He eased her to him. “Since forever.”
Her heart thudded in her chest and her stomach quivered. “Truly?”
“Truly,” he said and nibbled at her lips.
“It matters not that I am your mapmaker?”
“It matters not to you that I am the Legend?”
She giggled softly. “Why would that matter?”
He shrugged. “Why would it matter that I wed my mapmaker? We wed because we love. What better reason?”
She cuddled close to him. “This day ends in much joy. I would have never thought it so.”
“This day will end in much more joy,” he teased and nuzzled her neck.
She playfully pushed at his chest. “We are not yet wed.”
“The heavens heard us confess our love; we are bonded, you and I, and nothing, absolutely nothing, will keep us apart.”
His words sounded like a proclamation for all to hear and with no objections allowed.
The crunch of leaves and steady footsteps caught their attention, and Reena attempted to move away, but his strong hands held firm to her waist.
Philip, one of Magnus’s men, stepped out of the woods and looked to Magnus, unmoved by the intimacy of his lord and his mapmaker. “All is set, I sleep now until my shift.”
Magnus nodded, and the man took the rolled bedding tucked beneath his arm and spread it on the ground not far from the fire. He turned his back to them to sleep.
“We are as good as wed, Reena,” Magnus whispered and moved her so that they could stretch out beside each other, placing Reena closer to the fire’s heat. He cuddled against her back and draped a possessive arm over her.
She felt the length of him, and the heat of his body penetrated her slowly and steadily, unlike the rush of heat from the fire’s flames. She rested her hand on his arm, glad that they’d made their love known to each other, glad that they would wed and eager for her husband’s touch.
Life was good, so very good, and she was grateful, and she fell asleep with happiness filling her heart.
It dawned sunny, the air less chilled. After a quick morning meal the small group was off for a day of mapping. They stopped at a section of land thick with trees. Magnus stood talking with Philip, while Reena was busy surveying the area. It was soon evident that she did not have a good view for mapping, and she turned in a slow circle to determine the best position.
After several slow turns, she tilted her head back, staring up at the tall tree not far from her. “Perfect.”
She fashioned a satchel of cloth from her shawl to carry her sketching items and draped it around her neck to rest to the side. She then proceeded to grab at the lower branch of the tree and pull herself up.
Magnus caught her antics out of the corner of his eye and turned to watch her attempt to hoist herself up on the branch. Her feet swung wildly and her small hands looked as though they could barely hold onto the thick branch. She was going nowhere and tiring herself out fast, but she persisted.
He walked over to her. “Whatever are you doing?”
After a huff and puff or two she managed to answer. “Need a better view.”
He shook his head and with ease hoisted himself up onto the branch from where she dangled.
She cricked her neck and stared up at him. He did not wear his helmet; his handsome face was fully exposed down to his sinful smile, and the morning sun shone through the branches just budding with spring leaves to kiss the warm honey-colored streaks in his brown hair.
A handsome one he was, and he belonged to her.
“You smile as you dangle from the tree.”
“I smile at the man I love.”
He leaned over, grabbed her arms, and pulled her up, steadying her as her feet found their footing on the thick branch. “You are foolishly—”
“In love,” she finished and kissed him, almost sending them both toppling off the branch, were it not for Magnus’s quick reaction.
He steadied them and then braced her to rest against the thick trunk of the tree. “Is this tree climbing necessary?”
Reena looked up at the next branch.
“Absolutely not,” Magnus said, shaking his head firmly.
“I need a better view of the surrounding area. With the trees not fully in bloom I can see far and wide and produce a more accurate map. Then you will know all approaches to your land, for one map will follow the other and you will have a clear and concise drawing of your property.”
Magnus gave thought.
Reena suddenly looked alarmed.
“What is wrong?” Magnus asked and quickly surveyed the surrounding area. Seeing nothing to warrant concern, he turned his attention to Reena.
She immediately voiced her apprehension. “I will remain your mapmaker when we wed, will I not?”
Magnus took careful steps over to her side and placed a gentle hand to her cheek. “I would never deprive you of your work. I will provide you with paper, charcoal, quill and ink for as long as you wish, and you may map until your dying day if you so choose.”
Reena sighed in relief and kissed the palm of his hand.
Her moist lips tingled his flesh and jolted his senses, his male senses. “If only we were not in a tree.”
“Are you not the Legend?” she teased. “A man of many talents and skills?”
His hand grabbed hold of her cheeks, puckering her lips. “You will learn well of my talents and skills.” He smiled. “And I will teach you some of your own.”
She spoke between puckered lips, but her response was clear. “Good, I love to learn new things.”
Magnus groaned deep and harsh and kissed her puckered lips. “Damn, Ree, but you excite me in a most unusual way.”
She eased his hand off her face. “I am glad, for I feel myself eager to be with you.”
He ran a tender finger over her lips. “I promise you that our joining will be a time you long remember.”
She kissed his finger. “I have no doubt of that.”
“Map,” he ordered, and she understood. If she did not soon tend to her work, they would be tending to something much more intimate.
Reena made fast work of the temporary map, asking him relevant questions and giving him pause to reflect on answers that would serve him well in protecting his land.
When they were ready to climb down from the tree, Magnus ordered her to remain as she was and not to move an inch. She gave her word, and he grasped the branch and easily swung himself down to the ground. He then walked with haste to his horse, mounted, and returned, stopping the large steed beneath the tree.
“Drop me your satchel.”
She did as he said.
“Walk out carefully on the branch to where I can reach you.”
It was a bare few steps she needed to take, and she took them without trepidation. She had climbed enough trees with Brigid not to worry about one with a thick and sturdy branch.
“Careful,” he warned with a snap, startling her.
She lost her footing and swung her arms to steady herself, but she could not hold her balance, and she toppled off the branch.
Magnus reacted instinctively, his arms reaching out, and she landed with a solid plop right in them. His heart thudded in fright and his breath raced out in a sigh. She simply smiled.
He shook his head. “You smile when you fall from a tree?”
“I smile because I knew you would catch me.”
“You had no doubt?”
“Nay, not an ounce of doubt. I knew you would be there for me. You never fail to help those you love or those your heart will not let you ignore, no matter the price to you.”
One of his men hurried out from the dense tree covering to the small clearing and shouted to him that strangers were spotted in the distance.
“See what they are about,” Magnus ordered and gave a quick glance at the sky. The sun had suddenly disappeared behind a flurry of gray skies and the distant sky did not look promising; a spring storm seemed probable. “The hills just west of
here would be a good place to make camp for the night. There are several small caves where we can seek shelter if it rains. Meet me there when you are done with the strangers.”
The man nodded and disappeared after taking only a few steps into the woods.
“You think a spring storm brews?” Reena asked, glancing at the gray sky.
“I do not wish to take the chance, and besides”—he gave her a hasty kiss—“I wish to be alone with you this night.”
The thought his remark invoked caused her to shiver, and she cuddled against him.
“I will keep you warm,” he whispered in her ear and sent gooseflesh racing down her arms.
“And what of mapping?” she asked, attempting to keep her senses rational, to ignore the rush of tingles that nestled between her legs. She wished to be alone with him and get to know him intimately as much as he wished for them to be alone, but fear mingled with her desire. What if she disappointed him? She was thin and small and not as shapely as most women. And that doubt lingered and nagged at her. But since he loved her it should not make a difference. Still, there would be that moment when she would stand in front of him naked, completely vulnerable. Would he still want her? Or were her doubts her own insecurities?
“Do not fear, there is much for you to map, but right now is for you and me.”
He helped her onto her horse and they rode off toward the hills in the distance, the gray clouds thickening and a chilled wind swirling down around them.
It was not long before a sprinkle of rain began to fall and Reena was glad that the hills were not as far as she’d first thought, for the rain turned hard and steady. When finally they reached the hills, they were both soaked through, their skin wet and their bones chilled.
Magnus’s men arrived only minutes later, and they exchanged hasty words before two men and Magnus hurried off in search of sufficient shelter and the other two saw to the care of the horses. Reena waited under a large tree, which kept her protected from the heavy rain, though a fine and steady drizzle kept her wet.
Shelter was located in mere minutes, and the men hurried her and the horses into a cave large enough for them all. A small fire burned and she hurried to warm herself, shivering from her wet clothes and the chill in her bones.
Try as she might, she could not get warm. Her wet clothes continued to keep her cold no matter how close she got to the fire. The men tended the horses while one took bow and arrow and left the shelter in search of food.
Reena shivered and rubbed her hands together. It would be a long night, though not the night she had in mind. Not wanting to feel any sorrier for herself than she already did, she went to her horse, grabbed her satchel, and returned to the fire. She wanted to make certain none of the maps were disturbed by the weather. She always made certain to protect her maps with leather wrappings. Her father had taught her to do so, explaining that he’d lost several maps before he was wise enough to keep them from being destroyed by the elements.
A shiver continued to run through her every now and then, and just as she finished tucking her maps back into the satchel, Magnus entered the cave.
He walked over to her and took her arm. “Come with me.”
She had no time to respond or to pick her satchel up off the ground: his hold was firm, and she was forced to follow him. With rushed steps and rain pouring down on them they made their way a few feet past the cave and entered another cave.
Reena wiped the raindrops from her face and glanced around the cave. It was small but high enough to stand and move about. A campfire burned in the middle of the earth floor, and wool blankets were spread out on one side. A bird of some kind roasted on the wooden spit over the fire and was just beginning to scent the cave with a delicious aroma.
She turned to Magnus, smiled, and shivered.
His hands instantly went to the ties on her cloak. “I want you out of these wet garments now.”
Chapter 25
Reena placed her hand on his and stilled it. “I do not know if I am ready for this.” The thought of standing naked in front of him chilled her more than her wet garments and filled her with apprehension.
He slipped his hand from beneath hers. “You are not ready to rid yourself of wet clothing and seek the warmth of a blanket and the heat of the fire?” He let her cloak fall to the ground. “For at this moment that is what I offer you.”
She felt foolish and expressed her misgivings. “I will disappoint you for sure—”
His brisk laugh interrupted, and his hands went to the cloth belt around her waist. “It is not possible for you to disappoint me.”
“I most certainly can,” she insisted. “When first I drew my maps they were not at all good, though my father told me I had talent. It took time and much practice.”
Magnus laughed again. “Then we will practice as much as you like.”
“You will not mind if at first I disappoint you?”
His hands grasped the sides of her tunic and drew it up and over her head, leaving her wearing only her shift, the wet garment clinging to her chilled skin. After letting the tunic fall to join the cloak, he took hold of her arms. “I love you, Reena, you could never disappointment me. Besides, you have a passion in you that cannot be denied. It is in everything you do, from your drawings to your love of others to your joy of mapping. It is who you are, a woman full of passion and life.”
“You make me sound more than I truly am.”
“Nay, you simply need to learn who you truly are.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Now finish undressing while I see to the food.”
He walked to the fire, squatted down, and slowly turned the stick so that the roasting bird would cook evenly and not burn. He kept his back to her, giving her privacy to rid herself of her remaining wet garment, but as she did she could not help but judge herself. What womanly qualities did she truly possess? Her breasts were barely a handful and her hips were narrow, though they had rounded some since food was no longer scarce and her appetite heartier. Many of the village women commented on how birthing would be difficult for her, and then there was her height, a mere two inches, no more, over five feet.
Whatever did he find attractive about her?
She was who she was, not beautiful, small in size and a mapmaker, certainly not the makings of a good wife. Or was there something she failed to see about herself? Was there something for her to learn?
She stared at his back, broad and strong and carrying the weight of far too many, and yet he remained caring and honorable. He had even turned his back so that she might undress in private.
The Legend certainly was a man of honor; she could see that clearly. Why, then, could she not see herself as clearly?
She quickly finished the task he had started, wrapping a soft brown wool blanket around herself once she stood naked. Then she spread her wet garments out on a large boulder to dry and sat herself down by the fire, adjusting the blanket around her and leaving her shoulders bare. Her long dark hair hung down her back, rainwater dripping from the ends of her hair onto the blanket.
He stood after hearing her sit and quickly shed his tunic and shirt, and her breath caught when he turned to face her. Muscles rippled over his chest and down his stomach. They filled his arms, and the firelight glistened off his damp skin, making him appear as though the fire had kissed it.
“Unlike you, I have no problem standing naked before you, so if it disturbs you to see me naked—” His hands went to the ties at his waist, and Reena closed her eyes in a flash.
She heard his laugh and felt like a coward.
“In time, Ree,” he said quietly and sat down beside her, a blanket wrapped around his waist. “You will not be able to get enough of me naked.”
It was her turn to laugh. “You are so sure of yourself?”
“Nay,” he whispered in her ear. “I am sure of you.”
She opened her eyes and turned her head, their lips brushed once, twice, three times, and then he kissed her.
A sudden crash of th
under rocked the ground and startled them apart.
“Do you think the heavens warn us?” she asked.
“Aye, they do, the heavens grow tired of us delaying our union as man and wife. We are meant to be together, for I think we are the only ones who understand each other.”
“You jest with me,” she said and teasingly poked him in the arm. It was a solid wall of muscle and warm flesh, and it sent a tingle running down her spine. “Though I do agree that we understand each other better than most.”
The scent of the cooking bird grew heavy in the air, and Reena sniffed it appreciatively and gave a small yawn.
“Hungry and tired?” he asked with concern.
She wiped away a small spot of rain that had settled on his chest from the wet ends of his hair. “You care so very much.”
“Of course I care, I love you.”
She shook her head slowly. “Nay, I do not mean only me.”
“Be careful,” he whispered. “You may ruin my reputation if word spread that—”
“The Legend has a caring heart,” Reena finished.
He turned away from her, but she caught the troubled look in his eyes. “None would believe you. I am the Legend and I earned my name.”
She reached out to him, her hand resting on his shoulder. “You are—”
She stopped suddenly, and he turned to see her eyes wide and her mouth open, as if she were about to speak, then froze.
He grew concerned. “What is wrong?”
“You have a caring heart.” Her blue eyes shone brightly, and she looked excited, as though she had made a discovery.
“So you say, do you think otherwise now?”
“Nay, nay, you care, and because you care you could not have killed Mary, your teacher’s young daughter. You did not kill her, you protect her.” She did not let him answer. “And I realize now that your teacher never meant for his daughter to die, and you understood this. He knew you would make certain she was cared for, he understood you as I do.”
“I am not that complex, but Mary’s situation is such that I must ask you to give me your word that you will repeat none of what you know.”
Legendary Warrior Page 21