The dim, golden warmth of the bath house was almost painful after their trek. Sarah shooed them towards the mid-heat tubs. “Strip and in.”

Evan was tending the fire. He made a point of turning his back to them and focusing on feeding wood to the flames.

Eleanor was grateful for the courtesy but still quailed. To be naked in front of Cadan? She’d never… she couldn’t… Cadan stumbled again, swaying into her. She looked up at his face and saw pain. Modesty flew out of the window as she steered him to a nearby bench and, once he was seated, undid his belt, then went to pull his tunic up and off. Cadan tried to lift his arms, but they barely moved before he dropped them again with a whimper.

The sound brought Sarah over. “What’s wrong?”

Eleanor gave her an account of Cadan’s injuries, ending with. “And I don’t know how to get these things off without hurting him.”

Sarah went to a cupboard behind the fireplace and returned with a pair of scissors. “If you cut straight, they should be easy enough to repair.”

Cadan tried to smile. “You say that, knowing my sewing?”

Sarah laid a fond hand on his head. “I say that, hoping you will do something very nice for your wife if she decides to do the mending for you.”

With that, she handed Eleanor the scissors and went to meet Matthew at the door.

Eleanor took hold of the bottom of the tunic, found what she hoped was the middle, and began to cut.

Even with the front of both the tunic and shirt open, removal wasn’t easy. The shirt had stuck to the skin and Sarah ended up wetting it to coax the fabric off. Finally, though, he was bare from the waist up and Eleanor tried not to look as she helped him out of his boots, then hose. He clambered into the nearest tub with more speed than grace while Eleanor focused on gathering his clothes together.

The bundle was taken out of her hands and Sarah said. “You too.”

Eleanor took stock of her clothes as she removed them. The stockings were ruined, her boots needed repair and her smock and dress would need serious attention, if they could be saved at all.

She slipped into the tub next to Cadan’s and sank into the warm, welcoming water with a sigh, then a yelp, as previously unnoticed grazes on her palms and calves made themselves known. Sarah looked up from Cadan’s back. “You’ll need to wash your hair.”

Tilly appeared at the door. “I’ll help.”

She collected some pots from a shelf and handed Eleanor the cleaning paste. “You do arms and legs and things.”

With that, she unwove Eleanor’s braid, dumped several pots of water over her head and began working a different-smelling ointment into her hair. “This helps with tangles as well as cleaning.”

It was lovely to have someone tend to her, to carefully comb through her hair and ask about her adventures. Eleanor found herself recounting the whole day, with only the occasional comment from Cadan, who was clearly having a harder time of it under the sharp eye of Sarah and her tweezers.

Tilly was squeezing a towel around Eleanor’s hair by the time the story wound to a close and surprised Eleanor with a quick hug around the shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re alright. It was awful realising you were missing and could be lying somewhere hurt, or worse.”

Murmurs from nearby made her start. When had Mathew and Ingrid come in? Where there any other people lurking in the shadows?

Ingrid said. “Sounds like you’re rather taken with the Old Master’s gadgets. Do you think there’s something of value in there?”

Eleanor glanced at Evan’s back, as he continued to poke the fire. “It depends on what you think of as valuable and even if the notes can be understood, I’m sure it’ll take a lot of time and effort, especially from Evan, to get any of the devices working.”

The smith snorted. “And I’ll have precious little of either to offer this winter, the mill’s going to take more fixing than people want to think and Martha checked the castle bridge, it ain’t safe to cross. So we’re going to be dragged into fixing that for the fancy folk as well. And you can be sure they’re going to want it done yesterday.”

Ingrid hummed agreement. “Before Winterfest certainly. It’s the first time in years the Duchess and Duke have been at the Castle for it, and you know they’ll have all sorts of important people invited.”

Eleanor snorted, then bit her lip on a smile when she realised Evan had done the same. She said. “If the people of Gandry are so keen to dance at the castle, I’m sure they can help with the repairs, they’re going to have to do something to cover the mud on the river road anyway.”

Matthew stared at the floor as Tilly handed Eleanor a towel and tucked her into a dark nook to dry and dress.

Clean, dry and warmly clothed, Eleanor checked on Cadan’s back. His skin was more black and purple than pink, with a particularly dark and angry bruise covering the shoulder with the cut.

Sarah glanced across, then smiled. “You look like a bride with your hair all loose.”

Cadan’s head whipped around, his eyes widened as he took her in. “Prettiest bride I’ve ever seen.”

Evan snorted, Eleanor ignored him and ran her fingers across the stubble covering Cadan’s jaw. “I don’t think I said it before, and I should have; thank you for protecting me.”

Cadan smiled, tired but real. “Always, when you’ll let me.”

She smiled back. When had his dark eyes and scruffy cheeks become so handsome?

Ingrid broke the spell between them. “While I’m glad these two are more-or-less whole, we still have damage to deal with. We’re going to need supplies, and soon. Who do we send to town? And how do we pay for the goods we’re going to need?”

Sarah stood. “Questions for tomorrow, not tonight, and for the village council, not a couple of exhausted newlyweds.”

She looked at Matthew. “You’ll need to help Cadan dress, don’t disturb the bandage on his shoulder.”

Ingrid frowned. “Can’t his wife help him?”

Sarah replied. “His wife needs her hands checked and probably bandaged for the night.”

She moved away from the tub and began applying her tweezers to Eleanor’s palms. There weren’t many splinters, but removal stung. Sarah applied the cleaning paste like a poultice. “Leave them bandaged till morning and that should draw out anything I didn’t get.”

She looked between Eleanor and the now-dressed Cadan. “Right, now bed for both of you.”

Eleanor bit her lip. “Could we have some bread or something first?”

Sarah glared at Matthew. “You didn’t feed them?”

He looked guilty. “I forgot to take anything with me.”

She shook her head and motioned towards the door. “Home then, I’ll braid Eleanor’s hair for sleep while they eat. Evan, thank you for keeping the water hot, Matthew will stay to help you set things ready for the morning.”

They followed Ingrid and Tilly out of the bath house and down the path to Central Clearing. Tilly gave Eleanor another hug before they parted ways. “I’m glad you’re home safe.”

The bread and stew tasted even better than it had that first night, when Eleanor had been so new and lost. Sarah tutted and muttered as she wove Eleanor’s hair into a single long plait, it sounded like Matthew would be getting quite a talking-to later.

Cadan looked at her thoughtfully. “I don’t see why Evan Smith was so huffy, anyone can see you’re the prettiest girl in the village, hair loose or braided.”

Sarah chuckled and said to Eleanor. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

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