothes dried. She unlike the others cleaned her clothes as often as she could, not being able to stand the smell of old blood on her leather garments. She turned and smiled softly seeing Tristan at her window sill. She had to wonder how long he had been sitting there.
"You're the only one who has ever been able to sneak up on me." She said as he stood. Tristan crossed the space between them and cupped her cheek his mouth crashing against hers instantly. She stumbled back only to have his arms wrap around her body and pull her close to his. He pulled away but only slightly, his forehead resting against hers. "I missed you…" Aria said softly her lips brushing against his as she spoke and his eyes closed. He never thought he'd hear anyone say that to him.
"Why did you volunteer to come into the hill alone when it was being over taken by rebels?" He asked. "Why would you put yourself in such danger?"
"I had to do something." She said and he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm supposed to protect you… I couldn't' protect you with you behind these walls and me on the outside."
"I'm sorry…"
"Don't ever do that to me again." He said with sheer sincerity written across his expression.
"I can take care of myself Tristan…"
"So stubborn…" He said and she smiled softly as he moved forward and kissed her once more. They moved back and Aria laughed as her knees hit the bed and she fell backwards. Tristan slowly moved over her and to Arias surprise she felt no fear as she had with others. Then again, she wanted Tristan, she had never wanted any of those other men.
Nothing more than kissing would happen. Both knew the fate of one another if anything more happened. Both cared about each other enough to let kissing be enough. After all neither wanted the other to be put to death for treason. Tristan found her intoxicating though. When his lips were against hers the world fell away. He found he needed her, needed her more than anything. It was like she was oxygen and he needed nothing more than to breathe.
-o-
Tristan came out of his room. He had left Arias early in the morning. Neither had slept they had stayed up talking or kissing. Still he couldn't wait to have his eyes rest on hers once more.
"Morning Tristan long night?" Gawain asked and he tilted his head. "I didn't hear you come in until late."
"Was walking looking for rebels." He said.
"Thought so." Gawain said.
"Morning." Galahad said joining them.
"Where have you been?" Gawain asked.
"With Arthur and Lancelot cleaning up bodies, we're nearly finished then we're moving onto Venoras watering hole, poor girl is devastated."
"I can only imagine." Gawain said as they walked off. When they got to the street Tristan had to admit it looked far better than it had the night before, barely any bodies or blood at all. He knew where Aria would be she had one care in the world other than him and it was her horse. She would be fixing up the Barn which had nearly burnt down.
He walked to the fort and walked to the barns to find Dag and Jameson putting up fences. Tristan looked around before having a nail fall beside his foot. He looked up to see Aria high up in the rafters fixing the roof. He had a small moment of panic when he saw her fall back but relaxed when he watched her flip through the air and land easily on her feet.
"That should hold any rain until we get more wood." Aria said before looking to Tristan with a smile. "Morning." She said handing him a pear as he tossed her an apple.
"That's cute that little fruit thing you do." Venora said walking in and Tristan just eyed her.
"Morning Venora." Aria said.
"Morning Isolde or is it Aria today?"
"Aria." She said with a smile. "What can I help you with?"
"Arthur asked me to come get you all for the watering hole."
"Can do." Aria said with a smile as she walked off linking arms with Venora.
"Well those two got close awfully quick." Jameson said and Dag smiled.
"It'll be good for her to have some female friends." He said and Tristan just nodded.
"I'm so sorry about your father Venora, I'm sorry I couldn't help…" Aria said.
"No…. Thank you for stopping me from rushing inside… I would have died."
"It's no problem…" Aria said.
"You were brilliant by the way." Venora stated. "I watched you battle from above… I could never do anything like that."
"Sure you could." Aria said looking her over.
"No you're a special kind of woman."
"So are you." She said pinching her side and making her laugh.
"What are you two giggling about?" Bors asked seeing the girls incredibly close knit. "And since when are you two friends?"
"Since my wedding." Aria said and Venora laughed. "So Venora it's now your watering hole, what do you want it to be like?" She asked.
"Keep the stone floors they survived the fire but build I guess a canopy." She said.
"Canopy's hold no challenge for I am a builder and I build things." Gawain said in an overly manly tone of voice as he slung an axe over his shoulder.
"Very convincing Gawain." Aria said and he just winked at her. "We're going to need more wood…"
"The town is near depleted." Arthur said. "We'd have to venture into the woods."
"Let's do it then." Aria said.
"The rebels who escaped could be out there." Arthur said.
"Then let's go out get some wood and kill some rebels. Kill two birds with one stone." Lancelot said.
"Sounds like a good time to me." Aria said with a smile.
"Dag and Bors should go with Aria, Aria can look after while you're chopping down the trees."
"I could go as well." Tristan said.
"No just Aria." Arthur said as he eyed him.
"I'll set up the carriage." Aria said skipping off.
"I'll help." Tristan said going after her as Dag and Bors took into account how much wood they would need.
"Must you volunteer for such dangerous things?" Tristan asked as they began to walk to the barn.
"I'll be fine Tristan." Aria said with a small smile.
"In the past times you have said that to me, you have nearly been taken advantage of twice, almost killed by a bear, and captured by rebels."
"I mean it this time." She said with a smile and he shook his head.
"I don't like it."
"I have my orders." She said as they walked into the barn.
"Ignore them."
"Yes because that's an option." She said as she turned to face him. "Tristan I'll be okay I'm going to be with Dag and Bors…"
"You won't be with me though." She looked at him for a long moment.
"Are you trying to say that I can't take care of myself only you can take care of me?"
"Yes." She punched him across the face and he dropped to the ground as he held his chin.
"I deserved that." He said as she walked away and he got to his feet.
"Asshole." She muttered.
"I didn't mean it how it sounded, you know what I did mean." She turned on him and he watched as her eyes grew fierce. "Do not give me this look." He said his accent slipping through. "I'm allowed to worry about you."
"I'm starting to think I liked it better when you were silent and our only exchange was apples." She muttered. "You respected me back then-."
"Worrying about you does not mean I don't respect you as a knight you know I do…" She shook her head. "You really are like that princess in the story, stubborn as a rock." He turned and walked away.
"Tristan?" She asked blinking, he never walked away from her. "Tristan!" He waved her off as he walked out of the barn. She sighed heavily as she looked off her jaw clenching. "First he likes me for it now he despises me for being stubborn."
"Everything okay?" Dag asked walking in. "Tristan stormed off."
"I'm aware." She said.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Nope." He titled his head.
"Usually you tell me things like that."
"I can't this time."
"So it's finally happened?" She blinked and looked to him to see he was smiling.
"What's happened?" She asked and he just smiled more.
"I approve…" She smiled softly.
"Thanks…" She said. "Don't tell the-."
"You once said I'm quiet because I keep everyone's secrets, that's true. So your secret is safe with me."
"What secret?" Bors asked walking in.
"That you're going bald." Aria said and Dag laughed. "Oh I let it slip." She said and he laughed more.
-o-
Tristan as he helped rebuild the watering hole kept his eyes out for Bors, Dag, and more importantly Aria. As time passed he got more and more worried. Then he spotted the carriage she Bors and Dag had taken to get the wood. He had a moment of panic when he did not see Aria riding up with Bors and Dag driving the carriage. Then he spotted her swinging off the side of the cab where she landed on the ground easily.
"There they are just when we needed it." Lancelot said with a smile.
"Any trouble?" Arthur asked.
"None." Aria said walking over. "But I did find some tracks…"
"Tracks?" he asked.
"The rebels no doubt… Some were injured I have a feeling they couldn't have gone far…"
"You want to go after them?" Arthur asked.
"I do… I really do." She said. "I mean I did almost have to marry one of them so I'm itching for more payback." He smiled.
"I can't leave the fort." He said. "I'm waiting for word from the Romans about our taking back of the hill."
"Then let me go in your place."
"You want to go alone?"
"It's three men tops Arthur." She said. "Besides we don't want these guys to come back with a vengeance." He slowly nodded. "Let me go in your place."
"You did do amazing here in the hill on your own, you're the only reason we got back in and took it as our own…" She smiled as he looked her over. "Not alone take another knight."
"Well I already have one in plan, I'm still horrible at tracking, and I'd like to learn-."
"From Tristan." He said looking her over.
"It would be a good learning experience and that way we take his hawk with us in case we run into trouble."
"So you can get word back…" He slowly nodded before looking her over.
"Arthur what is it?" She asked.
"You and Tristan have been spending a lot of time together…"
"Well he's my best mate sir." She said "Other than you of course." She patted him on the shoulder and he smiled.
"Alright, go, but I want you back as soon as possible."
"Yes sir." She said with a smile. "And thanks for the chance for me to prove myself again."
"You don't have to keep proving yourself." He said and she smiled.
"Just want to keep reminding you it wasn't a mistake making me a knight…" She said with a smile before walking to the carriage. "Tristan." He turned and looked to her. "We're on." He nodded and jumped down from the carriage.
"Wait where are they going?" Lancelot asked seeing them walk off.
"Where are we going?" Tristan asked.
"We have tracks to follow I think it's the rebels." She said. "We're to find and eliminate them."
"I will retrieve Glider and my weapons, I will meet you at the barn." She watched as he walked off and sighed softly. He was still angry with her and she wasn't sure why. She shrugged before heading to the fort to get up to her room. She retrieved all her weapons and got them on before grabbing her cloak and rushing to the barn. When she walked inside it was to find Tristan waiting with their horses before she could even get on he did so and took off without her.
"Damn it all…" She muttered before taking off with Teleri.
-o-
The ride was a tense one. Tristan hadn't looked at her once. He hadn't spoken once. He didn't speak often but his silence this day was much different than the one it normally was. This wasn't a calm sort of silence, it was the type of silence fueled by rage. Rage directed towards her.
He hasn't even given me an apple… I'd give him the pear in my pack if I didn't think he'd slit my throat the second I did… This is all my fault why did I get so high and mighty with him… He's allowed to worry about me, we're together… Besides… He's always worried about me… Nothing has really changed. Why did I even insinuate it had?
"I didn't mean it how it sounded, you know what I did mean." She turned on him and he watched as her eyes grew fierce. "Do not give me this look." He said his accent slipping through. "I'm allowed to worry about you."
"I'm starting to think I liked it better when you were silent and our only exchange was apples." She muttered. "You respected me back then-."
"Worrying about you does not mean I don't respect you as a knight you know I do…" She shook her head. "You really are like that princess in the story, stubborn as a rock." He turned and walked away.
"Tristan?" She asked blinking as he walked away, he never walked away from her. "Tristan!" He waved her off as he walked out of the barn. She sighed heavily as she looked off her jaw clenching. "First he likes me for it now he despises me for being stubborn."
"It's getting dark…" She said pulling herself from her thoughts. "We should find a place to rest." She looked to Tristan to see his jaw clenching. "We can't track in the dark."
"We'll light a fire." He said sternly.
"Which could attract attention."
"Then we'll fight off whoever we attract the attention of."
"Alright." Aria jumped off Teleri and looked up at Tristan whose jaw was clenching. "That's it." She walked off to Tristan and pulled on his arm making him fall off his horse.
"Aria." He said standing up quickly with a disgruntled look.
"We're going to talk, more importantly you're going to talk I hate your silence."
"I'm always silent."
"This is a different type of silence." She said with a point as her jaw clenched. "So… Say something…" She said shifting on her feet.
"What do you want me to say Aria?"
"I don't know… Something… Hell yell at me if you want to." He shook his head as he went to get back on his horse. "Tristan… Please…" he stopped as he bowed his head forward.
"You… Infuriate me… Sometimes…"
"Is now one of those times?" He couldn't help but quirk a smile as he shook his head and sighed heavily. "Look…" Arias jaw clenched as she shifted on her feet once more. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said what I said, or gotten mad at you for worrying about me. You're allowed to worry…" Tristan stood up straight. "Look… I like what's changed between us, I like that you and I are… I don't know what we are to be honest, but whatever it is I like it more than just the friendship we had… But it's an adjustment… For me…" He turned and looked to her. "I'm whole heartedly sorry Trist…"
"Okay." He said walking past her. "We'll rest here."
"Okay?" she asked turning and looking at his retreating form as he smiled to himself.
"Okay." He confirmed with a nod. Aria jumped as an apple was thrown at her which she caught in hand. She smiled down at it before blindly tossing a pear which Tristan caught. She looked up and smiled seeing Tristan looking to her.
He walked over to her and Aria couldn't help but smile softly as his hand set on her hip lightly. His other hand set on her cheek where his thumb brushed over a rare blush lightly. He felt movement and looked down to see Aria had grabbed a knife from his hip where she threw it under hand. He heard a yell of pain and turned to see the knife sticking into the throat of a rebel who pulled it out in pure shock and screamed silently as blood spurted from the middle of his neck. He looked back to Aria who was still smiling softly his hand still set upon her cheek.
"I got your back…" She said and her eyebrow quirked as she heard a pained noise from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see a rebel falling backwards a knife in the middle of his forehead. She smiled softly as she looked back to Tristan.
"I have yours…" She smiled softly as he move forward and kissed her deeply.
Gawain took a deep breath as he slowly slunk behind a tree. He blinked for a few moments unsure of what he had seen. He slowly looked back around the tree and stopped to see Aria and Tristan still kissing passionately. His jaw clenched as he leaned back against the tree. He now knew why Arthur had sent him ahead to look after Aria and Tristan. Gawain felt his anger bubble over, he didn't blame Aria, he did blame Tristan though. He pulled his ax and went to throw it but stopped hearing Aria beginning to speak.
"You are so very good to me Tristan…"
"Nothing less then what you deserve…"
"I am so thankful we found our way to one another… Promise we'll always be like this…"
"I promise Ariadne…"
"You make me happier… Then anything…" Gawain's jaw clenched as he relinquished a hold of his axe. He couldn't kill Tristan now. Not when he knew how happy Aria was in his arms. That didn't mean he couldn't beat the hell out of him later though.
How did this happen?! Maybe I didn't see or hear what I heard… Gawain slowly peeked around the tree and froze seeing Tristan and Aria still embracing. He returned to laying back against the tree as his eyes shut tightly. No I saw that… I definitely saw that… How did this happen?!
"Gawain?" his eyes snapped open and he stared at Aria who was standing right before him. She had a sweet smile as she looked him over it suddenly slipped and she took a shaky breath.
"What did you see-."
"Everything." He said softly and in that moment both knights felt the tension rise.
"What is it Aria?" They heard Tristan ask from camp.
"Uhm-." Gawain suddenly moved around the tree and rushed at Tristan. "Gawain stop it!" Aria yelled rushing forward and pulling him back before he could slam his fist into Tristans face.
"What is going on?" Tristan asked his accent slipping through.
"He knows." Aria said.
"Knows what?" Tristan asked.
"Don't act coy you dog!" Gawain yelled as he got to his feet. "How could you do that to her how could you do this to us!" He bellowed his voice echoing through the trees.
"Gawain we aren't-." his eyes turned to her and she stopped. Never in her life had the ginger bearded man been angry with her. But in that moment she knew he was. "We aren't… Consummating anything."
"Not yet-."
"Not ever Gawain, to do such a thing would not only put me to death but Tristan as well and I wouldn't do that to him."
"You seduced her." Gawain said taking out an axe and pointing it at Tristan. "I should kill you where you stand-."
"I'd like to see you try." Tristan said his hand resting on his sword.
"What?" Aria asked looking from Tristan to Gawain. "No. No. Stop this." She said and the men looked to her. "Why kill him?" She asked looking to Gawain.
"He has called into question your honor!"
"No he hasn't we have done nothing-."
"I saw you kiss just a moment before-."
"So that doesn't call into question my honor!" Aria yelled. "I'm not sleeping with him-."
"When Arthur finds out-."
"He will do nothing because I have done nothing wrong!"
"You have ruined everything Aria!" He yelled and her jaw clenched. "You ride back to the fort and tell Arthur now of your sin or I will!"
"Tristan will kill you if I leave." Aria said and Gawain stared at her. "Kill you because you'll try and kill him…"
"Then I shall go and tell of your sin."
"Sin?" She asked. "I have committed none, I haven't taken him into my bed… I have done nothing that isn't allowed of me… Arthur said if I found someone who I cherish and who cherishes me back I could move forward with such an adventure as long as nothing more intimate then an embrace would come to pass…"
"I go now." Gawain said turning away and walking before suddenly turning back. "If you had permission why keep it a secret?" He asked.
"You're kidding right?" She asked.
"No tell me."
"You all thought less of me when a woad tried to take advantage of me against my will, I could only imagine it would be worse if you all found out I willingly was embracing another man." His jaw clenched as he looked off.
"How long?"
"How long what?" Aria asked softly.
"How long have you and Tristan been snogging behind our backs?!"
"The night of Lucans funereal." She said softly. "That's when we made it official amongst ourselves." His jaw clenched as he looked off. "Gawain…" He slowly looked to her. "I have fought for you and the others… bruised for you… scarred for you… Cried for you… Bled…" her voice shook. "For you… All I ask is that my fighting…" she walked to him. "My bruises, scars, tears, and blood bought me this one thing, this chance, to know what it's like to cherish someone and be cherished back."
"You could have waited?"
"For what 15 years?" She asked her eyes wide. "Gawain I'm not going to make it that long…"
"Don't say that…" He said instantly.
"Why not, it's true." She said softly. "I'm going to die young, and be buried in that sad little cemetery by the fort, and I'm okay with it really, I've come to terms… The way I have is by being with Tristan. I can die happy knowing that even for a few moments in time I was cherished by someone."
"I'm going back to the fort…" Gawain said. "I will speak of nothing I saw…" he walked towards her. "But you will tell Arthur." He said with a point.
"I will… I promise." He nodded as he set his hand on her shoulder.
"You are… Happy?" He asked surprising her.
"Yes." She said softly.
"Okay…" he said patting her shoulder. "Okay…" he walked past her to Tristan. "As for you." He punched him across the face so hard Tristan fell to the ground. "I could give two shits if you were happy or not!" He muttered as he walked away. Aria went to Tristan's side and helped him sit up. "I killed the other rebel so head back to the fort. There's none left… Gods the things I do for you Aria!" She knew he was talking about the current situation and not the rebel. After he disappeared into the forest Aria looked to Tristan who had blood trickling down out of his mouth.
"Are you alright?" She asked softly.
"Fine… Cheap shot." He muttered wiping the blood from his chin as she cupped her cheek. He slowly looked to Aria and stopped. He could see it in her eyes, something very rare, fear. He cupped her cheek as he pushed some hair behind her ear. "Aria-."
"What if Arthur didn't mean what he said?" She asked softly. He knew she must have been really afraid if she wasn't trusting what Arthur said. She always trusted in Arthur, just as much as she trusted in him.
"Let's hope he's the man we think he is." She slowly nodded as she looked off her jaw clenching. "We could not go back." She slowly brought her eyes to his.
"What?" She asked softly.
"We…" he looked all around to make sure Gawain was really gone. "We could not go back Aria."
"I don't understand-."
"Yes you do…" he said cupping her cheek. "We have our horses, we have supplies, we leave tonight. Run. Maybe they'll think we were killed on our way back-."
"Not us. They wouldn't believe that would happen to us that's why they sent us out here in the first place." She said.
"We could out run them… Join the rebels-."
"We've killed the rebels."
"Then join the woads."
"We've killed too many Woads for them to accept us."
"We can out run them?"
"Out run Rome?" she asked. "Tristan do you hear yourself? They would hunt us down and kill us-."
"I'd protect you." He said instantly.
"You can protect me from many things Tristan… But not from Rome… We have no choice we have to go back…" As she walked away to the horses Tristans jaw clenched so hard it popped in his jaw.
"I will tell Arthur." She turned and looked to him. "I will tell him." He said.
"You're going to tell him?" She asked quietly.
"I will tell him." He repeated. "Yes… I will…" he walked past her to a horse and jumped on before racing off into the distance. Aria shook her head feeling more dread then she ever had in her life before walking to her horse and stopping. It wasn't her horse at all. Tristan had taken Teleri, so he could out run her so she couldn't stop him.
"Are you kidding me!?" She yelled. "Tristan!" she yelled as she jumped onto her horse.