Traveller's Refuge (21 page)

Shhh
.
It
’
s over now
.

Llyon straightened up and rolled his shoulders. “I’ve done everything I can for now. Did Tyger and Dai ever get here?” he asked with a deep sigh. “We need to get her to bed.”

“My room,” Trav demanded authoritatively. “I want her with me.”

“Her room,” Merlyn answered mildly. “You can move to her room. Besides, it doesn’t have a swinging bed so you’ll be able to maneuver better on your own—when we let you get up again.”

Dai and Tyger moved into the room from their observation post in the hall. “That won’t be for a while,” Dai said sternly. “Tyger, take Llyon away before he falls down.”

“Going, going,” Llyon said in a faint singsong tone.

Dai directed Wrenna’s relocation to her room. He left her in the care of Robyn and Merlyn and returned to take care of Trav. “I’m too tired to argue with you,” he snapped at Trav. “So hike your butt up on the table and let me see how much damage you did.”

Dancer came to his rescue and practically lifted him up to the table. When Dai’s exam was complete, he sighed heavily and took Trav’s clenched fist in his trembling hands. “You saved her, Traveller. But by doing so, you’ve done considerable damage. I’m torn between wanting to hug you for saving her and wanting to smack you for doing so much damage.”

Trav snorted. “So which is it going to be?”

Dai laid his head on Trav’s chest and shuddered. “A hug, of course. Because when I straighten those bones and reset them, you’ll wish I smacked you.”

The next little while would have probably been quite painful but Falcon, in his role as guide, led Jade into the small treatment room and Dancer watched her demonstrate a fascinating ability that no one had talked about before. She placed two fingers on Trav’s brow and between one breath and the next, Trav went into a deep sleep.

“Enough?” she asked Dai with a little smile.

“I hope so. Will you stay?”

“Of course.” She stroked Trav’s brow in a slow, soothing motion while Dai and the other healer volunteers from the village grimly reset Trav’s legs and strapped his ribs. While he was still unconscious, they moved him down to Wrenna’s room and got him settled next to her in the wide bed. Then Dai led Jade up to the bed where she placed her palm on Trav’s forehead and asked doubtfully, “Are you sure he needs to be awake?”

“Yes, he needs to be awake. A little pain will be a great motivator to stay put.”

Trav groaned. Wrenna whimpered. Robyn and Eppie sighed. It was going to be a very long night but at least both of their patients would live.

Chapter Sixteen

The next few eight-days passed in a crawl. Summer turned into fall, bringing cooler weather. In spite of Llyon and Dai’s best efforts infections spread throughout Wrenna’s body, spiking high fevers and delirium. Trav spent hours alternately praying and cursing while he sponged her body with cool water.

With startling abruptness, the fever dropped and she opened her eyes, staring around the dim room with a blurry frown. “Trav?”

“That’s me, sweetheart. How do you feel?” he asked as he brushed her tangled sunset-bright hair back from her forehead. He briefly mourned at the dull, matted state but quickly refocused and rejoiced that she was awake.

After swiping her dried lips with her tongue, she very slowly tilted her head and asked, “What are you doing in here?”

He smiled at her baffled confusion and answered carefully. “You needed someone to be with you all day and night. I was elected. Actually,” he admitted, “I elected myself and I guess the others figured it would be easier to take care of us together. Do you remember what happened?”

Her brow wrinkled in concentration. “The
grimahrs
—they’re dead?”

“Oh, yeah. They’re dead, skinned and the hides are hanging on the green. Arturo came back from Dai’s retreat long enough to lead a hunt to find their lair and kill the rest of them. They were carrying
moorash
disease.”

Wrenna sighed and restlessly shifted in the bed. “I feel like one of Gazelle’s embroidery projects.”

“Yep. I’ve seen her latest project. I think you’re insulting your papa. His stitches are very neat and tiny.” He slowly rolled over and found the tiny pot of lip ointment on the little bedside table. “Here. Let me put some of this on your lips. Are you thirsty?”

“Uh-huh.” She struggled to swallow and made a face. “Yech. My mouth tastes like your old socks.”

“Now that’s just nasty,” Trav said with a shudder. “How would you like some apple juice?”

“Uh-hum.” He held the willow straw to her lips as she eagerly sipped.

Long before her thirst was quenched, he took the glass away and when she would have protested, he shook his head. “Llyon said you can only have a little at a time. Your belly isn’t ready for a lot of fluids at one time.”

“Where is everyone?” It had suddenly occurred to her that it was awfully quiet for a household containing so many people.

Trav laughed softly. “If they’re smart, they’re either sleeping or making love. It’s just after dawn.” He cautiously rolled from the bed and hobbled naked over to the window, pushing the heavy curtain back so that the early morning sun streamed into the room. “I suspect that Llyon will be along in a few minutes to check on us.”

She frowned. “Trav, why are you having so much trouble walking? I thought your legs were better.”

“They were,” Llyon informed her from the doorway. “But then, he decided to trot down the hill to save you and a lot of his fractures cracked again.”

“What?” She stared at Trav, appalled and angry. “Why did you do that?”

“Hmmm. Let me see. Could it be because the damned
grimahrs
were savaging the woman I love? Maybe?”

Tears glittered in her eyes and threatened to spill over. Llyon shook his head and chided her, “Now, Wrenna, no need to be upset. It gave him the perfect excuse to sleep and cuddle with you.” Slipping his arm under her, he helped her sit up. “If I help you into the bathing room, Trav can help you have a quick basin bath. How does that sound?”

Wrenna pressed her lips together for a moment and then nodded. “All right.”

“Trav?”

“I’m working on it.” Trav shuffled off to find bathing sheets and fill the sink. For the last eight-day, he had been taking care of himself, once again able to do without the help he found so irritating. He suspected that Llyon had suggested him helping Wrenna so that he would feel more useful and less helpless. That was okay. He loved taking care of his little bond mate.

When Llyon carried Wrenna into the bathing room and settled her in a chair, Trav asked, “Why can’t we just take a bath? Her stitches are all healed and that way, I could wash her hair.” He frowned at Ly. “Besides, I bet the warm water would feel real good on her muscles.”

“Wrenna? Do you want a bath?” Ly asked.

“
Please
!”

It took some fancy maneuvering but Llyon got Trav and Wrenna settled in the big round tub of steaming water and bath salts. Pulling the door nearly closed to give them some privacy, he went off in search of helpers to clean their room and make up the bed with fresh, sweet-smelling bedding. Once he had that arranged, he walked out onto his patio and slumped down on a chair.

Tyger found him there, silently shaking as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. Without a word, Ty wrapped his arms around him and held him close, knowing that up until Wrenna woke up, Llyon hadn’t been sure that he could save her. Merlyn peeked out the patio door, saw them and started to say something but Ty merely shook his head and Merlyn went away. Llyon didn’t need conversation or reassurances. He simply needed comfort and acceptance.

* * * * *

Exactly one eight-day later, Wrenna demonstrated the wonderful recuperative powers of the valley inhabitants. Sliding across the bed under the covers, she snuggled up to Trav’s warm body. “I have to be with you, Trav. I don’t know what is happening to me but I have to be here, even if we only hold each other.”

With faint resignation, he put his arms around her and pulled her close spoon fashion. “If the
grimahrs
hadn’t attacked you we would be bonded. You are going to be the death of me yet, Wren. I’m so hard that I could drill through rock, let alone that thin thing you have for a maidenhead.” He shifted around and she could feel his erection snugged between his belly and her backside.

“Shall I suck it for you?” she asked anxiously. “I don’t want you to hurt, Trav.”

He groaned softly. “I don’t think that’s going to help, honey. Much as I love it when you take me in your hot little mouth, the only thing that’s going to fix this is when I finally bury Mr. Peter so deep inside you that we can’t find him for a week.” He spread his hand across her belly. “I want to be so deep that I can feel your womb when I make you pregnant. I never felt this before, Wren. I’m so hungry for you I feel like I’m on fire.”

She covered his hand with hers. “I want that too, Trav. I want to feel your baby growing inside me. I never really cared about that before.” She closed her eyes tightly to hold back the tears. “I always knew that I would grow up, find a bond mate and have babies but I wasn’t that excited about it. I would rather be making my pots. Then you came to the valley and all I could think about was getting you to be my bond mate.”

He felt her tiny sobs and demanded, “Why are you crying, Wren? What’s wrong?”

“I think I trapped you, Trav. It was wrong! I came in and tried to make you want me but you were right. It wasn’t fair.” She shuddered. “If you want to change your mind, I would understand,” she offered bravely.

“Ahhh. I see how it is! You toy with my body and my affections and then you tell me you don’t want me,” he teased. “My heart, you won’t get me to change my mind ever. If you’re still willing to take me after all the ugly things I have done in my life, I’ll be with you until one of us dies. You’ll be stuck with me, sooner than you think!”

“What?” she twisted so she could just see his face. “What are you saying?”

He kissed her gently. “Tomorrow, we are going to have our pledging and oath-binding if I have to crawl to the circle and have Dancer and you hold me up!” Pulling her closer, he admitted, “I can get through tonight but that’s my limit. Tomorrow, you’re mine, one way or another!”

“Trav, you’re not ready yet. I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Good! You can do all the work. I’ll just lie there and enjoy it.” Rubbing her belly, he said, “Get some sleep, because tomorrow you’re going to be really busy and I promise you by nightfall you’ll be pregnant with our baby.”

“Yes!” She burrowed against him, holding his hand across her belly. “I want you so much, Trav. Feel my belly here, waiting for you.”

“Dammit, Wrenna! Are you trying to make me crazy?” he demanded, even as he spread his fingers out under hers. “I am not made of stone, you know. I’m just surprised somebody in your family hasn’t put a stop to all this petting we do.”

Twisting in his arms, she faced him and kissed him very soberly. “They would never interfere with a bond, Trav.”

“What do you mean?” he questioned uneasily. “What’s going on?”

“We are promised,” she said seriously. “Usually, if we were promised, we would be bonded by the end of the week. Because you were not well yet, it has taken longer but it’s considered just as binding.”

“So you’re saying that we’re ‘sort of’ married?” he asked incredulously. “That’s why they don’t care if we bathe together or whatever?”

She nodded. “Especially whatever. You are my bond mate. I could have always slept with you but we don’t get much rest that way,” she said, smiling. Reaching down, she held his cock gently in her hands, leisurely stroking him. “You needed your rest to get better.”

“Uh-huh.” Gently removing her hands, he turned her over so she was facing away from him. “Go to sleep. We are definitely having our oath-binding tomorrow. I have a feeling I’ll get a lot more rest that way—even if we sleep with you sprawled out on top of me! Sleep!” he commanded sternly, wrapping her hands in his and holding them down across her tummy. “Sleep.”

The next morning he summoned Dancer and made his request. Dancer stared at him in astonishment. “You want what? Are you out of your mind?”

“Pretty nearly. If I don’t bond with Wrenna pretty soon, I’m not going to have a mind. Come on, Dance. You’ve got to help me a little here,” he begged.

Llyon shook his head. “You can’t do it yet. You can’t even stand up long enough to walk to the front of the house. How will you get out to the pledging circle?”

“Do we have to stand to pledge or do the oath-binding?” he demanded wrathfully. “Surely there must be some way!”

“Well-ll,” Merlyn said slowly. “There is no rule about the pledging, only tradition. Almost everyone sits down for their oath-binding. Some even lie down, I suppose. The valley certainly doesn’t seem to care.” He looked at the other men. “How will we get him there?”

Shaking his head in capitulation, Dancer suggested, “We’ll take him there in the cart. Actually, we’ll take them both. If we use some blankets and pad it well, they should be okay.”

“Bonding cottage,” Llyon said woodenly. “The nearest cottage to any circle is still too far. By the time they finally get there, Wrenna will be going into
schalzah
. He is
not
ready to survive
schalzah
!”

The all shook their heads in agreement to that. Then Wrenna intervened firmly. “We will go to the cave behind the waterfall. It’s dry. We can take some
hot rocks
to keep it warm and some
light stones
for light. Blankets and bedding are all we need. There is water close at hand and we can take some of Llyon’s food bars.” She shrugged. “After that, all he must do is lie there. I will take care of the rest of it.”

There was a pregnant pause and then the men roared with laughter. She didn’t see what they thought was so amusing but she nodded firmly. “That is what we will do. Now I will go find the bedding and other things so that we can go have the pledging and oath-binding.” Staring at Dancer militantly, she directed, “Please fix that cart for Trav and me.”

Merlyn and Dancer were concerned about being so far away from Jade and Eppie if the oath-binding caused another bonding storm. Llyon finally suggested that Tyger could stand in as Wrenna’s male relative and Llyon himself would serve as her healer. He sent Robyn and Hawke on ahead with all of the supplies, instructing them to leave them outside the circle. Then, trundling Trav and Wrenna in the cart, they made the trip to the circle. Trav claimed that he now knew what a baby felt like but Wrenna merely told him to quit complaining. As far as she was concerned, the important thing was that they got there.