Chasing the Sun

XXV

|| - Sister - ||

The moment before chaos everything's in its place...

The woods were shriveled up brown and thorny standing under a ruthlessly heated sun. Their green cover was so thin and patched that it hardly offered any screen to the scattered life within. James McLane let his ice blue gaze wander through the barks and branches occasionally flitting towards the cloudless sky where his hunting hawks were making their own rounds.

He liked the weighed of rifle on his shoulder and the feeling of death on the command of his fingertips. There was no better cure to his shifting nerves or faltering temper. The senior McLane knew that before he faced his son, he need to relieve his stress somewhere or else he might fail to steer the conversation towards the outcome that he desired.

There were few points to be cleared between them. The sooner it was done, the better their progress would be.

Somewhere close by a stream giggled. Water was a sure sign of lurking life and James urged his stallion towards the source of the sound. He did not break from the thicket of the forest choosing to remain sheltered as he observed the banks of the isolated stream. Unware of the doom lurking behind the shadow of the trees a stag raised its magnificent head after a long swallow.

James locked his target his soldier instinct taking over as his mind went blank. He was a great shooter who had never missed a target. Like a predator he made no sound as he waited for the perfect moment to release the bullet. One shot and the animal would be down. As he waited his eyes noted the details about the stag, the way its coat glittered in the sunlight, the fine elegance of its antlers and the simple grace of its being. Then he shot.

And he missed.

At the same moment when his rifle released the ammunition a different hand jerked it off its path. The bullet ended up hitting a branch high up to the left from the original target and the stag with its tail in the air and ears perked up flew back into the heart of the woods. A cloud of birds chirping and mumbling took flight in a musical chaos.

"Good morning lord McLane," greeted Lilian Kent.

James took another moment to mask his disappointment and the wary look in his eyes. His face was as blank as his tone when he returned the greeting.

"Miss Kent," he said. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Oh," Lillian raised an eyebrow as she said in a light tone. "Is that so? I believed you wished to see me as soon as I could manage."

"Indeed I did," agreed the old man as the two led their horses to the currently deserted water and dismounted as the beasts drank their fill. "But I did not quite picture our meeting involving a missed bullet and a lost prey."

"These woods are hallowed my lord," Lilly chirped. "'I'm sure the Rani would not take it lightly if she comes to know beasts in her holy forest were slayed to relieve stress."

"Ever the informed," commented McLane in a clipped tone.

"And observant," supplied Lily.

James held her gaze for a moment inwardly thinking. It seemed she did not disappoint him for the corners of his mouth tugged upwards after a moment.

"May I inquire what the conclusion of your observations had been then my dear Miss Kent?"

"You placed me next to your son not simply as an ally but as a spy – which could only mean that you do not trust him as much as you like to portray."

"It could also be that I'm a father looking out for my son's mistakes with his best interest at heart?" McLane offered gently.

"Still you do not let him proceed entirely on his ways and means – you choose to force his hand by placing Keren at stake here under Gayatri's custody when you see it fit."