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“I am home and glad for it,” Sven said proudly.
“So am I, my friend, so am I,” Bhric said with a hardy slap to Sven’s back as they walked, continuing to talk.
* * *
Tavia thought on William after visiting with him. She had spied in him the strong man he once had been, and she also saw the love in his eyes he had for his wife. But she also spotted worry in his eyes and the way his wrinkles creased when he spoke about earning his keep. No amount of reassuring seemed to help. He was truly more worried about the course of his wife’s future than his own.
Frantic barking drew Tavia’s attention as well as others. Bones came racing up to Tavia, Fen quick to stand in front of her growling and snapping, warning him away.
“Easy, Fen, Bones means me no harm,” Tavia said, and the hound calmed though remained alert. Bones had not stopped barking and turning away from her. “Is Uta hurt?” Tavia asked. The hound barked, ran, and stopped, then looked back at her and ran again. Tavia called out as she and Fen ran after Bones, “Someone fetch Uta’s father and Lord Bhric.”
Tavia paid no heed to her leg, she rushed as fast as she could, Fen running up ahead of her. They had gone only a short distance in the woods when Bones stopped beneath a large pine tree barking.
“Bones! Bones!” came a shout from within the tree branches.
“Uta!” Tavia shouted, Uta’s plight causing a rush of painful memories to surface.
“I hurt my arm, my lady, and cannot get down,” Uta called out.
“Help is coming, Uta,” Tavia yelled.
“I am cold, my lady,” Uta shouted back.
Tavia turned to Bones and pointed toward the village. “Go hurry them along.”
Bones took off barking.
“Bones left?” Uta called out with worry.
“I sent him to hurry the others along,” Tavia said, her voice raised strong enough for the lass to hear her. “Someone will be here soon to get you down.”
“Please do not leave me alone, my lady,” Uta cried out.
“I am staying right here, Uta, as is Fen,” Tavia assured her.
“Thank you, my lady,” Uta called out, then a crack of a branch was heard and Uta screamed.
Bhric heard the scream along with Uta’s father and several other men and he ran. The others ran as well but were not as fast as he was. He arrived to see his wee wife reaching her arms up to catch Uta, and as she did she turned swiftly to shield her with her body as a large branch came tumbling down on top of both of them.
Bhric’s fierce roar sounded as if it would split the earth in two.
Fen had dodged the falling branch and had worked his body halfway under it to try and reach Tavia by the time Bhric reached him.
With a roar of a Northman charging into battle, Bhric grabbed the thick branch, lifted it, his muscles tightening from the weight of it, and flung it away with another roar. The other men reached them by then and were staring down at Tavia’s lifeless body.
Bhric squatted down and turned his wife over gently to find Uta beneath, her eyes wide with fright, not so his wife. He moved Tavia completely off Uta and her da hurried and scooped her up. He rested his wife in his arms. She was far too pale and there was no movement to her.
Fen stood at Bhric’s shoulder and whined as he pushed his wife’s cloak aside and laid a hand to her chest.
“Does she breathe?” Sven asked anxiously.
“Aye,” Bhric said and tapped his wife’s face gently. “Tavia, wake up. Wake up.” He scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed it over her face and her eyes fluttered slightly.
“Oh, good Lord, not again!” Hertha cried out and ran to Tavia, dropping down beside her. “Did she fall from the tree?”
“Nay,” Bhric said, “she caught Uta as she fell and protected her with her wee body as a tree branch collapsed on them. She breathes but she does not wake, though her eyes fluttered when I brushed her face with snow.”
Hertha scooped up more snow and laid it on Tavia’s brow and neck and slapped her face with a bit of strength. “Wake up, Tavia. Wake up. You are safe.” She sent an apologetic look to Bhric for her actions.
