Page 17

She said it in such a firm way that those around her nodded. Avaleen’s bleeding couldn’t do anything as crass as not confirm to Myra’s certainty.

My grandmother nodded slowly.

“Aye, ‘tis true. And we’ve seen much improvement since the birth, truth be told. Yarrow and shepherd’s purse will stop the bleeding, I am certain.”

“So what is the concern?” I asked gently, not wanting anyone to believe I saw this concern as less worthy than the fooking wool debate.

“The bleeding has weakened her,” Nan said flatly. “Greatly weakened her, and this coming after the labor which was long and took too much out of her.”

I glanced over to meet Myra’s eyes, and she nodded grimly.

“This isnae uncommon, for certes?” I asked, gesturing at the women sitting around Myra; the women who I’d seen coming and going from Avaleen’s cottage. “With so many friends to help, Avaleen will be allowed to rest?”

“Aye, but she willnae recover her strength without a tea made from the roots of the sea holly,” Nan announced grimly. “’Tis what is accepted in these cases.”

Myra nodded. “We have been dosing her with that since yesterday.”

“But my stock was already low,” Nan interrupted. “I have enough for Avaleen for another fortnight, but if anyone else needs it, or if she gets worse, I’ll no’ have enough. ”

Around me, the clan began to murmur, some in fear, some in irritation.

I nodded firmly. “Then someone will fetch more sea holly. Ye can?—”

“’Tis called sea holly,” my grandmother interrupted, “because it grows along the beaches and cliffs of the western sea, among the islands. What I have now came from the tits of Jura, ye ken, but I’m too auld to go adventuring to fetch more.”

I opened my mouth, but Myra interrupted me.

“I will go. I am the only one who can identify it?—”

“Nonsense,” argued Nan, doing my job for me. “We can draw a picture.”

“Avaleen is my sister.” Myra glared. “I will fetch the sea holly for her.”

“’Tis three days’ journey west.” Nan crossed her arms. “Ye think ye can make it that far?”

Her stance painted a picture of stubbornness, someone needing to be convinced. But… This female had helped raise me. I knew her, I knew her ways, and I knew her expressions. There was a glint in Nan’s eyes which said that her heart wasn’t in her argument.

She wanted Myra to go?

I glanced around the clan, and those who were related to Nan were also watching her skeptically. I snorted softly. She wasn’t fooling many of us. Except Myra, who was now listing her reasons for why she should be the one to go on this quest .

I interrupted their argument.

“I’ll go.”

Nan and Myra weren’t the only ones who turned to stare incredulously at me, so I shrugged.

“The council will be in command of the clan while I’m gone. Mkaalad is my cousin, and if I can help his Mate?—”

“ Avaleen is my sister!” Myra cried again. “I am the one who knows how to identify the sea holly in its dormant winter state. I am the one who knows the proper way to gather the roots so they will not spoil afore we return.”

“Excellent!” cried Nan, clapping her hands together with a pleased grin.

The clan’s attention swung back to her, and she rubbed her hands. All that was missing was a diabolical cackle.

“’Tis settled then. Myra will go because she’s the only one who can identify the plant, and Vartok will go to protect her.”

Myra’s mouth opened and closed a few times, clearly trying to figure out what had just happened. But I, unable to stop myself, began to chuckle.

I was going to get to spend days in her company, alone. No needy bairns, no family, no council with petty squabbles. Just the pair of us, working together. Could I finally tell her the truth? Tell her what I’d been hiding from her all these months?

And how had Nan known ‘twas what I needed?

My grandmother had manipulated us into volunteering to do exactly what she’d planned on having us do in the first place.

The fact that I was the acting Bloodfire chief, and theoretically leading this clan, had naught to do with it. Nan had always been in charge.

I wasn’t the only one laughing as the rest of the clan realized this as well.

But soon enough I held up my palms for quiet and stepped up to the fire.

“This quest is important,” I announced, meeting the eyes of each clan member in turn. “Mayhap ‘tis no’ about security or our harvest, but each of us is as important as the other, aye?”

At the nods I saw, I continued. “Avaleen has just ushered the future of Clan Bloodfire into this world, and ‘twould be poor gratitude if we allowed her to suffer. No’ only that, but this herb will make life better for all of us in the future.”

“Aye, Chief,” grunted Gruptor, from where he sat holding his son, nodding firmly. “Ye have our support.”

I never wanted to be Chief of Clan Bloodfire, but here and now, I was glad I could make a difference. I nodded in return, then held out my hand to Myra.

“We will fetch this herb. No’ just for the ones that we love, but for all of ye.”

Her small hand slid into mine, and when she squeezed, I glanced down at her.

When I raised a brow at her, her lips twitched .

“And you thought you were not a leader,” she scoffed quietly.

“For Bloodfire,” called Gornalk, and Gaartag took up the call.

“Bloodfire! Bloodfire!”

The chant was picked up by many mouths, soon accompanied by clapping and stomping. The familiar beat wrapped around my heart, tugging at me as I stared down at the female by my side.

My partner. My Mate.

In this quest at least.

“Bloodfire,” she whispered, a smile pulling one side of her lips upward.

I pulled her to me. “ Bloodfire .”

And there, before the entire clan, I kissed her. I claimed her.

And my Kteer howled in excitement.

Bloodfire!