Coira shivered. He was much like her. Too much. Her anguish, tragically, had not remained hidden.
What would happen if his pain also escaped his control?
Chapter 6
“I’ll enjoy being away from the keep for a day,” Elizabeth told Coira the next morning as she pulled on her cloak and picked up her gather basket. “Though we may not need to wander far into the woods if we find what the healer needs nearby.”
An enjoyable day, indeed, Coira thought, prepared to follow Elizabeth and get away from the rest of the clan. With only Elizabeth and the healer for company, she should not need to build her dunes to protect herself. Without the confusion of many other people around her, she might even practice building the dunes against each of them, and see what else she could learn. Could she affect their emotional state as she had seemed to do with the shrill and soft-voiced women? With Logen? “Where are we to meet the healer?”
“At the gate. But first, we must stop by the kitchen for food and ale to take with us.”
Elizabeth led her out, chattering as they walked. Coira greeted the cook, then stood by as Elizabeth explained what they needed. Within moments, they were on their way to meet the healer.
When they stepped out into the bailey, Coira glanced around. This early, only a few people were about, intent on their morning chores. She looked up, and wasn’t surprised to see Logen already on the rampart. He took his duties seriously.
He was talking to the man he’d challenged the day before, Darach, but he broke off his conversation when he saw her and Elizabeth. He came down the steps to meet them. “Where are ye lasses going?” His gaze fell on their gathering baskets and the bundles in them that Cook had prepared.
Elizabeth pointed toward the woods beyond the gate. “Out with the healer to find the last of the season’s offerings. ’Tis a lovely day for it, is it no’?”
Logen glanced the way she indicated, then back at the two of them. “Who is going with ye?”
“What do ye mean?” Coira didn’t like the frown on his face or the cloud of concern that rolled off him.
“I mean an escort. Ye willna want to be wandering the woods alone.”
“We willna be alone. The healer will be with us,” Elizabeth replied.
“And a lot of help she’ll be if a wild animal attacks one or all of ye. Nay, ye’ll have some armed men with ye.”
“Logen, surely that isna necessary,” Coira argued. “We’ll no’ be goin’ far.” She appreciated his concern for her. It warmed the space between them. But she did not want to have to deal with more strangers when she’d hoped for some time to let down her guard.
“Ye’ll have armed men with ye, or ye willna go at all.”
At that moment, the healer arrived and looked from Coira and Elizabeth to Logen.
The older woman’s surprise at finding the laird confronting them was clear to Coira. Then that surprise changed to amusement in a heartbeat, causing Coira to raise an eyebrow at her.
“Perhaps ye’d like to join us, laird,” the healer told him. “With ye and another man or two, I’m sure we’ll be quite safe.”
What?The healer was up to something. Coira could feel it. But there was nothing sinister in the healer’s emotions. Sly, yes, but not sinister.
She could feel pleasure suffusing Logen as he considered the healer’s invitation. Well then, they would have an escort, and now she could be glad of it. Some time with Logen, away from the keep and the many watching eyes, might be good for both of them. Despite their differences, the attraction between them was real, and becoming harder for her to fight as Logen gave her what she’d asked for—space and time to gain control of her gift and her feelings.
“If ye’ll pardon a few minutes of delay,” Logen answered, “we’ll go.”
The healer inclined her head, sagely.
Logen stepped away, signaling to two men who were crossing the bailey.
Coira pulled her gaze back to the healer, not wanting to be caught staring after Logen. The healer gave her a small, secret smile, and Coira pursed her lips. Sly, indeed.
Elizabeth set down her basket, so Coira did the same, glad to be freed from the burden for a few minutes. She glanced around, but no one ventured near. To Coira’s great relief, they didn’t seem to be attracting any attention.
Before long, Logen and the other men returned with rations of their own, weapons, and plaids against a change in the weather.
“Shall we?” He swept an arm toward the gate.
Coira nearly laughed out loud. Suddenly, Logen was impatient to be gone. Very well. They picked up their burdens and headed out through the wall, across the surrounding meadow and into the cool green shade of the woods.
