The Soldier~
Sethlyan Callan
Glenayre, Aleron
“Innocence ends. Respites do not last. When the cauldron boiled over, its scald reached us even in the seclusion of Glenayre.”
Seth nuzzled Isobel’s hair as she slept. Her back nestled against his chest in that comfortable fit he’d missed. The cattle drove had kept him away too long. He breathed in her sweet scent of evergreens and roses. She smelled like home.
Mist from the Jess chased moonlight through an open window on a rare warm autumn night. Crickets chirped in chorus, and cows lowed in a distant pasture. Soft little snores rose from Nathalyan’s crib at the foot of their bed. It sounded like home.
Seth rested his hand on Isobel’s belly. The slight swell that had been there before he left was a nice round bump now. This one would be
