Addie and Neth were in deep slumber in the back room of the old farm house. The two wounded women were well on their way to being free of the confines of bed rest. Xanerian and Ahmo had departed leaving Masin as the Warden of the Wounded. A task he did not take lightly. He was settled in by the fire for the evening, not to sleep but to gather his thoughts and guard the door.
Masin laid back on the bench with his head propped up on a pillow, his knees bent, and his feet pressed into the armrest of the bench. He had pulled out a leather bound book from his pack and a pencil. He opened it, and his thumb flipped several pages in. Drawings of buildings that he had seen in Rohan and on this journey away from there filled the pages as his thumb flipped past. Some of the pages held the lyrics to songs his mother use to sing to him. The other pages had drawings for the house he wanted to build in the spring. He stopped on a blank page and rested the book on his thighs. He tapped the pencil on the page but many thoughts about plans that needed to be made and possible futures that could be, filled his head and the pencil did not move. The thoughts made him let out a hushed, huff of a laugh. So much for not making plans he thought, then shook his head as he realized there was always some kind of plan.
He smoothed his beard between his thick fingers then sat up, simultaneously shutting the book and setting it down next to him on the bench. He stood and walked over to the fire. He was still thinking about his conversation with Xanderian. Masin had not allowed himself to think there was a way for him to be someone Addie might chose to make her happy. He did not know there was a way to free her of her obligation, other than one and this news had his thoughts and heart racing. He poked at the fire and placed a few more logs on to keep it going throughout the night, then stood up and paced the floor. He wondered, did Addie have feelings for him she kept hidden because of her obligations?
Masin looked into the back room to see if the fire needed any wood. He saw it was low and brought in a few logs. His steps were soft, not wanting to wake either of the sleeping women. He did pause for a moment and glanced at Addie, her head was turned away and her light golden locks flowed over the cover that kept her warm. He quickly looked away not wanting to invade her privacy. Masin silently went to work on adding the logs to their fire. His large frame rose up then he turned to leave Addie and Neth to rest warmly through the rest of the night.
He left the room, picked the book up and shoved it back in his pack, then exited the building. It was time for one of his nightly patrols and he was ready for the cool night air to help his focus return to the task at hand.
