have to step fretting, lass, and start grabbing everything you can from life.”
Foolish man.
Seonaid rose, towered over him, her finger in his face. “Not grab life?” She pointed at herself. “I’ve survived more than you will ever know!” She pointed at Deian. “I gave my son life, I’ve supported him, all without a man.” She raised her arms to the skies. “All despite the clan whispering about me behind their hands.” She thumped her chest. “And I’m gettin’ my fill of life trying to give him a new one.”
Once more, she jabbed her finger at him. “How dare you accuse me of not grabbing every minute, every moment!”
“Now, lass,” Padraig rose, too. “Calm down. That’s not what I was meanin’.”
“Of course it was what you were meanin’. I’m not livin’ my life accordin’ to Padraig. That’s what bothers you.”
He tilted his head, then nodded. “Aye, part of that is true, ’cause if you were livin’ accordin’ to me, we’d be safe and sound at Glen Toric, not concoctin’ foolish plans.”
She brushed him off. “They aren’t foolish and if we have to backtrack before movin’ forward, let’s get going. I want to reach the Women in the Woods before winter.”
“Grumble, grumble.”
“What are you sayin’ now?”
“Nothin’,” Padraig lied, with such false innocence she startled them both by laughing.
“Well, look at you.” From innocence to abashed, he fueled her mirth. “Aye, I knew you could do it, lass.”
And it felt good. So good.
“With your foolishness, of course I can.” And her laughter, missing for so long, grew just for the sheer pleasure of it.
Padraig joined in until their humor took them over, tears slipping down their faces. They had to hold each other up, a hand to a shoulder, the other arm crossed at the belly for the pain of it. He pulled her into a hug so tight and full of strength, the laughter stopped. Emotions dipped and swirled and wove themselves into something else entirely.
“Oh, no,” she whispered, for she hadn’t the strength to speak aloud.
He eased the embrace, gentled it.
“Aye, Seonaid.” His hand stroked her back, as though searching for tension to ease. “I want to kiss you, lass.”
She knew he wanted more than that, felt the evidence pressed against her. And Lord help her, she wanted it, too. With Deian a few feet away and in a few days, never to be before her again, she had to stop this. Now. For now.
“When Deian sleeps,” she promised, knowing it was wrong, knowing she should never give in to such weakness.
Knowing that, soon, she would never see him again.
Padraig watched Seonaid settle Deian for the night.
“You know, even if you don’t see Padraig or me, we’re here for you. You know that?”
The lad nodded.
“All you have to do is shout out.”
“Where are you going?”
Padraig anticipated that one. The boy would probably stay up all night out of curiosity.
“Nowhere.” Seonaid settled the blanket over the lad. “But we’re often watching the land, to keep you safe.”
Padraig groaned. For a woman who dressed like a man, had the skills of a warrior, she certainly didn’t know how the male of the species thought. She’d just offered adventure.
Sure enough, Deian pushed off his cover, jumped up. “I can help with that.”
“No.” Padraig sounded firm, had to sound firm.
Seonaid’s glance could have ripped through his leather tunic, but he didn’t care, repeated himself. “No. It’s boring as hell. There’s never anything out there so you have to fight falling asleep, make yourself walk and look and listen for nothing. So go to sleep.”
“If it’s boring, I’ll help my ma stay awake. She can tell me the story of the faerie Seonaidh.”
“No, you won’t, because the faeries will blame your ma if you don’t sleep, and you don’t want that.” He offered his best, frightened look.
Deian wrapped his arms around Seonaid’s neck, where she still crouched by his
Foolish man.
Seonaid rose, towered over him, her finger in his face. “Not grab life?” She pointed at herself. “I’ve survived more than you will ever know!” She pointed at Deian. “I gave my son life, I’ve supported him, all without a man.” She raised her arms to the skies. “All despite the clan whispering about me behind their hands.” She thumped her chest. “And I’m gettin’ my fill of life trying to give him a new one.”
Once more, she jabbed her finger at him. “How dare you accuse me of not grabbing every minute, every moment!”
“Now, lass,” Padraig rose, too. “Calm down. That’s not what I was meanin’.”
“Of course it was what you were meanin’. I’m not livin’ my life accordin’ to Padraig. That’s what bothers you.”
He tilted his head, then nodded. “Aye, part of that is true, ’cause if you were livin’ accordin’ to me, we’d be safe and sound at Glen Toric, not concoctin’ foolish plans.”
She brushed him off. “They aren’t foolish and if we have to backtrack before movin’ forward, let’s get going. I want to reach the Women in the Woods before winter.”
“Grumble, grumble.”
“What are you sayin’ now?”
“Nothin’,” Padraig lied, with such false innocence she startled them both by laughing.
“Well, look at you.” From innocence to abashed, he fueled her mirth. “Aye, I knew you could do it, lass.”
And it felt good. So good.
“With your foolishness, of course I can.” And her laughter, missing for so long, grew just for the sheer pleasure of it.
Padraig joined in until their humor took them over, tears slipping down their faces. They had to hold each other up, a hand to a shoulder, the other arm crossed at the belly for the pain of it. He pulled her into a hug so tight and full of strength, the laughter stopped. Emotions dipped and swirled and wove themselves into something else entirely.
“Oh, no,” she whispered, for she hadn’t the strength to speak aloud.
He eased the embrace, gentled it.
“Aye, Seonaid.” His hand stroked her back, as though searching for tension to ease. “I want to kiss you, lass.”
She knew he wanted more than that, felt the evidence pressed against her. And Lord help her, she wanted it, too. With Deian a few feet away and in a few days, never to be before her again, she had to stop this. Now. For now.
“When Deian sleeps,” she promised, knowing it was wrong, knowing she should never give in to such weakness.
Knowing that, soon, she would never see him again.
Padraig watched Seonaid settle Deian for the night.
“You know, even if you don’t see Padraig or me, we’re here for you. You know that?”
The lad nodded.
“All you have to do is shout out.”
“Where are you going?”
Padraig anticipated that one. The boy would probably stay up all night out of curiosity.
“Nowhere.” Seonaid settled the blanket over the lad. “But we’re often watching the land, to keep you safe.”
Padraig groaned. For a woman who dressed like a man, had the skills of a warrior, she certainly didn’t know how the male of the species thought. She’d just offered adventure.
Sure enough, Deian pushed off his cover, jumped up. “I can help with that.”
“No.” Padraig sounded firm, had to sound firm.
Seonaid’s glance could have ripped through his leather tunic, but he didn’t care, repeated himself. “No. It’s boring as hell. There’s never anything out there so you have to fight falling asleep, make yourself walk and look and listen for nothing. So go to sleep.”
“If it’s boring, I’ll help my ma stay awake. She can tell me the story of the faerie Seonaidh.”
“No, you won’t, because the faeries will blame your ma if you don’t sleep, and you don’t want that.” He offered his best, frightened look.
Deian wrapped his arms around Seonaid’s neck, where she still crouched by his
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