The String Diaries Part 23

'Out of the window. Three of them!'

'OK, scamp. Hush a moment.'

The crackle of burning logs in the fireplace was the kitchen's only sound. Then something new overlaid it, growing more distinct: the clatter and crunch of hooves on gravel. The flank of an enormous chestnut gelding pa.s.sed the kitchen windows. Astride it, wearing jeans, boots and a scruffy jacket, sat Gabriel. He wore a battered felt stetson on his head.

'It's the fisherman!' Leah shouted.

Gabriel's expression was relaxed and calm. The glint of humour crinkled his eyes and tugged at the side of his mouth, as if he contemplated a private joke. A solemn brown mare with a reddish mane followed his horse, roped behind it. The mare, wearing full saddle and bridle, led in turn a smaller grey colt, this one's head high and jerking at its rope.

'Don't move,' Hannah hissed, her eyes flaring at the girl. She yanked open the pantry door and grabbed the gun from the shelf. Two rounds already in the breech, she thought.

Poking her head around the door, checking that Gabriel could not see into the kitchen, Hannah crossed the tiles to Nate's couch and laid the weapon alongside him. She dug into her pockets and touched the cold bra.s.s caps of her two spare rounds.

What was Gabriel doing here? Why the horses? Her head buzzed as she tried to consider the potential threats, the best way of handling this intrusion. She looked down at Nate. The back of his couch s.h.i.+elded him from the windows. 'What do you think?'

'I thought you warned him off.'

'Doesn't seem to have worked, does it? I'll find out what he wants. Then I'll get rid of him.'

'Han, wait. Don't be too short with him. We don't want to raise suspicions here. He's persistent, this guy.'

'Too persistent.'

'Agreed. But let's slow down a bit. Can you think of any way that Jakab could have found us yet?'

She couldn't. And surely he wouldn't have contacted her, attempting to trick her into revealing their location, if he already knew. Still, something about the Irishman's presence frightened her. 'I don't like it.'

'Nor do I. But we're fighting a war now. We need to think strategically. On the slightest chance that Jakab makes it here, he's likely to use someone like Gabriel against us. It might be useful to know something about the man. Something we can use; something we can validate.'

The way Nate so matter-of-factly raised the possibility of Gabriel's supplanting, and how they could armour themselves against its consequences, chilled her deeply. Yet he had only voiced the same thought that had entered her head.

Were they beginning to lose a vital part of their humanity? She didn't want anyone else to be pulled into their nightmare; too many people had died already. But she only had Nate and Leah left. Right or wrong, she would trade the lives of any number of strangers for theirs. If Gabriel insisted on interfering, she would not add his safety to that of those she already sought to protect. As Nate said, a little knowledge could be indispensable.

Outside, she saw the Irishman pull off a leather glove and flex his freed fingers. He swung himself down from the gelding and strode to the back door. 'Leah, remember what we discussed.'

As Gabriel caught sight of Hannah through the gla.s.s, he grinned, and she found herself surprised once more at the contrast of his cobalt blue eyes against the whiteness of his teeth.

Heart thumping hard in her chest, Hannah walked to the door. She replayed what Sebastien had told her of Gabriel.

Sociable fellow. Always making jokes. Irritating as h.e.l.l. Give him half a chance and he'll be over here poking his head into things that don't concern him.

The old man had certainly been right about that last part. Hannah put her hand to the door handle and opened it.

'Well, there's a sight,' Gabriel greeted her, putting his hands on his hips. 'The vision of Llyn Gwyr stands before me. Mistress of the lake, admonisher of poachers. Protector of fis.h.!.+'

'What are you doing here, Gabriel?'

He filled his lungs with Welsh mountain air and exhaled, his face joyous. Raising his arms, he performed a slow pirouette and shouted, 'Living! Breathing! Exulting under G.o.d's sky! Did you ever witness a day with as much promise as this?'

'There's a storm on its way.'

'Oh, no. Not today. The storm's coming, all right. And we should prepare, because when it arrives it'll be savage, no doubt. But it won't come today. Today is a day for celebrating life, commemorating its pa.s.sing, and witnessing nature's swansong. Autumn, in all its pageantry.' He raised an eyebrow. 'Your daughter said you ride?'

'I do.' Hannah found the man's words beginning to weave their spell on her, much as they had before. The more he talked, the more at ease she felt, and the more dangerous she felt the situation become.

Don't lower your guard. Something is wrong here. I don't know what, but something is wrong.

'Will you join me for a ride?' Gabriel said. 'I'd ask you by name, but you haven't given me that honour.'

'I can't leave my daughter on her own.'

At this, he turned and with a flourish gestured at the mounts. 'Behold three horses. One for the f.e.c.kless Gabe. One for the little miss, and one for the tall miss.'

Leah jumped into the gap between Hannah and the doorway. She peered at the horses and squealed in excitement. 'Mummy, can we go? Please? Just for a while? You know you'll love it! Please, Mummy!'

Gabriel laughed. 'Well, that sounds like an endors.e.m.e.nt to me.'

Hannah folded her arms. 'We don't have riding hats.'

'Brought you a couple.'

'It's close to noon. Leah needs to eat.' She flinched, shocked that she had so carelessly revealed her daughter's name.

Gabriel's eyes glinted. Was that triumph she saw reflected there? He indicated the pack attached to his saddle. 'I come bearing bread, cold meats, cheese. Flasks of soup and chocolate biscuits. Ambrosia. Food of the G.o.ds, no less.'

His manner was so absurd, so excessively theatrical, that she found it difficult to remain cautious of him.

Idiot! That's exactly why you have to be so careful.

'Come on,' he said. 'Give me the pleasure of your company for two hours and I'll show you and the little miss a few of the secrets these grand old mountains like to keep to themselves.' Gabriel tilted his head to one side. 'I ask you: will you receive a better offer than that today?'

They took the trail that followed the near sh.o.r.e of the lake, before curving north towards the first slopes of Cadair Idris. Gabriel led, followed by Leah on the grey colt. Hannah had been worried by the young horse's temperament at first, but it had behaved impeccably so far. She followed on the mare, eyes moving from her daughter every minute or so to linger on Gabriel's back, wondering at the man's motivations.

Torn clouds continued to jostle across the sky, filtering the sunlight. In the distance, she saw a falcon hanging in the air, gliding on a current. It watched their progress for a while before banking and diving to the earth.

Despite the unusual situation, it felt fantastic to be riding again. The union between horse and rider had always brought her peace. She leaned forward in the saddle and rubbed her mare's flank. The animal's ears twitched and it blew through its nostrils.

Ahead, the path widened and began to climb. Their horses' hooves sc.r.a.ped on the rocky moraine. As the slope grew more challenging, Hannah watched her daughter closely, but even though the colt she rode was young, it appeared to need only a light touch.

Moss-slicked boulders ancient detritus from long-extinct glaciers lay strewn across the landscape. Gabriel slowed his pace until his horse fell in step alongside her. They both watched Leah guide the grey up the incline.

Hannah felt Gabriel's eyes appraising her.

'How's she handling?' he asked.

'I'll give you one thing, you know how to train a horse. What's her name?'

'Landra.'

'And yours?'

'This is Salomon. Your daughter's riding Valantin.'

'Good names.'

He grinned. 'Yours is the only one I don't know.'

She studied him, eyes narrowing. Then, impulsively, she made a decision. 'Hannah,' she said. 'Hannah Wilde.' She saw no flash of recognition in his eyes as she told him.

Gabriel's grin widened and he touched his finger to the brim of his hat. 'Hannah Wilde. Lady of Llyn Gwyr, hidden gem of Snowdonia. I'm honoured to be formally introduced.'

'You're an unusual man, Gabriel.'

He laughed. 'Surely you mean charismatic?'

'I said unusual.'

'It's what living in these mountains with nothing but horses for company will do to you.'

'It's beautiful country.'

'Aye, it is that.'

'There's no Mrs Gabriel?'

A flicker of sorrow crossed his face, disappearing as quickly as it had arrived. 'Not yet, there isn't. A heinous crime, that, is it not?'

'Shocking.'

For a while they rode in silence. Then he said, 'After how angry you were the other day, I thought it unlikely you'd join me.'

'I wasn't angry. I just wasn't expecting company.'

'You were a wee bit angry.'

'You shouldn't have been on the lake. We came here for some peace.'

'Ah, well you couldn't pick a finer place for that. Am I forgiven, then? Truly, I didn't mean to intrude.'

'Turning up with three horses in tow isn't intruding?'

'Perhaps a little intrusive. I just had a feeling you'd enjoy this.'

She laughed drily. 'Because you know me so well.'

'Conversation with you is like playing poker with a great white.'

'Charming comparison.'

'You've got a much nicer mouth than a great white, if you don't mind me saying.'

'See? Unusual.'

Their eyes met.

'What about you, Hannah Wilde? You're wearing a wedding ring.'

'Very observant.'

'It's not just a device to ward off charismatic Irishmen?'

'I said unusual, not charismatic. And the answer's no, it's not.'

'You're married, then. Shall we turn back?' He grinned again to show he was joking. 'So where is the lucky man?'

'You ask a lot of questions.'

'I'm an unusual man.'

Hannah shook her head, exasperated, and squeezed Landra's flanks with her calves. The horse responded. She overtook Gabriel's gelding and caught up with Leah.

Just after midday they arrived at a series of huge boilerplate slabs, the overflowing stone ridges damp with condensation. Dismounting, they led the horses across. On the other side, they climbed back into the saddle and followed the trail further up the mountain. They rode through a wood, its steep floor veined with the mossy roots of trees seeking anchorage among the rocks. Pale grey fungi bloomed on their trunks.

The air was noticeably colder at this alt.i.tude. As they emerged from the trees the wind bit at them with sharper teeth. When they crested a ridge tufted with coa.r.s.e gra.s.s, Hannah drew an awed breath. A huge glacial lake lay before them. Towering peaks of rock surrounded the basin on three sides, their shadowed cliff faces pocked and slashed with fissures. Below, the dark blue water of the lake s.h.i.+mmered as eddies of wind dimpled its surface. 'This is amazing. Where are we?'

Gabriel jumped from his mount and led the horse to the water's edge. 'Llyn Cau,' he told her. 'Beautiful, isn't it? Legend has it that the lake is bottomless.'

'Yeah, right,' Leah said, laughing.

'They also say the dragon Afanc lives at the bottom of it.' he told her. 'So you'd better be careful what you say, little miss.'

'Thought you said it didn't have a bottom,' Leah retorted, jumping down from Valantin and leading him towards the water copying Gabriel, Hannah thought, with a p.r.i.c.kle of unease.

Gabriel held up his hands in mock resignation. 'Ouch. Scuppered by a twelve year old.'

'You know, I'm actually only nine,' Leah told him, her face solemn.

'Thanks, little miss, but that makes it even worse. Here, let Valantin have a drink for a while. Once he's had his fill, we'll give him some grain. It's in one of the packs. I'll show you what to do. In the meantime,' he said, unfastening a pannier from Salomon, 'it's lunchtime, and unless I give you a decent feed, I've a feeling your ma's going to tan my hide.'

Gabriel spread two large blankets beside Llyn Cau's sh.o.r.e and weighed down their corners with rocks. From the pannier he produced baguettes, a side of ham wrapped in foil, roasted chicken, a block of cheddar. He set out plates and cups, and took out a knife. Its blade looked cold and sharp.

Uns.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the cap from a large thermos, he asked, 'Who's for tomato soup?'

'Me!' Leah sat down on the blanket as Gabriel poured out three steaming servings. Hannah joined them, cradling a cup between her chilled fingers.

'Up there's the summit,' he said, nodding at the highest of the peaks before them. 'Penygadair. We won't tackle it today. It's a steep ascent. But on a good day the views are spectacular.'

'They're spectacular here.'