Page 60 of Fang & Fury

Fortunately, he hadn’t needed to put on his old clothes, the ones stained with the blood and sweat of one of the men who’d hunted him. The bavaan had put out fresh clothing for them all: green woolen tunics and fur-lined cloaks for the women, and woolen leggings and a thick knee-length tunic for him.

Ailsa, who sat on the moss-covered ground near the hearth with her legs tucked under her, glanced up as he approached. Her lips then quirked. “You look better.”

He smiled back, dropping into a cross-legged position next to her.

A few yards away, both Fern and Kayla were sleeping upon what appeared to be soft cushions of moss.

Darach’s smile faded. He was surprised they’d both let their guards down so easily. There was something about this place that dulled your senses though; he could feel it.

However, Ailsa was still awake, still alert. No doubt she was waiting for her mother to reappear.

He hoped she’d taken Fern’s warning earlier.

He certainly had; indeed, he’d felt unsettled ever since. All the same, he wouldn’t bring it up again. He’d made his point—they all had.

Instead, he met Ailsa’s eye. “We’ve come a long way from Farnoch, haven’t we?”

She grimaced. “I bet you rue the day you walked into that ale-hall.”

“No, lass. I regret a few things I’ve done over the years, but not that. Never that.”

She stared back at him, a faint wash of pink rising to her cheeks. “Darach,” she said quietly. “I—”

Movement to their right drew both their gazes.

A tall figure draped in pine green had just ducked through the low doorway.

Isleen straightened up, her gaze settling on the pair of them seated by the fire. A puzzled expression flitted across her face before she beckoned to Ailsa. “Come, daughter … time to take a walk.”

Ailsa nodded, rising smoothly to her feet. She then cast Darach a quick look. “I’ll see you later.”

He nodded, even as he resisted the urge to frown.

Ailsa moved off, crossing the springy moss floor barefoot. Her new woolen tunic, the same shade of green as her mother’s robes, swished around her ankles.

And then, moments later, the pair of them disappeared.

Darach got up swiftly and headed toward the doorway.

“Where are you off to?” Fern had woken up. She now propped herself up on one elbow, watching him.

Kayla had also stirred awake. Her lips parted as she too readied herself to say something.

In answer, he merely jerked his head toward the exit. Then, he slipped out before either woman could ask him anything else.

Ailsa followed her mother up and down a network of twisting passages.

Her bare feet whispered on packed earth.

The air, however, was damp and cold away from the warmth of the fire.

Shivering, as goosebumps prickled her bare arms, she wished she’d brought her new fur-lined cloak with her.

Just like when she’d escorted them to this hill earlier, Isleen said little. Instead, she moved ahead of Ailsa, so swiftly that she almost had to jog to keep up.

Some time later—whether a little or much time had passed, Ailsa couldn’t tell—they ducked under a low doorway and stepped outdoors once more.

Trees towered overhead; their branches crisscrossed the starry sky.