“We have a good lead on the Campbells, and they won’t be able to look for their horses until daylight,” Alex said. “Besides, it’s dangerous to ride in the dark.”
Dangerous to ride in the dark? Glynis stood with her arms crossed while Alex rolled out two blankets.
“We must rest while we can,” he said, as he lay down on one of them. “We’ll need to be moving again at first light.”
Glynis lay down on the other blanket, facing him.
“Did ye sleep when the fishermen left us at their camp today?” she asked.
“Of course not.”
“How did ye do that with the horses?” she asked.
“I just have a way with horses,” he said in a fading voice. “I always have.”
Just like he had a way with women.
* * *
“Time to be on our way,” Alex said after they ate their cold breakfast in the predawn light.
He couldn’t understand why Glynis seemed surprised that he had collected the dried beef, cheese, and oatcakes from their boat before he got the horses last night. Did she want to go hungry?
He was anxious to put more distance between them and the Campbells. There had been no point in worrying her last night, but he was not as certain as he pretended that none of the Campbells would follow them.
Glynis rolled up the blankets and packed away the food while he saddled the horses.
“Traveling across other clans’ lands is dangerous with just two of us,” Alex said, as he lifted her onto Rosebud’s back. “I don’t want ye out of my sight, understand?”
Glynis fixed him with her serious gaze and nodded.
They rode steadily for hours. Though Alex saw no one behind them, twice he had to quickly pull their horses off the path to avoid meeting other travelers. Because of Glynis, he couldn’t take any risks.
To pass the time, he told her stories. Glynis liked the one about how Ian fell in love with his wife Sìleas best, judging by all the questions she asked.
“Ian left her for five years after they wed?” she asked.
“Ach, he didn’t take it well, being forced to say vows with a dirk at his back,” Alex said. “And he blamed Sìleas for it.”
“I’m glad their story ended happily,” Glynis said with a soft smile.
“Do ye need to stop and stretch your legs?” he asked, but she shook her head. “For a lass with a sour disposition, ye don’t complain much.”
“It’s my stepmother who says I’m sour.” Glynis heaved a sigh. “And it’s true I do complain when she expects me to sit indoors doing needlework for hours.”
“Well, ye are a fine traveling companion,” he told her. “Ye have several advantages over the ones I usually travel with.”
“I do?”
“For one thing, ye are prettier to look at than my cousins and Duncan,” he said. “And for another, ye haven’t heard all of my stories before.”
On the other hand, if he were traveling with one of them, he wouldn’t have to dive off the path like a frightened Lowlander every time a group of warriors was headed their way.
“Ye have a gift for storytelling,” Glynis said with a faint blush. “I wouldn’t mind if ye told them to me more than once.”
“You’ll regret those words,” he said, and laughed. “We have a long journey ahead of us, and I’ve only got three days of stories.” Of course, Alex had a good many more that he couldn’t tell her.
“Ye told me about Ian,” she said. “Will ye tell me about your friend Duncan next?”