Korlian
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Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
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Post by Korlian on Apr 16, 2011 0:15:18 GMT -5
After installing Conall by the fire with a blanket over his shoulders, Sheona went back to the kitchen to make a proper inventory of what he had returned. First and foremost was her prized mirror. The frame held only the one scratch that Conall had noticed, and a few very minor marks, and the glass needed only to be wiped clean. It was not large, being only large enough to show her face and hair when she sat before it, but it had been an impossible gift from her Cathal, and it had grieved her badly to fear she had lost it. Sheona ran her fingers lightly over the carved frame, then turned to the other items. Only a few small pieces of her silver were missing; a spoon, three knives, and one serving spoon, but the majority was there and in perfect shape. Hidden among these items was her silver comb, something she had purchased for herself after Cathal's death when she and Aodhán had managed to get a little more than needed to live. Making a soft noise of delight at this discovery, Sheona moved to sit besides her sleeping son and began to gently comb her fiery hair while humming softly.
By the time Sheona had managed to clear the tangled mess the bandits and later desperation had made of her tresses, Sheona was feeling her exhaustion strongly. She smiled a little sleepily at the two men, stifling a yawn.
"I cannot thank the two of you enough for what you have done," she told them, her voice low and soft. "Lùthais, I think I would like to take you up on that offer of a spare leine and some more hot water. Then I think Aodhán and I will retire for the night."
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Conall
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Post by Conall on Apr 16, 2011 14:56:11 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded, taking a step toward the door. "Of course."
He slipped outside to the well to draw more water, bringing it back inside to heat over the fire before going into his room and retrieving a spare garment for Sheona to borrow. It would be large on her -- she was about two inches shorter than he, and more slim than his muscular frame -- but better than a sooty dress.
Coming back to Sheona's side, he handed her the leine and a lump of soap. "The water should be hot enough soon."
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
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Post by Korlian on Apr 18, 2011 0:28:50 GMT -5
Sheona accepted both with thanks, then looked up at him. "You did say we could use your room, Lùthais? I would hate to kick you out of your own room, but Aodhán and I are not usually up all night, and he and I can stay in the room until the two of you wake quite easily. Um... with food. Aodhán will be starving come morning and I would not want to wake either of you to feed him..."
She looked at her hands and sighed slightly. While she had readily accepted Lùthais' help with her son, she was going to have to deal with the pain of hot water on her hands to clean herself and her dress. Hopefully it would not be too much, if washing her face had been any indication. It had hurt, but it had not been so painful she could not handle it.
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Conall
Ireth ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
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Post by Conall on Apr 18, 2011 11:31:21 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded. "Aye, I did say that. It's no trouble, really. There's some stew left over, you can heat it over the fire. Or maybe not, with your hands..." He looked at them and winced a little. "Well, we'll think of something. We can't leave you or your lad hungry."
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
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Post by Korlian on Apr 18, 2011 12:56:12 GMT -5
Sheona waved at him slightly, "My hands are not that bad. I have done worse cooking before, this is not anything to be that concerned over. Besides, if you just have some dried meat... that would be enough. Then we would not have to worry about my hands or waking anyone."
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Conall
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Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
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Post by Conall on Apr 18, 2011 19:45:13 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded again. "Aye, we have that."
Once Sheona was settled into his room with the washing supplies, spare clothes and food for herself and her son, Lùthais joined Conall by the hearth, looking into his firelit face with a sigh. "This is going to be a long, troublesome winter. For one thing, we need to figure out a way to deal with Sheona's monthly trouble, both for her and for ourselves."
Conall nodded, looking nervous. He and Lùthais had never been around Sheona while she was menstruating, even when they had been guests in her home the previous winter. "It would be easy enough to give her spare cloth for personal use, but the bleeding itself is another matter. I'd rather not find out whether that blood is at all appetizing to us. How are we going to avoid it?"
"Well, we can't help but be around her during those weeks, since we are her hosts," Lùthais murmured. "And it would look suspicious if we did something like covering our noses every time we came near enough to smell her blood."
"Aye," Conall nodded, turning around to warm his back. "Well, we have two more weeks until she needs them, aye? We'll think of something."
- - -
The winter seemed to pass much more slowly than usual, but it was pleasant enough. The two blood-drinkers were grateful to discover that Sheona's monthly trouble posed no danger to her or to them, at least as far as the bleeding went; her temper was a force to be reckoned with, but they already knew that well.
As before, Conall and Lùthais' eating habits ensured that there was no shortage of meat for them that winter, though a lack of fresh vegetables soon posed a problem for the two humans -- one that didn't have a solution in plain sight.
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
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Post by Korlian on Apr 24, 2011 23:19:27 GMT -5
Over the next month, the four of them adjusted to the tight quarters. Sheona and Aodhán grew accustomed to spending the majority of their day inside the one room, though they snuck out quietly to take care of certain regular functions. Luckily, Lùthais slept like a particularly tired rock, and so was very rarely disturbed by the two of them.
The lack of vegetables was, however, quickly becoming a problem. Sheona sat worrying about it one night after her son had been laid down, gently combing her hair while listening to the two men talk. "You know... I bet we could sell some of these leathers you have in the village market. I do not know how you manage to cause such little damage when you bring them down, but it would definitely make them worth more. And the wolf and cat pelts are rather unusual. Maybe we could buy a little preserved vegetables from the villagers. A wise woman always makes more than she needs, just in case."
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Conall
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Ding dong, the witch is dead~
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Post by Conall on May 3, 2011 20:14:34 GMT -5
Conall looked up curiously at Sheona's suggestion, nodding in agreement. "There's an idea. We could certainly use what we could get for them. I'm sure eating almost nothing but meat for so long is wearing on you," he noted with a half-smile. "A bit of variety would be a welcome treat."
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
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Post by Korlian on May 5, 2011 21:10:11 GMT -5
Sheona shrugged slightly. "Actually, I am more concerned about health than taste, or variety. I have seen what happens to people who do not get anything green all winter. I have managed to keep all my teeth, I would like to keep it that way."
She grinned at him, pulling her red curls back into a thick braid. Sleeping in a braid meant less knots in the morning.
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Conall
Ireth ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
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Post by Conall on May 8, 2011 0:13:10 GMT -5
Conall smiled back at her, being very careful to hide his fangs. He could see a hint of flirtatiousness in her gaze and hear it in her voice, and that was immensely pleasing to him. "Aye, indeed, we must think of our health as well. Teeth are an unpleasant thing to lose."
He watched as she braided back her lovely flame-colored hair, leaning a little closer. "So when should we take these furs and leathers to the market? I'm sure we'll have plenty more once spring arrives."
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
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Post by Korlian on May 8, 2011 1:06:13 GMT -5
Sheona glanced toward Lùthais' room where her son slept. "...As soon as possible, actually. Aódhan does get ill so easily... He has avoided it thus far this winter, and I would like to keep it that way."
She sighed slightly and flicked the finished braid over her shoulder. "It is nice, though. This cabin might be small, but it is clearly very well built. Far warmer than ours... I think Cathal needed a few lessons in woodworking."
She sighed again. "It was solid enough, but not very weather-proof sometimes. I suppose it is a good thing that I am getting a chance to start over..."
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Conall
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Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
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Post by Conall on May 8, 2011 14:14:19 GMT -5
Conall nodded, following Sheona's gaze briefly before replying. "Aye, we don't want him getting ill again either. Children do so easily. Poor lad."
He smiled and laughed softly as she complimented their cabin's soundness and warmth. "Thank you. We're hardly masters of the craft ourselves, but it does its job well enough. I had help building the first cabin before Lùthais came to live with me, from the shepherds who had lived in the area, and that helped a lot when it came time to build this one."
He shifted slightly, seeing the sadness in her face, and started to reach over to clasp her hand, but stopped before he could. "We all need to start over at some point in our lives. The winds of change may blow foul, but sometimes the change is for the better, like spring coming after winter."
He fell silent, reflecting darkly that the greatest change in his and Lùthais' lives alike had only been for the worse. For all they could see there was no spring to look forward to at the end of the eternal winter they were trapped in, no hope of new life coming after their living death.
Conall looked down at his large pale hand upon the table, so close and yet so far from Sheona's smaller one that held the warm pink flush of life. She reminded him of everything he had once had and loved, and ultimately lost. Envy for her life and vigor, for the fact that her life had meaning, and even for her frail mortality, coiled within him like a serpent. He slowly curled the hand into a loose fist, knowing bitterly that he could never have it again.
Lùthais watched and listened in silence as Conall and Sheona conversed. At times she almost seemed to be flirting with him, and he was not shy about returning the favor, but at the moment it seemed harmless enough. Lùthais tensed a little when Conall reached for her hand, relaxing again when he stopped and laid his hand upon the table. There was a darkness in Conall's eyes now, and Lùthais couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. Maybe it was better that he didn't know.
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
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Post by Korlian on May 8, 2011 16:03:56 GMT -5
Sheona almost instinctively recoiled from the look in Conall's eyes and his fist. She stood and smiled at them both, nodding slightly. "Well, it grows quite late. I will leave you gentlemen to your night. See you both on the morrow."
At that she beat a hasty retreat to the room she was sharing with her son, leaning against the door for a moment with a quick breath. Taking another deep breath, she sighed and curled up around Aodhán. Sleep was not particularly quick in coming.
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Conall
Ireth ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
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Post by Conall on May 8, 2011 21:41:40 GMT -5
Conall was pulled from his dark thoughts by the sound of movement, and looked up just in time to hear Sheona bid the two of them goodnight before hurrying away. There was no mistaking the fear in her eyes, and Conall was fairly certain that he'd had something to do with that.
"What did I do?" he wondered, perplexed, once Sheona was out of earshot. "I didn't touch her, I didn't even get too close or show my fangs."
"No, but you had a dark look in your eye just then," Lùthais told him. "What were you thinking of?"
Conall shook his head. "Nevermind."
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
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Post by Korlian on May 8, 2011 21:49:33 GMT -5
- - -
It was not quite morning when Sheona carefully peeked her head out of the room. Conall was in his room, and Lùthais had not yet settled. Aodhán's dog was trying desperately to get into the man's lap (a little difficult considering he was lying down and therefore had not lap to get into). She laughed slightly, then coughed.
"Lùthais? Might I ask you a favor?" she asked softly. A lock of her hair, pulled loose from the braid in her sleep, fell over her eye as she looked at him.
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Conall
Ireth ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
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Post by Conall on May 8, 2011 22:16:00 GMT -5
Lùthais chuckled as he sat up and leaned over the side of the cot, carefully picking up the puppy and allowing it to settle down on the cot with him. He looked up at the sound of Sheona's voice, nodding and smiling curiously. "Of course. What do you need?"
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
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Post by Korlian on May 8, 2011 22:24:29 GMT -5
Sheona flushed slightly. "...I cannot go alone to the village market, and Conall has that problem with sunlight... I... I was wondering if you could come with Aodhán and me..."
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Conall
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Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
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Post by Conall on May 8, 2011 22:28:37 GMT -5
Lùthais smiled and nodded again at her request, absently scratching the puppy behind its floppy ears. "Of course I'll go with you. Just let me know when you wish to leave."
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
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Post by Korlian on May 8, 2011 22:47:09 GMT -5
"This afternoon, I was thinking. Not too late, but we aren't nearly as far here as we were at home. It shouldn't take too long to get there and back."
She looked around a little. "Um... but I think we should let Conall know. He might... um... misunderstand. I would ask him, but like I said... there is that sunlight problem, whatever it is exactly. I would not want to accidentally cause him harm."
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Conall
Ireth ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
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Post by Conall on May 8, 2011 22:51:16 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded, his eyebrows knitting a little. Yes, Conall would very likely take it the wrong way if they were to leave together, given the way he clearly felt for Sheona. The fact that Conall and Lùthais were as good as brothers would only worsen the matter. He wasn't sure if Sheona was thinking in quite that direction, however, and replied more in the vein of what he thought she was getting at. "You're right. He might think something happened to us and run to try and help. I wouldn't want to cause him to harm himself, especially unnecessarily."
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
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Post by Korlian on May 8, 2011 23:13:13 GMT -5
Sheona smiled slightly. "...Yes, that too. But I am keeping you up now, and you are going to need to rest as much as you can. Thank you, and sleep well."
Smiling a bit more, Sheona brushed the hair back out of her eye and slipped back into the room.
The dog wagged its tail as Lùthais scratched its ears, the solid thwap a rapid counterpoint to their conversation. As Sheona closed the door, the dog turned to lick at Lùthais' hand. He was unwilling to move enough to lick his face if the man was still going to be scratching his ears, after all.
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Conall
Ireth ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
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Post by Conall on May 9, 2011 10:58:53 GMT -5
Lùthais nodded, guessing from the pronounced pause that perhaps Sheona's thoughts hadn't been so different from his own after all. He smiled back at her. "You're welcome. I'm sure I will."
He lay back, still cuddling with the puppy, and laughed as it licked his hand. He continued to scratch its ears and stroke it idly until he fell asleep for the morning.
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
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Post by Korlian on May 9, 2011 14:00:04 GMT -5
The dog quieted as Lùthais fell asleep, curling up with him and falling asleep itself.
Sheona got her son and herself ready for a few hours journey, noticing that he was sniffling slightly. She groaned a little, "Oh Aodhán. I was a little too slow, I see."
"It is just a sniffle, Mamma. I do not feel sick yet," he said quickly as he pulled his shirt on. Sheona sighed and pulled him into a hug. "Really Mamma, I feel fine."
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Conall
Ireth ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Ding dong, the witch is dead~
"Please do as I say, or I'll rip your throat out. How does that sound?"
Posts: 576
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Post by Conall on May 11, 2011 23:30:31 GMT -5
- - -
"I'll be accompanying Sheona to the market this afternoon," Lùthais told Conall as they headed out to hunt. "I'd say you're welcome to come along, but there's always the risk you'll get caught in the sunlight, and we can't have that."
"Aye," Conall nodded, not looking at him. It rankled him that Sheona's whole family, small though it was, so clearly favored Lùthais over him -- even the dog liked him better. That stung sorely, though he didn't let on, at least not in front of Sheona or her son.
"I see that look," Lùthais remarked, looking sidelong at his friend. "It's just one afternoon. We're going to a market, that's all. It's nothing."
Conall frowned and said nothing, following a deer's trail in silence. Lùthais came up behind him, looking up at him insistantly. "Conall, please. I know how you feel about her, and rest assured I feel nothing of the sort. We're friends, that's all."
"Are you so sure that's how she feels?" Conall said abruptly, turning to look down at him. "I know she likes you better than me. Aodhán does as well -- even the dog does. The dog, Lùthais!"
Lùthais sighed. "You have no proof that she's attracted to me at all. But you used to be very... forward when you spoke to her, and I'm sure that affected her, even if you don't do that anymore. Aodhán quite certainly picked up on that as well. As for the pup... well, neither of us are exactly human anymore, you know. The Goddess warned us against that. Men and beasts alike would fear us, She said. And since you've tasted human blood and I haven't... the pup might smell that on you. I don't know."
Conall was silent, eyes narrowed in thought. Lùthais made some good points, but that didn't help his resentment much. People were perfectly capable of saying one thing and thinking quite another... and sometimes it led to betrayal.
He shook his head with a huff, pushing the thoughts from his mind and trying to concentrate fully on the hunt. They both needed to feed, especially Lùthais. Sending him out hungry into a crowded marketplace was begging for trouble.
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Korlian
Kitty Kat ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
Academy Freshman: Bound Fae
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams... Only then can you belong to me...
Posts: 942
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Post by Korlian on May 12, 2011 13:22:38 GMT -5
- - -
Sheona had gathered the skins that Conall and Lùthais had been willing to part with, and bundled herself and Aodhán against the cold. Now, she waited for the two to return so that those who were could leave for market. Aodhán ran around outside. The cabin had become too warm for him bundled up as he was, and the snow on the ground was irresistible to to him. Sheona watched indulgently from the doorway as he and his dog ran around.
"Aodhán, not too far now! We have to be ready to leave when Conall and Lùthais get back," she called, then waved as the two came into sight.
"What perfect timing!" she laughed. Aodhán looked up and sighed, then trudged back to the cabin to wait with his mother for the two to get inside. The dog ran up to the returning men and barked, running circles around them both and wagging its tail so hard its entire body shook.
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