William awoke an hour before dawn the next morning; Molly was still asleep beside him. Not wanting to wake her, he slid out of the covers as quietly as he could and got dressed, deciding to wash at a nearby stream. As he was striding out of his tent, he caught sight of Gillian making her way to Gaia's pen.
"Where are you going," he asked, approaching her.
"Home" Gillian replied curtly.
Tavington gave her a blank stare.
"Why? You have work to do here."
"Yes, well it seems that I was a distraction to one of the officers, and your superior, O'Hara saw fit to remove me from my station." Gillian spoke pointedly.
"Gillian, you can't just leave. We are short on medical staff as it is," Tavington tried to reason.
"Tell that to Molly, as I believe it was she who saw fit to remove me!"
The colonel frowned and muttered angrily to himself.
"It's not safe for you out there."
"And where else do I have to go," Gillian cried. "I can't stay here and be caught between you and Molly, and I can't make you choose me over her for some horrible piteous feeling you might have."
"Gillian-" Tavington placed a hand lightly on her arm.
"You should have seen how furious she was with me when she caught me on the way out of your tent! She loves you, Colonel. Don't let that go to waste."
For an endless minute, the two stood facing each other, neither speaking to the other. Then Tavington took a hesitant step forward and gently kissed Gillian's forehead, brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes.
"Make haste," he muttered.
Gillian gave a ghost of a saddened smile before mounting Gaia, her saddlebags full. Then, with a light chirrup, she urged the mare forward as Tavington watched them leave the camp.