Afterwards
Dappleward and Ironfist rode into Dapple Bend four days later. After stabling their horses, they strolled through the village to stretch their legs, and then across the common, and then across a meadow to where a little cottage stood.
Maythorn invited the Lord Warder and his liegeman inside, and introduced her three daughters.
Dappleward stayed for twenty minutes. When he departed, her daughters all looked extremely thoughtful.
Later that day, Dappleward and Ironfist spent several hours with old Phillip Whitelock and Ren. Ren emerged from that meeting also looking extremely thoughtful.
One week later, on a golden afternoon, Ren Blacksmith married Maythorn of York, witnessed by the folk of Dapple Bend village. Their handfasting took place beneath an ancient spreading oak. Th
