Whispers

It had been five years since we moved to Britain. Simon had welcomed us with open arms and was willing to let Bran run Harrowfield alongside him as he greatly needed the help. The boarders had been falling and neighbours willing to fight for the land.

Johnny was becoming a strong young lad and would follow in his father's footsteps of being a kind, strong, confident leader. And like I had predicted those many long years ago it was difficult to pry him from the water.

It was one of those long afternoons of which I had been trying to convince him to come out when something caught my eye on the river bank. It was his trousers. I frowned thinking of how cold it is in there.

"Johnny, come out now!" I called not wishing to have to go in there and get him again "You will catch a chill and then what will you do with yourself?" Johnny was just laughing and swimming further and further away from the side of the river bank of witch I was standing. "Bran can get him out, why not me?" I grumbled to myself and as if he had heard me he was there standing behind me.

"Is he not coming out of there again" he sounded exasperated, I just shook my head.

"I knew I shouldn't have taught him to swim, it has come to no good. Oh Bran he will catch a chill could you please get him out, he simply will not listen to me" Bran's arms came around me in a tight hug from behind.

"I think you worry too much Liadan, you know he will come out when he gets to cold" I could almost detect a smile in his voice "are those his trousers on the shore?" he was showing no attempt at hiding his amusement "He really does take after his mother" I slapped his hand lightly.

"I do believe you are getting confused dear heart, I do not strip to my shift and go swimming in the freezing river" Bran's laugh vibrated through me "oh be quiet, that was one time".

Bran's voice suddenly turned serious "I can think of something I would rather be doing than trying to get our son out of the water, which I am lead to believe is an impossible task" his mouth was at the back of my neck.

"I thought there was no task too great for the painted man. Perhaps I am wrong?"

"When it comes to our son I believe there are many tasks too great for me Liadan" his mouth had moved from my neck to my collarbone "are you not going to ask me what it is I am thinking of?"

"dear heart I can guess and not right now, not when Johnny could be catching a chill and defiantly not when we are in the public eyes of the household" Bran gave a low growl "later" was all I whispered before I pulled away from him to go get Johnny out of the water.

Later that night as I was getting ready for bed the sight showed me a vision and this scared me, I had not had one for almost two moons. It was a man dressed all in black calling my name, a whisper no louder than the wind, a whisper calling me to him; it was filled with death and destruction, of sorrow and of loss. I saw Bran and Johnny clutching each other, both with tears streaming down their faces and a fire blazing in the forest of Sevenwaters of Connor looking old and sunken and alone. I gasped and gave a little scream, tears were falling down my face, but the vision was still there.

Bran was there in an instant holding me "Liadan what is it? Are you unwell? Please tell me what it is, what do you see?" he was stroking my hair, which just made me cry all the more harder.

"Oh Bran, it is terrible, this sight is so horrid I wish to be rid of it!" I simply could not stop the tears from flowing.

"Tell me what you see Liadan. Is it Johnny?" his voice sounded fierce and worried, he sounded more like the painted man than my Bran. I just looked at him, shook my head and kissed him with such fiery passion that he instantly responded, pulling my shift up over my head, whilst I removed his shirt "You will have to tell me eventually Liadan" he said breathless.

"Not this time I don't dear heart, it is better off you do not know" and then we went to our bed where we showed our love for each other, his hands slowly feeling the swell of my breasts, and me feeling the tender part between his legs, making it harder so it could come inside me.

In the morning we silently got dressed and went down to breakfast where we found Johnny annoying the serving ladies "No I wanted a man's meal, not this!" his face was skrewed up and turning red, I could feel a tantrum coming on.

"Takes after me you say?" I muttered to Bran who laughed under his breath at his son, who was so much like his father sometimes it was just ridiculous. I went over to Johnny trying to calm him down and looked apologetically to the poor serving maid "Johnny this is more of a man's breakfast than even your father has sometimes, you should be grateful, of what is on your plate as many children do not even get a half of what you have right here" Johnny just shrugged his shoulders and began to eat his meal "and you better eat all of it" I warned.

"I am a man mother and real men eat everything on their plates" I just rolled my eyes at Bran and sat down to my own meal. It was impossible, like Bran had said when it came to our Johnny.