Page 39 of Love Me Forever

“I know and that continues to surprise me. You are not like other men who think only of themselves. You have a deeply caring heart. I find it difficult to believe you are a warrior.”

“I fight when I must.”

“Aye, like many other men. They fight when they are told to fight and follow their leaders without thought or reason. All for more land and more power.”

He brought her the drink. “You do not respect warriors.”

“I respect those who fight for a solid cause or reason, but those who hunger to expand their purse or holdings I find greedy and selfish.”

“A clan’s land needs defending.”

“Aye, but one clan swallows another when they war, and the battles seem endless. And the land and people often suffer.”

“The land and people need protection.”

“Then why do the people suffer if they are protected?” she asked earnestly, searching for a reasonable answer.

“It is the way of war and cannot be helped.”

She disagreed. “It is the way of greedy men.”

“Your brother, does he not war?”

“Only when necessary.”

“Sometimes what may seem necessary to one is not to another.”

She nodded. “A reason to war, two factions that cannot agree, so brute force determines the winner.”

“It is the way of things.”

After placing the cup on the chest, she tugged at his hand so that he would sit beside her. “Do you like to war?”

He gave her question serious thought, for he had asked himself the very same question many times over. It was the very reason that brought him to the solitude of this cottage. He wanted answers, but feared he would find no definitive one; or did he fear he would find an answer not to his liking?

“You give my question thought.” She hugged his hand with hers. “It is not new to you.”

“Nay, I sought solitude in search of answers.”

“I interrupted your search, I am sorry.”

“I am not.” He was adamant. “Your interruption gave me more to think about.”

She laughed. “Is that a polite way of saying I confuse you?”

He squeezed her hand lightly. “You gave me new places to search.”

“Places you have not thought of?”

“Places I hid from.”

Her curiosity had her asking, “Why?”

He shrugged. “It is easier to hide than to face our doubts and fears.”

She understood perfectly. “I hid from the truth of my marriage out of doubt and fear.”

“What finally made you face the truth?”