Page 19 of Midnight Sun
“That’s very reassuring.”
With a loud bang, something slams against the side of the cabin. Jamie will later deny that he squealed in alarm.
“And that would be some sheep running against the lodge. And before you ask, yes they’re stupid like that.”
“They just run against buildings?” Jamie asks dubiously.
Finn bursts out laughing. The rich, warm sound washes over Jamie like soothing rain.
“You have no idea what sheep do, especially when startled. I’ve seen them falling into ditches and running against barn doors. When you ride out to round your herd up for the winter, you always have to rescue some out of hilarious situations.”
“So, you and your siblings really get onto these teeny tiny horses and bring in the sheep for the winter?”
The mental picture of the endeavor is endearing. Also, Jamie has to grudgingly admit that the thought of Finn doing farmwork is kind of sexy. He has no idea where this sudden interest comes from, because he normally isn’t attracted to the lumberjack type.
“You don’t get to make fun of our horses, foreigner!” Finn cries in mock dismay. “You really want me to go hard on you in training tomorrow, don’t you?”
“You can try,” Jamie replies loftily, already feeling much more light-hearted.
“Also, I’ll have you know that our horses are extremely sturdy and sure-footed. You couldn’t navigate such a rough landscape on just any horse.”
Jamie crawls back into bed, wrapping himself in his blanket. From time to time, strange noises still filter inside, but they no longer seem threatening. Jamie lets Finn’s tales of sheep and trolls lull him into sleep.
The sun is high above the mountains, and the air is pleasantly warm. After a late breakfast, they pack their training gear and set off on foot into the wilderness. In broad daylight, nothing suspicious can be seen outside the cabin. Finn shows him some sheep grazing in the sparse vegetation. The animals look at them in askance as they pass, but otherwise don’t react to their presence. Jamie feels the relief in his bones.
At first, they’re going for an easy hike, and Jamie admires the breathtaking beauty of the landscape. As they roll out their yoga mats in a particularly picturesque spot and begin their workout with a relaxed yoga routine, Jamie can’t resist teasing Finn about his training being lax. But secretly he has to admit that Finn picked the most serene and beautiful location for their training. If Finn had a talented photographer like Audrey, he could make a fortune with an Instagram channel. Jamie would certainly drool over pictures of Finn doing advanced yoga poses in front of the rugged landscape of the Highlands. Having this silent moment all to themselves feels even more precious, almost intimate.
But all too soon, Finn pulls out their training swords and instructs Jamie on the drill he wants to practice.
“This is too easy. Your training isn’t much of a challenge for me,” Jamie complains.
He probably shouldn’t have. Soon the only sound Jamie hears is his heavy breathing and the rhythmic thumping of their wooden training swords hitting against each other. He’s long since revised his initial assessment. Finn isn’t soft; he’s the toughest trainer Jamie has ever had. Damn him.
Jamie dances out of Finn’s range again. His sword arm’s getting tired and his shoulder is starting to cramp.
“Stop evading me. Try to stay focussed on the drill. You know the sequence.”
“This is tedious,” Jamie whines while blocking Finn’s unrelenting blows. “As you say, I already know the sequence.”
“But your movements still don’t flow smoothly.”
Jamie is seething. What does he mean ‘not smoothly’?
“Are you calling me graceless?”
Finn grins like he said something funny. The utter arse!
“No. Not without grace. But you’re too used to relying solely on your strength and talent. And both will only get you so far.”
“So you admit that I’m stronger than you are?”
“You wish, little one.”
Okay, enough is enough. This man needs to be taught a lesson. Jamie directs one last badly aimed blow at Finn before he retreats some steps.
“Enough. I need a break.”
Finn is still smiling in fond amusement, but puts his training sword aside. Not before doing a fancy twirl, though. Show off. Jamie lowers his wooden sword too and inches closer to Finn. He might be a sword fighting expert, but Jamie did plenty of action movies before and most of them required close combat training.