Parsnips and Paws
Maire was cleaning the last of the parsnips when Thom came in early for the evening meal. She glanced up, surprised to see him. One look and the smile faded from her face. It was time. She wiped her hands on her apron and set a protective hand on Conn's head as he stood by her side in the kitchen.
"So, yer' to be leavin' then, come the rise?
"That's the way of it, Maire," replied Thom evenly. He saw her compulsively scratching Conn's rangy head. That blonde hound had taken root with her. He should not have let him stay in the house so long, but he was such a comfort to her and it had been too hard to ask her to let go. Now it seemed it would be harder still to ask her to let Conn go on the hunt in the morning.
"Will ye be taking Conn with ye?"
"Aye, he's one of the pack, and I've a doubt that young Coll would be much of a hunter without him. I've the notion those two hunt as a pair, odd as it seems."
"I had the mind that Coll and Cait were hide-bound now,"
"I canna' be takin Cait along. She's too far with pup, tho' I canna see how that can be. Still she's heavy and I need her here with you if her time comes. So she will stay and Conn must go." He said this while taking off his jacket and turned from her so he did not have to see the disappointment in her eyes.
"Will ye be gone long?"
"As long as it takes to get a decent amount of meat and fur for trade and larder. We havena' got what we need to see us through, and this is the last trip I think we will be able to make 'fore the season ends. I will be as fast as I can, Maire." He looked at her again and could not take the welling-up of sadness in the small room. "I best check on the others," and he left with no coat to protect him so harsh was his need to escape.
Maire looked from him to the gun that he had leaned against the wall. A shiver ran through her. She could not shake the feeling that she would not be seeing Conn again if he went along on this hunt. She started to say something and stopped, turning back to the parsnips instead. She began to slice them for the stew, methodically cleaving them into thin slivers that would boil into softness and add flavor. Her vision blurred as the unwanted tears welled. She pulled her arm across her eyes to clear them, working to steady herself with a deep breath. She heard the thump as one of the tubers hit the floor and felt the gentle nudge at her waist as Conn offered it back to her. That was her undoing. She dropped the knife to sit on the floor and hug the hound to her. Conn towered over her in this position, his head bowed to her shoulder as she ran her hands along his neck and cried.
The blonde lowered himself to the ground and inched his way into her lap, settling there as her tears abated, and they lay with Maire draped over him like a protective blanket. Which is how Thom found them when he came back in from the pens. He left them as they were and finished the parsnips, adding them to the bubbling pot, not even bothering to wash his hands. Then he sat in Maire's reading chair and waited for her to come to her senses.
Dinner was a quiet and painful affair, with Conn unable to find a comfortable spot between the two of them. Eventually the hound gave up and settled near the fire. It was as if he could sense the discord and, not wanting to choose one or the other of the humans, had stepped out of the equation. Maire did the cleaning up, not giving Thom a chance to support her with even the slightest bit of help as he usually would.
She took up her book and the hound made its way to her chair. Conn stared at her as she read silently for awhile and then placed one giant paw on the book, pressing it down into her lap. Then he leveled himself out with both paws atop the book and stared right into her eyes.
"All right, ye win, ye big blonde beasty,' she smiled. She brushed the hound's paws off her lap and moved the book. Rising she went to Thom. "I'm sorry, I just have this feelin' that I won't be seeing Conn again if he goes with ye, but I know he must go." She settled into Thom's lap then with a sigh. "Tis the way, as ye say."
Thom smiled and held his wife. He had a good life.
In the morn, she packed his bags and prepared the kit for the hounds, a few odds and ends for small injuries and a short book, just in case Conn persuaded Thom to read. She knew it was pure fancy and Thom would certainly chide her for the extra weight, but the hound loved the sound of words. She was truly going to miss both of her "men" as she had come to think of them. As Thom prepared the hounds from the pen, she took Conn aside. She brushed him down with her hands and fed him the remains of their hasty early breakfast. "I just want ye to know that whatever comes, ye have brought a light to my life, my blonde beast. Be safe, Conn, and if ye can, come home to me." Then she opened the door and let him out to join the pack. He turned and gave her a nudge, then ran to Coll.
Thom was having no end of problems getting the young grey's attention. Coll was nose to nose with Cait, who remained in the pen. It did not seem to matter what volume or pitch Thom used to call the pack into order, Coll simply was not listening. It was with great relief that Thom saw Conn join the younger pup and turn him toward the pack, even nipping him in the rear to get him to move.
Finally, as one they set out. As they neared the edge of the forest with the last view of the cottage and its clearing, Thom turned to look back. Maire was there in the pen with Cait giving her a good rub. He smiled. Conn and Coll were watching also, some of the tension between them releasing as Coll saw Maire and Cait together.
Then the vision was lost and the pack was off on the final hunt.
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