Mozenrath followed the scent of fresh water as he wound his way through the trees. There was some sort of path wound through here, just a little line where the plants threatened to encroach. A sound called his attention, something like a kitten mewling for attention. He hurried forward just in time to catch the sight of a falcon diving into the weeds of the river bank. There was a rustle and it soared back as if it had barely touched the ground, a fat duck in it's curved claws. It was a beautiful creature with a blazingly white breast and dark pine brown back. He watched it catch a thermal and ride it high into the sky, it's captivating hazel green eyes staring down at the interloper.
It sailed off behind the tree line and Mozenrath waited for a moment as if expecting it to circle around again. A sudden movement caught his attention in the brush and his eyes snapped to the spot. Something was moving through the woods at a fast pace straight at him. He raised his hand instinctively and suddenly wondered why he would do such a thing. Was that his knife hand? It had to be. Too bad he had no knife in it.
He back away, looking for something to defend himself with. What kind of predators frequented this area? He saw a sharp stone and grabbed for it quickly, planning to either hurl it for distraction or use as a stabbing implement. A flash of white caught his eye and he gasped.
"Planning to throw something at me are you?"
Mozenrath couldn't possibly realize how idiotic he looked right then, mouth wide open, eyes blinking quickly at the sight of those unimaginably wonderful eyes. "N…no …I…wasn't going to…." He tried to shake himself out of that stupor when she must have realized what she was doing to him.
"Sorry…again." Iaine closed her eyes and strained for a moment, when they opened again it seemed like the gold flecks had disappeared. "I'm not used to having to guard myself like that around my kin."
"Kin…this whole village is related?" Mozenrath said, half out of curiosity, but mostly to get the subject of the inane way he acted when she surprised him like that.
"No, that would cause inbreeding. But we are for the most part extended family." She gestured to a row of well thatched huts. "See that one with the large cauldron outside the door? I was born in that hut. My father is one of the best warriors of our clan, Felim. He led a cattle raid about eighteen years ago on a neighboring village and in the process brought back home my mother, Blai. Some say she was forced, but as far as I can tell she's never complained about the arrangement."
"Ah, so you kidnap from other clans to keep from mating with your own." Mozenrath concluded, pleased that they ploy had worked. Something about her appearance set him on edge, besides the suddenness of it. Did falcons normally have such human like eyes? He doubted it.
"Not always, sometimes the brides settle on a coibach, a bride price." Iaine said, smoothing out her long plaited hair. He noticed a bronze ornament hanging off the end, a beautiful design with those confusing braids that seemed to be so popular around here. "My father had already prepared one for me, until Tristan realized my potential and asked for me as a druid apprentice. I was not betrothed officially, so the boys parents could not object."
"Did you?" Mozenrath asked, careful to keep his eyes off her face. "Object I mean?" He suddenly realized he was still holding the rock. He dropped it quickly and tried to make himself straighten up. He looked a mess compared to her, in his mish meshed clothing that didn't fit. She was wearing a white tunic that ended just at her knees and mahogany breeches that closed off into slim boots. She had little pieces of jewelry here and there, nothing to large or ostentatious. Iaine was quite statuesque, her body was strong, yet not physically muscular, still a little of the baby fat left over from younger years to be charming. As the sun light pushed through the bars of the canopy, Mozenrath realized there were little highlights of red here and there, giving her an overall golden look.
He realized that her feature were stunning without the aid of her binding eyes.
Iaine pretended that she did not notice his stare, or his ploy. She was, in essence, keeping him occupied as much as she could Tristan had made her aware of this sorcerers past, as well as what it could mean for his future. The Beltane fires. It was no dishonor to go to them, indeed many a captured warrior felt it his duty to go. But this man would not understand that, he would be afraid. Fear was something no Celt showed. Iaine felt it wrong, even with what the fool had attempted before his 'unfortunate' accident. But it was not her place to question this, she was still an apprentice in the druid grove.
But the night of Beltane was made for more than sacrifice. If he was indeed to go to the fires, she would make his last night a memorable one. He was nice enough company, thought she could not compare it to his former amiability. And she was enjoying showing him around the village while Tristan and Ossian spoke with the other druids. She would be able to find out what they had decided later on. "Your name is Mozenrath…yes?" Iaine said as she turned to look at him.
"I…believe so yes." He straightened up forcefully in front of her, determined to assert himself no matter what the situation, She had caught him off guard, no more would he allow that gaze of hers to trap him. The problem was he couldn't tell if his resistance was working until it was to late.
"I…have never heard of a name quite like that before. It is pronounced oddly."
Unsure if he was being made fun of, Mozenrath sneered. "Like Tristan said, I'm not from around here." He started to walk ahead of her, attempting to take the lead, but she quickly caught up with him. "I don't need a guide." He said and began to jog."
"How do you know? You don't even know who you are, so how do you know you don't need a guide?" Iaine was smiling now, a little playfully. Her legs strode to keep up with him.
"Well I don't need someone teasing me damn it!" Mozenrath was picking ups peed as Iaine switched her position and began keeping tag alongside him.
"Once again, how do you know your being teased? How do you know anything? Do you know that the sky is blue right now? Do you know your male?" Her grin was as broad as a crescent moon. "You are male right?"
Mozenrath's cheeks turned beet red and he broke into a full run, his long legs passing his companion quickly. To his amazement Iaine merely picked up speed, controlling her breath so as not to run out. No one tried to stop them as they crossed through the huts and past the cattle. They ignored the curious looks of the shepards boys as they ran out through the wheat fields and into the glade.
"You run fast for a skinny, injured man." Iaine taunted, almost childishly at him and Mozenrath's eyes narrowed. How dare she tease him like that! He tried to push himself faster, when all of the sudden, his body protested, violently.
Iaine forced herself to stop as the pale man came crashing to the ground, holding his leg and trying to breath evenly. "Oh!" she turned around and took out a goat skin full of cool water. "Sorry…I forgot up until I said something." Mozenrath growled at her but snatched up the skin from her hands, drinking it quickly and ignoring her reproachful look. "It wasn't a fair race. You may have beaten me if you were so badly hurt."
"Who said you won?" He tossed the water back to her and grabbed hold of a tree limb to try and pull himself up. She reached out to help him and he pushed her off, thought more aggravated at her or himself he wasn't sure. He grimaced and forced himself not to whimper as his skin burned when he supported his own weight. Why hadn't he felt this bad before.
Gee dummy, maybe because you weren't running yourself into a heart attack to impress a girl.
Iaine tilted her head to one side, watching him struggle not to show weakness. She could easily admire his independence, his desire to accomplish on his own even when he really did need the help. A true Celt, she knew how precious pride was to any man, and though he would suffer for his later, let him take his time standing and walking again. "Ulster." She said suddenly and he turned to look at her, confused. "You asked in your sleep, 'Where am I.' I thought you might still want the answer."
Mozenrath spun around to make some sarcastic remark when a great call like a heron went up through the air. He started, but A sudden light came over Iaine's face. "It's almost time." She said softly. "Here." She took Mozenrath's stronger arm with a no nonsense kind of attitude. "I'll help you back to the hut."