Author's Notes: Without further delay, here's Chapter Five! Enjoy!

Chapter V

It was late afternoon by the time Iliana and Gilly finished helping Jols around the stables. Their primary focus had been to groom, feed and ensure the horses got enough exercise while Jols and a couple other keeps cleaned the stalls. Vanora ended up collecting Gilly an hour prior, wanting him to spend some time out in the fields with her and his siblings. However, he promised Iliana to get her another daffodil if he saw one.

Iliana felt the exhaustion hit her throughout her body when she directed the horses back into their stalls. It had been a while since she felt this exhausted just from working, and she happily welcomed it. However, she couldn't let it overwhelm her since she had promised Gilly she would belly dance for him later.

She was still holding Arion's reins by the time Jols approached her.

"I owe you and Gilly one for your help today. That would have taken me and the keeps all day without the both of you," he announced.

"Don't mention it, Jols. I feel it's the least I can do since you took care of Arion for me yesterday," Iliana said.

"Of course. I may just ask for your help again in the future."

"And you know where to find me if you ever do."

"Thanks again, Ili. I'll probably see you at the tavern tonight."

She nodded, and he departed after giving her a smile. Once she was alone in the barn, she turned to look at Arion.

"We still have yet to take a moment to explore the fields outside of the town. Care to ride before the sun goes down, love?"

The stallion whinnied in approval, and, with a smile, Iliana pulled her saddle off the rack it was hanging from. He didn't hesitate to lie down so that she could strap and secure it around his frame, and after giving it a last check, mounted him. Once her feet were in the spurs, he stood back up, and with a click of her tongue, he was on his way out of the barn and towards the town. The townsfolk eyed Arion in surprise and awe as she led him towards a couple of open archways leading out of town and into the open, grassy field. She heard a familiar cry from above, and she looked to see Talia circling her.

You're watching over me for him, aren't you?

The mere thought of the scout that had been invading her thoughts since they met made her heart stop beating for a moment. In response, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as her grip on the reins tightened.

If you possess any smarts, Tristan, don't get yourself involved with me. I'm not the girl for you.

She ignored the nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her she's wrong, and with a deep exhale of air, kicked her heel into Arion's flank. The stallion whinnied and took off into the field, and she welcomed the sight and smell of the fresh grass and the breeze against her cheeks as Arion ran. He ran far out into the field, avoiding the trees of the forest that was nearby, and they eventually found themselves atop a hill that overlooked the field, town and the lands north of the wall. There was a fully matured apple tree there, and multiple, fresh apples were amongst its fresh leaves. She chuckled as Arion pulled one off a branch and gobbled it down, and her blonde hair blew with the breeze, a few strands getting in her eyes. As she pushed the loose strands behind her ears, Iliana found her mind wandering into the depths of her thoughts.

While she had only been at the Wall a day, it felt as though she had been here her whole life. All the months she spent traveling from Sarmatia to Britain had finally caught up to her. This must have been how her father felt when he finally arrived here; the fifteen years he spent fighting for Rome didn't include the months he spent traveling, and those months must have felt like a never-ending eternity.

Now that she thought about it, her father never actually told her why he wanted her to go to Britain and seek Arthur following his death. Did he want her to see the land that was his post during his time as a knight? She lived in her mother's homeland, her father's homeland, and now, she would live in the land Rome assigned him to. She was always learning something new about him each day, and she wondered what she was going to learn about him during her time here. All she could really do was let God guide her down this path she found herself on. She had fulfilled her father's last wish; the rest was up to her. All she could do was hope that whatever awaited her wouldn't be too much for her to handle.

Talia cried out again from up above, and she took in the sight of her flying in a circle. The sun broke through the clouds, taking a moment to shine down on her. She closed her eyes as the ray hit her, taking in its warmth and the comfort it gave her.

Father, I want you to know that I made it to Hadrian's Wall safely. I hope you're happy, and I know you're watching over me. I've met Arthur and his knights, and they all seem like friendly, wonderful men. They remind me of you in their own unique ways. I miss you. I miss you every day, but I know you're not suffering from the illness and pain of your battle wound anymore.

I just wish I knew why you wanted me to travel to your old post. You never actually told me the reason.

If there was anyone that might know the answer, it might be Arthur. However, considering she had just met the man, and she was still settling in, Iliana didn't feel ready to ask. Perhaps the reason would make itself known with time, but she was curious to find out if Arthur knew anything.

Tears formed in the back of her eyes, and she didn't even realize she was crying until she felt a tear rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, and she was quick to dry her eyes before anymore tears could fall. At the very least, nobody else was around to see her in such a vulnerable state. She never wanted to cry in front of anyone; to her, it did not differ from looking weak, and she refused to show weakness. When Arion snorted, Iliana leaned forward to stroke his neck in assurance.

"It's okay, love. I'm okay."

She soon saw the image of Gilly's face off into the distance, and she felt the pain in her chest subside slightly. Remembering the promise she made to him and wanting to get back to town before the sun set fully, she took a deep breath to calm herself, and straightened up on the saddle.

"Let's go."

With a whinny, Arion made his way down the hill, and he soon sped off across the field. Talia cried out again from above as she flew ahead of them, and Iliana couldn't help the hint of happiness she felt at the birds' affectionate gesture. In combination with the smiles on the faces of Gilly and his siblings, her heart wasn't hurting as much, and she was looking forward to getting back.

She made it back to town just as the sun was setting, and after removing Arion's saddle and reins, Iliana directed him back to his stall. Siria didn't hesitate to nudge his cheek with her nose, and he nudged her back in response. She smiled, watching the two horses for a moment before petting the both of them.

"Good night, my friends. I shall see you tomorrow," she cooed in Greek, causing Arion to nudge her brow, making her giggle. Siria pushed her nose into her palm, her hot breath tickling her skin as she scratched her gently. She stared at them for a moment longer before turning on her heel and leaving, heading straight for the tavern.

When she finally arrived, Vanora and the other barmaids were preparing the tavern, and the children had gathered near the center. Gilly was the first to see her, and he was up and running towards her with another daffodil ready for her.

"Did you pick that for me, little man?" she asked, crouching down so that she was at eye level with him.

He nodded, giving her the biggest smile he could muster.

"Hold on to it for now. I'll let you place it in my hair after I dance for all of you. Deal?"

He nodded at her.

"Would you do me the honor of holding my shawl again?"

Another nod, and she removed the fabric for the second time today, wrapping it around his shoulders. Ruffling his hair, she stood up and looked at Vanora, who had an amused look on her face.

"I got the band that plays occasionally in the town square to play a tune for you," she announced, turning towards the men that played.

Iliana took a glance at them and nodded. "As long as I can dance to it and you include a little edge, that's what I'm looking for."

The man that appeared to be the leader nodded at her, and when she nodded at Vanora, she turned to her children.

"Children, gather round! Your Auntie Ili is going to dance!"

They all soon settled down and gathered in one spot so that they could see her, and with a wink to them and Vanora, Iliana cued for them to play their tune. When they did, she swayed her sides and hips to get a feel of the song, and after a minute of dancing, hit it off after giving the children and Vanora a smile and a wink.

Tristan followed his brothers out of the sparring arena and towards the tavern following yet another round of training. After another meeting in which they would have to be extra wary of the native Woads with their increased boldness, the men all agreed to blow off some steam with a few rounds of one-on-one sparring. If the Woads were planning to keep them busy, it meant that he would be out scouting more often, both north and south of the wall.

"Blimey. I hear music playing already. Did Vanora decide to open up the tavern early?" Bors asked.

As they neared the tavern, the men all wondered, and when they arrived, they saw something shocking.

Iliana was belly dancing for Vanora and the children. While Tristan had seen the outfit she wore, the way she moved in it was enticing, especially when she swayed her midriff and hips.

Lancelot let out a low wolf whistle.

"What else is she capable of that I have yet to find out?"

"Damn. She's impressive, especially if she's got Vanora entranced," Gawain said in awe.

"She's not the only one," Galahad said, gesturing to the side with his head.

The rest of the men looked to see Tristan fixated on her. Even Dagonet couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips at the fact that their scout brother was so easily distracted by a woman, of all things. It was quite a nice switch, considering much of anything hardly ever distracted him.

As for Tristan, he was oblivious to their amused expressions and comments as his brown gaze focused on Iliana. He studied every move she made as she danced for the children, as if he wanted the very image of this moment embedded in the depths of his mind. The way she moved should have almost been illegal; she could make any man fall under her spell without even trying.

She then had her back to the children, swaying her hips as she flicked her hair back, and she leaned back all the way to the surprise of the children, himself and the men. Her gaze was on Gilly as she gave him a wink and blew him a kiss, causing the little boy to blush and look away shyly. When she straightened up, she noticed that he and the men were there. She gestured to the children and Vanora, probably telling them she was going to dance for the men now, and when they nodded, she sashayed towards them, locking eyes with Tristan. She held his gaze for a moment, and with a smirk, Iliana dipped down to the floor, causing a few of the men to jump back slightly.

Following the dip, Iliana brought her head up, flicking her hair back with her hand as she held Tristan's gaze once again. She crawled towards him, and when he crouched down to be at eye level with her, she stared at him for a little longer before she rolled over on the ground and stretched in a pose on her stomach. She then rolled over until she was on her back, lifted her hips up slightly, and swayed them in a circle.

After a moment, she was on her knees and swung her head, shaking her hair before getting up and jiggling her coin belt with a shake of her hips, and when the song concluded, she raised her arms up over her head and looked up to the sky. Vanora, the children, and the men applauded. When she straightened her head, she smiled at the men, and Tristan felt his heart pounding madly in his chest. She did a bow before turning towards the children, who swarmed around her in admiration. She crouched down as Gilly placed a freshly cut daffodil in her hair, and when her hair fell in front of her cheek to conceal her face, Tristan felt disappointed. He wanted to gaze into those blue eyes again, especially with the way she looked at him when she was dancing. The look she gave him triggered something that he never felt before.

A solid slap on the back snapped him out of his daze, and he looked to see Bors smiling at him.

"Seems like you're a lost cause with her. Better watch her. Lancelot may attempt to flirt with her more with the way you two were looking at each other."

The scout gave him a look, and when he turned towards Iliana, she was heading towards the loft where she was currently living after bidding the children goodbye. Before officially retreating, she looked at him for a moment, and just as quickly as they locked eyes, she was quick to turn away and disappear into the loft.

One question drifted throughout his mind: what made her have such a longing look in her eyes, but make her so hesitant?

Despite feeling Tristan's piercing brown gaze boring into the depths of her heart, Iliana got through her second night of bartending at the tavern. A few of the men were leering at her, including Lancelot, and even though she didn't look his way, she had a feeling Tristan was keeping them off her back with a silent glare. For that, she was grateful; a man who truly desired something could possess a great deal of power.

As she was cleaning up the last of the tables, she thought back to how she focused on him when she danced for him and the knights. His eyes hypnotized her, and she allowed herself to be pulled in. At that moment, she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, snapping herself out of it and putting aside the feeling of her racing heart.

"Are you okay, dear?"

Vanora's call snapped her out of her daze, and she looked up to see the redhead eyeing her curiously.

"Aye. I'm fine. I guess I got distracted."

The two looked up as the moonlight shined down on her, and she breathed out a small sigh.

"I know something is bothering you, and while I won't push the matter, I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you ever need to talk," Vanora asked, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Iliana nodded.

"Thanks, Vanora. Should that time ever come, I'll let you know."

"Turn in for the evening, honey. I've got it from here. Thanks for your help."

She nodded again, and when she turned towards the direction of the loft, she saw Talia perched on a nearby post, looking at her. She couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head.

I won't be able to shake the both of you off, will I?

Tristan was walking through a forest shrouded in fog. He wasn't sure where this path he walked was leading him, but he followed his instincts and pressed onwards. When he reached the clearing, he saw Iliana amid the fog, wearing a floor length, white Celtic dress with bell-shaped sleeves. She turned to look at him, smiling as her face glowed. As he slowly approached her, she extended her hand out to him, and after a moment of staring into her eyes, he placed his hand in hers. She gave his hand a light squeeze before gently pulling him towards her until their chests were barely touching. She touched his face with her free hand, and after a beat of hesitation, she leaned towards him and kissed him.

It was a light kiss at first, but it soon turned deep and passionate, and he became lost in the feel and taste of her lips as the light shined down on the both of them.

His eyes shot open, his heart pounding madly within the confines of his chest upon realizing he was lying in bed in his room. It was only a dream, and yet, it felt as though the kiss was real when his lips tingled in response. He barely knew this girl a day, and she was already plaguing his thoughts and dreams wherever he looked and went. Knowing that he wouldn't be going back to sleep soon, he stood from the bed and slipped on his tunic and boots, deciding to take a walk.

It was a clear night, the midnight blue sky adorned with millions of stars. The torches lit throughout the town gave certain spots amongst the area a candlelight glow, and there were a select few guards patrolling the streets and atop the wall.

When he came across the empty tavern, Tristan stopped. He glimpsed Talia perched atop a post near a window on the second story, which he realized was a part of the room Iliana claimed as her own when she first arrived. He took out a piece of dried meat he saved for her and whistled gently in her direction. The bird turned his way and then flew to him, landing on his left arm as she took the meat in her beak.

"So, this is where you've been. Were you watching her?"

The bird flapped her wings and let out a soft cry as she turned towards the window she was guarding. At that moment, he thought of her looking at him with those beautiful eyes, and the next thing he knew, he was seeing a clear image of his younger self in her place, and found the story of his life up to this point playing through his mind.

His father, having had enough of the darkness from his time in servitude, committed suicide when he was five years old, leaving him and his mother to fend for themselves. Being an only child, it was only him and his mother's mouth to feed, and thanks to watching his father, scouting and hunting became second nature to him. Due to him ensuring his mother's safety and well-being, he never really had a normal childhood and play with other kids his age. In honesty, he preferred it that way; he never considered himself "normal", and the other kids and even their parents didn't want to be around him following his father's death.

Not long after he turned eighteen, his mother became gravely ill to where there was nothing the healer could do. All they could do was wait until it was her time, and it was a long and agonizing three-day wait before she ultimately succumbed. Since that day, he felt he had nothing else to live for, and on the day the Romans came to collect their latest set of men to train for knighthood, he thought he would finally have the chance to meet the death he had ultimately been seeking.

While the thought still lingered in his mind, all it took was Iliana's eyes and smile to counter it with just a simple strike.

Since their first meeting back in the forest, Tristan found himself intrigued by her. While her beauty and heritage were part of the reason, it was primarily because of her mind and personality. She wasn't like the wenches or even the local women, and yet, he had been wondering about the darkness that he had seen in her eyes twice already. He saw through her attempt to hide it, and she knew he knew. He didn't like that she was trying to hide; what didn't she want anyone to know?

Perhaps he felt this way because he saw that same loneliness that he had suffered for what felt like an eternity in her. Maybe he wanted to show her she didn't have to suffer through it alone. Knowing what the feeling was capable of if one let it eat away at them, he didn't want to see it consume her.

Whatever plagued her heart and mind, he was determined to find out.

Iliana was up early and heading towards the stables when the morning came. This time, she had her sword, bow and quiver of arrows on her person, and she also brought a blanket and a couple of towels. She had woken up abruptly following another dream she had of Tristan, and it was not like the previous dream she had that involved her six-year-old self.

She remembered it in vivid detail: she was walking on the shoreline of a beach, enjoying the smell of the ocean, the sound of the waves, and the feel of the damp sand between her toes. A full moon was out in the clear, midnight blue sky, its pale light illuminating the beach in full. When she paused in her walk, she felt a hand touch the nape, and she turned to meet Tristan's gaze. She stared at him for a moment before taking his face in both her hands, and then she slowly leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. She felt him place his hand on the back of her head and pull her closer, and their lips locked in a passionate kiss. The next thing she knew, he was lying her down on the dry sand with him on top of her, and right when his hand was about to slide up her leg and push her dress up, she woke up. Her heart pounded and her mind raced; she barely knew the man, yet she was already having dreams she shouldn't be. None of it made any sense to her, and she wanted to understand why she was having these dreams to begin with.

As she brushed Arion, the stallion nudged her with his nose. She smiled at the gesture, but unfortunately, it did little to ease the tension coursing through her veins. After a few more nudges to cheer her up, Arion whinnied and nudged her chin when she moved in front of him, making her look up at him.

"You want me to sing for you, love?" she asked, stroking his nose, to which he let out a low whinny of approval in response. With a smile, she pressed her cheek against his face.

"Are you okay with me sharing my voice with your new friends?"

He let out another whinny, and after nuzzling her cheek against him, Iliana put the brush away and begun singing.

"See the summer's light, round with rays so bright. Fading out of sight, melting in tonight.

"Hold me unto you. No one but you, no one but you. Hold me unto you. No one but you, no one but you."

Her smile widened slightly as Arion and the other horses whinnied in approval. She then took a deep breath before singing the next verse.

"All the world is dear, when my love is lying near. Oh, to linger here, far from all I fear.

"Hold me unto you. No one but you, no one but you. Hold me unto you. No one but you, no one but you."

Unbeknownst to her, the man that had been plaguing her dreams was lingering outside, leaning against the wall and listening to her voice.

"Love is like sailing by moonlight. Reading the stars, navigating by night. I know, tomorrow, I'll be closer to you. You are the one that I want, no one but you."

She paused for a moment to give Arion's cheek a gentle stroke before continuing.

"See the morning light, round with rays so bright. Walking from the night, brilliant is the sight.

"Hold me unto you. No one but you, no one but you. Hold me unto you. No one but you, no one but you."

The horses all stamped their hooves as a way of applauding her, and she pressed her face against Arion's. The singing helped to ease a little of the tension, but she still needed to let it out in full.

"Want to go riding again?"

When the stallion whinnied again, Iliana saddled him up, and once again, they were on their way. At the same archway from before, she kicked his flank, and he took off across the field.

They entered the forest she had seen when she first arrived at the wall. There was a dirt path that she had him follow, and she admired the lush greenery and the trees surrounding her. They trekked deeper into the forest until they came upon a clearing, and her eyes lit up at what she saw.

It was a secluded area in which the trees circled around a crystal clear pond that was large enough to take a swim in. A few meters ahead was a nook in which the water came down in a gentle torrent. Directing Arion towards a stretch of grass near where the waterfall was, Iliana dismounted him. She pulled the blanket off and spread the fabric out on the grass, and after removing her weapons and throwing the towels atop the fabric, she looked to make sure nobody was nearby before stripping her dress off, casting it on the blanket.

She dipped her foot in the water, getting a lukewarm feeling before proceeding to head in completely. She positioned herself underneath the cascade of water, letting it soak her as she sat down and leaned back against the rock behind her. Arion kept a sharp eye out as she allowed herself to relax for the next thirty minutes, and before she got out, she stole a quick look around before placing her hands on the edge and hauling herself out.

She was quick to grab one towel, wrapping her bare, soaked body in it, and then she used the second towel to dry her dripping hair. She sat down on the blanket, and she took in the sunlight that broke through the cover of the trees, letting Mother Nature dry her off naturally.

She didn't linger in the moment for long when Arion snorted, noticing how he was staring straight ahead at the clearing. When she followed his gaze, she felt her heart stop in the confines of her chest.

Tristan stood in the clearing with Siria, and he had his eyes on her.

End Notes: Check back next week for two more chapters! Hope you all are enjoying the story so far! The song Iliana sings to the horses is accredited to the song, "No One but You", sung by the lovely Erutan.