Wind Song (The Kingdom 0f Northumbria Book 2) by Jayne Castel

Author:Jayne Castel [Castel, Jayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance, Brawny Highland Warriors, Majestic & Mysterious Scottish Highlands, Ancient Civilizations, Women's Fiction, Regency & Victorian Era, 15th Century, Forever Love, Bachelor, Single Woman, Medieval & Ancient World, Thrillers & Suspense, Mystery & Intrigue, Protection & Safety, Action & Adventure, Dangerous & Deadly, Romantic Suspense, Life-Changes, Second Chance Reunion, Highlander, Rough & Tumble, Fantasy, Lifetime Love, Romantic Schemes, Mysterious Scottish Highlands, Dark Ages, Beautiful & Feisty, The Kingdom 0f Northumbria Series
Publisher: Winter Mist Press
Published: 2017-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Into the North

Hea inhaled the sweet scent of heather and looked out over a landscape of craggy, green hills. It was a warm afternoon. A humid wind blew in from the south-east, reminding Hea that they stood on the cusp of summer. It was Thrimilce—the Month of Three Milkings—her favorite time of the year.

Taking a bite of griddle bread, Hea chewed slowly and enjoyed the brief moment of rest. She perched atop a moss-encrusted stone, at the top of one of the rocky hills, enjoying a simple but very welcome noon meal.

The great Northumbrian fyrd—an army of around eight hundred spears and horsemen—spread around her like a great, bristling thicket. Men’s voices drifted into the balmy spring air, and overhead two sparrows dived and fluttered against the pale blue sky.

Hea sighed. She had expected to find the lands north of her home desolate and depressing—and yet the farther they traveled, the more she liked it. The landscape had an untamed beauty that she appreciated.

However, not everyone shared her admiration. A few feet away, Oswald sat hunched over, his face pinched with discomfort as he nibbled at a piece of hard cheese. The past ten days had been a trial for the priest. He had suffered through every one of them. She had been observing him closely, curious to see how he would cope on the journey

Feeling her gaze upon him, Oswald glanced up and frowned. “Did you want something?” he demanded, his cheeks coloring. “You’re always staring.”

Hea snorted, while behind her some of the men laughed. “Watch out, Oswald,” one of them shouted. “Or the wench will ensnare you with her beauty.”

“Don’t worry about that,” another called out. “A priest wouldn’t know what to do with a woman anyway.”

Oswald went the color of a beetroot. He swung round and glared at his tormentors, his blue eyes narrowed—but this merely increased their mirth.

“That’s enough,” Hea interjected, swallowing a smile. She was not fond of the priest, but still did not want to see him humiliated. The warriors could be cruel at times.

Oswald cast her an odd look then—a blend of gratitude and resentment—before he turned his back on the men who, ignoring Hea’s plea, continued to rib him.

Shifting her attention away from the priest, Hea looked down the hill, at where Ecgfrith was standing with a knot of his warriors, Rinan among them. They looked to be discussing the campaign—and although she could not make out their conversation, she could see from the king’s facial expression that there was some disagreement going on.

Ecgfrith’s mood had gradually darkened during the ride north.

Bridei’s army had sacked many villages, including the prosperous settlement of Jedburgh. Ecgfrith had raged when he had seen the ealdorman’s hall reduced to a pile of smoking cinders. They had also burned the wooden church to the ground, something which had horrified Oswald. Ignored by the king and his men, the priest had fallen to his knees and wept beside the charred ruins. Hea had surveyed the devastation, and felt a sense of foreboding prickle her skin.

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