Do not disturb

Wren frowned: Ryland sounded tired to her. "My lord, if you wish to speak to me again, please know I will do everything in my power to help you." she told him, not completely sure he did know that.

Ryland dropped his pen and looked over at her with a laugh, "I'm just getting old. Don't let me turn you into a cynic too. You may leave if you wish."

Wren laughed as well, slightly bitterly this time. "My lord, I was born in 1623 and turned at sixteen. 'Getting old' is a lesser concern of mine, I must admit." she smiled at him again. "Do you wish to keep talking or would you rather I left?" she asked, as if speaking to a friend rather than her clan leader.

"Do what you want," Ryland picked up his pen and started taking it apart and putting it back together. He was anxious for something to come up that would need his attention.

Wren nodded. "The I shall leave you to your thoughts, my lord." she replied, heading towards the door. "I thank you for your hospitality."

Ryland grunted and followed her out with his eyes before ripping the pen apart so roughly that he couldn't put it back together again.

Ryland stood suddenly and stumbled towards the bathroom, retching the contents of his stomach almost before he was leaning over the toilet. What is happening to me?

I didn't drink anything alcoholic. Ryland flushed the contents of his stomach and sat leaning against the bathtub for a while, panting. Bad blood? I didn't swallow any of Carden's so it can't be that. Wouldn't it be a laugh if I was pregnant too? He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up to rinse his mouth out in the sink.

It came to Ryland. "That one guy. It must have been his blood. I forgot to go collect him." He smiled at himself in the mirror and went to find his shoes.