Read Online Twin Passions by Miriam Minger - Free Book Online Page B

the pool. Hesitantly, she touched
her lips, and the image staring at her from the water mirrored the movement. "Anora,"
she asked softly, "does a man's kiss burn like fire . . . or ice?"
    Blushing, Anora looked incredulously at Gwendolyn.
    "'Tis a strange question you ask, Gwendolyn! You
have never been one to concern yourself with the ways of men . . . I mean, in
other pursuits besides hunting or riding . . . with women, that is . . ."
she stammered, her voice trailing off as she stared at her sister.
    "Leah once told me that if a man's kiss burns like
fire, his love will be true, but if his kiss burns like ice . . ." —she
paused, a faraway look in her emerald eyes— ". . . his love will bring
pain and ruin." She looked up and gazed searchingly at Anora. "Last
night, was Wulfgar's kiss like fire?"
    Anora shivered suddenly. She had never liked Leah's superstitious
notions. "Aye," she answered softly, drawing her knees up to her
chin.
    "'Twas as I thought," Gwendolyn replied. She
tugged absently at a tuft of dried grass sticking up between the rocks. Lost in
their own thoughts, neither spoke for several moments.
    Anora finally broke the melancholy silence,
understanding in her voice. "One day, Gwendolyn, you will know such a
kiss." She reached out and squeezed her sister's hand.
    "Perhaps," Gwendolyn said faintly, looking
away. Suddenly she whispered, "Look, over there!"
    A young doe stepped silently from the cover of the
trees and walked toward the far side of the pool. Stopping to sniff the air,
the beautiful animal stood motionless for a moment, its soft, brown eyes
watchful and alert.
    Gwendolyn and Anora gazed at the doe in awed silence,
scarcely breathing, as the graceful creature bent its head to drink. Its pink
tongue scarcely disturbed the surface of the pool. Several times the doe lifted
its head and looked about cautiously, then quickly took another drink.
    Suddenly a loud, crackling sound, like the snapping of
a tree branch, startled the animal. It froze momentarily, its nostrils flared
and muscles twitching. Then, with a bound, the doe disappeared into the dense
trees.
    "Gwendolyn, what was that?" Anora asked
fearfully, looking beyond the pool into the forest.
    "Shh!" Gwendolyn whispered, holding her
finger to her lips. She rose to her feet. Listening for any sounds, her hand
went to the hilt of her hunting knife, strapped to her waist. "We must get
back to the stronghold!" she hissed urgently.
    Anora stood and hastily wrapped her cloak about her
shoulders. She had no reason to doubt Gwendolyn's instincts, honed as they were
by years of hunting and training with their father.
    They left the shelter of the grotto and quickly ran to
the stream. Gwendolyn stepped gingerly over the rocks to the other bank, then
turned and beckoned to Anora. "Come on!" she urged, looking about
them.
    Lifting up her skirts with one hand, Anora held out her
arm to balance herself. When she had crossed almost to the other side, she lost
her footing and slid off the slippery rocks into the cold, surging water. "Gwendolyn!"
she shrieked, her feet sinking into the thick mud, the heavy currents of the
stream dragging at her skirts.
    "Here, take my hand!" Gwendolyn yelled,
stepping back onto the rocks. Pushing the wet hair out of her eyes, Anora
lunged for her sister's hand and just barely caught it. She hung on desperately
as Gwendolyn dragged her from the stream and helped her to her feet. "Are
you all right?"
    Nodding reassuredly as she fought to catch her breath,
Anora managed a faint smile. "I will be fine, but I fear my tunic will
never be the same." Holding up her muddy skirts, she followed close behind
Gwendolyn as they quickly made their way along the steep hill.
    Scanning the dense trees ahead, Gwendolyn's wary eyes
spotted a flash of movement. She drew her hunting knife from its sheath and
held it poised in front of her. "Anora?" she whispered, reaching behind
her for her sister's hand. She felt only empty air.
    Wheeling around,