The crunch of footsteps nearby halted his dark musings. Astrid strode toward him across the flat, grassy bank.
And, for the first time since he spied his brother and father, Cormac’s calm returned.
Chapter Thirteen
Astrid froze. Cormac’spiercing cerulean gaze pinned her feet in place as he watched her from the river below. The glassy surface of the water looked inviting, but Astrid knew it would be freezing at this time of year. He stood still as a stone, his expression equally intense and unreadable. She’d hoped to catch him before he got in, for she knew that all the men would want to clean themselves of the dirt, mud, and blood they’d accumulated over the course of the matches.
Cormac was always quiet. It was one of the things that initially had irritated her about him, though there were many. But during the match, she noted an unusual shift in his demeanor. He seemed even more intense than usual. And now, as she stood there staring at him, uncertain what to say, she knew that something was wrong.
She swallowed, collecting her thoughts and searching for words. The rippling muscles that covered every inch of his exposed torso distracted her more than she liked. She’d seen plenty of men without their shirts, as her brother’s warriors seemed keen to be rid of them when they ran drills in the hot summer months. But for some reason, the sight of this particular man drew her complete attention. A warm sensation swirling up from her belly finally shook her from her trance.
After all that time, Cormac still hadn’t said a word to her.
Should she leave? This felt like a mistake. Perhaps he needed more time alone to process whatever was going on with him. Hedid seem to prefer time apart from everyone else. Astrid noted with some amusement that instead of bothering him to check on him, what he likely wanted was solitude. But if she turned back now, it would only be all the stranger.
“You’ll be covered in bruises by morning,” she called. There, she hadn’t even insulted him.
The hint of a smile lifted the corner of his lips. “You seem awfully concerned about my welfare of late.”
Astrid huffed at that, walking further toward the river so that she didn’t have to raise her voice to continue the conversation. “You are my champion, after all,” she replied tartly. “If I don’t take good care of you, how will you win on my behalf?”
His cocky smile deepened, but Cormac said nothing.
“I came to congratulate you on your impressive victory.” Damnit, no she hadn’t. But the compliment tumbled out all the same.
“Thank you.” He cupped his hands, pouring water over his shoulder and rubbing it into his arms to clean off the mud and grime. “Do you have any idea what our next event will be?”
“I don’t.”
“Do you think you could find out? Though they did a fine job of teaching us the game, it would be nice to be able to prepare ahead of time.”
“I’ll see what I can learn,” she agreed. She couldn’t very well expect him to perform his best if she didn’t cooperate, odd though it felt not to thwart him. “I can tell you that you will undoubtedly have more matches like this one. Now that everyone knows how to play, my brother can more accurately judge your skill and strength.”
He nodded, continuing to wash himself, scrubbing his face in a way that only encouraged the swirling warmth that tugged at Astrid’s belly.
“I should work with you more on preparation for other events, but my mother and I have had more to do than we’ve been able to adequately keep up on.”
“I imagine managing so many guests at once, especially in their own halls, is quite an organizational feat.”
“It’s not only that,” Astrid told him, recalling her brother’s request. “Sitric informed me during the match that I must meet and speak with every man competing, to make a measure of him. At least I don’t need to meet with you,” she pointed out her mood lightening a little. “I’ve spoken with you plenty, and it doesn’t matter anyway, as I’m not going to marry any of them.”
Cormac stilled, droplets of water falling from his broad shoulders into the river. “Aye, you do,” he countered. “I expect the same opportunities to prove myself as the next man. Whatever questions you’re asking them, I’ll answer the same.”
A subtle change overcame his appearance, though Astrid couldn’t decide what was actually different. As his arms crossed, the muscles flexed larger and tighter than they had before, as though he were squeezing them in frustration.
“Fine,” Astrid agreed, doing her best to aid her chosen champion. She may as well get one interview out of the way. “We can have our time together when you finish washing.”
He nodded, and she retreated so that he could finish up and put his clothes back on. When he called her back over, they sat down together beside the river and spent several moments in silence, listening to its gentle gurgling. It meandered just past their feet and a chill fell upon them, the crisp air of a winter evening descending as the sun sank toward the horizon. Night came early this time of the year, and dinner would begin shortly—a grand feast, as Astrid well knew, for she and her mother had planned the entire thing.
She wasn’t about to miss it, but she didn’t want to leave this moment just yet. Her anger, worries and fears washed away infront of her down the current. It was so peaceful, she could almost forget that the man beside her had upended her life. She could almost forget that she despised him for working with Brian to manipulate her brother. Indeed, she was dangerously close to enjoying Cormac’s company, lingering in this bubble of calm that followed the warrior everywhere he went.
“What challenges did you have to pass in order to become one of the Fianna?”
She’d heard from her brother and her mother that the men in Brian’s Fianna were of exceptional skill and strength, and they’d had to prove so to join the band of warriors. Niamh had mentioned something about studying poetry and music. But she’d never heard what specific tasks they’d been given to do.
“Our first task was to memorize and then perform the twelve books of poetry of the people of Éire. Then, with only a staff and a shield, we had to defend ourselves from the spears of nine men while we stood in a hole to our waist.”
Astrid nodded. “Difficult, but doable. What else?” she prompted, her curiosity piqued.
