They ran together toward the spire of flame. Fires were no small matter in a town of wood and thatch. Everyone came out to keep it from spreading.
As they neared the heart of the commotion, Alannah’s gut sank in realization.
The bridge was burning.
Grateful that she’d been building her stamina over the past sennight with the oddly fit bards, Alannah pushed herself even harder. Her lungs burned as she took up a position running empty buckets back to be filled. Conan took a spot filling buckets.
Luckily, they’d caught the fire early. If it had gone much longer, it would’ve rendered the bridge unsafe. Though it was blackened and charred like a battle-scarred warrior, it remained intact. The flames hadn’t spread quickly, though that served as little consolation to Alannah.
She was no fool—she knewpreciselywho’d done this.
Oran.
He’d almost out and admitted it the night he attacked her.Don’t make me take more drastic measures. Fury ignited like tinder as Alannah thought of him trying to burn the bridge just to ruin her business.
But she wasn’t without her own resources. A plan formed, a damned good one, and Alannah’s spirits lifted. She may not have been there to stop Oran tonight.
But next time, she would be.
As folk meandered back home, Alannah found Conan—knee-deep in the river, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscled forearms that brought back delicious memories. Swallowing hard, she pushed all thoughts of those hands on her to the back of her mind.
“Thank you for helping,” she began, standing on the shore, trying not to gawk as he walked out of the water.
“Of course.” He glanced back at the bridge. “It looks like it’ll be okay.”
“I know that this week has been awkward,” she grimaced, “but I have a favor to ask.”
His eyes narrowed, his gaze wary.
“I want you to keep practicing with me. I want to be able to fight.”
He strode over to her. “I don’t want to hurt you when I leave.”
Butterflies took control of her stomach. “I was planning on practicing in the yard, not my bed.” If only.
“And you think that will work? Spending all day together and then staying apart all night?”
The husky tone in his voice told her exactly what he thought, but it didn’t matter. This wasn’t about her love life.
It was about her family. And family was everything.
“I do.”
“Then I’ll see you at sunrise.”
Alannah didn’t returnto bed. Instead she stayed up and helped Emer fix breakfast for their guests. The pilgrims had long since moved on, but they had a small family staying on their way to visit relatives. With two young girls and two older boys, Alannah couldn’t stop thinking of her brothers.
Ossian and Osgar had been gone for so long. There wasn’t a day she didn’t worry over them. Had they seen many battles? Were they injured? Would they come home?
“They’re so sweet, aren’t they?” Emer smiled at the children, following their parents over to a table. She piled some apple tarts onto a plate.
Alannah knew exactly where those were headed. “You’ll have your own one day.”
Emer shrugged her delicate shoulders, grabbing as many plates and trenchers as she could balance. “Perhaps. You always joke that you’re so old, but I’m only four years younger than you. Maybe that’s not the life we were meant for.”
The wistful look in her sister’s eyes told a different story, but Alannah kept her mouth shut. She watched Emer dote on the children, passing them each a sweet along with their breakfast. Her sister was such a special person. The world needed more Emers.
“Are you up for running again?”
