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Albyn cocked his head to the side and observed her with the same keen interest he had just shown the hawk. “Have you ever been ill, my lady?”
“No, I’ve been blessed with excellent health. Now let’s cease to worry and watch the hunt.”
The hounds were already bounding through the meadow, and off to the side, a plump pheasant beat her wings in a frantic bid to escape them. A hound leaped after her but caught only a fleeting taste of her long tail feathers.
Egan waited to make certain the pheasant would actually make it into the air before he removed his falcon’s hood and cast her aloft. The bird easily climbed above the pheasant and continued to soar higher with each winding circle.
Oriana held her breath as she waited for the impressive wild falcon to appear, but that morning the gyrfalcon flew alone. High above them, she completed one last ring in the sky and then tucked her wings in close, dove for the pheasant, and made the kill.
Oriana had been so sure they would make a significant discovery, but while she marveled at the falcon’s prowess, she did not see how Egan could imitate it with even a finely crafted wing. She remained at his side while Albyn pulled on a gauntlet to reward and retrieve the magnificent bird.
“Did you see something? What I noticed was the strength in the gyrfalcon’s legs and feet as she overtook the pheasant, but how will that help you?” she asked, clearly perplexed.
Egan held Raven’s reins in a relaxed grasp and could not help but wish he still possessed the strength to reach down and pull Oriana up across his lap. Before answering her question, he promised himself he would do so again, and soon.
“We have the whole morning to hunt,” he responded. “Let’s enjoy ourselves, and we’ll see whatever we must.”
Oriana appreciated his confidence, but she was still worried they might miss a critical detail. Her slippers were soaked from the wet grass, and she thought Egan wise for remaining astride Raven. Hoping she would have a better view on her new mare, she retraced her steps, but it was Albyn rather than the guard holding the reins, and he laced his hands to provide a helpful step.
She thanked him, then urged the mare forward. Raven whinnied a greeting, but she kept her horse at a safe distance to avoid startling the falcons. Egan had the peregrine this time, and she concentrated upon viewing each of the bird’s actions to better understand t
he sequence of flight.
Glistening beads of moisture clung to her cloak. The droplets swelled, broke into rivulets, and coursed down her back to run off toward the ground. She ignored the dampness seeping into her shoulders and waited without complaint as Egan sent his falcons aloft.
Did a falcon ever falter? Or did their spirits lift them as forcefully as the wind? She hoped Egan was able to observe more than she, because he needed to master the secrets, which remained a complete mystery to her.
His expression was thoughtful and his mouth relaxed, as though he were about to kiss her. But his gaze was as sharply vigilant as his winged predators. He was also a creature of astonishing grace and speed, but how was he to learn their innate ability to soar through the sky with the ease he strode the land?
Albyn also kept a close eye on Egan. They had hunted with falcons from the time they had been old enough to bear the weight of a peregrine upon their wrists. There was nothing tentative about a hawk, and Albyn had always been entranced by the speed of their attack. They might trace courtly circles against the clouds as they searched for prey, but once it was sighted, they flew with the speed of a well-aimed arrow.
He thought them magnificent in their fierce simplicity, but he studied them now with new eyes. He drank them in and envied their clear sense of purpose. But even with Yowan’s magnificent wing, he had little faith in Egan to even come close to their effortless flight.
He rubbed his arms to ward off the deepening chill and noted how badly the guards were shivering. “We ought to be on our way,” he called to Egan. “As it is, we’ll not beat the rain back to the fortress.”
Egan angled Raven toward Oriana. “Are you cold?”
“Very, but it matters little if you’ve still more to learn.”
“I swear every day I discover I know less than I had believed, but we needn’t tarry any longer.”
Egan sent the guards back to the fortress with the cadge boy, along with clear instructions to share the fine pheasants they had taken with the rest of the guards. The men looked forward to a delicious meal and quickly left the meadow, while the dogs remained eager to hunt and complained in mournful yaps as they were tugged away.
Albyn came forward to lead their way to Yowan, but urged his mount across the path. “First, tell us what you’ve gained, if anything.”
Egan shrugged and rubbed his neck. “We may have already known a great deal, but simply not recognized it. How do we always carry the falcons?”
Assuming the question was for Oriana’s benefit, Albyn supplied the correct answer. “The birds have to face into the wind. That’s the only way they’ll deign to sit calmly.”
“Aye, and while I’d not noted it before today, it’s the direction in which they fly. They aren’t blown into the sky by a restless wind. The air rushes against them and lifts them high. I began to wonder if the air might not have currents as strong as those in the sea. Even if we can’t see them, they might very well be there.”
Albyn caught Oriana’s eye before he spoke. “What will you do, leave Mount Royal with a leap into the wind?”
“It seems the wisest course, but I also noted how slowly the falcons change direction. They can’t make sharp turns, but they lean in the direction they wish to go and glide right into it. I may not be able to do it all that well, but if I can do it at all, the air will keep me aloft.
“You also noticed something important, Oriana.” Egan raised his hand slowly and bent his wrist. “When a hawk wishes to slow her speed, she pulls back and thrusts out her legs. That’s the way to land safely, not by diving toward the earth, but by pushing back against the rushing air. It was all there, just as you said it would be. Now, let’s visit Yowan and his sons before the rain comes and we are all washed away.”
While Egan certainly was not gloating, he did appear convinced that he had made some valuable discoveries. Oriana tried to smile, but her lips trembled slightly, and she hurriedly guided her mare into place behind Albyn’s dappled gray. She wrapped her cloak more tightly over her bosom and hoped they would not have a lengthy ride since she was already cold and tired.
