Author's Notes: And here comes another chapter for you! Enjoy!
Chapter XIV
A gentle breeze picked up as Arion galloped at a steady pace through the luscious grass of southern Britain. A smile formed on Iliana's lips as the breeze ruffled her hair and chilled her exposed hands slightly. Having grown comfortable living behind the security of a vast wall after a month and a half, traveling out in the open felt reinvigorating.
While the Woads occasionally ventured south of the Wall and witnesses have reported them haunting the area, she also had to be mindful of the rogue raiders from the neighboring lands. While not all had ill intentions when they journeyed, there were those select few in which greed got the better of them and thus, wanted to take more. That usually ended with them destroying villages and killing their inhabitants. If they saw a lone girl traveling alone, they would jump at the chance to take advantage of her, which made her think of Gregor and his cronies.
A shiver tore through her spine at the dark look in Gregor's eyes the night he attacked her. If the men hadn't been one step ahead of them, she would have suffered a terrible fate worse than death. The only difference in this case was that she was alone without the men or anyone else to turn to.
Despite her awareness of the fact that she had put herself in danger, Iliana knew she made the correct decision in leaving. This trip was about seeing her old tutor again and coming to an understanding of the person she had become from her stay at the Wall. Whenever she tried to think of the men, she cast the thought aside. While she knew they were in danger (and a greater one, considering where they were going), she just had to believe that everything would eventually work out and turned her attention back to her own journey.
She allowed herself to gaze up at the sky, taking in how clear it looked as the clouds rolled by. The sun shined down on her, and she closed her eyes to take in the heat. As the heat coursed through her cheeks, she became oblivious to the scenery surrounding her.
[Sarmatia, land of the Roxolani tribe, 457 AD]
A smile formed on the face of eight-year-old Iliana as she rode a younger Arion throughout the open, grassy fields of Sarmatia. She was riding in between Leoric and Andres as they rode their horses, the age clear in both parties from their time as knights. Yet, despite the fifteen years spent in servitude, it didn't seem to slow them down one bit.
The three of them rode freely across the field, going as far as the grass could stretch until they came across a hillside that overlooked the field. When their horses trotted their way up to the top, Iliana had a look of awe on her face as she saw the view of the field and the village from atop the hill.
"Wow. The land is so beautiful. You can probably see how far Sarmatia can stretch from here," she said.
Leoric chuckled as he looked at her with pride in his stoic, yet soft gaze.
"The open field of Sarmatia might as well be the equivalent of the ocean one can swim in off the coast of the Greek village you were born in, Ili," Andres announced. "Combine that with the clear, open blue sky, and that spells freedom all around. The Roman Empire can take as many of our fellow countrymen as they want to for their selfish reasons, but this is one thing that they can never take away from us."
"You and Father have been free men from the beginning, and the same goes for the men preceding you and the ones succeeding you," Iliana said. "There are some things Rome can't have and some people they can't tame."
"That is very true, my child. I realize that and more thanks to you and your mother," Leoric said, ruffling her blonde locks.
Iliana didn't miss the longing in his voice as the two looked at each other. Despite the sadness, she saw a hint of happiness in his gaze.
A sharp cry from up above soon cut the moment short, and they looked to see a hawk flying freely in a circle above them.
"One of these days, I would love to fly freely like that hawk, or at the very least, feel like it," Iliana announced. "Imagine everything that hawk is seeing as it flies high in the sky."
At that moment, Leoric exchanged a look with Andres, giving him a small smile that formed on the corner of his lips. When Andres nodded to her, he dismounted his horse, to which Iliana noticed from the corner of her eye.
"Father?"
"I want to show you something, Ili. Mind dismounting Arion for a moment?"
She nodded and clicked her tongue, and Arion lied down so that she could dismount him. The second her feet touched the ground, Leoric lifted her up in the air, and upon realizing what he wanted to do, she spread her arms out. She squealed in delight as he spun, and she felt the breeze against her back and in her hair. Leoric made a long, whooshing sound as he spun her in the air, and he surprised her when he dropped her, catching her at the very last second. On his horse, Andres couldn't help but laugh; his comrade and friend of their fifteen years in servitude made such a wonderful father to the daughter that was his last connection to Calliope.
"Now you can say you flew freely like a hawk, Ili, and your father and I are witnesses to this," Andres announced, causing the little girl to laugh as she wrapped her small arms around Leoric's neck.
When the hawk cried out from up above, Iliana looked up right as the sun shined down on her tiny form. Smiling, she watched the hawk continue to fly in circles for a moment before whistling a short, simple tune she made up on the fly. To her surprise, the hawk cried the tune right back at her, adding to her smile and happiness.
"Leoric, I have a hunch Ili will fall in love with someone of my tribe when she comes of age," Andres said.
"I am not so sure of that, considering the Roxolani can be tough to tame," Leoric stated.
"They taught us Hamaxobii to have plenty of patience. One of our known traits for when we scout," Andres said.
"When she finally does come of age, we shall see," Leoric announced.
"Whoever this lucky man ends up being, he better be able to keep up with me and accept me for who I am," Iliana announced. "What he sees is what he gets."
"And he will," Leoric said, gently pressing her nose with his index finger. "Because if he doesn't, he will face the wrath of both Andres and myself."
Iliana smiled, giving him another hug, in which he responded with a kiss to her temple. She then held out her arm towards Andres, and he dismounted his horse and approached her, accepting the hug.
"I'm going to tell you something, Ili. So, listen carefully," Andres said, catching her attention as she looked at him once he pulled away. "There will come a man who will fall in love with you and your beauty, inside and out. He will fall so deeply in love with you that once he does, he won't know what to do with himself.
"When he enters your life, your father and I will want to hear all about it."
Iliana smiled and nodded to the both of them, and they sat down in the grass atop the hill, taking in the view and the breeze of the spring air.
The sound of water from nearby snapped Iliana out of her temporary daze down memory lane. She shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked ahead, and her eyes lit up at the sight of a spring that was near the edge of the forest. Keeping her hand above her eyes, she looked up at the sky. Based on the shade of the sky and how high the sun was, she and Arion had been traveling for at least three, almost four hours at most. At this rate, she decided it was a good time to take a rest. They would rest for at least an hour before resuming their journey.
She directed Arion towards the direction of the spring, and he lied down so that she could dismount him. He stayed down as he lowered his head towards the spring, proceeding to drink his fill of the water. She watched him with a smile for a moment before scooping up some water in her hands and taking a few hearty gulps. The cool liquid soothed her parched throat, and as she stared at her reflection in the water, she was almost certain she saw a new version of herself.
With a small smile, Iliana filled her water skin with the fresh water and then stripped a nearby bush of its berries and picked two apples from a tree. She leaned back against Arion's side, and when he turned to nudge her cheek, she offered him an apple that he happily gobbled down in just a few bites. She then pulled out a separate cloth and put half the berries she picked into it, and Arion ate them up. The bitter, yet sweet juice flooded her tongue when she took a bite into a couple of berries that she popped into her mouth, and she took her time savoring each berry and enjoying every bite of her own apple. As she glanced at the spring and the scenery surrounding her, she flashed back to the day she first met Tristan.
She remembered the fear she felt when she first saw him, unaware of the fact that he was a Sarmatian knight. Although he assured her he wouldn't hurt her, she let Arion be her second opinion, only lowering her guard when he confirmed he wouldn't threaten or cause her harm. When he brought her to the Wall and to Arthur, she thought that was that and they would be nothing more than mere acquaintances because of his silent, distant nature.
What she didn't count on was her intrigue with him growing into an attraction that would eventually blossom into love. After Leoric passed, she had shut her heart out from the concept of falling in love, passing it on as nothing but a mere fairy tale in her eyes. Yet, when she was at her lowest and believing she would never emerge from the darkness Leoric's death put her into, Tristan had found her. The second they laid eyes on each other, his gaze never left her. Even when he was away on a mission, Talia acted as his second set of eyes to always watch her. Even in her dreams, she would see that piercing, brown gaze hiding behind the bangs that shielded them from view.
She soon dozed off, having gone lax against Arion and letting herself drift off to sleep.
When Iliana woke up, she found herself in her chamber in the upstairs loft at the tavern back at the Wall. She was in her slip and the sheet was up to her waist. Leaning up against the door was Tristan, and he was watching her with an intense look in his eyes. It was a look of lust and longing, and she pulled the sheet back on the spot next to her on the bed. He kept his eyes on her as he walked towards the bed, and only when he was within range did she pull him down towards her so that she could kiss him.
She gasped when the full force of his weight crashed down atop her, and she felt him pull the sheet down so that he could pull the hem of her slip up, slowly exposing her thigh. Her hands were quick to pull the hem of his shirt, wanting to feel him against her, and as her hands roamed his back, he pushed her dress up higher and exposed the rest of her.
She woke up with a startled gasp, hearing the ruffling of the leaves as she blinked a few times to clear her blurred vision. She placed her hand over her chest, feeling her heart pound underneath her palm. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.
I wonder how far north you and the men are, and whether you've gotten to the home of that Roman noble you were supposed to escort. Wherever you are, be safe.
She pushed all thoughts of Tristan and the men out of the depths of her mind, putting her focus back on her mission. At the thought of Andres, she knew she was going to have to tell him everything that transpired with her and Tristan, which only added to her determination to reach the village.
After about an hour of resting in the grass and near the spring, Iliana stood up, brushing the grass off her clothes. Once she mounted Arion, he stood up, and they were on their way, the stallion breaking into a gallop out of eagerness to run across the grassy field.
Tristan was sitting in the fresh grass a ways away from where the men had gathered and started a fire, leaning back against a log embedded in the damp soil. He was sharpening his sword with a whetstone, and as he was looking at the blade, he immediately thought of the Sarmatian and Greek markings that were on Iliana's sword, and he conjured up an image of her sweet face, accompanied by her smile.
As he thought about her behavior the evening of the festival, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Sure, she cried, but he believed it was out of joy when he confessed his feelings to her. Other than that, he saw nothing that would have stood out to him from his usual observances. He thought of the way Siria and the horses reacted, and the calmness in Arion's behavior when he tried to decipher if there was something going on. Yet, he saw something in Arion's eyes, but he couldn't put his finger on what the stallion was concealing.
With nothing else to really go by, all he could do was hope that it was just coincidence, like Arthur said, and that she would be at the Wall to welcome him back when they returned.
"Looks like you have something to get off your chest."
The scout didn't look up from the sharpening of his sword at Arthur's voice as he sat down on the log he was leaning up against. Despite his silence, the commander could tell that his thoughts preoccupied him.
The two of them looked up when the horses snorted just mere meters away from them. While they had been mostly compliant for the entire trip, they were mostly fidgety since departing.
"I'm surprised their behavior has attracted none of the Woads," Arthur commented, looking up at the sky when the sun shone through the cover of the trees. "Seems like a certain someone is watching over us for the sake of his daughter."
Tristan simply chuckled as he sheathed his sword.
"Was there anything unusual about Ili's behavior last night?" Arthur asked.
"She cried last night after we danced together, but I believed it was out of happiness when I admitted how I felt about her," the scout replied, not missing the surprised look on his commander's face. "When I told her of our mission, she expressed concern, and I thought nothing else of it after that. I merely thought she was upset about me having to leave and venture into danger yet again.
"We spent the night together, but we weren't intimate. She and I merely slept together in my quarters."
Arthur chuckled in amusement at Tristan's specifics; if it were the men, they would have been quick to assume he "slept" with Iliana, especially Lancelot.
"So, what is your plan of action with Ili when we complete this mission and return to the Wall?"
His surprise only grew when he saw a slight hint of uncertainty in Tristan's eyes.
"I'm not sure…"
He trailed off, falling silent for a moment before he continued.
"The concept of a romantic relationship is still fairly new to the both of us. We understand each other to a certain extent, and even when we don't say a word, we hear each other loud and clear."
"The best piece of advice I can give you in this case is to just take things one step at a time and let the pieces fall into place," Arthur said. "At the very least, you're certain of your feelings for her, and she knows. I'm sure she'll be greeting you with open arms once we return."
"Arthur! Tristan! Come, eat with us!" Bors hollered.
Looking at Tristan, Arthur gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"We will get back soon."
"I know," Tristan said with a nod. "I just can't shake off this feeling that something is off."
"I feel the same way, my friend," Arthur stated. "Let's hope that it's just a feeling and nothing more."
Nodding again, Tristan stood up and dusted himself off before heading towards his comrades, with Arthur following behind him.
After about another two hours of journeying, the coastal village was within Iliana's peripheral vision in the far distance from atop the hill they stood at. She could see the ocean from where they were, causing a smile to form on her lips as she leaned forward to pat Arion's neck.
"We made it, love. Andres isn't too far from us now," she assured, causing him to snort happily, and with a gentle kick to his flank, Arion was on his way down the hill and on the dirt path laid out before them. The smell of the ocean was in the air as they got closer, adding to her growing anticipation of seeing the ocean again.
When they reached the entrance, she noticed two guards guarding the bricked gate leading inside and two other guards guarding the wall above the gate.
"You there! Stop!"
She pulled back on the reins, bringing Arion to a halt a few meters away.
"I mean no harm, sirs. I am here, per the request of Lord Andres of Sarmatia, who should have touched down at this village earlier in the day. My name is Iliana. I am the daughter of the legendary Sarmatian knight, Leoric and Lord Andres's pupil."
She held her arm out to flash the bracelet that had Leoric's crest and the wolf crest. When they saw it, one guard standing in front of the gate nodded to the guards above the Wall, and they nodded before taking their leave.
"We shall inform Lord Andres of your arrival, and we shall find out whether you speak the truth, lass," he announced.
She nodded, and after about a twenty-minute wait, the guards from the wall returned.
"Let the lady pass without conflict."
At that moment, the sun shined down on her, and the guards stared at her in awe before they bowed down to her and opened the gate, allowing her passage. With a nod and a smile, Iliana kicked Arion's flank, and with a whinny, the stallion trotted forward.
Many eyes, locals and refugees, fell on her as Arion walked, flashing her back to her first day at Hadrian's Wall. Once again, she was the newcomer, and she was going to be the center of attention for quite some time. At the very least, the open field, the nearby forest and the beach gave her plenty of opportunities to get away from their curious gazes if it ever came down to it.
As she neared what appeared to be the main plaza of the village, she saw someone appear from one of the nearby houses, and she had to stifle a gasp when she saw it was none other than Andres. At the sight of her, he smiled the kind and sweet smile he always used to give her, and she barely waited until Arion was halfway towards lying down when she scrambled to get off of him and ran straight into Andres's arms. The second she wrapped her small arms around his neck, she broke down and cried, sobbing into his shoulder.
"There, there, my child," he cooed into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back to comfort her. "My, my. I can definitely tell that a lot has happened since the last time I saw you. I've never felt, much less seen, you this tense ever."
She tried to speak, only to let out a hiccup instead.
"Take a deep breath for me," Andres said, and when she did, the older, veteran Sarmatian knight felt her relax in his hold.
"That's it. Now, let me look at you."
When she pulled away, she looked up at him, and he wiped her tears from her cheeks and dried her eyes.
"It's definitely clear in your eyes, my dear."
Arion didn't hesitate to approach him and nudge his cheek with his nose, and Andres smiled as he stroked his neck.
"I missed you too, Arion, and I'm sure you're probably tired from the trek it took to get here."
When he let out a tired whinny, Andres chuckled.
"Let's get him settled at the stables, and we'll take a walk afterwards," he announced. "I want to hear everything that's happened since your arrival at Hadrian's Wall, and after we catch up, I'll introduce you to the girls I spoke of."
Iliana nodded, and after she took Arion's reins, followed the man that was her tutor to where the stables were located.
The two of them had taken a walk across the open, grassy field that reminded them of Sarmatia, and Iliana told Andres every detail of everything that transpired: her encounter with Tristan that eventually brought her to the Wall, her first meeting with the knights, her job assisting Vanora as a barmaid, occasionally helping Jols in the stables, dancing for Vanora's children, her unique bonds with each of the knights, how Gregor and his cronies nearly assaulted her, and how she ultimately fell in love with Tristan.
"I didn't want to admit it at first out of fear of what both our futures held in combination with the belief that I was incapable of falling in love," she explained as the two of them sat down atop a hill overlooking the village. "Yet, the more I resisted, the stronger those feelings grew."
"When you deny what your heart truly feels, especially love, it will only grow stronger," Andres said. "It's simply better to accept it rather than fight it."
"I came to learn that last night when we shared our first kiss," Iliana said with a nod.
"You really have changed for the better, Ili," Andres stated. "Your father would be very proud of you for your maturity, and I would have jumped at the chance to boast to him I had been right."
Remembering his hunch of her falling in love with a man of his fellow Sarmatian tribe when she was a child, Iliana chuckled.
"Are the men still at the Wall?" Andres asked.
"Nay," Iliana replied with a shake of her head. "They left at first light to head north of the Wall to escort a Roman noble to the shore further up the island. I am worried, considering the last time they tangled with the native Woads up there, Tristan got hurt, and I had to help patch his wound when they returned."
"It is normal to worry about the safety of the man you love, but you must also have faith that they will fulfill their mission and return to Hadrian's Wall safely."
Iliana nodded.
"I have a confession to make, Andres. The men are not aware that I've left the Wall to come see you," she said, a hint of guilt lingering in her voice. "I waited for them to leave, and I left a note for Vanora. I already know that I've caused distress to her, Jols and the children, and it's only going to get worse when the men return."
Andres nodded, giving her a sympathetic look before he spoke up.
"I will pen a letter to Arthur in the next few days explaining the situation. At the very least, this will give them the time needed to complete their mission and return to the Wall. I will also ask him and his men to come down this way to help me escort these refugees to the Wall.
"Another ship with more refugees will arrive from Ireland within the next few days, and I hope they will touch down by the time the men arrive."
Iliana nodded again.
"I just hope that they won't be too cross with me for leaving without telling them, much less not even saying goodbye."
"It will all work out in the end. I promise," Andres said, reaching over to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Now, how about we go meet the girls I talked about?"
End Notes: Check back tomorrow for the next chapter!