Isabeau jumped down beside her, thenreached up her arms to the twins. Owein almost fell into the water in his eagerness to jump off the wharf and only Isabeau’s quick reflexes saved him. She hugged him close, not wanting to scold him when she knew how much he must miss his mother.
‘Snuggle up close, my bairns, else we’ll no’ all fit,’ she said and cuddled Bronwen and Olwynne close under her arms as the one-legged sorcerer clambered stiffly down beside them, almost overbalancing when his wooden stump slipped on the damp wood. Isabeau had to restrain herself from offering him her hand, knowing how much Gwilym hated to be reminded of his disability. Brun the cluricaun jumped in last, causing the boat to rock wildly.
The pinnace glided across the still waters of the Murkmyre with no need for anyone to raise the sail or lift an oar. Isabeau let her hand trail in the water, admiring the beautiful reflection of the palace in the loch. The swan-boat’s white breast cut through the reflection, swirling it into a shimmer of pearly colours. Then the pinnace bumped up against a wide marble platform where Iain and Elfrida were waiting, Neil jumping about eagerly by their side.
‘Welcome to my h-h-home, Isabeau,’ Iain said with a smile, reaching his hand down to her. She took it and let him pull her up, staring wide-eyed at the immense palace soaring above them.
‘It’s huge,’ she cried.
Huge-hooh haunt-hooh! Buba said, her head tilted right back, her golden eyes round with amazement.
Iain smiled ruefully. ‘Aye, and m-m-m-most o’ it liesempty. Once we have won peace, we shall have to see what we c-c-can do to fill it wi’ life again. Ye ken our libraries here are the b-b-best in all the land? Happen ye should come and stay with us and study here for a while.’
‘I’d like that,’ Isabeau replied rather shyly.
Iain helped Meghan and the twins out. Bronwen scrambled out to join Donncan, who had flown out as soon as the pinnace had touched land and was now scrapping good-humouredly with Neil.
‘Come and I’ll show ye my rooms, Bronwen,’ Neil said. ‘I have the best rocking horse ye’ve ever seen.’
‘I bet it’s no’ as big as mine,’ Donncan immediately cried, bristling up.
‘Is too!’
‘Is no’!’
‘That’s enough, laddies!’ Isabeau said. ‘Donncan, ye are Cuckoo’s guest here, please mind your manners.’
‘But that’s no’ fair!’ Donncan cried. ‘When Cuckoo was at Lucescere, ye said I had to mind my manners because he was my guest. When do I get to no’ mind my manners?’
‘Never,’ Lachlan said, giving Isabeau a rueful smile as he came out of the palace. ‘Ye are a MacCuinn, Donncan, and heir to the throne. Ye can never forget your manners.’
‘It doesna seem fair,’ Donncan said sulkily, following Neil as he proudly showed Bronwen up the steps and into the palace.
‘We must do something about finding the bairns a new nursemaid,’ Lachlan said apologetically to Isabeau.‘Ye seem to be doing naught else but minding them for me.’
‘Och, that be no trouble,’ Isabeau replied, rather disconcerted. ‘I fain do it, and besides—’
‘Ye be a sorceress now,’ Lachlan said. ‘Ye canna be wasting your time running after a passel o’ bairns.’
‘I fain do it,’ Isabeau replied shyly, taking Olwynne’s hand and helping her up the steps. ‘Ye ken I love them dearly.’
‘Aye, I ken,’ Lachlan said softly, taking Owein’s hand and walking up the steps beside her, his night-black wings brushing against her legs. The little boy fluttered his own wings so that he hopped and bounded up the stairs rather than climbed. He was still too young to have worked out how to use his wings fully, but he nonetheless found them a great help in reaching things the adults would much rather he left alone.
Isabeau found it hard to look at Lachlan or to say anything that sounded natural, so she kept silent, concentrating on helping Olwynne, who was still rather prone
‘Snuggle up close, my bairns, else we’ll no’ all fit,’ she said and cuddled Bronwen and Olwynne close under her arms as the one-legged sorcerer clambered stiffly down beside them, almost overbalancing when his wooden stump slipped on the damp wood. Isabeau had to restrain herself from offering him her hand, knowing how much Gwilym hated to be reminded of his disability. Brun the cluricaun jumped in last, causing the boat to rock wildly.
The pinnace glided across the still waters of the Murkmyre with no need for anyone to raise the sail or lift an oar. Isabeau let her hand trail in the water, admiring the beautiful reflection of the palace in the loch. The swan-boat’s white breast cut through the reflection, swirling it into a shimmer of pearly colours. Then the pinnace bumped up against a wide marble platform where Iain and Elfrida were waiting, Neil jumping about eagerly by their side.
‘Welcome to my h-h-home, Isabeau,’ Iain said with a smile, reaching his hand down to her. She took it and let him pull her up, staring wide-eyed at the immense palace soaring above them.
‘It’s huge,’ she cried.
Huge-hooh haunt-hooh! Buba said, her head tilted right back, her golden eyes round with amazement.
Iain smiled ruefully. ‘Aye, and m-m-m-most o’ it liesempty. Once we have won peace, we shall have to see what we c-c-can do to fill it wi’ life again. Ye ken our libraries here are the b-b-best in all the land? Happen ye should come and stay with us and study here for a while.’
‘I’d like that,’ Isabeau replied rather shyly.
Iain helped Meghan and the twins out. Bronwen scrambled out to join Donncan, who had flown out as soon as the pinnace had touched land and was now scrapping good-humouredly with Neil.
‘Come and I’ll show ye my rooms, Bronwen,’ Neil said. ‘I have the best rocking horse ye’ve ever seen.’
‘I bet it’s no’ as big as mine,’ Donncan immediately cried, bristling up.
‘Is too!’
‘Is no’!’
‘That’s enough, laddies!’ Isabeau said. ‘Donncan, ye are Cuckoo’s guest here, please mind your manners.’
‘But that’s no’ fair!’ Donncan cried. ‘When Cuckoo was at Lucescere, ye said I had to mind my manners because he was my guest. When do I get to no’ mind my manners?’
‘Never,’ Lachlan said, giving Isabeau a rueful smile as he came out of the palace. ‘Ye are a MacCuinn, Donncan, and heir to the throne. Ye can never forget your manners.’
‘It doesna seem fair,’ Donncan said sulkily, following Neil as he proudly showed Bronwen up the steps and into the palace.
‘We must do something about finding the bairns a new nursemaid,’ Lachlan said apologetically to Isabeau.‘Ye seem to be doing naught else but minding them for me.’
‘Och, that be no trouble,’ Isabeau replied, rather disconcerted. ‘I fain do it, and besides—’
‘Ye be a sorceress now,’ Lachlan said. ‘Ye canna be wasting your time running after a passel o’ bairns.’
‘I fain do it,’ Isabeau replied shyly, taking Olwynne’s hand and helping her up the steps. ‘Ye ken I love them dearly.’
‘Aye, I ken,’ Lachlan said softly, taking Owein’s hand and walking up the steps beside her, his night-black wings brushing against her legs. The little boy fluttered his own wings so that he hopped and bounded up the stairs rather than climbed. He was still too young to have worked out how to use his wings fully, but he nonetheless found them a great help in reaching things the adults would much rather he left alone.
Isabeau found it hard to look at Lachlan or to say anything that sounded natural, so she kept silent, concentrating on helping Olwynne, who was still rather prone
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