Anne woke the next morning, safe and happy, curled up by a restarted fire beside her. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the crackling flames before she turned to the mouth of the cave where daylight crept inside, casting a shadow of the young man sitting just outside, absorbed by some task. She stood, wrapping the blanket around her bare skin and approached him, her toes curled on the cold floor, careful not to step in the snow that followed the daylight into the cave. She sat down beside him, but facing the opposite direction of the forest so that she could face him.

"Good morning," she smiled.

"It certainly is," he replied and placed what he had been working on in his lap as he reached for her face, stroking her cheek and pulled her into a kiss.

"What's this?" She asked, pointing to the ornament beside his carving knife.

He held up the trinket. It was a necklace, formed by leather cord with only a few small wooden beads on either side of the pendant. It was a piece of bark, carved on either side.

"It was something that my family had done for generations. When two souls come together, when two hearts beat as one, we make one of these so we always remember we are together."

He took her hand and opened her palm, placing the necklace in it. On one side was a song bird, appearing to chirrup gaily on a branch. On the reverse side was an eagle, its wings stretched far as it flew through the wooden sky.

"It's us," Anne breathed, stroking the carvings.

"Two souls," he repeated, "the song bird and the eagle."

"Two hearts," she chorused, "you and me."

He kissed her again and she pulled the necklace over her head and allowed it to rest on her chest. The blanket around her shoulders slipped down, the daylight now revealing the bruises which were concealed the night before. Antinanco frowned, wondering if these were caused by their fall or if she had tripped at any other point during hunting. But she always seemed so careful...

As she pulled the blanket back up, exhaling sharply from the cold air and shivering slightly, he brushed the thoughts from his mind.

"If only you were free to live with me," Antinanco sighed, stroking her hair, "and not married to man you did not love."

"Richard!" Anne squealed suddenly, sitting bolt upright.

"What is wrong?" He jumped at her sudden change of emotion.

"You don't understand," her voice was high pitched and nervous as she scurried around, hunting for her drying clothes, "I shouldn't have left, I should have been back before sunset!"

"Your clothes are not quite dry, you should wait a while longer." He protested.

"I can't!" She pulled on her petticoat and stockings, dress, coat and boots, all still cold and wet, although an improvement from the previous afternoon.

"Anne, please!" He stood, grabbing her shoulders, stopping her. Her eyes were wide and she shook beneath his grip, reminding him of a skittish rabbit or faun. "Will you return?"

"I want to, I must," she said through hurried breaths, "I'll try but I don't know how long it'll be before I can see you again."

"Promise me you will see me again."

"I promise," Anne answered immediately and threw her arms around him, kissing him again. "Good bye."

She bolted away before he could return the farewell, leaving him with a frozen hand extended, reaching for her as she disappeared into the trees.

"Where were you?!" Richard roared as she cautiously opened the door.

"I went for a walk," she spluttered, still shivering from her damp clothes and the chill it gave her, "and... And I fell in the lake, in the forest. I slept in a cave."

"I told you not to leave the house!" He snatched her arm and pulled her further inside.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to go outside-"

"Did you see anyone?"

"Sorry?"

"Did you meet with anyone?"

"What? No!" She lied. "I went for a walk on my own."

"If I find out you're not telling the truth..." He held out a hand, as if he was about to strike her, but relaxed it and let it fall by his side again. "Get out of those clothes. Get changed and start cooking. That's your job. Do it."

Without a word, Anne obeyed. She couldn't risk standing up to him to argue her rights. If she did so, she feared getting beaten worse than before.

As she changed into dry clothes, she was nearly surprised to feel the wooden pendant against her chest. Even just touching it, knowing it was there made her feel closer to him. Before she stepped out of her room, nearly a cupboard itself it was so small, she sang a short tune, just a few notes as she heard the cry of an eagle in the distance. The two souls, the two hearts, would always be together.