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Eodwine smiled. He wanted to be alone with her, too. But this day would not be truly theirs until all the festivities came to a close. This time was more for the folk than for themselves, and they must bear it patiently, and might as well enjoy the time.
"You want to prolong the chase, my love? I fear that the hills and rocks would slow us down as much as the others. We must bear the company of others for a few more hours."
Suddenly a wild hunger rose in him and a mad plan formed at once in his thought. After all their celebration and after all was quiet with sleeping folk at Scarburg, she and he could leave quietly on their two horses and roam the world, free of all care and responsibility, to see the wide open spaces together. It would be as it had been when he was a messenger for the king, traveling far and wide, only this time he would have Saeryn with him, and he knew she had the wanderlust too. He could taste it the heady flavor of it like a fine hoppy ale. He hugged Saeryn more tightly in reaction to the power of the enchantment.
But no, he was Eorl of Scarburg. He had duties that he did love, and people he loved. Thornden. Harreld. Ginna. Kara. He named them and brought them to mind one after the other, and so he came back to his senses.
"Let them catch us," he said at last. "We will have many hours together soon enough, both tonight and in days to come."
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