I was a little bit late greeting my soldier at the door yesterday, as I paused to scrabble out one last sentence, half crouched above my chair.
"Woman!" said the man, laughing. "I expect to be met at the door when I come home." He pointed commandingly to the space above his boots. "Now come here and see that next time you don't slack off on your duties."
I've only recently been promoted to Corporal Kitten, so he cut me some slack that time, but I better be more on my toes next time.
Excerpt:
“What do you think of Tir na nOg, Grace?” she asked me, sweetly. “You would like to go on a hunt, wouldn’t you? You could ride before Ceallach.”
“She’s already landed her game,” said Fionghuine, his dark eyes glinting. “I think it’s you that must ride before the hounds, since she’s taken your trophy.”
I sat petrified, expecting Duana’s face to melt in furious anger. She only gave her mellifluous laugh.
“Don’t be silly,” she said, lowering her lashes. “My walls have no need of ornaments. Besides, I’d rather have a man. Trophies don't interest me.”
Ceallach was sitting very still beside me. I dearly wanted to speak, but his warning to me was still too clear in my head.
“It’s a pity you weren’t ever interested in nature, Duana,” said Ceallach gently. “It might have proved useful for you. For instance, the black widow spider tries to devour the male of her species only after she’s won him.”
This got through; I saw Duana recoil, her hands curling back from her plate to rest under the table.
“My dear, women never hunt down their men,” murmured Aisling. “It’s the other way around.”
“Bullcrap,” said Fionghuine, grinning. “I had no intention of getting married when I first saw you. And yet, six seasons later, there I stood before the priest, dazed and confused, to hear your vows. You may as well have hung my sword above your dressing table.”
I laughed. For one dazzling moment, I caught Fionghuine’s intense, glittering eye.
“Grace knows exactly what I’m talking about,” he said, extending his hand to me. “At least the human woman is honest. Tell me,” he said, leaning toward Ceallach, “are they all like that?”
“No,” smiled Ceallach. “It’s a rare thing no matter what the world.”
