“I do not know. I am trusting Wen.”
But when she would have moved off, Adair seized her, trapped her face between his hands, and kissed her.
All his love lay in that kiss. His fear and his relief. When it ended she clung to him, drawing on his presence.
The trees rustled overhead as a dawn wind rose. It would be light soon. An advantage, and a disadvantage.
Bradana could no longer hear whether anyone came after them. But Wen, who had lain down beside them, looked calm.
She gazed into Adair’s eyes. “What now? If we go home they will follow us and may still attack Grandfather. I do no’ wish to bring harm to him.”
“Bradana.” Adair brushed her cheek with tender fingers. So much emotion brimmed in his eyes, it fair shook her. “If we do no’ go back, even if we send word by his men that I have found ye, that old man will worry himself to death over ye. He will no’ rest till he sees ye with his own eyes.Alanna, ye must learn to let others love ye.”
“I—” She had no words in reply to that.
Gently, he went on, “Why did ye do as ye did—turn yourself over to Mican back there?”
“Because…” Her eyes brimmed with tears. She saw him through a haze. But she did not have to see him, for she could feel him, the better part of her soul. “I could no’ bear the thought of harm coming to ye. Better anything he might do to me than that.”
“Och, lass. Did ye have so little faith in me that ye thought I would not fight like fury itself to protect ye?”
“I thought—I thought ye might fight to the death for me. How could I bear that, Adair? Tell me how.”
All at once she was weeping, crying out her terror and relief.
“There, now. There, now,” he crooned.
“’Tis just because Idoha’ faith in ye that I thought ye would spend your life for my sake.”
“Aye, so. We are bent, so it seems, on sacrificing ourselves for each other.”
“When all we want is to be together. I care no’ where, Adair. In a chief’s hall, in a hovel. Wi’ no roof over our heads at all.”
“Aye. And have I not promised ye it will be? Trust my promise.”
“I do. I trust ye, but then the fear comes.” She dabbed at her eyes. Wen had risen to his feet and looked concerned.
Bradana dropped down and embraced her hound. “Thank ye for helping to save me.”
The big hound nuzzled her. When she got to her feet, she had her answer.
“Ye be right, Adair. We must go home. Reassure Grandfather and Mistress MacFee. After that, we will think again.”
Chapter Forty-Three
The weather changedsharply as they circled northward through the trees and eventually met up with the rest of Adair’s party. Rain moved in from the sea riding the tail of that dawn wind, and soon enough they moved through a steady downpour.
Alba, spreading protective wings over them? Bradana could not quite lose the fancy. The men, all highly relieved to be taking her back to their chief without a fight, traded off going afoot so she could ride a pony, and they came at last to Grandfather’s holding, where they met up with two soaked and worried members of the guard.
“We do no’ ken whether we be followed,” Dabhor told them. “If no’ yet, they will be after us soon enough. They ha’ no need to track us, for they know where we are bound.”
“The chief has set up a strong watch,” one of the guards said. “Mistress Bradana, he will be that glad to see ye.”
He was. Morag came running out to greet them when they arrived, heedless of the rain, and took them straight to the hall, where Rohracht directed matters from his great chair.
Bradana fell into her grandsire’s arms. Love was here, she could feel that. She also felt the old man’s weakness and pain.
“Granddaughter, let me look at ye. How did ye get free?”
