cousin nibbled on oatcakes and sipped at some wine.
“’Tis hard to ken where to go when we dinnae ken where we are,” Gillyanne murmured, slumping against the thick trunk of the tree and closing her eyes.
“True, but as soon as we find out where we are, this will be a great help.” Avery relaxed next to her cousin.
“Do ye think Cameron will hunt us for verra long?”
“Longer than we may like. He is a stubborn oaf.”
“And, we stole his horse.”
Avery grinned. “Aye, we did that. Howbeit, I think he will hunt us down mostly because he willnae be able to stomach being defeated by two wee lasses.”
Gillyanne nodded. “That would sorely sting a mon’s pride.”
“And Cameron has a lot of that.”
“I was a little surprised that ye were so quick to flee.”
“Nay that quick.” Avery sighed. “I hesitated. Then he gave me that look.”
“What look?”
“That arrogant I ken I am winning look. So, I kicked it off his face.”
She smiled faintly when Gillyanne giggled. “So, this is all his own fault. If he had nay looked so cursed sure of himself, I would probably still be sitting there trying to convince myself to flee. There was a verra large part of me that wanted to stay right there, close to him. All I could think of was how, if I succeeded in escaping, I might ne’er see the mon again.”
“Dinnae sound so disgusted with yourself.” Gillyanne patted Avery’s hand. “Considering your feelings for the mon, ’tis only natural ye wouldnae want to leave him, especially fearing that it might be forever. Payton would understand.”
“Aye, he would, but I am nay sure it would ease my guilt much. ’Tis sinful, but my greatest regret is that I didnae give in at least once ere I left him.”
“’Twould be mine.”
“Truly?”
“Truly. Such a fierce passion is a rare thing. Our parents have told us so. So has Elspeth. ’Tis what we all search for. That passion coupled with love. We want what our parents have. Ye could see a chance for it.” Gillyanne winked at Avery. “Try to soothe yourself by recalling that ’tis all Cameron’s fault ye cannae try to see if that fierce passion is the seed of love.”
“It was in me,” Avery whispered, fighting the urge to weep. “And aye, ’tis all that fool’s fault. His sister’s, too. Mayhap ’tis indeed best that we escape, for I could act verra rashly if I e’er have to meet Payton’s accuser.”
Avery stood up and brushed herself off. “Best we start on our way again. We can travel slowly now.”
“Are ye certain?” Gillyanne asked as she followed Avery over to the horse.
“We havenae seen Cameron or Leargan for a long time. That means they must track us now and ’twill slow them down.” Even as she mounted, Gillyanne quickly getting up behind her, Avery caught the glint of something through the trees. “Curse it, I cannae believe he has found us.” A heartbeat later, Avery realized that those glints were from the sun touching on armor, and there were far more of them than could be produced by two men. “’Tisnae them.”
Gillyanne clutched Avery’s waist as her cousin urged their horse across the brook and into the thick trees on the other side. “Who is it?”
“I dinnae ken. Looks to be an army. So now we hide.”
“Hide? Wouldnae it be better to just ride away, verra swiftly?”
“They are close enough to hear or see us if we bolt,” Avery whispered as she nudged the horse into a thick stand of trees, the shadows comfortingly deep and concealing. “I think we should also get some idea of who else roams these woods.”
Avery leaned forward enough to keep her hand on the side of her mount’s head near his nose, prepared to muzzle him with her hand if the need arose. She could see the small army through the thick branches of the trees now as they paused to briefly water their horses. The pennant one carried was of the most interest to her, the arms upon it making her blood run cold. It was the DeVeaux,
“’Tis hard to ken where to go when we dinnae ken where we are,” Gillyanne murmured, slumping against the thick trunk of the tree and closing her eyes.
“True, but as soon as we find out where we are, this will be a great help.” Avery relaxed next to her cousin.
“Do ye think Cameron will hunt us for verra long?”
“Longer than we may like. He is a stubborn oaf.”
“And, we stole his horse.”
Avery grinned. “Aye, we did that. Howbeit, I think he will hunt us down mostly because he willnae be able to stomach being defeated by two wee lasses.”
Gillyanne nodded. “That would sorely sting a mon’s pride.”
“And Cameron has a lot of that.”
“I was a little surprised that ye were so quick to flee.”
“Nay that quick.” Avery sighed. “I hesitated. Then he gave me that look.”
“What look?”
“That arrogant I ken I am winning look. So, I kicked it off his face.”
She smiled faintly when Gillyanne giggled. “So, this is all his own fault. If he had nay looked so cursed sure of himself, I would probably still be sitting there trying to convince myself to flee. There was a verra large part of me that wanted to stay right there, close to him. All I could think of was how, if I succeeded in escaping, I might ne’er see the mon again.”
“Dinnae sound so disgusted with yourself.” Gillyanne patted Avery’s hand. “Considering your feelings for the mon, ’tis only natural ye wouldnae want to leave him, especially fearing that it might be forever. Payton would understand.”
“Aye, he would, but I am nay sure it would ease my guilt much. ’Tis sinful, but my greatest regret is that I didnae give in at least once ere I left him.”
“’Twould be mine.”
“Truly?”
“Truly. Such a fierce passion is a rare thing. Our parents have told us so. So has Elspeth. ’Tis what we all search for. That passion coupled with love. We want what our parents have. Ye could see a chance for it.” Gillyanne winked at Avery. “Try to soothe yourself by recalling that ’tis all Cameron’s fault ye cannae try to see if that fierce passion is the seed of love.”
“It was in me,” Avery whispered, fighting the urge to weep. “And aye, ’tis all that fool’s fault. His sister’s, too. Mayhap ’tis indeed best that we escape, for I could act verra rashly if I e’er have to meet Payton’s accuser.”
Avery stood up and brushed herself off. “Best we start on our way again. We can travel slowly now.”
“Are ye certain?” Gillyanne asked as she followed Avery over to the horse.
“We havenae seen Cameron or Leargan for a long time. That means they must track us now and ’twill slow them down.” Even as she mounted, Gillyanne quickly getting up behind her, Avery caught the glint of something through the trees. “Curse it, I cannae believe he has found us.” A heartbeat later, Avery realized that those glints were from the sun touching on armor, and there were far more of them than could be produced by two men. “’Tisnae them.”
Gillyanne clutched Avery’s waist as her cousin urged their horse across the brook and into the thick trees on the other side. “Who is it?”
“I dinnae ken. Looks to be an army. So now we hide.”
“Hide? Wouldnae it be better to just ride away, verra swiftly?”
“They are close enough to hear or see us if we bolt,” Avery whispered as she nudged the horse into a thick stand of trees, the shadows comfortingly deep and concealing. “I think we should also get some idea of who else roams these woods.”
Avery leaned forward enough to keep her hand on the side of her mount’s head near his nose, prepared to muzzle him with her hand if the need arose. She could see the small army through the thick branches of the trees now as they paused to briefly water their horses. The pennant one carried was of the most interest to her, the arms upon it making her blood run cold. It was the DeVeaux,
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