"You've done well so far. Now it is time for you to rest and take it easy. I know the ride is bumpy but it's not much further to the keep."

Cyan curled up under the cloak and tried to relax. SHe was still cold and shivering a little.

Aalyssa tucked the cloak around her more and sat down next to her.

Cyan had begun to doze off, only to be disturbed by the loud creaking of the gates being opened. She sat up.

As promised, it had not taken long at all to reach the keep.

Once everyone was in the wagon, Shawn left Portside and was driving the wagon down the road back to the keep.

He stared hard at the horses as if willing them to move faster. His hands itched for the whip.

Liadan was trying to not complain. But she was tired, this kid was getting heavy despite being half starved- and most importantly she was getting damned hungry.

"I wish we had a wagon." Liadan muttered to Aron. "And some horses to pull it for us. My feet are killing me."

"I know," Aron replied. "If we'd come in at Portside, we could have gotten one, but then we wouldn't have found Kadelyn." His heart ached at the ruins of his childhood home.

Liadan was upset about the loss of the inn and bakery herself. Those connected buildings had been her first real home. Most of their children had been born there, she had planned on raising them all there, like their father. And those evenings she and Aron had spent in the honeymoon suite when it was unoccupied... Was all of that gone forever?

Liadan walked beside Aron and lightly brushed her shoulder against him. "At least we should be at the Keep soon." Liadan was also missing their children. She looked forward to reuniting with them.

"Aye, it's not too far now. Maybe Kady would like to walk for a while?" he suggested, hoping to ease some of Lia's burden.

"Do you want to walk for a bit?" Liadan asked Kadey.

Kady thought for a moment and nodded.

Liadan set the girl down. She knew Aron had suggested Kadelyn walk to give her a rest. Instead she went to Nelek's other side. "Let me help you with Nelek."

Nelek hated being a burden, but he put an arm over Liadan's shoulders and took some of his weight off of Aron. He soothed his ego by reminding himself that Aislyn and the twins needed him. He would be with them soon, and then he could rest easy.

"I can make out the gate to the keep just on the horizon. We're almost there."

"I hope Ais made sticky buns. I could eat two trays of them." Liadan said, almost dragging Nelek to move faster.

"I'm still surprised you haven't turned into a sticky bun yet," Aron teased lightly.

"I haven't gotten any for over two weeks." Liadan said testily.

Nelek felt incredibly awkward. He staggered ahead towards the gates.

"You don't have any idea how many sticky buns you've put away over the years, do you?"

"Not as many as you. I went 18-19 years before I ever even had one." Liadan said.

"Maybe, maybe not," Aron replied.

Liadan made a growling sound and pushed on to the gate.

Aron chuckled and reached for Kady's hand.