of wealth or pride. If I want power, it’s only so that I can help the people I rule. I want them to come to me for justice. I want to protect them from hardship. I want them to know that if this world’s unfair, I will still treat them fairly.”
How could I say such things until I felt secure enough to face the incredulous laughter that might follow, even from a friend? No matter what else I might share with Kian, I wasn’t ready to share my dreams. The one person with whom I could share them was far from me now, walking the unknown shores of Avallach. Once again the pain of missing Odran tore my heart.
Kian accepted my silence, and I was thankful for that. “If that’s what you want, Maeve, let it be so.” He looked up to where Ea hovered over the cold land. “We should go home.” He turned to call back the kestrel.
“Wait, Kian,” I cried, grabbing his arm. “I don’t want you to teach me more swordsmanship, but I still need you to help me master this.” I touched the pouch holding my sling. “Didn’t you hear me say that next time I’ll hit the target with all five of my stones? I can’t do that without your training.”
“You did well enough without me before Samhain,” he said gruffly.
“Well enough isn’t good enough for me. Please, Kian, think: suppose you taught me everything you know about spears and swords. What could I do with that knowledge? Do you honestly see me carrying those weapons, riding off on a cattle raid? But this—!” I pulled out the sling. “I can use this. It’ll be my hidden strength, my independence. With your help, I’ll never need to rely on anyone else to protect me. I’ll be free to take care of myself!”
He looked at me wistfully. “I think you can do that now, Maeve. Fine, I’ll do what you ask. Did I ever have another choice? You’ve picked your weapon. I only hope you’ll be able to pick your battles as wisely.”
I grinned. “What battles, Kian? All I want is to be able to hit one tree with five stones.”
“Next time. We’re losing light. Let’s go.”
As always, I watched in fascination as Kian called Ea back to him. First he got her attention with a shrill whistle, then tied a bit of meat to a long string and whirled it over his head. The kestrel came flying to claim it, landing prettily on his leather-sheathed forearm. After she’d swallowed her treat, he hooded her and we headed back to the ringfort.
“I wish you’d teach me how to do that,” I said. Every time I’d let Ea fly from the crannog, she’d returned when it suitedher, not on my command. “You let me send her flying, so why won’t you let me bring her back? It looks easy enough.”
“I don’t know if she’d return to you,” Kian replied.
Oh, is that so? Just give me the chance and you’ll see! I kept my defiant thought to myself and instead spoke as calmly and reasonably as I could: “ I can spin a loaded sling overhead without braining myself, unlike some people. I think I can spin that lure too.”
“Yes, but I’m as much a part of what brings her back as the lure is,” he countered.
“Hmm, so she comes back for two pieces of meat instead of one.” I said it so that he’d know I was only joking.
He laughed without taking offense. “You’re not going to give me any peace until I let you have your way, Maeve. I might as well surrender now. Come this way.”
We turned off from our accustomed homeward path and came to a place where the trees ended abruptly and a wide expanse of well-trampled earth lay before us.
“This looks like the road I traveled when I first came to Dún Beithe,” I said.
Kian nodded. “You’ll have room to swing the lure and I’ll be able to watch her flight in case I need to step in.”
“And rescue me if I fail?” I arched one brow at him.
“Rescue her ,” he corrected me with good humor. “Are you ready?”
He wrapped his cloak over his free arm and coaxed Ea onto it so I could claim first the leather sleeve and
How could I say such things until I felt secure enough to face the incredulous laughter that might follow, even from a friend? No matter what else I might share with Kian, I wasn’t ready to share my dreams. The one person with whom I could share them was far from me now, walking the unknown shores of Avallach. Once again the pain of missing Odran tore my heart.
Kian accepted my silence, and I was thankful for that. “If that’s what you want, Maeve, let it be so.” He looked up to where Ea hovered over the cold land. “We should go home.” He turned to call back the kestrel.
“Wait, Kian,” I cried, grabbing his arm. “I don’t want you to teach me more swordsmanship, but I still need you to help me master this.” I touched the pouch holding my sling. “Didn’t you hear me say that next time I’ll hit the target with all five of my stones? I can’t do that without your training.”
“You did well enough without me before Samhain,” he said gruffly.
“Well enough isn’t good enough for me. Please, Kian, think: suppose you taught me everything you know about spears and swords. What could I do with that knowledge? Do you honestly see me carrying those weapons, riding off on a cattle raid? But this—!” I pulled out the sling. “I can use this. It’ll be my hidden strength, my independence. With your help, I’ll never need to rely on anyone else to protect me. I’ll be free to take care of myself!”
He looked at me wistfully. “I think you can do that now, Maeve. Fine, I’ll do what you ask. Did I ever have another choice? You’ve picked your weapon. I only hope you’ll be able to pick your battles as wisely.”
I grinned. “What battles, Kian? All I want is to be able to hit one tree with five stones.”
“Next time. We’re losing light. Let’s go.”
As always, I watched in fascination as Kian called Ea back to him. First he got her attention with a shrill whistle, then tied a bit of meat to a long string and whirled it over his head. The kestrel came flying to claim it, landing prettily on his leather-sheathed forearm. After she’d swallowed her treat, he hooded her and we headed back to the ringfort.
“I wish you’d teach me how to do that,” I said. Every time I’d let Ea fly from the crannog, she’d returned when it suitedher, not on my command. “You let me send her flying, so why won’t you let me bring her back? It looks easy enough.”
“I don’t know if she’d return to you,” Kian replied.
Oh, is that so? Just give me the chance and you’ll see! I kept my defiant thought to myself and instead spoke as calmly and reasonably as I could: “ I can spin a loaded sling overhead without braining myself, unlike some people. I think I can spin that lure too.”
“Yes, but I’m as much a part of what brings her back as the lure is,” he countered.
“Hmm, so she comes back for two pieces of meat instead of one.” I said it so that he’d know I was only joking.
He laughed without taking offense. “You’re not going to give me any peace until I let you have your way, Maeve. I might as well surrender now. Come this way.”
We turned off from our accustomed homeward path and came to a place where the trees ended abruptly and a wide expanse of well-trampled earth lay before us.
“This looks like the road I traveled when I first came to Dún Beithe,” I said.
Kian nodded. “You’ll have room to swing the lure and I’ll be able to watch her flight in case I need to step in.”
“And rescue me if I fail?” I arched one brow at him.
“Rescue her ,” he corrected me with good humor. “Are you ready?”
He wrapped his cloak over his free arm and coaxed Ea onto it so I could claim first the leather sleeve and
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