lowered his hands. For several seconds she floated and then, as if realising she was unsupported, she dropped her hips and her head dipped below the sparkling water. Swiftly he raised her as she flung her arms around his neck, coughing and spluttering.
'Are you all right?'
'You let me go,' she accused him.
'I was here. You were safe.' Leaning down he kissed her brow, pushing back the dark, wet hair from her face. She laughed and returned the kiss, biting his lip.
'Why?' she asked him, her voice husky.
'Why what?'
'Why would you die for me?'
'Because you are in my care. Because . . . you are my friend.'
'Your friend?'
He was silent for a moment, savouring the touch of her body against his. 'Because I love you,' he said at last.
'Do you love me enough to give me your eyes?'
'My eyes?'
'Do you?'
'I do not understand you.'
'If you say yes, you will be blind but I will be able to see. Do you love me that much?'
'Yes, I love you more than life.' Her hands swept up touching both sides of his face, her thumbs resting on his eyelids. Darkness enveloped him, a terrible, sickening emptiness. He cried out and she led him to the shoreline, where he stubbed his toe on a rock. She helped him to sit and fear swept over him. What had he done?
'Oh, Cormac, so that is the sky. How wonderful! And the trees, just as you described them. And you, Cormac, so handsome, so strong. Do you regret your gift?'
'No,' he lied, his pride overcoming his terror.
Her hands touched his face once more and his sight returned. He took her in his arms, pulling her to him as he saw the tears in her eyes.
'Why did you return my gift?' he asked.
'Because I love you also. And because you looked so lost and afraid. No one has ever done for me what you offered to do, Cormac. I will never forget it.'
"Then why are you crying?'
She did not reply. How could she tell him that until now she had never understood the loneliness of darkness?
*
'His anger towards you is very great,' said Anduine as she and Culain sat in the sunshine. Two months had passed and now the cooler breezes of Autumn whispered in the golden leaves. Every day Cormac and Culain would work together for many hours -boxing, wrestling, duelling with sword or quarter-staff. But when the sessions were over the youth would turn away, his feelings masked, his grey eyes showing no emotion.
'I know,' answered the warrior, shielding his eyes and watching the boy gamely running on towards the stand of pine, high up on the mountain's flank. 'He has reason to. But he likes you, he trusts you.'
'I think so, my lord. But I cannot heal the anger. As I touch it, it recoils like mist before me.
Will he not speak of it?'
'I have not tried to speak to him, Anduine. There would be little to gain for either of us. I first met his father on this mountain and it was here that Uther learnt to love Laitha, my Gian Avur. Now the son follows. And still the world is at war, evil flourishes and good men die. I am sorry about your father. Had I come sooner . . .'
'He was an old warrior,' she said, smiling. 'He died as he would have wished with his sword in his hand, his enemies falling to him.'
'He was brave to refuse Wotan.'
'It was not bravery, my lord. He wanted a higher price for me. Wotan merely mistook greed for nobility.'
'You miss very little, Anduine, for one who cannot see.'
'You are leaving today?'
'Yes. You will be safe, I think, until I return. I am sorry that the cabin is so bare of luxury.
It will be hard for you.'
'I may just survive,' she said, smiling. 'Do not concern yourself.'
'You are a fine woman.'
Her smile faded. 'And you are a good man, my lord. So why do you plan to die?'
'You see too much.'
'You did not answer me.'
To ask the question means you know the answer, for the two are one.'
'I want to hear you say it.'
'Why, lady?'
'I want you to hear yourself. I want you to understand the futility.'
'Another time, Anduine.' He took her hand and kissed it softly.
'No, there
'Are you all right?'
'You let me go,' she accused him.
'I was here. You were safe.' Leaning down he kissed her brow, pushing back the dark, wet hair from her face. She laughed and returned the kiss, biting his lip.
'Why?' she asked him, her voice husky.
'Why what?'
'Why would you die for me?'
'Because you are in my care. Because . . . you are my friend.'
'Your friend?'
He was silent for a moment, savouring the touch of her body against his. 'Because I love you,' he said at last.
'Do you love me enough to give me your eyes?'
'My eyes?'
'Do you?'
'I do not understand you.'
'If you say yes, you will be blind but I will be able to see. Do you love me that much?'
'Yes, I love you more than life.' Her hands swept up touching both sides of his face, her thumbs resting on his eyelids. Darkness enveloped him, a terrible, sickening emptiness. He cried out and she led him to the shoreline, where he stubbed his toe on a rock. She helped him to sit and fear swept over him. What had he done?
'Oh, Cormac, so that is the sky. How wonderful! And the trees, just as you described them. And you, Cormac, so handsome, so strong. Do you regret your gift?'
'No,' he lied, his pride overcoming his terror.
Her hands touched his face once more and his sight returned. He took her in his arms, pulling her to him as he saw the tears in her eyes.
'Why did you return my gift?' he asked.
'Because I love you also. And because you looked so lost and afraid. No one has ever done for me what you offered to do, Cormac. I will never forget it.'
"Then why are you crying?'
She did not reply. How could she tell him that until now she had never understood the loneliness of darkness?
*
'His anger towards you is very great,' said Anduine as she and Culain sat in the sunshine. Two months had passed and now the cooler breezes of Autumn whispered in the golden leaves. Every day Cormac and Culain would work together for many hours -boxing, wrestling, duelling with sword or quarter-staff. But when the sessions were over the youth would turn away, his feelings masked, his grey eyes showing no emotion.
'I know,' answered the warrior, shielding his eyes and watching the boy gamely running on towards the stand of pine, high up on the mountain's flank. 'He has reason to. But he likes you, he trusts you.'
'I think so, my lord. But I cannot heal the anger. As I touch it, it recoils like mist before me.
Will he not speak of it?'
'I have not tried to speak to him, Anduine. There would be little to gain for either of us. I first met his father on this mountain and it was here that Uther learnt to love Laitha, my Gian Avur. Now the son follows. And still the world is at war, evil flourishes and good men die. I am sorry about your father. Had I come sooner . . .'
'He was an old warrior,' she said, smiling. 'He died as he would have wished with his sword in his hand, his enemies falling to him.'
'He was brave to refuse Wotan.'
'It was not bravery, my lord. He wanted a higher price for me. Wotan merely mistook greed for nobility.'
'You miss very little, Anduine, for one who cannot see.'
'You are leaving today?'
'Yes. You will be safe, I think, until I return. I am sorry that the cabin is so bare of luxury.
It will be hard for you.'
'I may just survive,' she said, smiling. 'Do not concern yourself.'
'You are a fine woman.'
Her smile faded. 'And you are a good man, my lord. So why do you plan to die?'
'You see too much.'
'You did not answer me.'
To ask the question means you know the answer, for the two are one.'
'I want to hear you say it.'
'Why, lady?'
'I want you to hear yourself. I want you to understand the futility.'
'Another time, Anduine.' He took her hand and kissed it softly.
'No, there
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