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The day wore on and Sky was beginning to feel imprisoned. There was nothing for her to do and with the forest off limits, she felt trapped. It also didn’t help that she had no one to talk with, which made her miss her sisters even more. If she felt this way after only two days here, how would she ever endure spending the rest of her life here as Slayer’s wife?

Sky left Angel in the bedchamber sleeping curled in a blanket in a basket near the hearth for extra warmth. Supper had finished, Angel her only company, and night had yet to fall, and Slayer had yet to return. She could not face another sleepless night, another night without her husband to curl around. So, she decided to wander through the village in hopes it would exhaust her enough to sleep at least part of the night.

She made her way through the village, taking note of faces and names being spoken, noticing how the dwellings were well kept, not a hole in any thatched roof, and watched with envy as women congregated in small groups sharing the day’s news. None invited her to join them. Her heart heavy, she turned to make her way back to the keep and the company of Angel.

The sudden screams tore her out of her musings and warriors began running past her. Instinct had her following them. She joined the mass of people running, fear shivering her when she realized where they were headed… the wolfhounds’ pen.

“Let me go! Let me get Oona!” a woman screamed as two men held her firm, preventing her from going anywhere.

“Nay, Glynis, the hounds will tear you apart,” one of the men holding her warned.

“Better me than my daughter,” Glynis cried out.

Gasps and wide eyes stared at a young lass who laid unmoving in the wolfhounds’ pen. The two large hounds stood over the lass snarling and snapping, appearing as if they were fighting over who would eat her.

“What happened?” a Gallowglass warrior demanded.

Glynis continued to cry as she spoke. “Oona was beside me one minute and gone the next. She is so fast for one so young. I couldn’t catch her before she reached the pen and climbed the fence and fell in. Oh God, they are going to rip her apart.”

“You’ve got to save her,” someone called out.

“Do something,” shouted another.

“They listen to no one but Lord Slayer,” another cried out.

Sky did not hesitate. She pushed past everyone and went to the fence and climbed over it before anyone tried to stop her. Not that anyone did. To them, she was not worth saving.

She kept her voice even and soft. Not a tremble or fear could be heard in it. “You have done well protecting the little lass and I am grateful to you both, but you must step away from her now and let me take her. Will you do that for me?”

One of the hounds backed away while the other eyed her skeptically.

Sky turned her hand palm up and keeping it low reached out to the hound. “I mean her or you no harm.”

A collective gasp sounded when the hound’s mouth looked about to clamp down on Sky’s hand, but the large hound sniffed, then licked it, and stepped back.

Sky crouched down slowly to see the little lass’ eyes flutter. She would wake soon and if she cried out, the hounds might believe she was hurting her and attack.

She lifted her gently, then glancing at Glynis called out as softly as she could so as not to upset the hounds, “Walk slowly and come take her from me.”

Glynis did as Sky said and took the lass from her just as she woke and cried out.

The hounds started growling and rushed at Sky. She had no time to jump the fence. She turned and faced them.

“The lass got a fright from the fall, but she is safe in her mum’s arms. You did well in keeping her safe.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I will bring extra bones to you tomorrow in thanks.”

The two hounds stopped growling and their heads shot up and sniffed the air. She heard people suddenly running and crying out in fright and when Sky turned it was to see the people hurrying away from the pen and the two missing wolfhounds racing toward the pen ready to vault it. Again, she had no time to jump over the fence. She stayed where she was, seeing her husband come barreling toward the pen on his stallion.

“SIT!” Slayer commanded as soon as the two wolfhounds with him cleared the fence.

All four wolfhounds sat, their eyes on Slayer.

Sky remained as she was, her eyes on Slayer as well as he brought his stallion to a halt and dismounted. Dried blood clung to the side of his face and stained the sleeves of his shirt and the front of it as well. A film of dirt and sweat covered him. That he had engaged in battle was evident and she felt an overwhelming relief that he had survived. Though she could tell by the fiery look in his eyes that he was none too pleased to find her in the wolfhounds’ pen.

Slayer walked over to the pen, and the wolfhounds’ eyes remained steady upon him. He did not say a word. He reached over the fence, grabbed her beneath her arms and with a forceful lift swung her over the fence to land with a solid thud on her feet.

“Are you hurt?” Sky asked, seeing the wound on his head where the blood had dripped from and dried.

Slayer glared at her, having been prepared to unleash a tongue lashing on her for being in his hounds’ pen. Yet she robbed him of those words when she showed concern for him rather than defending herself.