Page 69 of Moon Craving

His lips quirked in a half smile, no impatience at her reticence in his face. "You

have nothing to fear at all when you are with me."

She nodded and that seemed to please him.

"I had my soldier scout ahead."

"Oh."

She let him pull her into the cave and noticed immediately that rather than the

dank, cold air she associated with caves, it was warm with a faint scent of sulfur. He led

her down a long tunnel into a cavern lit by torches and ambient light from somewhere

above. Their light reflected off the water of a large pool in the center. Beside the pool, the

furs they had slept in the past two nights were piled invitingly beside the water.

Abigail stared around herself marveling at the warmth of the cavern. "A hot

spring?" she asked in awe. She had heard of such a thing but never seen one.

"Yes. One of the reasons we fought for this section of land. The springs have

healing properties."

"Really?"

"So it has been believed by my people."

"And these caves are yours now? Because of your king's gift?"

"Aye." Talorc smiled savagely. "Though it is my responsibility to keep them."

"Will you establish an outpost?" Her father had guard posts on the four corners of

his lands.

Talorc shrugged.

"Do you simply not want to answer or do you not know?"

"I know you are delaying the inevitable with conversation."

Smart man. "I am nervous."

"I'm not."

She opened her mouth but honestly did not know what to reply to such arrogance,

so she snapped it shut again.

He smiled, this time almost gently, and produced a soap cake. "You can have a

proper bath."

"I . . ." This was the Talorc her sister had written of in her letters? Abigail could not