The friends remained quiet for the rest of the demonstration, fascinated with the fluid efficiency of the raptor whose wingspan dwarfed the tall falconer. As the two falconers bid the crowd farewell, Annie’s mind once again turned to the hawk and the rose. Had Brooke or Finley ever seen the design? She tapped Ian on the shoulder.
“Do you think we can catch the falconers before they leave the field?” she asked in a rush. “Maybe they’ll know something about the ferrule.”
Ian nodded and held out his hand. “Quick! Give it to me.” As soon as Annie pulled it out of her bag, he grabbed it and ducked under the barrier. Annie and her friends watched the mayor stride across the field, his steps purposeful.
Alice shared a grin with her friends. “With Ian Butler on your side, who needs a knight in shining armor?”
“Or kilt!” Peggy added. She nudged Annie with an elbow. “Though, I think Mr. Mayor could hold his own in the Bonnie Knees competition.”
Annie smiled but didn’t reply, too distracted as she tried to surmise what was being said between Ian and Brooke. Her smile faded when the female falconer shook her head after viewing the photo. “It looks like Brooke can’t help us.”
“Ian better get a move on—Finley is almost off the field,” said Wally. “He moves pretty fast for a guy in a skirt.”
The friends watched helplessly as Ian thanked Brooke as quickly as he could and followed after Finley and his raptor. Ian hailed the falconer from behind as he tried to catch up to him, but the man appeared to not hear and kept a swift pace until he disappeared into a trailer parked near the field.
After a few minutes, Ian returned across the field. “I’m sorry, Annie. Brooke has never seen the design, although she liked it very much. And Finley—well, I never got to speak to him. He went into a trailer with Athena but didn’t respond to my knocking.” Although the mayor was well-trained in controlling the emotions in his face from years of local government, his friends knew him well enough to know he was frustrated at not being able to help Annie.
Annie grasped one of Ian’s hands and looked him in the eyes. “Ian, you did everything you could. Please don’t apologize. Maybe we’ll get a chance to speak to Finley later. He probably needed to get Athena into a quiet space after performing for the crowd.”
“It wasn’t a total loss,” Alice declared. “After comparing you to Finley in his kilt, Peggy thinks you’re a shoo-in for the Bonnie Knees competition.”
Ian laughed, but didn’t move his gaze from Annie’s green eyes. “Is that so? Are you ladies going to make me a kilt for next year’s Games?”
“That can be arranged,” said Peggy. “Girls, we better not miss the kilt-making workshop later.”
Ian finally tore his gaze away from Annie, released her hand, and addressed the entire group. “On one condition: No photos of me in a kilt will be allowed to surface during any elections following the Games.” He noted the mischievous sparkle in the eyes around him. “Or between them!”
“We promise,” Annie sighed, “if we must.”
“Where to next?” asked Wally before the women could try to rope him into the competition also.
“We don’t want to miss the traditional athletic events like the Caber Toss,” Alice declared. “Nothing like watching men and women throwing tree trunks around to reawaken the commitment to physical fitness.”
Peggy pulled the Games schedule out of Wally’s hand. “And Emily wants to see some dancing.”
“Don’t forget the sheepdog trials,” added Annie.
Alice grinned at Ian. “Or the kilt workshop for us ladies.” She leaned over Peggy’s shoulder to look at the schedule.
After looking at all the times for the various activities they were interested in, Peggy told them, “If we hurry, we can watch the athletics for awhile before the junior dancing finals start. The sheepdog trials are a bit later.”
“Wally and I passed the athletic fields on the way to see the cattle,” said Ian. “Ladies, just follow us!”
As the group followed Wally and Ian, walking briskly through the streams of people, Alice slowed Annie for a moment. She whispered, “I bet I know what you’re thinking.”
With an indulgent look, Annie whispered back, “Give it a whirl.”
“Kilt or no kilt,” Alice quipped, “Ian Butler is pretty easy to follow.”
8
Before Annie could respond to Alice’s comment, Peggy turned to wave at them. “Come on, you two! Pick up the slack!”
Emily skipped back to the two friends. “Hurry up, Miss Annie and Miss Alice. You don’t want to miss the tree throwing, do you?”