“I often wished for life to be the same as it once had been,” she said and shook her head. “But I’ve realized life will never be the same. It must start anew.” She made a fuss about looking at the items in his cart. “It’s time to start fresh. Please tell them I can’t keep their secret much longer. I won’t continue to lie to my husband.”
“But one may still be in jeopardy,” Clive warned.
“I know and I will say nothing about that. You know the ones I mean. Please see it done,” Oria all but pleaded.
“I will deliver your message,” Clive said.
“I will hold my tongue for one week no more,” Oria cautioned. “That should be more than adequate time to see it done.”
“Patience, Oria,” he cautioned as well.
“I have no more patience left for this. It is time this is settled. It is time for life to begin anew. See it done or I will,” she ordered.
“You have grown brazen,” Clive said.
“No, I have grown wise,” she said. “Now show me what you have so that when my husband asks, I can show him what I found that had worth to barter for food and a night’s worth of lodging.”
Clive laughed. “I’m sure he’s learned by now that Bethany has provided me with food and shelter out of the goodness of her heart. You’ll need to find something he’ll find more believable.”
“Promises are nothing but headaches,” Oria complained.
Clive laughed again. “Only if you keep them.”
“If you’re honorable, you have no choice,” Oria said and foraged through his cart, stopping suddenly when she tugged on the corner of a tapestry. “Let me see this?”
Clive piled items aside to get to it, finally yanking it out and sending things tumbling. He draped it over the side of the cart so she could have full view of it.
She stared at it, shaking her head. “Where did you get this?”
“Where do I get anything? Here, there, and everywhere.”
“I need to know, Clive,” she insisted.
The urgency in her voice had him capitulating. “Truth be told, I gave fair trade to the merchant for the whole cart. I have no idea where he got any of this stuff. Why do you ask?”
“This tapestry once hung here in the Great Hall.”
Oria got busy beating the tapestry with a thick stick, sending dust and dirt flying off it. Clive had left it draped over the side of the cart for her while he went to see Bethany. She beat it over and over again, eager to see it looking as grand as it once had. The keep was beginning to feel like home again and this piece done by his mother and several women in the clan would make the Great Hall feel even more like it once had. She couldn’t wait to see it hung.
“I hope you don’t take a stick that hard to our children.”
Oria looked up at her husband and shook the stick at him, standing on the opposite side of the cart. “You know I would never do such a thing. One scowl from their da and they’ll obey fast enough.”
“So my scowl frightens, does it?”
“It would take more than a scowl from you to frighten me,” she said, walking around the cart to poke him in the chest with the tip of the stick. Recalling a few of his scowls, she might have to amend that.
“You think that puny branch would stop me?” he asked with a laugh.
“I warn you, husband, I have hidden skills,” she challenged and swatted his arm as if she brandished a sword.
He laughed again, hardier this time. “That will not keep me away, wife.” He pushed the stick away and took a step toward her.
Oria was quick and swatted at both of his arms more than a bit playfully.
Royden stopped and rubbed one arm. “You wound me, wife.”
She smiled. “Then keep your distance, sir, or suffer for it.”
“Are you really challenging me?” he asked with another laugh.
“By all means, no.” Her grin grew. “I’m saving you from disgrace since you’ll not win against me.” She brandished the stick not far from his face.
He laughed even harder as he stepped right at the whipping stick and Oria quickly swatted at his arms, but it didn’t stop him.
“I warn you to stay back,” she said, continuing to swat at his arms and seeing he paid no mind to it.
When his hand shot out to grab the stick from her, she threw it at him and ran.
Royden ran after her laughing. “Where is your courage? Stand and fight. Or surrender.”
“I’ll never surrender,” she called out, and turned around to run backwards, laughing. “And you’ll never catch me.” The next thing she knew her foot caught in something and she went flying backwards. Her hands shot out to her husband. “Royden!”