Chapter 22

"To my solar now," Slayer ordered.

Sky followed behind him as did Fane and Angel.

As soon as he shut the door, he pulled his wife into his arms. "Are you sure you are all right?"

"You continue to ask me that even though it has been a week since you ravished me," she said with a slight chuckle. "And have done so twice since then."

"It is all your fault," he said with a feigned scowl. "I cannot resist you."

"Nor I you," she said and kissed him gently and tapped his chest afterward. "There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you."

"Is there a problem?"

"Nay. All is well. I keep busy in my garden?—"

"And with my hounds," he said, raising his brow. "I have not stopped you from visiting them since I know they, as well as you, enjoy the visits."

"I truly appreciate that, and the hounds are what I wanted to discuss with you. Fane trained well. He stays by your side and keeps a close watch on everything and everyone in the village. You waste the other three hounds' abilities by keeping them secluded in the pen until needed. If you assigned a warrior to each hound and have them train the hound to obey, then they can patrol or take watch with them. Hounds are so much more intelligent than people know. The hounds will get to know the scent of those in the village and will alert when an unfamiliar scent is found."

"You just want to free them from the pen," Slayer accused.

"They have become my friends and I hate seeing them confined when they have so much to offer you."

He gave her waist a light squeeze. "I suppose you also have warriors in mind who might work well with the hounds."

"I do, and Reed is one of them," she said excitedly. "Haven't you noticed how well he does with Fane, not fearful of him? I believe he would do just as well with one of the other hounds. Boden would be a good fit for him. I can tell he is eager to leave the pen like Fane."

"And the other two hounds, Dirk and Quinn?"

That he did not quickly dismiss her suggestion gave her hope. "Glen will do well with Quinn. He is the most easily compliant of the four. Dirk has a mind of his own and can be stubborn and will need a firmer hand."

"Angus may do well with Dirk, he is just as stubborn as the hound," Slayer suggested.

Sky jabbed his chest lightly. "You have given this thought as well."

"You should know by now how much we think alike," he said and playfully kissed the tip of her nose. "Besides, you have shown me with Fane how helpful the hounds can be while waiting for the next battle."

"I am pleased that in time the hounds will no longer be confined to the pen," she said, her thoughts drifting.

"Then why the worry lines?" Slayer asked, caressing the deep lines between her eyes.

She sighed softly. "I am eager for Ross' return from Clan Skirling, Leora's new home, and what reply she may have sent to my message that he took to her."

"Do not worry he will deliver the message correctly. You had him repeat enough for him to remember it and he repeated it enough to me that I still recall it." Slayer tempered his powerful voice to sound more like Ross as he repeated the message. "I am to tell her that you are doing well and are being well cared for, though you miss her and Elsie terribly. She is not to worry over you, though she knows you will ignore her words, but she is to trust that you are safe and well-protected, and that when it is safe, the three of you will reunite and have much to discuss and you look forward to that time And most importantly I am to tell her that you have found the love with the animals at Clan Ravinsher that Snowball had given you at home."

"You sounded much like Ross. I only hope his memory is as good as yours."

His voice turned powerful once again. "Ross has an excellent memory, so have no worries your message will reach your sister. I have been meaning to ask you, who is Snowball?"

Sky smiled softly. "A beautiful, precious, white cat I loved with all my heart, and I had since I was young."

Slayer did not hide his surprise, understanding what that part of the message actually meant. "You are letting your sister know that you have found love here."

"With the animals, as I said, though she might realize I mean more since Snowball meant so much to me." Her smile faded. "Although, I do wonder if she would even give it thought since it was assumed I would never wed let alone fall in love because of my affliction. Elsie and Leora often told me that they would always look after me."

"They no longer need to. You have me now," Slayer reminded, "and you have yourself. You have grown in strength and courage since I first met you. You had no choice being wed to me, but you had a choice whether you would accept the marriage and find a way to make it work rather than do nothing more than tolerate it. I am proud to call you my wife."

His words filled her heart with joy. Never had she expected to hear such meaningful words from a man, let alone a husband and she was quick to respond. "And I am proud and overjoyed that you are my husband and I love you with all my heart."

Slayer went to speak and stopped. Instead, he kissed her, a gentle, lingering kiss, then he rested his brow to hers. "I feel for you, wife, like I have never felt for another. You have become a part of me I cannot live without, like a breath or a beat of my heart. I want to say I love you, but I don't know or understand love, I don't even know if those words would suffice for what I feel for you?—"

Sky kissed him softly. "Your words say more than you know, and they fill me with even more joy."

"Don't you be growling at me, or you'll never get another bone. That's right, hang your head. I know you have been getting bones on the sly."

Sky and Slayer turned their heads toward the door, hearing Euniss reprimand the hound, who stopped growling at the threat of receiving no more bones.

"That woman fears nothing," Slayer said.

Sky smiled. "I think that is why I like her so much."

"You are needed, Lord Slayer," Euniss called out.

Sky slipped out of her husband's arms reluctantly and he reluctantly let her go. "I will leave first. I am eager to work in my garden today and I am already eager to see you later."

She blew him a kiss before she opened the door and he thought he felt it graze his cheek, though it could have been the light breeze that swept through the room. However, he allowed himself to believe it was her kiss and touched his cheek gently sealing it there.

"Come on, Fane," he commanded. "We have a busy day ahead of us."

* * *

Sky wassurprised when she reached her garden to see the young lass, Oona waiting there for her.

"For you," she said and brought her hand from behind her back to offer Sky a small, yellow wildflower. "You helped me."

"It is beautiful. Thank you," Sky said. "I shall wear it in my hair." She tucked it in the braid that lay over her shoulder and on her chest.

"Pretty," Oona said with a smile and tilted her head, staring at Sky. "Why do your eyes look like that?"

Sky smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. I was just born this way."

"Oh," Oona said. "Can I play with Angel?"

"I believe she would like that," Sky said, the kitten rubbing herself against the little lass' legs. "But you must stay here to play with her."

"Aye," Oona said without a second thought and plopped down on the ground and giggled when Angel began to crawl all over her.

"To be young and pure of heart again, before life tarnishes the mind and soul."

Sky turned to see Ruth, Wade's grandmother, walking toward her.

"Oona had the courage to do what I should have done weeks ago, offer my thanks for your help. You did not speak against my grandson, and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for Lord Slayer's punishment. After Wade spent time with the Gallowglass warriors he changed. He now joins the other lads in sword practice daily after his chores are done. He wants to be a warrior so he can protect me and the clan." Her eyes grew shiny with tears. "He makes me proud, and I know his parents would have been just as proud. He lost both within a short time of each other."

"I am sorry to hear that, though I am glad to hear that he is doing so well," Sky said.

"Could we sit and talk for a bit?" Ruth offered.

"I would love to," Sky said and walked with Ruth to the bench that appeared near her garden one day. She knew it was her husband's doing, although he never mentioned it to her.

"I hope you do not mind me saying, but your eyes are beautiful, strange yet beautiful."

Sky could not hide her shock. She almost told the woman that Slayer was the only one who had ever told her that, but she caught herself. "Your words surprise me since I have never had anyone tell me that."

"More fools they, but then I have seen such strange eye color like yours before."

Again, Sky could not hide her surprise. "You have?"

Ruth nodded. "Aye, when I was young my da and I traveled to his sister's clan after my mum died. He left me with her and took off. I never saw him again. It was on our travels there that I saw the young woman with the strange eye color. My da and I traveled a well-worn path to get here and met fellow travelers along the way. He would nod pleasantly to some and ignore others. Those, he would tell me, are not our kind and it was best to avoid them. One day we encountered a group of three men and two women. The younger woman had eyes like yours. They approached from the opposite direction we traveled. My da cautioned me not to look at them."

"But being a child and curious, you could not help but sneak a peek," Sky said, understanding.

Ruth chuckled. "Aye, I could not help but look. I had never seen anyone as beautiful as she was and to me her different colored eyes only made her more beautiful. And with my child's imagination running wild, I believed her to be a magical creature. Especially once it was confirmed for me by a strange occurrence. I glanced back for one last look and saw a small bird land on her shoulder, and it looked as though he whispered in her ear. The next thing I knew they all disappeared into the forest."

"Your da never said anything more about them?"

"Only that they were foreigners and not to be trusted. The incident faded with time, and I never saw them or anyone like them again until you arrived here, and the memory of that day returned more vividly. I wondered if perhaps you are related to the woman I saw, but then I learned you were one of the Murdock sisters and realized it was not possible. Although I cannot get over how much you resemble her and that you have the same different colored eyes as she did."

"It is good to know that I am not the only one with such eyes," Sky said, wondering if it was possible she somehow was related to the woman.

"And then there is the way animals so easily trust you as the bird did with the woman," Ruth said. "I do hope you make Clan Ravinsher your home. It would be nice to have someone with your beauty and kindness reside among us." She lowered her voice. "But be careful. I see the way Lord Slayer looks at you. It is obvious he favors you and he will need to find a wife soon enough and produce an heir."

Sky recalled that Slayer introduced her as a guest at Clan Ravinsher. Was Warrand's forthcoming marriage to her never made known?

It was a question she hoped Ruth might know the answer to, although she did not ask it directly. "I thought I recalled hearing something about a marriage being arranged for Warrand."

"Aye, it was time for Warrand to wed but Lord Bannaty had yet to decide on a union that would benefit the clan."

So, the clan was never told of Warrand's forthcoming nuptials, but why? Why would Lord Bannaty hide it?

"Lord Bannaty always did what was best for the clan and Lord Slayer is doing the same. The clan will always come first to him and that is the way it should be," Ruth said. "I should be going. I promised Wade oat cakes today. You must visit me soon. We can share a hot brew."

Never had Sky been invited for a hot brew with anyone and her face lit with a smile at the invitation. "I would love to."

Ruth stood and Sky stood with her.

"Midmorning is a good time for a visit on any given day," Ruth said.

"I will see you soon," Sky said, looking forward to it.

Ruth stopped after taking only a few steps and turned around. "I just remembered something about that encounter with the woman who shares your eye color. She carried a pup with her in a pouch, much like you carry the kitten at times." She shook her head. "It was probably a young lass' imagination, but I could have sworn it was a wolf cub she carried."

Sky remained where she was, lost in thought. Was there any significance to the wolf cub and her repetitive dream about the wolf she had when she was young? Could it possibly have something to do with where she came from and who she truly was?

"Oona, you should not be bothering the lady," Glynis scolded her daughter.

"She is my friend. Angel is too," Oona said, hugging the kitten.

The young lass' words touched Sky's heart, and she smiled. "Oona is no bother, and she is right. Angel and I are her friends."

Glynis glanced around, seeing that the garden workers had ceased working and were staring at her.

"I understand," Sky said, drawing Glynis's attention. "It is difficult to be dismissed by your clan because you do not think as they do."

"Mummy, look." Oona pointed to Sky's braid. "The flower. I picked it for her. She put it in her hair." The lass giggled. "It looks pretty."

Glynis smiled. "It does look pretty, Oona, and that was very kind of you to do."

Oona abandoned the kitten to scurry over to Sky and attach herself to her leg with a hug. "I like her. She is nice. Be her friend too, Mummy."

"Aye, Oona, Sky is nice," Glynis said and looked at Sky. "And I would like to be her friend."

"I would like that as well," Sky said.

"We will chat the next time Oona plays with the kitten," Glynis offered.

"I look forward to it," Sky said, amazed that she had made three friends in such a brief time. It filled her heart with joy and gave her hope for the future here at Clan Ravinsher.

Sky thought of seeking out her husband after Oona and her mum left, but she needed time to think, clear her head, make some sense of things before she spoke with him. Working in the garden would help with that and while Angel settled herself under the bench to sleep, she went to work in the garden.

She was pulling weeds, thinking on the plants, allowing nothing else to interfere with this moment of peace and clarity when a shadow fell over where she knelt. She turned her head, tilting it up to see who it was and was surprised to see one of the lasses who helped tend the kitchen garden.

"Wild pottage for your garden," the young woman said, stretching her hand out, offering Sky the plant.

Sky took the plant from her. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

"It grows abundant in the woods," the lass said, "but we grow it in the garden, so the cooks have plenty to add to the stews. It was a favorite of Lord Bannaty's. I can show you where it grows one day if you'd like."

"That would be most kind of you," Sky said, not actually accepting or refusing her offer since she knew Slayer would never allow her to go into the woods just yet.

The lass smiled, nodded, and hurried to return to her task, the other workers quick to gather round her.

Sky wondered over the sudden interest in her. Had Ruth and Glynis speaking with her turned people curious enough to talk with her and judge her for themselves? Or had she been here long enough for them to see that she posed no threat to them? Whatever the reason might be, she chose to remain hopeful.

She worked in the garden until the eagerness to talk with her husband could no longer be ignored. After cleaning the dirt off her hands and leaving Angel to eat in the kitchen, she went to find her husband. There was much she had to share with him.

She walked through the village and not spotting him, she approached one of the Gallowglass warriors to ask, "Would you know where Lord Slayer is?"

The young warrior looked her directly in her eyes as if showing all that he was not afraid of her, unless it was because her husband had ordered his men not to turn away when speaking with her.

"Lord Slayer is beyond the gate."

"Thank you," she said with a smile and the warrior's cheeks heated red and he hurried off.

Sky hurried to the gate and quickly left the confines of the castle's protective wall. She stood still after only taking a few steps to see if she could spot her husband among the buzz of activity in the village. He would be easy to spot, standing a good head above most men. She spotted him speaking to Reed. Impatient to reach him, she kept a quick pace and had to force herself not to let others notice how eager she was to see him. He, however, had no problem turning a scowl at her. She recalled then that she was not to go beyond the castle walls without his permission. He had reiterated that order once things had settled down after that day on the practice field when she had followed others outside the castle walls. She could not wait for the time to come when such confinement was no longer necessary.

The blaring horn froze her as did the shouts of the villagers.

"ATTACK! ATTACK!"