"How is she feeling?"
"She is convinced she is a burden."
"How is her recovery."
"Still amazingly well but she is starting to show the deepest bruise I have ever seen. She was so lucky, I just..."
"Don't think about it, it won't help, trust me."

Darryl smiled his thanks as best as he could but Marc knew that he wasn't totally convinced. He watched Darryl go and then got himself breakfast. He had only managed to get a couple of mouthfulls before Kat pulled him out of his seat.

"Come on, you have to help load up." She said smiling and dragged him away from the food and fire.

***

Jade awoke and winced as she shifted positions. She knew that she was recovering slightly faster than was normal. She had taken to learning as much as she could about the plants that grew here that they didn't have at home. Home. She missed it. She didn't begrudge Kat for coming into their lives, it wasn't her fault that the raiders had come. It was just that when she had agreed to go with Kat she was expecting to be able to go home afterwards. To become the village healer. Now, there was nothing left of her home. She twisted her braclet in deep thought as Darryl came in with breakfast. She didn't acknowledge him even when he kissed her forehead. He put her breakfast down and ate in silence. Later he gave and grabbed her untouched bowl and left the cabin. He couldn't stand the sadness in her eyes, how agonised she seemed. He decided that perhaps she needed a distraction. He sought out Kat.

"Darryl, great timing. We are just about to head out. Is Jade comfortable."
"I think so. I don't know." He replied. Kat looked at him quizzically. "She didn't say a word to me this morning. I think she is depressed. I know she has been feeling like such a burden. I think she needs a distraction."
"I'll get one of the girls to teach her beading and weaving. She will be able to do that during out trip. She certainly did look displeased at the notion of four days travel."
"That would be good. I will go make sure she is ready. Oh and Kat?"
"Yes."
"I know it isn't my place but I know it is bothering Jade slightly. Have you made a decision in regards to Marc and Eric."
"Yes, yes I think I have."
"Good." Darryl said and left smiling. Kat smiled and turned and walked towards her horse and mounted. Marc pulled up beside her on one side, Eric on the other. Together they rode towards Seth and then the order was given and the journey to the palace began.

"Did Darryl say how Jade was?" Erick asked as they moved into position.
"Sad. And worried."
"Worried?"
"About you two, apparently."
Marc and Erick exchanged looks over the top of Kat's head.
"Did he say why?" Marc asked cautiously.
"She thinks we need to come to an agreement about our sleeping arrangements."
"Oh."
"And she thinks I should decide."
"Have you?" asked Marc, after a long pause.
Kat shrugged.
"I have decided that as I am not in your country, I no longer have to follow their rules," Kat said. "So it is up to you."
Kat dug her heels into her horse's side and cantered to Seth's side, leaving Marc and Erick looking at each other helplessly.

They had been riding for several hours, when Kat seemed to come to a decision about something, and looked over at the handsome Lord and his fine horse.
"Seth?"
"Yes, Kat?"
"I want to make a detour."
"Where to?"
"I want to leave Jade and Darryl with your mother."
Seth looked startled, and turned his head to look directly at Kat.
"Why?"
"They'll be safe there. They don't understand, and keep going on about Jade being a canan. They are going to get her killed. Your mother will make her understand."
"What does it matter, if their stupidity gets her killed, her muló will not go to you, but to them."
"The only reason she is here is because of me. Her muló would blame me."
"Hmm."
They rode in comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"How will she feel about that?"
"Probably useless. She came to keep us alive, but she's too injured to treat us, even if we did get injured. It's my fault she's here, my fault she's injured, therefore the responsibility of keeping her alive lies with me."
"You always did take too much upon yourself. Not that I'm complaining, we wouldn't all be here if you didn't, but she isn't a Roma, Kat. She made her choice, the weavers didn't put her in your path for you to save."
"It doesn't matter, Seth. They are all my responsibility. Marc and Erick are warriors, they understood what they were doing and their lives are within their own hands. But Darryl can't fight, and Jade is a healer. It's my job to protect them. And I can do that best by leaving them with your mother."
Seth chewed slowly on a stick, then spat it to the ground.
"You know why I hesitate."
"Yes. But I love your mother as much as you do. Anastasia was like a mother to me as well. I wouldn't put her in danger. I think we can trust Darryl and Jade."
"You would have them meet the others?"
"No. I would have Jade meet the others. I think it would do her good to see that she is not the only one," Kat said carefully.
Seth nodded his understanding, and looked back at the trailing caravans.
"How many are there now?" Kat asked, quietly.
"Two hundred and fifty seven. Fifty eight if Kali's baby is also one."
"Kali has a baby?"
"Yes, or will have soon. She had just found that she was 8 weeks in when you vanished. It's been 6 turnings of the moon since then. She will be having the baby within the next month, if there have been no complications."
"I want to see her."
"I thought you would."
"Can we stop?"
"We couldn't take everyone."
"Of course not. But it's less than half a day out of our way. We could put Darryl and Jade into a smaller wagon, and you and me and Marc and Erick could take them there. They could meet the others, Darryl would meet the boys, we could ask your mother how she felt about taking in Darryl and Jade for a few weeks while we... you know. And if she agrees, we can ask Darryl and Jade how they feel about it. And she could learn about... her craft, and he could learn about how to take care of her, and I could see Kali, and we could still catch up with the others, even if we stay there for 3 days, because we wouldn't have the wagon. Or if they couldn't stay, the others could camp for a day, and we'd catch up."
Seth reached over and wrapped his arm across Kat's shoulders, pulling her towards him. Their horses moved closer together, so Kat and Seth's legs were pressed together.
"Ah, Kat."
Seth pressed his face into her hair, and breathed in the mingled scent of her hair, horse, and the scent that was her.
"I could never deny you anything."
"Is that a yes?"
Seth kissed the junction of her neck and shoulder, then her forehead, then fiercely claimed her mouth. A moment later, Kat's horse snorted, and shifted a little to the right, forcing them apart.
"It's a yes," Seth said, shaking his head. "I'll speak to Ricardo about the arrangements."
"Thank you."
Seth looked at Kat for a long moment, then turned his horse back towards the others.

"Seth said we're going to see a friend of yours?" Marc said that evening, seating himself next to Kat.
"Yes," she smiled. "Apparently Kali is pregnant."
"Who is Kali?"
"Well... As Seth is almost my brother, Kali is my sister."
"I'd like to meet her."
"You will."
"How long will we stay there?"
"No long, this time. Longer on the way back, I hope."
"Kat?"
"Yes?"
"Are you and Seth... you know."
"What?"
"Are you... Never mind."
Marc got up and walked into the darkness, away from the fire. He'd seen Seth kiss her that afternoon, and it hadn't been a brotherly kiss. The image had been haunting him all day. It was strange, he thought. He'd never felt this way before, so defensive and protective, and jealous. Was this love? Discomforted with the thought, Marc looked back towards the fire, and saw Kat sitting with Erick. He felt a flush of jealousy, and turned away, annoyed at himself. He needed to sort out his feelings, he decided, and walked further into the darkness.

Marc walked back to the fire some hours later. Most people were asleep; Kat and Erick had both vanished, and Darryl and Jade were long abed. Marc had, through mime, managed to communicate with the Romani guarding the horses, asking if the stream was safe for swimming. The Romani, despite thinking he was crazy had said the water was safe, but freezing. Marc had gone for a quick swim - the water had been cold enough to steal the breath from his lungs as he jumped in - and washed his hair. When he emerged, the Romani had been impressed, but Marc couldn't get the gist of the reasoning. He dressed again and moved to the fire to dry his hair. He wished Kat was there, to comb out the snarls for him, but she was gone. Marc refused to let his mind linger on where she would be. He combed his fingers through his hair until it was dry, then found a soft spot to lay his blanket, and went to sleep.

Marc sat sipping his tea and looking out over the meadow they had spent the night in without really seeing it. A short distance away, the early morning sun caught the red-gold gleam of Kat's hair, and Marc's attention turned to her before he even noticed he was doing it. He stilled, his cup half way to his mouth when he saw his brother laying beside her. Marc slowly lowered the cup when he noticed his hands trembling, before he spilled the hot liquid over himself. Marc watched as Kat woke, slipped out from between their blankets, and stood in the early morning sun. He felt a moment of relief when he realised she was wearing the long white shirt she had started wearing to bed, but wasn't overly comforted. He watched her pad lightly across the meadow to Seth's wagon, then vanish within. Marc picked up his cup again, and tried to examine his feelings, but was distracted by Seth's wagon door opening, and Seth springing lightly down the steps, closing the door behind him. There was some laughter and shouts to Seth, and he walked towards the group of men who had hailed him, then laughed, looking directly at Marc.

Moments later, Seth approached him, with a large smile.
"Hernando," Seth said, gesturing towards a man that Marc recognised as the Romani who had been watching the horses last night, "said that you went for a swim in the ice-steam last night?"
"Yes," Marc replied slowly, wondering if he'd broken some taboo.
Hernando spoke some more, adding gestures, and Marc looked at Seth, and suddenly understood. This sort of joking and teasing was common amongst the soldiers he'd served with, and the language was no barrier once the gist was caught.
"He says even after you came out of the ice-stream, you were a close match for me."
"What can I say, the goddess blessed me," Marc grinned, making a gesture the made the surrounding males roar with laugher.
Kat left Seth's wagon, and saw the group of men laughing, and Seth flung an arm around Marc's shoulders, laughing. Kat smiled when she saw Marc laughing too, and made her way towards them.

The group was separating as she arrived at their side, and she smiled as they called farewell to Seth and "Grast".
"Made an impression," Kat smiled at Marc.
Marc grinned, half embarrassed, and Seth clapped him on the back again and proclaimed he was going to look after their horses.
"Will you tell Darryl and Jade that we're leaving soon?" Kat asked, smiling at him.
Marc felt his heart skip a beat.
"Sure, and Erick."
"I'll go help Seth get us ready to go."
Kat slipped off, and Marc wandered towards the wagon Jade and Darryl had been sleeping in, grinning foolishly.

About mid-morning, Seth broke away from the main group, followed by Kat, Marc, Erick, and Darryl driving the wagon in which Jade was resting. The loud calls of farewell echoed; it seemed the story of the previous night had spread, and most of the men and several of the women were calling, "Goodbye Grast!"
Kat chuckled to herself, riding beside Marc.
"Kat?"
"Yes?"
"That word they're all calling me. Grast. What does it mean?"
Kat smiled teasingly, and deliberately looked at his crotch.
"It means 'horse'," she grinned, a flirtatious twinkle in her eye. "I wonder how they could have found out about that."
Seth called back something in Romani, and she laughed, nudging her horse so he trotted faster until she was riding beside Seth.
Marc smiled to himself. It was strange, he mused. He'd been feeling uncomfortable, like an outsider, and worried that his comments to Kat would get back to the Romani and cause them to dislike him. But since the teasing that morning, he felt happier, more relaxed, and accepted. Things seemed to have flowed more easily than usual - the horse hadn't been as restless, the men seemed to have a friendly word, or smile, or be there just to lend a hand with what he was doing. One had showed him the Romani way of rolling blankets, and he found they took up much less room that way. Even within one morning, he'd felt accepted, part of the group. It was a good feeling, he thought, and smiled.

At a gate, Seth paused, looking at Kat.
"Perhaps you should let me go first," he said, concern creasing his brows.
"You don't trust them?" Kat asked, surprised.
"No, that's not it, Kat. It's just that you were dead. I'd hate for them to think..."
Kat looked stricken.
"You think they'd think I was my muló?"
"I don't know, Kat. But I'd hate for you to be hurt."
Kat nodded.
"Of course, you're right. I wasn't thinking."
Seth opened the gate and moved through.
"Bring the wagon through, and I'll be right back."
Seth nudged his horse and cantered towards the house.

Kat closed the gate behind the wagon, and paused to look in on Jade.
"How are you feeling?"
"Terrible," she replied, succinctly. "Are we there yet?"
"Almost. Anastasia will be able to ease your pain."
"She is his mother?"
"She is Seth's mother, yes. She is also like a mother to me."
"Humph."
Kat looked a little taken aback at Jade's grumpy response, and left the wagon. As she mounted, she heard Seth's whistle, and smiled, starting forward. He rounded the corner as the wagon approached it, and circled around behind them all, laughing.
"Come on, race you," he called, laughing.
"Seth, remember Jade."
He stilled and pulled in beside Kat, eyes still sparkling.
"I wish you would forget," he laughed. "Then we could race towards the house, scoff my mother's bilberry pies, race on up to the pasture..."
Kat laughed, smiling with the memory.
"We are neither of us 13 any more."
"That was a wonderful summer."
"It was. I had never seen my Kralisi so relaxed, before or afterwards."
"Our Kralisi," Seth protested, laughing, as he always had.
They rounded the final bend, and the house came into view.