Hidden Dragons by Bianca D'Arc Page A

the great house opened and a dark-clad woman
rushed out. She held a wrapped bundle out to Isabelle and Robert
could see Isabelle’s expression brighten for a moment when she
accepted the small parcel. The other woman rushed back into the
house and Isabelle went on her way, alone.
    Except, she wasn’t really alone. Robert and
Growloranth shadowed her steps all the way back to her place on the
edge of the woods.
     

Chapter Four

    After the nocturnal excursion, Bear and Tilly
decided they had to run an errand before their morning patrol
began. Robert slept while Growloranth kept watch, though nothing
else exciting happened for the little that remained of the
night.
    Bear and Tilly returned shortly after dawn with
a huge sack of provisions and a surprise for Isabelle. Robert
smiled when he saw what his fighting partner had done. Sometimes
Bear had really excellent ideas, and this was definitely one of
them.
    Bear and Tilly stuck around for breakfast,
which Robert totally understood. Bear, no doubt, wanted to see
Isabelle’s face when she realized what he’d brought for
her.
    He got his chance about a half hour later when
Isabelle came outside to the barn. She seemed hesitant to enter,
but once she saw the men were up and about, she came inside…and
then stopped quite still.
    “ Do you like them?” Bear asked,
moving close to Isabelle as she saw what he’d done.
    “ Are they for me?” she whispered,
apparently very moved by the gesture.
    Bear walked with her over to the wooden cages
he and Tilly had brought in earlier. Inside were a small flock of
chickens. Two hens and one rooster. From there, she would be able
to breed more and have plenty of eggs for herself, as well as some
to trade or sell.
    “ I tried to get a few more hens,
but the farmer wouldn’t part with more than two,” Bear said
somewhat sheepishly.
    “ Sir Bernard…” Isabelle began,
clearly choked up at the gesture. “I am overwhelmed. Are you
certain they are for me? It is too much.”
    Bear seemed relieved as a grin broke over his
face. “They are most definitely for you, milady. I only wish I
could have talked the farmer out of more of his flock. And after I
do my patrol, I will build a coop for you on the warm side of your
home, so they will be safe through the winter. I come from a
farming family and we kept our coop on the other side of the
kitchen wall where the chimney was. As long as you leave a small
fire burning in the kitchen hearth, the chickens on the other side
of the chimney will benefit from the warmth all winter.”
    A tear rolled down her face, followed by
another and another and then she did something unexpected. She
literally launched herself into Bear’s arms. Taken by surprise, he
nonetheless was smart enough to wrap his arms around her, accepting
her hug and the kisses she bestowed on his rough cheek.
    Bear turned his head and one of her kisses
landed on his lips. She stilled, moving back slightly to look into
his eyes while Robert and the dragons held their breath. What she
did next would determine a lot about the future.
    When she stayed motionless in Bear’s arms, Bear
did what came naturally, moving closer, slowly, giving her the
opportunity to flee…but she didn’t. She waited, seemingly unsure
but willing to trust him as he lowered his mouth to hers, giving
her a proper kiss. A proper kiss that turned improper within only a
few moments.
    And she…she just seemed to…surrender. That was
as good a word as any when all the tension fled her small body and
she returned Bear’s kiss with a passion that looked as fiery as it
was unexpected. Robert watched with both joy and a bit of envy as
his fighting partner was the first to claim a kiss from the woman
they intended to make their own.
    There would be time for Robert to kiss her
though—if everything proceeded according to the plan they had
mapped out deep in the night. They had strategized how to woo her.
The first step was to continue to fix up her home and shower