Instead, she focused on her meal, then went outside. Her da would not approve, but the morning had dawned clear and warm. She did not want to miss a day like this shut away in her chamber. Neither, she decided, would Valkyrie. Two of the Sutherlands exited the keep behind her. Ah, her guards had found her. She stopped them and prevailed upon them to escort her to the mews, then outside the gate to let Valkyrie fly.
“Are ye certain ye should?” one asked.
“I am. But to appease my da, I need a guard to go with me,” she said, doing her best to look pitiable. “Even just to fly Valkyrie in the glen outside the gates, I canna go alone.” Even though she’d been tempted to try.
The two men regarded each other and the one who hadn’t spoken shrugged. “Very well. Let me advise Anders and we’ll go with ye.”
“I’ll go to the mews and fetch my hawk,” she said.
The first Sutherland nodded. “I’ll stay with ye,” he said. “Anders warned us the danger to ye lives inside the keep as well as out.”
“Thank ye both,” Mariota added before she turned for the mews, her escort on her heels.
The second man appeared a few minutes later with Anders.
“Lass, ye try yer da’s patience,” he told her.
“Nay half so much as he has tried mine,” she retorted as Valkyrie hopped onto her leather-gloved fist and accepted the hood. “’Tisna good to keep hunting hawks too long in the mews.”
“She only arrived home yesterday.”
“I dinna care. We need to fly free.” Had she really said “we”? Aye, she had.
Anders choked at that, then sighed. “Come along then. We’ll nay ride. Just walk outside the gates and loose her. My men will come with us.”
Mariota knew when to accept a bargain. “Very well.” She’d be well guarded, close to the keep’s gates, and chances were good Alber still slept. She would be safe from him for hours yet. She crossed the bailey with her entourage, curious to see if, even with Anders’ men behind them, she could get close enough to him to discover whether the heat she’d felt last night had been real and would flare again. There were too many people moving about in the bailey, but they were intent on their own tasks. Outside the gates, the guards’ attention would be on the area around them every moment, including on her and Anders. It was now or never. Anders had caught up and walked on her side opposite Valkyrie. She flexed her wrists, a move certain to cause Valkyrie to spread her wings and shift her feet. That let Mariota feign a stumble into Anders’ shoulder.
He did as she’d hoped and reached out to steady her. One arm went around her waist and pulled her closer to him, the other reached between Valkyrie and her face, as if concerned that her hawk would somehow injure her.
The heat built faster than an oil-fed fire between them. His scent filled her nose and made her mouth water. Secure in his embrace, she wanted to lay her head on his shoulder and stay there, but as soon as his men caught up, he released her.
“Steady, there, lass,” he admonished, but the heat in his gaze was unmistakable.
“Thank ye for catching me,” she said, loud enough for their followers to hear. “I dinna ken what tripped me,” she added, twisting around to look at the ground behind them, then shrugged. “Well, let’s go,” she said to the Sutherlands behind them, turned and resumed walking toward the gates.
“Where do ye think ye are going?”
Mariota groaned. Seamus had come outside, and she knew that tone of voice. She’d been wise to keep her distance in the great hall. But she had no hope of avoiding him now. Had he seen Anders’ arm around her? She forced a smile that she didn’t feel, turned and lifted the fist where Valkyrie perched. “Just outside the gate to let Valkyrie fly,” she said sweetly. “Would ye like to join us?”
Beside her, Anders snorted softly.
“Damn it, Mari. Aye, I will. Yer da has already sentenced me to night watch. What else can he do to me?”
“Banishment?” Anders muttered.
So, Anders wasn’t eager to have Seamus along with them, either. Was he jealous? They’d seemed to forge a bond on the way back to MacKay.
Mariota ignored the tension between the two men and continued out the open gate. The Sutherlands spread out around her. Anders moved to the other side of the gate as if he needed space from her, and took up his post there.
Seamus stayed at her side.
“Why are ye so determined to challenge yer da?” He kept his voice low, but she could hear the anger in it.
“If he only respects strength, I must be strong and challenge him,” she told him as she removed Valkyrie’s hood, loosed the jesses, and tossed the hawk skyward. She turned to face Seamus.
“So was leaving in the middle of the night yer idea of strong and determined?”
“At the time, aye, it was. I saw no alternative if I was going to stay alive.”
