Page 32 of Wolf Pack

Then Hans returned to the keep.

The walls of the croft were two feet thick. Inside, the floor was made of stone. A table for eating was against one wall, a fireplace, a bench, chairs, and a box bed that the couple slept in.

“We’ll make pallets on the floor for all of you,” Agnes cheerfully said.

Isobel shook her head. Agnes and Dawy didn’t need to treat them like houseguests. They needed to be here to maketheirlife easier.

“We’ll do it. Just tell us what we need to do.”

“We’ve never been able to have children of our own. We’re happy to have you under our roof for now.” Agnes said, “There’s hay in the barn that you can bring in to make your beds. You have your furs and blankets.”

“I’ll go and get some of the hay,” Conall said.

That was what Isobel loved about him. He was quick to help.

“Can I do it too?” Drummond asked.

“Ja.Uh, aye, you can,” Conall said.

Then the two headed out to the barn.

“Me too,” Libby called out and ran out to catch up to them.

“Would you like to help me prepare the meal?” Agnes asked Isobel.

Isobel almost laughed. Elene liked to cook. Isobel didn’t.

“Aye, of course.” She helped Agnes make brown bread.

“So you wish to be a guard at the keep,” Dawy said.

“Aye.” Isobel poured mead for everyone. “I’m trained to fight but with my wolf’s vision, I’m good at observing movement also.”

“I agree.”

Her cousins returned with hay and made up two pallets, and then they sat down to eat.

The bread was very good, probably even more so because they hadn’t had fresh bread in so long. “The food is great.” Isobel ate some more of the boar meat.

“It is,” Conall said, and she gave him a look to not eat too much.

As if Agnes realized what was not being said, she smiled. “He can eat as much as he needs. And then he can hunt for us too.” She switched her attention to Isobel. “You have no guard detail tonight?”

“Nay. After all that has happened, a night of rest is what we all need.” Isobel ate some more of the bread. The boar was just as good. They hadn’t eaten anything but fish for ages.

“Aye, you must tell us your story when you are well rested.”

“Do you need me to do something for you?” The crofters were generous to house so many of them at once when Isobel and her kin were Vikings.

“We could use some more firewood,” Dawy said. “And water.”

“You need to make another two beds for yourselves,” Agnes said. “We can get more firewood and water on the morrow.”

There hadn’t been enough room for Elene to stay with them. She would sew, do needlework, and perform other tasks that were required of her.

Isobel would help hunt for food, grow and gather crops, and perform guard duty—whatever anyone needed her to assist with.

Once they had eaten, Isobel and Conall went to the barn to gather more hay for two more beds. Then they laid out the furs.

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