First it was the sidhe children in the dark grove and I wonder if I’ll see them again. They remind me of home. Then we find a dead body of whom I do not know in the meeting place of Sean’s father. And the blood I see trailing on the ground. All is not well.

The feeling won’t be shaken away easily as we ride up on the couple that had come seeking Sean before during our last little picnic. I wonder why they ride so hard, unless they too came across the dead man. But why are we running? Surely if it was an attack from the dead man that we should not be running. My man has spoken not a word about what is going on and who am I to question him, at least for now.

We still had a few lengths before us and we see the one they called Baine dismount before the man she was with even had a chance to stop. She immediately begins to fuss over the Crom Dubh, Sean’s father. Something is terribly wrong. The smell of blood is starting to remind me of other battlefields and of the carrion feeders.

No sooner than we dismounted and all eyes have settled on me. I begin to regret that my hood wasn’t pulled up. Sean’s father is looking pretty unstable and staring right at me with wide eyes. Blood spatters decorate the left side of his face and torso. His pupils are fully dilated. The Crum Dubh opens his mouth and Toad finds it a most inopportune time to voice his displeasure about the ride here. Sean laughs and receives a punch in the arm from me for his lack of seriousness before the Crom Dubh faints into Baine. Sean rubs his arm, but not looking hurt in the least bit and trying to stifle a grin. I wonder what kind of relationship Sean and his father have…

"Nion said go to the ranger's old hiding place," says another man there with us after a large group of riders have gone past the grove. So Nion is Sean’s father’s name. Baine and the lighter haired man load Nion up and we make our way to this Ranger’s place. The silence is thick and almost forced, but I have a feeling that it just isn’t the worry about Nion that has caused this. Baine keeps looking back at me, but I can’t read her facial expressions. The men seem to be ignoring me. I pull my hood up and retreat into myself. I even cover my hands with my voluminous sleeves.

The Ranger’s place is nice enough if a little unkempt. Nion has regained his legs enough that they herd him into the cave and try to settle him. A fever has crept into his mind and he’s started to rave about Toad of all things. I stand there feeling quite useless, not to mention disheartened. This was not a good first impression for me.

Baine looks worried digging into her pack. Her companion has commenced to build a small fire in the hearth and the other man is digging around in the nooks and crannies of the place. Baine says she is going to go out and look for some pain relievers and that’s when Sean gathers me close. I stiffen up unintentionally, but his sweet kiss upon my neck relieves that tension. I soften against him. I just don’t understand. The gods chose this union, yet they are going to throw me into another hardship. Is my Goddess angry with me? Or is She tempering me for something else. ”Don't worry, m'chroi, I'll explain everything to him. When you come back, we'll be one big happy family,” says Sean as he shoos me out the entrance towards Baine. I furrow my brows together with uncertainty. I can help with the wound, he didn’t even bother to ask. Sighing I turn away to follow Baine.

”Baine,” I call out softly as I catch up to her. “I have some willow bark, a small cauldron and a needle….” Her steps falter a bit as if she expected something other than words to come from my mouth. “It’s just a very small one, but if…” I try to offer my help, but wonder if maybe I should have just tended to the horses or pushed the menfolk aside than follow. She starts to turn back.

What was I doing anyway? I am not normally this meek. War wounds were nothing new to me. Besides it was just an ear, although he may have taken a harder blow to the head for the way he’s ranting now. I stop and wait to see if she’ll answer me.