Page 73 of The Stag & The Owl
They left the shores of Silver Water Loch bymidmorning, and by midday made the Long Loch, which looked morelike an inland sea than a lake.Long, wide, and deep, the loch ranten leagues south to north, where it joined the mouth of the NorthSea Firth, Owen explained.He also told them of a giant seacreature as big as a small ship living in the loch’s depths thatcould sometimes be seen breaching the shallows, its shiny,grey-black body undulating in the wind-blown waters.
“Could it be whales?”Alina asked him.
“Nay, lassie.”Owen shook his head as Nielsrolled his eyes behind his laird’s back, causing Alina to stifle alaugh.“It’s never been seen coming up for air or blowing like awhale.”
“Have you ever seen it?”
“I’ve not,” he admitted.“It’s mostlyfishermen or shepherds who’ve spent their lives on or near the lochwho have.”
“Along with faeries and unicorns,” Nielsadded sardonically.“A direct result, I would say, of spending somuch time staring at the water.”
The men all laughed, yet Alina kept an eye onthe loch’s murky waters all the same.Her father, who was not afanciful man but had sailed much of the known world, had often toldher there was more and stranger things in it than anyone knew.
By late afternoon, when they’d reached theloch’s northernmost point where it emptied into the firth, she’dyet to see anything resembling such a creature, though the searchhad helped keep her mind off this being her last ride through thecountryside with Roark.
They arrived in the port town of River’sMouth in the late afternoon, where it was decided she and Roarkwould share a room with Owen at the inn, while the four men wouldshare another, taking shifts two by two between resting in the roomand staying with the wagon outside the inn’s stable.
Liam and Duncan took the first shift, whilethe others went to their rooms.Almost as soon as she stepped intotheirs, Alina pulled her cap off and let down her hair, scratchingher overheated scalp.Owen left the room to meet with Niels andGrant downstairs to sup while Alina and Roark hid out in the room.Owen would bring up their supper later.
The door had barely shut behind Owen whenAlina flew into Roark’s arms and his lips were in her hair.
“I thought he’d never leave,” Roark whisperedhuskily.“I’ve been aching all day to hold you and kiss you.”
She nuzzled his neck, breathing him in.“I’vebeen yearning to be held and kissed by you all day.”
He tilted up her chin and grinned.“I loveyou, my lady owl.No matter what happens, never forget that.Neverforget me.”
Alina gazed into eyes the color of rain, eyesthat poured love sweet and bitter into hers.“I could never forgetyou, sir stag,” she whispered fiercely.“You are the air I breathe,the heat of my sun, the earth I stand on, the blood in my veins.Your love has kept me going when it felt like all was lost.It’swhat will keep me going forward from here.What will keep me hopingand believing we’ll be together again, whether in this world or thenext.For this moment in time, your love is all that matters to mehere in our own little world.”
“A world without consequence orrepercussion.”
She nodded, smiled, and shut her eyes tightagainst the welling of hot tears.As soon as Owen walked back intothe room with their supper, their wonderful little world would giveway to the real one.The one where they’d soon be parted.For howlong, neither of them knew.
Roark wrapped his hand around the back of herhead and pressed her forehead to his chest, his lips movingwordlessly in her hair.They stood there holding each other, chestto aching chest, heart to breaking heart, until a knock on the doorbroke their bittersweet reverie.
***
Alina quickly tucked her hair back up underher woolen cap and Roark held the door open as Owen walked in,followed by two maidservants carrying trays laden with bowls ofstew, half a loaf of bread, three cups, and a pitcher of ale.Assoon as the maids left the room, Roark slid the bolt shut, Alinatossed her cap, and Owen lay down flat on his back on one of thetwo beds in the room with a groan.
“Ahhh.A full day in the saddle takes agreater toll on me than it used to,” he said.He closed his eyeswith a heavy sigh and was snoring lightly before Roark and Alinahad swallowed their second spoonful of mutton stew.
They ate and drank in companionable silence,the stew under-salted and the ale flat, but it filled their belliesand revived them after a long day on the road.
When they were finished, Roark set the emptytray of dishes outside the door and shut and bolted it.He sat downon the edge of the bed and patted the space beside him.Alina satnext to him and leaned her head on his shoulder as he wrapped hisarm around her and held her close.
“Come with me,” she said.
“You know I can’t.”
“I know you won’t.”
It was the same argument, and it would endthe same way it always had.It wasn't that he didn’t want to gowith her.He did.He wanted to be with her more than anything.Buthe needed to settle things between his family and Roger’sfirst.
“Ali girl, I—”
A knock at the door had Roark and Alina ontheir feet and Owen sitting up quickly enough to prove himself alight sleeper.
“Who is it?”Owen demanded.
