Portals Of Time (6 page)

Fergus studied the shoe closely. He had never seen such a fine metal before. Rubbing his whiskers, he straightened.

“Aye, m’lady. I have never seen a metal that I could nae tame! But why would ye wish it?”

“I want to give a gift to my new husband and this is the only thing that is mine alone. I only wish that I had a gem for the hilt. Still, it will give him an advantage over his enemies if his sword weighs less! Will you make it for me? I promise that I will find a way to pay you for it.
”

“Nae, m’lady! I will take nae coin from ye! Twould be my pleasure ta be of service ta ye, Countess.”

She was determined to pay him but she knew better than to argue with a Scot. That could be sorted out later. Acquiescing for the moment, she smiled up at him.

“How long do you think it will take to finish?”

Fergus s
cratch
ed
his beard as he pondered the question
.

“If all goes well, it should nae be more than a sennight...once I have the shoes. I will need ta reshod your mount, as well.”

“That would be wonderful! I will be back after we’ve had our morning exercise. You can do his shoes then.”

Fergus shook his head as he watched her leave. She was explaining to her horse why his shoes were being changed.
It just proves my point that all women are daft!
Chuckling under his breath, he returned to the forge to begin crafting new
footwear
for the horse.

Lucian and Dougal rode side
-by-side as they approached the crofter’s hut that housed Mavis. Several of his men swiftly crossed themselves to ward off evil. They feared her above all else...thinking she was a witch.

He brought Arianna’s father to Mavis hoping she could help him understand what had happened to his daughter.
He had attempted to do just that but Dugal wouldn’t believe him.

Cackling greeted them as they neared the darkened doorway. Dugal raised a questioning brow as he quickly glanced at the young earl.

“Did nae believe ye did he, m’laird?” came the old crone’s voice from the darkness.

“Nae Mavis...he did nae.”

“Then enter, m’lairds.
He will believe when ye depart.”

Dugal’s face was ashen when they exited the hut a few hours later. He kept shaking his head as he muttered under his breath. It was too fantastic to believe and yet he could not refute the witch. He saw the proof with his own eyes.

Turning to Lucian on the journey back, he asked, “Ye ken the auld hag ta speak true?
There is nae trickery involved?”

Lucian glanced about them before answering to ascertain they would not be overheard. Satisfied, he nodded.

“Listen ta her speech, Dugal, and watch her mannerisms. Aye. I believe it. And the stories that she told me of where she had been! Anna could nae have concocted such tales. Jesu! She has seen the end of the world!
Twas a miracle that she returned ta us when she did.”

He mulled over Lucian’s words. “Aye. I did think her speech a bit off but I kenned it was because she had been raised in a different country...nae a different century!”

“Regardless...we must keep this betwixt ourselves. Nae even Angus must ken. Twould put her in grave danger.”

D
ugal nodded agreement as they rode silently the rest of the way back to the keep.

That eve, Lucian watched Angus across the hall as he shot looks of hatred at his sister. It appeared that he was going to have to talk to the man.
Arianna fidgeted at his side, gaining his attention.

“Are ye tired, wife?”

“Tired? I suppose I am but not in the way you mean. I am tired of Angus’ dark looks.”

He grinned. “Well ye can nae blame him. After all, he has spent his day fielding mirths about how he was beaten by a lass! Tis hard on a man’s pride.”

She laughed
. “I never thought about that...but you’re right. I suppose I should apologize to him.” She sighed.

“Nay...let him stew. It will nae wound him overlong...if he be any kind of man at all. He will eventually dismiss it as a trivial event.”

“Trivial! I beat him fair and square!”

“Aye...ye did. But that is one wave ye should nae ride high on, lass. Men have very little of value these days but their pride and honor. Tis nae taken lightly. Rubbing salt in that wound will nae bring peace between ye.”

“Listen ta your husband, Arianna. He speaks true...especially where Angus is concerned.”

She glanced between the two men and nodded agreement. It would not be wise to antagonize the man who she feared in her dreams.
Nope! Not smart at all!
Maybe I should mention it to Lucian.

“Would ye like that, Anna?”

“Huh? I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” Glancing up at her husband, she stared deeply into his eyes. The vividness of the emerald color held her captive with invisible chains. She had never seen anyone before who held such a rich hue. They began to darken as desire flared between them. Arianna quickly looked away with a blush.

“I kenned that ye may wish ta ride with me on the morrow. Would ye enjoy that?”

“That sounds wonderful, Lucian! Shalizar was not very pleased with the run he got today.
”

“Then tis settled. Come wife...tis time ta retire.”

They bid her father a good eve and departed.

As soon as they crossed the drawbridge the next morn, Arianna gave Shalizar his head. He leapt forward in joy as he flew across the open expanse before them.

Lucian urged his mount to keep pace but lost ground steadily. The more distance
she put
between them caused his alarms to go off inside. How was he to protect her if he could not keep up with her? Just as he was about to call to her, she turned the stallion in a wide arc and returned toward him.
It seems that m
e
wife is nae ignorant of the danger...that is good.

She
came up beside him
grinning widely. He brushed errant tendrils of fiery hair from her flushed cheeks,
enjoy
ing the sparkle of life in her azure eyes.

“Ye
relish
scaring the life out of me, wife?”

“Maybe,” she replied with a sideways glance at him. “It depends on how you handle it. Am I to be punished...or cherished?”

Startled at her seductive wit
for a moment, he was speechless. The corner of his mouth twitched, threatening to
break into a smile. Latching his large hand about the back of her neck, he drew her to him.

“Mayhap both, wife.” His lips claimed hers with a passion better suited for their bedchambers than in an open field in front of his men. Loud hoots of encouragement and approval finally broke them apart. “We shall finish this later, Arianna.”

“Is that a promise or...a threat?” she asked as she gathered the reins and took off
once
again at a gallop.

“Both!”
he yelled after her as he followed suit.

The sound of wind whistled past her ear as she neared the tree line.
She ignored it
,
glanc
ing
back to see how close Lucian was on her tail. Laughing at the determined look on his face she straightened in her saddle just as Shalizar screamed in pain. He pitched forward, falling to the ground as Arianna flew over his head.

Lucian’s neck was on fire as he
had seen the first bolt miss her by inches. He had urged his horse faster to close the distance but it was too late.
His wife was unaware of the danger as she glanced back at him laughing. He saw the events unfold in slow motion before him. Fear clutched his heart as he leapt from his mount and knelt beside her crumpled body.

His guard surrounded them
quickly
as a small group rode off to find the culprit. Lucian
swiftly
checked for broken bones
as he observed her breathing. He could find nothing amiss.

“Ian! What of her mount?” he barked.

“He is injured, m’laird. I do nae ken if he can be spared. Mayhap if we can get him back ta the keep...”

He brushed dirt gently from her cheek. He knew how much her horse meant to her. They had to try.

“If ye can nae get him ta rise on his own then return here with a cart and enough manpower ta hoist him. We must do all that we can ta save him.”

“Aye, m’laird.” He hurried off to do his bidding.

Lachlan, his captain of the guard, handed him a skin of uisge beatha. Nodding his thanks, he parted her lips with his thumb and poured a small trickle into her mouth.

Lucian peered intently at her still face, frowning.
Why has she nae awakened? Why did she nae sense the danger? Did she forget the warning sign or was she nae warned?
He rubbed his neck absently as he mulled over these thoughts.

Arianna moaned as her eyes fluttered open.

“Lucian!” she cried out in panic.

He grasped her fl
a
iling
hand to his chest to comfort her.

“I be right here lass,” he murmured. “Are ye hurt? I could nae find anything broken.”

She tested her limbs carefully and found no problems.

“I...I think I’m okay.” Her eyes widened in panic as she recalled what had happened. “Shalizar!”

“Shhh...hush mo cridhe, he is being tended. Do nae fash yourself over him.
” He crushed her to him as his heart thrummed in his chest. “Come...we must return ta the keep.”

Glancing toward the steed lying on the ground he did not hold out much hope. The beast lay too still.

“Lachlan. Hand m
e
wife ta me once I mount then see that m
e
orders are carried out.”

“Aye, m’laird. It will be as ye wish.”

Lachlan was watching his laird and lady ride off toward the keep when a loud thrashing behind him caught his attention.

“Well, I’ll be!”

Moving toward him at a hobbling trot was Shalizar, blood running down his leg at a slow trickle. Seeing that he was going to follow his mistress home, he ordered the men to mount up.

Ian came up beside him giving him a lopsided grin.

“Is that a horse or a dog, Sir Lachlan?”

He shook his head then laughed. “I tell ye true, laddie, I do nae ken.”

“Ye found naught?” he roared. Frustration ate at him as he ran his hand through his black locks. “Nae mount? Nae tracks?”

“Nay, m’laird. Whoever did this must have traversed the trees. I can think of nae other way.” Lachlan shook his blonde head. He felt the earl’s frustration. He had been a bear to live with since the incident three days past.

Lucian sighed in resignation. There was nothing else that could be done.

“Very well. How is the Arab faring?”

“He heals quickly but I would nae think him fit for riding for several fortnights...perhaps two moons? He is a fighter, I will give him that.”

“Aye. He was blessed that the bolt only struck muscle. I will pass on the good tidings ta your mistress. Thank ye, Lachlan.”

The captain
gave a curt bow and took his leave.

A short time later Arianna entered his solar on Dugal’s arm.
She noted how tired he looked as he stared out the window, deep in thought. He had hardly slept at all since the attack. Without turning, he spoke to her.

“Ye should be resting, Anna. Ye are nae yet healed.”

“Other than a little stiffness, I feel fine. I’m on my way to visit Shalizar and wondered if you’d like to come with me.”

He turned slowly.

“
Aye, I will come, but y
e must promise me that ye will let me ken if ye tire.”

“I promise.”

A short time later they stood before the Arab’s stall. He whinney’d a greeting to his mistress as he limped over to receive her loving strokes.

“How are you, my pet?” she cooed as he nibbled her sleeve. She held out an apple to him. “Are you looking for this?”

He nodded his ebony head in agreement before gently snatching it from her hand. She giggled. Arianna inspected his wound while he devoured the treat, gasping at how near it had come to his lung. Her eyes darted to her husband.

“Aye. It was close, mo cridhe.”

“Who would do such a thing?”

Lucian weighed his response to her in his mind then decided to be truthful.

“He was nae the target. The first bolt flew past your head. Did ye nae see it?”