Laird of the Wind by Susan King

Author:Susan King [King, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, cookie429, Extratorrents, Kat
ISBN: 9780451407689
Publisher: Topaz
Published: 1998-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

The wind pushed at her hair. Isobel captured her soft, thick tresses in one hand, taming the mass with a twisting motion. She wished she had the use of two hands to braid it, for the wind on top of the crag was fierce, beating her hair about her head, whipping her skirts against her legs.

She stood on the summit of the crag and looked out over a view as glorious as any she had ever seen. After the rain, the sky brightened, but clouds still rolled, large and dove-gray, overhead. The forest below was a deep green, softened under transparent veils of mist.

All around stretched an expanse of texture and pattern, made up of hills and forestland, of lochs like slices of silver and rivers like shining ribbons.

Isobel turned to look at Jamie. He stood beside her, the hawk on his gloved fist. "'Tis beautiful up here," she said in awe. "I have never been so high up before."

"The view extends for miles from the crag." He raised his free hand to point. "Over there are the low hills of the Borderlands, round and green. And there"—he shifted his arm to indicate a gentle, meandering river—"the Yarrow Water, which flows to meet the Ettrick Water. And all around us, the forest itself. Just there, beyond that long, rocky hill, is the clearing and Alice's house. On bright days, to the east, we can even see the three peaks of the Eildon hills."

She looked west. "Can you see Wildshaw Castle from here?"

He stood silently beside her. The hawk chirred and lifted his wings, and Jamie soothed him with a quick, low word. "We cannot see the castle," he said quietly. "'Tis beyond that edge of the forest, past that round hill over there. Wildshaw overlooks a river valley on the other side of the hill."

"It must be very beautiful there."

"'Tis, aye." A muscle beat in his cheek briefly.

"You can see much of what goes on in the forest from here, then," she said. "That must be useful for a forest brigand."

"Certes," he agreed. "We see Southron soldiers riding through the forests and over the hills. We have seen patrols riding to and from Wildshaw, and from other castles nearby. We know when soldiers are in the forest. And we can see them easily when they ride along the riverbanks."

"Then you know your foes before you have to face them," she said. "The Southrons must hate the fact that you are safely up here, and they cannot get to you."

"They would give much to take the Border Hawk out of his eyrie, I think." He glanced at her. "In a way, watching from this height is like looking into the future. From up here, we can predict who we will meet down in the forest, how many, from what direction. We can choose our skirmishes. We just cannot foresee the outcome."

"Yet 'tis a more practical way to know your future than I can offer you," she murmured. "Watching from up here has helped to protect you all these years.

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