Wolf Warrior (The Mórrigan's Wolf, Part 2) The Last Kingdom Fanfiction

22 - Domestic Bliss

The illness that had come on so suddenly around Coccham had claimed only a handful of lives, mainly elders who were already in poor health. But it was definitely an ordeal for those who experienced it. It seemed to strike at random, some families falling ill in their entirety, while others, like Uhtred and Gisela's, fared well throughout. Faoladhean had asked Signy to check on Giric for her, and much like Faoladhean, and to her relief, Giric remained healthy. It was the only outbreak of illness in Coccham that winter, and everyone was grateful that it had not been more severe.

After the worst of the illness passed, it took just over half a moon for Finan's strength to recover completely, and both he and Aodhán had a lingering cough for another week beyond that. Faoladhean sat with Aodhán cradled in her arms one evening, nursing him to sleep while humming softly to him as Finan whittled a piece of wood near the hearth.

“What are ye carving this time, Husband?” Faoladhean asked quietly after Aodhán had fallen asleep, a soft smile on her face as she watched him.

Pausing briefly to blow a few curls of wood off his lap, Finan raised his gaze to her. “I had not fully decided yet. I thought about making either a handle for a new knife, or perhaps another toy animal for Aodhán.” In the time that Finan was resting and recuperating, he had carved animals of varying sizes for Aodhán to play with. He needed something to keep his mind and hands busy, since he was in no shape to spar.

“Another animal? Do ye noe think he has plenty already?” Faoldhean smiled with amusement and glanced at the basket that sat on the floor in a corner that held wooden figures; a wolf, cow, boar, horse, sheep, and bear already resided there. “How many more four-legged animals are left?”

With his gaze back on the wood and knife in his hand, Finan answered quietly. “Who said anything about it being a four-legged animal this time? Maybe I want to try carving a swan, or a crow.”

Chuckling softly as she stood, Faoladhean walked to the cradle where it sat on the other side of the room and gently laid Aodhán within. She sighed, knowing that the time for getting him a bed was approaching much more rapidly than she wanted to admit.

“We really do need to get a bed for him, love. His legs are becoming too long to stretch out in the cradle.” Faoladhean turned her gaze back to Finan to see him looking back at her.

Sighing as he stood and put away the wood and knife out of Aodhán's reach, Finan nodded. “I know it. And with a new bed comes less space,” he said as he made his way to Faoladhean, then wrapped his arms around her.

Faoladhean gazed up at him. “Ye ken there is another solution to that.”

“Oh?” Finan raised a brow. “What would that be?”

“Aodhán just shares our bed for the next five years of his life.” She smiled as she spoke, then giggled when Finan groaned.

“Maybe this summer, provided that peace remains, we should build a new home as we had discussed recently.”

“Why altogether new?” Faoladhean rested her hands on Finan's chest as she gazed up at him. “Could we noe just add a loft here? I ken we would have to remove the roof and raise the walls, but would it noe be less wasteful than building an entirely new home?”

Finan brushed his lips across hers, softly, before replying. “Well, because I am sure that we could sell this place, and use the money for building something bigger.”

“It would noe have to be large, just a bit more space than here, especially when the second bairn comes.”

Finan's eyes took on a hopeful gleam. “Are ya saying you are with child?”