“Agh!” she cried, doing her best to hold the wriggling beast. “What am I supposed to do with it now?”
Kai couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing. “Lass, I reckon I could sell tickets to this. I’m not sure who’s going to win this wrestling contest but if I was a betting man, I’d put my money on the fish.”
“It’s not funny!” Caitlin cried, but he could hear laughter in her voice. “Come and help instead of just laughing!”
With a snort, Kai climbed up the bank to where Caitlin lay, dispatched the fish and took it out of Caitlin’s hands. She sat up, wiping the back of one gloved hand over her brow.
“Well,” she said. “I think we can safely say we’ve earned our breakfast. Sorry, Mr. Fish.”
Kai quickly went to work, gutting and cleaning the fish before building a small fire with some brush. He skewered the fish on a long stick and roasted it over the flames until the skin was crispy and the flesh tender and flaky.
Caitlin watched him work, her stomach grumbling audibly. When the fish was cooked, he used his knife to carefully remove it from the stick, then handed half of it to her.
“Here ye go, lass,” he said with a grin. “Yer wrestling partner.”
They ate in silence for a while.
“You know,” Caitlin said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence between them. “I don’t think I’ve ever had trout quite this good before.”
“Aye, well, it’s the tickling method,” Kai replied. “Brings out the best in them.”
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Oh, does it now?”
“Aye,” he said, nodding. “Makes them all relaxed like, so the flesh tastes better.”
She gave a soft laugh. “Well, whatever the reason, it was delicious. Thank you.”
Kai smiled and was about to reply when Caitlin suddenly stood up.
“I’m going to go down to the stream and wash up a bit,” she said. “I stink of fish and horse.”
He watched as she walked to the stream, her pale skirts swaying gently in the morning breeze. He couldn’t help but admire her grace and beauty, even from this distance. She stopped at the edge of the water and turned her back on him, taking off her gloves before lowering her hands into the stream. It was then that he caught sight of the skin beneath—her hands were ridged and scarred, like she had been burned or scalded.
He quickly looked away, not wanting to pry into something that was obviously personal to Caitlin. But he couldn’t stop himself from wondering what had caused such damage...and why she was so determined to hide it.
Kai rose to his feet and brushed off his plaid. Caitlin returned shortly afterwards, her hands once again hidden beneath the black gloves. Kai boosted her onto the broad back of the carthorse then vaulted up behind her. He took hold of the reins and they set off at a brisk pace.
His thoughts turned to what awaited them. Dun Cator. He’d walked out of there four years ago, turning his back not only on it, but on the future that it offered.
Strange how life seemed determined to lead him full circle.
An image flashed into his mind again.Herimage. Dark hair. Dark eyes. A smile to die for. But then the image changed, the hair shifting from dark to chestnut, the eyes from brown to blue and it was Caitlin’s face he saw instead, Caitlin’s smile that set his heart racing.
Ah, damn it all! He shifted his weight, making the horse stamp and swing her head back to give him a horsey-glare. He deliberately sat a little more upright so there was more of a gap between him and Caitlin. The last thing he needed was to have her touch him and send his thoughts spiraling again.
He was a commander in the Order of the Osprey, damn it! People were relying on him. His men were relying on him. He needed to concentrate.
He growled under his breath, gave himself a shake, and pushed all thoughts from his mind except the moment, except focusing on the path and staying alert for danger.
He wondered how his men were faring. Better than him, he hoped.
