“Aye.”
“Dom, bring me the salve from ma saddlebag, please.” Thor met his guardsman halfway before taking the jar to Greer. “Hold up yer skirts. It’s hard enough to see with a plaid. Ye’ll have the devil of a time trying to hold up yer skirts and seeing around them.”
Greer laughed, then covered her mouth. She pictured Thor grappling with hisbreacan feile, trying to hold it out of the way without getting ointment all over it while getting the medicinal in the right place. “Thor, I’m a woman. Believe me when I tell ye that I can manage doing what I need in that area, even with ma gown on.”
Thor’s cheeks burned almost the same shade as his hair. Now Greer really laughed. “I ken I have a wife who I will share a chamber with, but I must get used to that. I barged in on Rose once when we were two-and-ten. I nearly passed out. I have never entered either of ma sister’s or any of ma female cousins’ chambers without knocking and waiting to be asked in ever since. It’s nae natural for a woman to survive that every moon. If a mon did that, he’d be dead on a battlefield.”
“Aye. And that’s why we survive to have more generations. Men couldnae endure what we do, and they certainly wouldnae survive all the blood during childbirth.”
“There’s blood?” Thor thought he might swoon as he considered Greer one day delivering their child in a pool of blood.
“Of course.”
“Greer, I havenae seen a bairn being born. There isnae that much blood when a foal, lamb, or calf is born. If there is, it’s a sign something is wrong. I didna ken.” Thor stared at Greer’s belly.
“Are ye regretting that ye might have gotten me with child? Do ye fear me giving birth? Ye dinna have to watch.”
“There isnae a chance in hell I’m being anywhere but beside ye if that’s the case. I dinna want ye out of ma sight. I would see for maself that ye’re well.”
“Ye’ll be giving the midwife instructions.” Greer rolled her eyes as she took the jar from her now pasty and clammy husband. He watched as she easily moved her skirts aside and applied the ointment. She handed back the container in half the time it would have taken him. She went up on her toes and brushed her lips across his. “Yer mama had two bairns at the same time, and then Shona. Yer grandmama on yer da’s side had five children. Giving birth and having yer courses is completely natural for women.”
“They arenae ma wife.”
Greer’s shoulders lowered before she wrapped her arms around Thor’s waist. “For such a vera large and intimidating mon, ye are the sweetest one alive. I love ye.”
“I love ye too. I canna stomach the idea of aught hurting ye.”
“Then ye definitely canna be in the room when I’m laboring.”
“Nay. I ken there’s some pain involved, but—”
“Some? Sweet, but daft. Some.” Greer snorted as she released him. She muttered “some” as she walked back to their horses, shaking her head as she went. She gathered her reins and slid her foot in the stirrup, but she should have expected the hands that wrapped around her waist and lifted her like a feather. She arranged her skirts, making sure her chemise offered a modicum of protection from the leather saddle.
Dominic sat forward to see Thor around Greer after they set off. “Do ye think they ken aught aboot the land up here? If they saw us turn north but couldnae catch up, would they ken to water their horses at the loch or that we’re headed to the forest?”
“I dinna think so. If they find the forest, it’s purely because it’s so large. But I dinna think they’d ken aboot the loch. We must be vigilant from now until we reach the forest and make sure we cover our tracks. I dinna ken how good their scouts are.” Thor couldn’t afford to send Dominic ahead of them if he wanted Greer to be protected fully. While Dominic might warn them of an approaching enemy, he could only do that if their foe traveled along the same route as them. If they came from another direction, Greer would be vulnerable. He’d rather have both warriors with him. They kept their horses away from anywhere that would leave obvious hoofprints or would trample the grass too much.
When they were within an hour of the forest, Thor called them to a halt. Greer watched as he climbed a pine tree with his dirk handle between his teeth. Keenan did the same in another tree. Before Greer understood what was happening, four large branches fell, two from each tree. The men dropped to the ground and dragged the severed pieces with them.
“The path is still dry, and it doesnae look like we’re getting rain soon. We need to wipe away our tracks. This is heavy, but I need ye to hold on to it while we ride.” Thor explained as he handed one limb to Greer. “Is it too heavy? If it is, I’ll tie it to yer saddle.”
“That might be better. I dinna ken what to do with it.”
“Yer horse will drag it behind him, and it will work like a broom to sweep away his hoofprints.”
“These are heavy, Thor. It would be better if we all tied them to our saddle. That way none of us drop them.” Dominic’s suggestion made sense, and he’d considered making it. But he hadn’t wanted to insult either man by implying they weren’t strong enough.
“It’ll make it easier to control our horses if we arenae half hanging off to drag this behind us.” Thor pulled rope from his saddle and used it to attach the branch to Greer’s horse. He cut the extra with his dirk, then did the same thing with his horse while his men mimicked him with their own mounts. She turned to watch the makeshift brooms sweep over their horses’ hoofprints, making them disappear. She wondered if all warriors knew to do this or if it was one reason the Sinclairs remained superior to everyone not related to them. They would know how well camouflaging their tracks had worked if no one stumbled upon them once they were in the woods. She prayed they would have a quiet night.
CHAPTER18
Greer watched as the men moved around the camp on silent feet. Dominic tended to the horses while Keenan built a fire. Thor slipped away and brought back a brace of rabbits in less than an hour. They cooked and ate before the sun set, then they extinguished the flames, so no smoke could rise into the night air. They didn’t need to offer their pursuers a beacon by which to find them. They’d ridden several miles into the forest, hoping it would keep them well hidden.
Greer knew she couldn’t offer to stand watch. Even if she were alert to an encroaching threat, she could do little but wake the others. She couldn’t defend them. She’d tried to do her part by preparing and cooking the rabbits, but she still felt guilty that she couldn’t contribute equally.
“I need ye to sleep more than I need aught else.” Thor drew her close when he returned from his two hours of watch. Greer dozed while he was gone, but she hadn’t relaxed enough to fall asleep. Without Thor near her, she didn’t trust her surroundings well enough to be as ease. “If ye really feel ye must do more, ye can make us bannocks in the morning.”
Greer’s mouth twisted from side to side before she scrunched her nose. “I suppose.”
