“It is. I rarely touch it, just wash it.”
She cupped one cheek and kissed the other, rubbing her lips across the short stubble with a giggle. “I like the idea of us being together forever. You comfort me, yet excite me at the same time. You encourage me, but appreciate me too. Most people only see a foolish lass with odd braids. That’s what I love most about you.”
He arched a brow at her, a smirk on his face. “What?”
“You see me for who I am, not something I’m not.”
“I do love you for who you are, Brynja Nyberg. The Norse half and the Scottish half. Which half said they love me?”
She giggled like a wee lassie. “Both halves love you. We are perfect together, are we not?”
“I think so. And you surely won my father over by using your hands on him.”
She gave his arm a playful slap. “Did I need to win him over?”
“Nay, he already liked you. Now, about that nightmare.”
“I would dismiss it, but after Lia telling us we are special, it makes me wonder.”
“Tell me, then we can decide together. I think that’s best.”
She took a deep breath and leaned her head back on his shoulder. “I was near a battle, and it was huge, men dying everywhere. And I only recognized a few people.”
“Who?”
“Sholto and Dugan. They came for Connor. Your father came out and fought with Dugan again. That’s when I started crying, but then Sholto yelled to Dugan. Told him he was going to Iona for the bairns.”
Hagen said nothing, closed his eyes, kissed her slowly, his lips warming hers, sucking on her bottom lip before stopping. “I was afraid that was what you were going to say.”
“How would you know that?”
“I had the same nightmare.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sholto
The two men sat in the cottage the next morning, both holding their heads from all the ale they drank.
Sholto said, “He’s not dead, I’m telling you. Just because you stabbed his belly doesn’t mean he’s dead. His body wasn’t there when we returned.”
“He’s dead, fool. That was a killing blow.” Dugan got up and punched the wall with his fist, cursing afterwards. “They carried him off to bury him on their land.”
“Then why did I see him walking when I returned?”
“What?” Dugan came over and grabbed him by the shoulder, whipping him around. “He walked away?”
“Aye. They were halfway across to Gott Bay. There were two with him, and that one wee annoying lass was there too. But she went down the beach. Why does a lass so young walk around alone?”
“Forget her. Who helped him?”
“The man with the long hair and that other bitch. The one on Iona who hit me with the dagger. Why was she with them? That’s what I want to know, though it explains why I haven’t seen the bitch on Iona lately. I’m going to kill that bitch. If I’d had any more men, I would have gone after her.”
Dugan kicked his stool over, then righted it to sit down and hold his head. “I cannot go on this day, but we have to go to the Granthams. I have to kill him. He must be weakened at least.”
“He was. He didn’t walk unaided. But you know there’s a problem.”
“I do. Multiple problems. We don’t have enough men. They killed or scared most of our men away. And the next group won’t arrive for two days. And someone found my stash.”
