"How can I ever thank you enough for saving all of our lives?"

Without thinking Aura replied: "Just raise them to be good and strong in their support of your Lord Thorn."

She turned to leave them and her eyes fell on the frame of her husband, standing not four feet from her. She blushed deep in her embarra.s.sment, feeling as if she had been caught saying something she would rather he not have heard. She felt the heat of his gaze upon her as she lowered her eyes and a moment later, she ran from the building.

Aura was not alone in her confusion, as Thorn felt himself at a sudden loss as to what to do. Should he leave her on her own for a while, or should he follow? He decided to leave her be.

Nor was he given a chance to change his mind, as he might have done, for one of his men came barging into the house to relay a message to him of a disaster at the building site. Thorn sighed, in a way he would have rather have gone after Aura, but he supposed she would be waiting for him, when he returned to their own home. She always was, albeit asleep.

CHAPTER XXI.

In tears Aura ran to the place she had designated as her bathing area and threw herself on the ground under a tree. That woman, she realized, could have been her nine months from now. She remembered how close she had been to giving herself to Thorn earlier in the day and felt a deep and sudden fear of the future. During this period of time there were few differences between women of the cla.s.ses when it came to childbirth. This woman had been very lucky that she had received some sort of help for without it she and the children would have died.

What made things seem even worse was the fear that if it was her turn she might not be so lucky. Despite this, she knew that if Thorn were to come to her at this very moment and take her into his arms, she would be able to deny him nothing. She would revel in his touch. She would not be able to help herself.

She got herself under control enough to wash both herself and her nightgown, as she had been covered with blood from the birthing. After she dried off she curled up beneath a tree and fell asleep.

She woke to the sun shining fully on her face, a warm summer breeze blew in from above, and she felt totally disoriented. Nothing seemed to be where it should be. She got up to look closer at her surroundings and realized immediately where she was. She was back in the hole she had climbed into three years earlier. She climbed out, still clad in her nightgown and searched for her camping gear almost willing to believe it had all been a big horrible dream. Finding nothing, she raced home, where she found her stepfather. Alone.

"Aura!" He paled, looking as if he had just seen a ghost.

She rushed to his side to help him to a chair, where he sat for a moment looking at her in amazement.

"Are you alright?" Aura asked her stepfather.

Her voice penetrated his shock and he grabbed her by the arms as he asked. "Where have you been? We looked everywhere. When we could not find you we thought you dead. It has been three years Aura, three years!"

"Has it really been that long?" She sounded her disbelief. That meant that what she had hoped had been dreams must have been reality.

"Yes." Her stepfather confirmed.

"Then it was no dream." Aura spoke quietly, as if in awe, before continuing. "Father, you would never begin to be able to believe where I have been or the things I have done.

"Try me Aura, we looked everywhere for you." His voice turned bitter the more he spoke. "Why did you leave like that? Did you have so little faith in us that you thought we could not change? Did you really think I would allow my family to continue to treat you as the outsider?"

Aura looked thoughtful for a moment then answered. "Give me time to change clothes father. What I am going to tell you is going to take a long time to tell. Are any of my things left?"

"Your room is exactly as it was when you left. Just in case we were wrong about your disappearance." Her stepfather a.s.sured her.

She nodded then made her way up to her old room. He had been right nothing had been touched, except to keep it clean. Even Roger's old blanket still lay on the floor of the closet where he had slept when they had lived here. She picked it up and held it to her cheek.

"I gather Roger is no longer with you." Her step father spoke as he followed her into the room."

"No. He is not." She confirmed the obvious. "He was killed. I missed him for quite a while."

"Would you like another to replace him Aura?" Her stepfather asked.

"I am not sure. I am not sure of anything anymore, or at least not yet." And Aura sounded every bit as lost as she felt.

"What happened Aura, where did you go?" He pressed.

"I really have no idea." She looked at him with a distant expression and asked. "Would you believe me if I said I went back in time?"

"I think I might have a bit of trouble with that." He confessed with a bit of a smile.

"So do I, but that is what happened." Aura answered.

"Then I want to know about it Aura and I mean all of it."

"I returned to my excavation site, after the scene at the party, and went to sleep. When I woke up I was no longer in this time. Roger was with me, as were all my supplies. I lived in the cave for about a year and then I decided to travel, to find out more about the world that surrounded me." Aura paused for a moment in thought then continued.

"Father, you would never begin to believe the conditions. People lived like animals, without knowledge. They lived without the benefit of medical help and, for the most part, they didn't even care. Men fought in battle with swords and axes, with a bare minimum of protection. You would have to see the butchery caused by those conditions to believe them. I tried to help, but it was hard."

"There were so many times I almost stopped sewing up the gashes on people to throw up, but I didn't, I would never have dared. I doubt if I would have had the gumption to keep on if I would have done something like that."

"Even the powerful and wealthy live a deprived life compared to what we know, although some of their homes were huge. There is little comfort beyond what people derive from each other and that is precious little. I walked amongst some of the elite of the land and was treated as an equal. I was, however, a woman and was not allowed the freedom to choose my own future."

"What happened?" Her stepfather spoke for the first time since she had started to speak.

She looked at him as she answered. "I was gifted to one of the great warlords of the time, to be his wife."

"Did you consent to marry this man?"

"I had no choice. I felt that I was living in a dream, but no matter what, I did not wake up. It was impossible to escape from what was happening. I still have a hard time believing that it was any more than a dream, though it was so real."

"If it was a dream Aura, where did the blood stains on your nightgown come from?"

"Bloodstains?" She continued sounding lost as she looked down at the discoloration on her clothing. She immediately started to explain. "I spent the early part of the morning helping to deliver twins. The woman had a hard time delivering." She stopped, blinking in shocked realization as it struck her that she had, in fact, actually lived through the scene. She looked at her stepfather and spoke in awe. "It was not a dream, was it father?"

He sunk onto the bed to sit beside her and replied. "I have no idea. I do know though that you are back and this time you are going to stay. Things are going to be different for you. You are going to have parties and everything else we can offer. You will want for nothing. Not this time."

Without even giving the matter further thought Aura opened her mouth and protested. "It is impossible father. I am married." She then stopped to give a deep thoughtful sigh. "I guess by now he would be dead. Does that make me a widow? Or does it make the whole thing something that never happened."

"I don't know, but I will give you a bit of free advice. Never tell anyone else about this and by that I especially mean your mother. She would probably want to have you committed for believing such a story possible, even if you did live it yourself in reality."

"I am not so sure I believe it even happened now that I am back. After all, what proof do I have to support it?"

He pointed at the spots on her nightgown then took her left hand to finger her wedding ring. "I think you have some basis for your story. We are on our own for the next few weeks, so you will not have to face the rest of the family yet. This is one redeeming feature. So what would you like to do with your time now that you are back?"

"I want to go shopping and to generally make sure I am back home for real."

"I would be happy to take you about." He offered.

Aura nodded then suggested he leave so she could change for their forage into the shops. She was going to go on a shopping spree like she had never done before.

Aura's father was waiting for her when she emerged from her room. He led her to a table in the drawing room and presented her with a mult.i.tude of gifts, all still wrapped in birthday and Christmas paper. He smiled at her look of surprise and chuckled as she asked.

"Is this all for me?"

"I refused to let anyone give up on you. I told them that you would return someday and that we should have something here to show how much we cared. I saved every present so that when you did come back they would be here for you. I want you to open your gifts now, before we leave."

So she sat on the sofa and unwrapped her presents, jewels and perfumes and a fur coat, and when she was finished she looked at the gifts before her and sighed. There was no warmth in anything given. Things had not really changed after all. Only her stepfather's gifts showed any signs of feeling and they were jewels in the real sense, making the other presents look cheap in comparison.

"They are all beautiful father, all of them and I would like to thank everyone for their thoughtfulness."

"You will get your chance in two weeks."

"It hardly seems as if I have been gone for three years," she spoke as she got up. "Where did the time go?"

Her stepfather led her out of the house, speaking as they headed for his car. "I am going to give you the wardrobe your sisters take for granted. Then you can take your place at the parties beside them."

"I may be able to take my place beside them from time to time father, but I am going to be too busy for parties most of the time." Aura spoke decisively.

"Really?" Her statement peaked his interest. His own daughters never thought of doing anything worthwhile to keep busy and he wondered what was going to keep Aura so occupied. To his daughters their social life was the focal point of their existence. "What have you in mind that will take so much of your time?"

"I am going to go to medical school as I had originally planned. That is if one will have me. My marks were good enough but I have not attended a school for three years. I am not so sure they will accept me under those terms."

He had forgotten about her medical ambitions and wondered just how much more he had forgotten about her in the years she had been away. As far as he could see she had changed but not in matters where it was important.

"We can check on courses tomorrow, today we will shop exclusively for party gowns and such nonsense. Today is a day for celebration and that is just what we are going to do."

Aura smiled and nodded her head in agreement. It was going to be fun to go shopping for a change, not only because it was something she had not done for a long time, but because she had been called beautiful enough times during her absence from home, for her to want to feel attractive. She had also acquired enough self confidence to know what would suit her and what would not.

Her first purchase was a form fitting black velvet gown. It had a high collar edged in gold gilded embroidery and outside of a golden belt, which encircled her waist twice before tying in front to land before her, the rest of the dress remained completely unadorned. She liked the simplicity and when she tried it on, her stepfather thought it made her look elegantly dramatic. He bought her a set of golden leaf spray hair clips as an accessory.

The second gown Aura bought was a dusky shade of violet blue in chiffon and lace, which matched the color of her eyes. It fit snug in the bodice then flared from the waist to bellow out about her feet. The third gown ended up being her stepfather's choice.

"Remember the simple white gown you chose the last time we went shopping?"

Aura nodded, but did not tell him that it had served as her wedding gown. She then wrinkled her nose in a preoccupied manner, in a silent show of distaste at a deep red sequin gown that a model had been in the midst of showing for her. She waved the model away and turned to her stepfather.

"I have bought you a replacement that is anything but simple." He spoke with enthusiasm. "Nor will I give you a chance to say no to it Aura. It is yours."

She looked at the gown for a moment, as he held it before her by the multiple shoulder string straps and she gasped at the outrageousness of the design.

"How in the world would I ever get up the nerve to wear something like that father! And if I did, where would I wear it?"

"It is perfectly decent Aura so do not tell me otherwise. You sound like a prude. Well, never mind, you will either get used to the idea, or," he teased with a twinkle in his eyes, "someday you will find a special man to wear it for. One who would appreciate the way it will look on you. Either way, it is yours."

They left the store after that, to spend the next four hours roaming about, buying what she considered essentials. Practical clothing that she would be wearing on an everyday basis. By the end of the day she was exhausted and more than happy to call it a day. Her purchases would be delivered the next afternoon and she promised herself a private fashion show. Her morning would be taken up by interviews at the university. She knew her father had enough power to guarantee her immediate consideration. Money was the one thing that was universally understood everywhere.

Her life was about to take a new twist. It was going to get back on track, and as far as she was concerned it was not a moment too soon.

CHAPTER XXII.

The first real sign Thorn had that something was amiss came in the late evening. When Aura had disappeared Wolf had set up a loud, shrill, keening howl. It was a sound that sent shivers down his back as he heard it. Ignoring the warning, he entered the house expecting to find Aura waiting for him with a warm fire in the hearth and a meal. They had gotten into the habit of eating meals that she prepared. She, he thought with a smile, would give him a fond scolding, berate him for being so late and spoiling his meal then sit him down to eat. His lateness, however, could not have been avoided. He had been plagued with troubles on this day as he had never been before.

First, the part of the wall that they had laid the day before had collapsed, as the mixture that had formed the mortar had been weak. He had gone over the entire wall and had been relieved to find that the fallen piece had been the only faulty spot. He had helped the men to rebuild the wall then started on the portion he had hoped to get done during this day. It had not helped that the morning had been spent watching over Aura as she had delivered the babies. He had never felt so close to her before, almost as if he had become a part of her, even if his part had been no more than that of a bystander.

Thorn had felt a great pride in what his wife had done. He had seen the love and respect his people had viewed her with. He had felt as if his heart was bursting with happiness. When she had answered their request for aid as she had, he had known for sure that he had been right about her right from the start. G.o.d had answered his prayers. Her soul was his soul's one true mate.

He looked at the dimly lit house, the cold hearth, and listened to the echo that sounded its emptiness. Where was Aura? She should have been back a long time ago. He knew she had been confused and overwhelmed by the events of that day, but she had never been gone this long before. Was she already sleeping? He dismissed the idea, she would have still started a fire and there would have been food left out for him. Could something have happened to her?

Wolf lifted his head and keened his lament to the expanse once more and this time Thorn gave the mournful sound his attention. Tearing out of the house to answer the summons, Thorn ran through the surrounding forest as he followed the Wolf's repeated alarm, until he reached the animal. Wolf was under the tree where Aura had fallen asleep.

The wolf whined as he saw his master and crawled to him on his belly, whimpering as he did in a pitiful fashion as he cast desperate pleading eyes onto the man before him.

Thorn fell to his knees before the suffering wolf, driven by a sudden uncontrollable urge to comfort the grief ridden animal, and reflected. It was the first time he had really held the wolf, the first time he had been needed by him. It had always been Aura who the dog had turned to in the past and the actions of the wolf confounded him. What had happened here? Where was his wife?

He looked about, searching for signs of either a struggle, Aura herself, or signs of her whereabouts. He found nothing outside of traces of where she had lain.

Where was Aura? He felt as if a hand had encircled his heart and was now squeezing it. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable. He looked at the wolf still held in his arms and wished that he could do as the wolf had done, howl his grief and misery to the skies. She was alive somewhere, he could feel it in his blood, in every fiber of his being. SHE. WAS. ALIVE.

Thorn got up and spoke to the wolf. "Come, we go to look for Aura." When the wolf did not get up immediately he looked into his intelligent eyes and spoke further. "Why do I get the feeling that if you could talk you would be able to tell me exactly what happened? Were you gone when she left?" He put his hands on the wolf's head as he bent over him and answered his own question. "No, for if she would have left in any manner you would have followed her scent until you had found her. So what do we do Wolf?"

The wolf went to the tree and lied down, rested his head on his paws as he watched the man before him and whimpered. Thorn sat beside him and scratched him behind his ears. "So we sit and wait?" Thorn gave a long and audible sigh. "I hope you are right Wolf, but even if you are, I must ride. First to Edwin and then to Vernon to tell them of her disappearance, perhaps, somehow, she will appear either at my brother's or Vernon's. She cannot just have vanished."

She had to. She had to come back to him. He loved her.

Together, man and wolf walked back to their home. Thorn looked about as he entered the house and choked on tears he could no longer control. There were signs of her everywhere he looked. The floors she had sanded smooth and covered with substances until they shone. The white washed walls, the clean fresh smell of the whole house. There were also special decorating touches that he considered solely Aura's. Flowers spread about in what she had called vases, a shoe left behind in her rush to get out of the house in order to help the woman in trouble. Who was helping her, was there anyone out there protecting her? He fell to his knees, raised clenched fists to his tear drenched face and yelled to fill the emptiness that surrounded him.

"Why Aura, why? I could have made you happy. Please, come back to me."

The wolf whimpered pitifully as he nuzzled him and Thorn drew him to himself, to dig his face into the animal's deep lush fur as he continued to cry.

Thorn woke to the wolf licking at his face. It was cold in the house and he was lying on the floor. The door was still open from the day before and the sun was in mid morning position. Aura was definitely not here.

"We cannot stay Wolf, we have to go. I think I will go crazy if I stay here now." He spoke with a gravelly, hoa.r.s.e voice. His body felt as if he was on fire. Aura would have known what to do if she were here. She would have taken care of him, but she was gone. He was alone and foremost in his mind was getting away. If she came back while he was gone she would wait for him, he was sure of that. He then wondered how he had ever come to feel so much for her in the short time he had known her. He felt as if someone had torn him in two.

Thorn's command to get his horse was done with reluctant haste. The lord's word was law no matter what his state his health was in. These were his lands, his people. The stable boy knew that the Lady Aura would not be happy about her Lord traveling while sick. The boy led the horse to his master and within seconds they were tearing down the trail at full gallop, with the wolf hot on their heels. The stable boy stood there and stared. The wolf never went anywhere without the Lady Aura! What had happened to their Lady?

Thorn arrived at his bother's a half a day later, delirious and with horse and wolf almost ran to death. Edwin caught him as he tumbled from the stallion's back and issued orders for the horse to be cared for, while he half carried his brother into the house.

"Elizabeth," Edwin bellowed. "Elizabeth, bring help."

Elizabeth came running to her husband's side, bringing a couple of burly servants along with her, and had them take Thorn from him. She had seen Thorn's condition from the window and had known without being told that Edwin would need help. She ordered them to carry him up to a bedroom, removed from that of the children, in case he was sick with something contagious. She then had him laid on the bed, where he groaned and woke.

Thorn managed to stay consciousness long enough to weakly grab Edwin by the arm as he croaked. "Aura is gone, disappeared. I have no idea how or where. Need you to watch for her in case she comes here. I love her Edwin, I cannot live without her." He pa.s.sed out again and Edwin exchanged a look with his wife from across the bed.

"He is out of his mind with whatever ails him. We shall see to him then find out what really happened. Aura must be leading him a merry chase. I have a hard time believing that she would leave him sick like this. She is a healer. She would never desert anyone who was sick. It is not in her nature to do so."

"Well I think that rather than leaving him to go haring back to his place, we should wait until his fever breaks and he wakes. Perhaps he will make more sense after he has rested." Elizabeth suggested.

Edwin nodded his agreement and sighed. Elizabeth was generally right in things like this and was often noted as the more levelheaded of the two of them. Thorn had made great sport of teasing him about it in the past.

Thorn's fever raged for almost a week and both Edwin and Elizabeth wondered what he was raving about in his delirium. Had Aura left him? If she had how had the wolf managed to get left behind? The questions raced through Edwin's mind and he waited for his brother to wake with great impatience.

The wolf proved to be a G.o.dsend. He had made short work of many of the rats that lived nearby, which Elizabeth was grateful for. He spent most of his time in his master's room, guarding him. Despite everything, Elizabeth found she could not seem to bring herself to overcome her fear of the animal. He was, after all, a wolf.