The longer he stayed away and the more she thought about the consequences she and her mother would face if he were truly gone, the more upset she became. Kannak finally gritted her teeth, "Ye cannae leave us!"
In the trees just out of sight, Stefan watched her. He had never seen her this enraged before and found it amusing. Yet he knew enough not to laugh and wanted her to calm down a little before he showed himself. Then, just as he decided she was calm enough, she started to cry and he could not bear to see her in tears. He dismounted and led the horse out of the trees making enough noise not to frighten her.
Embarrassed, she quickly wiped her tears away and turned so he could not see. "Mother will wonder where we got to."
"Aye, why do ye cry?"
"I do not cry."
He smiled and offered his hand. "Yer eyes are red, Kannak and ye are not practiced at lying, nor should ye be."
"Ye did not go with them?"
"Alas, I intended to. I miss my family."
"Then why did ye not?"
"Because I realized my father would not be there and 'tis he I miss the most." It was not the real reason but it was not yet time to tell her he loved her and could not leave without her. It occurred to him to take her, but in the end, he could not do that to Jirvel. "Now tell me why ye cried."
She took his hand finally and let him pull her up. "I cried because I missed the horse."
He laughed, kept hold of her hand and started them walking down the path toward the village. "The horse missed ye as well."
"Stefan."
"What?"
"Ye are making me run."
He realized she was right and stopped. "I will try not to do that again."
"'Tis the first time ye promised that. Did ye speak to the Vikings?"
"Aye."
She wanted to hear all about it, but Stefan never talked about the Vikings and did not seem to want to now, so she did not press him. Perhaps someday he would tell her. "I dinna…I…"
"What?"
"Thank ye for not leaving us." She smiled, dropped his hand and hurried on down the path.
Stefan rolled his eyes and patted the horse's nose. "Ye she loves already. Loving me will take a bit longer, it seems."
*
The great hall inside the keep was empty as it usually was when Macoran was away. The twins were elsewhere occupied and Agnes took a seat at the table to wait. But it was not for her husband she waited. Toran hated Macoran as much as she did, having some months back been caught stealing and publicly whipped in the marketplace where all could see. Not long afterward, she struck up an alliance with him hoping someday she might think of a way out of her marriage and need his help