coming into the great hall by way of
the main entrance, Meg and Dominic were quietly eating a breakfast
of fruit, cheese, and yesterday’s herb bread.
Simon and Erik strode into the hall with similar
lithe strides. Tall, quick, broad-shouldered, strong with the lean
power of a wolf rather than the muscular heft of a bear, blond of
hair and beard, the two knights looked more like brothers than like
men born in separate lands. All that divided them was the massive
wolfhound that paced at Erik’s side.
No one noticed Ariane standing in the side
entrance, concealed by shadows, dark clothing and her own
stillness. She wanted to walk forward, to show herself and take a
place by the fire, but the sight of Simon froze her in place.
Have a care how you mock me,
else I will take what God and king have given to me, and to hell
with your virginal fears .
A chill condensed beneath Ariane’s skin. She
stood motionless, praying not to be noticed until she could
withdraw as quietly as she had come.
When Simon came up to the fire, Dominic gave his
brother a swift, comprehensive glance. As always since the Holy
Crusade, Simon’s face gave away nothing of his thoughts.
Dominic was one of the few people who knew that his brother’s
quick wit and smile were as much an armor as any chain mail ever
worn.
Usually Dominic could see beneath Simon’s
sun-bright surface to the reality beneath.
Usually, but not this morning.
Disappointment bloomed silently within Dominic. He
needed no Learning to sense that whatever had passed between Simon
and Ariane last night had increased rather than eased the cold
darkness in his brother.
“God’s teeth,” Erik said in
disgust as he stepped over a snoring man-at-arms, “Duncan and
I will need a whip and a goad to get these men up and
about.”
“Where is Duncan? And Sven?” Simon
asked. “Usually they are the first to awaken.”
“I sent Sven out to gauge the temper of the
countryside,” Dominic said. “With all these great louts
sleeping like rocks, it would be a child’s work to take Stone
Ring Keep.”
“The sentry is at his post,” Erik
pointed out.
Dominic grunted, unimpressed. “As for
Duncan…”
“Duncan is enjoying the rowan’s
gift,” Meg said.
“Uninterrupted sleep?” Simon asked.
Cool, sardonic, Simon’s voice was a good
match for the crystal blackness of his eyes.
Glendruid dreams echoed in Meg’s mind,
speaking darkly of the violence that was gathering like a storm in
the Disputed Lands.
A storm whose center would be Stone Ring Keep.
A low cry came from Meg’s lips, a sound too
soft for anyone but her husband to hear. Instantly Dominic was on
his feet beside his wife. His arm went around her and his dark head
bent down to her cheek. Though Meg needed no support, she leaned
gratefully against her husband’s strong arm.
“What is it?” Dominic asked
urgently.
She simply shook her head.
“It isn’t the babe, is it?”
Dominic asked.
“Nay.”
“Are you certain? For a moment it seemed as
though you were in pain.”
Meg let out a long breath and looked up into her
husband’s clear grey eyes.
“The babe is hardy as a war-horse,” she
said.
She took Dominic’s scarred hand and held it
against the taut mound of her pregnancy. Dominic felt first the
heat of his wife’s body, then the subtle yet unmistakable
kick of the babe.
The expression that came to Dominic’s face
made Ariane stare. Never would she have believed that such a
formidable man could have such a tender smile.
Simon stared, too. Though he had had months to
become accustomed to Meg’s effect on Dominic, there were
still times when Simon was surprised by the depths of his
brother’s feeling for the girl fate had sent to him.
“The Glendruid Wolf looks not so fierce right
now,” Erik said in a low voice. “In their own way, he
and his witch share the rowan’s gift, don’t
they?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Simon said
coolly.
“Ah, yes. What was it Dominic said—that
your
the main entrance, Meg and Dominic were quietly eating a breakfast
of fruit, cheese, and yesterday’s herb bread.
Simon and Erik strode into the hall with similar
lithe strides. Tall, quick, broad-shouldered, strong with the lean
power of a wolf rather than the muscular heft of a bear, blond of
hair and beard, the two knights looked more like brothers than like
men born in separate lands. All that divided them was the massive
wolfhound that paced at Erik’s side.
No one noticed Ariane standing in the side
entrance, concealed by shadows, dark clothing and her own
stillness. She wanted to walk forward, to show herself and take a
place by the fire, but the sight of Simon froze her in place.
Have a care how you mock me,
else I will take what God and king have given to me, and to hell
with your virginal fears .
A chill condensed beneath Ariane’s skin. She
stood motionless, praying not to be noticed until she could
withdraw as quietly as she had come.
When Simon came up to the fire, Dominic gave his
brother a swift, comprehensive glance. As always since the Holy
Crusade, Simon’s face gave away nothing of his thoughts.
Dominic was one of the few people who knew that his brother’s
quick wit and smile were as much an armor as any chain mail ever
worn.
Usually Dominic could see beneath Simon’s
sun-bright surface to the reality beneath.
Usually, but not this morning.
Disappointment bloomed silently within Dominic. He
needed no Learning to sense that whatever had passed between Simon
and Ariane last night had increased rather than eased the cold
darkness in his brother.
“God’s teeth,” Erik said in
disgust as he stepped over a snoring man-at-arms, “Duncan and
I will need a whip and a goad to get these men up and
about.”
“Where is Duncan? And Sven?” Simon
asked. “Usually they are the first to awaken.”
“I sent Sven out to gauge the temper of the
countryside,” Dominic said. “With all these great louts
sleeping like rocks, it would be a child’s work to take Stone
Ring Keep.”
“The sentry is at his post,” Erik
pointed out.
Dominic grunted, unimpressed. “As for
Duncan…”
“Duncan is enjoying the rowan’s
gift,” Meg said.
“Uninterrupted sleep?” Simon asked.
Cool, sardonic, Simon’s voice was a good
match for the crystal blackness of his eyes.
Glendruid dreams echoed in Meg’s mind,
speaking darkly of the violence that was gathering like a storm in
the Disputed Lands.
A storm whose center would be Stone Ring Keep.
A low cry came from Meg’s lips, a sound too
soft for anyone but her husband to hear. Instantly Dominic was on
his feet beside his wife. His arm went around her and his dark head
bent down to her cheek. Though Meg needed no support, she leaned
gratefully against her husband’s strong arm.
“What is it?” Dominic asked
urgently.
She simply shook her head.
“It isn’t the babe, is it?”
Dominic asked.
“Nay.”
“Are you certain? For a moment it seemed as
though you were in pain.”
Meg let out a long breath and looked up into her
husband’s clear grey eyes.
“The babe is hardy as a war-horse,” she
said.
She took Dominic’s scarred hand and held it
against the taut mound of her pregnancy. Dominic felt first the
heat of his wife’s body, then the subtle yet unmistakable
kick of the babe.
The expression that came to Dominic’s face
made Ariane stare. Never would she have believed that such a
formidable man could have such a tender smile.
Simon stared, too. Though he had had months to
become accustomed to Meg’s effect on Dominic, there were
still times when Simon was surprised by the depths of his
brother’s feeling for the girl fate had sent to him.
“The Glendruid Wolf looks not so fierce right
now,” Erik said in a low voice. “In their own way, he
and his witch share the rowan’s gift, don’t
they?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Simon said
coolly.
“Ah, yes. What was it Dominic said—that
your
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