“I agree,” Eoin said grimly as he launched himself to his feet. The growling had originated from near the garden gate. Eoin quickly placed himself between the entrance and Hannah.
“I know that it is easy to weave fantasies when you’re in the dark, but I don’t believe we’re mistaken.” Hannah rose to her feet and stood beside him.
“Get behind me!” Eoin ordered as he strained to listen. To his horror, he heard ominous thrashing through the overgrown foliage.
“Why? Are you impervious to claws and teeth?” Hannah asked, but even as she joked, he could detect the tremble in her pattern of speech.
“I’m more bruin-sized,” Eoin said.
“Wouldn’t that just make you a tastier-looking morsel?” Hannah quipped. “I’m bonier.”
“I—I can’t lose you.” The words tore from Eoin. “I can handle my pain but not yours.”
Hannah fell silent but only for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone had turned serious, which only exposed how much her voice was quavering. “And don’t you think it is the same for me? Let’s stay side by side.”
Rawrrrrrr.
Bollocks. The growl was closer now.
Hisssssssss!
“Is—is the gosling trying to defend us?” Hannah asked.
“It appears so. Foolish fowl.” Eoin bent to capture the fluff, but it darted away from him. He lunged a second time, but his fingers only brushed uselessly against the down.
Heavy footsteps—or pawsteps—thudded against the ground, and the thick vegetation rustled. Not for the first time, Eoin was grateful for the mess of flowers and plants that hadserved so often as his shelter. But his thankfulness was quickly replaced with an even more crystalized fear.
“We should run for the house!” Hannah grabbed his arm. “It sounds like the bear is stalking us!”
“We can’t,” Eoin said starkly as his mind tried to determine how they could escape. “The beast is between us and the nearest door.”
“Are the walls scalable? Or is there a helpful trellis leaning against the bricks?” Hannah asked. “I am very adept at climbing despite being born and bred a Londoner.”
“There’s a folly in the far corner,” Eoin said. “It will be cramped, but there is at least a door we could shut.”
“What kind of a folly? Greek? Roman? Medieval hermit?” Hannah asked.
“Does it matter?” Eoin asked.
“Well, some are holier than others. I mean full of holes, not religiously sanctified,” Hannah babbled, and Eoin could hear her teeth clacking together. She was clearly terrified but determined to use humor to calm herself.
“Well, a hermit’s hut could be holy.” Eoin tried to join her humor as he snagged her hand. Tugging gently on their interlocked fingers, he took a step backward, and she followed suit. Although Eoin had never tried to flee from a bear, he’d read once that one should never turn their back on an enraged dog. The sight only encouraged the canine to chase. Eoin supposed it could work with bruins as well.
“Only real hermitages. I don’t think stone beehives erected for the visual pleasure of the aristocracy count,” Hannah shot back as they continued to shuffle backward. The gosling darted in and out of their feet, her small body occasionally brushing against Eoin’s ankles.
“That would be too Irish for my grandfather,” Eoin repliedjust as he stepped in a divot. His ankle twisted, and his body began to sway. Thankfully, though, he did not collapse. The fowl chirped, and Hannah tugged at his palm, helping to steady him.
“Hopefully it is not an open pavilion with Greek columns—a pretty structure but not very useful for bear blocking.” Hannah spoke with increasing rapidity as they picked up their pace.
“It is thankfully a small tower, not sturdy enough to withstand a Norman invasion but sufficient for a bruin attack.”
Sweat had started to drip down Eoin’s back even though they hadn’t broken into a full run. Surely, they should be close to the folly now. The garden was not a particularly large one, but then again, Eoin had never been trapped inside it with a bear hunting him. That changed perspectives enormously.
Rawrrrrrr!
“That definitely sounded nearer.” Hannah’s voice rose slightly at the end, but she didn’t shout. It seemed that the more imminent peril became, the calmer she grew.
“Yes,” Eoin agreed as he glanced over his shoulder. He could see stone crenellations peaking over two overgrown rosebushes, but the haven was still yards away.
