Page 39 of Fletcher

One of the boys came closer. “I shall catch her harness, Seneschal.”

Before Fletcher could order the lad away he seized a strap, making the mare rear and slash the air with her hooves. He shoved the boy away as the horse’s huge body loomed over him, already coming down on top of him..

The mare suddenly halted, and then flew up in the air. There she hung suspended high over his head, her legs churning through a veil of tiny blue and green lights. Both boys screeched and ran off, but Fletcher followed the spell trace to an archway leading into the stronghold across from the barn. There Lark stood, her expression horrified as she stared at the floating animal. The magic he saw surrounding the horse appeared to be coming from her hand, the same one on which she wore Lady Joana’s ring.

“Dinnae stop what you do, lass.” Fletcher walked toward his lover slowly, keeping one eye on the horse. “The mare, she’ll drop, and from that height, ’twill shatter her legs.”

“I don’t even know how I’m doing this,” Lark said, swallowing hard as she kept her gaze on the mare.

“Nor can I tell you, but ’tisnae important now. You must bring her down gently.” He wanted to put his arms around her, but feared that would end her boon’s reach. “Reckon such in your mind, that she’s no more than a puff of goose down.”

The mare jerked and whinnied frantically as it came halfway down abruptly.

“No’ quite that fast, uiseag,” he murmured, hiding his own fear that this would end badly. “Imagine the horse in your hands, and you setting her down. No’ as hard nor fast as you flung me from the bay. Easily, gently.”

Lark took a step forward, lifting her beringed hand from her side to hold it palm-up, aligned with the mare’s belly. The horse stopped struggling as she floated down the rest of the way to the ground. As soon as her hooves touched the soil she shook her head and snorted as the lights surrounding her began to wink out one by one.

“I did it.” Lark sounded breathless. “Is she okay? Did I hurt her?”

He took hold of her hand and with her walked over to the mare, but saw no sign that the enchantment had caused her any injury. The animal had calmed as well, and gazed back at him with placid eyes before she nuzzled the ground looking for graze.

Fletcher grinned as he turned to his lover, whom he had to catch as she collapsed. He went down on his knees with her, holding her tightly as she clutched at his tunic. “You did so well, my lass. She’s safe, and didnae harm the lads.”

“She tried to trample you.” She lifted her head to glare at him. “You could have been killed.”

“Aye, and you saved me.” He touched his brow to hers. “Twice now.”

Lark touched his cheek, and then got to her feet. Fletcher kept her hand in his until she steadied, and went to attend to the mare’s tacking. The two stable lads both thanked him profusely before leading the horse into the barn. When he turned around he saw Valerie and Connal talking to Lark, who still appeared pale and shaken.

“My lady and I saw what happened from the gallery walk,” the laird was saying when Fletcher joined them. “I reckon you acquired the boon when you journeyed back through time, and only now became aware of the power.”

“I wasn’t even aware I had this ability,” Lark said softly. “Will it go away soon?”

Valerie grimaced. “When I came back I discovered I could read anyone’s mind if I touched them. I still can, so I’m guessing the powers are permanent.”

“If ’twill prove the same with you, Mistress, you need training,” Connal said, and nodded at Fletcher. “Our seneschal coaxed you enough to keep the nag from harm. Mayhap the two of you should work together so you may hone your control of the boon.”

“Yes, that’s probably wise. Would you excuse me?” When the laird nodded Lark hurried back into the stronghold as if she were being chased.

“I think she needs a moment,” the laird’s wife said when Fletcher would have followed. “Give her a little time and space to accept what’s happened to her. Trust me, she will.”

“She’s no’ like you, my lady.” He imagined by now Lark had barricaded herself in her chamber. “I shall take a calming brew to her.”

Preparing the hot drink gave Fletcher time to think through what to say to his lover, who no doubt had been badly frightened by the revelation of her power. Since she had used it without thinking he would need to begin training her as soon as she calmed, perhaps when nightfall arrived and the lists cleared. As he went upstairs he also braced himself to face Lark in tears. As sensitive and timid as she was, she would need comforting.

So as not to alarm her he tried the door first, found it unbarred, and slipped inside the chamber, which had been mysteriously emptied.

“It’s okay.” Lark, who sat on the floor by the hearth, smiled at him. “I don’t need to get rid of the magic thing. I’ve figured out how it works.”

Fletcher glanced up, and saw the contents of the room floating just beneath the ceiling. “Aye, so ’twould seem.”

“I thought I could do more than one thing at a time, but I didn’t want to try outside and scare Valerie and the laird.” She rose and came over to him. “Is that calming brew? You’re not upset about what I did with the horse, are you? Maybe you should sit down for a minute.”

A chair came floating down, landing with a slight bang in front of him. Fletcher dropped into it and took a large gulp of the brew, burning his tongue in the process.

“All I have to do is imagine lifting what I want to move,” Lark said. “Putting it back is just the reverse, although I need to practice that. Everything comes down a lot faster than it goes up. Let me try again.”

Water sloshed from the jug as her wash stand lowered, and the basin ended somewhat askew on the rack. The bed descended a little too rapidly at first, but then returned to the ground with only the taps of the bed posts against the stone. She turned her head to grin at him, and everything else still floating careened into each other before falling atop them. Fletcher dropped his mug and flung himself at her, taking her down to the floor as a flurry of garments landed on his head and back.