AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can see that now.”
Lyneth and Rhoslyn embraced once more, and Lyneth slowly walked back to the fortress, picking up her knife as she passed it. She turned before entering the gate and blew Rhoslyn a kiss.
“We’ll come back again after our orcling is born,” Rhoslyn called out. “You need to meet him or her.”
“I cannot wait!” Lyneth stepped inside, and the gate banged closed behind her.
“I’m so glad I got to see my sister,” Rhoslyn said, turning in my embrace. She gave me a smile full of sadness and joy. “But I think it’s time for us to go home, don’t you, Jaus?”
I swept her up in my arms and carried her back into the woods.
Before we flew home, we’d stop at her parents’ grave to leave flowers since it was outside the fortress walls.
Chapter43
Epilogue
RHOSLYN
The Evening Before the Next Hunt
Our friends joined us on the balcony for a party. We gathered together a lot, celebrating the ongoing success of the lindenmint plants and the security we’d found within our city.
While we still used the balcony for Feyla’s landing spot, we’d also furnished the broad space with a sofa, chairs, and tables, and we loved lounging together here at night, gazing at the stars.
Eleri sat with Odik, their one-month-old daughter, Yusta, sleeping in her lap. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and he seemed oblivious to anyone but them. Their young son played with toys nearby.
Madr lifted his drink in a toast. “To the Mate Hunt. May this year’s males prove as successful as prior years.” His gaze met each of ours with considerable longing as he fingered the Lumen Clan pendant hanging around his neck. Shaped like the sun, it represented the mountains and heavens above. “May my clan’s pendant glow for me.” He directed his eyes to his drink.
I hoped he was chosen this year. He might bluster when I asked how he was doing, telling me he was fine, happy even, but I could tell he was lonely. He enjoyed living high in the mountains, visiting us often, but who wouldn’t want a treasured mate by their side? Of course, I wanted all our friends to find love and happiness with a partner. We all deserved to have someone special in our lives.
Shirra stirred in my lap, and I smiled down at my precious orcling child. At two-months-old, she had Jaus’s lovely berry-tinged hair and greenish-gold skin. Her features and body were more delicate like mine, and her eyes were my bright blue. Since they were so close in age, Eleri and I expected our daughters to grow up best friends.
She woke and started gurgling and kicking her feet. A happy baby, she barely made a fuss from morning until night.
“Finally, our little princess awakens,” Madr exclaimed, putting down his drink and scooping Shirra up from my arms.
He kept insisting she was in line for the throne, but we just shook our heads. The king had not replied to the note we sent him announcing her birth, and he still did not acknowledge Jaus as he should.
“Would my gorgeous niece like to take a stroll with her uncle?” With her cuddled in his arms, Madr walked slowly around the outside of the balcony, pointing out landmarks to Shirra who drooled and stared up at him with adoration.
“Will you have more orclings?” Eleri asked me.
“We thought we’d wait until Shirra is walking,” Jaus said.
As a healer, I was familiar with herbs that would prevent pregnancy, and I’d take them until we were ready to have another orcling. I’d also shared them with my friends. We all adored our mates and our children, but it was nice to have a choice of how many orclings we delivered.
“We also want to wait until we’re fully moved into my estate in the foothills of the mountains,” Jaus added.
“You’re renovating this building, correct?” Odik asked, waving to the balcony in general.
I nodded and took a sip of my drink. “The shopkeeper on the lowest level moved his business, and we need the room for times we visit the city.”
“Now that we no longer need to fear the dresalod attacks, we can live on the ground floor as well,” Jaus said. “We’ll move our kitchen and living quarters to the first level and add bedrooms in the area where the kitchen and living area are right now.”
“You’re going to love having two homes,” Eleri said, leaning into Odik’s side. “It rarely gets hot when you live near the sea. The ocean breezes keep you cool. And you can spend other times of the year in the hills.”
“How goes the lindenmint plantings?” Odik asked. “We’ve planted them along the cliffs all around the island. Once they're rooted well, the usual storm doesn’t appear to disturb them. They’re hearty, which is just what we need.”
