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Kara’s hands tightened on her reins. ‘They have always been to me. I’m your wife. I learnt to notice things years ago. Otherwise...’
A wave of guilt swept over Ash. Kara noticed things about him, but she didn’t expect him to notice anything about her. There were times when he wanted to shake his younger self for his arrogant selfish behaviour.
‘I hope you will allow me the chance to learn things about you. I do want to learn. Everything. I already have immense admiration for you. There are not many women who could have ridden as hard as you have.’
Her red lips curved up into a sad smile. It was all Ash could do to keep from stopping their horses, hauling her into his arms and kissing her senseless. And that would be a mistake. She reminded him of his falcon, the one who had not trusted him after the broken wing. It had been Kara who had showed him how to tame the bird and regain its trust.
Patience where he had wanted everything at once.
He had had to relearn the lesson of the falcon several times, but it had served him over the past few years. All things came to the man who was patient and who noticed the little details.
‘You mean you have forgotten.’ Sadness and resignation laced her voice.
‘I want to learn about the you of today, rather than trying to force you to be the young woman you once were.’ Ash’s nerves coiled. He had to get these words right. He had to undo the mistake of yesterday’s careless words. He had to hope that the woman she now was would see the sort of man he wanted to be and approve. Faced with the tuntreet, he knew he’d never be the sort of warrior his father demanded.
‘Do you?’
‘You are infinitely more complex and I want to uncover all your secrets.’
He waited for her answering smile. ‘I have no secrets. I never did.’
‘Women always have secrets. Denying them simply makes me more determined to uncover them with you.’ He turned in the saddle and looked directly into her deep blue eyes. Silently he wished he could do something to make her see that he was capable of being a hero. ‘I do remember, Kara. You could always make your horse go faster. You have a way with animals, but I could climb higher than you and reach the birds’ nests more swiftly. A point which used to irritate you to no end.’
‘You’re being impossible.’
Ash stilled and the teasing remark died on his lips.
He strained forward to see better. There was a movement on top of the left gable. His blood ran cold. The gods still had the strangest way of granting his wishes. Not a raven or even a cat, but a person. A child, clinging to the gable, who attempted to move, but slipped and started to dangle dangerously. And he knew being a hero didn’t matter. Rescuing the unknown child did.
He spurred his horse, signalling to his men to follow.
‘Is there something wrong, Ash?’ Kara called after him.
‘Look!’
‘Help me!’ A child’s voice floated towards them. ‘Someone please help me. Gudrun! Anyone!’
Kara’s anguished scream rang out. ‘Oh, gods! It’s Rurik! And he is going to fall!’
Ash urged his horse forward. ‘Not if I have anything to do with it.’
Chapter Eight
Rurik dangled from the top gable, hanging on with two hands with his little legs kicking out and his face screwed up in concentration. Beneath her two favourite elkhounds, Dain and Durin, circled, whining and howling, adding their cries to the sense of unease. Kara watched frozen in horror, unable to help. She was too far away and climbing up to the roof without a ladder was a tricky proposition, particularly in a dress. A wave of helplessness washed over her.
‘Somebody do something. Please.’
Ash rode up to the house, vaulted from his horse and began to climb the longhouse wall with sure steps, favouring the right more than the left, the higher he went. ‘Everything will be fine. Just keep talking to him. I will get there.’
Kara bit her knuckle. Ash walked with a limp. Was it paining him to climb? And once he reached Rurik, would he be strong enough to carry him down? Surely he was strong enough to rescue their son. He had to be. She didn’t want to lose either one of them.
She tried to think of another plan, something that had a greater chance of success.
Gudrun rushed out of the longhouse, swiftly followed by several servants, flapping about like crows rather than doing anything productive. The two dogs went down, covering their eyes with their paws as if afraid to watch.
