Chapter 806: Samira’s Evolution (Part Two)
"There's something else Samira did as well," Ashlynn said, shifting the topic as she listened to Nyrielle's steady heartbeat through the fabric of the other woman's dress. "Owain captured a pregnant woman from the Heartwood Clan and kept her prisoner in the dungeon of the Summer Villa so he could take her infant son and raise it as a pet," Ashlynne explained.
"Her name is Noomi," Ashlynn said, shaking her head slightly in wonder at the strength of the woman who had given birth alone in a prison cell and continued to survive just to take care of her son in the days she had before Owain could return to snatch him away. As much as Ashlynn had been impressed by Samira's growth and changes, she was equally impressed by the friend Samira had made in that dark place.
"Samira became Noomi's close friend in that dungeon," Ashlynn continued. "She brought her food, blankets, even wood to carve. I, I intended to bring Samira back here to the castle so I could talk to her more about her time with Jocey, but… Noomi couldn't bear to be separated from Samira and vice versa."
Their insistence on staying close had been clear from the very beginning of their journey when they paused by a stream so Noomi could wash herself and her son before they continued on.
Despite the strain of walking down the bank in order to stay by Noomi's side, Samira looked at Virve with pleading eyes until the strong witch agreed to make an extra trip to carry her to the stream. And when Noomi needed to hand off the freshly washed Saku in order to wash herself, she handed her child directly to Samira, as if no one else could be trusted with her infant son.
It was a bond forged by their mutual chains that trapped them in the Summer Villa, both the iron ones that bound Noomi and the softer ones that trapped Samira in a gilded cage. It wasn't a bond that Ashlynn could completely relate to, but it was one that she could clearly recognize.
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"So you sent them both to Ollie's village," Nyirelle said as she stroked Ashlynn's hair. "Because you wouldn't keep Samira for yourself if it meant keeping Noomi away from Old Nan and the other villagers who came from her old village."
"I agree with what you did, darling," Nyrielle said as she bent down to place a gentle kiss on the crown of Ashlynn's head. "You need to focus on confronting Owain right now. Poring back over things related to your sister will only cloud your mind. Face one problem at a time and then solve it. It isn't time to face this problem yet."
"No, I know that," Ashlynn said as she soaked in the fire's warmth with Nyrielle. "But talking to Samira about the things she did for Noomi and the way she spent time with Jocey, it made me consider doing something special for her when her child is born."
"Even though the child is Owain Lothian's?" Nyrielle asked gently, raising her brow at her young lover.