Return Of The Highlanders: The Guardian Part 32

"We've taken Knock Castle!" his father greeted them, raising his sword to the sky.

The men took in the smoldering keep and the bailey yard empty of MacKinnons and lowered their weapons. To a man, they looked disappointed.

"I could only gather a dozen men quickly," Grdan said, as he approached them.

"I'm grateful to ye for coming," Ian said and saw the pain in Grdan's eyes when they flicked to Sileas.

Grdan turned away and fixed his gaze on the smoke billowing out of the open doors of the keep. "I thought ye would need help, but I can see ye didn't."

"I do need your help," Ian said.

Grdan turned back. "Good. What would ye have me do?"

"It's near dark, so we'll have to stay here overnight," Ian said. "But in the morning, I must see my family home and get Connor to the gathering. Can ye hold the castle for me for a time?"

"Aye. The guardhouse hasn't been touched by the fire, so we can sleep there," Grdan said. "I'll send one man to the gathering tomorrow night to speak for all the men here." His gaze roved over the smoldering keep again. "With so much stone, the keep won't burn long. We'll save what we can, but I suspect there won't be much."

Ian thought of all the bad memories Sileas had of this castle, which was to be their home. He didn't want to keep a single stick of furniture, sheet, or floorboard.

"Let the men have anything they can salvage," he said. "Sileas and I will start anew."

From the way Sileas squeezed his hand, he knew he had made the right decision.

"Are ye all right, la.s.s?" his father asked her.

While Sileas talked with his father and Niall, Ian drew Grdan away for a private word.

"There's another favor I'd ask of ye," he said in a low voice.

Grdan looked at the ground and kicked at the dirt with the toe of his boot. "Ye know I owe ye after what my mother did."

"Can ye take care of Dina after we leave in the morning?" When Grdan's head snapped up, Ian added, "Just until I can find someone else to take her in."

"Is she your mistress?" Grdan hissed, his nostrils flaring. "I said I owe ye, but I'll no help ye deceive Sileas."

"Ye misunderstand me," Ian said, putting a hand up. "There will never be another woman for me but Sileas."

Grdan's lips were pressed into a hard line, but he was listening.

"I doubt we would have all gotten out alive without Dina's help," Ian said. "I don't like leaving her unprotected. Will ye watch over her and see that's she's safe?"

Grdan looked over at Dina, who was standing alone, hugging herself against the fine mist that had begun to fall.

"She's made mistakes," Ian said. "But we all deserve a chance to redeem ourselves."

"Aye, we do," Grdan said with a tight nod. "I'll see her safe."

CHAPTER 40.

It was damp and cold in the gatehouse, but they didn't go hungry that night. Grdan had brought dried fish, oatcakes, and cheese, and Father Brian-bless him-had the presence of mind to wheel the wine barrel out of the keep when he was escaping the fire.

After their cold supper, Father Brian led them in prayer. They bowed their heads to pray for the lives of Connor, Alex, and Duncan, and for the survival of their clan.

While the others dropped off to sleep or spoke in low voices, Ian huddled against the wall with Sileas, where he could watch the door. He couldn't be certain the MacKinnons would not return. Although he'd barred the gate and left a few men out on the wall in the rain to keep watch, he wouldn't rest easy tonight. He didn't have enough men to hold the castle against a full attack.

He wrapped his plaid tighter around Sileas and kissed her hair as she rested against his chest. Every time he thought of how close he had come to losing her, he felt as if a great fist squeezed his heart.

"There is something I need to tell ye," Sileas said in a low voice.

Blood pounded in Ian's ears as he braced himself to hear what he knew would be past bearing. But he must bear it and be strong for her.

"Was it Angus or Murdoc?" he asked in a choked voice. For as long as he lived, he would never forgive himself for being too late to save her from being taken in violence.

Sileas touched her fingers to his face. "No. That didn't happen."

Would she lie to spare him? He didn't want to press her now. When he had her safe, with hours before them to talk, he would find out all that had happened in the castle.

"I speak the truth," she said. "I wasn't certain ye would find me before one of them raped me, but ye did."

Relief flooded through him. Men had their hands on her and frightened her, but at least she had not suffered the worst violation.

"I never doubted ye would rescue me in the end," she said. "Ye always have."

Her faith in him overwhelmed him. Ian lifted her hand and kissed her fingers.

"And tomorrow, ye will make certain Hugh Dubh does not become our chieftain," she said in a determined voice. "Ye will do it for the clan, for Connor, and for all the others. And ye will do it for me."

"I'll do my best."

"What I wanted to tell ye is that Murdoc admitted he had an agreement with Hugh," Sileas said. "Hugh let him have Knock Castle-and me-in exchange for murdering Connor."

"I knew it," Ian said, pounding his fist on the dirt floor. "I promise ye, I will not let Hugh become chieftain."

He'd murder Hugh before he let that happen.

She let her head drop against his chest again. "I want to stay awake just to feel your arms around me," she said in a soft voice. "But I'm so tired, I can't keep my eyes open."

"Shhh. Sleep, mo chroi," he murmured, as she fell asleep in his arms.

Ian roused the men at first light. He was anxious to get his wife to a safer place and to see how Connor and the others fared. And there was no time to spare. The dark days of November were almost upon them; the celebration of Samhain would begin at sunset.

"Ian," Niall called from the gate. "Come see this."

Ian heard the urgency in his brother's voice and ran to join him on the drawbridge.

"There," Niall said, pointing out to sea, where three war galleys were sailing toward sh.o.r.e.

d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n. Ian squinted through the rain, trying to see who they were. G.o.d's blood, the man standing in the prow of the front ship was none other than his former jailor, s.h.a.ggy Lachlan Cattanach Maclean.

Why would s.h.a.ggy be coming here? With three galleys loaded with clansmen, it did not appear to be a friendly visit.

"Christ above," Ian said, "I don't have time to deal with a pack of murdering Macleans this morning."

Ian turned as Father Brian joined them on the drawbridge.

"I'm sure ye meant to call on the Lord's help, rather than take His name in vain," the priest said. "Because we'll be needing divine intervention, that's for certain."

Indeed they would, for the Macleans were landing.

"Quick, I need every man up on the wall!" Ian shouted, as he ran inside. "Each of ye take a dead man's shield with ye. The Macleans are coming, and we must make them believe there are more of us than there are."

He didn't object when Sileas and Dina followed Grdan up a ladder carrying shields. If s.h.a.ggy's men did break through, they would be safer up on the wall.

"I'm going down there," Ian called out to the others.

The rain and extra shields would only fool s.h.a.ggy from a distance, which meant he needed to keep s.h.a.ggy on the beach.

s.h.a.ggy was the sort who could smell weakness, so Ian made a point of walking as if he had all the time in the world as he made his way down to where s.h.a.ggy and his men had landed their boats.

"A bit far from home, aren't ye, s.h.a.ggy?" he said when he reached them.

He was glad to see that the younger man beside s.h.a.ggy was Hector, s.h.a.ggy's eldest son. Hector had a reputation for being both more sensible and more trustworthy than his father.

"What kind of fool faces three war galleys full of men alone?" s.h.a.ggy said, glaring at him from under his black eyebrows. "But then, I heard that the Douglas says ye are fearless to the point of foolishness."

Sometimes news traveled faster than men in the Highlands.

Ian shrugged. "I'm just curious about why ye are sailing these waters."

"I'm searching for that sweet little galley ye stole from me," s.h.a.ggy said. "I didn't see it when I sailed by your house, so I'm still looking."

Ian had the answer to one question. It must have been the sight of s.h.a.ggy's three war galleys off sh.o.r.e that had sent the MacKinnons running after they attacked Connor and the others. He didn't believe, however, that s.h.a.ggy had come just for his missing boat.

"I can't offer ye the kind of hospitality I'd like to," Ian said. "We had to burn the keep in the process of taking the castle, so the dungeon is in verra poor shape."

s.h.a.ggy started toward him, but his son grabbed his arm.

"I've a proposition for ye," Ian said. "And if ye aren't as mad as they say, you'll take it."

Hector held his father back a second time. "Let's hear it first, da."

"You've backed the wrong man in helping Hugh take the chieftainship from Connor. We escaped your dungeon, and now we've taken Knock Castle." Ian paused to let s.h.a.ggy consider this, before he said, "I suggest ye change sides while ye still can."

s.h.a.ggy growled, which Ian took as sufficient encouragement to continue.

"Hugh sat by while the MacKinnons took Knock Castle, which is why you were thinking you could come and take it yourself," Ian said. "If we have a chieftain who will not protect our lands, then the MacKinnons and the MacLeods will overrun us-and that will be the end of the MacDonalds on Skye."

Ian paused for a long moment. "Have ye thought about what the MacKinnons and their more powerful brothers, the MacLeods, would do if they had all of Skye?"

"What do I care what the d.a.m.ned MacLeods do?" s.h.a.ggy said.

Ian spread his hands. "If they don't have to worry about the MacDonalds on their doorstep, they'll be looking south to your lands on the Isle of Mull."

From the sideways glance Hector gave his father, Ian suspected Hector had given s.h.a.ggy precisely the same warning. Any man with sense knew maintaining a balance was important, with friends as well as enemies. In the Highlands, one often became the other.

"But that won't happen, because Connor will be chieftain." Ian folded his arms as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Connor is not a man ye want as your enemy. So if ye have any notion of attempting to take Knock Castle, you'd best reconsider."

s.h.a.ggy exchanged glances with his son.

"Hugh says he'll join the rebellion against the Crown," s.h.a.ggy said. "Would Connor?"

"Ye can't believe a word Hugh tells ye." Ian shrugged. "I can't speak for Connor, but he'll do whatever is best for our clan."

s.h.a.ggy fixed his eyes on Ian as he scratched his face through his beard. Despite the rain and cold wind blowing off the sea, sweat trickled down Ian's back. Time was growing short. He was anxious to have the Macleans gone so he could be on his way to get Connor.

All the same, he tilted his head back as if he were considering the weather until, at last, s.h.a.ggy spoke.

"Connor hasn't taken a wife yet, has he?"

Ian was so surprised by the question that he nearly laughed. Still, it wasn't hard to guess why s.h.a.ggy asked it. With the number of wives s.h.a.ggy had wed and then put aside over the years, he probably had an abundance of daughters to marry off.

"Connor isn't married... yet," Ian said, rocking back on his heels, and wishing the man would take his d.a.m.ned boats and leave.

"If Connor were to wed one of my daughters-a.s.suming he does become your chieftain," s.h.a.ggy said, "I could be persuaded to let him keep that galley as a wedding present."

"That galley is a fine, fast boat," Ian said. "I'll speak to Connor about your daughters."

"Tell him he can use the galley when he comes to fetch one of them." s.h.a.ggy's crooked teeth showed in the midst of his bushy beard, in what Ian took for a smile.

"When Connor comes for the wedding," s.h.a.ggy called back as he headed to his boat, "we'll discuss his position on the rebellion."

Poor Connor. He would have his hands full when he became chieftain.

If he still lived.

As soon as Ian was back inside the gate, he got his horse.

"I may not make it to Dunscaith Castle before the gathering begins," he said to his father, as he mounted. "Can ye delay the ceremony to choose the chieftain until I can get there with Connor?"

"The seannachie will tell stories of the clan from ancient times to the present," his father said. "When he comes to Connor's da, I'll add my own tales to honor my old friend, and I'll encourage the other older men to do so as well. It will be awkward for Hugh to cut us off. All the same, ye'd best have the wind at your back."

"I'm going with ye," Sileas said, reaching her hand up to him.