“Ethne, will ye not be joining us?” Uradech asked,darting a glance toward Ethne, his hand thumbing the ends of the rope tied about his waist. He avoided looking directly at her or Lachlann.
“Not yet. She’ll be seeing to the sleeping child.” Domelch placed two milk-soaked cloths beside Ethne. “Let us hope she does not awaken before daybreak.”
“Dinna forget to empty the tub.” Domelch threw the comment over her shoulder as she went into the cool night.
* * *
Ethne had laid the sleeping baby a short distance from her and was seeing to the latest catch of fish. Her slow movements revealed her exhaustion. Finn snuggled against her, his head on her lap, not minding that she was constantly moving.
“Can I help ye with some of that?” Lachlann asked.
She jumped.
“I didna mean to startle ye.”
She gave a little laugh. “My mind is tired. Picking these tiny bones is making my eyes close.”
He settled beside her, their knees almost touching where they sat cross-legged on the ground. He picked up the last fish, its mean bones still poking out from it. “We dinna have this type of fish where I live.”
“No?”
“They have smaller eyes and a longer fin, the same white insides.”
She nodded, stifling a yawn as she worked.
“Are ye sorry to be missing the celebration tonight?”
Ethne stiffened. “I prefer to stay here with Finn.”
“And me and my friends have given ye an added burden.”
Their tribe had been very welcoming, giving no date that they would expect Niall, Lachlann, and Aldred gone by. Even including them in this celebration, though they didn’t mention their inclusion in the solstice observance.
She simply smiled at that.
“Ye are often here? Just the two of ye?”
“And now it will be three,” Ethne said.
“Ach,” Finn said, picking up his head to look at Lachlann. “And that is when the big white bear comes to us.”
He spoke in the same low tone that Lachlann had used earlier when they were playing.
“A big white bear is it now?” Lachlann asked, his gaze on the child. “And what do ye do when the bear comes by, scratching and growling outside?”
“What should we do, Ethne?” Finn’s voice had grown serious. “The bear is out there.”
Ethne’s hands stilled, and there were tears in her eyes. “I dinna know what to do, Finn, but we canna let the bear have at us.”
Lachlann’s chest tightened at her pain. He had no idea what they spoke of.
The boy seemed to understand her sudden sadness and wrapped his little arms around her neck. No doubt it had nothing to do with hidden silver, but for the life of him, Lachlann could not turn away.
A light hand to her shoulder, he asked, “Tell me what I can do.”
She shook her head, the movement sending her unshed tears rushing down her cheeks. Finn pulled back to look at her. “Ye must tell him.”
She held a finger to his lips and shook her head.
