"Heed all these things, Iain. Keep them in your mind. Use them to hold your fears back. Aye, she seems content and shows no fear but the fears are there. Every woman has them. Dinnae make them worse by feeding them with yours."
Iain nodded, solemnly recognizing the truth in Tavis's words. He had already seen the need to hide his fear as much as he could but it did strengthen his resolve to hear another point it out. Although he knew nothing could fully still his fears, he was determined to remember every good thing Tavis had mentioned. He could easily see how they could give him strength.
The day his stitches were removed, he tested his strength to stand and walk but found little there. As he cursed his weakness he suddenly recalled Islaen saying he would. Glancing her way he saw her fighting a smile and started to laugh. It was the only time he found any humor in the situation. He found the rate at which his strength returned far too slow a one.
Islaen watched her husband sleep and smiled crookedly. It seemed a little unfair that her method of soothing him had not seemed to work as well for her. She was wide awake. However, the current activity in her womb was undoubtedly the real reason she could not sleep despite the warm, pleasant feeling of sated desires. She wished the child would suit his schedule of being active and inactive to suit hers a little better but suspected few women had such luck.
Deciding to get up for a little while, she rose and donned her robe. She moved to the window, opened the shutter and looked out. The hint of winter was definitely in the air. Just as she wondered if Wallace had been wrong in predicting snow she saw the first flakes fall. Winter could bring with it a lot of ills, not the least of which were hunger and sickness. For once, however, she was glad to see it arrive. It signaled the end of all work upon Muircraig.
"Islaen?"
"By the window, Iain."
"Are you mad?” he grumbled as he rose and hurriedly donned his robe against the chill before moving towards her. “'Tis cold. Ye could catch a chill."
"Just a moment longer, Iain. Look. ‘Tis snowing. It has just started but Wallace says t'will be a strong storm."
"Do ye like the snow, Islaen?” he asked as he came up behind her and slipped his arms around her.
"Oh, aye, Iain."
"'Tis pretty but it means winter is here to stay for a while."
'Aye,’ she mused silently, ‘and so are you, husband.'
