A Captive of Wing and Feather A Retelling of Swan Lake - Melanie Cellier Page 0,38

at the correction, coming over to give me a quick hug. Just as usual she began to chatter away, answering all of the questions I couldn’t ask.

“I thought I would have such a time trying to get away at a decent hour this morning. Wren and Cora were watching me like hawks after I emerged from my room this morning. But it turns out having princes in on your plotting is a great advantage in more ways than one. When he turned up and asked if I could show him around the town, neither of them even protested once. You could have knocked me over with a feather.”

She bent a comical eye on Eagle who had sidled up right beside us and was eyeing her suspiciously.

“Please don’t, though,” she said to the swan. “I’d much rather stay on my feet.”

She leaned in close. “I’m sorry, Lady, but your pets rather terrify me.”

Eagle honked and snaked out her neck, and Audrey only just jumped away in time.

“Eagle!” I pointed an arm toward the water, and she slunk away not looking in the least repentant.

“I don’t think they like to be called pets,” Gabe said, clearly trying to smother a laugh.

Audrey sighed. “I suppose they mean to come with us, too.”

I bristled slightly, annoyed that I couldn’t argue on their behalf, but to my surprise, Gabe stepped in to defend them.

“I actually think it would be a good idea, if they don’t mind. It seems they make excellent scouts.” He explained how I had set them to watching the Keep each morning, looking for a way to rescue her.

The news clearly softened Audrey and also gave me an idea.

“Snowy!” I called. “Sweetie! Come over here and meet Audrey.”

The two sweetest of my swans responded instantly to my call, paddling over and approaching us. Audrey pulled back, but I pushed her forward, and the two of them pressed up against her, raising their heads on their long, elegant necks to get as close to hers as possible.

“Are these the two?” Gabe asked.

I nodded, and he turned to her.

“These two are the swans who had the role of looking for you every morning and reporting back to Adelaide if they saw you.”

“Oh?” She reached out and ran a tentative hand down Snowy’s neck. “That’s very kind of you, ladies.”

Sweetie reached up and nipped gently at one of the long strands of her copper hair. Gabe grinned.

“I’m guessing your hair made the job a bit easier for them.”

Audrey grinned, her usual confidence returning as she adjusted to the close presence of the swans.

“I’m glad it came in useful for something since it’s generally been a great trial for me.”

“Thank you,” I said to the swans, and they both bugled happily, coming over to nudge me in turn.

“We should be moving,” Gabe said, his eyes focused on the trees in the distance.

He looked eager and alert, every inch the forester he had seemed when he first arrived at the haven, his bow and quiver on his back, and his tall leather boots and archer’s gloves soft and worn. Hopefully the tunnel wasn’t a tight squeeze because his bow seemed excessively long. I didn’t think of asking him to leave it behind, though—even though I didn’t think arrows would do him much good in the Keep. Gabe’s bow was almost as much a part of him as his arm.

“I’m confident I can find the spot once we get near,” Audrey said. “But you’ll need to get us to the Keep first, Lady.”

I nodded and took the lead. The swans, restless after the delay to our usual morning departure, began to take off from the lake. I called out, reminding them that we were on a different mission this morning, and one-by-one they dipped slightly in the sky, acknowledging they had heard me.

“They’re elegant creatures,” Gabe murmured softly, and I couldn’t disagree.

And then we were off, moving as fast as the forest undergrowth would allow us.

Chapter 12

I didn’t hesitate, familiar enough with the way not to need to, and at first no one tried to talk. Even Audrey fell into an uncharacteristic silence, yet another hint that she wasn’t entirely unaffected by her six-month ordeal.

But Gabe began to ask questions, and since I wasn’t able to answer them, she was soon chatting away.

“It’s a great pity Lord Leander’s father died because he was much nicer than Lord Leander. We didn’t live in Brylee back when he was still in charge of the Keep, but all the servants there