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“Aye, my lord, it has, but again I ask, is this wise?” Argus argued.
“Necessary,” Varrick said. “I cannot trust what I cannot see.”
“Aye, I suppose you’re right, but I will post warriors at the outposts of the area just in case,” Argus said.
“I would expect no less,” Varrick said.
“The warriors will remain on the outskirts unless you signal otherwise. Be safe,” Argus said, worry in his eyes.
“I am better off being fearless,” Varrick said, and the two men clasped hands. “Keep our home safe in my absence.”
“You have my word on it, my lord,” Argus pledged.
“This is not necessary. I can do well on my own,” Fia said after Argus walked away.
“You are my wife,” Varrick said.
His remark made it clear. He did this out of duty. Or had the voice been right, and he loved her and did this out of love? She did not know what to make of it. Perhaps it was good that he would remain with her. Maybe it would help to settle whatever existed between them or at least define it.
Varrick stretched his hand out to her. “We go to the shelter. It sits just on the outskirts of this area.”
Fia took his hand, his fingers closing around hers in a warm, strong grip as if announcing, I will protect you, you are safe, and I care for you. The thought set off a whirlwind of flurries in her stomach, and it was not until the feeling calmed that she realized and was relieved Varrick tempered his pace as they walked. His strides were often hastier than hers as if he could not reach his destination fast enough, whereas her strides were more measured, not rushed. There was so much to see, to learn when one did not rush.
You will learn much while here.
She was glad to hear that. It was what she had hoped, and she looked forward to it. But it was not only the woods she wished to learn from and about, but her husband as well. She wanted to better understand him, and why not start right now?
“Were you raised in this area?” she asked.
“Nay. I was drawn to this area after I first saw it. I helped the previous Lord MacThore when his clan was threatened and since he died without an heir, he made it possible for me to receive his title and all his holdings after his death. He was a good man.”
“You have no siblings?”
“Argus is the closest person I have to a sibling. He was brought to the people who raised me just as I had been. The hideous couple reminded both of us every day that we had no parents, no home, and we could never be grateful enough to them for having taken us in and that we owed them more than we could ever repay them.”
That her husband refused to display any emotion had been obvious to her since meeting him, but when it came to his younger years, he could not stop the hurt from showing and she easily felt his pain.
“You reunited years later?” she asked, recalling that he had told her about being sold when he was nine years.
“Nay,” Varrick said and remained silent for a few moments before he continued. “Argus may not be a brother through blood, but our situation brought us together as brothers. The couple took great pleasure in telling us that I was being sold. Argus begged them not to separate us and they laughed. He yelled, spewing endless oaths at them and suffered a terrible beating for it. I promised him then that I would return soon for him, to stay strong and I would free him of that horrendous place, and we would survive on our own.”
Fia could not imagine the horror the two had suffered, and at such a young age, and her heart ached for them.
“I returned as promised and while the pair slept, I got Argus and we left.” He shook his head. “I could not get the evil pair out of my mind and years later when I was proficient with a sword, I returned to that place along with Argus. There were four children there and I saw myself in them as did Argus. He kept them far enough away from the cottage while I made sure the pair would never harm another child again. We found the children homes with decent families, and they have done well.”
She understood better now why Argus was so protective of her husband. They had survived a horrendous ordeal together when young. Their bond was the only love either of them had ever known.
Varrick glanced around the silent woods, wondering if his wife used dark magic on him, leaving him to speak so easily of his past when he never discussed it with anyone. He and Argus had agreed to keep their past to themselves. So, why had he spoken of it to her now?
“You have been a brave man since you were young, having fought such evil and being victorious. Not many can claim victory against evil. It is strong and often people do not realize that evil has captured them.
“You believe evil is that strong and capable?” Varrick asked.
“My grandmother warned me that evil is only as strong as we allow it to be. That those who know the difference between good and evil will never fall prey to it, but those who only profess to be good will be fodder for the devil. You are a good man. You recognized evil when you saw it and you banished it, saving others from suffering.”
Varrick halted his steps to gaze over her face as if, somehow, he would see the truth written upon it. “Witches serve the devil, serve evil. Do you serve the devil?”
“I come from a long line of wise women, not witches. If anything, wise women fight evil. We cast light on it so it has no place to hide, no place to survive, and can exist no more. My grandmother battled the God of Death many times and kept people from his grasp, though I never recall her saying that he was evil. She told me dying was part of life, and Death comes for us all one day. But, she insisted, you could argue with him, and she did. I follow in her footsteps and will do all I can to battle Arawn as my grandmother did. I only hope I am as victorious as often as she was.”
