"Awake?"
Ruel's gaze shifted from thecracks to the man sitting by his cot.
A long, aquiline nose, widemouth, bright hazel eyes set deep in a face saved from homeliness only by humorand intelligence. Ian's face.
"You're going to be fine.You've had the fever, but you're mending nicely."
Ian's brogue fell pleasantlyon Ruel's ears, and for an instant he felt a sharp pang. He rejected thethought that it might be homesickness. Christ, it must be the fever. He hadgotten over any maudlin yearnings for Glenclaren the first six weeks after hehad left. He whispered, "What are you doing here?"
"I told you." Iandipped a cloth in a bowl of water by the bed. "I've come to take youhome."
"You almost took me homein a coffin. I've always told you to stay out of my way in a fight."
"Sorry. I thought it timeI took a hand. You were in a temper, but you didn't really want to kill thatlummox."
"Didn't I?"
Ian wrung out the cloth andlaid it on Ruel's forehead. "Killing is a mortal sin. Life is much easierwhen you're not forced to carry around those kinds of burdens. Do you wish adrink of water?"
Ruel nodded, then studied Ianas he reached down and filled the iron dipper from the bucket beside his stool.Ian was in his middle thirties now, but Ruel could see little change brought bythe years. The big, loose-limbed strength that had enabled Ian to lift Ruel asif he weighed no more than a feather was clearly still there, as was the neatlybarbered black hair, the slow, deliberate way he moved and spoke.
Ian brought the dipper toRuel's lips, holding it steady while he drank thirstily. "There's stew inthe pot on the stove over there. Mila made it only a half hour ago, and itshould still be warm."
Ruel shook his head.
"Later, then." Ianreturned the dipper to the bucket and gently wiped Ruel's forehead. "ThisMila appears to be very loyal to you."
"In a hole like this youcling to the people you can trust."
"I assume you're beddingher? She did try to take that machete for you."
Ruel smiled with genuineamusement. "I admit I have a certain talent in that direction, but even myconceit won't permit me to think a woman would risk being beheaded by a macheteto keep me between her legs." He deliberately changed the subject."But she'll keep an eye on me until I'm better. You don't have tostay."
"Are you sure you won'thave something to eat? It will strengthen you and I'd like to be able to travelin a fortnight."
"I'm not going withyou."
"Of course you are. Whatdo you have here? Mila tells me Barak has recovered and taken over your claim."
"Son of a bitch,"Ruel muttered.
"Probably." Iangrimaced. "But I admit to being glad he occupied himself stealing from youinstead of wreaking vengeance on me."
"You should have thoughtof that before you interfered."
"Possibly." Hesmiled faintly. "Particularly as you weren't able to fight my battle forme as you did when we were boys."
"You were never mercilessenough. You could have bested anyone in the glen, but you never learned to gofor the jugular. You can't let anyone—"
Ian interrupted. "Isuppose the minute you're on your feet you're going to go after Barak and tryto retrieve your property?"
Ruel thought about it."No."
"Very sensible." Iantilted his head to study Ruel's expression. "But not at all like you. As Iremember, you always believed in taking an eye for an eye and a tooth for atooth."
"Oh, I still do,"Ruel said. "But these days, when the issue isn't important, I sometimeslet fate exact vengeance for me."
"Which means?"
