wondering which of a million questions to put to him first. He was very hard to talk to, and he hadn’t asked her one single question about herself. Wasn’t he at all curious? The only conclusion Dylan could come up with was that he’d rather she wasn’t there. He probably wished that he’d started walking as soon as he’d left the tunnel, instead of waiting to see if anyone else would appear. Dylan wasn’t sure if that wouldn’t have been better for her, too. She could have stayed by the tunnel mouth, and if nobody had come, then eventually she would have persuaded herself to go back through the tunnel and out the other side. By now she would have been home again and fighting with Joan about making another trip to Aberdeen.
A distant howl erupted somewhere to her left. It was high-pitched , mournful, like an animal in pain. The noise seemed to echo off the surrounding hills, giving it an eerie, unearthly quality. It made her shiver.
“What was that?” she asked Tristan.
He shrugged, apparently unconcerned. “Just an animal. They introduced some wolves here a while back. Don’t worry,” he added with a small smile, looking at her nervous expression. “There are plenty of deer around here for them to eat. They aren’t going to bother about you.”
He looked up at the darkening sky. It had melted into late afternoon without Dylan really noticing. Surely they hadn’t walked for that long? She folded her arms across her chest, hugging herself for warmth. The wind seemed suddenly stronger. Swirling around her, it tugged stray strands of hair across her face, making them dance in front of her eyes like rippling shadows. She tried to brush them aside, but her reaching fingers found nothing but air.
Tristan pushed off from the rock he was leaning against, his eyes searching the oncoming night. “All the same, we should get a move on,” he said. “We don’t want to be stuck on the top of a hill when it gets dark.”
It really had got very dark in a ridiculously short space of time. Dylan found it hard to see as they made their way down the hill. This side of the peak was covered in gravel that skidded out from under her feet and rocks that were slick with recent rain. She tried to pick her way, shuffling forward a small step at a time, keeping one foot firmly on the ground whilst she felt her way along the ground hesitantly with the other. It was very slow going and she could feel Tristan’s impatience. Still, he dropped back to walk by her side, the arm closest to her half extended, ready to grab her if she fell, and that was comforting. Above the wind and the sound of her breathing, occasionally she caught the faint baying of wild animals prowling in the night.
“Stop.” Tristan flung his arm out in front of Dylan. Shocked by his abrupt halt, she turned to gaze at him, wide-eyed . Taking in his stance, she felt a nudge of apprehension thrill through her. He was standing stock still, absolutely alert. Every muscle in his body was tense, ready for action. His eyes were focused intently on something ahead, darting in small, quick movements as he scanned the scene in front of them. His eyebrows were pulled down over his eyes, his mouth set in a grim line. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Chapter Seven
“ W hat is it?” Dylan squinted in the direction he was looking, but could see nothing out of the ordinary through the gloom. She could just make out the shape of hills in the distance, and the track that they were descending. Though she stared fixedly for a long moment, nothing moved. She was about to open her mouth to ask what he had seen when he held up his hand, motioning for quiet.
He put his finger to his lips.
Dylan closed her mouth and looked at him attentively, watching his reactions. He was still frozen, his eyes searching the darkness. Dylan glanced once more in the direction of his gaze, but still couldn’t see what had caused Tristan’s response. His tension was infectious,
A distant howl erupted somewhere to her left. It was high-pitched , mournful, like an animal in pain. The noise seemed to echo off the surrounding hills, giving it an eerie, unearthly quality. It made her shiver.
“What was that?” she asked Tristan.
He shrugged, apparently unconcerned. “Just an animal. They introduced some wolves here a while back. Don’t worry,” he added with a small smile, looking at her nervous expression. “There are plenty of deer around here for them to eat. They aren’t going to bother about you.”
He looked up at the darkening sky. It had melted into late afternoon without Dylan really noticing. Surely they hadn’t walked for that long? She folded her arms across her chest, hugging herself for warmth. The wind seemed suddenly stronger. Swirling around her, it tugged stray strands of hair across her face, making them dance in front of her eyes like rippling shadows. She tried to brush them aside, but her reaching fingers found nothing but air.
Tristan pushed off from the rock he was leaning against, his eyes searching the oncoming night. “All the same, we should get a move on,” he said. “We don’t want to be stuck on the top of a hill when it gets dark.”
It really had got very dark in a ridiculously short space of time. Dylan found it hard to see as they made their way down the hill. This side of the peak was covered in gravel that skidded out from under her feet and rocks that were slick with recent rain. She tried to pick her way, shuffling forward a small step at a time, keeping one foot firmly on the ground whilst she felt her way along the ground hesitantly with the other. It was very slow going and she could feel Tristan’s impatience. Still, he dropped back to walk by her side, the arm closest to her half extended, ready to grab her if she fell, and that was comforting. Above the wind and the sound of her breathing, occasionally she caught the faint baying of wild animals prowling in the night.
“Stop.” Tristan flung his arm out in front of Dylan. Shocked by his abrupt halt, she turned to gaze at him, wide-eyed . Taking in his stance, she felt a nudge of apprehension thrill through her. He was standing stock still, absolutely alert. Every muscle in his body was tense, ready for action. His eyes were focused intently on something ahead, darting in small, quick movements as he scanned the scene in front of them. His eyebrows were pulled down over his eyes, his mouth set in a grim line. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Chapter Seven
“ W hat is it?” Dylan squinted in the direction he was looking, but could see nothing out of the ordinary through the gloom. She could just make out the shape of hills in the distance, and the track that they were descending. Though she stared fixedly for a long moment, nothing moved. She was about to open her mouth to ask what he had seen when he held up his hand, motioning for quiet.
He put his finger to his lips.
Dylan closed her mouth and looked at him attentively, watching his reactions. He was still frozen, his eyes searching the darkness. Dylan glanced once more in the direction of his gaze, but still couldn’t see what had caused Tristan’s response. His tension was infectious,
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