His hand jumped, the bairn kicked so hard and another kick followed. He looked to his wife worried something might be wrong and he was relieved to see her smiling.
“He seems to enjoy being in the midst of danger or a fight,” Cree said, and his wife agreed with a nod as she reached her hands out to him to help her up. He eased his arm beneath her shoulders and helped her to sit up. “Easy,” he urged, having her sit there a moment before he helped her to her feet. “I feared I might have knocked you out.”
Dawn shook her head and tapped each of his thick arms, then scooped up some snow.
“My arms and the snow helped cushion your fall?” He realized then they had landed in a sizeable snowdrift.
She nodded and brushed away the snow that had fallen on her.
Cree hurried her gently to her feet before any more of the snowdrift could topple over and bury her, keeping his arm around her as he eased her into the crook of his arm. He worried that the walk back to the keep would be too much for her especially the climb up the slope.
“There is an easier and shorter way to the keep from here,” Trent said, approaching with Hana.
“Then that is the way we will travel,” Cree said and was relieved to see that his warriors who arrived with Torin and his men had brought horses. Dawn would not have to walk.
The few who had disappeared from the clan and the children who had been in hiding were welcomed with cheers and generous offers of help upon entering the village. Dawn left Trent with Auda so she could tend his wounds and Hana remained with him, refusing to leave his side. Cree ordered Byford to watch over the two to Auda’s relief.
Dawn insisted on seeing how Dermid was doing before they continued on to the keep. Auda had told her that the arrow had been removed and had not appeared to have hit anything vital. She had seen him placed in Byford’s cottage and a couple of Cree’s warriors were seeing to his care. She believed he would heal well, which relieved Dawn to hear. Though, she did intend to visit him later to see for herself.
Dawn was glad Cree did not rush her to the keep. She needed time to take a breath after all that happened before facing more chaos she was sure awaited them in the Great Hall. Beast followed at a tempered pace himself, too tired and worried over her to play in the snow.
Cree slowed them to a stop before reaching the keep stairs and took his wife in his arms. “I want to leave right now for home,” he confessed, and Dawn nodded rapidly in agreement. “I will see all is settled well with Newlin within a day’s time, giving you a day’s rest before we start on our journey home. We will leave early the following day, bar no snowstorm.”
Dawn gestured hastily.
It was Cree’s turn to nod vigorously. “I want to agree snowstorm or not we leave, but there is your safety to consider. I also do not believe Dermid will want to be left behind. And it would not bode well for either of you to travel in a snowstorm. The snow has stopped and hopefully it will not start again until we are well on our way home.”
Dawn nodded, knowing he was right.
Cree kissed her gently. “You can be stubborn, wife, but you are also wise when necessary.”
She returned the kiss, and it was not gentle.
Cree rested his brow to hers when it ended and took hold of her arms to hold tight. “I am not going to be able to keep my hands off you once we are home whether in our own bed where we can make love without rush or worry or any of the other few places we have snuck off to enjoy.”
Dawn smiled and nodded, agreeing, passion sparking as she recalled the unexpected places they had made love with great pleasure. It made her all the more eager to be on their way home.
Reluctantly, they climbed the stairs to the keep and stopped just before entering the Great Hall, loud shouts having them both shaking their heads. With hands gripped tight, they entered the Great Hall and came to a halt after only taking a few steps and surveyed the chaos.
“I will have Flora in marriage in exchange for that lazy lot of children who rightfully belong to me,” Ivan demanded, shaking a threatening fist at Newlin.
“How many times must you be told that that is not an option?” Torin asked, his voice raised forcefully as he kept a protective stance in front of Flora who looked on the scene with a mixture of confusion and fear.