Chapter 15

The faint light of dawn was just beginning to show itself as Sky made her way to the spot close to the wolfhound pen. She was not surprised to see only two wolfhounds, her husband no doubt having taken the other two with him.

Soft growls drew her attention and she realized she had stopped, and the two hounds were letting her know they were impatient for the promised treat. She was cautious in her approach, knowing they did not fully trust her yet and she had yet to trust them.

"Good morning to you both. It is good to see you again. I brought bones as I said I would," she said softly as she approached. "I assume your other two mates are with Lord Slayer."

Her remark had the two hounds glancing into the distance as if keeping watch for their return, which confirmed what she thought. He had taken the two other hounds with him. She glanced in the distance herself, wondering how long Slayer would be gone. She missed him terribly, though he'd been gone only one night.

She had found out where the discarded bones were kept and found four that would suit the wolfhounds. She didn't want anyone to know what she intended to do with the bones, the reason she'd been secretive about collecting them. She would have been subjected to too many questions and speculations, and Slayer would not be happy that she disobeyed him.

The two hounds started growling when she got closer, and she looked down and saw why. Angel was peeking her little head out of the shawl she had tied around her neck and fashioned into a pouch to make it easier and safer to carry the kitten around.

Angel hissed, as much as a tiny kitten could, at the hounds, then ducked back down into the safety of the pouch.

Sky cast a soft smile on the hounds and kept her voice tender with a touch of firmness. "The kitten is tiny and frightened and you two are large and fearless. You must protect Angel, not harm her. She is my friend like you two are my friends."

The two hounds tilted their heads as if attempting to understand and their eyes followed her every move as she slipped two bones out of the sack and walked closer to the fence. She had only met them yesterday, far too soon to think it was safe to get too close. So, she extended the bones out to each hound and each bone was quickly snatched out of her hands.

She spoke softly to them for a while, then said, "Enjoy your treat. Angel and I will visit with you again tomorrow." She glanced up at the gray sky as she walked away. "No sun today, Angel."

She wondered if the sour sky would bring on sour moods. She found people often mirrored the weather. Sunshine brought more smiles, rain brought dreariness, and snow brought worry of survival.

Clansmen were waking and beginning their morning chores as she made her way through the village. Glances were cast her way, whispers exchanged, and no doubt assumptions made, and she did her best to ignore them. A couple of dogs appeared ready to approach her but were shooed away by a man who kept his eyes turned away from her.

She wished she could escape to the forest, feel it slip around her like a shawl that warmed and comforted, and be among animals that would not hesitate to befriend her. But she would not be so foolish and take the chance with her life in danger.

Sky continued through the village, keeping a welcoming smile on her face, hoping that someone might return it. No one did, so she made her way back to the keep, around the side, to the kitchen to return the two unused bones to the basket to collect again another day.

She scooped Angel out of the makeshift pouch and placed her on the ground to explore while she looked over the kitchen garden. It was large and probably took several people to keep it so well-maintained. Growth was well-established in some places while other places sprouts had only recently broken through the ground.

She explored along with Angel until she heard the approach of voices busy in talk. She hastily snatched up the kitten as a small group of men and women came around the corner of the keep. They stopped and stared at her.

She took a chance that one of them might speak with her and said, "It is a lovely garden."

One lass smiled, but a warning look from the others caused it to vanish.

Sky hurried off, hugging the kitten against her cheek to whisper, "At least I have you, Angel."

The day wore on and Sky was beginning to feel imprisoned. There was nothing for her to do and with the forest off limits, she felt trapped. It also didn't help that she had no one to talk with, which made her miss her sisters even more. If she felt this way after only two days here, how would she ever endure spending the rest of her life here as Slayer's wife?

Sky left Angel in the bedchamber sleeping curled in a blanket in a basket near the hearth for extra warmth. Supper had finished, Angel her only company, and night had yet to fall, and Slayer had yet to return. She could not face another sleepless night, another night without her husband to curl around. So, she decided to wander through the village in hopes it would exhaust her enough to sleep at least part of the night.

She made her way through the village, taking note of faces and names being spoken, noticing how the dwellings were well kept, not a hole in any thatched roof, and watched with envy as women congregated in small groups sharing the day's news. None invited her to join them. Her heart heavy, she turned to make her way back to the keep and the company of Angel.

The sudden screams tore her out of her musings and warriors began running past her. Instinct had her following them. She joined the mass of people running, fear shivering her when she realized where they were headed… the wolfhounds' pen.

"Let me go! Let me get Oona!" a woman screamed as two men held her firm, preventing her from going anywhere.

"Nay, Glynis, the hounds will tear you apart," one of the men holding her warned.

"Better me than my daughter," Glynis cried out.

Gasps and wide eyes stared at a young lass who laid unmoving in the wolfhounds' pen. The two large hounds stood over the lass snarling and snapping, appearing as if they were fighting over who would eat her.

"What happened?" a Gallowglass warrior demanded.

Glynis continued to cry as she spoke. "Oona was beside me one minute and gone the next. She is so fast for one so young. I couldn't catch her before she reached the pen and climbed the fence and fell in. Oh God, they are going to rip her apart."

"You've got to save her," someone called out.

"Do something," shouted another.

"They listen to no one but Lord Slayer," another cried out.

Sky did not hesitate. She pushed past everyone and went to the fence and climbed over it before anyone tried to stop her. Not that anyone did. To them, she was not worth saving.

She kept her voice even and soft. Not a tremble or fear could be heard in it. "You have done well protecting the little lass and I am grateful to you both, but you must step away from her now and let me take her. Will you do that for me?"

One of the hounds backed away while the other eyed her skeptically.

Sky turned her hand palm up and keeping it low reached out to the hound. "I mean her or you no harm."

A collective gasp sounded when the hound's mouth looked about to clamp down on Sky's hand, but the large hound sniffed, then licked it, and stepped back.

Sky crouched down slowly to see the little lass' eyes flutter. She would wake soon and if she cried out, the hounds might believe she was hurting her and attack.

She lifted her gently, then glancing at Glynis called out as softly as she could so as not to upset the hounds, "Walk slowly and come take her from me."

Glynis did as Sky said and took the lass from her just as she woke and cried out.

The hounds started growling and rushed at Sky. She had no time to jump the fence. She turned and faced them.

"The lass got a fright from the fall, but she is safe in her mum's arms. You did well in keeping her safe." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I will bring extra bones to you tomorrow in thanks."

The two hounds stopped growling and their heads shot up and sniffed the air. She heard people suddenly running and crying out in fright and when Sky turned it was to see the people hurrying away from the pen and the two missing wolfhounds racing toward the pen ready to vault it. Again, she had no time to jump over the fence. She stayed where she was, seeing her husband come barreling toward the pen on his stallion.

"SIT!" Slayer commanded as soon as the two wolfhounds with him cleared the fence.

All four wolfhounds sat, their eyes on Slayer.

Sky remained as she was, her eyes on Slayer as well as he brought his stallion to a halt and dismounted. Dried blood clung to the side of his face and stained the sleeves of his shirt and the front of it as well. A film of dirt and sweat covered him. That he had engaged in battle was evident and she felt an overwhelming relief that he had survived. Though she could tell by the fiery look in his eyes that he was none too pleased to find her in the wolfhounds' pen.

Slayer walked over to the pen, and the wolfhounds' eyes remained steady upon him. He did not say a word. He reached over the fence, grabbed her beneath her arms and with a forceful lift swung her over the fence to land with a solid thud on her feet.

"Are you hurt?" Sky asked, seeing the wound on his head where the blood had dripped from and dried.

Slayer glared at her, having been prepared to unleash a tongue lashing on her for being in his hounds' pen. Yet she robbed him of those words when she showed concern for him rather than defending herself.

"My lord," Glynis called out. "She saved Oona from the hounds. She had fallen in the pen and Sky did not hesitate to enter the pen and keep the hounds from harming her. She saved my little lass, she did, and without any thought to her own well-being."

"And where were my warriors in all of this?" Slayer demanded, sending a scathing look to each one of them there.

"I did not give them a chance to do anything," Sky said, "I jumped over the fence before anyone could stop me."

One of his warriors stepped forward. "There is no excuse for our failure, my lord, we should have been able to stop her."

"You're right and you'll pay for it," Slayer shouted. "And, Glynis," —he turned to the woman— "if you let Oona get anywhere near the hounds' pen again, you will suffer the consequences."

"Aye, my lord, it won't happen again," the woman said, her lips trembling along with her words.

"It better not," Slayer warned. "Now begone, all of you."

All left but his warriors. They remained, waiting to face their punishment.

"I will speak with you all tomorrow. For now, you will do extra duty at your posts. Now go and never disappoint me again," he said with a scowl at each one of them.

Their heads hung low as they walked away, though one of the warriors hurried to take the reins of Slayer's horse to see to his care.

"Take extra good care of him," Slayer ordered.

The warrior nodded. "Aye, my lord."

Slayer walked past Sky to the hounds' pen. "Food will be brought to you soon. Rest until then. We will hunt soon."

The hounds laid down, resting as he ordered, though their attention sparked when Slayer mentioned that they would hunt soon. What amazed Sky even more was that the hounds remained in the pen, though they could easily jump the fence as the two had done upon returning with Slayer. Yet they didn't. They remained there waiting for Slayer's order. It appeared that everyone, even animals, obeyed him without question.

Slayer glared at her, angry at the scene that had greeted him upon his arrival home. He wanted to lash out at his wife for being so foolish while also wanting to wrap his arms around her tightly, grateful she was unharmed.

"You are a foolish woman!" he yelled and reached out to grab her hand and yanked her along to follow him.

When Sky felt him squeeze her hand, she knew he yelled at her for others to hear and to see that he had grabbed her hand to force her to walk along with him when truthfully it was an excuse for him to take her hand. But she also knew that part of him was angry with her, and she could understand why.

Sky cringed at the enormous shout that echoed through the crowded Great Hall upon entering beside Slayer. Praise of his leadership and how he had led his warriors to victory rang out. He stopped to grip hands in solidarity with those who reached out to him and reminded them that victory was not possible without all of them battling side by side fearlessly.

She lost him somewhere in the crowd, maneuvering around the tables filled to the brim with battle-worn warriors. They ate with enthusiasm from the mounds of food in front of them and downed tankard after tankard of ale. While those who had remained behind stood around the tables and in between the aisles, drinking and listening to the praises lavished on Lord Slayer and snippets of the fierce battle.

Sky made her way just beyond the dais, thinking they would not be alone together anytime soon but then she caught his eye, and he sent a glance to the stairs. She made her way to the stairs, taking a few steps up and stopping out of sight when his booming voice filled the room.

"Eat, drink, enjoy! I have an important matter I must see to."

Cheers of praise once again rang out and Sky smiled and waited on the stairs.

"I have missed you," she said when he appeared, and he eagerly took the steps up to her.

"Not as much as I missed you," he said and nodded for her to continue climbing the stairs. "I would snatch you up in my arms, but I will not stain you with the blood of battle."

She hurried up the stairs, eager to be alone with her husband. When she saw that the tub was already prepared and food and drink covered the table, she realized that word must have reached the keep to prepare for Lord Slayer's imminent and victorious return. If she had remained in the keep, she would have learned of the news, but then she would not have been there to help the little lass.

She turned to her husband, discarding the last of his garments. She had come to know his body well and had come to enjoy seeing him naked. Never had she seen a man with such muscles. There was no paunch to his stomach or lag to his skin. He was firm with muscles everywhere. They rippled and curved beautifully over his body, taut and strong, almost as if they had been sculpted. Even the grime and blood of battle that he wore could not diminish his fine body.

"Did I not warn you to stay away from the wolfhounds?" he demanded more than asked, wanting badly to take her into his arms, but he would not stain her with the stench and grime of battle.

A sigh of resignation preceded her admission of guilt. "You did, but at least they let me approach them and did not turn away from me as everyone here does."

It hurt to hear that his clan purposely ignored her. Why couldn't they see what he saw, a kind and loving soul who would never do any of them harm?

Sky pointed to the tub. "Please hurry and wash so I may feel your arms around me. I have missed you and your touch immensely."

His manhood responded to her remark, rising quickly.

Sky smiled. "I see you have missed me too."

"More than you will ever know," he grumbled and hurried into the tub.

While she wanted him to wash quickly, she could tell from his soft grunt and the way he rested the back of his head on the rim of the tub and closed his eyes that he needed time in the heated water. So, she went to him and picked up a cloth off the stool, wet it, and began to wash the blood off his face.

He opened his eyes and could not stop the soft smile that rushed to his lips, seeing her lovely face and her two different colored eyes that shined with concern for him.

"Close your eyes and rest. We have all night," she said and was pleased when he did as she said.

He kept his eyes closed as she tended to him. Her touch was gentle as she scrubbed the blood off his face, rinsing the cloth repeatedly until he was sure not a spot must have remained. Then she ran the cloth softly over his face. It felt so good that he did not want her to stop. When she did, he thought she would be done with him, but she took the cloth to his neck, then to his shoulders, scrubbing with a firmness that eased his muscles. She took extra care with his arms, stroking and squeezing his muscles until they surrendered to her touch, and he almost sighed with pleasure when she ran the soap over his chest with her bare hands.

"Let me wash your hair before the water loses its heat," she said.

He lifted his head as she scooped up water with a tankard and poured it over his hair and after she lathered his hair with the soap, her fingers began scrubbing his scalp with a firmness that almost had him moaning with pleasure.

Never had he enjoyed a bath like he did now with his wife tending to him and it filled him with a sense of pleasure and peace and the thought that they would share many more moments like this together.

He raised his leg when she tugged at it and kept his eyes closed and loved that she washed his legs with the soap and her bare hands. She squeezed his calf muscles as she scrubbed, and he found himself almost moaning again.

When she finished with both legs, she touched him no more and he opened his eyes to see her standing there with the soap in her hands looking down into the tub and he understood her hesitation.

"No permission is needed to touch me, Sky. I will always welcome your touch," he said, sensing her dilemma.

"I know. It's just that…" Her cheeks turned pink, and she shook her head. "I sometimes think I desire you far too much."

Slayer sat up fast, splashing water over the rim, and cupped her face with his wet hand. "I desire you even more, so you can never desire me too much. Never. Ever. Think that." He leaned over the rim and kissed her gently and groaned low when her hand slipped beneath the water with the soap, and she began to tenderly wash him.

It took only a few strokes before he said, "That's it." He stood, letting the water drip off him before stepping out of the tub and snatching a cloth off the stool to dry himself quickly. "Disrobe," he ordered and was glad she did without hesitation. With parts of his body still damp, and impatient to touch his wife, he reached out and snatched her up into his arms and carried her to the bed to announce, "My turn to touch."

He caught a quick look at the kitten asleep in a makeshift bed by the hearth and almost shook his head. He would let her know tomorrow that the kitten would not be sleeping in their bedchamber. It was for Sky and him alone.

Sky kept her arms around her husband's neck as he placed her on the bed, not letting him move off her and she spread her legs so that his manhood nestled between them just where she wanted it.

"While I would love you to touch me all over, I fear I may explode with passion born of washing you, so I need you inside me quickly, please," she pleaded softly and wiggled beneath him.

He was only too glad to oblige her, being on the edge himself, and said, "As you wish, wife."

He slipped into her, and he was overwhelmed not only with passion as he brought them both closer to the edge, but a sense of something else, something deeper and stronger, something that made him a part of Sky and she a part of him, as if at that moment they became one, forever united together… forever loved.

He looked down at his wife, her eyes filled with passion for him, her grip on him strong as if she never intended to let him go, and he knew at that moment what it felt like to be in love.