"But you can't expect to find it in the same place you left it!"

"And why not? It was heavy enough to sink to the bottom."

"I'd say the flow of the Boinne is strong enough to pick it up and carry it."

"I'd say not."

"What do you want with that sword anyway now? It can only bring more trouble."

"Trouble? You're the one who sold a stolen bull to the Rian of Niafer!"

"I had a plan."

"Lower your voice, the children are sleeping."

"I don't care. They shouldn't be here."

"Hush."

The cave reeks of stew, smoke and sweat. Hadaig and I would rather sleep outside in the open, but after the storm there is no comfortable place to spend the night. The cave makes me feel trapped. There is only one way out or in and the passageway entrance needs constantly guarded, or else anyone could sneak up on us. We pause in the narrow doorway to savor a last breath of fresh air.

The fire has burned down to embers, just enough to cast a dim glow around the room. Nion has sagged, snoring, onto a pile of rags. He scowls in his sleep. The children are snuggled together near the firepit. I don't see Keu. There is a pile of cast-off leathers and a pair of boots.

"Look! Sean has melted away and left only his clothes," I giggle softly to Hadaig.

'Daig clears his throat and points to a lumpy shape at the very edge of the circle of ember-glow. Winter Mist's cloak is large enough for two, I see.

A thought comes to me and I smile impishly. "We didn't give them a wedding gift. I just remembered something!"

The Night Raven sighs. "I think I know what it is." He cups my face in both his hands and gazes into my eyes wonderingly. "Who are you, Baine? One day you are hard as stone, next day sweet as a lamb." He crushes me in his arms and whispers, "Good enough. You and I will guard the door for the rest of the night."

My smile doesn't fade with our kiss. Hadaig takes a warm cloak from the ones that were spread out to dry. He leaves the cave without so much as a curious glance into the corner where Winter Mist and our archer lad are huddled. My penned-up mirth wants to burst out into merry laughter. I change the onrushing surge of chuckles into several loud coughs as I approach the lovers.

Softly and a little slyly, I call out to them from a polite distance."I know a better place for you two to spend the night, if you'll just follow me!"

Without looking back, I take the smallest torch from the pile by the door. Passing by the embers, I light it and lead the way across the large room to the far side, where a wall of the cave juts out to form a partition. Around the corner, I set the torch in a niche and peer into the dimly lit space, hoping things are the same as they were the last time we were here.

Good! Faramir's feather-and-fur-lined bedbox looks as cozy and inviting as it did on that rainy night when he offered it to me and my lover. I take up a corner of the bedding and give it a few quick shakes, just in case any wee cave creatures have taken up residence there. "Thank you, Faramir! May you rest in peace." Then, still grinning, I slip away to meet Hadaig.

He kisses a stray tear from my cheek. "Happy and sad at the same time. You are strange indeed, my love."