Page 113 of Woods of the Raven

“Thank you, my lord.”

“Is this your mate?” He motioned to Lorne.

“Yes, my lord.”

He nodded and put his warm hand on my cheek. It was like electricity flowing through my body, and I sat up, drained, exhausted, but well. He then put his hand on Lorne’s shoulder, and he too jolted under the healing touch of a god.

“You did well with your weapon,” he praised Lorne. “I have restored it so it may serve again. Keep the iron close, as the fae cannot be trusted.”

“Yessir,” he told Arawn, who gave him a nod before turning back to me.

“Be well until we meet again.”

“And you, my lord Arawn.”

“Return to your cottage and rest. Worry not about sanctifying the land because of the spilled blood. I will see to that.”

“My thanks.”

I watched as all the bodies, men, snakes, vargrs, turned to dust and were caught on the breeze.

Arawn rose then and walked back toward Nudd, halfway there kneeling again and pushing his hand into the ground just as I did. He spoke low, his words soft, lulling, but the land heard him and shuddered again, almost moaning in response to his power and the purification.

Normally he thundered across the land, but now he took his time, and the land must have thanked him for his communion because he was grinning as he stood up again. He continued on toward Nudd and, reaching him, climbed easily onto the saddle of his ferocious warhorse who blew a plume of fire into the air like a dragon. Arawn then waited as Guro remounted Skokse, because she always led. When Guro screamed, the sound rent the air, and they were gone in moments, riding hard.

The dogs ran over to me and Lorne, checked us, bumped up against us, and we stroked them quickly before they were gone, chasing after their master.

“Come with me,” I urged Lorne, tugging on his arm, and we ran together toward the meadow. Once there, we fell down into the thick carpet of leaves and soft grass, and I pointed up toward the moon. “Listen.”

He was quiet. “What am I listening for? All I hear are wild geese.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. That’s what they sound like as they fly by when they migrate.”

“I don’t hear geese,” I said, rolling sideways to look at him, and smiled. “I hear dogs baying, leading a hunt.”

He sat up, staring at the sky, seeing just as I did, a large band of riders galloping in front of the moon. Once they were gone from sight, he said, “I’ve never seen that before in my life.”

I sat up beside him. “And you won’t without me. I am branded by the god Arawn, and I’m the caretaker of the Cŵn Annwn, his hounds. I see through the veil of magic, that which allows you to see the wild hunt as few others ever have.”

“It’s amazing,” he whispered roughly. “I’m in awe.”

“But is that what you want?” I asked hesitantly. “Because once you—”

“Are you insane?”

I was continually amazed with his ability not to freak out and lose his mind. “I don’t under—”

“You told that seemingly very nice yet utterly terrifying god that I was your mate. Do you think walking that back is a good idea?”

“No, but I didn’t ask you before I blurted out my—”

“He never once raised his voice.” Lorne put his arm around my shoulders and tucked me into his side. “Did you notice that? Even when he was threatening Threun, he never once sounded anything but calm and cool. I need to learn to do that. To not allow other people to ever hear anything in my voice but control and power.”

I chuckled.

“Also, please note he called our home a cottage as well. Isn’t it crazy that he knew that?”