by Alexa Aston
Elinor grinned. “I am already like a mother to them. Of course, I will be able to tell them apart.”
“When will we begin their training?”
“We?”
“Aye.” He looked at her intently. “I know soon the braces stabilizing my leg can be removed. I have high hopes that the bone has mended properly. Even at that, I will need to take my time, building up my strength and letting the leg become accustomed to my weight again before I set out for home.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “True. You will want to put your weight on it for small periods of time until it is strong enough for you to walk great distances.”
“Till then, I would ask to continue to partake of your hospitality.” He gave her his most charming smile, one that no woman at court had ever turned away from. “While I continue to heal, I would like to assist you in training the eyases. If that is acceptable to you.”
“I wouldn’t allow this with just anyone,” she told him. “But in the weeks we have spent together, I have come to believe that you are a good man. You have proven interested in my raptors, well beyond polite conversation.”
Elinor studied him a moment longer but Hal knew she had made up her mind.
“Because you will be here longer and since I could use an extra pair of hands, I would be happy to teach you what I know of falconry.”
In another life, Hal would have bowed gracefully to her and swept up her hand, brushing his lips against her fingers in a sweet kiss. Instead, he tipped his head in brief acknowledgement.
“I am most grateful to you, Elinor. Working with the eyases will give me purpose and allow me to earn my keep for a while longer.”
She moved to her gauntlet and slipped it upon her hand before retrieving a larger one. He realized this must have been the one Jasper wore and thought it must be hard for her to relinquish it.
Handing the gauntlet to him, she said, “This goes on your left hand since I have observed that you are right-handed.”
As Hal placed the leather glove on, Elinor told him, “An ideal falconer rises early. He must have excellent hearing, keen eyesight, and possess an even temper. A loud voice is also needed to call out and gain your raptor’s attention.”
“I fit the description on all accounts. I am at your service, Elinor, a most willing pupil.”
“Sit on the bench,” she instructed. I will bring Tris to you.”
Hal used his crutch to return to the bench and placed it beneath the table as Elinor thrust her hand into the cage and guided one of the eyases to the top of her gloved fist. She crossed the room and motioned for him to raise his hand.
“Form a fist. Keep your hand steady.”
He did so and she transferred the eyas to him. Hal marveled at the tiny bird resting there and how it would grow rapidly into a magnificent falcon.
“The first stage in training requires the utmost patience and stamina. ’Tis called the manning period and is simply the time the eyas spends with you. Both Bess and Tris need to become accustomed to being around people. I will trade them off each day so they will have time with us both. They will merely sit on our fists.”
“For how long?” Hal asked.
“Hours. That is where the patience and stamina come in. The chick will rest on your gauntlet, which you must always wear in order to protect your hand from its sharp talons. They are small now but they will grow longer and sharper as the days go by. Bess and Tris will need to become familiar with your voice, so not only will we speak to one another, but you will converse with the eyas you hold.” She grinned. “I’ll even teach you how to coo to them so that they will think you are smitten with them.”
Something stirred within him. Hal would love for Elinor to remain close to him for hours upon a time. He would coo endearments into her ear, telling her all the ways he would touch her, watching her body tremble in anticipation. He fought to concentrate on her words, though. He had gained her trust enough to allow him access to her falcons. Disappointing her in any way would only put distance between them.
As he observed Tris sitting calmly on his fist, Elinor returned to the mews and allowed Bess to perch atop her gauntlet. Elinor then joined him on the bench, their thighs lightly touching, bringing a warmth to him that had nothing to do with the nearby fire.
“Starting when they are young is important. It helps them overcome their fear of us as we try to establish a close relationship with them. That is why we will always be the only ones who feed them.”
“Not Cleo? Or Horus?” he asked in surprise. “I would think the parents would want to feed their young.”
“They would love to claim that right, Cleo, in particular. But food is the bond between a falcon and falconer. Teaching her to accept food from you is why she will return each time.”
“So from the beginning only we will feed the eyases.”
“Aye. They will become use to us by sitting on our fists and as we feed morsels of food to them. They will come to trust us as we provide for them.”
“We place the food in the palm of our other hand?” Hal asked.
Elinor nodded. “Once Bess and Tris can fly, we will whistle to signal them to fly to our fist for food. In fact, every time we feed them, we must whistle. It helps them recognize they are about to be fed. I suppose I should have asked if you can whistle, Hal.”
“I can,” he said and saw it brought visible relief to her. “Louder than my two brothers but not nearly as loud as my sister, Nan, can.”
She grinned. “I already like this Nan.”
“You two would definitely get along. I’m sure you would enjoy ganging up on me.”
Hal thought of how Nan and Elinor both dressed alike, in tunics and pants because of the time they spent outdoors and the activities they engaged in, despite the fact that they were beautiful women. But it wasn’t only their manner of dress that proved similar. Each possessed a sweet spirit about her that drew him in. Spoke to him. Though he loved both Alys and Jessimond dearly, Hal always had a special bond with Nan.
“What else?” he asked. “As far as teaching them goes?”
“Eventually, we will train them with lures and to fly the quarry and return to our fist for a reward. The goal is for them to leave their prey untouched.” A grim look crossed her face. “We will also hood them once they turn a week old.”
“I saw you making something that resembled a hood a few nights ago.”
“It’s used to cover the eyas’ eyes. We will even deprive them of food for a short time in order to make it easier to tame them. That is why I wait until they are a week old, so they have some strength. Deprive them of food when they are too young and you can lose the bird altogether.”
“You looked upset when you mentioned hooding. Why?” he asked.
Elinor drew a deep breath and expelled it slowly. “When I came of age to help Jasper train the falcons,” she continued, “he did not use a hood. He temporarily blinded them instead.”
Hal glanced at the eyas resting on his fist. A queasy feeling overtook him. “How did Jasper accomplish that?”
She shuddered. “’Twas a common practice, he told me. Many falconers train their birds by using a needle and thread to seal their eyes. The end of the thread is brought to the top of the bird’s head and tied there to allow the falconer to open and close the bird’s eyes. Jasper said having this control made it easier to train an eyas.”
“You didn’t like that,” he said flatly.
“Nay. I thought it cruel and unnecessary. I watched him to do and it sickened me.”
“How old were you?” Hal asked quietly.
“Six.”
It angered him that such a young girl would be subjected to something so vicious, especially by her father. Still, the harsh practice must have existed for hundreds of years. He knew the art of falconry had come from the Far East and been practiced there even longer than in Europe.
“I’m sorry.” Hal wanted to take Elinor’s hand but Bess rested in her fist and her other hand was t
oo far away. Instead, he placed his hand on Elinor’s leg and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. But the thought of her pale, tender flesh under the material reminded him that she only considered him as a friend, so he removed it quickly and looked back at Tris.
“I finally stood up to Jasper the next season when a new group of eggs hatched. Two females and a male. I demanded that he not blind the eyases that way. He agreed to allow me to train one eyas the way I wished to see if it could even be done.”
“Let me guess—Jasper gave you custody of the male peregrine since the females were of more value.”
Elinor nodded. “After both females were trained, the baron sold them. But Jasper allowed me to keep the male.”
Hal took a guess. “Horus.”
“Horus,” she echoed. “Jasper later said he was the best trained tiercel—male peregrine—he’d ever seen.” She shrugged. “After that, he let me have my way. We never blinded another eyas again.”
Respect for Elinor flooded him. She would have been a girl of seven, standing up to her father, an expert falconer.
“It took courage to insist on using a different method than one that was tried and true. I admire that you stood strong regarding your convictions, Elinor, and that you had the falcons’ best interests at heart.”
She rewarded him with a tender smile. “You do understand, Hal.” Her gaze held his for a long moment.
Hal leaned slightly toward her, drawn to her lips, wishing to give her an affectionate kiss. Not one of passion but one of approval for the brave young girl she had been.
And the woman she had become.
A squawk from outside the cottage caused him to pull away.
“’Tis Cleo,” Elinor said. “She’s returned with the first meal for her chicks.”
She placed Bess back inside the mews and did the same with Tris.
“I need to slice up whatever Cleo has brought back into small bites. Then we will feed Bess and Tris their first meals. I’ll be back soon,” she promised.
Alone now, Hal closed his eyes and imagined the kiss that had almost occurred.
Chapter 10
“It’s time to remove the splints bound to your leg,” Elinor told Hal. “I have counted the days since I straightened it. I believe enough time has passed. The bone should have knit together by now.”
“I have looked forward to this day for weeks,” he revealed. “I am not a man used to such inactivity.”
Elinor knew that to be true before he ever admitted this to her. Though Hal had exercised enormous patience when holding the eyases upon his fist for hours at a time, a restless air blanketed him when she returned the growing falcons to their mews. His large frame and well-muscled body told of long hours of physical activity on his part. She had not asked him how he earned a living and he had not volunteered the information to her.
In fact, she knew very little of this man whom she’d spent so many hours with—and yet he had revealed much to her in small ways.
Hal loved to tell stories and could keep her spellbound for hours with tales from his vivid imagination. She knew he enjoyed hot weather over cold and eating meat more than bread. He valued honesty and hard work and thought little of liars and those who did not treat others fairly. He possessed a quick mind and a generous heart. And though he didn’t speak often of his family, Elinor could tell they meant a great deal to him. She wondered how much longer he would stay with her before returning to them.
“Where would you have me?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts. “The pallet or the bench?”
“I think the bench. Not only will it keep your leg straight and steady as I remove the wood and jesses but it will be easier to help you to your feet to test the leg. I don’t know if I could pull you to a standing position from the floor.”
“The bench it is,” he said agreeably. Hal hobbled over, using the crutch she’d made for him, and placed it on the floor underneath the table before lifting his leg and stretching it out in front of him.
Elinor dropped to her knees next to him. She worked at the knots in the leather ties that held the splints to his leg, becoming frustrated when none of them yielded. Pulling her blade from her boot, her fingers grasped his ankle and held it steady as she slipped the knife under the first jess and sawed through it. The tie broke and she placed it in the palm he held out. Elinor moved her hand up his leg and cut through the remaining jesses, Hal collecting each one and putting them on the table.
As she cut through the last leather tie, she reluctantly removed her hand. It had given her a thrill to touch his ankle. His calf. His knee. Her heart continued to pound fiercely even after she rose to her feet and returned her blade to its resting place. She forced her hand to stay by her side when all her fingers wanted to do was reach out to stroke his cheek. Elinor swallowed hard, doing her best to tamp down the butterflies that seemed to erupt inside her belly.
“Are you ready to stand?” she asked, pleased that her voice sounded both steady and neutral.
Hal looked up at her and smiled. Her heart raced madly at the sunshine in that smile. “I am. But I may require your assistance.”
“I am here. I won’t let you fall.”
His brow wrinkled a moment. He gave her a quizzical look. Elinor wondered if she had said something wrong. Then he shrugged it off and swung his leg from the bench to the ground, still keeping it straight.
His eyes flicked to hers. “I think I’m afraid to bend it,” he said softly. “I cannot remember the last time I felt fear. Mayhap . . . never.”
The words tore at her heart. Hal was larger than life, a man who brimmed with confidence. More than likely, he’d been healthy his entire life and this was the first setback he’d ever suffered. Yet she remembered some of the small scars along his torso, her fingers tracing them as he slept, wondering where they had come from.
Elinor shook off that memory. She needed to reassure him.
“It will be difficult at first. It’s been weeks since you have put any real weight on it. You must convince yourself that it won’t hurt in the least. That when you stand, you will be as good as new—because you will be.” Determination laced her words.
Hal laughed aloud. “If I think it, it will be true. If I say it aloud, it must be true. All right, Elinor, I will try it your way.” He paused, tossing back his shoulders and sitting straight. “My leg has healed. ’Tis stronger than it was before. I will stand now and walk as if nothing ever happened to it.”
His hands went to the bench. Swiftly, he slid both feet back toward him so that his knees were bent. Then he swiveled and set his feet on the ground. Using the strength in his arms, he pushed himself from the bench and took a wobbly step. He paused. Took in a breath and let it out slowly. Then he walked from where he stood to the mews and turned to face her.
Elinor saw sweat had broken out across his brow. “How does your leg feel?”
“Weak,” he admitted, a sheepish look crossing his face. “I won’t be winning a foot race anytime soon.”
He moved back to the bench and eased himself down. “I’m not as feeble as an old man but my strength seems gone. At least no pain came when I thrust my full weight upon the leg.”
She wanted to placate him. “You yourself told me that it would take time to gain your strength back. You have no reason to be disappointed.”
“It makes me realize that I won’t set out for home anytime soon.” He looked intently at her. “Are you sure you do not mind if I remain with you for now?”
Mind? Elinor wished Hal would always stay with her. That they would train the raptors together. Eat their meals together. Talk about any and everything. Live together. Lie together.
Love one another.
Oh, she had definitely lost her mind to fantasize about such things. No, not her mind. She was still sane. What had been taken—not lost—was her heart. This handsome stranger with dark hair and blue eyes and a smile that caused her to bask in warmth had stolen it before she could even notice. Her heart was hers no longer.
When Hal left Whitley, he would carry it with him.
And never know he possessed it.
Hurt poured through Elinor, traveling through every limb. A physical ache tore at her. She wanted this man. Now. Forever. She, who knew so little about the world or others, knew one thing rang true within her.
She loved Hal.
Loved him with every breath she took. She needed him. More than that, she wanted him—as a woman wanted a man. Though she had no mother, no other female, to explain these mysteries to her, Elinor instinctively knew. Her body knew. Her mind knew. Her heart. Her soul.
How would she ever be able to let him walk away?
Brushing aside the storm that raged inside her, Elinor mustered a smile. “You know that you may stay as long as you wish, Hal. You can walk some each day. In fact, you should do so several times a day. Increase the amount and length over the next few weeks until you are confident that you can journey home without any problems.”
“Then I will start now. Would you like to take Bess and Tris outside? I know they have never been before but you did tell me they needed to be exposed to the elements. You called it the weathering yard. We could slip on our gauntlets and take them to the clearing for a few hours.”
She determined to focus on the eyases once they got outside. Not Hal.
“’Tis a good idea,” she agreed. “I might suggest that you take your crutch along. You can use it for a few days to steady yourself. I wouldn’t want you to fall again and do further damage to your leg.”
A look of horror crossed his face, as if the thought had never occurred to him. “You are right.”
He bent and retrieved the crutch and then hoisted himself to his feet again. He went to the gauntlets and tossed hers to her. Elinor placed it on her hand as he did the same and joined him at the mews. She opened the door and thrust her fist inside. Tris hopped onto it willingly once Elinor whistled. Bess did the same with Hal once she received his signal. Both reached into the pouches they wore on their waists and rewarded the eyases with a bechin for having come willingly.
