then the falcon. I removed her hood with care. “There you are, my love,” I cooed. “You’re a lucky bird: you’ll have one more flight today and then you’ll come back to me , understand?”
Kian chuckled. “If all I had to do to make her return to me was talk to her, I could’ve trained her in a morning.”
I sent Ea flying. The kestrel was still avid to spread her wings. She circled over the unfamiliar landscape, then turned her fiery eyes to the southwest, where the road led to Connacht, our former home.
“I wonder what’s drawing her attention,” Kian mused. “Maybe you should try summoning her now, before she gets any unlucky ideas.” He handed me the string and took a leaf-wrapped piece of raw meat from his pouch. “Good thing I packed a few extra tidbits for her. Do you want me to tie that on for you, or can you manage?”
I ignored the gentle jab and deftly attached the bait. My summoning whistle was so loud and piercing that it made Kian gape. Ea must have heard it too, for she turned in her flight just as I stepped into the middle of the pathway, twirling the lure above my head. Her wings dipped, then rose as she came flying toward me. She was so beautiful that my eyes stung with tears of joy to see her, and my heart raced so wildly I thought I heard it pounding ever louder in my ears.
“That’s the way, my darling,” I whispered. “That’s right, you know me, you’re going to fly right to my—”
“Get out of the way! A hundred curses, you stupid girl, stand aside!”
I wheeled in place. Why hadn’t I heard the hoofbeats coming up fast behind me? I’d been too rapt in Ea’s flight. The lone rider sped down the road straight at me, yet I still stood where I was, looping the sky with the lure.
“Maeve!” Kian bellowed, and swept me out of the horse’s headlong course so violently that I dropped the string andended up sprawled in the yellow-flowered gorse and dead bracken by the roadside.
The rider pulled his steed to a halt and came back toward us. “Is she all right?” He didn’t look much older than I. His long red-gold hair fell in tangles to his waist and his pale-green eyes fixed on Kian. I might as well have been a mushroom.
“You fool, why didn’t you stop before you overran us?” Kian shouted, closing in on the young stranger. “Why didn’t you turn your horse? You had plenty of room!” He threw his arms open as wide as they could go.
“Watch what you’re saying.” The green eyes narrowed dangerously. “I couldn’t stop. My mount’s one of the finest and fastest in all Èriu. When I give him his head in a gallop, I’d sooner be able to rein in the lightning! If I’d pulled him one way, the girl might’ve panicked and dashed into our path, and if I turned him away from her then, she could’ve played the squirrel and scurried right back under his hooves. Now do you understand?”
“ I do.” I stood up, pulling bits of dead leaves and flowers out of my hair. “Whoever you are, you’re the worst horseman I’ve ever met and the rudest man as well. A capable rider wouldn’t try to cover his mistakes with excuses, and a gallant man would ask me if I’m all right, not him.” I pointed at Kian. “I don’t need anyone to answer for me. I’ve got a tongue of my own.”
“Only one? It sounds like you’ve got two at least, and both dipped in hemlock.” The stranger had a wolfish grin that was much too charming for such an unmannerly man. “Your little tumble doesn’t seem to have done you any harm, but why were you standing in the middle of the road whipping a stringaround your head?” He leaned in Kian’s direction and in a false whisper asked, “She’s not crazy, is she?”
My friend was not amused. “You will apologize to Lady Maeve here and now or I swear I’ll show you the color of your guts.”
The rider raised both hands. “I was only joking. Lady Maeve?” He peered at me. I held my head high so that he could see the thickness
Kian chuckled. “If all I had to do to make her return to me was talk to her, I could’ve trained her in a morning.”
I sent Ea flying. The kestrel was still avid to spread her wings. She circled over the unfamiliar landscape, then turned her fiery eyes to the southwest, where the road led to Connacht, our former home.
“I wonder what’s drawing her attention,” Kian mused. “Maybe you should try summoning her now, before she gets any unlucky ideas.” He handed me the string and took a leaf-wrapped piece of raw meat from his pouch. “Good thing I packed a few extra tidbits for her. Do you want me to tie that on for you, or can you manage?”
I ignored the gentle jab and deftly attached the bait. My summoning whistle was so loud and piercing that it made Kian gape. Ea must have heard it too, for she turned in her flight just as I stepped into the middle of the pathway, twirling the lure above my head. Her wings dipped, then rose as she came flying toward me. She was so beautiful that my eyes stung with tears of joy to see her, and my heart raced so wildly I thought I heard it pounding ever louder in my ears.
“That’s the way, my darling,” I whispered. “That’s right, you know me, you’re going to fly right to my—”
“Get out of the way! A hundred curses, you stupid girl, stand aside!”
I wheeled in place. Why hadn’t I heard the hoofbeats coming up fast behind me? I’d been too rapt in Ea’s flight. The lone rider sped down the road straight at me, yet I still stood where I was, looping the sky with the lure.
“Maeve!” Kian bellowed, and swept me out of the horse’s headlong course so violently that I dropped the string andended up sprawled in the yellow-flowered gorse and dead bracken by the roadside.
The rider pulled his steed to a halt and came back toward us. “Is she all right?” He didn’t look much older than I. His long red-gold hair fell in tangles to his waist and his pale-green eyes fixed on Kian. I might as well have been a mushroom.
“You fool, why didn’t you stop before you overran us?” Kian shouted, closing in on the young stranger. “Why didn’t you turn your horse? You had plenty of room!” He threw his arms open as wide as they could go.
“Watch what you’re saying.” The green eyes narrowed dangerously. “I couldn’t stop. My mount’s one of the finest and fastest in all Èriu. When I give him his head in a gallop, I’d sooner be able to rein in the lightning! If I’d pulled him one way, the girl might’ve panicked and dashed into our path, and if I turned him away from her then, she could’ve played the squirrel and scurried right back under his hooves. Now do you understand?”
“ I do.” I stood up, pulling bits of dead leaves and flowers out of my hair. “Whoever you are, you’re the worst horseman I’ve ever met and the rudest man as well. A capable rider wouldn’t try to cover his mistakes with excuses, and a gallant man would ask me if I’m all right, not him.” I pointed at Kian. “I don’t need anyone to answer for me. I’ve got a tongue of my own.”
“Only one? It sounds like you’ve got two at least, and both dipped in hemlock.” The stranger had a wolfish grin that was much too charming for such an unmannerly man. “Your little tumble doesn’t seem to have done you any harm, but why were you standing in the middle of the road whipping a stringaround your head?” He leaned in Kian’s direction and in a false whisper asked, “She’s not crazy, is she?”
My friend was not amused. “You will apologize to Lady Maeve here and now or I swear I’ll show you the color of your guts.”
The rider raised both hands. “I was only joking. Lady Maeve?” He peered at me. I held my head high so that he could see the thickness
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