Gwyn and Robin had spent many nights sleeping on the ground or the stone floors of the kitchen after they left the farm. She was glad for it. As uncomfortable as it was, she was usually so completely exhausted from the day's labors that it mattered not where she slept. And thinking upon it, she knew that as a soldier, Gil had no doubt slept under much worse conditions.

"At least we no longer need fear freezing in the night. It is chilled, but not unbearable." Gwyn commented as she looked around for the best place to look for suitable boughs.

"Aye. Summer is soon to be upon us." Gil sighed and something in his manner made Gwyn pause.

He was there, with his hands upon the buckles, but she saw in his eyes that he was some other place, and in some other time. She waited for a heartbeat or two, expecting him to continue. With another sigh, he began to work the buckle, but said nothing.

With a shrug, Gwyn turned away only to stop again ere she took three steps.

"It has been a year and a half since I last saw my own bed in the garrison..." His voice and expression were doleful. The last words were spoken softly, akin to the reverent whispers of a church as they trailed off in a sigh. "And like to be much longer..."

Gwyn understood. She was happy enough being with Erec, especially now that she had her babies with her once more. Frowning, Gwyn recalled a comment Gil had made to Cameron.

"Did you mean what you told Sir Cameron about not fighting again?" she asked.

"Sadly, I spoke true. I know not what my future will bring, save that I shall never return to duty in the king's royal guard. I doubt I shall ever fight again. Sooth, I could not imagine any Lord willing to pay wages for a lame soldier."

"You fought well enough when we were ambushed."

"That was a different matter. And I was fighting not only for my own life, but to protect little Sofi. Aside, Rin handled two in the time I fought the one."

"You cannot..."

"And you fought two at once whilst I was groping much longer than should be with the one."

"Gil, you took the biggest and strongest of the lot. And I do not think..."

"It is of no consequence. I have been thinking on this and I am of a mind to find myself a good Lord and a bit of land and settle myself into the life of farming and family."

"Will you leave us then?"

"Nay. I shall stay with Erec until I am no longer needed. He is a knight like no other I have known and I am honored that he accepts my service."

"More than accepts your service, Gil. Erec values your service. Sooth, he would not be alive yet were it not for you and the others. I do also. Were it not for you, I would not have my children, or..."

"It is little enough." Gil smiled. "Erec saved my life, so mayhap I have paid my debt. Although, it matters little now. Our King is in peril...nay, our entire kingdom. King Axel has spies deep in our midst wreaking what troubles only the Lord above knows. And now to learn of the treachery in the king's own house..."

Gwyn's heart was heavy. She knew that Gil spoke the truth. And she knew that Erec would fight down to his very last breath to preserve the crown. Gwyn frowned.

A crown worn by a man that deserved neither the crown nor such devotion.

"Truly we should press on." Gil yawned and gave her a tired smile. "But alas, this..." he patted the mule, "...is not one in a column of marching soldiers, so I cannot sleep in the saddle. Aside, our little friend here has much more of a burden to carry than myself alone, and there is your comfort to consider." He shrugged. "And if I am truthful..." he yawned again.

"There is much more than just the day pressing upon you. I understand the weight of what we do. It is a heavy burden to bear. I wonder some days how it is that you all can cope."

"It is as you said once, my dearest."

Gwyn's brow scrunched in confusion as she did not recall they had spoken on this afore this night.

"One thing at a time." Gil smiled and returned his attentions to the buckles.

"It is all that anyone can do." Gwyn assured him, "But if it is of any comfort to you, I do truly believe that all shall be well."

Gwyn smiled and though it was too dark to see his face clearly, she heard Gil's returning smile as he answered her.

"Aye. All shall be well in God's good time."

---

As Gwyn saw the ruins of the abbey appear in the distance her heart fluttered like the butterflies on the heather...hither and yon and everywhere all at once. A smile that began in that moment grew until it nearly stretched from ear to ear. Joy simmered and bubbled like water set to boil, until it was bubbling up and over the edges of the pot.

Sofi was too excited to sleep or sit, so she stood in the cart behind them, using the seat back for a hand hold as the child danced from foot to foot and chattered excitedly about reaching home and all that she would tell to Robin.

Gwyn envied the child, as she felt similarly anxious. Not anxious as one gets over the pulling of a tooth, but anxious the way one is over a long-awaited reunion. She wished to join Sofi but alas, her only means of easing the restlessness which gripped her was to bounce her knee. She gripped the side of the seat tightly to keep from wringing her hands. They would be home soon enough.

Even before they stopped completely, Sofi was scrambling over the side of the cart. This time, Gwyn was right behind her, much to Gil's annoyance. She traded a guilty smile for his frown of disapproval before she hurried off through the ruins toward their back door, stepping around Drew as he caught up Sofi.

Ducking under Sofi's spinning feet as she passed, her heart swelled at the sound of such a warm welcome. Turning around the fallen wall and nearly sliding down the slope in her haste to reach the door, she smiled when she her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the thick covering overhead.

As it was on most fair-weather days, the thick heavy door was open. Holding her skirts, she hurried through but stopped short in the doorway.

Robin and Erec were sitting in chairs in front of a small table with a chess board set up betwixt them. There was neither table nor chess when she left them, and there was only the one small chair. This, along with the ache in her heart, confirmed she had been too long away.

Robin sat in the chair furthest and facing the door, head bent to the board, fixed in concentration. Erec sat nearest, with his back to the door, but she saw his head turn slightly as she arrived. He was aware of her presence then, but kept his gazed fixed upon Robin. The sight brought a bittersweet smile to her lips.

Not a week before he was taken, their elder brother Wil, promised to teach Robin the game after the harvest. Robin's little chest swelled up proudly and he squared his little shoulders as Wil affectionately ruffled the boy's hair and declared him old enough. But alas the soldiers took Wil, and Robin's chance to learn. Gwyn tried to teach him, but Robin no longer seemed interested.

Gwyn shrugged off the sadness settling upon her thoughts and busied herself with reworking the braid that now fell in a wild disarray over her shoulder. So oft had she done this task that her fingers worked by rote as she kept her eyes fixed lovingly upon the two men in front of her, one older, one younger, and both loved very dearly.

Robin glanced up at the movement, still in contemplation of his next move and dropped his gaze back to the board as he reached for a bishop.

Gwyn smiled at the dismissal, but half a heartbeat later she knew the very instant recognition settled upon him. As if burned by the piece he held, he suddenly jerked back and stood so quickly that his chair toppled. Robin's countenance brightened.

It was, Gwyn decided, not unlike after a rain, when the sun pushes back the clouds and the world is brighter. Robin fairly glowed.

"Mama!" Robin practically leapt over the table, the chess set, and Erec in order to launch himself at Gwyn.

Though she set her feet in readiness to catch him, her small frame was no match for the child and his exuberance sent her stumbling back. Gil chose that moment to appear behind her. Gwyn fell hard against him, but Gil was made of sterner stuff than she and was easily able to keep his feet, even whilst holding Sofi.

Gwyn could say little more than "oomph" as Robin knocked the breath from her body whilst Sofi's foot hit her squarely between the shoulder blades, creating what Gwyn knew would be another lovely bruise to add to her growing collection.

Wonderful.

"Robin!" Sofi launched herself off from Gil's arm and over Gwyn's shoulder.

Robin caught her, but the downward motion was too much for him and the children went tumbling to the floor in a laughing tangle of limbs.

Gwyn hissed air through her teeth and tried without success to stay the tears that instantly filled her eyes when Sofi's foot caught the back of her head on the way down.

"Gwyn!"

Having seen what was going to happen, but powerless to stop it, Gil grabbed her shoulder and squeezed gently, offering his support as she swayed a little.

Blinking furiously and refusing to cry, she swiped at her cheeks and gave a wobbly smile.

"I shall be fine. The pain will pass and I shall make some willow bark tea. Unless it begins to hurt overmuch, you may check it later."

"Gwyn." The voice was soft and a bit wobbly as she looked from Gil into the shining eyes of her husband.

His adoring gaze was filled with love and spoke directly to her heart.

I have missed you. I love you so very much.

She answered with all of the love and longing she felt with every fiber of her being, save for the bits that were still aching over Sofi's unintentional kick to the shrinking-but-still-rather-large lump on the back of her head.

Erec seemed to sense her distress. For as he carefully stepped over the writhing mass of limbs still wrestling happily on the floor, he tipped his head to the side and seemed to study her anew.

Even as her lips parted to reassure him, his arms opened and Gwyn closed the distance.

"Gwyn." His voice rasped as he held her to him, at last. "Love."

His heart swelled with gladness. Gwyn was gone away for twenty-eight and one-half days. He had not meant to count them, but he could not keep from doing so as he lay awake at night, missing the nearness of her. But his heart was home again.

Now that his health was fully restored to him there was something else that he was missing. With some regret, for he was only a man, he tucked those thoughts away for another time. Though Gwyn was his heart, his family was bigger than they two.

Sofi and Robin finished with their floor games. A quick glance found them seated cross-legged across from each other, engaged in a rather animated conversation. Sofi did not seem to be wanting for anything, but they were traveling long and mayhap...

"Gwyn... my dearest wife." Erec felt the rightness of the appellation as he leaned back to look upon her lovely face.

It was the face of his beloved. A face of which he well knew every curve and freckle. He wished that he knew every expression, but there was plenty of time for that.

After they saved the kingdom.

"Are you hungry? Fatigued? Do you wish to retire? What of Sofi—"

His words tumbled one after the other, leaving no chance for her to answer. At the appearance of tears in her eyes, worry choked off the flow of speech. His heart lifted as she soothed his worry with one of one of her special smiles.

"I am well. Sofi is well. I do not wish for anything to eat. I am tired, but I am more than glad to be home again. And here...with you. I have missed you so."

He did not care that the children—his children—were sitting on the floor a few feet away. He did not care that Gil and Drew were talking just beyond the children or that the others were beginning to gather near in order to hear of the journey. All of it mattered not a bit. Gwyn was in his arms again.

Right where she belonged.

Without another thought, he bent his head and smiled when she lifted to her toes to meet his lips.

Erec did not hear Drew and Gil as they herded everyone, either into the other room or out of doors and into the night. He did not hear the doors close or the silence that filled the void—a silence that was broken only by the sound of their passion.

When he at last he recalled his better senses, he ended the kiss, pressing her cheek to his chest, to rest his chin upon her crown. It was much more than he intended, but he was powerless to do less in the overwhelming joy of having her home again.

At last, his heart calmed and he noticed the quiet. Erec grinned as he looked about the empty room.

When he built her a bed, he wished to give her a feather mattress and a pile of soft furs, but he was pleased with what he managed in his limited resources.

The mattress of fresh pine boughs was covered with a woolen blanket and a soft quilt from her home. Scooping her up, he carried her to the new bed which was easily large enough for the two of them.

It was far too empty without her...