How she knew I couldn’t say, but the suggestion found me making excuses and a hasty retreat from the boisterous longhouse. As I passed the door I sniffed the night air, following her scent around the longhouse and into the woods. At the treeline I found the path she had taken. I paused and took a deep breath, steadying my nerves before entering the dark woods. As I walked I tried to calm my pounding heart with little success. Eventually the path opened up into a clearing and there was my mate.

“I knew you would come,” She said, reaching for me. As I entered a clearing I took her hand and pulled her to me, wrapping my other arm around her waist. She put her hand on my chest and looked up at me. I tried to memorize her face in that moment, that first moment I held her. She was beaming, and I grinned at her. I probably looked like a fool but as the warmth of her touch rushed through me I didn’t care.

“My name is Sage,” she finally said.

“I’m Eir.”

“I know,” she put her head on my shoulder, her forehead warm against my neck as she leaned into me, “everyone has been speaking of your return and every time they mentioned you a thrill of joy ran through me. I didn’t know why until I saw you.”

“As I ran here my feet knew the way without question. I didn’t know they were carrying me to you.”

She looked up at me, joy evident on her face. I couldn’t help it, I kissed her. Gently at first, but deepening the kiss as she reached up and threaded her fingers through my hair. Both of my arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into me. She leaned her head to the side as I trailed kisses down her neck, grazing my teeth over the joint of her neck and shoulder where I would one day mark her and she sighed. Our lips met again and I felt her smile before she pulled away. She took my hand, lacing her fingers in mine.

“Walk with me.” I followed her like a pup as she led me deeper into the woods. As we walked the conversation flowed like honey, sweet and golden with the promise of our future. She was her mother’s heir and had been groomed as such. She spoke of our clan with fierce devotion and warmth. She was a warrior, and her eyes lit up as she talked about training the pups. She laughed as she told me of her utter failures as a cook, and glowed as she described a piece of armour she had crafted for her mother’s 6th century celebration. I hung on every word, and delighted in making her laugh as I told her about my time in training. She asked me about Thviti in awe, she had never left Solsilva. I promised to take her one day, earning myself another radiant smile.

I wanted to stay out all night walking, talking, and occasionally stopping to take my beloved in my arms. However, she insisted that I needed rest before meeting with Frode in the morning, who I would be working under until I replaced him.

“We have all our lives, darling.” We had stopped at the tree line and I held her close. She put a hand on my cheek and I turned, nuzzling her wrist and inhaling her scent.

“That will not be nearly long enough.” I kissed her, lingering as I savored every second.

“Wait until I’ve gone inside, they’ll have left a cot for you near the fire.”

“And you?”

“If my sister and cousin wake without me in our loft I will surely be outed.” She stretched to give me a peck on the cheek then ran toward the longhouse. She hitched up her skirts and her waist-length hair flowed wild behind her in the moonlight, mussed by my hands. She stopped and looked over her shoulder giving me a conspiratorial grin before disappearing around the corner. It was customary for newly found mates to keep their bond concealed for a short time before announcing it to their clan. I now understood why. Truly, we were still strangers yet even in these few hours our love had begun to grow. It felt both fierce and fragile, I was not ready to subject it to the scrutiny of others.

The fire burned low in the longhouse and I made my way to the cot placed near it. Sage had been right of course, I was exhausted from the journey and excitement of the day and I needed rest. As I got comfortable I found myself thinking of what it would be like to have her lying next to me. I could smell her up in the loft above me. I breathed in deeply as I watched the embers flicker and drifted off to sleep.