Domnall by Hazel Hunter

Author:Hazel Hunter [Hunter, Hazel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-02-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Domnall led the way along the edge of the valley taking note of scant evidence of old trails leading into the slopes that they passed. The ridges appeared empty, and judging by the overgrowth and rocky conditions none of the paths had been used for some time. The deep sods and untouched look of the valley’s grazing lands also baffled him. Such rich, fertile land would be prized among stockmen, yet it appeared only the deer herds made use of it.

Along the way Mael showed Jenna the different tracks of animals that had recently traversed the valley. Domnall dropped back to ride alongside them as the tracker explained how the patterns of movement helped hunters predict where they would congregate, and why.

“Stags look for hinds, females, to breed before the snowfall,” the tracker said. “The herd stays in the valley for winter where it’s warmer. By now all the hinds have birthed, so they’ll be in the slopes with their calves.”

“I saw two deer with antlers by Domnall’s cottage,” she told him. “Those were both stags, right?”

“Aye, for the males congregate until the rut begins again.” Mael winked at her. “The hinds’ll want naught to do with them until then.”

Jenna smiled a little, and then regarded Domnall with a look that made him wish they were alone. Never had a female entranced him more with a simple gaze.

White smoke drifted ahead of them, and made him rein in his mount.

“Hold,” he ordered.

He eyed the source of the plume, a narrow gap in the slopes. He could also see a high, well-built drystane wall stretching across the valley between them and the grazing animals. From the amount of moss pelting it, the wall had stood for decades.

“They put up stone,” Mael murmured under his breath, sounding perplexed.

“What’s wrong with that?” Jenna asked him.

“’Tis far more work than needed,” the tracker said. “Our tribe planted hedges of hazel to enclose pastures in but a season. That…” He nodded at the wall. “…took much spine-cracking work.”

No shepherds or herding dogs occupied the pasture, but the loose condition of the sheep’s long fleeces told Domnall they were ready for rooing. The animals also showed a healthy amount of fat, suggesting they’d been regularly grazed since the cold season.

He scanned the slopes again but saw nothing to make him wary. “Keep watchful, Tracker.”

Slowly they rode up to the wall, and Jenna turned her head to peer down the length of it.

“Whoever built this knew their trigging,” she murmured, reaching out to touch the rough surface of the stacked rocks. “They chiseled wedge stones to fit in every single gap.”

“’Twas no’ built of late,” Mael said. “From the weathering and signs of repair I’d reckon ’tis stood for centuries, as Dun Chaill.”

“I don’t think the castle builders constructed this,” Jenna told him. “This wall was made with schist and flagstone, probably gathered from rockfalls at the base of the ridges. Dun Chaill’s walls and towers were made of quarried sandstone and granite.”

Domnall might have attributed her knowledge to hearing it spoken by a stone-cutter sire or mate.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.