Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Unshed tears choked her, but she refused to acknowledge them. She gave a hard cough to chase them away, and came to a halt by her garden. She took up her hoe to dig in the earth. She had to do something, concentrate on something other than feeling as if her heart were being ripped apart.
“This is my mistake. I must right it.”
“You need not do it alone,” Fiona said.
“I brought this on myself.”
“You most certainly did not,” Fiona said, grabbing the hoe from her hands. “He lied to you from the beginning—”
“No, his people were truly ill.”
“So he used you twice to serve his own purposes. Isn’t he a wonderful man?”
“Rogan is a good man.”
“Now you defend him?” Fiona asked.
Aliss threw her hands up. “I do not know what to do. I do not know how I feel. I do not know what I want. One minute I cannot bear to look at him and then he goes and claims to love me and intends to prove his love within six months.”
“He intends to confuse you and use you all over again. He lied to you once. You do not think he will lie to you again to keep the isle? Need I remind you that he is our enemy?”
“Rogan is a warrior, just like Tarr,” Aliss argued. Why she continued to defend him she could not say.
“Tarr has honor, Rogan does not,” Fiona said angrily. “Rogan has attacked our village, wounded Tarr, abducted you, lied to you and ransomed you, and now claims to love you. Do not be a fool and fall into his trap twice. Send him on his way at the end of six months and be done with the bastard.”
Her sister’s clear outline of the situation left Aliss numb.
Fiona took hold of her hand. “I do not mean to hurt you, or let anyone else hurt you; Rogan has already done that. Do not let him hurt you again.”
“What of love?”
“You will find it one day. There will be no question about it. You will know.” Fiona tugged at her to follow. “Now let us get you packed and ready to go. At least you will be close by home and you will have family to help you through the ordeal of the next six months.”
Aliss let her sister lead, yet felt the need to escape her good intentions. She had created this mess on her own and she should clean up the mess on her own. She had to settle this matter not only in her mind but also in her heart and only she could do that.
Chapter 21
Laughter, chatter, and squeals of excitement filled the air. The village people and the children were thrilled to be moving to a new home and Aliss could not blame them. The land in this area could be difficult to farm, game was not always prevalent, and the winters were harsh and long.
What she knew of the Isle of Non would surely prove to be paradise to them: lush meadows and fields, woods teeming with game, rivers plentiful with fish. It also had once been a home.
Aliss wondered now what clan had occupied the isle and why it had been deserted, its few cottages and keep left to decay. What was Rogan’s interest in it? Did he want a good, permanent home for his clan and saw no other way to achieve it? Or did his motive go deeper?
She was curious about this patch of land that had caused so much dissension and now was about to bring joy to a clan who much needed a home that could sustain them.
Aliss walked with unhurried steps on purpose. She was returning to the cottage, where Tarr and Fiona would be supping with her and Rogan, after being summoned by Daniel’s mother. She had assumed something was wrong with Daniel, but it had been Tara’s concern that her son’s injury would worsen with travel. After calming the young mother and assuring her Daniel would do more than well, that he would actually thrive on the adventure, she had taken her leave, but now she hesitated to return home.
It was not a meal she looked forward to and yet it would not be right to leave her husband to face her family alone. That would be a coward’s choice, and she was no coward. Her time here with the Wolf clan had taught her that and more.
She had discovered not only her strengths but also her weaknesses and had found the courage to battle them all, though victories were yet to be won. The next six months would be her true battlefield.
Could there be a victor in this encounter or would only losses prevail?
A heavy sigh was extinguished before she entered the house and joined her family, who sat in silence at the table. She slid beside Rogan on the bench.