By the time they finally stopped for the night, the full moon hung high above their heads. A thick, eerie mist clung to the forest floor as the cool white light dappled all around them, streaming through the trees and shrubs at strange angles. Braden took a deep breath and savored the smell of clean air that held a hint of heather and pine.
It was the kind of night for fairies and other fey creatures to frolic, and for more earthly creatures to take advantage of quiet, undisturbed embraces. It was also the kind of night Braden had once used to frighten a young Maggie into a screaming fit years ago.
Braden smiled at the memory.
No older than ten, Maggie had trotted along after Anghus and him one night when they had snuck out of her small cottage in search of dragon’s treasure. What they found was a red-haired imp who wanted to tattle on them unless they let her join them.
Being the clever ones, they had told her she could come along only if she could keep up.
Anghus had led her forward slowly while Braden had run ahead under the pretense of scouting for trolls and pixies. Once he was out of sight, he had doubled back to come up behind an unsuspecting Maggie.
Just as they were reaching the cave, Braden had goosed her and shouted.
Terrified, she had screeched like a banshee, cocked him with one swift kick to the groin, then ran home shrieking the whole way with her arms flapping above her head.
To this day, he swore he could still feel the pain of that kick. But how funny she’d looked running through the forest, screaming a dragon was after her.
He wondered if she recalled the event. If she did, she showed no signs of it tonight as they stopped. She just looked weary-eyed and exhausted.
Silently, they took shelter beside a narrow stream, in a small clearing of grass and heather. Braden handed Maggie her pack as Sin headed off to gather wood for a fire.
Maggie unpacked the dried meat, cheese, and skins of ale and made them each a small meal.
Once Sin found enough wood, Braden started the fire while Sin used a stick to clean mud and wet leaves off the soles of his black leather boots.
“How far do you think we’ve come?” Maggie asked before placing a piece of cheese in her mouth.
Sin snorted. “Since we’re on foot, my wager is less than a half a league.”
Braden tossed a handful of dried leaves at his brother. “Could you be any more pessimistic?”
“Aye, but for the lady’s sake, I’m trying to behave.”
The worst part was, Braden knew Sin’s words for honesty. And God save them if Sin gave full reign to his biting sarcasm. The man could make Job leap from a cliff.
Choosing to ignore his brother, Braden answered Maggie’s question. “I’m sure we’ve covered a few leagues. How long did it take you to reach the Lady MacDouglas last time?”
She hesitated as if she were silently debating something. “Four days,” she said at last.
“Four days?” Sin cursed. “Why didn’t one of you say that to me before we left? Haven’t any of you people ever heard of horses?”
Braden shook his head at Sin’s typical anger. He placed another piece of wood onto the fire before rising to his feet and moving to sit by Maggie. “He’s teasing you.”
“The devil I am. If God had meant man to walk about, he’d have made smaller horses.”
Befuddled by the logic, Braden frowned at Sin. “That doesn’t make a bit of sense.”
“Well, if I weren’t so tired from walking, I’d be able to think up something more intelligent to say.”
“Excuse me,” Maggie interrupted them. “Do the two of you always carry on in this manner?”
“Mostly,” Sin said, before Braden could respond.
“Well then, I beg you to cease. I canna take any more of it tonight.”
And so they withheld their conversation while they ate a light repast.
Maggie was grateful for the silence, not that they were really all that annoying with their bantering.
