by Phoebe Conn
“That is an entertaining story,” Oriana mused aloud, “but Garrick said only that we’d have to build a ‘proper shelter.’ He made no mention of our having to construct anything everyone would regard as magnificent.”
Albyn’s grin grew wide at the reminder. “I noted that too, and he can’t now insist that you build more than a sound shelter from the elements.”
“I still fear a trick,” Oriana complained.
“This is the eve of Samhain. At summer’s end, there is always drinking and feasting long into the night, but if Garrick dared to send someone out to harm you, they would also have to brave the treacherous weather on Mount Royal.”
Oriana recalled the thick fog that had made it so difficult to follow Egan into the fortress and refused to imagine what the night might bring. “He’d send Druids,” she proposed. “While they’d not dare use knives, they could attack us with stones, and try to shove us off the mountain. At dawn, those who found our broken bodies lying on the rocks would simply blame the mountain for our deaths, wouldn’t they?”
“Aye, they would, but I plan to keep watch at the gate,” Albyn promised. “This is a poor way to welcome the peace of Samhain.”
Egan brought the only peace Oriana had found in the forbidding fortress, but she had caused him far too much pain. Blinking away tears, she took the precaution of glancing up and down the corridor before she spoke.
“There is another choice. If I don’t wake Egan, he may sleep for hours. In that time, I could take both of the mares he’s given me and travel a very long way.”
Albyn had never met another woman with such a lively mind, nor with such distressing thoughts. “If you believe Egan would welcome your departure, you’re very badly mistaken. Even if it put his claim to rule at risk, he’d go after you. You’ll have to remain here and do all you can to prove yourself a worthy queen.”
Oriana did not even know where to begin such an arduous task. “I’ve survived on my wits, not by physical strength,” she countered. “And Egan has surely seen better days. I hate to put him through yet another trying ordeal when the people here may never accept me. It would be far better for me to leave him now than to risk turning his people against him.”
Albyn saw another truth in the shimmer of tears brightening her gaze. “How could you bear to leave him?”
Oriana closed her eyes briefly against the overwhelming pain. “It would break my heart, but I’ll not force him to choose between me and his people, for that would surely break his.”
“Then to spare him that anguish, you must help him build a sturdy shelter and pass the night safely. Take other clothing so no matter how wet and dirty you get, in the morning you’ll look your best.”
He was providing such practical advice, that despite the darkness of her mood, Oriana felt compelled to agree. “That’s an excellent idea. Thank you. We’ll need food, bread, smoked meat, cheese, apples, nuts, perhaps a skin of wine or ale. Can you arrange it?”
“Aye, it will be my pleasure to serve you.”
While Albyn’s comments were always respectful, the yearning in his gaze revealed the depth of his regard. She reached up to brush his cheek with a light kiss. “Another path would have led me to you,” she disclosed sweetly, “but we were meant for separate destinies. Thank you for reminding me of mine.”
She had returned to Egan’s chamber before an astonished Albyn could reply, but while inspired to do her bidding, he felt only a great emptiness rather than a welcome promise of love.
When Albyn returned with their supplies, Oriana gave Egan’s foot a playful shake. “It’s time to go, my love,” she coaxed.
Egan responded with a low moan and failed to stir.
Oriana sat down beside him and ran her hand over his back. “Garrick did not imagine that I’ve constructed all manner of snug shelters. You’ve seen for yourself what a fine tent I raise.”
That unlikely boast was enough to startle Egan from his stupor, and he sat up meaning to grab his bride, but he saw Albyn by the door and contained his enthusiasm. “Aye, we are indeed fortunate that you’ve fashioned a tent or two. What do you have there?”
Oriana had already transferred the provisions to her travel bag, and pulled it open to display the contents. “Food, so we’ll not go hungry, and a change of clothes for each of us. People are so easily fooled by a fine appearance, and after a night on the mountain, we might need to improve ours.”
Egan rose to his feet, and taking care not to move too quickly, he yawned and stretched his arms wide. “Has any man ever had a finer wife?” he asked Albyn.
Albyn made no pretense at indifference. “Nay, she is a fine queen by any standard. Now let’s be away, so that darkness doesn’t arrive before we do.”
“I believe my tent is still in the stable. It would be good to sleep on if we don’t need it for anything else.”
Egan grabbed his cloak. “I’ll need my knife, an ax…. What else, Albyn?”
The pair were conversing easily, as though they were planning an afternoon outing rather than an adventure that carried considerable risk. “Nothing, when the ax will also serve as a shovel. Find a place where the rock is loose and dig a cave. It will not be elegant, but it will at least keep you dry.”
“What about flint for a fire?” Oriana added, and she moved toward the door.
Albyn reached for her bag. “It will be too damp on the mountain to coax a fire into life. I’ll carry this for you, my lady. Now, let’s be gone before Garrick can trouble you any further. I’ll ride to the mountain with you, return your mounts to the stable, and then bring them out with me again in the morning.”
As Oriana preceded them down the stairs, Albyn caught Egan’s eye. “She has no real idea how bad the weather can be, and though this is no true test of anything, I know you’ll take excellent care of her.”
“I’ll do much better than that,” Egan vowed. He still used his hands to guide himself down the stairs, but he was so eager to be with Oriana, he would have agreed to stay with her anywhere.
Because the real excitement would not come until morning, the majority of Egan’s kin were content to bid him and Oriana farewell from the bailey. Garrick had been so gratified by the ready acceptance of his challenge, his mouth was set in a contented smirk. He stood beside the gate as Egan and his bride rode out, followed by Albyn, Yowan’s sons, Neal, and several other Druids dispatched to observe.
Eager to accompany them, Kieran leaped astride his horse and followed. He caught some curious glances, but urged his mount into a canter, and quickly overtook Egan and Oriana. He circled them once, then took up a place behind them with Albyn.
“I want no part of this, Egan,” he shouted loud enough for all to hear. “I’ll keep watch at the gate tonight and make certain your only problems come from the mountain.”
“Then I’ll have to watch you,” Albyn vowed darkly.
In the distance, a lingering smoke trail marked the smoldering remains of Kieran’s wing. He was no happier than a heap of ashes himself, but he accepted Albyn’s insult with a good-natured grin. “I’ll welcome the company.”
Oriana glanced over her shoulder and quickly judged Kieran’s expression as sincere. “Thank you for your concern,” she called to him.
“Thank me at dawn,” he replied. When Egan failed to add either his gratitude or a warning, Kieran tapped his mount with his heels and rode off the way he had come.
Albyn did not look forward to spending the night beside Kieran, but the belief Egan and Oriana had something far worse in store silenced his complaint. When they reached the base of Mount Royal, he scanned the mountain for a stand of timber sufficient to build a small cabin.
“Do you see a place where the trees grow beside the trail?” he asked.
Rather than fell a tree on the mountainside, where it would simply roll down into the valley, Egan had decided instead to hack off all the sturdy limbs he could reach. “We’ll be fine. Take our mounts to the fortress and tell everyone we’ve stopped to
sing and dance before beginning our climb.”
Neal caught the eye of another Druid and shook his head emphatically. “None of us is leaving until you’re well on your way up the trail.”
“How considerate,” Egan responded. “Would you care to climb with us, Neal?”
Neal stuffed his hands up into his sleeves and thrust out his lower lip. “No, of course not.”
Oriana slid off her mare’s back before Egan reached her. She slung her tent over her shoulder while he carried the heavier bag of provisions and clothes. “There was no mention of how far up the mountain we have to go,” she observed quietly.
Egan was pleased she possessed such a keen ear, but he was intent upon locating the best place to build rather than merely a convenient one. “Our only concern is to find a wide, flat stretch on the trail. Let me lead the way.”
Without bidding anyone farewell, Egan slid the ax into his belt, rested Oriana’s travel bag on his shoulder, and started up the trail. It had seemed awfully steep that morning, but after his previous exertion, the going proved tortuous. He paused frequently to make certain Oriana was keeping up, but she was right behind him the whole way.
As soon as he had caught his breath, he explained, “We want the mountain between us and the sea.”
“I understand.” But she was intent upon the strain in Egan’s gaze rather than the rugged terrain. “Do you need to stop for a while and rest?”
Egan nodded toward the men below on horseback. “Wait until they leave; then, if I have to, I’ll lie down.”
“What about the ledge where you jumped off this morning? It’s at least angled toward the lee side of the mountain. Would it make a good place to build?”
“I’d hoped we’d not have to climb that high. Come on, let’s keep moving and watch for something better.”
Oriana feared his side was throbbing with every step, and she reached out to catch hold of his tunic. “You need to pace yourself. Rest as often as you wish, and then you’ll have the strength to help me build a shelter.”
Touched by her tender concern, Egan bent down to kiss her soundly. “A king does not bow to an annoying twinge in his side,” he breathed out against her lips. “I agreed to this ridiculous demand not only to silence the fools who wouldn’t recognize a queen if she knocked upon their door, but also to speed my coronation. The instant the ceremony is complete, there will be no mistaking my power. Now cease to worry about me, and let’s be on our way.”
He continued up the trail with renewed vigor, and Oriana cared little whether it was anger or determination that had lengthened his stride; she was eager to follow. She paused frequently to glance down into the valley and was greatly relieved when the men who had been observing their progress turned back toward the fortress.
Then as she hastened to catch up with Egan, the trail he had just passed over crumbled away beneath her. Thrown off balance as she lost her footing, she clawed at the mountainside, but all around her the rock dissolved into jagged shards, and she fell into a dangerous slide.
Egan heard the trail break away, and spun in a wild lunge to grab Oriana before she tumbled all the way down the mountain. He caught only the edge of her cloak, and it pulled away along with the folded tent. He shook them off to seize hold of her flying hair and then quickly transferred his grasp to her tunic; equally frantic, she reached up and clung to his arm.
Lying flat next to the wide gap in the trail, Egan could see where the recent rain had weakened the soil and feared another hunk was about to break loose. “I’ll pull you up,” he swore, but that the woman he adored was in such grave peril made him sick clear through.
Convinced by Egan’s earnest vow, Oriana kicked against the mountain, found a toehold, and braced herself to help him. He was frowning with fierce concentration, but in her mind, she saw only his usual cocky grin, and it did not even occur to her that she might slip from his grasp and fall to her death.
Egan grit his teeth and crawled backward on his belly. To avoid loosening more of the rocky earth, he exercised extraordinary care and moved at an agonizingly slow pace. When he finally succeeded in pulling Oriana up onto the trail, he grabbed her in a convulsive hug. Once satisfied she was safe, he sat back to assess her injuries.
The left side of her face was scraped raw, and her arms bore long, deep scratches. Several of her fingernails were torn down to the quick. Jagged holes had been ripped in her tunic and gown, but she looked so vibrantly alive that he hugged her again.
Oriana was trembling all over. “We’ve lost your mother’s cloak,” she murmured between sobs, “and my tent.”
“They can be replaced, but I promised Albyn I’d take good care of you, and look what happened.”
“It appears even the mountain disapproves of me,” Oriana whispered.
“Aye, Mount Royal has always had a restless spirit, but I love you dearly, and that’s all that matters.”
He made a quick search of the trail and was relieved to find their bag of provisions within easy reach. He pulled out the skin of ale. “Have a drink; then I want you to try and walk. I’d stop right here, but I’m afraid the ground isn’t safe.”
Oriana was surprised to find her slippers were still on her feet, but even after several sips of ale, she doubted she could stand. She looked up toward the sun and wondered how much daylight they had left. She hurt all over, but with her hands so bloody and painful, she feared she would be no help at all.
“Oh, Egan, what are we going to do?”
He kissed away her tears. “That magnificent hawk showed me the way to fly this morning. Do you think Lugh might return to help us build a snug cottage?”
Oriana leaned away from him. “Lugh appears whenever he wishes. My mother and I never summoned him. Although, I will admit to hoping that should the need be dire, he might come to my aid.”
She looked as though she had been badly beaten, and Egan took care to aim his kiss toward her lips. “This might well be that time, my love.”
A fresh wave of tears flooded Oriana’s eyes. “But if he didn’t appear,” she struggled to confess, “I’d fear I wasn’t truly his daughter.”
Egan had not meant to call her heritage into question. “Of course you’re his child. Anyone who looks into your remarkable golden eyes can see you’re no ordinary woman. Now, let’s not worry about Lugh yet. Let’s just try to move a little farther on up the trail.”
Oriana was reluctant to let go of him even to allow him to stand, but neither did she want to remain perched beside a break in the trail and risk another disastrous fall. “How will we get back down the trail in the morning?” she asked.
Egan wished they had thought to bring a rope. If they had not lost the tent, he could have cut it into strips and braided one, but the tent had slid out of sight. “I mean to cut sturdy branches for our shelter. Tomorrow, I’ll cut a few more and build a bridge here. Now let me help you rise.”
The trail was wide enough for Oriana to walk beside him, but she was so badly shaken, she was unable to stand on her own. She closed her eyes and shook her head, but Egan slid his arms around her waist and gently pulled her to her feet. He then kept her clasped firmly against his side.
As they rounded the next bend, the path widened, and the branches of a stately oak grew up over the trail. Egan did not recall seeing the tree that morning, but he was even more astonished by the large hawk perched in the upper branches.
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Look who’s come to our rescue.”
They had never been this close to the splendid hawk, and the bird stared back at them with equal curiosity. Egan recognized Lugh’s voice, and it was no longer an accusing whisper. “This fine tree is a gift,” Egan murmered under his breath. “We ought to thank him for it.”
The hawk was so very beautiful, Oriana found it nearly impossible to think at all. “Thank you for all your many gifts, Lugh,” she finally found the presence of mind to say.
In response, the hawk dipped his head slightly toward Egan.
>
“Why, Egan,” Oriana exclaimed. “You’re also one of his gifts.”
“Nay,” Egan argued. “You are the most remarkable gift any man has ever received.”
Apparently pleased with Egan’s remark, the hawk spread his wings in a graceful arc, left the oak to soar toward the sun, and swiftly vanished from sight.
Egan hated to destroy the mood of rapt wonder, but he could not keep still. “I swear to you this tree wasn’t here this morning, but its placed so perfectly against the mountain that we could climb into the branches and spend a restful night.”
Oriana swayed against him. “Aren’t we expected to do more than sleep in a tree?”
“Aye, that we are, but I want you to sit down and rest while I think how best to use this beautiful tree in our construction.”
Oriana was happy to comply with his request, but even with her back resting against the mountain, she was in agonizing pain. Even her scalp hurt where Egan had caught her, and her gratitude failed to ease the pain.
Firmly rooted, the oak grew out of the rocky soil, and Egan was quickly satisfied it was there to stay. “What if I create a platform over the lower branches to give us a floor, and then slant a roof over the branches in the center of the tree. Does that sound good to you?”
“It’s a splendid idea, as I’m certain all your plans must surely be.”
Egan broke into a loud guffaw. “Did you strike your head as you fell?”
“No, I’m simply striving to be an agreeable wife.” Oriana’s smile swiftly turned mischievous.
Egan laughed with her but started to work on fashioning a secure shelter. His side no longer bothered him, and he chopped through the oak’s sturdy branches with a methodical rhythm. As their shelter took shape, he began to look forward to passing the night there with the woman who made all his days and nights memorable.