Tarass hoped it was so, since he didn’t need any more issues the Abbot could fault him with and strengthen his claim that his barbarian ancestry voided his marriage to Snow.

“No word yet from the warriors you sent on that mission? Though, no doubt the snowstorm has delayed any response. I wonder if they will be able to find out what Finn had learned. He was trusted among the many friends he had and people talked easily to him. Our warriors won’t be as trusted as Finn had been.”

“Coins encourage the most unwilling man to speak,” Tarass said. “Though Finn was well liked, he was also liked for the generous coins he offered in exchange for information. I am more than curious to find out what news he had discovered. It had to have been of great value to me for him to want to meet me while he was escorting Snow home, and even of greater importance if he braved the snow to do so. All Highlanders know that a few snowflakes can turn into a blizzard in little time. So why did he take the chance?”

“The news was worth the chance or the coins the news would bring him,” Rannock surmised.

“How is it not one soul knows anything about my parents’ departure from my da’s ancestral home. And how is it that not a single tribe has heard a word on those responsible for the attack on the Sandrik tribe where my mum and da lost their lives. It was a small, inconsequential tribe slaughtered for no reason.”

Rannock nodded. “You’re right. If another tribe wanted to conquer it, they wouldn’t have slaughtered everyone.”

“If my parents were the target, why kill the whole tribe? That has baffled me the most.”

“Maybe it wasn’t your parents the person was after.”

“I considered that, but the tribe had no enemies. They traded with all the other tribes and battled no one. The only thing different the day of the attack was my parents’ presence in the tribe.” Tarass stood. “Enough with thoughts that go nowhere. It’s time I joined my wife.”

Rannock also stood. “And time I see to the change in sentinels, that comes when least expected and leaves even the warriors wondering of their duties.”

“Lady Snow can join us,” a lad called out.

Snow recognized Roy’s voice, the lad she had helped with a snowball fight her last time here.

“No, we want her,” another lad shouted and it took a few minutes and an argument before it was decided which team got Lady Snow, memories of her last successful snowball fight having her in demand.

Nettle stepped back to keep a good watch on Lady Snow, but Thaw joined in, running and barking and letting Snow know where to aim snowballs. Complaints from the opposing team of the pup’s help got ignored by the winning team.