19
Gavin knew he must be out of his mind to be touring the tunnels and caverns beneath Ironcross without having warned Joanna first. But then, Athol’s candid acknowledgment, and then his surprising willingness to serve as guide, had compelled him to hammer away while the metal glowed hot. He couldn’t hold back from putting Athol to the test.
Gavin knew, of course, that he must be alert and make enough noise to warn Joanna of their approach. Before leaving his chamber this morning, he had at least forced her to tell him that she had fixed a secure place by the underground loch. And from all that she’d said to make him feel comfortable about letting her go, Gavin had gotten a better sense of the extent and the complexity of these caverns and the maze of tunnels. Furthermore, she’d sworn to
