Author's Notes: And another chapter to wrap up the week! Enjoy!
Chapter XVII
As Iliana suspected, every part of her body was sore when she woke up the next morning. The sparring matches, the running into the forest and back to the village, and even climbing the abandoned watchtower (which was Dimitra's idea for strength training when they returned to the village) definitely did a number on her form. She welcomed it, though; it had been quite some time since she felt this sore, and considering she had been neglecting her combat training since arriving in Britain, she needed to make up for that. She wasn't sure how much time she had left before having to return to the Wall, and she wanted to make the most of it while she didn't have any distractions ready to disturb her.
As she waited for her willpower to return to her so that she could sit up in bed, she thought back to the words of Andres.
"Let the empathy and pain you feel for the girls be the fuel you need to awaken and channel your warrior self."
Sophia's words then echoed afterwards.
"That unnecessary guilt is holding you back, and if you keep letting it define your life, the real you will never come out for us and for Arthur and his knights to see, especially your knight."
She let out a chuckle; both of them were right, and Andres had been right in the time she stayed with him before leaving for Britain. She was just too stubborn and hard-headed to let go of the guilt that she felt she deserved. Leoric never would have wanted her to live an unhappy life. He wanted her to smile and glow for those around her like she had always done for him while she was growing up. There was more to her than what she had been letting on, and that part of her wanted to come out and show herself to the world.
She was just about to drift off into a light doze when she heard a knock on her door.
"Ili?"
She perked up at the sound of Andres's voice.
"Come on in," she called, groaning when a wave of soreness rushed throughout her body.
The door swung open, and he walked in, chuckling at the sight of her exhausted form.
"I figured that training would have caught up to you eventually. How do you feel?"
"Sore, but I happily welcome it," she replied. "Considering I haven't trained a lot since I arrived on the island, I needed to make up for lost time in the short amount we have before the rest of the refugees arrive."
His smile grew slightly as he approached her bed and crouched down at the edge so that he was at eye level with her.
"Well, I can see you're reflecting on something, and I see a new determination in you."
Iliana chuckled; time only made his eyes sharper and sharper in his perceptions and observations.
"You were right this whole time, Andres. Father wouldn't have wanted me to wallow in grief and the guilt I felt I deserved. He would have wanted me to be happy, but instead of letting myself be happy, I let myself be miserable for the past two years. A part of me wishes Father could come back from the dead and smack me upside the head for being so blind and stubborn."
Andres breathed out a sigh as he pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Sometimes, it takes the right person entering your life to realize the good standing in front of you when you don't see it. In your case, it took Tristan and the girls for you to open your eyes. Better late than never, and I'm happy that you've finally opened your eyes to what your father wanted."
Iliana smiled slightly; if there was one thing Andres never failed to do, it was that he always knew what to say to her to help lift her spirits whenever she was down.
"I want to ask a favor of you."
"Sure, sweetheart. Anything," Andres said.
"When I finally have the strength to sit up and get out of bed, do you think you can get some ink work done for me?"
"There. All done, Ili."
Iliana breathed out a sigh of relief when Andres finally lifted the sharp tip of his tool off of her skin. The pain shot throughout her left shoulder blade like multiple needles poking into her skin, but it was worth it for what she wanted done.
"Here. You can see for yourself."
He handed her a small, simple mirror, and he held a slightly larger mirror at her back so that she could see it. When she held the mirror up, Iliana was in awe at the tribal tattoo that adorned her left shoulder blade. It comprised a wolf's head howling up at the crescent moon in the background, and she loved how the result ultimately turned out.
"Wow. You did an excellent job, Andres. If Father was still here, he would have been very proud of this piece."
"I think so too. Now, all that's left is to use the antibacterial liquid and you're set for the time being."
She nodded, and as she braced herself for the upcoming sting, some company greeted them.
"So, this is where you two were."
The sound of Sophia's voice broke the moment of silence, and Iliana looked up to see her and the girls making their way over to her.
"Is that a new tattoo?" Catalina asked, looking at it in awe.
"Aye," Iliana replied. "Wolves are the symbol of the Roxolani, which is the Sarmatian tribe my father came from. I had been wanting one since I was a child, and I thought this was a wonderful opportunity for me to get it done while I was away from the Wall."
"Wow. I'm impressed. Did you do this, Andres?" Estrella asked.
"I did," he replied.
"It's beautiful. The wolf looks gorgeous," Dimitra said in awe.
"Did it hurt a lot, Ili?" Sophia asked as she reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to help take her mind off the pain.
"It hurt, but it was nothing I couldn't handle," Iliana replied with a small smile.
"Hopefully, the pain doesn't hinder you from resuming our training regimen," Sophia said, a hint of playfulness and teasing in her voice.
At those words, Iliana perked up, a smirk forming on her lips.
"Who ever said this would slow me down?"
Andres chuckled.
"Better brace yourself, girls," he announced.
For the next five days, Iliana spent most of her time with the girls, with Andres occasionally observing and giving feedback when need be. They would spar in the arena, run into the forest and back towards the village, and then climb up the watchtower. Ending the training resting atop the watchtower proved beneficial, for it not only gave them an overall view of the village and the gate leading out into the open field, but also provided a delightful view of the beach and the sunset. In exchange, the girls would belly dance with her and show her some new moves that she had never seen before.
Following their sparring matches on the morning of the fifth day, Andres could tell that they improved, and he taught each one of them some new abilities pertaining to their respective proficiencies. To her surprise, Iliana incorporated some new moves into her gained techniques, and with the girls, perfected some combination moves with each of them individually. They made a lot of improvement and progress in such a brief span of time, and if they kept up with it, they would have what they need to protect themselves from the Saxons if they ever crossed paths again in the future.
In between training and their downtime, Iliana learned the name of the Saxon leader: Cerdic, and she also learned the name of his son: Cynric. Both men were very ruthless, and the Saxon army that comprised thousands of men, were just as ruthless. Reminiscing the stories of each of the girls and what they went through with the Saxons, she could see their malevolence and lack of empathy for anyone except themselves. She hoped they would never have to encounter them again, but if fate had something different in mind, they would be ready for them.
From the doorway of the house he and Iliana resided in, Andres watched as the girls let their horses run loose along the pale white sands of the shoreline. He saw how much Iliana had changed since they parted ways in Sarmatia. The chains that she condemned herself to the day Leoric died seemed to be finally loosening up, and it would only be a matter of time before she broke free from their hold entirely.
He watched the girls enjoy themselves with their horses for a moment before heading inside and heading straight for his desk. Pulling out a fresh piece of parchment, he dipped his quill in the ink and wrote a letter to Arthur. He knew that a messenger from Hadrian's Wall would make a round this way fairly soon, and after five days of waiting, he figured that was plenty of time for him and his men to complete the mission that Iliana spoke of.
By the time he sealed the letter, a patrolling guard alerted him that the messenger from Hadrian's Wall had arrived. When he exited the house, the man in question was waiting outside.
"Ah. Impeccable timing, sir. Get this letter to Lord Arthur of Hadrian's Wall posthaste. I believe they are due to be back from their mission up north fairly soon. So, please. Make sure this letter is in his hands the second he returns."
The messenger nodded and was quick to be on his way. Andres watched him go before pulling out another letter he received from his contact in Ireland three days prior. The letter explained that the rest of the refugees would arrive at Britain at sunset on this day, and if that was the case, he allowed them to rest for a day or two before preparing to head to the Wall. This would also allow Arthur and his men the time needed to get here and rest. After trekking so far up north and then having to trek back, only to have to travel again, he knew they would be exhausted.
He hoped that one day and two nights would be all everyone needed, especially Iliana. Not only was she going to make up with her chosen knight, she also had a lot of explaining to do on her part. Then again, he had his share of explaining to do as well, considering his encouragement for her trekking on this journey to meet him.
Hadrian's Wall was finally in view after trekking through the forest and getting through the clearing. Following the men's moment of rest at the estate of the Roman noble, it was a three-day journey further north to the shore because of the escort. They only took two days to make it back through the forest in full once the escort was complete (one day for the first half in which they reached the nobles' home and another day for the second half). By the time the Wall was in view, it was the middle of the afternoon on the seventh day.
"Back at last," Gawain commented, breathing out a sigh of relief as the horses trotted down the dirt road towards the wall surrounding the town.
"Hopefully, this is the last mission we have for a while. I need a week's worth of rest after this," Galahad said.
"At the very least, let's drink our hearts out at the tavern, and we can pass out for the next couple weeks," Bors announced, in which the men all nodded and voiced their agreements.
Arthur glanced at his men from over his shoulder and chuckled. This mission took a toll on them, primarily due to all the days spent traveling. They deserved a break, and Tristan deserved to have some time with Iliana.
As for the scout, he was relieved to be back. He couldn't wait to be greeted by Iliana's smile and to have her in his arms.
When they made their way towards the stables, they took notice of Vanora and Jols standing outside. However, something was not right upon the upset look on Vanora's face and how tense Jols looked, and the relief the men felt quickly turned to worry as they dismounted their horses. Bors, wondering what was going on with his woman, approached her.
"What's troubling you, my little flower?"
The redhead was silent, trying her hardest not to choke on the tears that threatened to pour from her eyes as she took a deep breath before speaking up in a gentle tone.
"Ili left the fort. She's been gone for the past week."
Tristan was sure his heart fell into the deepest pit of his stomach as he dropped his drawn sword in shock. When the blade hit the ground, the sound echoed as chaos reigned amongst the men.
"When Vanora told me Ili had left, I'd been keeping an eye out in the stables for Arion in case she returned," Jols explained. "Unfortunately, his stall has been empty this whole week, and his saddle is gone."
Quick to pick up his sword and sheath it on his back, Tristan went into the stables to confirm what he had just heard. Sure enough, Arion's stall was empty and his saddle was not in its usual spot. It was then that he put two and two together why the horses and Talia were so antsy besides the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. They were informing him and the men that Iliana was planning to leave, and even Arion had informed him through the sad expression he had in his eyes.
How did he not catch onto it sooner?
Leaving the barn, Tristan slammed his palm against the open door, furious with himself for not listening to his instincts. Dagonet noticed this and approached him.
"Hey. You need to calm down. Getting angry will not help with figuring out Ili's whereabouts."
"I should have seen it the morning we left, Dag!" Tristan yelled. "I had this feeling something was off, and I dismissed it as coincidence!"
"And we all believed the horses were antsy because they wouldn't hear Ili sing for a while," Dagonet argued gently. "None of us could have suspected that she would leave the Wall."
"Knights!"
Arthur's call brought the men to order.
"We will not get any closer to finding out where Ili has gone off to if we panic over it. Everyone needs to calm down and refocus. Only then will we gain the perspective we need to find her. Agreed?"
Once the men calmed down, they all nodded in unison before the commander turned to face Vanora.
"Did Ili mention where she was going?"
"No," Vanora replied with a shake of her head. "She left a note saying that there was something she needed to do and thus, had to leave the Wall. She extended her apologies to me, the children, and to you and the men for leaving without saying goodbye."
"She could be anywhere if we can't pinpoint her location," Gawain pointed out.
"Sir Arthur!"
The messenger, the same one that delivered two of Andres's messages to Iliana, interrupted the discussion.
"I received instructions to send this to you immediately. It's from Sir Andres."
He handed him the envelope, to which the commander took without hesitation.
"Thank you."
The messenger nodded and was quick to take his leave.
"Who is Andres?" Lancelot asked as he and the men watched Arthur tear into the letter.
"He's one of the preceding knights that my father commanded alongside Leoric," Arthur replied. "He's also Ili's teacher, and I know they've been keeping in contact recently."
At that, the eyes of the men lit up.
"Maybe he'll know where she is," Galahad said with a hint of hope.
Arthur was quick to pull the folded piece of parchment and open it, proceeding to read it aloud.
Arthur,
I'm not sure if you remember me, but I still remember you as the young boy struggling to keep up with his father and attempting to swing a sword clumsily. If you received this, then that means you and your men have returned safely from the lands up north, and I hope you all are unharmed as well. This also means you've discovered that Ili is no longer at the Wall, and I want you to know that she is fine. She is with me at a village south of the Wall, near the coast across from Ireland.
In my last letter that I wrote to her, I had encouraged her to come down to the village to see me, and to my surprise, she made the journey on her own with Arion. We hadn't seen each other for several months, and the last time I saw her, I bid her goodbye before she left Sarmatia and my care, traveling to Britain in honor of her father's last wish.
I have seen how much she has changed since Leoric passed away, and the change has been for the better. I knew she wasn't seeing it at first out of resistance and denial, but the time she has spent at the village, besides my advice and words of encouragement, has finally made her open her eyes to what Leoric wanted for her.
During her stay with me, I have introduced her to four female refugees the same age as her. She has taken them under her wing and acted as their leader and emotional support while also training with them and honing their fighting skills besides her own. I can imagine your men trying to charm these girls, and in honesty, I can see it happening.
Anyway, besides informing you about Ili, I also request your help. Including the four girls Ili befriended, I have a handful of Greek refugees that I want to escort to Hadrian's Wall, and more will come by sea at sunset today. While I know Ili and her new friends can hold their own, I want them to have backup. Your men have traveled a long journey and I know they are exhausted, but if you can help us, we would really appreciate it.I hope to see you fairly soon, and I am looking forward to meeting your men, especially the one that has not only succeeded me as a knight and scout, but has also captured Ili's heart.
-Andres
Upon hearing the contents of the letter, the horses began to fidget and whine.
"What the hell are we still doing here?! Let's go!" Bors announced.
Arthur, seeing the looks of determination on their horses and each of the men, especially Tristan, nodded.
"Let's have an hour of rest first and then we will be on our way," he announced.
The men's hour of rest had been an edgy one, and Tristan, who was usually the most patient of them all, had a difficult time allowing himself to rest. He spent an entire week away from the girl he had fallen in love with right after confessing his feelings to her, only for her to be gone when he returned. While he understood why she left, it didn't help to ease the blow because she never told him or the men. Perhaps she felt they were going to stop her if she spoke of it, and he most definitely would have stopped her if he had known. After the incident with Gregor, he didn't want her to be alone anymore, and he didn't like the fact that she traversed the southern lands of Britain on her own without some form of protection.
The second he reunited with her, he would not let her out of his sight again.
The horses were eager to get going, and once the men were ready, Arthur took the lead and they were on their way down south. Despite the exhaustion, Tristan let his determination to see Iliana again fuel him to get to the village without having to stop.
They arrived at the village three hours after leaving the Wall, and the guards stopped them at the gate.
"Who are you?"
"Arthur Castus, commander of the Sarmatian knights stationed at Hadrian's Wall. Veteran Sarmatian knight Andres sent for us."
"Open the gate! Let these men through!" announced the leader, and after a few minutes, the gates swung open, allowing them passage.
Both the locals and the refugees eyed them with intrigue and awe. Considering the many tales that were spread amongst the island and even in the neighboring lands, they had yet to stumble upon a village or homestead where they didn't turn the heads of those around them.
At the sight of a man emerging from a nearby house and turning their direction, Arthur pulled on the reins of his horse when he recognized him. While he was much older now, he still remembered his younger self from his days as a young boy growing up and chasing after his father.
"It has been a long time, Arthur," the man said with a smile as he watched the commander dismount from his horse.
"Far too long, my Lord," Arthur said, giving the man a hug. "I never thought I would live to see at least one of my father's men in this lifetime."
"What has happened to the little boy that I remembered you to be during my time in servitude?" Andres asked. "And look at you. You've succeeded your father with a band of your own knights at your command."
He took a moment to study each of the men, creating profiles for each of them as he examined them from head to toe. When his eyes fell on Tristan, Andres really took his time to analyze him.
"So, you're the one who captured the heart of my pupil, who is the daughter of my late comrade and friend," he announced. "To think that the man who succeeded me as a knight and a scout is one of my own tribesmen."
Tristan didn't say a word, but he bowed his head out of respect and his love for Iliana.
"I can tell that she will be in excellent hands with you. Take good care of her. Understand?"
Tristan looked up at his predecessor, locking eyes with him as he nodded.
"I know you're all worried about Ili, but you can relax. She's doing just fine," Andres announced. "I'm sure she's out on the shoreline of the beach, enjoying the sound of the waves and the feel of the sand at her feet. The stables are near the beach. Follow me, and I'll take you there."
Iliana paced along the shoreline of the beach as she watched the sunset in the distance and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing in her face and hair. Her breathing was heavy, having spent the last hour helping tend to the refugees that finally arrived after a week of waiting, and she finally got a break. From over her shoulder and out of the corner of her eye, Arion was lying on his side with only his reins on. She had brought him out to ride him bareback on the shore, giving him a chance to stretch his legs after being in the stables of this village for a week.
Despite the sound of the waves, the salty smell of the ocean, and the feel of the sand beneath her feet, her mind refused to settle down. Thoughts of Tristan racked her brain, and she breathed out a sigh while attempting to fight the lump forming in her throat. She considered the way she left the Wall no different from taking the path of a coward. She didn't say a word to him, Arthur or any of the men, and waited for them to leave on their mission before leaving herself. Instead of facing Vanora, she left her a note, unable to face the pain she knew her departure would inflict on her and the children.
There was no doubt about it; she missed Tristan.
Iliana had concentrated on her training with the girls and attempted to gain a better understanding of herself, so she didn't think too much about him. Now that she had gotten a handle on that said understanding, she also realized she felt whole again when she was with him. He filled the emptiness that flooded the very depths of her soul following Leoric's passing and thus, made her feel like she was complete and new. Coming to this realization, she cried; the tears pouring hard as the emotions she suppressed came crashing down on her like a tidal wave.
Someone snapped her out of her thoughts when she felt the back of their hand wiping her tears away, and she looked to see Sophia gazing at her with an empathetic look in her hazel gaze.
"You miss your knight, don't you?"
"Was it really that obvious?" Iliana choked out as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her question making Sophia chuckle.
"So, when you reunite with him, what's your plan of action?"
"I just want to bask in his presence for as long as possible," Iliana replied once she regained her composure. "I never know when Rome will issue him and the men their next mission, be it the next day, a couple of weeks or even next month."
"I get it, especially regarding this servitude these Sarmatian men are under against their will," Sophia said. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Ili, and this trip was necessary for you to gain a solid perspective on the person you had become through him.
"He probably will be angry at first because you didn't tell him and also traveled alone, but regardless of how he feels about it overall, he'll realize that it was the right thing to do."
Iliana nodded, hoping that everything would work out in the end.
"Ili! Sophie!"
The two girls looked to see Estrella, Catalina and Dimitra running towards them.
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down there, girls. What's going on?" Iliana asked.
"A group of knights just arrived," Catalina replied. "Andres is with them at this very moment."
Iliana felt her heart stop dead in its tracks as she and Sophia exchanged glances, and Sophia reached over to give her hand a gentle squeeze. When she heard a cry from up above, Iliana looked up to see the familiar silhouette of Talia flying in a circle above her. Pulling out a handful of seeds, she whistled, and the hawk came swooping down towards her, landing on her left arm. The girls stared in awe as the bird scooped up the seeds in her beak, perched perfectly on Iliana's arm.
"Girls, this is Talia. She's the pet of my knight, Tristan."
When she finished eating the seeds, Talia straightened up and studied each of them.
"Wow. She's beautiful," Estrella commented.
"Your knight has a soft spot for animals. I like him already, even though I haven't met him yet," Catalina said.
"If he can care for an animal this much, then Ili is in excellent hands with him," Dimitra said.
"Agreed," Sophia said with a nod.
Arion's sudden movement of getting up, whinnying, and stamping his hooves in the sand quickly interrupted the moment. Giving Talia a friendly knock under her chin, Iliana lifted her arm so that she could take off, and she approached the great white stallion, stroking his neck.
"Hush, my love. It's okay. You're sure it's the men, aren't you?"
Holding his head up high, Arion whinnied again, and a cry up above from Talia acted as the confirmation. Looking at the girls, who all nodded at her, Iliana nodded back to them before grabbing Arion's reins and walking back towards the direction of the stables. She didn't have to walk too far, for she saw Andres at the stables with the men as they dismounted their horses.
She felt her heart stop at the sight of Tristan as he dismounted Siria, and she could tell that they were both antsy. As if he sensed it, Arion let out a whinny in their direction, and Iliana saw her ears perk up before she looked right at them. Shaking off Tristan, the mare took off towards them, and Iliana let go of Arion's reins so that he could run to her. She smiled through another set of tears as she watched the two horses be affectionate with one another. They nudged each other with their noses, rubbed their cheeks against each other, and when Siria nestled the top of her head underneath Arion's chin, the stallion reciprocated the gesture.
Following their moment together, the two horses made their way towards Iliana, circling around her. Arion brushed her tears away with his nose, while Siria pressed her face against hers. Iliana's smile widened as she gave the mare some affection of her own.
"I missed you and your rider too, gorgeous," she spoke in a soft tone.
Arion cut the moment short when he whinnied over her shoulder, and, knowing that she was going to face Tristan, Iliana slowly turned around, ready to face the consequences.
The next thing she knew, Tristan grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her towards him and placed his free hand under her chin to tilt her head up as his mouth fell upon hers.
End Notes: Sorry to have to leave it on such a cliffhanger! Don't kill me, please! *hides and cowers in a nearby corner* Unfortunately, you'll have to check back next week when I post the next two chapters! I have a visual image of Iliana's tattoo, but unfortunately, I can't post the link here with the way things are set up. If you do want to see the image, check out the story on either my Dreamwidth or Archive of Our Own account. Whichever site you go to, it will be in the end notes if you do want to see for yourselves.