By the time they reached the granite ledge, Claire was panting and perspiring, while Jamie displayed no signs of exertion apart from a faint flush creeping up his neck. Above the pines, it was tranquil, with a steady wind whistling softly through the crevices of the rock. Swallows darted past the ledge, soaring abruptly on the air currents as they pursued insects, their slender wings gracefully extended.