Dream of Me/Believe in Me

toward the wagon, Kiirla said, “Thank you for all this. It is very kind, especially so under the circumstances.”
    “I wish you did not have to go,” Cymbra said frankly.
    “It is best,” Kiirla replied. “This will be a fresh start for us and I think we need that.”
    “If the landsmann at Oslofjord proves unkind—”
    “He will not,” Kiirla said quickly. Her cheeks colored faintly. “As it happens, he is not a stranger. We met at the spring festival.” She met Cymbra's gaze. “He has no wife. I spoke to my mother of him, but …”
    Understanding dawned and with it came a wave of relief. Not for a moment did Cymbra doubt that her husband was fully aware of the marital status of the landsmann.
    Still reflecting on Wolf's cleverness, she waited until the women, their wagon, and their escort departed, then went in search of him. She found him just emerging from his brother's lodge. Ulfrich was with him and the two were so deep in conversation that they did not notice Cymbra's approach.
    “He is not telling the truth about the pain,” the elderly wise man was saying. “It remains great.”
    “But the wound has healed,” Wolf countered. His brows were drawn tightly together. “He has returned totraining and seems to be managing well. Or he did seem to until today.”
    “He has concealed much and pushed himself very hard. This fever is the result. I am afraid that—” Ulfrich broke off and nodded to Cymbra with a smile. “My lady we were just—”
    “This does not concern you,” Wolf interrupted.
    “Does it not? Then I must have misunderstood when I thought you were talking about your brother's wound not healing properly and now bringing on a fever. How foolish of me to think that the sensible thing would be to bring in a healer.”
    Ulfrich puffed out his cheeks in dismay and took a quick step forward, interposing himself between the jarl and his wife. “My lord, I'm sure she means well. A woman's heart overflows with compassion, after all, and—”
    “Proudful,” Wolf said flatly. He ignored Ulfrich and continued to stare down his wife, or at least tried to.
    “Sensible,” she shot back. More gently, she added, “Do not tell me it is pride to acknowledge my own skill and seek to use it where needed. You said that I was to ask your help. All well and good, I will do so. But now you need my help. Will you not take your own advice and do what you know is right?”
    Ulfrich glanced nervously from one to the other but both ignored him. Cymbra was too preoccupied trying to remember her concern for Dragon while her attention kept focusing on how magnificent her husband looked even if he was scowling at her—
again.
She longed to run her hands over his massive chest, to tease a smile from his lips, to take him deep within her body and feel his life pour into her.
    For his part, Wolf could not help but notice how glorious his wife appeared with her eyes lit for battle and her cheeks flushed. He knew he ought to be concentrating onher defiance—
again
—and he did make a feeble attempt, but the cheerful stirring of his cock distracted him. This was really too much. He was a man and a leader, not a randy boy. He could not, would not, allow any woman to control him.
    But he was also a brother and he could not forget that either.
    “Dragon is a warrior,” he growled, “not a weakling. He will not tolerate being coddled.”
    “That's good,” Cymbra replied as she brushed past him and opened the door to the lodge. “Because if what I think is wrong is indeed the case, the last thing I'm going to do is coddle him.”
    Her face was set, her manner utterly determined, but she faltered slightly as she confronted the man sitting upright in the large bed. Dragon's glare was remarkably like her husband's.
    “What is this?” he demanded, not of her but of Wolf, who had followed directly after her. Ulfrich came too, no doubt unwilling to miss anything.
    “My wife,” Wolf said, “has the notion that she might be able to help you.”
    “I need no help,” Dragon said emphatically.
    Cymbra looked at him with open skepticism. She saw a man of vast strength, as big and heavily muscled as Wolf himself, and no doubt in peak condition under normal circumstances. But these were not normal, as the pallor beneath his tan and the lines of strain around his mouth testified.
    “When were you wounded?” she asked, moving nearer to the bed.
    Dragon spared her one swift glance and returned his attention to