Land of Ice and Snow [Cairngorm Dragons 3] (Siren Publishing Classic)

Cairngorm Dragons 3

Land of Ice and Snow

Lachlann of Braemuir is having no luck finding a mate. His mother tells him of the legend that a Braemuir will go to the Land of Ice and Snow to find his bride. Lachlann decides to try his luck.

Sigourney Hillesland, banished because she won't accept just any mate, is found by Lachlann, who recognises her as his mate. They make love in human-form, but before he can claim her officially, he's challenged to go and find the brides' golden torc. He gets the torc and brings back the old dragon who was guarding it. He is Hamish Munroe and has lost his mate, Mairi, not knowing that if she were dead he'd die too.

After Lachlann and Sigourney's wedding in Alesund they go to Scotland to search for Hamish's mate. But when the dragon mating takes place, will it be all that Lachlann promised Sigourney it would be?

Genre:
Fantasy, Historical, Shape-shifter

Length:
21,101 words
 

Cairngorm Dragons 3

Clair de Lune

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

LAND OF ICE AND SNOW

E-book ISBN:
978-1-62242-906-6

First E-book Publication: May 2013

Cover design by Christine Kirchoff

All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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Land of Ice and Snow
by Clair de Lune from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

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To my family, with love.

LAND OF ICE AND SNOW

Cairngorm Dragons 3

CLAIR DE LUNE

Copyright © 2013

Feasgar heard the children’s screams from where he dozed on the rocks in the sun. He came fully awake, and with several beats of his powerful wings, he was in the sky and arrowing down to the beach where his brother Braemuir’s children played in the sand. Donald and Moira were four years old and a livelier and more mischievous pair would be difficult to find. Now as he reached the beach, he realised they were in no real danger. They were waiting for the sea to come in, and as it boiled around their knees, they squealed and screamed at the top of their voices, running out of the incoming tide and collapsing in a laughing heap on the shore. Feasgar also saw there were two men at arms watching them indulgently as well as the nurse that Mairi had chosen for them.

Mairi was the wise woman and healer who had lived on the Braemuir estate for so many years that no-one was sure how old she was, and she chose not to enlighten them. People were in awe of her for her gifts as a healer. She’d been instrumental in discovering the young woman who had been adding noxious herbs to food in Ness’s Darroch Keep and then stayed, as a nurse, to help the lady Muireall. Feasgar realised that there had been no need to worry about them. The trouble was he had little experience with children, and he tended to over-react if they screamed. He didn’t seem able to distinguish a cry of alarm from one of pretended fear. Nor would he ever be able to do it at this rate.

He was restless, and he well knew the reason for it. He had seen first his brother, Braemuir, and then his sister, Muireall, find their mates and settle down to a happy, domestic life. They both had children. Muireall had presented Ness with his first son,
Raibeart, three years ago and was expecting what Mairi thought would be twins any day now. Where was his own mate? He hadn’t been able to find her in the Braemuir Clan. It was unusual for a Braemuir to mate outwith the Clan, but his own sister had just done it and was, by her own account, very happy with the arrangement. Perhaps he ought to go and visit his sister and Ness. He sent a message to his brother, collected his belongings from his chamber at the Caisteal, and flew over the mountains to Loch Ness and Darroch Keep, where his sister now lived. He arrived in the midafternoon, landing on the sward in front of the Keep as only close family were allowed to do. Any other dragons had to land at the bottom of the hill, change shape, and approach in human-form. Ness was taking no chances with the security of his home and family.

Feasgar changed to his human-form and strode over to the huge oak doors, which stood open wide onto the main hall. There was the steward, MacKay, to meet him.

“Welcome my lord Lachlann. How are ye? Ye’ll be wanting to stay for the birth then?”

“Aye. Where is my sister? Is Ness within?”

“No, lord, he’s out riding with the young lordling. They will be back for the evening meal.”

“Well, I’ll go and see my sister until he returns.”

“I will have ye shown to your chamber first, lord. Allana!

Allana stepped forward. She was a plump, motherly woman. Her brown hair was braided then pinned on top of her head. She wore a plain, dark-green gown, with a large, snowy-white pinafore over it. A bunch of keys, on a long chain, dangled from her waist. Her eyes were gray and her face round. She had cheeks like two rosy apples and a small nose. She dropped a sedate curtsey to Lachlann, who acknowledged the courtesy with an inclination of his head and a smile.

“Allana, show Lord Lachlann to his chamber, then take him to my lady of Ness, please.”

“I surely will. If you would follow me, Lord Lachlann.”

She gestured to the large, carved oak staircase. Lachlann went up before her. At the top he paused, waiting for Allana to reach the top, too. She had entered service with Ness as a child and had grown old now, but she was one of the most trusted of the Ness retainers. Allana turned left. Going along the corridor behind her, Lachlann noticed several doors to left and right. He knew they were guest chambers, and none seemed occupied just at present. When they got to the end of the corridor, Allana opened a door and allowed Lachlann to enter first. The room was large. A stone fireplace held a fire which had obviously just been lighted for his comfort, with a large pair of felt slip-ons placed before the fire to warm for the dragon lord. The bed had a beautiful headboard, carved with dragons. It looked comfortable with its dazzling white linen sheets and thick, woven, woollen blankets in bright, dyed shades of green and blue.

“You will remember that this is the bathing chamber, my lord.”

Lachlann well remembered the luxury of the large wooden tub bound with iron hoops. There were similar ones in the Caisteal.
I, too, will have such an arrangement when I get my own dwelling. If I ever do at this rate.

Lachlann placed his bag by one of the chests. He went to the bathing chamber and washed his hands and torso with the scented soap and then used one of the soft cloths to dry himself. Allana waited discreetly in the bedchamber. When he had finished his ablutions, he pulled a fresh woollen tunic out of his bag and over his head. The leather belt studded with Celtic designs in silver was fastened around his hips, and he was ready. His good broadsword would be left in his chamber.

“Lead me to my lady of Ness,” he said to the old woman. They left the bedchamber and walked along the corridor to find his sister.

Muireall was reclining on a day-bed in the solar, a room in one of the round towers. Sun streamed through the window, and he saw that she had been reading, but the book had dropped from her slack grasp and now she dozed in the sun. She must have felt his presence because she woke with a start, failed to grasp the book, which slid to the floor with a thud, and looked about her, startled. Lachlann watched her face, waiting for her to notice him. He knew the minute she did as her lovely face was wreathed in smiles.

“Lachlann, my brother, how good it is to see you. What brings you here? Surely you haven’t just come to wait for the birth of your nephew and niece? In my experience, no man likes to be anywhere near a birth,” she said, laughing and holding out her hands to him.

He stooped and retrieved her book. Taking her hands in his, he raised first one then the other to his lips and planted a kiss on the back of each.

“My purpose is two-fold. Eilidh does want news of you as soon as she can get it and doesn’t trust many to send it to her. She says you always say you are well, and she can’t tell if you are or not. So here I am to look you over and carry the report back. I have instructions to stay until my nephew and niece are born, if that is indeed what they are. Then I am charged with carrying detailed descriptions back to her.”

“Why do I think that’s not the only reason you are here?” Muireall asked.

“You know me too well, sister. No, it isn’t the only reason. I find I’m restless and unsettled. Seeing all the domestic bliss in this home and my brother’s has given me a taste for the same.”

“There is only one way to cure that, brother. Take a mate.”

“Well that’s the difficulty. I can’t find a mate. Mother always said we’d know, didn’t she? You knew. Ness called to you, and although you tried to resist, it just wasn’t possible, was it?” Lachlann asked.