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For the past few years, Lady Elinor had encouraged the stronghold to keep some baby animals through the winter as breeding stock for the next year. There was always the possibility food for the animals would run out, and the animals would need to be killed and eaten, but so far, they’d managed to raise piglets, ducks, and chickens successfully, and once again some young animals had been gathered. When it became really cold, the animals would be kept in a big new barn the men had built, but for now, they foraged for their own food in the field by the river under the watchful eyes of a group of older children.
Mary smiled. This was yet another example of a woman thinking differently from men and proposing some new ideas. The men were focused on protecting the stronghold, building strong walls, and keeping a good watch to avoid danger. That was very necessary and not to be diminished in any way. But women had other thoughts, and everyone needed to eat. Any new way of providing food for the harsh winter months was worth trialing. Thus far, all the ideas they’d tested had worked, and the people of the stronghold were healthy and well fed as a result.
* * * *
After a while, the days began to blur together in Claire’s mind as each was almost exactly the same as all the others. At first she’d hoped they’d stop at Lord Ceadda’s stronghold and rest there, but Paul and Ivan knew a much shorter track through the forest that saved them almost a day’s travel, so they didn’t go close to Lord Ceadda’s.
At night they rolled up in their cloaks just a little way off the road in the woods, usually hidden under low bushes. The men took turns to stay awake and watch over them and the horse, but never was there any sign of masterless men or soldiers. The land was silent and peaceful.
“Everyone is busy preparing for winter,” said Paul.
“And we are three men. Too many for an easy attack, and with no wagon of goods to make such an effort worthwhile,” added Mitchell.
Which sounded very logical and good, but she knew they were all as alert for danger as she was, always looking ahead and behind them, scanning the fields and forests on either side of them, ever wary that masterless men may be desperate enough to attack even a group like theirs. Starving men had nothing to lose and everything to gain in such an attack.
Both Mitchell and Ivan held her against their bodies at night, and sometimes they touched her breasts or cunt or ass, but they made no attempt to fuck her. Claire could only assume it was because they were out in the open and wanted to remain alert and on watch. She knew they wanted her. Their long, hard cocks pressing against her clothing demonstrated that quite clearly.
Because she wasn’t used to riding a horse, at first Claire’s thighs and ass and back had ached, but after a few days, she developed a rhythm and moved with the animal in its slow and stately walk. Thereafter she enjoyed riding and the higher view of the surrounding country it gave her. Her mind often wandered to what would happen when they arrived at Lady Elinor’s stronghold again, but like the men, her gaze was ever watchful on the road ahead and behind them, and the bushes or forest or fields beside the road.
The days were becoming shorter. They began traveling as soon as dawn lightened the sky and didn’t stop until dusk, but even so it was evident they were not covering as much distance daily as Mitchell had on his journey north. Fortunately, the weather held good most days, as when it rained they had to take shelter. None of them had clothing to spare to change into dry clothes if they got wet, and it was much too cold to travel in wet attire, which meant stopping, gathering wood, building a fire, and waiting until their garments dried.
Then there was the endless worrying about food. What if they couldn’t catch any animals? What if this was a long, hard winter and their stores, which would not be large, ran out while the snow was still deep on the ground? How would they survive?
But finally Mitchell started to recognize landmarks, and then Paul did, too, and Claire knew another night on the road and at last they’d be home. At once, all her worries and doubts overwhelmed her. How would this strange marriage work? How would she manage to care for two homes a long walk apart and to look after Mary and all the men? Would she stay at one house one night, and prepare food for two days, before moving to the other house and doing the same thing there? And how would she sleep with both Mitchell and Ivan if Ivan was working on Paul’s land while Mitchell worked his own land?
They’d said they’d build her a little house out on Paul’s land where they could all be together, but how then could Mitchell work his land? Or would he just visit her there sometimes? How would she care for him and Mary then? It was all too hard. She could imagine many problems, but she couldn’t envision any solutions. They really needed to talk about it. Maybe now they were back in familiar countryside, closer to the stronghold, it would be safe to ask questions of the men.
“Where will I be living? How can I be with Ivan and Mitchell, yet care for Paul and Old Mary as well?” she asked.
“Over winter we’ll all be living in my house. Paul will obviously want to look at his land and his house to see what maintenance needs to be done, but it’s much too late to do any work in the fields, and we’ll need to concentrate on gathering food and fuel for winter. My house is larger, better maintained, and closer to the stronghold, so that’s where we’ll winter. We’ll be out every day gathering food and fuel though. I expect you’ll want to come with us and gather, too, at least at the start. I’ll have to return the horse to the lord as soon as we arrive, but with three of us we should be able to catch and kill at least one large animal which will feed us well,” said Mitchell.
“After winter, we’ll help Mitchell prepare his land, then all move out to my land. As soon as we can, we’ll build a separate house for you and Mitchell and Ivan. Mary can stay with me in my house,” added Paul.
“We’ll see how it works for the first year. We can always do things differently in future if we see problems, but using Mitchell’s house for winter and Paul’s, then our own the rest of the year, should be quite a good system. Obviously, at harvest time, because we’ll have planted Mitchell’s crops first, we’ll be back to harvest there first. But if we only grow vegetables at our own house, that should save a lot of walking back and forth,” added Ivan.
That gave Claire plenty to think about. Being nearer the stronghold for winter was a sensible decision, and she’d always grown vegetables at their old property, so the garden beds shouldn’t take too much work to make them ready to plant seed. Of course, they had no seed of their own now, unless… It was possible the seed they’d stored before they left was still usable. That was one of the things Paul would need to check. He could bring to Mitchell’s house any food that was still edible, too. They’d had to leave everything behind them when they fled, but she’d left the food stored carefully to last, and some of it should still be usable. The seed may have sprouted, especially if rain had gotten into the house, but then again, it might be good. At least some of it.
With some of her fears allayed, Claire felt a lot more confident now as the last miles passed slowly on her return.
* * * *
Ivan looked around him with interest. The land was better kept, better looked after than the land near where he’d lived. The nearest stronghold had been a day’s walk from his home, so they’d seen little of their lord, although the land was mostly peaceful with just a few squabbles between nobles, nothing involving the peasants like there’d been here under Lord Jeffrey.
But here the paths were smooth and weeded, no trees had fallen over the road, and the fields looked productive, although all the harvest had long since been gathered in.
He was looking forward very much to living there. Even though he’d have no land of his own, with Mitchell and Paul both having a farm, there’d be plenty of useful work for him to do, and he was glad fate had intervened and kept him from becoming a soldier. Besides, there was Claire. He still found it hard to believe she’d agreed to let him share her. He would have accepted her decision to marry Mitchell and cast him aside, but the fact they’d both included him made him truly grateful. He would serve and cherish her all his days and work hard to help the men provide for them all.
He was really looking forward to meeting the people he’d heard about, too. Old Mary. He’d never known his own grandmother, so seeing Mitchell’s would be wonderful. The lord and lady. They seemed so wise and competent. It made him glad he’d be living here. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he understood his father and his new wife had done him a favor by making him leave home. He’d found a whole new life, and it was better than his old one, though he’d miss his father, of course.
Mitchell pointed to a faint glimmer of light on the horizon. “That will be the stronghold. We’ll be there by nightfall.”
“At last,” sighed Claire.
Yes, it had been a long journey, but one full of interest to him. Also, the time spent with Mitchell had been important, too, as he felt they understood each other now and were getting used to working together. He and Paul had fallen into an easy routine when working together long ago. But already Mitchell was becoming part of that, a comfortable partner in their daily tasks. That was going to be very important once they were all living together full-time.
Ivan scanned the horizon, watching the castle gradually come nearer. It was a large stronghold, one worthy of the miles of well-tended fields they’d been passing all day. This was his future, and he was looking forward to it, whatever troubles and joys it might bring him.
* * * *
