He put his head in his hands. "I have hurt her too. She be as unhappy as we are."

"Impossible…unless she loves ye finally." Jirvel quickly stood up, turned her back to him and walked to the far corner of the room. "My brother wants me to go home and I am considering it."

"Ye cannae. I will not let ye take my Kannak from me."

"When did she become yer's? Save when she was ill, ye have never held her, nor have ye kissed her tears away."

He went to Jirvel and put his hands on her shoulders. "Ye had a husband, remember? Ye cannae know how I longed to hold her and kiss her tears away. If I had, it would only have complicated our lives more."

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He was right and when she felt him put his arms around her, she closed her eyes and did not resist. "I have had a great deal o' time to think these past weeks and I realize the fault be not wholly yer's. We were to be married the next day and I saw no harm in it. I went to yer bed willingly and I would do it again were we given that night back. Kannak be the only good that came from our love and we must do what be best for her."

"And what do ye deem that to be?" He had his eyes closed too and when he opened them, there was more light in the room, than there should have been with the door shut. He let go of her and turned around. There in the doorway stood both his wife and Kannak. His wife folded her arms in a huff, but Kannak turned and started to run.

Jirvel covered her mouth and softly cried out, "Kannak!"

"I will go after her; 'tis time I set at least this much right." Macoran paid no attention to his wife, walked right past her and headed up the path after his daughter. But when he reached the courtyard, she was already out of sight.

*

The hunt for fresh meat had been fruitless. All the men found were carcasses of red deer the wolves had gotten to and when Stefan came back to the cottage, Jirvel was in a dither, rushing around collecting their things.

"What is it, what has happened?"

She barely glanced at him. "We are taking Kannak home."

"Now? But 'tis not yet spring."

Jirvel stopped packing and closed her eyes. "Ye might as well hear it from me. Kannak be the daughter o' Macoran and she just found out. She has run away, Macoran has gone to find her and I am beside myself with worry."




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