As they neared the fortress, Albyn was the first to catch sight of Oriana. “Look there! It’s not merely her hair that shimmers in the sunlight; her whole body has a near blinding radiance. Do you not see it?”
Egan pulled Raven to a halt, but eager for the comforts of the stable, the horse danced with impatience. Egan slapped his mount’s neck in a gentle reproof, then turned him in a tight circle.
“ ’Tis the light reflected off the water, nothing more,” he insisted, but he was also struck by the sheer beauty of the moment.
Oriana had described Lugh as a being of light, but he now wondered if she had not seen a mortal man with the sun at his back and mistaken the glow for the god’s own brilliance. Then he recalled Lugh’s poignant song and ceased to wonder if he were only seeing a trick of sunlight and sea.
He nudged Raven with his heels, and leaving the guards to carry the stag and pheasants they had slain to the fortress, he turned off the trail and rode toward Oriana. She was so still that for an instant he actually feared he might find a magnificent sculpture of wood or stone rather than a flesh and blood woman. He called her name as he dismounted and sighed with relief when she turned to face him.
He offered his hand to help her rise and took note of the amethyst before she had time to hide it behind her back. “I’m pleased you think enough of my gift to carry it with you. The sun lends all jewels a rare beauty, and lovely ladies as well. We’ve been hunting, but I promise to provide you with fine company for the remainder of the day.”
Albyn had also left the trail and was approaching on foot. Oriana forced a hesitant smile in greeting, then looked up at Egan. Laughter hovered on his lips and shone in his eyes, but she found nothing humorous.
“Wasn’t Kieran with you?” she asked.
“No, of course not. After we’d decided falcons would be a distraction, we’d scarcely have invited Kieran to come along.”
“There will be venison for dinner,” Albyn announced as he joined them. “You mustn’t believe Egan if he claims it was his arrow that took the prize.”
“You may have all the credit,” Egan assured him, but his glance never left Oriana’s wistful smile. “I’d not lie to her.”
Albyn tugged on his sleeves to adjust the fit of his cloak. “I’m pleased to hear it, but I wish she’d use her influence to inspire you to be equally truthful with me.”
Egan had moved to Oriana’s side in what she believed to be an attempt to convincingly portray her lover. He smoothed his hand along her back in small proprietary circles, creating disconcerting tingles. She stepped away to converse with Albyn, but unwilling to arouse more than a passing interest, kept her glance shyly averted.
“Rather than lies, I find Egan speaks the truth with a near brutal flourish. I do wish you’d encourage him to treat Kieran more kindly. It is unfortunate when brothers are estranged.”
“I’ve not seen Kieran since my arrival, my lady, but I’ll do whatever I can to cultivate harmony between Egan and his kin. I’m most curious about your family. Please describe them to me.”
Egan took a deliberate step forward. “I warned you n
ot to pry. Consider me Oriana’s family, and you know all there is to know about me.”
Ignoring that rebuke, Albyn moved close to brush a stray curl from Oriana’s cheek, and his voice became a husky whisper. “Your mother must have been a rare beauty. What was her name?”
“Albyn!” Egan was ready to silence his friend with his fists, but Oriana blocked his way.
As she deftly slid between the two men, she graced each with a smile. It was imperative that Albyn consider her charmingly naive rather than mysterious, and so she answered his question as though she had nothing to hide.
“Not long before I was born, my mother began calling herself Rain. I’ve no idea what she’d been named at birth. Now, aren’t you men hungry?”
She took Egan’s hand to lead him toward Raven. “I could do with a piece of fruit or small wedge of cheese. I shan’t want too much though, when you’ve promised such a fine meal tonight.”
Egan raked Albyn with a caustic glance as he passed by, but he could see that rather than having silenced him, Oriana’s peculiar comment had merely whet his appetite for more. “Rain is a beautiful name,” he responded suddenly. “It has such a gentle sound.”
“Yes, my mother was a lovely, sweet-tempered soul, and it suited her well.”
Albyn studied the ease with which Egan grasped Oriana’s waist to set her astride Raven. Clearly it was not the first time they’d ridden together, but Oriana did not glance coyly over her shoulder to flirt as most young women would. She simply took told of Raven’s silken mane and held on tight.
“Egan won’t let you fall,” Albyn assured her.
She turned, and in a silent plea mouthed a single word: Kieran.
Thinking her preoccupation with Egan’s younger brother odd, Albyn tarried a moment before strolling back to his horse. Their exchange had lasted a mere instant, but he wondered if there hadn’t been an unusual light in her eyes. Last night he had thought they were as green as his own, but that day, he would have sworn they were a honeyed gold. A golden-eyed woman with the beauty of a goddess would inspire poetic tributes from any bard, and he briefly considered composing one himself.
Then, certain it would only anger Egan anew, he turned his thoughts to Kieran as she had asked. He remembered a handsome boy and was uncertain how old the lad would be now. Albyn got on his horse, then hurried his mount and caught up with his companions just as they reached the fortress gate.
The man standing guard threw out his chest proudly and shouted, “Bevan has arrived, my lord.”