Challenge of the clans (12 page)

"I must go out of the fortress," she told him. "It is a lovely day and I wish to pick some flowers in the meadow below. My father insists that I must have someone to guard me. I want you to go with me."

"But Caoilte and I are just leaving to hunt," he said.

Her smile vanished and her voice took on a spoiled child's petulant tone. "I've chosen you to go with me, and it must be you. You must obey me. My father is the chieftain. "

Finn had to agree. As much as he would rather

have gone hunting, he was bound to serve his chieftain first.

"All right then," he said, sighing inwardly, "ril take you if I must."

"Don't worry, I don't think you will be bored," she promised, smiling again.

He found the smile to be of quite a different nature from any he had encountered before. But without experience, the effect of it and the smoldering gaze and the low, slow, sensuous voice meant nothing to him.

Caoilte came out of the warriors' house then and saw^ the two. He moved to them, giving Fionnuala a hard look.

"Caoilte, I can't go hunting now," Finn told him, trying to disguise his disappointment. "She says Tm to escort her while she picks flowers."

"Yes, she likes to do that," the warrior said dryly, "along with other things."

"We are going now, Finn,** she ordered curtly, her eyes casting a fiery dart at Caoilte for his last remark before she turned and flounced away.

"I must go with her," Finn said apologetically. "Sorr>% Caoilte."

"It's all right, lad. Good luck to you," he said.

Finn turned away to follow Fionnuala across the yard, puzzling over his comrade's cryptic remarks. Caoilte watched the two go out through the gateway, then shook his head and shrugged.

"Ah well," he said resignedly to himself, 'Tie's got to find out about everything in time, I suppose."

Finn sat on a soft, grass-covered mound at one side of the meadow watching her move about.

At first, he had only pined for the lost pleasures of the hunt. But soon he had decided that this activity had its o>\Ti fascinating aspects.

Fionnuala had taken off her wool cloak and now wore only a long tunic of linen. It clung about her figure as she moved, revealing her form, and at certain times the sun glowed through the thin white material,

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throwing the body beneath into clear reHef. It was then that his keen hunter's eyesight was at its most alert.

She was certainly different from Liath or Bodhmall. Her body was slender but not thin or bony, full and round without plumpness, stretching and turning and bending with an easy sensudity. Not self-consciously, though she had to know he was watching her, but self-aware.

After collecting an armload of bright flowers, she came over to him. She dropped down into the soft grass beside him, laying aside the bundle of flowers. Then she fixed that dark, penetrating stare on him again. The gaze flicked down his body then back up to his fece, meeting his eyes boldly.

"You are a very handsome man," she said finally.

"Am I?" he said. It wasn't something he had ever thought about before.

She edged closer to him. Her hand lifted, stroked along the muscles of his upper arm. "Fine, strong body" —the hand moved up to his head, the slim fingers slipping through the silver waves—"wonderftil hair"—the fingers slid down, softly tracing the firm Hne of his jaw—"a bold, warrior's face." The hand dropped down to rest against his chest. "Yes," she said with satisfaction, "you are indeed handsome."

"I . . . ah . . . thank you," he said uncertainly. He was very puzzled by her odd behavior. Her closeness and her touch had made him uncomfortable.

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" she asked him in a gently teasing way, shaking her flow of blazing hair and dropping her lashes to coyly veil the lustrous brown eyes.

He was at a loss again. He didn't know how to answer her honestly. He fell back on one truth that couldn't be denied.

"I think that you've very nice hair too."

She dove upon him suddenly, shoving him back with both hands against his chest. Taken by surprise, he was pushed down onto the grass with her now lying fiiUy atop him.

She swung her head, shaking her hair down upK)n his £ace in a silken, fragrant cascade.

"Let's waste no time \^ith these games,** she said with intensity'- "We both know why we've come here."

Finn tried to protest, but his mouth filled with hair u^n he of>ened it. He blew the strands out from between his hps and cried out desperately: "Fionnuala, what are you doing? I've no idea what you want from me.''

"Ah, you're playing with me now," she said, laughing. "Can't you feel the warmth of me against you?"

He was beginning to be aware of that, and of the feel of her body pressed to his, and of the warm, sweet, musky scent of her. It was causing some peculiar sensations within him, a shortness of breath as if he had run, a tingling beginning in his stomach and spreading doN^Tiward.

He rolled to one side to move her from atop him, earning her down to he beside him.

"Fionnuala, don't you think we should be getting back?" he suggested in a very strained tone of voice.

"We're only beginning," she said.

She leaned forward, pressing her hps against his. His shock at this was quickly oven^^helmed by another when he felt her hand burning ufK)n the bare flesh of his thigh. It rested there and then slowly, caressingly shd upward, beneath the hem of his tunic.

His first impulse to pull away at her rather personal actions quickly died, however. He soon found himself enjoying the sensations, relaxing and giving way to them. And very quickly thereafter, he was responding with an enthusiasm that matched her own. His arms slipped around her, pulling her more tightly against him as he returned the Idss. TTien his hands began to move, roving down across the soft curves of her body with the adventurous zeal of a hunter in a new territory.

"Oh!" she exclaimed with pleasure. She pulled back and looked at him, smiling knowingly. "And you wanted me to think you had no idea what I wanted."

His return smile now was a bold one. "I've been told that I learn very feist," he said.

TTie sun slipped rapidly toward the western horizon in its final, steep plunge into night. Finn rolled to his side and looked toward it, suddenly conscious of how much time had passed.

"We'll have to be starting back soon," he said. "ItTl be getting dark soon. We'll be missed."

"I don't care if we are," she said, stretching herself luxuriously in the soft cushion of lush grass.

He smiled, plucking a stray blade fi-om her copper fan of hair. Then a distant sound reached him. His head turned away fi*om her and the smile vanished, replaced by a frown of concentration.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Shhh," he told her, fixing on the sound. It was the drumbeat of many hooves.

He stood up. From their vantage point, the road to the hilltop rath was visible. He saw the dark figures of several mounted men heading toward the fortress gates at a rapid pace.

"Horsemen," he said. He picked up his sword and harness and began to buckle it on.

Fionnuala showed no interest. "My father has visitors often enough, " she said. "No need to be hunting back just because of it."

He picked up her cloak and tossed it to her. "Put it on," he said firmly. "I'm your escort, remember? I'll not risk your father's anger by keeping you out any longer. Besides," he added, looking back toward the rath, "I'm curious to see who's come, even if you're not."

He pulled her to her feet and she fastened the cloak about her. Taking up her bundle of flow^ers, now largely wilted, they started across the meadow toward the gates.

The horsemen had vanished inside the stockade long before they reached it. As they entered, Finn expected to see the arrivals being welcomed by Cian in the yard.

Instead, the yard was deserted. Only the row of lathered horses gave evidence that the riders were there.

Thinking everyone must be within the main hall, Finn and the girl started across the yard toward it. But as they were halfway to it, a figure appeared in the doorway, moving out fi'om the shadows within into the light. On seeing him, Finn stopped, his hunter's sense for danger fully aroused. The warrior who faced him was a stranger, a massively built man who towered a full head above him.

"Welcome," he rumbled, a slow smile of pleasure spreading his wide mouth. "We have been waiting for you, Finn."

Behind him the timber gates crashed closed. He wheeled about to see a dozen men, their weapons in their hands, move out from their hiding places to surround him.

He was trapped.

Chapter Twelve

HUNTED AGAIN

Two warriors moved up closely on either side of Finn. They held their spears ready to strike if he showed signs of resistance. The others formed a rough semicircle between him and the gates. Only the giant stood before him.

"Make no move," he told Finn, "or you and the girl will die."

Finn believed him. A glance to right and left revealed the glinting spear points close to his throat. It might be he could move fast enough to draw his sword,

but his fighting skills might not be honed enough yet to let him parry both weapons before they struck. And he could do nothing to risk Fionnuala.

"Are you the sons of Moma?" he asked.

"We are of the Morna clan. I am Luachra, its champion."

*Then you mean to kill me anyway," Finn said with certainty.

"What's happening?" said Fionnuala with rising fear. "Where is my father?"

"He and his warriors have chosen to stay within their hall/' Luachra explained. ^This has nothing to do with them."

"But you can't come into our fortress and do as you wish!" she protested.

"No one would dare to interfere with the will of the Fianna," he growled in return.

"One would," said another voice.

Luachra turned his head in surprise as a warrior emerged from the doorway of the hall. It was Caoilte. He strode boldly past the giant, stopping midway between him and the encircled young pair.

"Fionnuala," he snapped, "go in to your father now."

She looked at Finn in anguish. "I don't want to leave you."

"You can't help me," he told her earnestly. "Please, Fionnuala, I don't want you harmed. Get out of this."

Reluctantly she obeyed, moving away, cautiously skirting the watching giant to reach the doorway of the hall, vanishing inside. As she reached safety, Caoilte turned to confront the giant.

"Who are you?" Luachra demanded.

"I am Caoilte," he answered, "a champion of this fortress. I say that this boy is of my company. You'll not be harming him."

Luachra's smile vanished. His voice grew ominous.

"If you're mad enough to try helping him, he'll die on your first move, and your own life will end very soon after."

"Don't risk yourself, Caoilte,** Finn called to the warrior. "This is my trouble."

"Quiet, boy," Caoilte shot back. "I would do the same for any of my men." He laid his hand on his sword hilt and fixed the giant with a chill glare. "I'll not be leaving this."

Luachra stepped forward, his voice an angry rumble now, his massive spear rising in his hand.

"Stand away, or Til kill you myselfl Stand away! Youll get no other warning fi*om me!"

Caoilte stood his ground defiantly. TTie giant stalked toward him. The men near Finn edged further in, their spears ready. Finn braced himself for a desperate move. He would not die easily.

"Now, Finn!" Caoilte shouted suddenly. He whirled about and charged toward the young man, his sword sweeping out.

Finn spun, too, jumping away fi*om the man on his left. He drew in a lightning move Caoilte had taught him and thrust out at the man on his left:. He drove the blade past the edge of the shield, under the upraised spear arm, exactly as he had been shown. The point of the sword struck home, thudding into the warrior's belly.

An expression of pained surprise filled the man's face. His agonized gaze met Finn's, then he sagged back, falling to the ground. Finn stared, for a long, long instant fi-ozen by the grim reality of an act he had so oft:en visualized. He had taken his first human life. The memory of the man's face and the bright gush of his blood would stay with the young man forever.

The warrior behind Finn was ready to strike. But his thrust was blocked by the sword of Caoilte, and he was knocked back by a swing of the warrior's shield.

"Back-to-back with me, lad," Caoilte ordered. "Quickly!"

The rest of the warriors were closing in about tfiem. There was no ftirther time for thoughts of remorse. Finn's will went now to keeping him alive. He moved to Caoilte and the two stood back-to-back in the classic warrior's defense he had practiced often these

past days. Their attackers came in more warily then, anghng for positions, feinting in an attempt to get at either of the two from the side. But they shifted rapidly, guarding one another's vulnerable points, driving back every assault.

They soon earned the respect of the attacking warriors. The Fian men, for all their own great skill, realized that they had met their match here. Caoilte was a master of the sword while Finn fought with nearly the skill and with greater speed than his comrade, his sword a blur as it swung out. In moments another man had fallen and two more were staggering away with disabling wounds. The others were hesitating, each waiting for his comrades to make the next attempt.

It was then that Luachra, angered by the inability of his men to finish the pair, entered the fray. He lumbered toward Finn and Caoilte, towering above them like an upright bear.

Caoilte saw the giant coming first. He swallowed hard and raised his weapons in defense. But Luachra was not concerned with him. His massive shield swomg out like a gateway, struck the dark warrior, and slammed him aside. Caoilte stumbled to one knee as the giant closed on Finn.

Finn had heard the sound of impact behind him and realized his companion had been swept away. He turned his head to see the colossal form looming above, the great spear lifted to strike.

Suddenly a high, clear music arose, filling the yard with its melody. It was a golden mist of sound, like a fine spring rain caught in a stray shaft of sunlight. It fell upon Luachra and the giant paused, his expression turning from rage to puzzlement. And then, as Finn watched in wonder, a look of contentment overspread his face. The young warrior realized that Luachra had been entranced.