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Author's Chapter Notes:
Ariadne is responsable for the amazing Banner I got lots of reviews and some time at the computer so here is the latest chapter. hope you enjoy.



please review..I'm greedy I would love to get 10 for this chapter...warning Angst is on its way




*Palfrey: a term to denote a riding-horse, not a breed. Nordic horses were – and are – a sort of big pony in size and build. Icelandic ones have a “fifth gear”, between a trot and a canter.
The journey home was longer than the one out, William was sure of it. It took them four days, moving slowly through the sodden countryside, camping in the clearings. Their journey was punctuated by the sound of the horn blasting through the air, letting everyone know they were genuine travellers and not vagabonds.

They passed their time by talking about the plans that they had made for the hall, or at least Connor did. Buffy and William were wrapped up in each other’s eyes so much that you had to get their attention before you could talk to them.

Connor was looking forward to seeing Willow and Tara again. He had made up his mind, after talking it over with the Jarl, to ask Willow to become mistress of his hall: his first wife and keeper of his keys. It would mean taking them off Buffy but she had told him that she wanted to get back to her own hall and take control of it, so it wouldn’t be seen as an insult. He wouldn’t want to hurt his step mother.

Robin was to join Connor’s hall in two weeks, after he had tied up his work at Buffy’s, and then Faith and her children would be moving back home with him to help them. Connor’s thoughts went to the Moor. He was a strong man, both physically and mentally. He would care for Faith and serve her well. Gram had promised help, and they would be arriving in Faith’s hall within a month.

He, Connor, would then be leaving for Jorvik and business in Northumbria, his ship stocked with wood and furs, skins and salt, as well as spices and silks brought down through Russia and up from the Caliphates. Add to that Buffy’s fine braids and they had a cargo worth boasting about. The plan was for him to meet up with Erik who would have had an answer about the ransoms and then head home for the hay making. He would stay for the first harvests then he would leave, together with William and Tara. William would have been with Buffy for less than a year, a year that would have to carry him through the rest of his life. Connor looked towards the Saxon. In his heart he knew the choice William would make. He and Buffy loved each other so much. They truly had been Freya-touched, but the Saxon was a proud man and he would not, could not stay for a marriage to which he brought nothing. Buffy was an incredible woman, and Connor knew that William felt unworthy of her. That would put more strain on their relationship than any opposition her family could give them. It was hard, but then so was their world.

William’s thoughts kept going back to Connor’s offer. He wanted to stay, but in honour knew he couldn’t. If he came to Buffy as a suitor, he would come with lands, title, position, and wealth, not as a refugee from another land with nothing, nothing save the charity of others. He had told Buffy of Connor’s words and hoped she understood why he was thinking about it so carefully. His heart wanted to say yes so quickly, but he knew it would be a horrendous mistake. If he were to marry anyone he would have to come as an equal or the superior, he could not come as the supplicant. He could never live with himself if it were like that, it would eat at his soul until all that was left was the shell of the man he’d become.

It was coming on for dusk when they finally saw the torches set out on the pale. Connor sounded the horn and shouted their names loudly. Buffy was grateful to see the gates swing open and Willow and Tara standing there holding torches high to light the way in. She gratefully pushed her palfrey* into a trot and made her way inside the pale.

Jon and Andrew ran up and started to take the reins of the horses as the men dismounted, William reaching up to lift Buffy down as Connor helped Faith down from the wagon. She slid into his arms gratefully. The journey had taken more out of her than she realised and she was so happy to be home. Helga and Olaf were chatting as they made their way inside; the rest of the men walked their own horses around to the stable and started stripping off the saddles. Good hay and oats were ready for the beasts, as was a barrel full of fresh water. Jon stayed with them, the inside of the stable lit by one sheltered candle. He would attend to the animals and ensure that they were all alright before going in for the night meal.

Buffy and William headed for the doorway hand in hand. They were greeted by the smell of a rich pork stew and fresh bread, which warmed them more than the fire.

‘There are honey cakes to follow,’ Anya told them as she kissed Xander thoroughly before the poor man had even taken off his cloak.

They were all soon settled and enjoying a good hot meal, with mulled wine to warm their bones. William slept the sleep of the just, spooned into Buffy’s back, his hand resting on her stomach. How sweet it would be if there was new life in there, planted by him, but that was not to be; Buffy had made it clear there would be no child and he would away home to his own lands. He wouldn’t leave a nameless bastard behind him, he couldn’t, and at that moment he was grateful for Buffy’s wisdom and Willow’s skill with the herbs.


The next day saw the hall filled with laughter and song. Buffy flew around the home and land as though her feet were on fire. She checked every nook and every cranny around the hall before the day meal and after they had eaten she put on her thick cloak. Buffy picked up some bread and cheese and a costral of small beer as she headed out of the door.

William followed, fascinated by what she was doing. He had never seen a woman work so hard, and when you considered that this wasn’t her hall but Conner’s it was doubly admirable of her. He wished that she could meet his mother, he knew in his heart they would love one another dearly.

Buffy smiled as she realised who was following her. She was escaping, her day’s work done, she as headed into the woods for a break and knew he would follow if he could.
Buffy turned to smile seductively at William and he grabbed his cloak and ran after her. They made their way through the open gates to the woods beyond. In daylight it was a reasonably safe place to walk. There was no sign of the violence that had happened when Faith had been in hiding with them. Nothing was left of those Buffy had destroyed: it was as though they had turned to dust and blown away.

They were well out of sight and sound of the hall when Buffy laid her cloak on the ground and sat down on it, opening up her lunch. She had packed enough for two, but William still hadn’t made his presence known. He watched her from behind a tree as she just lay on the ground. This was her secret: she escaped occasionally to do …nothing. If she was in the hall she would have been called at least five times by now and here she could just …rest.

‘I know you’re there,’ Buffy called out. ‘Come on out William.’

‘How did you know it was me? It could have been some big bad monster,’ he answered laughingly.

She reached up and took his hand; pulling him down gently, she moved over so he could share her cloak.

‘Hey, you’re cold love,’ William held open his own cloak allowing her to take shelter under his arm. Buffy snuggled in gratefully and wrapped her arm around his waist.

‘Do you think it’s dreadful of me to run away sometimes?’

‘No, of course not. You work so hard Buffy, you deserve some time just for yourself. And this seems a lovely place.’

‘It was always my favourite. When things were hard, when I first came to the hall and Angel was in one if his moods I would come and hide out here for hours. Willow always knew where I was, and I’d bring Connor sometimes if his father’s temper was flying in his direction. But these two trees, a silver birch and an oak woven together, this was my hiding hole.’

‘What happened to Connor’s mother?’ William asked quietly.

‘She died to give him life. I was only about five and I still remember the blood and my mother crying when she couldn’t save them both.’

‘How old was Angel then?’ William asked gently. He didn’t know why he asked that question. But this was the first time she’d talked to him about her late husband and he wanted to know how she felt about him.

‘He was nearly forty, and hateful. No kindness in him at all, nothing gentle or soft or honourable, unless he wanted something from you. My father and uncle were well fooled by him and his promises. He enjoyed having very young wives: Darla was his third, I was his fourth and if he hadn’t died there would have been others. He liked ‘em too young to know what was happening to them, he used to buy really young slave girls and torment them for hours, days even. And if anyone spoke against it, he would turn against that person as well. I was just fourteen when we married, and I had my son less than a year later. He was the only good thing that came from my marriage. When he died I spent the next five years rebuilding this hall’s reputation. And now it’s ready for Connor’s wife to take over from me. I can hand over the keys with a good and happy heart, knowing I’ve done my duty.’

‘And what will you do? Go back to your own hall? Will that be enough for you, Elizabeth of Trondheim?’

‘Oh yes, I have kept it working, and extended the lands. There is a good harbour, woodlands, fish from the sea and the streams. The salmon run there every year. There are animals for trapping and the sheep have a good thick fleece on them. My women weave the fabric we use for the sails, and they fetch a fortune. I have a ship there as well. What about you? Will you go back to the church house?’

‘No, I don’t think I could. I’m not the man who arrived here six months ago. I have changed so much. Your hall and its people have opened my eyes to so much. I have become the man my mother always saw within me: I wrestle, and occasionally win,’ he smiled wryly. ‘I have become a swordsman, and I have become a man. I think being locked away in a monastery would be hell now. I’ll go home and see what happens. If they pay my ransom…’

‘If they won’t?’ she sounded half hopeful and half fearful.

‘I can give my allegiance to Connor and learn to become someone he would think of as good enough to court his mother. I would have to earn my name Buffy: please understand that. I would have to.’

‘If you didn’t want to come to me with that much honour William you wouldn’t be the man I love, and I do love you so much.’ She leant up and gave him a gentle but searing kiss.

They spent the afternoon making love in the woods. Gently, tenderly, revelling in each other’s bodies. It was heading for nightfall when they made their way back to the hall. Sitting by the fire, enjoying a horn of ale, was Eirik.





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