gaze on her she shuddered and not in a bad way.
“They may not stop at this port town. I have to tell me clan elders,” he said as he handed the glass back.
Her blood sped through her veins, heating her from the inside out. Finally, someone who took the threat seriously! She dropped the druid’s spyglass and rolled over to look around them. Dubh had wandered close to the top of the hill; close enough that she worried if there were scouts they might be able to see him.
“Dubh, back! Get back!” Neala whispered as loud as she dared while gesturing at the stallion.
His ears flicked back and forth and he appeared confused but he obeyed and took a few steps back. It looked like he was back far enough now, but was it too late? A horrible feeling boiled in her stomach.
“He could have been seen,” she told Bren as she started to crawl back down the hill.
She was on her feet and running the moment she thought she was far enough down the hill not to be seen. Dubh pranced about at her fast approach but he didn’t back away. She grabbed his reins and led him further down the hill then jumped on his back. Before she could get settled Bren jumped up behind her.
He put an arm around her waist and pressed something into one of her hands. It was the druid’s spyglass. “Ye forgot this,” he said.
The thought of losing the spyglass her brother had made for her caused her stomach to lurch. Cursing herself inwardly, she shoved it into her pouch. If scouts checked the area and found it they would have known it wasn’t just a wild horse on the hill. Determined not to make any more mistakes, she urged Dubh into a trot down the rocky hillside. As much as she wanted to run, they couldn’t risk it yet. Not only was the ground rocky and uneven, which made for poor footing, running would leave deeper tracks in some of the softer areas. Her eyes scanned the valley ahead, searching for the best footing and some kind of cover. There were no trees until the top of the next hill.
They reached the valley and she pushed Dubh into a canter, deciding being caught would be worse than leaving tracks at this point. It took only a few heartbeats to cross the valley but it felt like an eternity. Wind whipped Neala’s loose hair back and drew moisture from her eyes. The run wasn’t as reckless as the wild flight that had brought her into Bren’s life, but it was close.
Dubh didn’t slow when they reached the hill, he attacked it. His massive hooves pounded the Earth as his knees stepped high. Leaning forward to make it easier on the stallion, Neala clung tight to him with every muscle in her body. When they reached the top of the hill she chanced a look back over her shoulder.
There was no one following them but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be.
“Which way to the river?” she called over her shoulder.
Bren pointed ahead of them and to the left. Sitting up a little, Neala cued Dubh to slow down into a trot. The cool shade of giant spruce and oak trees soon enveloped them. Within the shade, a tiny measure of relief surged up to push back her fear. At least they were hidden now. But she wasn’t about to leave their lives to chance. She leaned back against Bren and placed the reins in his hands. While Neala had been to Dublin by road in the past, she had never gone through this forest, it was O’Donovan land.
“Ye know the way. We’ll get there faster if ye guide him,” she said.
Bren took the reins and guided Dubh through the maze of trees and underbrush. It wasn’t long before Neala could hear rushing water and taste it in the air. The underbrush became thicker and taller but Bren maneuvered Dubh expertly through it, no doubt leaving almost no sign of their passing. Neala was forced to lean back as they started down a rocky slope leading to the river. The water was moving along at a swift pace but it looked shallow.
“Thank ye,” Neala said as she took the reins from Bren.
Picking the shallowest spot she could find
“They may not stop at this port town. I have to tell me clan elders,” he said as he handed the glass back.
Her blood sped through her veins, heating her from the inside out. Finally, someone who took the threat seriously! She dropped the druid’s spyglass and rolled over to look around them. Dubh had wandered close to the top of the hill; close enough that she worried if there were scouts they might be able to see him.
“Dubh, back! Get back!” Neala whispered as loud as she dared while gesturing at the stallion.
His ears flicked back and forth and he appeared confused but he obeyed and took a few steps back. It looked like he was back far enough now, but was it too late? A horrible feeling boiled in her stomach.
“He could have been seen,” she told Bren as she started to crawl back down the hill.
She was on her feet and running the moment she thought she was far enough down the hill not to be seen. Dubh pranced about at her fast approach but he didn’t back away. She grabbed his reins and led him further down the hill then jumped on his back. Before she could get settled Bren jumped up behind her.
He put an arm around her waist and pressed something into one of her hands. It was the druid’s spyglass. “Ye forgot this,” he said.
The thought of losing the spyglass her brother had made for her caused her stomach to lurch. Cursing herself inwardly, she shoved it into her pouch. If scouts checked the area and found it they would have known it wasn’t just a wild horse on the hill. Determined not to make any more mistakes, she urged Dubh into a trot down the rocky hillside. As much as she wanted to run, they couldn’t risk it yet. Not only was the ground rocky and uneven, which made for poor footing, running would leave deeper tracks in some of the softer areas. Her eyes scanned the valley ahead, searching for the best footing and some kind of cover. There were no trees until the top of the next hill.
They reached the valley and she pushed Dubh into a canter, deciding being caught would be worse than leaving tracks at this point. It took only a few heartbeats to cross the valley but it felt like an eternity. Wind whipped Neala’s loose hair back and drew moisture from her eyes. The run wasn’t as reckless as the wild flight that had brought her into Bren’s life, but it was close.
Dubh didn’t slow when they reached the hill, he attacked it. His massive hooves pounded the Earth as his knees stepped high. Leaning forward to make it easier on the stallion, Neala clung tight to him with every muscle in her body. When they reached the top of the hill she chanced a look back over her shoulder.
There was no one following them but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be.
“Which way to the river?” she called over her shoulder.
Bren pointed ahead of them and to the left. Sitting up a little, Neala cued Dubh to slow down into a trot. The cool shade of giant spruce and oak trees soon enveloped them. Within the shade, a tiny measure of relief surged up to push back her fear. At least they were hidden now. But she wasn’t about to leave their lives to chance. She leaned back against Bren and placed the reins in his hands. While Neala had been to Dublin by road in the past, she had never gone through this forest, it was O’Donovan land.
“Ye know the way. We’ll get there faster if ye guide him,” she said.
Bren took the reins and guided Dubh through the maze of trees and underbrush. It wasn’t long before Neala could hear rushing water and taste it in the air. The underbrush became thicker and taller but Bren maneuvered Dubh expertly through it, no doubt leaving almost no sign of their passing. Neala was forced to lean back as they started down a rocky slope leading to the river. The water was moving along at a swift pace but it looked shallow.
“Thank ye,” Neala said as she took the reins from Bren.
Picking the shallowest spot she could find
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