The Lady and the Falconer (16 page)

Logan continued swinging the lure at a furious pace until his arm tired. Finally, he stopped and threw the lure to the ground in disgust. “Fine. Then don’t learn to hunt,” he whispered harshly.

“You can hardly blame the falcon,” Solace called. “It can’t possibly fly that fast.”

Logan turned to her, his eyes dark and flashing. He grabbed the lure by one of the limp feathers sewn onto the bag and held it out to her. “Perhaps you’d like to try it, m’lady.”

Solace hopped down off the crate and approached him. She took the lure from his hand and shook the string out before her, turning her back to him. All Logan wanted to do was wrap his hands around her and pull her against him. Damn, he thought, as his body responded instantly to the picture, his manhood stirring in his leggings.

Solace whistled softly, catching the falcon’s attention; the bird looked over its shoulder at her. Solace cooed, “Come on, darling. You’ll get fat if you sit on your perch all day.” She began to twirl the lure in the air in wider and wider circles. The white falcon hopped on the perch, turning full face to Solace.

Solace mimicked Old Ben’s call, urging the bird to attack its fake prey. The bird’s black eyes locked on the lure, watching it circle. Solace continued to twirl the lure in slow, but steady circles. Then, suddenly, the falcon launched from its perch, circled the sky once and dove, catching the lure in midair. It landed on the perch, the lure secure in its sharp claws.

Solace stared at the falcon for a long moment before turning to Logan with a smug look of triumph. Her large green eyes glittered like emeralds.

Her grin was contagious. “We could have saved a lot of time if you trained the bird in the first place,” he said. He marched past her, moving toward the white falcon.

“Are you in a hurry?” she asked.

He cast a hungry glance at her over his shoulder.

She approached behind him, leaning close to murmur. “You’re not a falconer, are you?”

Logan froze. God’s blood! Did she know all of his secrets? he wondered.

Her soft laughter reached his ears. “At least not a very good one.”

Logan snapped on his thick leather glove. “Where did you learn how to handle a lure?” He approached the white falcon, holding his covered forearm out to the creature. The bird was still holding its prize enthusiastically, if a bit possessively. Logan moved his glove closer, touching the leather to the bird’s chest feathers. The bird instantly pecked hard at the glove, angry at the intrusion.

Solace lowered her gaze to her clasped hands. “I hung around Old Ben long enough to learn.”

After the rebuff from the falcon, Logan moved to a nearby pail and drew out a piece of red meat, tossing it to the peregrine. The bird immediately dropped the lure and clutched at the food, snatching it easily out of the air. Its sharp beak tore into the meat, easily ripping off a small portion.

Logan picked up the fallen lure and turned to Solace.

Shyly, she looked at the ground and Logan’s gaze settled on her lustrous hair. It shimmered in the sunlight, beckoning to him. He moved toward her, his steps full of purpose. Solace lifted her gaze to him as he stopped just before her. He stared into her beautiful green eyes for a long moment before reaching toward her. Her lips parted as his hand touched her temple, skimming over her hair, his fingers moving toward the back of her head. He pulled the pins from her hair and her braids tumbled down her back.

Solace didn’t move as he reached around to the back of her head, entwining his fingers in her hair, loosening the braids until her sumptuous locks hung in riotous waves along her back. He ran his hand through her hair once again, enjoying the feel of it, the way tiny tendrils curled about his fingers. Then, his gaze returned to hers. “So you think you know a lot about falcons.”

“A little,” she admitted breathlessly.

“They can be very unpredictable,” he said.

“I know,” Solace said.

Suddenly, he grabbed both of her wrists in his hand, holding them firmly against his chest. “We have to tie jesses around their legs so they can’t fly away. This is how we keep the falcons from escaping.” He felt her heart hammering in her chest. He allowed one of his fingers to snake out and touch the rounded portion of her breast.

He felt the tremor shoot through her body at the caress.

“Logan,” she whispered.

He knew he could take her right there and she wouldn’t object, would probably encourage him. But as much as he wanted her, he wanted to love her slowly and thoroughly this time. And here was not the place. He ran a finger over her lips. “Not yet, my lady,” he said. He could have sworn he heard her groan in protest as he stepped away from her and turned back to the falcon.

The bird had finished eating the meat and was now staring at him with black eyes. Logan put his gloved hand to the bird’s chest, and this time it hopped up on his wrist.

“Where are you from?” Solace asked softly.

Logan grabbed the lure and headed toward the mews. Solace followed. “Cavindale,” Logan answered.

“That’s a long way from here. What are you doing here?”

“I’m a wanderer,” he lied, elegantly. “I go where I want to go.”

“Why settle here?”

A grin stretched his lips as he turned his gaze back to her. I’m looking at the reason. “Coin,” he said. “Wandering pays very little.” He entered the mews and put the falcon on its perch.

“But you know how to use your sword. Can’t you --?”

Logan interrupted her, knowing what she was going to ask. “Just because I know how to use it doesn’t mean I like to.”

Solace leaned against the doorframe, watching him put the lure away. “Where did you learn how to use a sword?”

“When you have traveled as much as I have, you find many... opportunities... to learn how to wield a blade. You either learn or you die. It’s that simple.”

“And your falcon?” she wondered.

He turned a quizzical gaze to her.

“Where did you find him?” she inquired.

“I didn’t find him. He found me.” Logan paused in his work for a long moment, thinking about the first time he’d encountered his feathered companion. “The damned bird hasn’t left my side for five years.”

“Where did he come from?”

Logan looked out of the mews to see the black falcon, ‘
his falcon
’ as Solace had called it, watching him with its dark, keen eyes. For the first time, it struck him as odd that he had never given the bird a name. He just hadn’t thought the bird would shadow him for five years, so he hadn’t bothered to think of one. Well, now’s not the time to give him one, he thought. He turned back to Solace. “I was out in the woods hunting for my supper, looking for rabbit mostly,” he said, beginning his tale. “I spotted one hiding in the brush and nocked an arrow in my bow.”

“A hunter, too,” Solace mused softly to herself, but loud enough for Logan to hear.

“I took aim and just as I let the arrow fly, a flash of black raced across my vision and a rush of air swept past my face. I saw that it was a falcon diving for prey,” he paused and looked toward the falcon. “My prey!” he shouted at the bird.

The falcon ignored his outburst.

Logan turned back to see Solace grinning gaily at him. And he completely lost his train of thought. “Your prey...” she supplied.

“Right,” Logan said with a nod. “He was going for the rabbit, but my arrow struck the rabbit first, knocking it to the side. The falcon was surprised by a move the rabbit wasn’t supposed to be able to make and faltered in its dive. He hit the ground hard.”

“Did he get hurt?”

Logan shook his head. “I don’t think so. Just mad. Because then he shot up into the sky and circled high above me as I gathered up my kill. I lit a fire and was preparing to cook the rabbit when I looked up to see the falcon staring at me from only a foot away with those damn beady eyes. It was the most foolhardy thing I have ever seen an animal do.

“The bird inched closer, and I just stared right back. I had to admire the bastard’s courage. I mean, he was close enough that I could grab him and have him for dessert. Then he tried to grab a piece of meat right out from under my nose, but I pulled it away just before he took any. He barked at me like some wild dog, and darted off into the sky.” He paused, then smiled softly, remembering. “He just kept circling and circling while I ate.”

“Then what happened?”

Logan shrugged, still unable to understand the bird’s behavior himself. “From that day on, the bird’s always been somewhere close by. I suppose it’s his way of getting revenge... by annoying me until the end of time.”

Solace was staring at him with rapt fascination. She was so damn beautiful. Who cared about tales of hunting or falcons or prey or supper when she was near? Or revenge, a small voice inside him added. But the voice was so faint now it was easy to ignore its feeble attempt to be heard.

Suddenly he grabbed her arm, pulling her into the mews. He clasped her against him as he leaned into the wall. “Are you through asking me questions?” he wondered.

“I –” She opened her mouth to answer, and Logan pressed his lips to hers, hungrily stealing a kiss from her parted lips. He tasted the sweet honey of her mouth, pressing against her, wanting so much more than this. He pulled back from her to gaze into her eyes and saw they were clouded with aroused passion. Her lips were slightly swollen from being kissed so thoroughly. He cupped her chin.

“Will you come with me?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied instantly.

He chuckled deeply. “You don’t know where I want you to go.”

She gazed into his eyes with the sultry passion that enflamed his own. “Where do you want me to go?”

“To my room,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

“Yes,” she answered, just as quickly.

Logan took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, before pulling her out of the mews. Together they headed for his room, their steps anxious and hurried.

A call from the battlements halted them. “We’re under attack!” They both raised startled eyes to the walkway to see a swarm of men battling.

Around them, chaos erupted, villagers charging for the protection of the keep, merchants shutting their doors and windows against the intruders, mothers screaming for their children! The clang of swords resounded through the ward, the thundering clatter drowning out the panicked cries of the people.

Logan glanced at Solace and saw the concern etched on her face. She moved toward the stairway that led to the battlements, but Logan pulled her roughly back to him. “You can’t go up there!” he said.

“I have to,” she answered, her gaze pinned on the walkway.

Logan grabbed her shoulders, shaking her once, forcing her gaze to meet his. “Those are armed men. Just what do you think you can do?”

“They’re my men, Logan,” she answered with firm resolve. “I have to see what’s happening.”

Logan cursed silently. He cursed her honorable dedication. He cursed Farindale’s men. But mostly he cursed the timing. “I’ll go,” he said. A tortured scream ripped through the air, and Logan knew the body count was growing by the minute. “Go back to the keep,” he ordered, releasing her hand and heading for the stairs. “I’ll come for you when it’s safe.”

Solace moved to obey him. She had taken one step toward the keep when a man fell with a scream over the battlements, to land at her feet. He clutched at a gaping wound in his chest. Blood oozed through his fingers. But it wasn’t the blood that horrified Solace. It was the thought of Logan lying at her feet instead of one of Barclay’s men.

Her gaze whipped back to the stairs Logan had taken, but he was already gone. Logan! Without a second thought, she raced toward the stairs, chasing after him.

Chapter Fifteen

S
olace skidded to a halt when she reached the battlements. The long walkway was jammed with Barclay’s men and Fulton’s knights, battling desperately with maces and swords and axes. The clashing of weapons and the shouting were deafening.

Through the crenels of the castle walls, Solace saw a large wooden attack tower pulled up against Fulton’s outer wall. The side of the tower burned, shooting bright orange flames into the air. Solace quickly scanned the perimeter of the walls, looking for another of the siege engines, but she could see none. She had to get help. But where was Logan? Her eyes frantically searched the walkways, the fighting men, but she couldn’t see him.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm, spinning her around. Peter gazed at her with concern. “What are you doing up here? Never mind,” he quickly amended. “Get out of here.”

But Solace didn’t move; she wanted to help, but was unsure of what to do. She watched Peter brush by her with a small garrison of guards. She backed slowly away, walking down the stairs, heading to the courtyard. She hadn’t taken more than two steps into the ward when she spotted a man in armor looking around near the mews.