Dream of Me/Believe in Me

and her neck no longerfelt so tense that it might snap off. By the fifth match, she even managed to cheer. At the end of the sixth, when no further opponents presented themselves, she whooped with joy, ran out onto the field, and right there in front of everyone kissed her sweaty, begrimed, contented warrior.
    When the time came at last to leave, Krysta could not hold back her tears as she parted from Eahlswith.
    “No mother has treated a daughter more kindly than you have me. I will never forget it.”
    There were tears in the good queen's eyes as well. “I will miss you, my dear, as I miss my own daughters. You have reminded me that love is the source of all true strength and courage.”
    “We will be back,” Hawk said gently as he saw the women's distress. “I come often to Winchester and Krysta will come with me.”
    There was comfort in that, but even so, Krysta turned twice in the saddle to wave farewell to the woman who had filled a hole in her life she truly had not wanted to admit existed.
    They were some little way still from the port of Hamtun when Hawk glimpsed something down the road that made him draw rein. Krysta did the same, as did the men riding behind them. A moment later, she saw what Hawk's keen eyes had glimpsed first. Thorgold came riding toward them on a shaggy pony, the dog Udell had beaten loping along happily at his side.
    “I wondered where you'd gotten to,” Hawk said. He greeted Thorgold with obvious pleasure that warmed Krysta. So, too, was she delighted to see the dog, who ran circles around her horse, frantically wagging his tail.
    “He's well again! How wonderful. Are you keeping him, Thorgold?”
    “It's more a matter of him keepin' me, lass. But we seem to make a good pair.”
    “I'd say you do,” Hawk agreed. “We missed you at the wedding.”
    “Ah, well, now I was there, don't ye know. I'm not one to let pass a fine feast and that was the finest I've ever known. I just prefer to keep a bit to the shadows. But it's right glad I am to see ye got the job done, lad.”
    They rode on, Thorgold beside them. It was not long before Hawk noticed ravens swooping from tree to tree along their route but he said nothing about that. Nor did he comment when one raven in particular followed them all the way into Hamtun. There were just some things a wise man did not remark upon.
    Their ships awaited them. While the horses were being loaded, Krysta sat on a bale of hay and watched. Although the animals were superbly trained, including for travel by ship, the process was still dangerous and had to be done with care. One wrong step and a horse could go into the water, possibly being injured in the process. If an animal panicked and bolted, the men around him could likewise be hurt. Hawk saw to the boarding of his own mount as well as Krysta's, then helped with the others. Last aboard was Thorgold's shaggy pony, who clip-clopped up the gangway as though born to do so.
    They sailed on the tide into a day so brilliantly clear as to sting the eyes. As Hamtun and the road to Winchester faded from sight, Krysta felt swept by regret, but her mood improved when Hawk left the rudder to one of his lieutenants and came to sit beside her in the prow.
    “We will be back soon, sweetheart,” he said as he drew her into the circle of warmth beneath his cloak. It was brisk out on the water and she was glad of his care. “It is my preference to keep Christmas at Hawkforte but Alfred may visit us before then and bring Eahlswith along.”
    “That would be wonderful. Perhaps we can also visit them in the spring.”
    Hawk did not answer, thinking that come spring she would be in no condition to travel. Yet no doubt she would still expect to be swimming, sailing, and all the rest. He would have to watch her carefully. The thought did not trouble him overly much, indeed he felt an unexpected sense of pleasure. There were worse things by far for a man to do.
    Mindful of all she had been through so recently, Hawk resolved to make this journey as easy for her as possible. By late afternoon of the first day, he signaled the ships to put in to shore. When Krysta expressed her surprise, he said, “It is better for the horses to have some exercise.”
    “You did not put in on the way to Winchester.”
    “Udell's plotting made the journey urgent.”
    She nodded and he turned away lest she catch him rolling his eyes. The nonsense about the horses prevented the argument he was sure would happen if she thought