The Taking of the Moon Maiden Ch. 09

Later that night with Moira in his lap Ronan Sat quietly listening to his people happily singing and enjoying the night. Emmaline had left to go upstairs. Ronen talked in a soft voice with his men not to disturb Moira who was entertaining her self by making shadow puppets. Alternating between playing with her fingers and toes, Ronen caught Moira's foot before it landed back in his lap, crunching his balls, yet again. He absently stroked her feet to keep them still as he talked to his me. Moira laughed and giggles as she talked to herself. Slowly her words began to penetrate through to Ronen.

"Mommy said I couldn't go look at the moon this time, my job was to stay with Daddy." She sang these words in her childlike singsong voice. Sweat began to form on Ronen as the meaning of Moira's words became apparent. "Christ" he cried, standing up barely catching Moira before thumping her onto the floor. Balancing her he handed her to on of this clan's women, gathering the men they raced outside the gate. He towards his woman, them towards their lady, each of them fearing the worst.

They were not wrong with this fear. Emaline had not made it very far into the clearing before she realize that Duncan had followed her. Coming upon an outcrop she climbed up until she could not reach any higher. She pushed herself up tight against the wall. She felt relief for but a moment before she heard the growling. Turning her head ever so slowly as the clouds moved the moonlight shown down so brightly she could see as clearly as any twilight's ever. She followed the growling when her worst fears were realized and she caught sight of a female wolf was not but a few feet from her. The female wolf was guarding a litter of several pups, this was sooo not Emilines night.

Duncan rode hard upon her small outcrop. Sitting astride his horse he still had to look up. "you gave yourself to that Scottish animal." He cried out in rage, in the clear light Emmaline could see spittle catch on his chin as raged against her. He pulled a small bow from his pack and let loose a wildly shot arrow. The Mother wolf snarled and snapped, clearly confused on which of the two Duncan or Emmaline was the greatest danger to her brood. Duncan let loose another arrow, the mother reeled and started growling harder at Duncan. One of the pups trying to get close and see what had his mother so concerned got too close to the edge. The pup started to grasp and try to get purchase as his front legs carried him forward over the cliff. Emmaline dived forward, barely catching the young pup. Gently she pushed the pup over towards his brothers and sisters.

The sound of thunder from a distance drew Emmalines attention. Twas the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Ronen, his men, and to her surprise her Father, all raced toward her. The warm relief she felt was quickly doused like flame under cold water, there was no way Ronen could get to her before Duncan killed her. Duncan smirked at her and slowly took aim to ensure that his arrow was true to his mark, straight into Emmaline's heart. As Duncan steadied his bow, Ronen roared. Before the breath could leave Ronen's chest and the arrow clear the string a grey blur charged from the clearing. Duncan never knew what hit him. A large grey male wolf leaped in the air ripping Duncan from the saddle by his throat. Duncan's lifeless eyes stared up at the moon, by the time Ronen and the men with them. Duncan in all his fury had forgotten one important fact of nature, wolves mate for life. Where the is a female, her mate is close, and no animal protects its mate like a wolf.

"The Moon Maiden" one of the men cried and all agreed at the sight of Emmaline standing there with perfect full moon behind her. Her dress in shreds had been torn in several places on her mad dash to safety. On tare had been slashed open across a narrow expanse of smooth skin across her lower stomach revealing her crescent shaped birth mark. It appeared as a living mark, dark red contrasting with the milky paleness of her skin, unmarred except for the mark Ronen had placed on her neck. The young pups rolling and playing around her feet, happily unaware of the tension surrounding them as they howled playfully at each other and Emmaline.

"He shall put his mark about her neck'
"the moon shall leave its blessings upon her womb
Wolves with sing and dance around her feet

All remember the blessing as some repeated its precious words.

"Do not hurt him." Emmaline held out her hand trying to halt the moon. The male wolf still snarled at them. Crouched over the dead body of Duncan clearly confused over which party left was the most danger to his family. Emmaline who was actually standing in the circle of his pups with his mate close by, but who seemed soft and harmless, or the warriors in front of him who looked quiet capable of killing him and his family.

Emmaline lowered her body over the side holding on with her fingertips. Ronen road up below her, clasping her waist he lowered her to his lap. Clasping her to him he moved his mount away from the ledge and Duncan's body. Several of his men moved towards Duncan thinking to take his body back to the keep.

"Leave it." It was St. James himself. "I had thought him true and good. Had I not seen it with my own eyes I would not have believed his evil.

As Emmaline and Ronen rode quietly towards the keep she took his hand and settled it over her lower stomach, "I know it will be a son." His hand easily spreading across her stomach, low on her belly. Her meaning took a moment to take root. When it finally took hold he could not help but sit taller n the saddle, smiling down at his woman he simply said, "let us go to our daughter." With a half smile he continued, "if she is like her mother she will be barking orders preparing for her brothers arrival."

Several months later Moira sat on her Grandfather's lap waiting her father to bring her baby brother to them for his first viewing. Her mother had struggled and the old healer had thought to loose Emmaline when Ronen had burst into the birthing chamber. The healer tried to make him leave, husbands were not allowed to be present during birthing, but Ronen had refused to leave. Scooping up Emmaline, Ronen had sat behind her and helped her into a sitting position, "wife, you will birth my son now. He is wanting to come into the world and I am tired of waiting his arrival." Emmaline released her breath and let loose a scream she had held. Within moments the child had slipped into the world. While the household praised the son and thanked God for his arrival, Ronen gave a silent prayer for Emmaline's safety. For to him, without her nothing else mattered.

He kissed her brow and whispered, "wife you worried me, this will be our last at this." Emmaline simply smiled.

It was the same smile she gave him 3 sons and 2 daughters later.