The scout, p.23
The Scout, page 23
“A mercenary was taken captive by a farmer outside of Beag and claims to have been working for Lorcan,” Lewella replied, pressing her lips together, her tone flat.
“You think it’s too convenient.” Bran cocked his head.
“Don’t you?” Lewella said, raising her brows before letting out a frustrated sigh. “What we need more than anything else is reinforcements, but Ri Cadfael will not send them.”
“My father seems to believe he has already won,” I said, unable to keep the disgust from my tone. “I do not wish to say this, but I greatly question what aid, if any, will come from Castle Clogwyn.”
“The council still does not press him?” Lewella asked, her gaze flitting from me to Domhnall.
“There are only two of us on the council willing to do so,” Domhnall replied. “And Drystan’s blind loyalty is a considerable obstacle. The Ri and the warrior chief of Blaidd have always exerted the most influence over the war band and right now, the two of them are of the same accord.”
“I fear that from what I have heard from Drystan of late, he also shares the ridiculous belief that this battle is already won.” Lewella rubbed her temples.
“Would numbers truly make that big of a difference?” Domhnall asked.
“It is one of the few things that might make any difference at all,” Lewella answered. “Lorcan has advantages over us; advantages like those damn shadow creatures. One of them is worth two dozen warriors, at least. Still, if we were able to overwhelm him to the point of crushing him, we might be able to get the upper hand.”
“And what if you had something to destroy the creatures?” Cian said, casting me a sidelong glance.
“I’m not as much of a skeptic as Drystan, as far as that is concerned,” Lewella replied. “Which is why I am more than willing for you to stay here for the time being, Seren. We might just have use for that bow.”
My stomach clenched, a strange mixture of relief and dread filling me. More time here without the threat of being cast out would be a reprieve, but I still hadn’t fixed the bow. I had tried everything I knew to re-string it, but nothing had worked. I had even pleaded to the Spirits for guidance but had been met with silence. Still, I wasn’t giving up just yet.
“I have no intentions of returning to Clogwyn anytime soon,” I said.
Bran reassuringly squeezed my hand while Domhnall shifted his weight before clearing his throat.
“If you truly believe that numbers would help this cause,” he said, focusing on Lewella. “While I can make no promises, as her feelings toward Cadfael markedly shifted in the wake of the Purge, I would be willing to ride north and speak to my mother. I doubt a being like Fianna will stop at seizing control of just Blaidd, and if there is one thing Mother does care about, it is protecting her borders. Blaidd can’t risk this fight becoming some sort of stalemate, much less losing it.”
I couldn’t stop my sharp intake of breath and Lewella and Emer’s eyes both widened. It was a considerable offer that Domhnall had put forth, and a potentially powerful one.
“If you would be willing, I would not say no to warriors from Seabhac,” Lewella replied. “And while Drystan will most likely be insulted by such a force, he also is not going to dare jeopardize our good relationship with Ri Muireann by turning them away.”
“Then I will ride north,” Domhnall replied, “and see if I can sway my mother to concern herself with Blaidd’s troubles.”
Bran and I excused ourselves while Lewella and Domhnall began to discuss the details of involving Ri Muireann and her warriors. Cian left the tent just behind us and after he ducked through the tent flap, I placed a hand on his arm to stop him.
“If we can speak with you,” I said, lowering my voice. “Privately.”
Cian arched a brow but nodded, the three of us walking off to the camp’s outskirts. We eventually came to a stop by an isolated line of trees, mere feet away from the river. For a moment, as we stood by the gently flowing water with the chirps of birdsong filling the air and the sun’s warm rays beaming down on my skin, I could almost begin to hope again. If Domhnall could gain his mother’s aid, if we weren’t reliant on my father doing what was right, if I could fix the bow, perhaps peace could return to Blaidd. The clan could move toward a new future and Bran and I could be a part of that by tying ourselves together through marriage.
First, however, we had to actually wed. I took a deep breath, focusing on Cian. “We wish to marry.”
To my relief, Cian grinned. “I had a feeling that was coming.”
“And we wish to do so here,” I said. “In secret. Away from Father.”
Cian pursed his lips but gave a slow nod. “Because of the decree?”
“Yes,” I answered, hesitating slightly. Father’s decree could mean trouble for Cian if he was found to have aided us. Bran’s grip on my hand tightened, as if he too picked up on my tension. “Can you help?”
“Of course,” Cian replied. “I would be happy to. And I mean that wholeheartedly. Though I hate to say it, I think the trouble will be finding someone willing to wed the two of you, what with the punishments Uncle Cadfael has put forth for such things. I’ve heard Lewella speak of the village elder in Dearg, that she’s a woman who is willing to look the other way at times, for the right reasons. I could ask Lewella to help me get in contact with her. That is, if you would be alright with Lewella being involved?”
I glanced over at Bran. “I trust her. And Emer.”
“I would be also,” Bran said with a nod. “How soon do you think you could speak to this elder?”
“By tonight, perhaps,” Cian replied. “The village isn’t far. Not that I think either of you are incapable of planning this, but I’d like to see it to it for you.” He paused and smiled again. “You can consider it my unofficial wedding gift.”
I pulled him into a hug, a slight thickness settling in my throat. He had always been more like a brother to me, especially since losing Eamon. To have him offer to do such a thing, to have his support, meant much.
“Thank you,” I told him as I stepped back.
“And thank you from me as well,” Bran said, the two of them embracing and clasping each other’s shoulders.
Cian bid us farewell, promising to speak to Lewella and Emer in private about the matter, and as he strode back into the camp, Bran took both of my hands in his, gently turning me toward him.
“You’re certain you wish to do this?” he asked.
“Yes,” I answered, holding his gaze. “I’ve never been more certain about anything.”
He leaned down and kissed me and I closed my eyes, savoring both the blissful moment and his touch. I didn’t want a life without him, and I wanted no one but him. Blaidd would have a new future, and that future would start with us.
Chapter 34
As Old as Time Itself
Seren
In the end, Cian, with a little help from Lewella, came through for us far faster than I would have ever imagined. The night after Bran proposed, the two of us found ourselves standing outside the home of the village elder of Dearg, the darkness of the night and our cloaks hopefully hiding us from any prying eyes. I held tightly to Bran’s hand, trying to quell my nerves as we stood at the back door of the elder’s home. I wanted to do this—I loved Bran—but there was a part of me that still feared someone would try and stop us. Not that I would let them.
Bran gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I loosened my grip some, releasing a long breath. It was late and we’d seen no one when we’d ridden in on our borrowed mount, my beloved Ceol, with his distinctive dun coat, left behind in an effort not to draw too much attention to ourselves. Bran had knocked twice on the door already, but there had yet to be an answer. I hoped the elder hadn’t had a change of heart. I knew that Cian had given the elder, Ceridwen, scant details regarding us and our situation, but with the risks to her, he’d felt it only fair to inform her that she would be handfasting a shifter.
“You can change your mind, you know,” Bran said softly. “I don’t want you to feel forced into this.”
I shook my head, looking up and holding his gaze.
“I want you,” I told him. “I want this.”
The back door suddenly opened, causing the two of us to start. An older woman stood on the other side, dressed in a dark grey gown. The smile she gave us, along with the friendly sparkle in her green eyes, did much to put me at ease.
“Come inside,” she said, stepping back and motioning for us to enter. “My apologies if you had to wait. I’m afraid these ears don’t hear as well as they used to. I’m Ceridwen. You are Lewella’s friends, yes?”
“Yes,” I replied as we stepped through the door. “Thank you for being willing to do this.”
“I’m always happy to join two people in love,” Ceridwen replied. “No matter who they might be. This way, if you will.”
She led us down a narrow hallway and into a great room. Candles had been lit, giving the space a dim but intimate light. Ceridwen gathered the thin cord that would be used to bind our hands in the handfasting before walking back over to us.
“Shall we begin?” she asked.
Bran and I voiced our agreement, the two of us holding out our right arms at her instruction. Ceridwen began to speak the familiar words of the handfasting, binding our souls and bodies as our mortal selves were bound to the land and our spirit selves to the Spirit Realm, and a sense of rightness settled over me. I held Bran’s gaze as Ceridwen bound our hands together with the cord. As we were tied together in the most intimate of ways, the cord took on an odd golden glow. The moment was so brief, I almost wondered if I’d imagined it, but still I clung to what I’d seen, hoping it was the Spirits’ way of giving their own approval of our union. My voice didn’t waver when it was my time to pledge my part of our bond, and neither did Bran’s when he did so in return. I didn’t care what my father, or anyone else, thought. I loved Bran, and he was no monster. He had my heart completely and he always would.
“I wish the two of you many years of happiness together,” Ceridwen said as she unbound our hands, the handfasting complete.
“Thank you,” I replied, unable to keep the smile off my face.
“It was my pleasure.” She smiled in return. “It is clear the Spirits meant for the two of you to be bound together in such a way.”
Bran took my hand in his and Ceridwen saw us out, the two of us thanking her again before we stepped back out into the darkness. Though part of me wished to, I knew we couldn’t linger. We needed to get back to camp if we wished to keep what we had done a secret. I tugged Bran along back toward our mount, tied in the woods behind Ceridwen’s home, but before we reached the mare, Bran gently pulled me to a stop. I looked up at him expectantly, the moonlight that drifted down through the breaks in the trees highlighting his features.
“Ren, I…” He ducked his chin, roughly clearing his throat before he looked back up again, a glimmer of moisture in his eyes. “I’d always hoped for the chance to have a family of my own. Even after the Purge, even when I threw my lot in with Lorcan. To have one with you, that’s a gift I thought I would never get.”
I claimed his lips with my own, my heart swelling with love for him as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me close. He kissed me in a way that left me aching for more. How I wished we had more than a few stolen moments tonight.
“I love you,” I said, slightly out of breath as we parted for air. “There’s no one else I would want to share this life with.”
He trailed kisses down my neck, the touch of his lips on my skin igniting a warmth inside me and causing a shiver of anticipation to trail down my spine. I couldn’t help but silently curse that tonight we would have to spend most of our night traveling back to the camp in order to arrive before dawn.
“We should get going,” I said, unable to hold back a sigh. “We have a long ride back.”
“We do,” he replied, flashing me a mischievous smile. “One that can wait until morning.”
“Morning?” My brow wrinkled as I tilted my head.
“Cian arranged a little surprise for us.”
“What sort of surprise?”
“A good one.” He gave me one more lingering kiss before walking over to the mare and untying her. “Shall we?”
Though he’d untied the horse, he didn’t mount, instead motioning for me to come walk along beside him.
I frowned. “Are we riding?”
“We’re walking.”
Thoroughly perplexed but willing to trust him, I joined him and took his offered hand. We walked back onto the dirt road that went through the main part of the village, the moon lighting our way. My confusion deepened when we came to a stop outside a tavern. Candlelight glowed in one of the windows, but the place looked closed up for the night. To my surprise, an older man came from around the back. Upon getting Bran’s name, he took our horse and informed Bran that the tavern owner awaited us inside.
“What is all of this?” I asked as I followed Bran up the steps.
“A little arrangement from Cian, with a little help from Ceridwen, from what I understand. We have a room for the night; we just have to be back by a little after sunrise.”
My breath caught, gratitude for our friends overwhelming me and leaving tears stinging my eyes. Bran slipped an arm around my shoulder as we stepped into the tavern and my pulse raced with the thoughts of what a night of privacy with my now husband could entail. The tavern owner awaited us just inside the door, Bran giving his name again before the red-haired woman passed us a key. She gave us a room number and motioned toward a small staircase before leaving us on our own.
Bran and I climbed the short flight of steps, wandering down a narrow hallway before coming to a room. He unlocked the door, ushering me inside ahead of him, and I took in the space that was to be ours for the next few hours. It was a simple room, with one bed wedged up against the far wall. A window gave a view of the distant Ioliare mountains, barely visible as looming shadows in the darkness of night. A few candles had been lit, letting me also make out a small chair and table shoved in one corner. Simple quarters, but clean and well cared for.
“I know it isn’t much,” Bran said as he came up beside me.
“It has a bed,” I replied, smiling as I cast him a sidelong glance. “And privacy. I would say that’s more than enough. Of course, in the past, you have proven to be a bit more creative than I’ve perhaps given you credit for.”
The grin he gave me as he closed the space between us sent my heart racing all over again.
“Perhaps you would like to see just how creative I can be?” he said, taking my face in his hands.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend the night,” I whispered before his lips covered mine.
His touch consumed me and I gave in to my desire for him, my hands sliding up his back underneath his shirt. His hands were in my hair, his kisses taking my breath away. We broke apart long enough to tug his shirt off and as soon as it hit the floor, his mouth was on mine once more. I pressed my body against his, feeling more alive than I had ever felt in my twenty years, the two of us giving into a dance that was as old as time itself. Tonight was a gift that was not meant to be wasted.
Chapter 35
A Storm Ahead
Alannah
I missed Aengus. It was strange, this feeling of want and aching, so similar and yet different than what I’d felt when I’d lost my parents. It had been almost five days since I’d last seen him and I found that he invaded my thoughts at every turn. I hadn’t wanted to leave him and as I stood in my hovel in the middle of the Spirit-forsaken Ioliare mountains, I couldn’t help but think of the comforts of Aengus’ home in Beag.
As if there is even such a thing as comfort here, I thought, stirring the pot over the hearth with a bit too much force. I’d caught a rabbit on my return from scouting for Lorcan and was using the meat along with a few scrounged plants to make a semblance of a soup. It was pathetic compared to the hearty meals I’d enjoyed with Aengus.
You will have those comforts soon. Patience. Fianna’s words whispered into my thoughts and I let out a low breath, slowing my movements. Though it had not divulged the details to me, I knew the Stag Spirit had plans. Something big was coming, something bigger than anything it had done before.
For now, however, I had to follow along with Lorcan’s plotting, biding my time until Fianna was ready to make its move and I was reunited with Aengus. I’d spent all day watching and following Drystan and his warriors, as I’d done for the last three days. The man Dara had planted had lured the warrior chief into splitting his forces and had then led Drystan and his warriors on a chase into Ioliare. The past few months of fighting had already weakened Drystan, and the treacherous mountains would weaken him further. I had already seen glimpses of it. Lorcan would soon catch himself a captive more prizeworthy than even Cadfael’s daughter. As much of a bastard as Cadfael was, I didn’t see him sitting idly when I swooped into Castle Clogwyn with word that Lorcan had captured the clan’s warrior chief.
I knew that once Cadfael was dead, Lorcan intended to seat himself as Ri in Castle Clogwyn, but I also knew that was not the end game Fianna had planned. It would be Aengus who would become Ri of Blaidd, one way or another, and it would be me who became his Banrion.
That particular thought soothed me and I took a deep breath. My few moments of calm, however, were short lived. Dara stalked into the hut, the canvas flap swinging behind him with the force with which he’d pushed through it. His jaw was clenched and his shoulders were taut as he broodily threw himself down in a nearby chair.
“Some sort of problem?” I asked him, glancing over my shoulder and raising a brow.
“Just a disagreement with Lorcan,” he replied. “Damn idiot always thinks his little connection with the Spirits somehow outweighs my years of tactical experience.”
