Read Online Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Genevieve Graham
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feels wonderful to be alive, does it no’? Come on then.”
“What? Me? In there?” The boy shook his head. “I canna go in there.”
“Sure ye can. Ye’ll ride on my back.”
“No I won’t.”
“Come on.” He held his hands up, curling his fingers in invitation.
“No.”
Dougal peered down the waterway, but there was no bridge, no path, no other way. The opposite bank looked very far away, gray as mist through the storm.
“Right. Well, I’m goin’. Ye might as well head back then. This is the only way.”
For a moment, Aidan looked as if he might cry. He did the same as Dougal had, glancing both ways along the water, then across to the other side, searching fruitlessly for any other option. Finally, he stared back at Dougal. He swallowed. “Dinna drop me.”
Dougal smiled again. “Dinna let go. Come on now. We’ve no’ got all day. Pull yerself over the edge an’ I’ll catch ye.”
Aidan hesitated, then took a deep breath and inched forward, sliding on his belly through the mud. The boy had the courage of a lion, Dougal thought, and reached for the slender form as it came toward him. Aidan yelped as his body hit the cold water.
“Climb on board, lad. Here. Wrap yer arms round my neck, but dinna choke me. If ye do that, we’ll the both of us sink like stones. All ye need do is hold on an’ let me move. Right?”
Aidan nodded quickly, then did as Dougal said, clambering onto his back and hugging his neck.
“A wee bit looser, aye?” Dougal asked, his voice slightly hoarse. “Relax yer arms. Just hook yer hands together.” He felt the pressure ease slightly around his neck and Aidan’s weight settle against his back. When the balance seemed right, he shoved off the edge and started swimming toward the other shore.
The arm around his neck jerked tight until Dougal felt Aidan’s face press against his own head. Every muscle in the boy’s body shook and small peeps of terror escaped his lips.
“Stop that! Let go before ye drown us both, ye fool,” Dougal growled, and the grip relaxed a little. “Ye’ve faced an entire army of cannon-firing sassenachs, and
now
ye panic? Trust me, lad. I’ll get us there safe if ye’ll let me.”
Aidan’s vibrations never stopped and his teeth chattered so loudly in Dougal’s ear it sounded like a woodpecker at times, but at least they reached the other side still attached to each other. As soon as Dougal shoved him up and over the opposite bank, Aidan collapsed and vomited into the grass. Dougal stared at him, shaking his head, then collapsed beside him. Dougal’s chest heaved with exertion. It had been farther than he’d thought, and he was weaker than he’d imagined, but he’d made it. They’d made it.
“Nothin’ would have happened,” he said, puffing through the words.
Aidan wiped his mouth, then glanced at Dougal. His blue-toned lips twisted into a sheepish attempt at a smile. “Aye, well, I’ve never swam before.”
Dougal snorted. “Ye didna swim this time, either.” He lay on his back, breathing hard for the next five minutes, letting his eyes close. He felt exhilarated with a temporary sense of freedom. When his heartbeat had slowed to a regular rhythm, he sat up, but not before he’d cast his eyes back across the water and checked for any witnesses. Satisfied, he turned to Aidan. “Right. Time to go,” he said. “An’ the next time I say ye will be fine, believe me, aye?”
The boy nodded, then lifted his eyebrows in an unexpected show of disdain. “If ye’re right, I will.”
With a chuckle, Dougal rose and led them toward the next concealing shrub. Their destination was a thin but promising forest. After leapfrogging carefully for a bit, Dougal decided they were out of range and sprinted into the dark shield of trees. Aidan ran at his heels, ducking under dripping branches when he reached the woods.
The forest was still but teeming with invisible life. Dougal felt its energy pulsing all around. Rain shushing on
“What? Me? In there?” The boy shook his head. “I canna go in there.”
“Sure ye can. Ye’ll ride on my back.”
“No I won’t.”
“Come on.” He held his hands up, curling his fingers in invitation.
“No.”
Dougal peered down the waterway, but there was no bridge, no path, no other way. The opposite bank looked very far away, gray as mist through the storm.
“Right. Well, I’m goin’. Ye might as well head back then. This is the only way.”
For a moment, Aidan looked as if he might cry. He did the same as Dougal had, glancing both ways along the water, then across to the other side, searching fruitlessly for any other option. Finally, he stared back at Dougal. He swallowed. “Dinna drop me.”
Dougal smiled again. “Dinna let go. Come on now. We’ve no’ got all day. Pull yerself over the edge an’ I’ll catch ye.”
Aidan hesitated, then took a deep breath and inched forward, sliding on his belly through the mud. The boy had the courage of a lion, Dougal thought, and reached for the slender form as it came toward him. Aidan yelped as his body hit the cold water.
“Climb on board, lad. Here. Wrap yer arms round my neck, but dinna choke me. If ye do that, we’ll the both of us sink like stones. All ye need do is hold on an’ let me move. Right?”
Aidan nodded quickly, then did as Dougal said, clambering onto his back and hugging his neck.
“A wee bit looser, aye?” Dougal asked, his voice slightly hoarse. “Relax yer arms. Just hook yer hands together.” He felt the pressure ease slightly around his neck and Aidan’s weight settle against his back. When the balance seemed right, he shoved off the edge and started swimming toward the other shore.
The arm around his neck jerked tight until Dougal felt Aidan’s face press against his own head. Every muscle in the boy’s body shook and small peeps of terror escaped his lips.
“Stop that! Let go before ye drown us both, ye fool,” Dougal growled, and the grip relaxed a little. “Ye’ve faced an entire army of cannon-firing sassenachs, and
now
ye panic? Trust me, lad. I’ll get us there safe if ye’ll let me.”
Aidan’s vibrations never stopped and his teeth chattered so loudly in Dougal’s ear it sounded like a woodpecker at times, but at least they reached the other side still attached to each other. As soon as Dougal shoved him up and over the opposite bank, Aidan collapsed and vomited into the grass. Dougal stared at him, shaking his head, then collapsed beside him. Dougal’s chest heaved with exertion. It had been farther than he’d thought, and he was weaker than he’d imagined, but he’d made it. They’d made it.
“Nothin’ would have happened,” he said, puffing through the words.
Aidan wiped his mouth, then glanced at Dougal. His blue-toned lips twisted into a sheepish attempt at a smile. “Aye, well, I’ve never swam before.”
Dougal snorted. “Ye didna swim this time, either.” He lay on his back, breathing hard for the next five minutes, letting his eyes close. He felt exhilarated with a temporary sense of freedom. When his heartbeat had slowed to a regular rhythm, he sat up, but not before he’d cast his eyes back across the water and checked for any witnesses. Satisfied, he turned to Aidan. “Right. Time to go,” he said. “An’ the next time I say ye will be fine, believe me, aye?”
The boy nodded, then lifted his eyebrows in an unexpected show of disdain. “If ye’re right, I will.”
With a chuckle, Dougal rose and led them toward the next concealing shrub. Their destination was a thin but promising forest. After leapfrogging carefully for a bit, Dougal decided they were out of range and sprinted into the dark shield of trees. Aidan ran at his heels, ducking under dripping branches when he reached the woods.
The forest was still but teeming with invisible life. Dougal felt its energy pulsing all around. Rain shushing on
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