Rand sat up in surprise. The golden light of morning shone on his face. He had trouble remembering when he had last slept for this long. His sleep had been remarkably untroubled.
Destroying thattaflgame, the last one he’d played with Bridget, was the right thing to do. A new start. In due course, he’d change the tapestries and the position of the bed. He didn’t want to erase Bridget, but he no longer wanted to look backwards.
When Svanna had stood there, looking at him in dismay while the pieces tumbled to the floor, he’d known that he wanted her with every fibre of his being. He’d needed to lose himself within her. The need remained unquenched, which added a whole new meaning to fear. The hurt, grief and guilt he’d experienced at Bridget’s death had nearly destroyed him. He had no desire to experience that again and had actively avoided it, except the fates had mocked his hubris. They had tossed in his path the one woman who could reach inside the ringfort he’d built around his heart.
He stretched out his hand, hoping to find Svanna’s warm body and draw her to him, but the pillow was cold beside him. He frowned. He sat up and looked about.
He swore loud and long. Thetaflboard had vanished.
He rapidly dressed and went in search of her, rushing through the ringfort with purpose and refusing to be distracted. The sun hitting the top of the round tower’s door showed he’d slept even longer than he’d initially thought.
He entered the tower and discovered Svanna teaching Birdie how to play a simplified version oftafl. His neck muscles relaxed. Svanna was fine.
He watched, soaking in the scene of his newly made family and marvelling at Svanna’s patience with the little girl as she slowly explained the move, obviously not for the first time, to Birdie. His family. Like he’d dreamt of as a young man. The blood pounding in his ears slowly receded and he regained control of his thoughts.
‘Is Birdie old enough fortafl?’ he asked when he trusted his voice.
Birdie gave a squeal and upset the board, sending the pieces tumbling to the rush-covered floor in her haste. ‘My papa! My papa!’
He hugged her tight, drinking in her little girl smell.
‘Mor Svanna is teaching me to play,’ Birdie said in a loud whisper. ‘I am…a…natural. But shh…a surprise.’
‘A surprise? For whom?’
Birdie tapped him on the chest. ‘You, silly Papa. You. You aren’t angry with me for touching thetaflcounters like Nurse claimed you’d be? On Mor Svanna’s hair.’ She scrunched her nose. ‘Whatever that means.’
‘How could I ever be angry with you, little one?’
Birdie nestled her head against his and sighed.
Rand looked over Birdie’s curls to where Svanna was busy picking up the counters Birdie had inadvertently spilled. ‘Mor Svanna?’
‘Your daughter wanted a name for me.’ She shrugged. ‘I hope you don’t mind me taking thetaflboard, but I learned to play when I was about Birdie’s age.’
‘You thought to teach her without consulting me?’
‘We are starting to be friends through playing.’
‘Then I approve, but, Birdie, you must help Mor Svanna to clear up,’ he said, lowering Birdie down. ‘You were the one to upset the game. You can reset the board.’
‘Will you help me, Papa?’
He reached for the king piece. It appeared warm in his hand, as if Bridget’s shade somehow approved. He pushed the fancy away and set the piece down rather harder than he should have done. ‘What if I play on your team against Mor Svanna?’
‘Mormeans mother in the Northern tongue,’ Birdie said.
‘I know it does, little one. I grew up there.’
‘Oh, I’d forgotten.’
‘Who is going to be the ultimate winner?’ Rand asked after they’d managed to defeat Svanna on the second try.
‘Birdie is rubbing her eyes, a sign of tiredness,’ Svanna said in a low voice. ‘Later.’
‘You and I will settle it. Think about the appropriate forfeit.’
‘A threat or a promise?’
