Thayer was utterly fascinated with his daughter, Sonja. Tiny, pink-cheeked and lively, she stared up at her father with wide curious eyes.
Her tuft of hair resembled the shade of her father. Daughters of centaurs, it was said, shared little resemblance to their fathers when they were first born. But it was in their later years, when they start to develop into young women, do their gifts reveal themselves. Some have gifts in healing, acute hearing, others in the hunt.
He kissed Sonja and covered her warmly with a blanket. He looked forward to the day Sonja's own gift would be discovered.
Beside their daughter, mother slept peacefully. Exhausted from the birthing, Thayer let Rose continue to sleep through the day.
He could hardly believe that only yesterday, little Sonja was still in her mother's belly. Then he smiled. He remembered his wager. He looked forward to that, as well.
***
That same day, Callum sought out Polonius. He politely refused the tea Katherine offered and chose to go straight to the point.
"Lila will be my mate."
"We wondered when you would come to your senses, Callum." Katherina laughed. Polonius nodded in approval.
"The maiden is worthy and you have my blessing, Callum. Why did you not bring her here with you?"
"She is visiting with Laura, since it is close to her time."
"May we expect the ceremony in three days time?"
"Aye, Polonius."
The Elder came forth and rested a hand on Callum's shoulder. "We know of your tragic past and like all tragedy, it must be treated with patience. Accepted, the pain eventually fades. But I have watched you keep it deep within, denying comfort of others."
Callum swallowed. "It was my pain to bear alone."
"Aye, but you must remember that with your new mate, you are no longer alone."
Callum nodded. He knew this and the thought lightened his heart.
"She will help you heal."
Those very words stuck with him for the rest of the day. He went to Thayer first, though hating to tear him away from his new daughter. But his older brother was delighted in participating in the construction of Callum's mating bed. As brothers and cousin began, Laura was kind enough to prepare Lila.
***
Soren worked diligently. His skill with the wood was almost as good as Callum's. Almost.
Thayer had always been the leader, the motivator. Callum possessed talents with woodwork and iron. Soren was the hunter. Like all centaurs, he knew these trees better than any human could. But his hearing was sharper than other centaurs, and his aim with the arrow more true. In the camp, he was called a provider.
It had been on one of these hunting trips when he came upon her. He'd gone farther than he planned, through the pass between hills. It was a tiny one-room home, built of logs and thatch.
It struck him as odd that it stood alone. It was more usual for families to live close to others. Those who braved the world living in the middle of nowhere asked for trouble.
Curious, Soren watched. The habitants were only a woman and child. No husband was in sight. He knew, for he went back again -- twice -- and saw no male protecting them. Had the man died?
The woman was a beauty. Her flowing hair was the color of flames. The child walked awkwardly, an indication that it just learned to do so. Was it her child? Or a sibling? Her child, he guessed. Her coat was thick and shapeless, but he could imagine those hips were nicely rounded from carrying a child.
"I see Soren now longs for a woman of his own." Xavier chuckled.
Soren looked up from his thoughts. With him were centaurs already mated.
"Have a maiden in mind, young one?" Thayer asked, lifting one wooden board into place.
"Perhaps." The red-haired beauty sprung to mind.
"Kidnap her, then!" Xavier hammered in a nail, connecting the boards together. "Waiting serves no purpose."
Soren shrugged. No centaur had ever brought a woman who wasn't a maiden into the camp. This ensured no infectious human diseases to spread, but also it avoided the problem of any mature human children to give away their camp location. It was one thing to raise a babe from infancy, but to ask a full-grown child to adjust to Centaurian life? They could resent it and tell all to the first human they have contact with.
He had a feeling the woman he wanted was no maiden. Which made his feelings for her a problem.
***
"You don't need to be doing so much." Callum said upon entering. He found Lila hard at work, chopping things up for dinner. "Didn't Laura tell you brides are exempt from work until the ceremony?"
She smiled. "She'll need all the help she can get with the baby here now. And Rose isn't in any condition to provide food."
Laura had given birth just that morning to a healthy son.
"You've a kind soul, Lila." He came up behind her and she leaned back against him.
"Our own supper is almost done. But I want to get these two pots done so we can bring them to your family. Why not have Soren come eat with us? I would think he's feeling a bit lonely, and he's worked hard all day on our bed."
"I think he will mate soon."
