Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was the handsome face of the man that slept beside her. He was sleeping on his side, one arm curled up to rest his head upon, the other reaching across the baby to lay on her hip, as if he were protecting the things that meant the most to him.
Her hand lifts and she gently draws a finger down the scars on his cheek, and smiles. He was home. He loved her, he had missed her, and all was right in her world. All of the doubts she had been feeling had seemed to evaporate like rain falling upon scorched ground. Over his shoulder, she could see the bowl that contained the beautiful blue flowers.
As they had settled down last night, he had told her that his only intent upon this journey was to find and bring back those flowers for her, because he loved her. How long ago had it been that she had mentioned them to him? She had been carrying Another One, when they talked of them, and they had spoken of them only that one time, and yet, he remembered. A soft sigh of contentment slips from between her lips as she closes her eyes and remembers the previous evening.
When she had first stepped around the corner of the wagon, he had looked at her and the baby, and for a time, he just continued to talk, telling her that he had missed her and wanted her, then she could see the reality of what she held in her arms begin to dawn on him. She will never forget the mist of tears that came to his eyes when he had shoved the bowl of flowers into her hands and reached to take his son in his arms, to hold him close to his chest. Holding both her and the child tightly, he had told her how much he loved her, and how lucky he was to have someone like her to bear his children and to share his life. His said that he did not know how he could love her any more, but he intended to try. They were the words she needed to hear from him. Perhaps it is silly, but women do need that, it is just a part of how they are.
He asked about his other sons, and was told that Tarra had taken them for a few days so that she could rest. She quickly added that she would send one of the girls for them at first light, but he shook his head, telling her that he wanted to spend the next day getting to know her again, and his new son, and would fetch them himself in the evening.
She had helped him to wash the dust of the trail off, then had lay down beside him, the baby between them. His arm had come out to pull her closer, and he began to talk. They talked for ahn as he told her the tale of their journey. He told her of his fears at losing another brother, and of how he had walked among the dweller merchants, waiting for Eight to find Seven and bring him out of the kataii camp. He told of their escape into the plains, and the hard ride. Partly because they wished to be out of kataii lands, but for him, mostly because he had been away from his people far too long, and he had missed her and his boys. She knew that he was sharing things with her, that he would probably tell no one else. And he knew these things would be held in secret by her, that is part of who she is, and if a man cannot trust the woman he loves, who can he trust?
It might have been her light touch, or the fact that the baby squirmed, but he had smiled, his eyes still closed and reached for the child, turned over onto his back settling it on his chest, that tiny shell of an ear right over his heart. He had then reached out to her, slipping his arm under his head to pull her closer. It was then that he had muttered softly........Sleep my woman, we have all day. Snuggling her head to his shoulder, she reached to lay her hand on the one he was using to hold the baby, and she did just that, she slept.
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