‘Even so.’ Ban grinned. ‘Remind me not to make you angry.’
‘She’s a terror when her dander’s up,’ Iain informed him.
‘You don’t have to tell me, my lord. I grew up with her.’
‘So you did. Was she always like it then?’
‘You wouldn’t believe the half of it.’
‘Really. You must fill me in on some of the detail I’ve missed.’
‘This is outrageous!’ Ashlynn stared at them in disbelief. ‘A conspiracy in fact.’
Iain’s enjoyment mounted. ‘Aye, lass, that’s right.’
‘In truth I don’t know which of you is worse. I think I shan’t stay to find out.’
With that she turned Steorra and rode back a way to join Jeannie, leaving the two men to their conversation.
* * *
It took about an hour to reach the glen where the lymer had found the deer. There the hunters deployed relays of hounds along the known tracks of the quarry. Ashlynn studied the wild and rugged terrain and understood why Iain had counselled caution. It would indeed be easy to lose oneself in this countryside. However, she had no intention of doing anything so foolish.
The lymer had done its work well and the other hounds picked up the scent very quickly and streamed away in full cry. Hearing the huntsman’s horn the riders followed as fast as the terrain would permit. The men on their bigger, more powerful mounts soon drew ahead. Knowing that the chase could be lengthy Ashlynn made no attempt to push the mare too hard at this stage. Her stamina might be needed later when they came to more open ground. With care they would both have strength enough to last the day. Mindful also of what Iain had said, Ashlynn kept close to the other women riders. Most of them would have ridden here before and some like Jeannie probably knew the ground well. It was only common sense to be guided by their knowledge and experience.
The trail led along the glen for some way, threading through heath and rock before turning off up the wooded hillside. For a while the pace was reasonably swift for the trees were big and widely spaced. However, as the quarry made for the denser thickets the pursuit became more challenging because the rider’s concentration was on the avoidance of low branches and slashing twigs. The pace slowed somewhat of necessity and Ashlynn took a swift look around. Just then the horn sounded some way off to the left and all the riders turned in that direction.
The hounds flushed the deer from the covert and made for open country. Here the relays would come into their own since, over distance, the hounds lacked the hart’s stamina. With fresh reinforcements however, the chances of catching up with the quarry were greatly increased.
The ride was exhilarating as Ashlynn had known it would be and she gave the horse a little more rein, revelling in the speed and the clean cold air on her face. Up ahead she could see Iain’s grey with the other leading horses and once she caught sight of Ban before his mount was swallowed up among the bays and chestnuts around him. She smiled to herself. Her brother was certainly fitter. The hunt would do him good in other ways too. Her thoughts were interrupted a few moments later as the foremost huntsmen disappeared into the cover of some trees.
It was at that point when, out of the corner of her eye, she became aware of other riders. A cursory glance revealed a group of about a dozen horsemen, approaching fast at an oblique angle. Curious, she took another, closer look. It seemed likely they were more of Iain’s men and certainly there was nothing to tell them apart, being clad in the same leather hunting costumes. However, something about them gave her pause. She frowned, knowing something wasn’t right but being unsure what. As the horsemen came on she realised it wasn’t their appearance that was amiss but their course, for it became increasingly clear that they weren’t following the main hunt; they were heading for the group in the rear. Now the leading body of huntsmen were in the trees the women riders were caught in the open and ripe to be cut off from the rest. Ashlynn felt the skin prickle on the back of her neck. A glance at her sister-in-law revealed she’d seen the horsemen too.
‘Who are they, Jeannie?’
‘I don’t know,’ she called back, ‘but I don’t like the look of them.’
‘Nor I.’
Some of the other ladies had noticed the oncoming riders now and were looking distinctly nervous. Jeannie shouted across to them, ‘Spread out and ride for the trees! Go!’
They needed no second bidding. Ashlynn bent low over Steorra’s neck and gave the mare her head. The chestnut leapt forward in response. Now more than ever she was glad she hadn’t pushed the horse before. Nearer and nearer came the thundering sound of pursuit. Another horrified glance revealed how much closer they were; she could see the riders’ faces set in lines of grim determination. In that second Ashlynn knew she wasn’t going to reach the shelter of the trees. It was too far. Their mounts were bigger and more powerful and, at each stride, closing the gap between. In desperation she shouted to Steorra, urging her on, but the little mare was already running flat out.