“Tavia!” Kendrick chided her. “We canna just leave him out there. Where are those two rascals?”
“Off to the pony sheds,” Bradana replied.
Kendrick marched out as he was, in tunic and kilt, no weapons. Bradana followed.
“They should no’ ha’ done that,” Kendrick seethed. “I would ha’ got rid soon enough, like the twa others.”
He hurried so that Bradana had no breath to reply. They met her stepbrothers coming the other way.
“Wha’ is this I hear?” Kendrick demanded of them.
They glared at Bradana.
“The cousin from Erin went astray,” Toren replied.
“He went astray?”
“Aye, lost his way there in the forest. After a boar, maybe.”
“And ye did no’ look for him?” Kendrick roared, never for a minute believing it had not been deliberate.
“Aye, we cast about for a bit, then gave it up for hopeless.”
“Where were ye when ye lost him?”
“No’ certain.” Toren wrinkled up his face. “I doubt we could find the place again.”
“And wha’ will his father say when I send word he’s no’ to be found?”
Kerr drawled, “I suppose mayhap he may say ’twas a poor thing he did in sending the bugger here.”
Kendrick puffed out an annoyed breath. “Go fetch more ponies. At least five o’ them. We maun go out and search for him.”
“Aye so,” Toren said, “but I do no’ think we will find him.”
“Ye will search as will I, if we have to look all night.”
“I will come also,” Bradana heard herself say.
All three of them stared at her in surprise.
“Nay, nay,” Kendrick said. “No’ a good idea. We mean to spread out.”
“Aye. Do I not know the woods as well as these two? Plus I ha’ Wen. He may help find the cousin.”
Shewouldfind him. Bradana did not understand quite why she felt so convinced of it. It was as if she had an arrow beneath her heart, straining toward him.
As if she could feel the man.
Kendrick glanced at the hound that hugged Bradana’s side.
“Ye saw what a liking Wen took to him.”
“Well, so. But I do no’ want ye venturing far, lass. If ye become lost as well, yer mother will have my hide.”
“’Tis fixing to rain,” Toren said with some satisfaction. “If it does, I do no’ believe we will ever be able to find him.”
*
