15th February 1103

“Up yew go young lad,” Arran cried as he hoisted Derrin into the air.

The small boy squealed in delight, pedalling his arms and legs as he went flying through the air.

Gena’s face was turned to them, concentrating intensely on every chuckle of glee her son made. She liked to sit like that, listening intently while he or Noah played with Derrin. Her lips would curve up in a soft smile at the sound of her son’s burbling laughter.

“Goodness me but yer getting to be a fat little beetle aren’t yew now Derry,” Derrin grinned up at him as swung the boy upwards again, “Soon yew’ll be as big as yer old dad.”

He tipped Derrin upside down, his blonde hair hanging down from his face like downy feathers. His brown eyes were like half-moons, huge with excitement, his newly tooth-filled mouth grinning in glee.

“Dada!” the door swung open bringing with it a gust of chill air and spiralling flakes, “Dada!”

“Noah,” Gena voice was a warm question, her head turning searchingly towards the door, her mouth curving into a tentative smile.

“Well goodness me, what do we have here. Why are yew upside down lad? Or is it me that’s upside down?” Noah gazed down at his feet theatrically, lifting one then the other.

“No! Dada,” Derrin shrieked as Arran tipped him back up the right way, “me! me!”

“Hello love, miss me?” Noah curled his arms protectively about Gena’s thickening waist.

“Yew weren’t gone that long,” Gena whispered with a small smile.

“What about yew in there, did yew miss me at least,” Noah bent down to lay a hand gently on Gena’s swollen belly.

Arran jigged Derrin up and down on his side, the small boy squirming in his arms, breathless with excitement.

Though it was a freezing night, the icicles creaking on the dead limbed trees, the occasional thump as a landslide of snow crashed off the roof, the small cottage was warm inside. The air was thick with the scent of hearty stew and pine logs, dry and crackling on the tiny fire. The room was filled with Derrin’s joyful laughter, Gena’s soft, lilting voice and Noah’s gentle tone.

It was the most perfect place of all, a true warmth and happiness Arran had never been privy to before. It was everything that he wanted. He could see the Arran of tomorrow, stomping in from the cold greeted by pattering feet, bright faces, swinging blonde plaits and shouts of “Papa’s home!” He would plant kisses on their warm sticky faces and she would be there, sitting the corner, perhaps a small child or two on her knee, perhaps a swollen belly before her. Her face would glance up, radiant and flushed from the heat of the fire and full of love. Love for him. Love for their small family.

“Woowooowowoo!”

“Sounds like Dog finally finished burying his bone“, Noah laughed, “Arran, can yew get the door then lad or is that lump of a boy too much fer yew.”

“I don’t know Noah, he is bein’ a fat little boy isn’t he,” Arran grinned and swung Derrin perilously by one arm towards the floor as he spun to open the door.

“Wooh!”

Dog burst in through the door in a shower of snow, shook his coat, hair flying this way and that as wet flecks of snow prickled on Arran’s arms and legs.

“Woof woof no no,” Derrin shrieked in dismay as wet snow landed on his face and arms.

“Wooh,” Dog replied, apparently satisfied that he had created as much mayhem as the occasion warranted.

It was probably as good a moment as any in the squashy, loud cottage, “Er, Noah. I was wondering if I could speak with yew fer a time?”

“Certainly lad, Gena, would yew mind taking Derry and starting his bedtime story. I’ll be in shortly to finish it.

Arran passed the suddenly exhausted child into his mother’s waiting arms.

“Bit too much excitement fer one day eh Derry?”

“Awwan,” Derrin mumbled sleepily and buried his face in his mother’s neck.

“Oh Derrin, yer bein’ that cold. Stupid Dog,” Gena chuckled.

“Aw he’s not all bad,” Arran bent down to wrestle with Dog, who was thoroughly wet and smelt like it.

“G’night Arran,” Gena whispered softly over the tired child’s head.

“Night Gena.”

They slowly processed into the back room and Noah and Arran were left alone except for Dog who was strolling lazily towards the fire.

“Pull up a chair lad, that’s right. Close to the fire. I need to get this chill out of me old bones.”

“Now, what was it yew wanted to…”

Noah was interrupted by a loud, long, pink-mouthed yawn as Dog languorously stretched, his bristly hair emitting an earthy, mouldy sack smell of wet dog.

“Good grief, are yew quite alright there Dog?” Noah paused to look down at Dog who turned around three times and curled himself up beside the fire.

“Right now lad, what was it yew wanted to ask of me?”

“Well… er… yew see. We was havin’ that conversation not too long ago. That is…”

He paused searching for the right words.

“Go on lad, yer alright,” Noah’s warm voice was encouraging.

“Well, yew see, yew were offerin’ to help me build a house. And I was wondering… that is… if perraps the offer was still standing.”

“Oh, well this is a change of mind. Can I perraps be askin’ what brought this about then,” Noah’s soft, brown eyes were wide and a little too innocent.

“Well, yew see it’s this, Igrayne’s agreed to marry me. An’ we’re going to be needing a little house of our own soon enough. So I was wondering if I could still be takin yew up on yer very kind offer.”

There he had said it. He could see it now, Igrayne, a warm little room, multitudes of tiny, blonde children and perhaps a stupid, old dog or two.

Barran, Ulcar