Robert had been unsettled ever since he had left the castle. Now a week later and things were irritatingly slow to progress. They hunted their quarry who slipped elusively through their hands, right into the forests and mountains. All Robert and his men had succeeded in doing was to be lured further and further away from his lands, away from Serenity. And he didn't like it. With a feral snarl, Robert took one last look into the misty expanse before him and turned on his heel. He barked orders to his men and they began the long trek home. He needed a new strategy…

***

Serenity waited for the men to speak again. She had probably startled them and didn't want to push her luck, though the warrior, as she liked to call him, seem less surprised than the others. Smart chap. As the seconds ticked past, their stares went from surprised to a mixture of cautious, irritated and amused. And all the time, she kept her eyes on the Warrior. From the corner of her eye, she could see the others, younger than expected, shifting their feet and looking to their leader. Finally, the silence was broken.

"So you can speak Saxon. I knew you were not all Norman, you have the eyes of our people.” He leaned closer to look into said eyes. “You may not be full Norman… But that doesn't mean we trust you. You were in the castle of the Norman Lord. Normans have killed many of us."

"You have killed many of each other."

***

The Warrior narrowed his eyes at her but could not deny her words. The Normans had taken much since they first established themselves on his home shores a decade ago. Even more since their mysterious leader and schemer William the Conqueror showed up and finally took power almost two years ago. The Normans had already wiped out most of the Anglo ruling class in battle and those left were traitors. The People had no say, so they fought for their freedom and the way of life they wanted to preserve.

***

"This land is full of death and it must be so if we are to get our freedom. I do not expect you to understand half-breed that you are."

"Serenity, my name is Serenity Neville. And I should think a child of both Norman and the Anglo-Saxon would understand better than most what both sides want. And I know more than almost anyone is this land about this war. And how to stop it. Do not belittle me Warrior."

Again the Warrior narrowed his eyes at her, this time in amusement. His lips twitched but he quickly controlled himself. Serenity saw it and, watching him, she saw who he was.

He was a warrior of Nobel blood. A holder of his peoples ideals and beliefs. A speaker of the truth. A honourable heart that loved deeply but hurt with equal measure. A man who would either save his people or fight to the death before betraying them. He would be a deciding force in the future of the Angelo-Saxon’s and their fateful association with the Normans. He will forge an unbreakable bond that will save all who trust his judgement and preserve his people. Without him, the Anglo-Saxons would be lost to history.

She would trust him.

When he replied, he was less hostile towards the undoubtedly strange woman at his feet.

"You are right that I am a warrior but that is not my name. I am Aelfwine."

"Greetings Aelfwine…"

"Greetings Serenity. You are well named…"

"Thank you. And you Elf friend. It is an honourable name for an honourable man."

"No doubt you wish to know why we took you from the castle."

Serenity nodded, eager to know more. A thought occurred to her.

"Are the reports of an Anglo army a distraction or a trap? You wanted him away from the castle. If you plan to kill him then I am of no use to you and you would have killed me in the keep. But if the army was a distraction, then you risked much to bring me here…why?"

Aelfwine didn't answer as he crouched in front of her and reached out his hand, gently lifting a strand of hair from her face in his two fingers. Unsure of his actions, Serenity flipped her head to move her hair out of the way. Her eyes flickered away from his and she was thankful for the dim light that hid a faint blush she could not supress.

"Part of you belongs to us, our people. You have the right to choose a side before you face your fate... Why were you with the Norman?"

Serenity paused and narrowed her eyes at him this time. She was not convinced by his explanation. They had not known she was a halloing when they took her. But she was patient, she could wait for real answers. She sighed.

"I was with my father as we visited his acquaintance. I only remember writing at a desk before I woke alone in a field to the sounds of battle. Lord De Montford and his men were attacking a village so I stopped them. They had been dru- poisoned with hashish and were unaware of what they were doing. He has cared for me as I am unprotected. And he was grateful. I recognised the effects of the poison and restored his name and, somewhat, the honour of him and his men. He has been attempting to find my father for me."

The silence that followed was uncomfortable for her. Not only could she not lie to them, she could not give them the truth either and explaining that her current protector was killing Aelfwines' people when she met him would not bode well for her. She looked closely at the others in the group for the first time. They were not as young as she had first thought, all at least eighteen. But they we inexperienced. One looked very like Aelfwine, she suspected he was a brother. And, thankfully, she did not find the anger she expected on his face, or any of their faces. They spoke quietly to one another.

"Poison?"

"It would explain some of the odd reports we've had."

"It doesn't matter, this is still a war."

"But some of you men haven't been right for a while now. Could this explain things?"

"Quiet!"

Aelfwines command was not shouted but his men immediately silenced. Serenity could tell he was a natural leader, and probably an accomplished warrior, though still young. Now, her fate was in his hands…

***

Through his men's discussion, he had watched her intently as she watched them. If what she said was true, it changed much. Not only had this de Montford proved himself honourable, taking her into his care despite the fact she was not pure Norman, it now seemed likely that Normans and Anglos had been affected by this poison. Though he had never heard of using poison for anything other than death. A poison that changed a man's actions and thoughts… Someone was pulling the strings of both sides, which did not bode well for his People. Aelfwine didn't like this. He needed more information.

"How did you stop them? Soldiers in the midst of battle can lose themselves, but if they were lost to the poison then they would be even more unstoppable. You were in great danger."

She looked confused, her eyes turned inward lost in memory.

"I-I don't know. I saw the children dying… it was wrong so I just ran at him, yelled at him and put myself in his path. He heard me. He looked… ill and so did his men. They were upset… and angry. I just acted without thought.

As he watched, the sadness of the event and the horror clouded her face and she turned questioning eyes on him as if to ask "Why would someone want this?". He wanted to wipe away her hurt and protect her. She reminded him so much of… He turned from her and walked towards his horse, calling to his brother.

"Cenric, untie her and put her on your horse. We'll move to camp and inform the elders. Serenity, you will tell everything to the elders. Let's move, we need to inform the army to withdraw."

"Wait! Aelfwine I can't go. What about Osgar? I can't leave him. And when Robert finds I'm gone he'll come after me. You may be bringing a battle to your front door. Please let me go back and explain… Aelfwine!"

Aelfwine turned around quickly and regarded her closely. She had proven herself more trouble than he had expected. But he rather liked her feisty spirit. He made her smile, and it had been a while since he could forget his responsibilities even for a moment. She freed him. And for some reason, he felt protective of her, like a sister. Trying to be patient, he answered her.

"Don't worry, we work quickly so by the time de Montford gets back or a messenger meets him, we'll have answers. We are well hidden so even if he pursues us, he would not find us. And who is Osgar?"

***

Serenity sighed with relief. She still wanted to return to her… the castle but knowing no one would be hurt because of her was a weight off her mind.

"Thank you. Osgar is a young boy I rescued from the carnage. All his family were already dead. He has become somewhat like family to me. I'm surprised at how fast he's recovering from the trauma. He is so sweet, like a younger brother. I love him very much... I need to know he's okay."

Steel had come into her voice as she finished speaking. Watching the leader Aelfwine, she knew he had heard it.