“Lady Snow,” John said with a respectful bob of his head. “I’m sorry to intrude, but if someone is bringing harm to this clan it most certainly has to be Fasta. Her lies have hurt my marriage. She claims to have miscarried my bairn when that’s impossible. I’ve never cheated on Helga. I have no reason to. She is a good wife to me and a wonderful mum to our bairns. I would never chance losing what we have together. Besides, I’ve loved my wife since we were young. There’s no other woman for me.”

“We both know that, John, and that’s all that matters, so stop bothering Lady Snow,” Helga said from the open doorway.

“No, it’s not all that matters,” John insisted. “I’ll not have my good name sullied. Fasta is a menace to this clan. Besides, if she lied about me what else has she lied about.”

“I will speak to my husband about this, John, and see what can be done,” Snow said.

“I would be most grateful, m’lady,” John said and hurried into the cottage.

“If John wasn’t the father of the miscarried bairn, who was?” Nettle asked.

“I found it difficult to believe that John was the father of Fasta’s bairn,” Runa said. “He and Helga seemed so much in love and though she delivered their bairns easily, he still worried over her. He begged me to make sure nothing happened to her. He told me that he couldn’t live without her.”

“Why would Fasta lie about him?” Snow asked.

“Because that’s what Fasta does, at least since I’ve known her,” Nettle said and looked to Runa. “You have known her longer. Has she a fondness for lying?”

“I can’t say I know Fasta well. She only joined the tribe—clan—a short time before we all arrived here.”

That caught Snow’s attention and she planned to discuss it with Tarass as soon as possible.

Snow continued walking with Nettle, Thaw exploring anything that caught his interest as they went along when he stopped suddenly and started barking, then took off.

“Thaw’s tail wags as he runs,” Nettle said.

“Someone is nearby that he knows and likes,” Snow said. “Let’s hurry and see who it is.”

Snow wasn’t far from the keep when her name was shouted with delight.

“Snow!”

Snow squealed with joy at the sound of Willow’s voice and when she caught partial sight of her sister’s form, she ran to her.

Chapter 31