Royden talked, ate, and drank with his da and the years they’d been separated seemed to melt away. They were once again back to the way it had been, only it really wasn’t, not without Arran and Raven there. Not without their family completely reunited.
“I was thinking that maybe I should assign one of the warriors to shadow Wren, since it might take time for everyone to come to see she is an asset to the clan and accepts her,” Royden said.
“I appreciate the consideration, but don’t waste a warrior’s time. Wren has a way of protecting herself and I’ll be with her a good portion of the time. I miss her far too much when I’m away from her too long.”
“Is that why you keep glancing to the door?” Royden asked with a laugh.
“I’m an old fool in love,” Parlan said as if it were a fault.
“It doesn’t only take being old to be a fool in love,” Royden said with a laugh.
Wren returned excited. “I found the perfect cottage for us,” she said, rushing to Parlan.
“Cottage?’ Royden questioned. “You’ll be staying in the keep. Oria and I will return to my bedchamber and you and my da will take the chieftain’s quarters.”
Wren looked to Parlan and he in turn looked to his son. “The chieftain’s quarters belong to you and Oria.”
“Then you and Wren take my bedchamber,” Royden said, not wanting to argue with him. “You belong here in the keep with family, not in a cottage.”
“Once people realize what a fine and exceptional healer Wren is they will waste no time seeking out her skill. You don’t want them coming to the keep all hours of the day and night. Besides, I’m not only used to sharing a cottage with Wren, I prefer it.”
“It is close to the keep,” Wren said, “though uninhabitable at the moment.”
“Then we will reside in the keep with my son and his wife until it is habitable,” Parlan said.
Royden saw that his da was trying to appease him and Wren, and he would not make it any more difficult for him.
“It will be good to have you here in the keep with us for a while,” Royden said, looking at his da before turning his attention to Wren. “Do you know where my wife is?”
A pleasant smile graced Wren’s face. “Your wife is tireless. She bounces bairns on her hips while issuing orders for things to be moved from cottage to cottage, even moving things herself if someone doesn’t respond fast enough. She also scrubs and sweeps and still has time to make a child laugh. She makes sure everyone gets food and drink and orders, pleasantly, the weak and old not to lift a finger. She is quite loved by the clan.”
“Oria always gave more than others and many times more than she got in return,” Parlan said. “I was sorry to hear about her da’s passing. He was a good man and wise to wed her to Burnell before she was claimed by a stranger.”
“How did you know that?” Royden asked.
“We got word of what was going on,” Parlan said.
“How did you get word?” Royden asked. “Actually, I don’t know all that happened to you. I only know you were dragged into the woods and taken to the wi—” Royden quickly corrected himself. “Taken to Wren for help.”
His da explained, “I was told that Raven got the women inside the keep to safety, seeing that the battle was not going well. They are the ones who got me to Wren. It took a long time for my wound to heal and for me to fully recover. There were times I didn’t think I’d make it, but with Wren’s skills and encouragement, I did.”
“How did word reach you so deep in the woods since it was believed that Wren’s home was where many didn’t go?” Royden asked baffled.
His da looked around and after satisfied no one was close, motioned for the only servant in the room to fetch more ale even though the jug was half full. Then with a faint whisper said, “Purity.”
At that moment, Royden knew who his wife had met with in the woods.
Chapter 19
It had been a long day, supper even lasting longer than usual. Oria was glad that talk was mostly reminiscent of good times and avoided the harsh memories of the past five years. It was good to laugh with family again and good that she now had a family. Times like these, though, were when she missed her da and mum the most.
The unusually long day had brought on fatigue, so by the time Oria entered the bedchamber she wanted to drop into bed and sleep.
“You never did tell me who you met in the woods,” Royden said, slipping his shirt off before unwrapping his plaid.