The Warrior's Reunion

by Mia Pride

  “I will when I am ready and not a day sooner than that. Someday you will love a lass and understand. If a man held a knife to her throat before your eyes, then kissed her, you would not so easily forgive.”

  Now it was Brennain who stayed silent. The thought of another man holding a knife to Morna’s throat made his fists clench. Mayhap he understood how his brother felt, after all, though he could not admit as much.

  “So…” Flynn dragged out, a sudden smirk sliding across his face. Brennain wanted to tell him to wipe the smile off his ugly face, but in truth, they could pass for twins. Calling his brother ugly would only be an insult to himself. “Off to Miathi, are you? Have any plans to check in on a wee blonde healer lass named Morna while you are there?” Flynn put his hands on his hips and flexed his strong chest muscles.

  “Perhaps I do.” Brennain flexed his muscles back. It was an arrogant game of strength they had always played as lads. Whoever had the most muscle, would win the day. These days, Brennain could not decide who had more.

  “Good for you, Brennain. I wish you good fortune on your journey. Mayhap when you arrive again you will be a married man and an uncle.”

  Brennain liked the sound of that. A husband and an uncle? Normally he would laugh and tell his brother he was mad, but nay. He had waited two years to get back to Morna and he had no intention of wasting any more time simply dreaming of the lass. Still, he did not want to seem too eager. “Let’s not be so hasty, Flynn. I am not the family type and we both know this.”

  “And, we both also know that anyone can change when they are in love. Look at Aislin.” They burst out laughing at the mention of their younger cousin who had been the most stubborn lass they had ever known growing up. Proud of her warrior heritage and desperate for her independence, she hunted with a bow and fought alongside the men. But, when a warrior named Alastar came over from Alba with them during their last trip to Miathi, Aislin had quite unwillingly fallen in love with the man and was now carrying their second child. Brennain really could not argue with that. If Aislin could accept love, marriage, and children, so could Brennain… at least the love and marriage part. He was not at all ready for a wee human to call him “Papa.”

  “We shall see,” was all he could commit too. It was hard enough for him to admit he wanted Morna for a wife.

  “Ma and Pa are awaiting you. They wish to say their farewells,” Flynn stifled a smile and Brennain rolled his eyes.

  “Pa wants to smack me on the back, and Ma wants to stuff my belly full of food before embracing me so tightly that I vomit it all up,” he replied wryly.

  “You know them well. Still, ‘tis what they do, so you best get out there.” Flynn bent over to pick up Brennain’s tunic and tossed it to him before grabbing his already packed satchel, slinging it over his shoulder for his brother just before walking away.

  Brennain took a deep breath and smiled despite himself. He would miss his family. His parents were great people, even if his mother did smother him. Pulling the tunic over his head, he then stepped through the entryway of his room and looked around. His mother was stirring something in the cauldron that smelled like sweet apples and he grinned. He loved her apple porridge. His father stood beside her, as always. They had been destined lovers from the beginning and he never left her side. They couldn’t keep their hands off one another. His father, though a powerful warrior and former king, was defenseless against his mother’s charms. And part of Brennain knew that was precisely why he could not fathom being so attached to one woman.

  An image of Morna, stirring a cauldron while he leaned over her shoulder, crossed his mind and he smiled. Mayhap he could fathom it, after all. Still, it frightened the life out of him.

  “Brennain!” his mother cheered when he stepped closer. “I have made your favorite meal to break your fast!”

  “Good morrow, Ma.” Brennain leaned in and kissed his mother, inhaling her familiar lavender scent. “Greetings, Pa.”

  His father slapped him hard on the back and grinned widely. “Off on another mission, aye son?”

  “Brocc, do not whap him so hard,” his mother scolded his father, who snorted in response.

  “Una, he is not a lad anymore,” his father replied gently.

  Brennain pursed his lips and gave Flynn a side-glance, knowing his brother was highly entertained, sitting on the bench in the corner while he rubbed Maggie’s calves. “How are you feeling, Mags?” Brennain asked, trying to change the subject.

  “Och, I would be well if only my legs did not continue to cramp up on me every night. ‘Tis most painful. Flynn has been rubbing my legs every morning.” She looked up at his brother, who smiled the lopsided grin he saved only for Maggie.

  “Anything for the mother of my child.” Flynn kissed her temple and continued rubbing her legs while his mother handed Brennain a bowl of steaming porridge. Just in time. Brennain wanted to eat and be gone. He loved his family but there was too much love and affection for him in this one small home. He needed fresh air and adventure. He needed to see Morna again.

  “Invite Reaghan in for some porridge,” Una said, handing Brennain another bowl.

  “Nay!” Flynn growled from the bench and tightened his grip on Maggie, whose eyes rolled dramatically.

  “Enough of that, Flynn. The man was doing his job. He did not hurt me. He protected me.” Maggie turned to Brennain and smiled. “Invite him inside. How very rude to have kept him out there,” she scolded, mainly to her husband who now scowled.

  Brennain shrugged and opened the door. Reaghan was waiting outside calmly, bundled up in a plaid cloak, his breath escaping in opaque puffs, nose nipped from the morning frost. “Come in and have a meal, mate.” Brennain signaled to his traveling companion. A smile spread over his face and he hastily tied his horse to a post before taking the proffered bowl and stepping inside the warm home where the hearth fire welcomed.

  “My thanks, Una and Brocc,” Reaghan said sincerely, and he stood by the fire while tilting the bowl to his lips. “This is delicious. I taste apples.”

  “Aye, ‘tis my wife’s specialty,” Brocc said with pride, and smacked Una on the arse quite loudly. Reaghan laughed and Brennain choked on his porridge.

  “Brocc!” she scolded, but his father only shrugged and grinned, not at all concerned.

  “Greetings Maggie… Flynn,” Reaghan tilted his head in earnest. Maggie smiled and waved, and Flynn growled before his wife elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grunt.

  Brennain shuffled his feet once he had downed the last of his hastily consumed porridge. He needed to be out of Ráth Mór and on his journey. “Are you ready?” Reaghan nodded and Brennain grabbed his plaid fur-lined cloak and clasped it with a golden brooch around his neck, before walking over to his brother to retrieve his satchel.

  Flynn stood up, somehow able to tear himself away from his breeding wife, and gave Brennain a firm embrace and a fist to the back. “Safe travels, brother.”

  “Always,” Brennain nodded and slapped Flynn in the face just to break up their sudden show of affection. Flynn laughed and swung at Brennain, but he ducked just in time.

  “Will you two never stop?” his mother scolded.

  “Never,” they said in unison.

  “Och, Brennain!” His mother ran up to him and smothered him, but this embrace, he would allow. “I will miss you, mo leanbh.”

  “I will miss you, as well, Ma. I shall be safe.”

  She slowly backed off him and walked up to Reaghan, giving him the same embrace. He smiled and looked at Brennain who just shrugged.

  “What was that for?” Reaghan asked, as Una released him from her grip.

  “You do not have a mother to send you off, so I shall. Be safe. Take care of my son.” Brocc smiled and shook their hands in a strong, manly way, and Brennain could see the emotion in Reaghan’s eyes. He had no family here and it meant a lot to the man to have some affection, even if Flynn still stared the man down from across the room.

  “We must g
o. We have a few days’ journey ahead of us. I shall return when I know more of Mal’s plans.” He opened the door and patted Reaghan on the back as they stepped outside.

  “Brennain?” his brother called, and he froze. He knew his brother was about to rib him about one thing or another.

  “Aye?” he said slowly, looking over his shoulder.

  “Give my greetings to your future wife.”

  Maggie’s eyes popped wide open and Una gasped, covering her mouth. “Is there a lass waiting for you, Brennain?” his mother said with hope in her voice. Curse his brother. Flynn knew exactly what he was doing by riling up their mother. She had only just recently stopped bothering Brennain about settling down with a wife and family. Now, she would never stop.

  “Farewell, Mother,” Brennain growled, and he made a rude hand gesture to his brother. Flynn’s wild laughter was the last thing Brennain heard as he walked toward the stable to saddle his horse.

  Chapter Two

  “Ma. Caleb is not coming back. You must accept this.” Morna huffed loudly as she bent over to grab her crawling daughter before she successfully pulled herself up on the bench and pulled down all the linens Morna had just cleaned and folded. “Och, Glennis. You are all over the place this morn.” Her daughter giggled and drooled as Morna swept her up into her arms and tucked the wee lassie’s curly blonde hair behind her ear.

  “He will be back,” her mother huffed. “He cannot just abandon ye.”

  “Aye, he can. He never truly wanted to be here. He saw his chance to flee and he took it. I cannot say I blame him.”

  “Well what are we supposed to do then? What good is yer husband if he is not here to protect us?” Morna wanted to say that Caleb had never been much good at that when he was here. All he did was drink ale until he passed out on most nights, if he ever came home at all.

  “We will get by just fine. We always have,” Morna mumbled as she put her wriggling daughter back down again. “Glennis! My wee lassie! Mama loves you with all her heart, but if you grab those linens, I am going to be very up—” Her daughter squealed and pulled down all the clean linens, cooing as she fisted one and shoved it into her mouth. Morna sighed and plopped down on the bench the linens had just occupied and looked down at her daughter as she gummed the fabric. She had another tooth breaking through and would chew anything she found, which made Morna only more cautious, having no time to do aught else but follow her daughter around the house.

  As one of the healers of Miathi, it had been most difficult lately with Caleb gone. Her mother was much too old and weak to help overmuch with her active wee child who was just one summer old now. Fortunately, there were two other healers who had been able to tend to the ill while Morna chased her child. It seemed her mother became more disgruntled every day, staring out the open doorway, expecting to see her worthless son by marriage returning to them. But Morna knew he would not be back, at least no time soon… not that she cared one bit. He had only been one more person to care for in this home and, aside from his skill in fighting and raw strength, the man had little going for him, especially in the head. Aye, he was a well-made man with a beautiful face that all the lassies tripped over their skirts for while they followed him around the village, but he lacked in intelligent conversation and almost everything else.

  He most likely had several other lovers and Morna could not care. They occupied him, decreasing the amount of time he expected to share her bed. He seemed to care about breeding and naught else. Little had he known that Morna drank thistle tea every morning to prevent his seed from taking root. As if she needed another wee child to care for alone. She huffed again, tucking a blonde wave of hair behind her ear and stared at her faded blue skirt. Not so long ago, she had hoped for more from her life, though things hadn’t worked out as she’d envisioned.

  She had once met a man who she thought she loved, who she prayed would come back for her. But, he never came. Then Glennis was born and well, at least now she had one person in this world that would never let her down. Caleb married Morna soon after Glennis was born, but only at the absolute demand of her mother claiming they required his protection. In exchange, Morna was to be the man’s broodmare. Fortunately, she knew enough about herbs to prevent that from happening.

  She had never understood why her mother demanded Morna marry Caleb, for there had been no threat to their land or people for years, despite the rumors of foreign invaders to the south. These men had taken over much of the land of Albion, but the southern tribes of Picts had done a decent job keeping the invaders away using their usual scare tactics, such as painting their bodies blue with woad and running into battle naked. It seemed to frighten foreign men who called the people of Alba savages. Morna could not care what these men thought of her people, so long as they stayed away.

  However, the moment Mal Mac Rochride stepped foot into their village recruiting men to fight against Tuathal Techtmar, Caleb had seen an opportunity for power and took it. Mal promised the men who fought for him riches and high positions should he become High King. Now they had all marched north to find a camp of these foreign men called Rómánach and recruit their help in raising an army against Tuathal. How ironic that the very man who married her for the sole purpose of protecting her and Glennis, had taken off with the men who threatened them most, leaving her defenseless.

  An ache pierced her heart as she thought of the man who, despite his absence for two summers, she was quite certain she still loved. He would be in Ériu right now, fighting for his king at Ráth Mór alongside Jeoffrey, who had once lived here in Miathi before being asked to join Tuathal’s ranks. Morna regretted not going with Brennain every day of her life. Then again, he never asked.

  At her feet, Glennis made a gurgling sound and Morna wiped away the tear she had not noticed running down her cheek until just now. Nay. She could never regret not going with Brennain, not fully. She was now a mother to this sweet wee lass who would never have been hers had she left. Still, she could not help but wonder where Brennain was now, or what he was doing. Had he found a lass to marry? The thought made her stomach muscles revolt. She wanted him to be happy, of course, but could she not wish for him to be happy with her?

  She had been warned. One of Brennain’s fellow warriors had told her he was a man who enjoyed his freedom, who wandered where the wind… and his king took him, and never planned to settle down with any one lass. She had heard rumors that he had bedded half the lassies in Ériu, but he had never once tried to bed her. She had appreciated it at the time, but now she could not help but wonder if the tender words he shared, or the softness of his kiss had all been but a fleeting thing for him. It had felt so honest to her, so real, but what did she know of the ways of love? Her husband was strong-armed into marrying her by her mother, then he took off as soon as he had the chance. Good riddance.

  Outside, raised voices and commotion erupted so loudly, she could hear it clearly through their wattle and daub walls and thick wooden door. Although, their thatch roof was patchy in some areas, which made voices much easier to hear from within their shabby hut.

  “Warriors approach!”

  “Men have arrived!”

  All the voices spoke over one another and it was hard to make out the jumble, but it was clear enough that men approached their village. Could it be Caleb? Her mother always insisted that he was not a deserter and that he would return to their people, their king, and his wife and child. She claimed he had gone along to simply gather information about the enemy and would return when he had succeeded. Mayhap her ma was right. Mayhap Morna had unfairly judged her husband, after all.

  “That may be Caleb!” Her mother echoed her own thoughts and jumped out of her seat with more energy than Morna had seen in a few moons. “Grab Glennis! He will be wanting to see ye and his babe!” Why didn’t Morna share those sentiments? She did not want to see Caleb and her gut told her he did not want to see her. Even if he had left to gather information on their enemies up north, he could have at least said fare
well first. Men who planned on returning said farewell to their families, did they not?

  Without a word, Morna combed her fingers through her hair, though she did not know why. It must have been instinctual, for she truly did not care what Caleb thought of her and never had. Scooping up Glennis, her wee daughter giggled and slobbered all over herself. Morna made a tsk sound and used the half-soaked linen clenched in her daughter’s fist to wipe Glennis’s face. “You cannot greet your papa with a chin full of slobber, aye?”

  “Pa… pa?” Glennis repeated just before clenching all her muscles and releasing a warm, pungent load in her linen wrap. Morna snorted. Interesting that her daughter should say the word “papa” for the first time while defecating. Apparently, she and her daughter shared similar feelings for the lout.

  “Ma, go ahead and find out what is happening. I need to clean Glennis.” Her mother nodded and opened the door, adjusting the worn and faded red linen wrap holding her graying hair back. A gust of wind made the hearth fire flicker and the excited voices grew even louder. Her mother stepped out into the fray, most likely following the people of their tuath into the gathering hall where their king, Ailbert would be preparing to greet back his warriors.

  A chill of dread rolled up her spine as she finished wrapping a clean linen around her daughter’s bottom. She was not ready to see Caleb again. She had come to terms with the belief that he would never return and though she was so mad she wished to give the bastard a black eye, she had not missed his presence. Although, his daughter had. That was the only reason Morna took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and squared her shoulders. She would have dissolved their marriage long ago if not for her daughter’s need of a father. Morna would approach him and welcome him back into his home if that’s what it took for Glennis to have a man to protect her once more.

  “Time to go see your pa,” Morna murmured to Glennis before scooping her up into her arms and heading toward the open door. It had grown quiet once more, but she knew where to go. Following the gravel path, she concentrated on the crunch of the rocks below her leather slippers and the roll of white clouds overhead. Her heart beat erratically and she found it hard to breathe. Kissing Glennis’s soft chunky cheek, she took another steadying breath and focused on putting one foot in front of the other as she walked toward the center of the village where the gathering hall would certainly be filled with people.