He stared down at the dagger, then burst into laughter. "Of all the dirty tricks! Ye're?—"
But whatever she was, he never told her. She interrupted his scolding with a kiss, pulling him down to the ground along with her. Cailean went willingly, and for a little while, they lost themselves there in the grass with only the wind as witness.
By the time the fighters started to arrive, Cailean and Maeve had pulled themselves together and stood ready to lead their factions. Cailean was still leading the training for all of the warriors, male and female alike, but Maeve had taken on an important role of her own. For just over a month now, since the O'Sullivan refugees and others who had marched with them had settled, Maeve had taken over the training of the women and non-warrior men who wanted to learn ways of defending themselves against the threats to come.
"There's naebody better for it," Senan had explained when Maeve had expressed her doubts about the idea. "Ye learned on yer feet tae become a warrior, but yer skill has always been protectin' yerself, ever since I found ye at that inn all that time ago. We have the utmost faith in ye—and we're here if ye need us tae help."
Maeve had taken those words to heart, and she'd tried her best to help organize those who had come to her for help. She had suggested alternative weapons for those who could not or would not bear swords; she had taught evasive maneuvers even to the clumsiest of people; she had done everything she could to prepare them for the unknown.
To her surprise and pleasure, her students were flourishing, and first amongst them was her own sister. Maeve approached Breanna, who stood a little off to the side and was practicing against a board with throwing knives. They'd been rotating Breanna through different weapons, letting her practice different ways to defend herself. Maeve's reasoning for thechoices was that Breana had always had the best aim when they would play throwing games as children, and it seemed to be paying off.
Breana's knife missed the target, and Maeve's usually genteel sister let out a rather unladylike curse, then blushed bright red when she realized she'd been overheard.
"Dinnae tell anyone ye heard me say that," Breana warned, though she giggled immediately afterward, somewhat ruining the effect.
Maeve laughed, too. "I dinnae think anyone would believe me if I did. But ye shouldnae be so hard on yerself, Bre. Ye're improvin' quickly, ye truly are. Have ye been practicin' with the other lassies?"
Breana hesitated, then sighed and shook her head. "I… nay, if I'm honest, Maeve, I havenae. I still prefer tae just curl up with me papers and draw, or study the maps, or…"
"I ken what ye prefer, but we're still at war. Yer skills are useful, more than useful, but ye've proven already that ye're nae averse tae throwin' yerself intae danger," Maeve reminded her. "I'd feel better if I kent ye could protect yerself the next time ye go runnin' off intae a fight."
Breana smiled slightly. "What if I promise tae stay behind?"
Maeve raised an eyebrow. "Could ye do that? Without lyin'?"
The older sister considered that for a moment, then shook her head. "I suppose I cannae. Ye're right, this is a war—and if there's a chance that ye're in danger, or anyone else I've come tae care about, then I ken I willnae hesitate tae enter the fray."
Placing her hand gently on Breana's arm, Maeve said, "I ken. And that's why I need ye tae be bolder with the trainin'. It doesnae need tae be the throwin' knives; keep the dagger I gave ye on ye, and we'll find ye another weapon for bigger fights."
Breana took out the dagger that Maeve had gifted her a week before, examining it. It was a pretty thing with an encrustedpearl handle, a little too elegant for Maeve's tastes but perfect for Breana. Twirling it in her hand, Breana said, "It's a lovely gift."
"Hold it like this," Maeve advised, positioning her sister's hand delicately over the handle. "And point it like this. It's?—"
"Oh!" Breana exclaimed. Her hand loosened, and the dagger fell with a softthumponto the grass below them. She turned and ran off without a word.
Bewildered, Maeve scooped up the little weapon and turned to see what had so distracted her sister. The confusion faded a moment later as she saw Breana throw her arms around a figure who had just entered through the courtyard gates.
Maeve grinned as she recognized Eoin, her close friend and ally, who had returned from his most recent mission accompanied by several scouts and a group of others who Maeve did not know. She signaled to Cailean, and the two of them left the others to their training and headed over to meet with Eoin.
By the time they reached him, Breana had released him from her embrace, but Maeve hid a secret smile as she noticed that Breana's hand still lingered in Eoin's. She wondered if her sister even realized it.
"Eoin," she greeted warmly. "It's good tae see ye in one piece."
"More or less," he replied with a wink and a grin. He nodded to Cailean. "Yer Majesty."
"Och, dinnae ye start that," Cailean warned, but it was clear from his expression that he was pleased to see Eoin too. "How did it go? Who are all these people?"
Eoin paused for a second, then said, "Refugees, Cailean. They're on the run from the False King. We kent we couldnae leave them tae their fate, so we brought them here."
Maeve and Cailean exchanged glances. They, of course, would welcome these people as warmly as they could, but they worried about how their arrival would be viewed by the rest ofthe people already here at Bruce Castle. Their resources were already so strained. More mouths to feed, especially those of the sick or the old or the very young like many of this group seemed to be, were the last things that they needed.
"We're happy tae welcome ye, each and every one," Maeve assured the nervous gathered group, because there was nothing else she could say. Shewashappy to have them here. She was just scared that they were going to fail them.
Cailean called over a few of the warriors and asked them to take the new refugees inside to find them some food and warmth. Maeve knew that there would be muttering as the group moved through the castle, but she hoped that there would be no outright hostility.
She turned back to Eoin and the scouts and blinked as she recognized a familiar face amongst them, one which she had not seen in several months and had partly been fearing she would never see again.
"Ferda!" she exclaimed, her own poise forgotten as she hurried toward her friend. "Ye're here! Ye're all right!"
