Her eyes moved from one man to the other, from Derrin’s authority to Roran’s quiet submission, until finally it rested on the food. It was just bread and soup and a cup of water, but she was not in a position to complain. In fact, she was thankful that they were at least feeding her. 

“If you say so, Roran,” Derrin shrugged, but Ysabel noticed that he was studying her. When the healer left them, Ysabel was on the bed pretending to still be asleep, he took the liberty to remove her cloak and boots for her own comfort, because he thought she would be staying in bed. She would not be surprised if he thought it rather odd that upon his return, she was dressed and seemed prepared to move in the middle of the night. 

“It is cold,” was her answer to what she supposed was Derrin’s question. “My cloak is warmer than the blanket and the boots warms my toes. I’ve no complain about your home save that it is terribly cold. I cannot imagine how the lot of you can stand to live here.”

Derrin chuckled. His eyes followed her as she moved to the table to taste the soup. “Warm soup and good company, my dear. Am I right, Roran?”

“I mean, living amongst men and without the company of a lover.” Because the men of Cannor were sworn to have no other love than their duty to Andor, to keep watch of the mountains and keep the north safe. She waited for his response, and while doing so, she tore a piece of the bread only to drown it in the thick soup. Again, she was not in the position to complain, and perhaps when the stomach was hungry, the brain agreed that everything was tasty. She took a bite, then another, then she added without looking at either of the men, “Of course you get by with one another. Cannor had stood for centuries against Horngul’s stubborn jabs. There must be a merit living with all men.”
 
 “Such as the peace and quiet,” the older man conceded. Ysabel smiled up at him, but he was turning his back and was about to speak with Roran again. “Can you imagine how life will be living with a girl? Unlike you, I prefer sleep than sitting in a room with this one. Make sure no one bothers her.”

“Thank you for the meal, although a girl can do better than this.” She sipped from the rim of the bowl, relishing the warmth that settled into her stomach. Had it been only water, she would have been satisfied by it because of the warmth. “You can only imagine how delicious meals made by her are.”

“I would rest if I were you,” he answered without a trace of irritation in his voice. “You’ve a long day ahead of you tomorrow and I am pleased to see that you have recovered rather fast.”

Roran didn’t stand in his way when Derrin walked out of the door and left the room. The healer's statement hang in the air. It might be nothing, but her heart was hammering in her chest, because he sounded as if he knew. She waited for the door to close and for his footsteps to fade before calling Roran and offering him some of the food. “You must be as tired as I,” she said, tossing her half of the bread. “Come share it with me and then we can start running away.”

The sooner the better.