Part 11 (1/2)

”No, I just need quiet now. Oh Thorn, it hurts.” A tear slid from eyes that burned. This was a pain beyond Aura's experience, though she had heard from others that it was excruciating. She vowed she would never doubt them again.

Thorn sighed as he placed a gentle caring hand on her cheek, and with a thumb, rubbed the tears from her face. ”I know.” He slid back into the bed and took her into his arms to cradle her against his chest, kissing her on the forehead much as he would have a sick child in need of comfort. Unfortunately his feelings for her did not match his actions and it was making him very uncomfortable.

After a time Aura fell back to sleep and Thorn slipped out of the bed to walk over to the window where he looked out into the early morning sunlight. It was a very new day he decided, much too early for a new bridegroom to be up and about yet. He turned and as his gaze fell on his sleeping wife. With a sigh he decided it was not as early as he had thought. It would have been different if he would have been able to bed her properly, but she was in no condition to welcome his attentions. He dressed and left the room to give his troops their orders to ride. By the time they had broken camp Aura would be awake.

Aura winced in her semi sleep state as she heard Thorn carefully close the door behind him. She sighed as she snuggled deeper under the covers and gave a weak smile of triumph. True, her head was aching, but even foremost in her mind was her desire not to have to live through a repeat of the night before, at least not quite yet. She just was not ready for another of his lessons. She still blushed every time she thought of her behavior that night. It was hard to believe that she had reacted as she had to his touch and, just as hard to accept now, was her craving to feel him next to her. She had to find a way to escape. Perhaps these feelings would go away if he was not around to remind her of what he could make her want.

Soon after Thorn left Aura got up and dressed before he returned and caught her still undressed or in the process of changing. She knew that he was well aware of what her body looked like and how every inch of her felt, but she felt awkward when it came to being naked before him. She sighed as she realized that it was a condition she had better get used to, for Thorn was unlikely to be content to just hold her as he had the last night. It was this that she feared more than anything, her future as his wife and that she might come to like it.

When Thorn did return Aura was sitting on the side of the bed studying the plain gold band on her finger, the one that symbolized her marriage to him. She had been surprised, due to the speed of the ceremony that he had managed to get a ring so quickly, but he had somehow. She wondered if he had gotten it made or whether he had been given it from his mother to give to his future bride. She had noticed that he was quite unlike his brother and sister for looks and had summarized that they could not have shared identical parents. Not with Thorn being as dark as he was when Edwin and Signi were so blond.

Aura was, in fact, so preoccupied with her thoughts that she did not even hear Thorn enter the room, or notice him as he walked up to her side. He watched her for a few moments, feeling his chest swell with the pride of owners.h.i.+p then cupped the back of her head as he sat beside her. She looked at him in confusion, catching the look of tenderness he held within his eyes. He reached out to pull her into his arms to hold her closer as he kissed her.

It was happening to her again! He had no more than to touch her and she could feel the fire burning through her veins. She could not let this happen. She was not going to allow herself to become so ruled by her emotions that she no longer had control over her own body. She pulled away from him and closed her eyes as she shook her head, seeking to clear her mind.

”Please Thorn, no.”

He gave a light frown at her dismissal of what was meant to be a tender moment between them and sighed in momentary resignation. They were very newly wed, he thought, perhaps she would understand better what it was that he offered as they became better acquainted. He held his hand out to her as a peace offering as he spoke.

”Come Aura, it is time for us to go home.”

”Home?” Aura repeated, sounding bemused then began to move about collecting a few odds and ends as she continued. ”I shall need a few moments to gather my belongings.”

”Can I help?” Thorn offered, not knowing what else to do.

Aura did not want his help. At the moment she did not want him anywhere near her.

”Shouldn't you be tending to your men? I can come to you as soon as I am ready.”

”The men await our arrival and from what I can see, you will not be very long in your packing so they need not wait long before we all leave. I will wait here with you then I will carry your belongings downstairs.”

Aura shot him an indignant look and he smiled in response. ”Nor do you need to tell me you are capable of doing it yourself. I am quite aware of this. I am also aware of the fact that you are altogether too independent for your own good.”

Aura shrugged an indifferent shoulder, finished packing her clothing into her rolled up blanket then, as she looked at him, spoke. ”That is everything. Do I have time to speak to Vernon and Chatelaine before we leave? I would like to thank them for their hospitality during my brief stay here.”

”Of course, if you feel it is necessary, but it may take a while before you can see them. They are late in rising today. Of course they would also understand if we left without saying anything to them.”

”The least I could do is thank them Thorn. They took me into their home and treated me as an equal without even knowing who I am.”

He nodded in agreement. ”Perhaps you are right, besides, Vernon did bring us together. For that alone he deserves our thanks.”

She stopped for a moment, and thought, before responding. ”Second thought perhaps we should just leave. After all, there are some things that he has done that I am not at all pleased with. I presume this will also be a long trip.”

”Several days.” Thorn informed her. Inwardly he smiled. He knew what she was thinking. She was not pleased with Vernon's methods of matchmaking. He couldn't blame her, though he was happy that she was his.

Aura nodded as she picked up the empty packsack and held it to herself as she spoke. ”Then we better start so we can get it over with.”

She led the way out of the building with quick, almost running, steps stopping only when she reached their horses. She smiled at Thorn's squire as he pa.s.sed her the reigns to her mount and then, turning to her husband, she reached for her roll. Thorn smiled at her display of independence as she rejected his offer to secure her belonging for her, insisting that she do it herself. She also insisted on mounting her horse without aid.

”I am ready.” She announced when she had settled.

Thorn nodded, suppressing a smile so she would not think he was laughing at her then mounted his own horse, an animal that she felt almost made hers look half grown. The warhorse stood quietly beneath his master, awaiting the command to move and she acknowledged the breeding and training it must have taken to get him to do the things he did. She had read books on how important a good warhorse was to a warrior. She knew he would have to have been one of the best, for she had a feeling that Thorn would not have settled for less.

Thorn smiled down at Aura, exhibiting a fondness for her that he wished she would acknowledge. He watched as she admired his mount and knew that she recognized the great stallion for what he was. She was, he acknowledged a complicated woman, and there were so many things about her that pleased him. There were so many things that he was going to have to learn about her before he could say that he really knew her.

Signi called out to Aura from the doorway as she ran to her side to pa.s.s a message of farewell on to her.

”I wanted to talk to you before you left, but did not expect you to leave quite this early. Everything will be all right, but only if you let it be. Please Aura, promise me that you will give it a chance?”

Aura thought for a moment as she looked down at her sister in law from her position on the mare then gave a quick jerky nod as she replied. ”Only if you promise to visit us at Christmas.”

Signi beamed up at her as she promised she would then ran around to her brother, and was lifted onto his horse as he wrapped her in his arms to give her a big bear hug.

”I never get to see enough of you big brother. It seems you no sooner arrive than I am bidding you farewell. Promise that you will think of me from time to time?”

”How could I not? You have given me the greatest gift a sister could give a brother? Be happy Signi, and remember us in your prayers. I will send an escort for you at Yule time.” Thorn promised.

Signi gave him one last kiss and hug then leaned over to hug Aura one last time before they parted. In doing so she left her with one last message. ”I am going to miss you so much, remember, you are loved dearly by all of us. Take care of Thorn for me.” Signi then sat back straight on her brother's horse and he lowered her onto the ground, giving her hand a fond squeeze of farewell, and a smile of grat.i.tude as he did.

Aura held her trembling lip between her teeth and urged her horse forward. It was either that, or she was going to make a complete fool of herself by bursting into tears. She was loved! If only she could believe that. No one had ever, in truth, ever told her that they loved her before. Now she was headed for a life alien to everything she had ever known and as she rode a tear trickled from the side of one of her eyes.

Other than the silent tears, Aura gave no indication of the turmoil going on inside of her mind. She held her chin high and rode, looking as if she was in an equestrian compet.i.tion, her posture rigid beside the more relaxed position of her husband. The men fell in around and behind them. She did not even look back to see her friend waving her last farewell to them as they started their journey. She wondered if she would be capable of handling what life was about to hand her. She then smiled wryly. She did not have much of a choice in the matter, did she?

Thorn set a fast, hard pace, for his men and his wife, deciding to follow her earlier advice to get the trip over with, and despite several rest stops during the day, he noticed Aura visibly droop in her saddle. She had not expected the trip to be so taxing. It had not seemed that way with Vernon, but then he never seemed to spend the time Thorn did in the saddle. He rode up to her side and for the first time since they started he spoke with her.

”You are tired Aura, I will have the troop stop and set up camp.”

In a cutting manner Aura responded. ”Do not do me any favors Thorn, I will not thank you for them. Nor will your men if you show them you are going soft.”

”My men will not think any less of me for my stopping to care for my wife.” Thorn snapped back.

”I guess money can buy anything, even in this time and age. Am I right Thorn? Even the respect and loyalty of your men?”

Thorn's lips tightened at the intended slur and he controlled his temper with difficulty as he replied. ”Have it your way Aura, we will continue to ride. You will find; my wife, that the loyalty and respect shown to me by my men is earned, not bought. As shall your love.”

”I will never love you.” Aura hissed stubbornly.

”That is not the way I remember it.” Thorn taunted with a smug smile and a heated look. He then watched her face go up in flames with a satisfaction born out of scoring a major point.

”What happened that night had nothing to do with love,” Aura snapped back.

Thorn gave a hoot of laughter and replied. ”You might know a lot Aura, but you have a lot more to learn, especially when it comes to life and the types of feelings involved in the type of attraction we have for each other.”

”I am not attracted to you.” Aura denied.

”Really?” Thorn caressed her with another heated look and she squirmed beneath his gaze as he huskily suggested, ”perhaps it is time for another lesson.”

”Lesson?” Aura shot him a horrified look.

”In just how attracted you really are to me.” Thorn reminded her.