Page 7 of Bride of Ice
Not that they were any less of a threat.
They were a burly bunch of Highlanders, broad of back and wide of chest. Two of them—the laird and his golden-haired companion, the handsome one Feiyan had almost killed with her throwing star—towered above the rest.
No sooner did she begin to muse about the invaders than she realized she’d been spotted. Perhaps ten yards before her, standing atop the palisade gate, was one of the pair of lofty Highlanders himself. The man with the golden hair. His arms were crossed over his massive chest as he frowned down at her.
“Who goes there?” he demanded.
She froze, keeping her face concealed in the hood. Under normal circumstances, Hallie had an answer for everything. But for an instant she couldn’t think.
It certainly wasn’t because of the way the moonlight was shining on his fair hair. Or the impressive breadth of his shoulders. Or the ringing command of his voice.
He’d only startled her, standing there like the all-powerful Heimdall, guarding the gates of Asgard. That was all.
Colban hoped the beautiful runaway couldn’t tell he’d been dozing a moment ago. Between the fog of sleep and his surprise at seeing the hooded but unmistakable Valkyrie stealing toward him in the starlight, he was having trouble gathering his thoughts.
Torn between his duty to protect the clan and his fascination with the warrior lass, he blurted out, “Halt!”
She glanced around her, probably wondering who he was addressing. “Ihavehalted.”
So she had. He cursed under his breath. For the love of Brighid, why couldn’t he think straight?
In his embarrassment, he growled, “I asked ye, ‘Who goes there’?”
He expected her to confess. Once confronted, she had two choices. She could throw back her hood and boldly claim her identity. Or she could lower her head and surrender with a sigh of defeat.
She did neither.
Instead, she scoffed at him. “For shite’s sake, don’t get your braies in a twist. I’m just the new servant, going to gather mushrooms in the wood.”
He frowned. Did she not realize he recognized her? Did she think she was fooling him?
The new servant, indeed.
“Mushrooms?” He arched a dubious brow, wondering how far she was willing to carry this farce. “Indeed? In the middle o’ the night?”
“Of course in the middle of the night,” she reasoned. “The best mushrooms are gathered by the light of a full moon.” She shook her head. “Did you not know that?”
Colban had never heard such a thing. Was it even true?
“Mushrooms,” he repeated.
“If you must know, they’re for an elixir to calm the babe,” she smoothly confided. “No one can sleep with that racket.”
That he could almost believe.
“So if you’ll stand aside…” she said.
Almostbelieve.
But now that he was fully alert, he remembered his duties.
With finality, he said, “No one is to go past these gates.”
She was silent for a moment. Then she shrugged. “Fine. ’Tis your head.” She turned to go back to the keep.
“Wait,” he said, startled that she’d surrendered so quickly. “What do ye mean?”
“I mean, the laird will be mightily vexed if I don’t return with his mushrooms,” she warned. “And I’d hate to be in your boots when he has to come slogging out here in the middle of the night, clenching his fists and cursing your name because he can’t sleep.”
