Children of the Moon 04 - Dragon's Moon

ONTAINE
    “W e need to speak to the Sinclair immediately.” Eirik sheathed his sword. “We have changed our plans for travel to Balmoral Island as well.”
    “We are going to join Lais and Mairi on the boat crossing?” Ciara asked hopefully.
    Eirik shook his head. “You and I will ride with them until we are far enough away from the keep and crofter’s huts not to risk having my dragon seen. Then I will shift and take you to the island. Fidaich and Canaul will stay with the horses while we are on the island.”
    “They are only boys.”
    “Old enough to guard horses.”
    “What if Mairi’s father has sent soldiers to search for her? The boys would be no match for a full-grown Chrechte warrior. Besides, we are searching for the Faolchú Chridhe , surely Faol soldiers should accompany us.”
    “You do not trust me to protect you without warriors of the Faol to help?”
    She should say no, remind him that he had alreadyproven himself to show no pity toward wolves, but she couldn’t. No matter what she should feel toward the prince of the Éan, Ciara could not shake the certainty that her life was safe with him. And she could hardly claim a dragon was not up to the task of protecting her regardless.
    “You are far too busy helping your people settle into the clan to take on this quest,” she said, trying another tack and hoping to avoid the question of trust altogether.
    She also wished she’d thought of this argument earlier during their discussion with everyone. It might have swayed her father, but then again…probably not.
    No more than she expected it to sway the Éan prince. If he had already decided his people could be trusted under her father’s leadership, Eirik was not going to balk at leaving them to do his own assigned duty for the clan.
    “The plans for the search coincide with my need to check on the well-being of the rest of the Éan among the Balmoral and Donegal clans.”
    “There are more Éan?” she asked. When he’d mentioned his grandmother had gone to live with the Donegals, Ciara had thought she was the only one.
    “There are.”
    “How many?”
    “Two groups about the same size as the one I brought to the Sinclair holding.”
    “A size of tribe that it would be difficult to hide in the forest any longer.”
    Eirik’s eyes narrowed as if surprised at her insight, but he nodded. “If we had not joined the clans, it would have become increasingly easy for our enemies to find us.”
    “And kill each one they did find,” she said with a sick feeling in her stomach.
    “Aye.”
    “I am sorry.”
    “You are not of the Faol that would kill us.”
    “No, but it is wrong and makes me feel ashamed of my own heritage.”
    “It should not. There are too many good Faol to paintyou all with the brush of evil Rowland and those of his ilk would wield.”
    “My father was loyal to Rowland. He and my mother argued about it. She thought Rowland responsible for the death of our laird before him, though they were accounted friends.”
    “Your mother was wise.”
    “Until her mind went after my father’s death.” True mates, her mother had not been able to withstand the loneliness once he was gone.
    “Is that why she took her own life?”
    “She was not in her right mind, but I did not think she would do that. I did not even think she was aware enough to want to, but the loss of my brother was one weight too heavy for her to bear.”
    “She still had you.”
    “Neither of my parents accorded me much value since I was not a son.”
    “That is not the way of the Chrechte.”
    “No, but it was their way.” Ciara shook her head. “Still, there was no doubt something I could have done to alleviate my mother’s grief. I was too lost in my own thoughts to even notice the direction hers had gone.”
    “And were there signs? Looking back?”
    “I still cannot find them, no matter how I try to remember, but they must have been there.”
    “No. You said yourself, she was lost to herself at the death of her mate. She would not have made her plans known for she probably did not even realize them herself.”
    “I…”
    “It was not your fault.”
    “You don’t think so?”
    “I know it and so do you, if you will listen to the voice deep inside you.”
    “You’re pretty arrogant, you know this?”
    “So you have said.”
    “I think it bears repeating.”
    He shrugged and she found herself smiling, though shewas not sure why. “So, the Éan have only joined two other