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To the Highest Bidder Goes the Prize (Chuckeles/butterfly040

"I believe my lass commanded you to stay down?" A firm voice cut through the air. The girl's father stood in the doorway, looking in upon them. Before anything else, "Maddie, go out and help your brother." Obeying her father at once, the girl left his side and she was soon replaced at his bedside by the older man, looking big and strong. "I took at great risk taking you into my home. A stranger and all. I should like to know if my choice was a safe or not not before I let my daughter near you again. So then... who are you and what were you doing on the river bank like that?"
 
Lund watches the Girl go shaking his head softly. "I appreciate your risk. I know you don't know me but I won't harm you or your family." He lays back covering his head for a few moments. "As for your other questions I. I can't answer you. I don't know my name or how I came to be in that river."
 
"Aww, so that bash to the head we sealed up took more from you then your blood. It took your memories as well. Well then a man that can't remember his own name is no serious threat for the time. The winter is close at hand. You will need a place to stay through it and I could use an extra set of hands around the house. I suppose you do owe me for taking you in. You can work off the debt of saving your sorry life," the man rose up and headed for the door. "You'll remain in that bed a while longer still, until you are well and all healed up. Don't want to waste time on resealing things I already sealed once."
 
Lund nods softly as he rubs his hands together. "I don't mean to be a burden. I can move along if you wish for me to." He rubs his head softly as he tenses his fist laying back on the bed. "I wish I could remember what happened to me. I feel like I've lost something important." He closes his eyes once more.

Angus returns to his and Nessas room knowing Kiana will be inside. He walks in covered in mud and scratched up swallowing. He has returned from a day of searching the look on his face making it easy to see what the result of the days search has been.
 
"I might be a bastard at times lad, but I won't put out a broken and bruised man with no memory to fend for himself. You can stay awhile. Perhaps you will remember something in time and realize you have a place to return to. Until them, you may call my farm a temporary home." The farmer leaves Lund alone then to continue his healing.

---

Kiana looks up, hopeful as the door opens, her face falling though when she sees it is just Angus, all alone again. Nessa stepped up beside her, placing her hand upon her shoulder. Kiana just shook her head, "Tomorrow.... maybe you will find him tomorrow..."
 
Lund nods softly. "Thank you sir. I'll do my best to help you around the farm." He lays back once more his eyes slipping shut as he coughs softly. He rolls on to his side shivering as he pulls the blanket over himself as he starts to drift off once more.

Angus nods softly. "We haven't finished searching just yet. There's plenty of river bank to search. I'm sure we can find him Kiana." He moves to sit down his shoulders sinking slightly exhausted from the day of riding and climbing as they searched.
 
She sighed a little, "You don't think you will find him alive...... do you?" She asked Angus quite openly but before he could answer she raised up her hand, "No, don't answer that. I don't want to hear what you think. I know in my heart that Lund is still alive. If he was not, I would feel it in my heart and soul. I still feel him. He is out there somewhere."
 
Angus sighs softly as he takes her hand squeezing it gently. "I hope he is alive as well Kiana but I dont see how he could have survived that fall. We are searching as quickly as we can. The river current is strong there and its not easy to tell how far down the river he was swept before he washed ashore." He glances at Nessa his eyes pleading with her for help.
 
Before Nessa could aid him, Kiana shook her head once again, "No... he is alive Angus. Until you bring me a body to prove to me otherwise, I will never believe him dead and gone. Even if I grow old and gray and never see him again, I will still think him alive. Even if he never comes back to me, I will hope he is well." Her eyes fill with tears a she speaks and she wraps her arms over his belly, "And in the mean time, while I wait for him, I till hold a piece of him with me... because I'm pregnant."\

((Keep going with this time frame or skip a bit?))
 
Angus glances at Nessa hearing Kiana's confession of being pregnant. "Did you ever get a chance to tell Lund?" He takes Nessa's hand squeezing it softly as he stands tugging his boots off swallowing softly. "I know you will hold on to him Kiana. I promise I will search for him for as long as I can." He sighs softly. "I must go report to Lunds father."

(lets skip)
 
She had never told him for she did not want to tell him only to prove it was a false alarm. Did not want to get her husband's hopes high only to let the drop. One more week and it would have marked the two month marker and she would have told him feeling it safe to say it was no mistake. But he was out there now, not knowing. She could not let herself think anything less then that. She would not ever give up her hope.

---

Months passed. Lund's father called Angus off the search after the first month, declaring that his sons were both dead then and while it was never spoken, Kiana knew that any hope for the line to continue lay inside her belly. If she carried a son within her, he would grow to take the place that would have been his father's, but it it were a girl... she felt terrible knowing she would only then be an unwanted burden upon Lund's family which would feel an obligation to care for her when she was no good to them. As she stood looking out the window over the lands heavy with white snow, piled high all around, her hand rested upon her just rounding belly, stroking the child within lovingly as she wondered to herself, 'Oh Lund... what has become of you, truly?'
 
Lund pulls his cloak tighter as he helps the farmer cut wood. He ignores the blisters that have formed determined to earn his way around the small farm. Once he has enough wood cut he stacks it up pausing as he glances towards the horizon feeling as if he is missing something that seems just out of his grasp. He turns hearing a soft laugh seeing the farmers daughter watching him. He offers her a soft smile as he goes back to the chores.

Angus with a weary heart continues training the guard determined to make them better even if there isnt a threat yet. He takes a break going to speak with Nessa smiling as he kisses her cheek. "Darling I was thinking perhaps we should offer Kiana a chance to room with us. I dont feel comfortable with her being alone in those rooms."
 
"I have thought the same but then I stepped in to watch her sleep one night. She sleeps holding his pillow like it where him, never really straying to spot her lied in. As it he were still there. I couldn't bare to take her from it when she truly still believes in her heart that he is going to come back to her. And with our babe so close at hand, I don't want to distress her with the thought of raising that babe of hers on her own sooner then it needs to." She shook her head softly and sighed, "I wish you could have found proof of he death to show her. She really will not give up hope until he returns. She will slowly waste her life away waiting for something that will not ever come."

The farmer's daughter had taken a liking to the handsome stranger. His growing beard made him seem to very masculine and strong. She was still young, but close to and age for marrying so of course her mind wandered to thoughts of such a possibility. Since he had no name, she hand named him her own little nick name for him. "Bear," she called him for that thick beard on his face and his strong form that seemed to only grow stronger as he healed and got his strength back again, "Take a break for a while. Come, I heated some cider. Share a drink with me."
 
Angus nods softly. "I feel terrible for her Nessa. I truly believe Lund would be miserable if he had married anyone else but that girl." He sighs as he sits on the edge of their bed. "I wish I could have found some proof for her but the current was so strong and we searched for miles." He places his head in his hands shaking softly. "I may not be able to take his place but Im going to help her as much as I can."

Lund smiles as he drops a load of fire wood stacking it as he feels her eyes on him. He has let his beard grow getting fuller and abit shaggier. He lets the name Maddie gave him be his name since he cant remember his own. He turns towards her at her words nodding slightly. "Well something warm to drink certainly sounds good." His feet move turning to follow her to where the cider is.
 
Oh course it was inside, "Warm cider by the warm fire of course. It's the winter, there is no other way to do it." She handed him a mug and sat with him there. The conversation was light at first before she suddenly asked him, seemingly out of no where, "You know, I'm going to be 17 in the spring. Papa says that's more then a proper age for a girl to be getting herself married and starting a family..."
 
Lund takes the mug wrapping his fingers around it as he thanks her for the cup. He sips at it as they talk enjoying the conversation with her. He swallows as the conversation turns serious suddenly. "Well Im sure you will find a man your age who will take care of you." He doesnt seem to realize what she means as he takes another sip from his glass.
 
"Well..." Maddie said, blushing a little bit as she lowers her eyes and smiles, "Papa says that it's better for a girl to marry someone older so he can take care of her. A man needs to earn his wife and his land and learn how to care for them. A man more around your age is more about the age Papa always suggested I focus on wedding."
 
Lund stands softly as he stares into the mug. "May I have a refill perhaps." He waits for her to refill it as he thinks for a few moments. "I dont know if that would be proper Maddie. I dont think your father would want you marrying someone as old as me." He sighs softly as he scratches his beard swirling his mug softly.
 
She stands and moves across the space to him with a pitcher, filling the cup up to him yet remaining close still even after she was done refilling for him, "It was Papa's idea. He got me to thinking about it. He might not be the friendliest to you but he knows you are a good workers and a kind hearted man. He knows you would do good here on the farm, especially since my brother wishes to go off and join the army rather then remain here on the farm."
 
Lund glances down at her his eyes locking on to hers. He studies her eyes for a moment before moving over her face slowly. "You dont even know anything about me Maddie. I dont know know anything about me." He laughs softly shaking his head but he doesnt move away from her despite the feeling of nervousness washing over him.
 
"We have more then some people do when they marry. And you don't have to say yes now. I just wanted to, you know... bring it up. We still have the rest of winter to get through." Moving away, she put the pitcher down and drank again from her own cup. "I turn 17 in four months. Think about it and you can give me and answer then."
 
Lund lets out a slow breath as she moves away wiping at his brow. "Four months is a long time Maddie. But Ill think about it alright?" He sighs as he takes a few deep drinks from his glass. "I should be getting back to work. I dont want your father thinking Im slacking off." He sets the glass down his body brushing against hers as he makes his way back outside.
 
There was no real attraction between them as their bodies touched that little bit. She had more of a sweet, sisterly affection for him and she honestly thought that was all she needed for a proper marriage. "Thank you so very much, just for thinking about it if nothing else."
 
Lund nods softly as he heads back into the cold. He keeps working on his chores enjoying the burn from working. He goes back to working on the wood making the stack nice and large. He then goes to the barn starting to feed the cattle working efficiently.
 
"My lass went and talked to you, didn't she?" the farmer's now familiar voice cut through the air to him as he entered into the barn with Lund. "She should not have done that. I'm sorry, she's always been a bit over excitable about ideas that get into her head." He paused a moment, "But there is a small bit of validity to the idea. You have only been here three months but I have taken a liking to you. However, your lack of memory leaves me still uneasy about completely accepting you into my home. We have no idea who you are. You could be a wanted man. You could have a family. The idea that one day you may suddenly recall your past is not comforting for a father. You could up and leave my girl."
 
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