He caught her arms to keep them both from a tumble. When he saw the door, still partially open, he slipped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the room she shared with Gwynith. She was grateful Gwynith wasn’t there and wished desperately that Padrick was.

“Liam asked us to stay for the council meeting tomorrow,” Aiden said. “He seems to think my writing is neater than his, and he wants to be sure the other barons can read the decisions that are made without stumbling over half the words. You’re staying, too?”

Ashk nodded. “I’ll leave after the meeting.” I want to go home. The words echoed in her head, in her heart.

“You’ll be heading back to Bretonwood?”

She nodded again.

“In that case, if you don’t mind the company, Lyrra and I will travel with you for a while.”

“Your company is always welcome, Bard.”

After giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze, he left her.

She stared out the window for a long time, not really seeing anything. Finally she stretched out on the bed and did something she hadn’t allowed herself to do. She cried.

Breanna sat on the bed, feeling awkward as she watched Fiona pack. “You’re welcome to stay. You know that.”

Fiona joined her on the bed and rested a hand on Breanna’s cheek. “I know, darling Breanna. We all know that. But the Hunter knows where Jennyfer and Mihail found safe harbor, so his wife and daughter will travel with her as far as the western bay and take a ship from there. And the rest of us…We have to go back.”

“You don’t know what you’ll find there. You don’t know if there’s anything left.”

“Then we’ll start again. Build again. And one day our ships will sail down the Una River and out to sea again. But whatever we find there, it’s still home. We need to reclaim what was ours.”

“I understand.”

Fiona’s brows drew together in a worried frown. “You’re welcome to come with us. You don’t have to stay here alone.”

Breanna forced herself to smile. “I won’t be alone. Clay, Edgar, and Glynis will still be here.” Neither of them mentioned Falco, who had made a fumbling excuse about needing to do something before riding away an hour ago.

Fiona went back to her packing. “You’ll write to me on a regular basis, just to let me know how things are going.”

“Yes, I will.” Breanna stood up and hugged her cousin. “I’m glad you were here.”

When she went outside a little while later, she found Falco sitting on the bench beside the kitchen door. He sprang up as soon as he saw her.

“Breanna? Could we talk?”