He coughed and gurgled, and to Tarass’s surprise smiled.
He choked out his last few words. “I won. She’ll die. I made sure of it.”
Anger had Tarass driving the sword through him again, then he took off with Thaw fast on his heels as he left a pool of blood gathering around Conall.
Tarass sped through the woods without worry anyone would attack him. Slatter would have seen to whoever lurked about. He had to get to Snow. He had to see her, had to hold her in his arms, had to keep her safe.
I won. She’ll die. I made sure of it. Only two people I can truly trust.
The words tore at Tarass. Conall had made sure if he should fail that someone else wouldn’t. Tarass ran harder, thinking of the one person who Conall could trust to finish this for him… his mum.
Chapter 34
Tarass and Thaw ran through the village as though the devil was after them. They stopped at Twilla’s cottage and not finding her there, rushed to the keep. Tarass stopped when he reached the Great Hall, seeing Slatter talking with Rannock.
“Is Twilla here?” Tarass shouted.
“She’s with the other women who tend your wife,” Rannock said.
Curses flew from his mouth as he ran up the stairs, Slatter and Rannock hurrying after him, and Thaw rushed ahead of them all.
Screams and shouts were coming from the room when Tarass entered. He was shocked to see that Thaw had Runa on the ground, tearing at her arm, and dodging any attempts by her to stop him.
One command from Tarass and Thaw let go of her, but kept an attack stance, his teeth bared, growling at Runa.
Runa lay on the floor, holding her bleeding arm and crying.
“I don’t know what happened,” Willow said. “Thaw entered the room, sniffed the air, and charged at Runa.”
Tarass sniffed the air himself near Runa and cringed at a horrid stench.
“The putrid odor is from a salve Runa wanted to use on Snow and I refused to let her,” Willow said. “A stench as bad as that can’t be good.”
Tarass silently blessed Willow as he looked to his wife in bed. Her eyes were closed and her face so pale that she looked lifeless.
“Take her,” Tarass ordered and Rannock reached down and yanked Runa up by the arm.
“Let me tend her,” Willow said, stepping forward.
“No,” Slatter said, his arm shooting out to stop his wife from going to the woman. “She meant Snow harm.”
Nettle and Twilla gasped as Rannock all but dragged Runa out of the room.
Tarass walked around the bed to sit beside his wife and take her limp hand in his. He didn’t chase Thaw when he jumped on the bed and licked her face. He hoped she’d respond, but she didn’t, and he felt his heart shatter once again this day.
“You need to go, Tarass, I’m not done tending her,” Willow said gently.
He nodded but didn’t move. He brought his cheek to rest against hers and whispered near her ear. “I forbid you to leave me, ást, and this is one time you will obey me without question.” He kissed her cheek, reached for Thaw and scooped him up, and turned to Willow, standing beside him. “I know you will do all you can to save her.”
“I couldn’t save the bairn, but I won’t lose my sister,” Willow said, tears in her eyes.
Tarass hoped that would prove true and reluctantly stepped out of the room, Thaw tucked under his arm. As the door closed on him and the pup, his heart sank and Thaw whined.
He sunk to the floor, bracing his back against the wall to the right of the door. The pup lay curled up against him, whining as if understanding the severity of the situation.
He dropped his head back against the wall, hugging the pup. “It’s all right, Thaw. I ordered her not to leave us. She’ll obey me this time, since she loves us too much to leave us.”
He sat, hoping, praying, and thinking that he didn’t know how he’d live without his wife. She had become such a vital part of it. How would he ever get into bed at night without her there to take in his arms or wake in the morning without her curled around him? He shook his head. And how unfair that now with her sight restored, she would never get to see the love and passion he has for her in his eyes.
Thaw whined and whimpered and Tarass did his best to soothe him, but they both found it difficult. He didn’t know when Slatter had appeared. He was suddenly there or perhaps he’d been there for a while and had said nothing.
“Tell me,” Tarass said.
“I took care of the two that watched to see if anyone followed you. Rannock sent a troop of men to collect all the bodies and one was found alive, though not for long. The fool thought he’d run far enough.”
“Don’t return the bodies here. Have Rannock burn them all in the woods,” Tarass ordered.
“Aye,” Slatter said.
“You have something you don’t want to tell me,” Tarass said, hearing reluctance in his one word.
He nodded slowly. “Runa is dead… by her own hand. It took little persuading to get her to confess. She told Rannock and me that her father had paid three men to help them. They helped with the pools of blood. All the blood came from animals they killed in the woods, except for a small amount from Finn. She posed as the dwarf and helped fake Fasta’s miscarriage, hoping it would put fear into Snow, and more fright into the clan, but she hadn’t counted on Snow’s courage that left the village praising her bravery. It also served another purpose. It gave Fasta an excuse to be absent from the keep so she could finalize plans with the culprits.”
“Now I know how Thaw knew it was Runa… the smell. Snow had told me she had smelled a terrible odor when the dwarf was near her when Fasta had supposedly suffered a miscarriage. I wonder if it was something that caused Fasta to lose some blood, since Runa was about to do the same to my wife. Thaw had smelled the foul odor that night as well as just moments ago in my bedchamber.”
“You were suspicious of someone when you rushed into the keep?” Slatter asked.
“Twilla.”
Slatter thought a few moments. then nodded. “It all falls into place now. I would guess the man who caused all the harm was Twilla’s son who wasn’t dead after all, and you thought she had helped him.”
“You’re good at puzzles, but this is one puzzle that will remain a mystery to others. The only thing anyone needs to know is that it was a man from the far north looking for revenge against me for a previous battle fought.”
“What about Twilla? Are you sure she doesn’t know anything?”
“My da told me to trust her more than anyone, that she knew and kept family secrets. She kept the secret all these years about Fay and her son and she truly believed them in love. So, no, I don’t believe she knew the truth about her son. I think if she had, it would have broken her heart.”
The door to the bedchamber opened.
Willow stood in the doorway with tears in her eyes.
Slatter went to her and took her in his arms.
Tarass stood, placing Thaw on the floor beside him, and they both looked to Willow.
Willow choked back the tears. “Snow lost quite a bit of blood and if it wasn’t for her quick actions of ridding herself of a good portion of the brew they forced down her throat, she would not be alive now.”
Tarass went to enter the room.
“She sleeps and she needs rest,” Willow said. “Nettle and I will keep watch over her throughout the night to make sure there is no more bleeding. If it remains that way, I believe she will do well along with rest and food to replenish her strength.”
Twilla approached them. “There is little for me to do here. Snow is in excellent hands with Willow and Nettle.” She placed a hand on Tarass’s arm. “Snow is strong. I have no doubt she’ll survive this and you will have many bairns in the years to come. Your father would be proud of the honorable man you’ve become.”
Slatter sent a quick nod to Tarass as if acknowledging that he was right about Twilla. She didn’t know anything.
“I will sit with my wife as wel
l,” Tarass said.
“There is nothing you can do for her,” Willow said.
“There is,” Tarass said. “I can be there with her.”
It was morning when Snow woke to see her husband sleeping in a chair as well as Willow. Tears filled her eyes in relief and sorrow. The memory of losing the bairn tore at her heart until she feared it would rip her in two. Though, she knew there’d be other bairns, it didn’t help ease her current heartache. The one thing that did soothe the hurt was to see her husband there, alive and well, and to feel Thaw cuddled against her side.
Thaw rose with a stretch, stuck his face in hers, and licked her cheek.
Snow smiled and hugged him to her, kissing his snout and the top of his head, and admired what a fine looking dog he was. Her sisters had done an excellent job in describing him to her. He looked just as they had said, brown with black paws, and an adorable face, though it was so nice seeing him for herself.
She hurried to turn her attention on Tarass, seeing him clearly, though her vision could turn fuzzy at times. The fine features he had as a young lad having matured him into a handsome man. One that women would take great pleasure in admiring, but he belonged to her and no other.
His eyes sprang open suddenly and the bold blue color startled her. They were so much bolder in color than she had remembered. They intimidated and appealed all at once, and she almost chuckled. If she hadn’t been able to keep her hands off him when she was blind, how would she ever do so now that she could see how wickedly handsome and appealing he was?
“You’re awake,” he said and nudged Willow.
Her eyes popped wide and she smiled when she saw that a light pink color tinged Snow’s pale cheeks. “You feel well? No pain? No bleeding?”
“I feel tired and weak, but no pain and no bleeding that I can feel.”
“It will take time for you to heal fully. You need to stay off your feet for a few days, and then not attempt to do more than your body tells you it can,” her sister advised.
“She’ll do as you say,” Tarass said.
“She certainly will since I’ll be right here making sure she does,” Willow said like a mum commanding her bairn.
“I have every intention of doing what I’m told,” Snow said. “Besides, I just don’t have the strength to argue with either of you.”
Willow went to her sister and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’ll do well and you’ll have lots of bairns. I’ll go get you a light fare. Food will help you regain your strength.”
Snow appreciated that Willow gave her time alone with her husband. She looked to him not sure what to say, then suddenly burst into tears.
Tarass went to her, slipping into bed beside her and took her into his arms, then gently eased her head to rest on his shoulder.
“You’re safe now,” he said, overwhelmed by the relief his own words brought him.
“I lost our bairn,” she said and continued weeping.
He lifted her chin to look up at him. “No, you didn’t. Our bairn was taken from you, and the ones responsible will never hurt you or any of our family ever again. It was senseless vengeance against my family that caused this and it is finally done. It will haunt us no more.” He wouldn’t tell her about Runa just now. Tomorrow or the next day would be time enough.
He pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I was so frightened I would lose you. My life, my arms, this bed would be empty without you. You’ve filled my life in ways I never imagined possible. I now understand why my mum cautioned me to settle for nothing less than love when I wed. She was so right. I love you, ást, more than you could possibly know.”
Tears fell gently from Snow’s eyes, rolling slowly down her cheeks. “After I went blind, I never imagined anyone falling in love with me, least of all you. And I do know how much you love me, for my love for you is just as impossible to comprehend, it goes so deep.”
They kissed gently as if sealing their love.
Snow snuggled content in her husband’s arms.
Tarass turned a smile on her. “So tell me, wife, when did your sight return?”
She smiled at him, her green eyes still wet with tears. “It was over time and it can still be fuzzy at times, but mostly it’s been clear for a while now.”
“I know why you didn’t tell me sooner,” Tarass said, his grin incredibly wicked.
“And why is that?”
“You could admire me naked as often as you wanted without me seeing how much you love my body.”
Snow laughed in spite of the sorrow that lingered in her. “You caught me, husband, I just can’t keep my eyes or hands off you.”
“Then I suppose I have no choice. Whenever we’re alone, I’ll have to stay naked around you.”
“You’ll get no argument with me on that,” Snow said and yawned.
“You’re tired. You need to rest,” Tarass said and went to ease away from her.
“No, stay a while longer with me,” Snow pleaded, holding on to him and returning her head to rest on his shoulder.
“Did you hear all of what Conall had confessed?” he asked, ready to tell her if she hadn’t.
“Aye, I did, and how sad that he didn’t realize that he, not your da, was the one responsible for what happened to him. His lies and greed came before all else. He truly cared for no one but himself,” she said. “Though, there’s a piece to the puzzle I don’t understand.”
Tarass hugged her close, needing to feel her tight against him and know she was safe. “What is it?”
She looked up at him, seeing things about his face she had never gotten to see before now, a barely noticeable scar under his chin and fine lines at the corner of his blue eyes. It was almost like meeting him for the first time and it filled her saddened heart with joy.
“I don’t see a connection between what happened here and your parents’ departure from your homeland. They would never take you back there if they believed it meant trouble for you.”
“You’re right. I’ve thought the same myself,” he said with a bit of sadness. “Perhaps I’ll never know the answer.”
Snow turned quiet for a moment, then she whispered, “I do so love you, husband.”
“And I you, ást,” he murmured and kissed the top of her head.
Willow returned with Slatter carrying a tray of food and they both stopped at the open door when they saw Snow asleep, her head on her husband’s shoulder and Tarass asleep, his head resting on the top of his wife’s head, and them both wrapped snug around each other.
Slatter left the tray of food on the small table and with an arm around his wife, ushered her out the door, closing it behind him.
Chapter 35
A year later.
* * *
“I can’t believe you got Ruddock to stay through the winter,” Willow said, rocking her sleeping five-month-old son, Angus, in her arms.
“I didn’t miss the birth of your son and you two were here for Tiernan’s birth,” Sorrell said, looking down at her three-month-old son sleeping peacefully in her arms. “I’m certainly not going to miss the birth of Snow’s bairn. Besides, it’s taken this long for her to tell me everything that has happened and I still have questions for her.”
“You’ve asked me endless questions, no more,” Snow demanded with a smile.
“She’s gotten so commanding since she’s gotten her sight back,” Sorrell said with a grin. “And I’m still annoyed that I was the last one to know.”
“Live closer and you would have known sooner,” Snow said.
“See what I mean. She has an answer for everything now,” Sorrell said.
“That’s because she’s married to a man who knows everything,” Tarass said, entering Snow’s solar.
Snow smiled and went to greet her husband with a kiss, but she had rounded greatly and getting up and out of chairs had grown burdensome.
“Stay,” Tarass ordered and went to her, his arm disappearing low at her back to help her up. “Twilla is asking for you. She is n
ot doing well.”
“I should go to her,” Willow said.
“No, she asked to speak with Snow alone,” Tarass said.
Thaw stretched his big body after getting up from where he lay by the warm hearth and went to Snow, ready to follow along with her.
“I can’t believe the size of him,” Sorrell said. “And here I thought he’d be the runt of the litter.”
Snow laughed and patted his head. “He’s far from a runt.”
Both bairns started stirring in their mum’s arms.
“Feeding time,” Willow said.
“We’ll be here when you get back,” Sorrell said.
“Which means she has more questions for you, Snow,” Willow said with a chuckle.
Nettle was waiting in the Great Hall with their cloaks.
“How are you feeling?” Snow asked Nettle.
“After morning sickness leaves me, I feel wonderful,” Nettle said while Tarass slipped his wife’s cloak on her shoulders before taking his from Nettle.
“She needs to rest more,” Rannock said, entering the Great Hall and frowning at her.
“My husband causes me more upset than his bairn I carry,” Nettle said, sending Rannock a smile.
“I worry over you and the bairn,” Rannock said, admitting guilt.
“There is no need. The bairn has seven months to go before he enters this world and by then you’ll have driven me and him mad with your constant concern.”
“It’s my duty as your husband,” Rannock said, planting his hands on his hips as he came to a stop in front of his wife.
With an arm around Snow, Tarass led her quietly away from the arguing couple.
Snow laughed as they stepped outside to a light falling snow. “I think Rannock likes arguing with his wife.”
Tarass grinned. “He likes more when they make up.”
Snow’s smile faded. “You haven’t touched me in—”
“You were far too uncomfortable the last time and too stubborn to admit it,” he said gently, keeping a firm arm around her as they went down the steps.
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