Here's the next chapter. :D Enjoy!

***Chapter 3***

Bella had gotten no answers the night before and Edward's words came back to her with every silent step she took. He had been about to elaborate on his farfetched reasoning when they'd heard raised voices as the dead Barbarians were found.

The rest of their group had scoured the forest with no luck and eventually had given up; Edward and Bella watching their progress from high up in the trees. Their silence since then had been out of necessity but Bella could feel the underlying tension and Edward's ever darkening mood as she gripped her daggers with tight fists.

Somewhere deep down she knew she could believe his claim of safety but only fools trusted with blind faith. She was no fool.

"Do you plan to use those on me?" He asked with ill-disguised disdain. "I always keep my word, you know, and besides…I would never harm you."

Bella wanted to tell him that she wouldn't just so she could feel the warmth of his smile, the touch of his hand slipping into hers but she vehemently casted the dangerous thought away. There was no denying they had some sort of connection but Bella wanted the truth before she would let herself fall any deeper into his snare.

"Only if you force me to…and I find it hard to believe someone who declares his sister has a gift that only the Fates can claim. I believe that you have already lied once." His hands were suddenly wrapped around her upper arms and he turned her to face him, his eyes darkening as his brows furrowed and his lips thinned.

"Let go of me!" She snapped but Edward spoke as if he hadn't heard her, his hands remaining where they were.

"My sister does have that ability, I do not lie. I would never deceive you but now is not the time to discuss this…I beg of you to trust me until I can explain everything fully."

Bella searched his eyes for any signs of insincerity but saw nothing but adamant green. Something inside of her sighed and laid down its weapons and anger; she believed him but she would not entirely let her guard down.

"Very well. Tonight you will explain everything."

"That's all I ask Bella…I would've told you last night if it weren't for the search party. I want you to know and be certain that I will never keep secrets from you." She didn't know how to respond – his tone resounding with conviction – so she wordlessly agreed before they continued to follow the caravan of Barbarians.

They walked several miles at a brisk pace and it wasn't until the sun had well and truly set for many hours that the Barbarians stopped to rest. Bella was exhausted and sore, her feet especially bore the brunt of the uneven ground and the rubbing of her sandals, and her legs were trembling from the strain.

"Why don't you rest and I will keep an ear out for any movement? From what I've seen I think I know your plan." Bella eyed him uncertainly but couldn't deny how wonderful it sounded. After a long moment she decided to have a little faith.

She must have been a fool after all.

"Thank you…that's very kind. Before I sleep I, um, also wanted to say thank you for saving me before. I forgot to say it then so…thank you. For saving my life."

Edward gently brushed a hand over the skin of her cheek and she wanted to kick herself for not stopping him or the dangerous things he made her feel. His hands with his long fingers were powerful, she'd seen it when he fought, but every time he touched her it was the lightest of brushes. As if he found her to be made of delicate glass.

Bella didn't want to admit how much it pleased her that it seemed he could not refrain from making some sort of contact. Schooling her features for the time being she looked up to see his smile and what a smile it was.

His closed lips were pulled up on one side and it revealed a dimple that had remained hidden before then; it was charmingly crooked and it made her heart patter with a strange emotion she'd never felt before.

"It was no hardship," his smile faded in an instant and he scowled angrily. "I'm only sorry I wasn't there sooner…that slimy bastard managed to touch you and for that I'm eternally regretful."

She didn't know where it came from but she had the strongest urge to comfort him and wipe the sadness from his eyes. "Don't be…you came at just the right time and I am forever in your debt." She cheered inwardly as his crooked grin returned and a teasing gleam replaced the guilt.

"I will have to keep you beside me forever then so that I may collect on this debt." Her chuckle was soft and surprising. She'd not found anything amusing for a long time, not since she'd been a young girl under Marie's care.

She'd been helping to bake some fresh bread when her youthful clumsiness struck. The bowl of flour dropping to the ground and exploding in a puff of white that had not only covered Marie and Bella but every surface within the room. They'd stared at one another in shock before Marie had bent over with the force of her laughter, Bella joining in as well as they'd started the hour long clean-up.

Bella had no idea what Edward was doing to her but she found she liked his presence.

"What makes you think I will make it easy for you to collect such a debt?"

"I have many ways Bella..."

She smirked and dropped her belongings to the ground as she sunk to the dewy dead leaves on the forest floor. "We shall see."

***B***

Bella was sure she had only rested for a few moments but when Edward's touch registered her eyes blearily opened, his long fingers brushing back some loose strands of hair that escaped from her braid in her sleep.

"Ah, she awakens…I'm sorry for waking you and I hope you've rested enough but I wanted to make sure you ate something. We might have to move soon."

She nodded and stretched her aching muscles as she sat up, clutching the cloak closer around her shoulders she took note of his sword in the firelight. It was wet with a red-black substance.

"What happened?" she asked in a panic gesturing towards his blade. "Was there trouble? Were we spotted?"

"No no, please be calm. It's nothing like that…I just, I managed to kill another. Like you've done the past nights I waited until he separated from the group." His next words answered the question she was about to ask. "I made sure to mess up the wounds before I left. I don't think they suspect a human of these slayings."

"That was my plan exactly. I'm not strong enough to take them all on at once so I feigned a wild cat attack."

"You may not be strong," he said after a few moments, his voice surprisingly serious, "but you are clever and sometimes that is deadlier."

Her heart stuttered. He was so different to the men of her village. He was accepting of her skills and decisions instead of telling her she was an embarrassment or nothing more than a weak woman.

"Will you tell me your story now?" She asked in hopes of distracting him from her obvious and uncontrollable reactions. His constant belief in her had finally broken down the last of her mistrust but she wasn't willing to speak it out loud just yet. "Will you tell me why you were following me?"

He was silent as his eyes searched hers and she wished he'd stop looking at her in such a way – it stole her breath and her thoughts – and she sighed inaudibly when he finally spoke. "I come from a small village close to the sea…I had lived there most of my life when I wasn't travelling with my family..." He was going to tell her everything from the beginning. It was as if he knew that only a full explanation and not simple comforting words would completely assure her.

His familiarity with her was unnerving.

As he spoke he rolled onto his back, gazing at the stars that were visible through the canopy of the trees and wispy clouds, his voice soft in remembrance. "My mother was known wherever she went of having great beauty but she was forever anxious from the amount of attention it brought onto her. To this day, I will never know if it was simply her humility or if it was something more.

"The night after my tenth birthday I was passing my parent's room when I heard their hushed whispers and my name so being the youth that I was, I listened." Sighing he rolled back onto his side to face Bella.

"As I listened I heard her speak of a king that had once sat upon the throne of Grecia, and how he would still be looking for us and how I would soon come of age and that the king would know this too." His eyes darkened as he sucked in a deep breath.

"I could not understand why royalty would want anything to do with my small family and I never got a chance to ask because that was the night that the soldiers came…my parents were fast asleep but I could not close my eyes because I was still thinking over what I'd heard. I was the one who was alerted of their approach."

Bella had an idea of what happened next and it saddened her to think of Edward scarred at such a young age. "I rushed to my parent's room and woke them up, warning them, but it was too late.

"My father told me to run but I would not leave them. It was only after he had killed a few soldiers that had made it to their room that he finally convinced me to run…they said they would be right behind me but when I had reached the top of the hill I looked back to find the house in flames.

"I could hear my mother screaming my father's name and that was last I heard as I ran and ran with no real place in mind." His eyes took on a darker, glossy sheen as he spoke of his parents. He had suffered greatly in his life, she knew what it was like to be an orphan and it wasn't easy.

Without a second thought she moved closer to him – giving in to the electricity that surrounded them – soothing her hand up and down his arm in remorse. Hoping the small gesture would be enough of a comfort. He smiled at her forlornly as the darkness slowly vanished from his face, nodding in thanks.

"Do not fear Bella…the story gets better." He calmed as she tentatively returned his smile. "I was found a few months later in another town a little closer to yours and was taken in by a man of medicine. His name is Carlisle and to this day he has been like a father to me, his wife Esme, my mother and his only daughter Alice, my older sister.

"They accepted me and took care of me with no questions asked which I came to realise was because Alice is a Seer. She gets glimpses of the future and had told them what would come to pass. That my parents would be killed and that we would eventually become a family." This time Bella believed him when he spoke of his sister's talent. He had no reason to lie and had given her no cause to doubt his words so far.

"At first I was angry because had they sent word to my family then we could have fled before the arrival of the soldiers…but Alice told me she had only had the vision moments before it had taken place. I was halfway through apologising for yelling at her when I noticed her eyes, I don't know, glaze over? And she smiled after touching my hand."

Bella was startled when he rubbed the back of his fingers gently down her cheek, the cloak covering the bumps raising on her skin from the simple touch.

"Go on Edward, what was it?" Her curiosity was overwhelming and his quiet laugh had her smiling.

"That was the first time she had a vision…of you." He replied, her shock was instant, had this girl seen something of her family unknowingly. Maybe she'd finally come across someone who would be able to tell her of her past; the memories that were hidden from her.

"What did she see?" She asked urgently and the change of her demeanour took Edward by surprise. He became aware of how large her lovely eyes had gone and how her posture had stiffened, as if she expected a blow of some kind.

"What is it Bella? Are you well?" Sitting up he brought her closer but she did not relax into his hold.

"Please, tell me what she saw…I have to know." She pleaded her voice stronger now.

"She saw you playing with a small boy. You were only a child of around six or seven years if we were to guess and the boy around nine or ten…do you remember him?" He questioned curiously, she had forgotten that he knew nothing of her missing memories.

"No." She mumbled her posture relaxing into his warm grip. "I have no recollection of my early years. My childhood and where I came from are nothing but misty shadows in my mind…I knew only my given name."

Looking up at him – with pleading eyes that shone with unshed tears – it was nearly his undoing, her face so lost and sad that his heart broke. "Could I mayhap speak with Alice? Would she remember anything of the vision now?" It had obviously been a long time ago if the apparition was of her as a child but then she recalled that Edward had said the first vision.

Had there been others?

"I'm not sure, but when this is over I will take you back with me and you can ask her anything you want," his words causing her great relief and also the urge to hug him closer.

"Thank you Edward. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I can only imagine…but please know that I really would do anything for you. It's the reason why I followed you to begin with…you see, Alice had another vision of you recently. You had grown up but something was wrong…she had seen fragments this time of you scared and running through the forest, dressed in fine clothes, the last vision that came to her was stronger though…and it was of the two of us."

He paused as his cheeks went a shade of pale pink; this made her curious, what would have happened between the two of them to have this brave man blushing? Again, she didn't have to wait long for the answer.

"The image was of you…with child…and I was by your side. Alice said she saw two matching rings worn by both of us on our sacred finger. She says that you are my Kindred." Now it was Bella's turn to blush.

She felt the warmth spread over her chest and face as the realisation dawned on her. This was the man she was fated to be with forever and even though it was a scary thought it didn't upset her like it should have.

In fact, it had the opposite effect as she felt happiness radiate through her.

It was squelched down however by the sudden nerves that made her hands shake as they clutched at Edward's tunic. Very few were as blessed to find their destined and this news gave her an explanation as to the strange reactions she'd experienced since they'd met.

Edward mistook her trembling for fear and he hid his face from her, his arms dropping to his sides in defeat. He'd hoped to earn her trust after he'd explained his appearance but if the thought sent terror through her than there must have been a fault in Alice's vision. Over the years his sister had gotten vision after vision of Bella and every time she did she would tell Edward of the girl that would eventually become precious to him.

He felt as if he already knew her, as if she were there with him all along. He was shaken from his thoughts though when her small hands clenched tighter around the material of his tunic.

"It's okay Edward…please do not move away." She pleaded, and it was a relief to pull her close once more. "I was only startled that is all, I…I believe you. Not only about why you're here but also what you said of Alice's vision and I..." she couldn't finish her sentence because of the lump in her throat.

"You what Bella?" He asked, his hands whispering over her cheeks and neck.

"I…would want nothing more than for that revelation to come to pass in due course." She finished. Those same pesky nerves attacked her insides as she waited for any response from Edward only to suddenly feel his warm lips against hers. The feelings were new to her, this being her first kiss, but she knew that if had happened with anyone else it would not have felt as right as it did at that moment.

Circling his head with her arms she brought herself up onto her knees as Edward did the same. His arms winding around her waist; bringing her closer to his strong form. The warmth of his front seeped into Bella's and she felt every muscle in his chest move against her. Moaning from the contact she was sure she had died and gone to the heavens.

Surely this man was not of this earth she thought as his lips smoothed over hers. When she drew away to gasp for air he followed her and she felt his tongue explore her mouth and this time the moan was his. They kissed deeply for a few moments more before they broke apart resting their foreheads together, their breaths mingling.

"Bella…I have waited for you for so long." He sighed, in what sounded like reverence. Grinning up at him so hard she thought her face would split in two at the sheer joy that she felt she replied by sighing his name.

She traced the contours of his face with a gentle finger and he shut his eyes as he relaxed in her arms. It was short lived, however, as they were shaken from their private moment by loud shouts and the lightening of the sky.

They quickly leapt to their feet, gathered their things and hid behind some thick bushes as several angry Barbarians moved around the clearing they had been resting in only moments before. The remaining men had obviously found another dead comrade and now they were adamant in hunting down this wild animal that was stalking them before continuing.

As the kiss-induced-fog faded sudden inspiration struck. If all the men were here searching it meant that the wagons had been left unguarded. Catching Edward's attention she beckoned him over and leant as close as possible to his ear.

"Should we try to reach the wagons while they are searching?" She asked Edward, his face now pensive as he thought through her question. "We can get the people to safety by the time they return to their camp. If we are careful they will not know which direction we have gone if we cover our tracks and travel through the forest…"

She could see Edward considering her suggestion and so she continued. "Right now they believe they are hunting the wild cat, they will not be expecting people."

It was a good idea but it would be very risky. They could be caught in the middle of freeing the prisoners and because they would be out in the open there would be no cover for them if needed. On the other hand they might not get another chance until it was too late.

Edward nodded in agreement and he had an idea of another thing they could do. "Why don't we kill one more of the men in the search party and leave the body in the other direction than the one we will travel?" He supplied.

Bella quickly approved and after making sure their belongings were completely hidden they trailed after the hunting party. Finding one Barbarian that had foolishly strayed further away than the rest. After telling Edward to approach from behind she took a chance on the Barbarian's pride and guessed he would want to kill the beast by himself.

Making as little noise as possible – her sandaled feet silent over the forest floor – she made it to a short distance away. Making sure she deliberately snapped a few twigs, she ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

Having heard the heavy thumps of boots and no shout she knew she was right in her assumption, only one followed her and hopefully Edward was right behind. She could hear the man gaining ground so she quickly ducked behind the thickest tree she could see and waited for the thud. Peeking around the trunk she saw the man face down on the ground, a shiny knife still quivering hilt deep in the man's back, only metres from her hiding spot.

Glancing up at the approaching figure she was relieved to find that it was only Edward, smiling in relief he pulled her into a quick hug. After he kissed her forehead he turned to make the necessary marks and damage to the ground and body.

Once they were done they cleared their tracks and then Edward called out for help, imitating the dead man in hopes of drawing the others to their spot. When they were sure they heard the men crunching through the forest towards them they ran as fast as their legs would take them to the abandoned camp.

First they checked that there was no guards, then they rushed out of the safety of the trees and to the wagons. There were cries of surprise and pleas and Bella begged them all to be quiet, after a few sobs the villagers fell silent realising they would attract unwanted attention. Climbing out of the wagons one by one after the locks were picked.

Bella hastily got the attention of the stronger women and boys and told them to search for any weapons that they could find lying around. Once they had returned mostly successful Bella and Edward led them into the surrounding forest which had grown lighter with every passing minute.

Grasping Edward's hand as he pulled her along she realised that she had completed what she had set out to do but that they were not in the clear yet. As soon as the Barbarian's made it back to the camp they would see their prisoners gone and the hunt would begin.

It wouldn't be safe to return to Creolle and Bella realised if they wanted to survive their only option would be to reach the capital city of Isola; Edward readily agreed that it was the best and only alternative.

The only problem was that the journey would take up to three days possibly longer because they had young children, elderly and injured with them. They also had no food or water and no supplies of any kind.

Edward and Bella eventually retrieved their left behind items and turned to see that the group, of around twenty four, had all kept up. Bella desperately searched the faces and rushed to hug Marie, relieved to find the older lady weary but not hurt.

After a quick but silently tearful reunion Bella returned to Edward's side and they went over the plan. The group were more than happy to cover their tracks and fight if necessary as they travelled but Bella hoped it would not come to that. A feeling in her gut telling her it wouldn't be that easy.

Clutching Edwards hand tightly they turned and the small group set off as quick and quiet as possible. As the hours passed, the distance grew between them and the Barbarians until it was once again dark and they had gained at least half a day's lead.

Knowing they couldn't stop for long she told everyone to rest and scavenge whatever food they could find which they could then eat it with what was left of Bella's dried meat and fruit. Once they were rested enough they would keep travelling.

After making sure that everyone was somewhat fed – especially the more injured women – she collapsed next to Edward who was leaning against the trunk of a tree and keeping watch.

"We've made good ground." He whispered as he put an arm around her shoulders and she snuggled into his chest.

"That we have, but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and I don't think I thanked you properly."

She grinned up at him, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and he responded with his lopsided smile, "Is that so? And what exactly did you have in mind then?" Still grinning he decided to go along with the tease. It was a surreal feeling to be so warm and comfortable with Bella by his side; the hole in his chest finally filled by the small but fearless woman with the honey-coloured eyes.

"Well I can't think of anything right now but I'm sure I'll come up with something eventually." She declared and her face – that she was trying to keep straight – twitched as her merriment fought to take over. Unable to hold it in she laughed softly and grasped Edwards face in her hands; memorising his amused features and the shapes and colours.

Slowly leaning in she placed a soft brushing kiss and enjoyed the feel of his soft lips; kissing him again more firmly as his arms wound around her waist and brought her closer to his side. Leaning away he nuzzled against her cheek as she fitted her head against his neck.

"I look forward to it but for now you should get some sleep…you haven't rested properly for days. I'll keep watch." He mumbled but she was already fast asleep curled into his side. Her breaths heavy against Edward's chest as his warm hands stroked down the soft silk of her hair.

AN: Thank you for the reviews and comments I really appreciate them, feel free to leave me some more if you wish.

I hope you have another lovely week and fasten your seatbelts, from the next chapter it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

Bye lovelies! :D