Page 26 of Highland Lords of War & Thunder: The Prequel

She headed straight for him

She looked different from the last time he’d seen her. Gone was the gown covered in mud and horse piss. A tartan skirt fell to her ankles, and over a linen shirt she wore a brown leather vest cinched firmly across her chest. Brown leather bracers covered her forearms, giving her an appearance far more suited to travel than the bedraggled woman who had stormed into the inn.

She was more petite and her eyes a more vivid blue than he recalled, and judging by the determined set of her mouth, she was still troublesome.

Torden braced himself for whatever complaint she intended to throw at him, but when Ismera reached him, she barely spared him a glance. Her attention went immediately to Sorcha.

“What’s wrong with her?”

The concern in her voice surprised him.

“She doesn’t want to go below.”

Ismera looked toward the opening that led beneath the deck, then back at Sorcha. Without asking permission, she stepped closer and ran her hand slowly along the mare’s neck.

“Easy, beautiful,” Ismera murmured. “I wouldn’t want to go down there either.”

Sorcha turned her head toward her.

Ismera continued stroking her, speaking softly, the words meant more to soothe than to be understood. Sorcha’s ears shifted forward and some of the tension eased from her body.

Torden stared at his mare. She always followed his lead, obeyed his orders, well maybe mostly, and there was no reason being on the ship should cause her distress. And no reason to calm at the touch of a complete stranger.

Ismera glanced at him. “What’s her name?”

“Sorcha.”

“Sorcha,” she repeated softly, rubbing beneath the mare’s jaw. “A lovely name for a lovely lass.”

Sorcha nudged her.

Torden scowled.

Ismera smiled and continued to stroke her neck. “You don’t want to be shut away down there, do you?”

Sorcha gave a soft snort.

“Don’t encourage her,” he cautioned.

Ismera ignored him.

Torden should have expected that, and before he realized what she intended, Ismera took the reins from his hand.

His scowl deepened. “What are you doing?”

“Taking Sorcha below.”

He restrained himself from laughing. “She won’t go with you.”

“We’ll see.”

The confidence in her voice annoyed him, and he folded his arms across his chest. “You really think you can get her down there when I couldn’t?”

Ismera looked at him with amusement. “Aye.”

She turned and walked toward the opening.

Sorcha followed.