Page 143 of Bride of Mist
“What happened?” she asked.
“How can I get down to the beach?” Feiyan asked.
Merraid nodded to indicate the passageway. “There.”
“Gaufrid and the Fortanachs just went that way with Dougal.”
“Dougal?” Her brows creased with worry.
Feiyan nodded. “Is there another way down?”
“’Tis a cliff,” Merraid said. “Ye can’t get down.”
Feiyan’s thrumming heart didn’t want to hear the word “can’t.” If she couldn’t find a way down, she’d make one. She retrieved her bloodybishouand wiped it on her skirts. There was no time to waste. She just needed to know one more thing.
“Where do you think they’ll go once they reach the beach?”
Before she could answer, Gellir burst suddenly into the buttery. His sword was drawn. His face was smudged with grime and sweat. His chest was heaving.
“Where are they?” he demanded. “Where are the Fortanachs? I saw them come in here after Merraid.”
“Gellir?” Merraid purred.
His gaze fell to the lass with the bright orange hair, sitting in a sad heap on the floor with a bloody nose. His jaw tensed and he fell to his knees before her.
“What happened?” he demanded, wavering awkwardly between compassion and outrage. “Did they do this? Are you all right?”
“You can chat later, Gellir,” Feiyan said. “Right now I need to know where they’re going.”
Merraid screwed up her forehead, thinking. “If I were them,” she finally replied, “I’d steal a boat.”
Feiyan nodded. “Right.” She considered several strategies. As always, stealth was her best option. “Give me your clothes,” she said to Gellir.
“What?”
“Quickly.”
“But…” The idea of undressing in front of Merraid clearly discomfited him.
“Please. Hurry.”
She began stripping down, and he reluctantly removed his clothing as well. Merraid averted her eyes, for the most part.
Then Feiyan donned his oversized garb, tucking herbishouinto her belt. She grabbed a kitchen lad’s sooty cap from a hook on the wall. Tucking her braid inside, she shoved the cap down over her brow. Wiping more soot on her face, she looked askance at Gellir.
He nodded in approval. “Good. But what am I to wear?”
“You’re not coming.”
“The hell I’m not.”
“I need you to stay here. Look after Merraid.”
Gellir was a good lad. He wouldn’t let his disappointment show. Not when a wide-eyed lass was depending on him.
“Fine then,” he said. “Go to the south wall. Most of the fighting’s at the north end.”
She left, pulling her cap down to conceal the vengeance brewing in her eyes.
