Chapter 10 #3
Scowling, Elin glanced down at the once-again-ruined hem of her skirt.
She’d have to take it up a bit, make it shorter.
In her third attempt, she had gotten her feet caught up in the garment and tripped, making so much noise that Keir had actually responded with a pitying laugh.
That had been six times ago, but each before and after it had been as much of a disaster as that.
The time she’d stepped on a stick and the snap had alerted him.
The time she’d tried going low to the ground and found him watching her from a perch in the trees.
Whatever move she made, he seemed to anticipate it, and if that wasn’t frustrating enough, she seemed to be getting worse rather than better with every attempt.
She peered around the tree to see him standing there, his back to the forest, standing in his annoyingly relaxed position as he awaited her next move.
It was raining heavily now, but he didn’t seem bothered.
As she watched, he sat casually on the stump she’d waited upon earlier, and she felt as riled up as though it was a deliberate taunt.
Above her, the sky rumbled, echoing her frustration.
A thought struck her as lightning flashed through the sky.
Could she use the thunder to her advantage?
What if she moved just as the sky crashed above?
Would it be enough to distract him and cover her movements?
Excitement replaced frustration as she quickly formulated her plan.
She forced her breaths to remain calm and used them to count the seconds between thunder crashes.
Two. Four. Six. At eight, the sky rumbled again, as though God himself was expressing his amusement.
Another beat brought another flash of light, and now Elin was ready.
She positioned herself carefully behind the tree, ready to dash out with the next crash. Two. Four. Six. Go!
Elin dashed out from behind the tree, the sound of her barefoot steps disguised almost entirely by nature’s roar.
Keir sat unmoving on the stump, and she bolted toward him, darting through the suddenly ice-cold rain that broke through the sky.
Just as she reached out her hand to touch his shoulder, though, he abruptly stood and spun, grabbing her hand and pulling her close, twisting her so that her back was against his chest.
“I win,” he said in a matter-of-fact whisper that was almost lost in the wind. He didn’t release her, and she stood still, their breathing in sync as they stood in the swelling storm. Elin shuddered against him in a way that had nothing to do with the cold. “But that was better.”
“Better isnae good enough,” she said back, her voice catching. “Nearly good enough is still dead.”
Keir huffed a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. “True. But—”
“Ye cannae compare yerself tae him when ye’re just startin’ out, Elin,” someone interrupted.
Both Keir and Elin jumped, quickly parting as they spun to face the new voice.
Elin almost panicked, but she glanced at Keir and saw the mixture of annoyance and amusement in his expression, and she found herself relaxing.
If he felt it was safe, then it was safe.
She couldn’t deny that he hadn’t led her wrong yet.
Sure enough, a figure emerged from the treeline and there stood Graeme, a heavy hood pulled up over his hair, his eyebrow artfully raised and his arms folded. He whistled with low appreciation and said, “Keir, ye continue tae improve. Does yer brother ken what ye’re up tae out here with this lass?”
“Did ye expect tae find us up tae somethin’ else?” Keir demanded with affectionate irritation. “What are ye doin’ here?”
“Campfire died out so we’re headed indoors until the storm passes.
I said I’d come get ye before ye drowned in the rain.
Good thing I did, too. Can ye imagine Theon or Noah had come across this wee scene?
” Graeme asked with a chuckle. He winked at Elin, who immediately blushed.
“Dinnae worry, yer secret is safe with me. But ye’ll be trainin’ for a while if ye hope tae sneak up on this one.
I’ve the strength, Noah the aim, and Theon the skill tae make a formidable enough group on our own, but the Blades would be nothin’ without this one in a pinch. ”
Elin glanced at Keir, who had arranged his face into a strangely flat expression, then back to Graeme. “What do ye mean?”
Graeme gestured to Keir. “Ever since he was a wee lad, he’s moved more quietly than any warrior I’ve ever kent. He moves like a shadow. Like death incarnate tae our enemies. He does his late father credit. His mammy must have been a formidable woman.”
Something flashed in Keir’s eyes at those last words and he quickly looked away.
Elin’s eyes lingered on him as she remembered the pain she’d caused by insulting his family, by belittling his connection to his name. “I see,” she said softly.
Clapping his hands together, Graeme said, “Anyway. Come, before the storm worsens and ye catch yer death of cold out here.”
He turned and began walking away, but Elin hesitated, waiting to see what Keir would do.
“He’s right. Ye’ve made good progress this mornin’. Let’s go,” Keir told her. He set off after Graeme, gesturing for her to follow.
Elin did, but she sighed. “I dinnae feel like I’ve made any progress at all,” she confessed.
Keir glanced down at her. “Ye cannae learn stealth in a day. It takes time. We’ll keep practicin’. We’ll train every day, just ye and me.” He paused, then added, “If that’s what ye want.”
Elin didn’t say anything, but her heart fluttered.
At that moment, there was nothing she wanted more.