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  “You’re squeezing my hand too hard,” Cara groused at him.

  “We’re there.” Brady stared down at the knee high piece of striated rock. He didn’t know what caused the swirling of black that ran through the nearly white rock. Probably Zeke Oman could tell him what mineral it was, but he didn’t care to know. He’d found the rock at the foot of a small avalanche at the foot of the mountain a bit south of here. The irregular, perplexing thin lines of black reminded him of his brothers’ wild hair so like his own. He’d carved no names on the memorial stone.

  “Todd, Sean, this is Cara.” Brady looked around, imagining his brothers’ spirits listening as he always did when he came to visit them. “She’s lost all reason and agreed to be my wife.

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  You’ll like her. She’s strong like our mother, and smart and talented. I know you’d probably tell me I don’t deserve her, and I don’t. But I’m going to have her anyway. I’m going to be happy and enjoy every day of the rest of my life like I know you would want me to do. I know one of the last things you thought of that day was to be glad you hadn’t let me come with you.

  Thank you.”

  Cara wrapped her arm around his waist and looked down at his brothers’ monument.

  “Thank you, Todd and Sean, for saving my life too and giving me a chance to be happy. We’re going to live in the Realm so your parents aren’t lonely. My mother is going to spent part of the year with us too. We’re going to all be a family.”

  They stayed for a while longer, and Brady felt them there as he always did. They would always be young and daring in his mind. He missed them every day. But he would never be lonely again.

  They were quiet going back to the house where Brady’s mother had a meal of fresh cod and sugared carrots waiting for them. She gave no sign that she knew where they’d been but the sadness was in her eyes. His father squeezed his shoulder in the only show of grief he would share. Their home was close enough to the sea that the breeze coming through the open windows smelled faintly of salt.

  They sat at the kitchen table that was where three rambunctious boys had eaten. They talked of the wedding to be held in Solonia in a month’s time. His father discussed redesigning a room so Cara could use it as her art studio. All was perfect in his world.

  * * * *

  Cara smoothed her hand over the skirt of the sky blue dress. Cream lace decorated the cuffs and the neckline. She would wear black onyx beads around her neck. It was the loveliest thing she’d ever seen next to her Brady.

  “He’s not going to be able to breathe when he sees you in that,” Katerina said. “Four more days.”

  “Thank you for helping my mother make it.”

  “You know I loved doing it. After all you’ve done for my family, this was little enough.

  I can’t ever thank you enough for the portraits of my family. And poor Juston hasn’t stopped growling about losing you to the Realm.”

  “Is he really upset?”

  Katerina laughed. “He’s going to miss you, but I don’t know if there’s anyone happier for you than Juston.”

  “Oh, hell.” Cara pressed against the cramping in her stomach.

  “What is it? Are you ill?”

  “Not really.” Cara took a few deep breaths, and the cramps passed. “This is the second time.”

  “Second time? You’ve been sick before?”

  “Not sick. Right before Brady and I found our way home, I had my woman’s monthly flow. After two years without it, it keeps picking the most inconvenient times to visit me. Now I’ll be bleeding on my wedding day.”

  Katerina stepped back and stared at her in confusion. “You had your monthly flow again? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Why would I? I kind of liked not having it.”

  “You don’t understand what this means, Cara. May I examine you?”

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  Katerina was the child of the Deomo, a gifted healer who could usually fathom the extent of injuries or the manner of an illness by her touch alone.

  Cara shrugged. “It’s nothing but my flow. Go ahead.”

  Katerina took Cara’s wrist with one hand and put her other hand low on Cara’s abdomen.

  She closed her eyes and held her breath. When she opened them again, she led Cara to the bed and urged her to sit down.

  “Cara, after you were rescued and you never had your flow again, my mother and I could perceive no physical reason for it. Sometimes a great emotional trauma will cause a woman to lose her ability to have children as easily as a physical injury.”

  “What are you saying?” Cara put her hand on her cramping belly.

  “Cara, I think you’ve defeated whatever dark emotions that were upsetting your body’s humors. As I search inside you, I see a healthy woman capable of all that a woman can be.”

  “You mean … I can…?” She couldn’t voice the desperate hope.

  “I mean you can have children, Cara. You can have Brady’s children.”

  Cara found she could cry those happy tears again.

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  Epilogue

  It was easier to approach the village from the east. Brady led this first trading expedition of the summer as he had led all three visits the previous summer and fall. The Vitans were cut off from the other settlements during the winter months when the mountainside was icy and during the spring floods. The Realm had lowered canoes down the side of the mountain but even with boats the Watara was too dangerous when the water was up.

  Juston Steele and Sky Turan walked beside Brady, their hard warrior eyes suspicious.

  This was their first visit to the Vitans. The village nestled in the mouth of the little, protected valley sat in front of them. A number of people moved about, including children, some stopping to point at Brady’s party.

  “Brady!” Tam jogged down the beach to greet them. He wore short wool pants but no shirt. Cara had convinced Bab and the other women to wear blouses last fall, but the men so far refused shirts. The male leader of the Vitans now wore his hair short and clean so he looked as any other Parlanian except for his burly build.

  “Holy hell,” Sky Turan muttered.

  Juston Steele added his own quiet curse. “Never thought I’d see this day.”

  I’m blaming this all on you, Gellot.”

  “Hi, Tam. How is your family?” Brady took Tam’s hand in the greeting he’d taught the Savage.

  Tam looked at Sky and Juston. Whatever he saw in the hard warriors had him moving closer to Brady. “My family is very well. Angel and Storm are both walking and that smart little girl is saying words already. Storm is trying hard to keep up with her.”

  “Takes after her parents, I’m sure.”

  Tam beamed at Brady’s compliment. Though the Vitans no longer thought Brady was some kind of spirit incarnate, they continued to believe him something special.

  Brady introduced Juston, Sky and the half dozen men carrying packs of trade goods.

  What the Vitans offered in return was seldom as valuable as the clothing and seeds the Realm brought, but their friendship was without a price tag. Today was a big day though Tam didn’t know it.

  Brady wanted to offer the Vitans metal knives as gifts. They still used their stone instruments to cut hides, prepare food and even chop wood. They had no ore or the means to work it. Knives and axes would improve their lives considerably. Sky and Juston were reluctant to offer something that could be used in weapons against their own people. So the two leaders had come in person to finally meet Tam and Bab. Brady was confident the two men would come to trust the Vitans as much as he did himself.

  “Where’s Cara? Bab will be so disappointed.” Tam looked at Brady with real concern in his dark eyes. A fairy tale friendship had grown between the Vitan couple and Brady and Cara.

  Brady grinned and slapped Tam on the shoulder. “She stayed home to take care of our children.”

  “Children?
”

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  Brady pulled out the little sketch Cara had made for him to carry in his pocket. It was only the size of his palm, but was as well done as all her incredible art work. “Children.”

  Tam peered at the little portrait in amazement.

  “We had twin boys in the spring.” Brady laughed as his joy spilled forth. Each day the miracle that was his perfect life was a glorious reminder of his good fortune. “We named them Todd and Sean.”

  The End