Branded By a Warrior (36 page)

The sun still peeked out from the mountaintops as Broderick gave chase, he needed to catch Kendrix, and he needed to settle this. Lord knew this wasn’t the homecoming he had envisioned for weeks.

Kendrix’s warhorse was fast, and Kendrix was a skilled rider, there were few with his skill. Catching him would be difficult, following the tracks in the snow he raced on until he saw the sliver of his brother on horseback in the far distance.

The cold breeze bit his face once aga
in as he yelled for his brother, the familiar cadence of his horse’s galloping echoed through the empty frozen forest.

“Kendrix, STOP!”
He ordered loudly
at the top of his lungs, in the distance he saw Kendrix look behind him and pull his horse back.

Broderick rode towards his brother as he watched him dismount his horse and wait with crossed arms and a seething scowl.
Kendrix was livid.

Riding up, Broderick slid off his horse, “I came home to find Siobhan’s mother crying over her exiled daughter, accusing you and
Elisabeth of grave betrayals, finding my wife in your arms made me think her words had indeed been true
. Please tell me she was wrong, and that I am an ass.
”

Kendrix’s jaw muscled clenched as he thought over his reply, “Brother, in your heart do you honestly believe that I would bed your wife? T
hat Elisabeth
,
The fucking Warrior Queen of Scotl
and
would cuckold her husband?
So much has changed s
ince you left Broderick, she has
done only what you asked
and made this castle a happier place
!” S
haking his head in disbelief, “I love her, aye, but as my
sister
! You,” pointing right into Broderick’s chest, “You charged me with her safety and well being, I gave you my vow Brother,
my
vow
! You let the words of some rattle brained mother of a whore
make you
doubt me, and your loving
wife?” Kendrix
questioned with contempt.

“What happened in my study, wh
y is there blood everywhere?” Broderick
question
ed
easily, not wanting to flame his younger brother’s temper more.

Kendrix bowed his head, “I was training with her and she lost focus, I delivered a blow to her sword arm in which I had just finished closing up before you so gloriously came upstairs and ripped her heart out
.
”

“What were you to discussing as I walked in, w
hat does she need to tell me?” H
e asked carefully, unsure he wanted to hear the answer.

Shaki
ng his head, Kendrix replied, “T
hat I cannae share, that is for your wife to explain,
if
she ever talks to you again
.
”

Stepping closer to his brother, Broderick pulled Kendrix in for a hug, and earnestly said, “I am ashamed Brother, I am sorry. I love you, I do not understand why I cannae control my emotions when it comes to her
.
”

Feeling Kendrix thump
his back
as he hugged him back
, “Ye are a bloody fool sometimes Broderick, that woman has mourned your absence every moment of every day since you’ve been away. Ye need to make it right with her,
and then
I’ll accept your apology
.
”

A screamed ripped through the woods, a
scream they were both familiar with.

“Isobel
!
” Broderick growled, both brothers scanning the woods for sign of the small lass.

From the dark shadows of the evening woods, they heard an ominous voice, a voice they both knew and hated.
The hair on the back of
Broderick’s neck stood up as Kincaid slowly
appeared out of the shadows holding Isobel.

“Look at who I found trying to find you Laird MacMillan, your lovely little
niece
, Isobel, isn’t it?” Kincaid
sneered
as he held
Iso
bel as she squirmed in his arms upon his horse.

“Da!” her innocent pl
ea pierced the darkenin
g night as
she
began to cry trying to reach out to Kendrix.

“Let her go Kincaid, or I will kill you now!” Kendrix stepped forward, drawing his blade from its sheath.
From behind Kincaid, ten more Douglas warriors appeared on horseback, battle ready kilted vile men.

“I’ve been waiting for one of you to make a mistake, you can imagine my delight when little sweet Isobel came
trotting
through the woods, alone in search of her beloved Uncle and Da, oh a finer present I have never received in me life
!” T
he flame haired Laird smirked as he looked down at Broderick and Kendrix.

Both men had their hands on their blades; Broderick was quickly running through the scenarios in his mind as his brother stared down the vile mu
rderous laird who held Isobel.
They were greatly outnumbered, with Kincaid holding Isobel’s life in his sadistic hands; he was unwilling to engage the warriors.
Broderick knew that Kincaid would easily kill Isobel to prove a point. He was not willing to gamble with his niece’s life with such a merciless bastard.

Stepping next to his brother, shoulder to shoulder, “W
hat
are ye terms?” He
spit out. Internally willing Kendrix not to do anything rash, they needed to keep their wits about them.

“You
,
my fine Laird MacMillan and your brother and niece shall accompany me to my camp; ye will be my bait to bring forth the elusive Warrior Queen of Scotland. I will trade her for your three lives
.” H
e grinned as he ran his hand over Isobel’s hair.

“
Take our weapons, and
let Isobel ride with her father
and you have a deal
.
” Broderick spat out in disgust, his primary concern was getting Isobel away from a notorious rapist.

Kincaid’s grin broadened into a smile as signaled for his men to dismount and disarm the warriors standing before him, “So easily ye trade your lives for Elisabeth’s, I wonder what she’ll say about that Laird MacMillan
.
”

Broderick stood perfectly still as Kincaid’s men disarmed
him of his weapons, taking with them the swor
d Elisabeth had given him on their
wedding
day
. He thought of her as he watched them strip his brother of his swords and daggers as well.

Was she okay? Would she ever forgive him?
God he had made a muck of his relationship with her once again, beside him his brother tensed under the stress of having his only daughter held as prisoner.

“Easy Kendrix
.” H
e warned
quietly
as the Douglas warriors secured their hands behind their backs with harsh rope.
He could tell Kendrix was struggling to accept the fact that Isobel was now Kincaid’s prisoner, as they all were.

“Get on your horses, I’ll hand the girl over to her father. If either of you try anything I will make you watch her die. Hurry, I have a lette
r to write to my dear Elisabeth.
” Kincaid foretold as sat like a smug ass upon his horse.

The MacMillan brothers swun
g into their saddles, their rei
ns seized by Douglas men, and brought over to
Kincaid. Everything
in Broderick’s soul wanted to lung out and murder Kincaid with his bare hands, something easily done, however with Isobel here, he refused to risk her life. He knew that Elisabeth had his vast army at her disposal. She
would come. Even if he had broken her heart into a million pieces, The Warrior Queen of Scotland would ride upon Kincaid and his men and bring down cold death upon them.

She would come for him, she would come for Kendrix, and she would most assuredly come for her beloved niece Isobel. Broderick knew without a shadow of doubt, Kincaid’s
fatal
error was kidnapping Isobel. He had seen it well before he left, imagining their bond had grown stronger in his absence, Elisabeth loved Isobel dearly. She would make a d
eal with the devil to save Isobel
, and he counted on her
wit and military training to save them all.
The woman had not earned the title of Warrior Queen of Scotland without having a few tricks up her
sleeve;
their lives depended on her.
He knew his wife was capable and far more intelligent than Kincaid, her rage and vengeance would fuel her.

Broderick watched as Kincaid drew up beside him with
Isobel;
her eyes red from crying
, with his eyes only upon his niece, he
watched Kincaid
easily lift Isobel into
Kendrix
’s saddle
.

The flaming haired
Douglas
Laird pointed a finger at the lass and warned, “No problems child, I would hate for ye to see your Da and Uncle die because of you. Ask your Aunt Elisabeth, watching yer family die
before your eyes is something no lass should see,” he taunted with
a
cold evil tone, “Shall we gentleman?
So much to do, so much to do!” L
aughing, Kincaid kicked his horse and took off, his guards following closely. The Douglas warriors
secured
Broderick and Kendrix’s horses to their own, and without warning, spurred their horses in chase of their master.

Broderick and Kendrix rode side by side, behind the traveling warriors he heard his younger brother trying to calm Isobel.
“Hold on to my belt, cover yer face with my tartan love, we will be okay darling
.
” Kendrix voice was calm and soothing to the child.

“Aunt Elisabeth will come for us Isobel
.
” Broderick added, low enough that only they could hear. The men before them ignoring them completely, the thundering of hooves drove out their low voices.

Seeing her bright blue eyes pierce his soul
as she asked
, “Promise Uncle Broderick?”

“I promise on my honor my love, Aunt Elisabeth will come,
she love
s you with all her heart Isobel. S
he will rescue us
, she will come my love.
” H
e vowed.

Thundering through the night, the Douglas men took them to a large camp just west of his lands, it took only hours to reach the encampment. The camp had shown signs of lengthy stay; they had been here for weeks, if not longer. Tents lined under the natural protection of a nearby mountain range, smoke rose from the numerous fires throughout camp. Broderick easily estimated Douglas numbers to reach the two hundred or more.

He and Kendrix memorized the entire layout, where weapons were stored, food and cattle
as they passed through the camp
. The tents of warriors encircled the largest tent of them
all;
he knew that is where Kincaid made his bed. In the center of the circle two large posts stood, arriving into camp the Douglas men che
ered with victory seeing their l
aird bring home the enemy with so few men.

Isobel shook with fear at the roar of the crowd, so young and innocent it made Broderick’s blood boil to see her so fearful.

Out of the large tent, the door opened and out stepped Siobhan. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the traitor, beside him he heard Kendrix spit as he said her name.

An eerie smile warmed her face as she saw what Kincaid had brought back to camp. Turning her gaze to Kincaid, she awaited him to dismount before walking over to him.

Broderick and Kendrix watched in disgust as Kincaid
claimed Siobhan’s mouth in a sickening kiss before he turned back to them and ordered his men, “Tie them to the post, bring the lass to Siobhan, and get me a courier!”

“No!” Kendrix shouted
his voice rippled through the frozen forest
, refusing to give his daughter over to the vicious bitch.

“I won’t hurt her Kendrix, not unless she gives me trou
ble, isn’t that right Isobel?”
Siobhan
cautioned
with a wicked grin
as she eyed the child upon Kendrix’s lap.

Beside
him, Broderick
heard Isobel whisper
to her father
, “T
is okay Da, A
unt Elisabeth will be here soon.
She
willnae let Siobhan
live again
if she harms me
. I’ll be alright Da, promise
.
”

Such bravery in his niece made his heart swell with
pride
as he listened to father and daughter
;
she was a true MacMillan warrior, even
at the tender age of
five.