"Good. I want her to look Olivia over." Whether Shawn was aware that he was bleeding was unknown. So much had happened and his entire attention had been on finding his family.

"All right, my hands are here and here." Wulfsen said, giving Sileas's shoulder a gentle squeeze and taking her hand with his free hand.

"Questa tends to be very protective," Sileas explained, slipping her free hand in to his. She made certain she had a good hold on her sister. "Especially since everything that's happened over the past few years."

"Will I be all right if I make no sudden moves?" Wulfsen asked.

Sileas nodded. "I believe so. As long as I can assure her that I am safe and not frightened, you'll be all right."

"What would she do if someone tried to kiss you?" Wulfsen asked.

Sileas's eyes widened. Kiss me! She cleared her throat. "She was accepting of Larrigan kissing me but he's lost to me now," Sileas admitted.

Wulfsen's face turned red and he could have kicked himself for reminding Sileas of her recent loss.

"I heard... I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," she said quietly, blinking back the tears that threatened. Those could wait until she could hopefully find a few quiet moments all to herself. "I suppose my happy ending was never in the plans of the universe."

"Oh, I don't believe that." Wulfsen said, then felt even more awkward. "I mean... I think you should be happy, just not today. Er... Happy someday."

"I wish I could be as confident in that," Sileas said with a wistful note. "But I suppose time will tell," she added.

"Someday..." Wulfsen said, also wistful. He was gratefully distracted by arriving at the keep, he could smell something cooking. "How about something to eat?"

"I could probably eat a little something after I help Papa find Difyr," Sileas replied. She couldn't truthfully remember when she had eaten last. And what she had eaten she had lost.

"You must be famished after your journey." Wulfsen said. "But get the babe to the healer first, it looks like your father can do with a visit with her too."

Sileas glanced at her father and saw the bleeding. "Yes, he certainly does. That was where he was injured so badly before." Fear sliced through her heart.

"You have a good healer, I'm sure he will be all right." Wulfsen assured her.

"I hope so. I don't think I could bear losing him again after just finding him," Sileas said. "But you are right, Difyr is an excellent healer. I doubt anyone else could have saved him the last time."

Questa thought Sileas and Wulfsen were getting to chummy. "Enough blather. Get the bleedin' baby ter the bloomin' pokin' and proddin' 'ealer."

Sileas rolled her eyes but wasn't facing Questa. "We're going, we're going."

Questa prodded Sileas into moving more quickly by swatting her backside with her weight sock.

If it hadn't been for her sister in her arms, Sileas would have spun around and slugged Questa. But Sileas knew it was time for her to be more mature, after all, she would need to help her father raise her little sister. She did turn her head slightly to hiss "Stoppit."

"Then move it! Blimey!" Questa hissed back.

Sileas rolled her eyes again. "She can be pushy and bossy too," she whispered to Wulfsen as they neared the doorway.

Wulfsen opened the door and stepped back to let Sileas and Questa enter.

To The Keep- Main Hall?>

Mazi darted through the trees.