Faeland by Melody Rose

Author:Melody Rose [Rose, Melody]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-25T16:00:00+00:00

16

Cameron

We rode hard for the first few hours. The more direct path to Dunwall would have been an easier go of it, but we couldn’t risk the Brits finding us on the road. Instead, we had to go all the way around the loch and through the forests, a journey that would tack on an extra day.

By the time we found a safe place to hide for the night, our horses were frothing at the mouth and ready to collapse. We tied them several yards away from us near a tree under the rock face we’d found. Its rocky overhang made a natural roof for us, and the smaller rocks surrounding the small cliff helped shadow us. Alexander’s massive black stallion, Muldoon, blended into the night perfectly, but my tawny horse seemed to reflect the moonlight back tenfold.

We didn’t dare to risk a small fire, so we made do with huddling close together. I hadn’t been this close to Malcolm and Alexander since we were boys, but all the awkwardness was put aside for the sake of survival. Moira shivered between us, and each of us sacrificed some of our covers to give her more warmth.

To keep the horses from tiring too quickly, we decided to take turns riding with Moira. She wasn’t a big lass by any means, but it was a good idea to split up the extra weight when we could. When we crept out of our hiding place before dawn, Malcolm offered her a hand to help her on top of his own chocolate brown steed, but she bypassed his extended hand and swung herself up on her own. I tried to hide my smug smile at his slightly perturbed expression. The more I was around the girl, the more I liked her. She was fiercely independent, and I admired the way it confused the other two lads.

We rode to the east and through the forest that surrounded the loch. Now and then, the sunlight would glint off the faraway water and sparkle prettily.

Moira raised her hand to shield her eyes and sighed. “It seems so pretty over there. Can we go see?”

Alexander clucked his tongue and shook his mane of curls. “Och, Moira, no. It’s too dangerous to travel so close to a water source. They’d find us in an instant. Best to stick to the shadows.”

She nodded but continued to look toward the horizon with longing. I stared at her profile and admired her adorable, upturned nose and full mouth. The dappled sunlight cast her in an otherworldly glow. I wondered, not for the first time, who exactly she was. I didn’t buy it for one second that she was some long-forgotten niece. I spent all of my childhood in Dunwall or at the Ferguson estate. There were countless cousins coming in and out, but I would have remembered her bonny face. Something else was happening here, but no one thought to let me in on the secret. I was so used to it by then that I wasn’t even bitter.

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