“It was a secret Sophieand I kept from all others.She said it must stay so, so that we’dhave a haven to hide from the rest of the world if weneeded.”
“What ofLothair?”
“Wolf chased him off andcame back with his horse and a bloody muzzle.I don’t know if helives or not.If he was able to make it back to the count or not.That’s why I brought you here rather than try to get you back tothe keep.I didn’t want to chance running into him.”
Talon nodded.“Smart thinking.”IfLothair did make it back to Oloron, what story would he tell oftheir encounter?Would he admit Lara or Talon still lived, ordeclare them both dead?Talon needed to let his men know he wasalive, but even he knew he was in no condition to ride yet.“Weneed to get a message to the keep.Preferably without letting thecount know.”
“How?”
“I’m not…” Wolf lumberedover and plopped down next to the bed and Talon and Lara looked toeach other at the same moment.“Can he do it?”
“He’s been here and backseveral times a year every four years of his life.”Lara pattedWolf on the head as he rested his muzzle on the mattress.“Sophiewas pretty sure he came up here looking for me when I was away withthe army.I’m almost certain he’d go home if I sent him.”Shekissed Talon’s cheek and slid out of the bed.“I have parchment andink.We can write a message and tie it in a kerchief around hisneck.Wolf knows Denys.He’ll let him take the kerchief off, andDenys will figure out to take the message to Phillipe orAnglbert.”
She gathered the parchment and ink andsat at the table that looked to be used for both preparing andeating meals at.
“What do you want it tosay?”She held the quill tip over the bottle of ink.
“What phase is the moonin?”
“It’s a new moontonight.”
Talon calculated the time he figuredit would take his body to heal enough to travel and added severaldays for the purely selfish purpose of having Lara to himself.“Write, Eyes only.T injured.L safe.Watch Ms.Return and draw awaxing half-moon.”
***
Lara
Lara stacked wood under the roastingpit outside of the cabin.After putting the pheasant she’d trappedand plucked on the spit, she started the cooking fire beneath it,grinning as the smoke wafted toward the open window of the cabin.The scent would eventually wake Talon, howling and ravenous fromhis afternoon nap.She picked up her basket and headed for thestream to gather greens for their supper, her own little herd ofhorses following, the Black leading, with the other three chargersand Gaea jostling in the middle, and Fulrad’s bay, which Lara hadtaken to calling Shadow, trailing behind.
She’d been patiently gaining Shadow’strust, getting close enough to touch him one day, running her handsover him the next, and relieving him of his gear yesterday, leavinghis bridle on when he spooked.Free of his cumbersome saddle, he’dperked up quite a bit, and it was his whiskers sniffing over hershoulder now as she picked handfuls of oily, pungentmint.
Lara patted the gelding’s cheek andgrinned as he blew into her hair.Standing slowly, she ran her handup and down his neck, along the blaze on his nose, and under hissoft, prickly muzzle.“How about I take that nasty bit out of yourmouth?”she asked in a singsong voice.“Would you like that,Shadow?”Slowly, gently, singing nonsense, she pulled the bridle upover his ears and off his head, laughing as he practically spit thebit out.“I know.Who wants a piece of metal in their mouth day andnight?”The horse gave a gentle nicker, the first such sound Larahad heard from him.“You poor soul, to have had such a cruelmaster.”She rubbed both his cheeks and his nose over the indentsleft by the bridle.“You’re free of him now.All you have to dohere is laze about and graze to your heart’s content.How’s thatsound to you?”
The horse bobbed his head and gave aloud whinny.Lara gathered the basket and bridle and set off forthe cabin, laughing as Shadow kicked up his heels and cantered intothe open yard between the barn and the cabin.She was stilllaughing at the gelding’s antics when she saw Talon sitting on thebench on the front porch wearing nothing but his breeches with ablanket wrapped around his shoulders.
“What do you think you’redoing out here half naked?It’s too cold and you should be restingin a warm bed.”
“I’m tired of lying aboutin bed,” he grumbled, then gave her a crooked grin.“Unless you’rein it with me.”
“Aye, well.”She set thebasket down on the porch.“Someone has to feed us.”
He grabbed a handful of her skirt,amazingly quick for a man so recently wounded.Lara tugged it awayfrom him and Talon grimaced.She stopped tugging, and he grinnedand pulled her in closer, knowing she wouldn’t want to strain ortear his wounds open and using it against her every chance hegot.
“Come here, my beautiful,thorny nursemaid.”His voice was low and husky.“I’ve need of yourmedicine.”He pulled her to him so she was straddling his lap,careful of his injured leg—then his mouth was on hers: hungry,feasting, his tongue tracing delicious circles around hers as hishands roamed the length of her back and cupped her backside.Hetrailed kisses along her jaw, down her neck, the hollow of herthroat, and Lara figured it was a good time to remove herself fromhis lap while she could still think.He growled low, holding hertighter as she tried to push up off him.“Don't go, my warywildcat.”
“I don’t want to reopenyour wounds,” she panted, slapping at his hands as they encircledher waist, impressed with the tenacity of their grip.Four daysago, he could barely hold his own cup; now he was grabbing heraround the waist and holding tight.Tootight, her head told her.Not tight enough,herbody countered.He shifted beneath her, maybe more to ease hisgrowing hardness.“You heal too blessed fast.”She jumped off hislap and smoothed her skirt.
He chuckled and stretched his legsout.“Unless you plan on keeping me sedated with your teas, I’mgoing to be all over you each and every chance I get.”He gave hera lopsided grin.“I’m giving you fair warning, lady.Drug me, leaveme, or make love to me, those are your choices.”
“Fair warning, eh?”Shetsked and sat on the bench beside him.His hand covered hers andshe thrilled at his touch, at the heat and life in him.
“Aye.”He lifted her handand kissed her palm.“There’s something else I must give you fairwarning of,” he said, his voice, his gaze, suddenly serious.“Youknow I’ll leave Oloron come winter?”
Lara nodded.
“I can’t promise youanything after that.”
Lara shrugged.She knew soldiersdidn’t return to their sweethearts for many reasons.Death.Crippling injuries.A change of heart.And she knew how Talon feltabout marriage.He’d made it clear on numerousoccasions.