Highland Champion (8 page)

“And then he came after you?”

“Aye, but he wasnae planning to kill me. If not for his need to humiliate me and to show me what he had done to my husband, I probably would ne’er have escaped him. He was so enraptured by his victory and so certain no woman would have the wit to do aught but what he told her to, he didnae watch me closely.”

“But he did hurt ye. Matthew told me ye were sorely wounded.”

“I was. I tried to fight him, and that enraged him. I managed to get out of the keep and found help in getting away from Ardgleann. Since then, I have hidden away at the monastery.”

“Ye needed to heal from your wounds,” Liam said, even though he felt certain that simple truth would not be enough to ease the guilt he sensed behind her every word. “And what is your plan now?”

“I must think of a way to fulfill my vow to Duncan and help the people of Ardgleann. They are a gentle people, peaceful and interested only in their work. Weavers, carvers, and the like. Craftsmen, nay warriors. I have left them in Rauf’s brutal care for too long. ’Tis past time I fulfill my oath to help them.”

“’Tis time
we
fulfill that oath.”

“We?” Keira fought the urge to accept his aid readily.

“Aye. We. I am going to help you.”

“Nay, this is
my
battle. I am the one who made the vow. I am the one who must face the risks.”

Liam was not surprised that she was refusing his offer. Brother Matthew had told him that she did not even wish to draw her kinsmen into the battle. He was ready with his arguments. He was also prepared to stay close by her side whether she wanted him there or not.

“Lass, ye barely escaped alive from what your cousin told me. Ye need help.”

“This isnae your fight.”

“I am making it mine.”

“Liam, ye have a broken leg.”

“’Tis nearly healed. It will be healed by the time men are gathered to fight Moubray and the necessary plans are made for the battle that must be fought. Sweet Keira, would ye deny a mon the right to repay ye for saving his life? Would ye deny him the chance to be your champion?”

“Aye,” she said. “I would most certainly deny ye the right to get yourself killed.”

“And if ye refuse all help, how do ye plan to rid Ardgleann of this brute? I doubt he will just sit still as ye creep up on him and bury a dagger in his heart”

Keira was not about to admit that she had no plan. Her thoughts had been centered mostly on how to keep her family from joining her in fighting Rauf. She had seen what the man did to anyone who had the courage to face him, and she did not want her family anywhere near the man. For many of the same reasons, she did not want Liam to play at being her champion. His life had become too dear to her, something she had no intention of letting him know.

“There is no need to be so snide,” she murmured. “I will think of something. Mayhap when he tries again to rape me, I will just gut him,” she muttered, then cursed herself for letting that small secret out.

Liam grabbed her reins and stopped her horse. “That is how ye were injured? He raped ye?”

“He
tried
to rape me. I was injured when I objected rather strongly. Then he decided I needed humbling, so he was going to do it in the village, forcing all the people to watch.”

The urge to ride straight for Ardgleann and kill Rauf Moubray was difficult to subdue. Liam wanted the man to suffer for hurting Keira. He wanted the man to suffer very badly indeed for what he had planned to do to her. Common sense pushed aside his mad impulse. The only thing he would probably accomplish if he rode off in a blind rage was to get himself killed.

“
We
will fight Rauf,” he said firmly.

“’Tis not right to risk the lives of others when I was the one who made the vow and I am the one who gains if that mon is defeated.”

“Aye, ye will gain, but so will many others. The people of Ardgleann will be free. I suspect the neighboring clans will also gain, if only in peace of mind. A mon like Moubray is a threat to more than ye, lass. Landless and poor, he was only a passing threat, but now he has a sturdy keep to shelter in and whate’er wealth he can bleed out of the lands and the people there. He has walls to hide behind and coin to hire men and arm them. He has now murdered a laird and claimed lands that arenae his. Now he is not only an outlaw of the worst kind but also a true threat to all around him. How long before he decides one victory and the gain it brought him isnae enough? How long before he hungers for more? Nay, lass,
we
will fight Rauf, and I have nay doubt there will be many men ready and eager to join us in that fight.”

He was right in all he said. Keira knew it, and it made her heart ache. “I dinnae want anyone to die because of a vow I made,” she whispered.

Liam leaned over and gently kissed her. “I dinnae want anyone to die either, but sometimes the fight is worth the risk. Aye, ’tis your land and your people, but that doesnae change the fact that such a mon is everyone’s curse. Trust me in this, at least. Rauf Moubray will soon bleed Ardgleann dry and look for more. I promise ye, those who
live upon the borders of Ardgleann are already preparing for him to reach out for them.”

When Liam released her reins and started to ride again, Keira hurried to keep pace with him. “Do ye think those clans will wish to join with us?”

“Unless they are blind fools or cowards, aye.”

“Ye seem so certain that others will wish to march against Rauf,” she murmured, still uneasy about others fighting what she saw as her battle yet unable to argue with any of Liam’s reasoning.

“I
am
certain. Rauf Moubray is like a rotting limb that needs to be cut off ere it kills the mon. I have no doubt in my mind that many of my kinsmen will be eager to go against him. Aye, some will do so because they like a good fight, but most will do so for all of those other reasons I mentioned.”

“That is why ye insisted we go to Scarglas, isnae it?”

“Aye, one of the reasons. One thing my cousins ken weel is how to fight and how to survive.”

Keira prayed he was right, for she knew she would forever bear the weight of every injury and death in the battle ahead of them.

“
This
is where Fiona lives?”

Keira stared at the keep they rode toward with a mixture of awe and trepidation. Everything about it made one think of defense and battle. Someone had spent a lot of time, effort, and coin to make Scarglas as impregnable as any place ever could be. Only constant threat could inspire such an effort, and she had to wonder exactly what sort of man Fiona had married.

“Aye, ’tis Scarglas. They have had some troubled years, but things are more peaceful now,” Liam replied.

“It looks as if they thought themselves under constant siege.”

“In some ways they were. The old laird had a true skill for making enemies. Ye havenae heard much from Fiona since she married?”

“Nay. Grandmere does, and cousin Gillyanne, but I have heard naught that would have prepared me for this fortress.”

“Weel, the old laird may take ye by surprise as weel then. He is ill-tempered, and ere he wed his latest wife, he seemed intent upon breeding his own army. Just remember, when it comes to the old laird, he is more bark than bite. We may be lucky, and he willnae be there. Of late, he has taken to traveling to visit his children who dinnae abide at Scarglas. Fiona quickly won his heart for she stands up to him.”

“Aye, she would. Liam, I really dinnae feel right asking aid from your kinsmen when I havenae e’en asked it of my own.”

Then ’tis past time ye told them of your troubles.” He silenced her beginning protests with a wave of his hand. “Brother Matthew may think ye have written to your kinsmen and told them at least some of the truth, but ye havenae, have ye?”

Keira sighed and shook her head. That was wrong and I ken it, but each time I tried to write, I faltered. I couldnae think of how to say just enough without saying too much or rousing their suspicions. I am a little surprised that none of my kinsmen arrived at the monastery, but they may have forgotten how close Matthew and I were as children. It was many years ago.”

“Ye best tell them something soon, lass. They may have already heard of your husband’s death. The truth will fret them less than dark rumors.”

That was true, but Keira had no time to agree or discuss just what she should tell her family. The moment Liam led them through the gates, they were surrounded by people. There were so many big, strong men gathered to greet them, she felt a little uneasy. A big, handsome redhead swiftly pulled Liam from the saddle. A silent, dark man with a scarred face helped her dismount almost absently, for his attention was fixed upon Liam. They had obviously discovered that he had gone missing, and she suddenly thought of all the rumors her family might have heard about her by now. It was definitely time to send them word, she decided as she grabbed her saddle pack before a young boy led her horse away.

She relaxed a little when Liam pushed his way to her side, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and began to introduce her to everyone. There were so many that she held fast to only a few names, including Sigimor, the laird of Dubheidland, and Ewan, the laird of Scarglas. The others would have to be learned more slowly.

Liam held her hand as they entered the keep and were led to the great hall. Keira knew it was not exactly proper for her to allow such a familiarity, but she felt a strong
need for his support. His cousins were somewhat overwhelming.

“Keira? ’Tis really you?” called out a woman.

Even as Keira looked around to see who had spoken to her, a slender fair-haired woman rushed up to embrace her. “Fiona?”

Fiona stood back a little and smiled. “Aye, ’tis Fiona. Have I changed so much in but five years?”

“Och, nay, but I think a lot has happened to ye in that time that no one told me about.” She lightly touched one of the little scars that marked each of Fiona’s cheeks. “And not all of it good, aye?”

“True enough, but we can talk about that later.” Fiona tugged her away from the men, leading her to the head table and gently pushing her down into a seat. “I suspect ye are hungry and thirsty. Here. Let me take your saddle pack.”

“Oh, wait.” Keira saw no signs of dogs in the great hall, so she carefully removed the kittens from her saddle pack. “We found these sweet things in the wood.”

In between hearing all of Fiona’s trials and triumphs over the last five years, Keira told her some of her own as they ate and fed the kittens. Keira found herself debating the wisdom of telling Fiona the one thing she had not told anyone else. Although she was both shamed and embarrassed by what had happened in her marriage, one she had had such hopes for, she found she was hungry for the opinion of another woman. She felt certain she could trust Fiona to keep her secret, but Keira finally decided to give herself a little more time to consider the matter.

It was just as she was teasing Thunder into sitting up to get the small piece of cheese she was dangling in front of him that Keira realized it had grown very quiet. She looked around to find all the men standing near or sitting at the head table watching her and Fiona play with the kittens, their expressions an interesting mixture of amusement and disbelief. The soft warmth in Sir Ewan’s eyes as he looked at Fiona told Keira why the woman had married such a dark, scarred, and solemn man. Keira had to work hard to smother the pinch of envy.

“There are cats upon my table, Fiona,” Sir Ewan said.

“Kittens, Ewan,” Fiona said. “Wee, helpless creatures cruelly cast out into the wood, alone, motherless, hungry, and terrified.” She sighed dramatically. “Were Liam and Keira nay kind to give them aid and shelter?”

“And ye think that means they can eat at my table?”

“Weel, just this once.” Fiona grinned and kissed his cheek. “Especially since your father isnae here. Now, have ye assured yourselves that Liam is weel and safe?” She glanced at Liam as he sat down on the other side of Keira. “Except for that broken leg, of course. Keira told me how it happened. Angered some mon, did ye, Liam?”

“Actually, I begin to think it was the woman who sent those men to beat me and toss me off a cliff,” Liam replied as he helped himself to some bread, cold grouse, and cheese, then scowled at Lightning, who moved to sit by his plate. “Ye ate all my mutton, ye wee white piglet. Ye are not getting any of this.”

Keira frowned as she thought over all that Lady Maude had said back at the cottage, and then she gasped as she realized Liam was right. “What a verra odd thing for a woman who calls ye her sweet prince to have done to ye.”

Liam groaned and glared at a widely grinning Sigimor. “Lady Maude is a blight upon my life. If she doesnae cease this mad game, one day her husband
will
kill me.”

“We shall have to sort that out,” said Sigimor. “We cannae have the mon killing our
sweet prince
.”

“Oh, dear,” Keira murmured when she realized her words had given Liam’s cousins fodder for many a teasing remark. “Sorry, Liam.”

“So ye should be,” he muttered as, unable to endure the way Lightning’s big blue eyes followed each piece of meat from the plate to his mouth, Liam gave the cat some. “My problem isnae the most important, however.”

“Nay, the battle to free Ardgleann certainly takes precedence over your romantic entanglements.”

“There is no entanglement with Lady Maude, and ye weel ken it, Sigimor. She is married. Unfortunately, she has her husband believing there has been something between us. But as ye say, that irritant isnae important now. ’Tis Ardgleann and Rauf Moubray that concerned me the most.”

Sigimor nodded and poured himself some ale. “He is a boil that badly needs lancing.”

“Do ye ken who he is?” Keira asked.

“I have ne’er met the mon,” Sigimor replied. “If I had, we wouldnae be troubled with him now. I have seen what he is capable of, however. The mon is naught but a rabid beast. It will be good to kill him.”

Keira felt Fiona tense at her side. She turned to see the woman staring hard at her husband. It was a little astonishing to see such a big, dark man look uneasy beneath that steady feminine gaze.

“Ye are going to war?” Fiona asked Ewan.

“I am considering joining this fight, aye,” Ewan replied. “’Tis a just cause. The mon murdered Lady Keira’s husband, nearly killed her, and has stolen her lands, and from all Sigimor has told us, the people he doesnae kill will wish they were dead. I willnae be riding off on the morrow. This requires some careful planning.”

Although Fiona slowly nodded, Keira could still feel the tension in the woman. Sir Ewan obviously did as well for he kept hold of his wife’s hand, almost idly stroking the back of it with his thumb. This was one part of war Keira had not given much thought to. It was not just the men who actually fought the battle who could suffer. There were loved ones left behind to wait and pray for their man’s safe return. She wanted to say there was no need for such concern as she would allow no one to fight this battle for her, but there was no turning back now. Liam had told the men everything, and as her father liked to say, their blood was up.

After a few moments of idle talk, Fiona escorted Keira to a bedchamber. The woman said very little, breaking the thick silence only when she introduced Keira to the children in the nursery. Keira felt guiltier with every step she took.

“I am verra sorry, Fiona,” she said the moment they entered the bedchamber she was to use while staying at Scarglas.

Fiona looked at her in surprise. “What for?”

Setting the kittens on the bed, Keira sat down on the edge of it. “For drawing these men into my troubles.”

“Och, nay, this isnae your fault.” Fiona sat down next to her. “
I
am sorry if my brooding made ye think that I blame ye. Nay, I but hate the thought of my Ewan going to war, and always will. I will set it aside soon. This is what men do. I but thank God my
husband chooses his battles most carefully and does all he can to avoid a fight. He isnae like his father, who seemed to make enemies with astonishing ease. Although the old fool did finally see the error of his ways. Nay, this isnae your doing. ’Tis the fault of that brutal swine who has stolen your lands.”

“That is what Liam said. That ’tis a just fight and that Rauf is a mon who, now that he has a place to hide in and coin for men and arms, will soon seek to steal from others.”

“Exactly. ’Tis best to stop him at Ardgleann. I think it best if ye send word to your family. They would like to have a part in this, I am sure. I think they would also like to ken that ye are still alive.”

“What do ye mean?” Keira asked, her voice softened by shock.

“I have had several messages from them asking for some word of ye. They have heard that your husband was murdered and by whom. They have also heard that no one has seen ye since that day.”

Keira closed her eyes and rubbed a hand over her forehead, cursing herself for not thinking of such a consequence of her silence. “I had hoped they wouldnae hear such rumors. Foolish of me. I should be flogged for my thoughtlessness.”

Fiona laughed and then kissed Keira on the cheek. “I, too, have been guilty of causing my family worry. When I first met Ewan and he decided to hold me for ransom, I refused to tell him who I was. I also decided that this was a fine place to hide from that madmon who was hunting me. It was a long time ere my family kenned if I was dead or alive, and in the time I held silent, I gave only a passing thought or two to the worry my disappearance would cause Connor. I suspect Sigimor will make Liam verra aware of his displeasure over getting nary a word about where he was or what had happened.”

“Ah, true, ’tis a common sin, I suspect. Is my family looking for me then?”

“Aye. They have been here once, and I feel they may soon come again.”

“Then I had best get word to them as quickly as I can. ’Twill be better for me if they have a few days to calm down betwixt getting my news and seeing me.”

“Bathe, rest, and sup with us first. We can send a lad off to take the word to them in the morning.”

Keira nodded, and Fiona left to order up a bath for her. The speed with which it arrived told Keira it had been anticipated from the moment she had arrived at Scarglas. With the bath came a box of sand for her kittens and a lovely clean gown of deep green wool for her to wear. The moment the last maid left, taking all of Keira’s clothes to be cleaned, Keira sank into the hot bath with a sigh of pure delight. She was little embarrassed to admit it, even to herself, but one of the things she most appreciated about this hot bath was that she had not had to ready it.

It was not until she was done with her bath and sitting before the fire to dry her hair that Keira realized there was one thing wrong with all of this comfort. Liam was not here, nor would he soon join her. She gasped slightly at the sharp bite of pain that realization brought her. The parting had already begun, and she was not ready for it. There would be no more quiet talks before the fire, no more unwitnessed chess games, no more listening to him breathe as he slept only feet away from her. They would still see each other until Rauf was defeated, but the loss of that close companionship they had enjoyed for a month was more devastating than she could ever have imagined.

She loved him, and if that was not the height of idiocy, she did not know what was. She had not protected her heart at all; she had simply lied to it. Keira fought the urge to
hurl herself upon the bed and weep until she was too exhausted with grief to move. That would solve nothing. She could not afford to wallow in despair either, for it would mark her face and she was expected to join everyone in the great hall later. Somehow, she was going to have to face them all, to face Liam, and pretend that everything was just as it had been before she had come up to this room. Staring at the comb she held and realizing that her hands were shaking, Keira wondered where she would find the strength for such a massive deceit.

Liam cursed as Sigimor scrubbed his back with far more vigor than was necessary. “If ye wish to punish me for nay telling ye where I was, please just hit me. ’Twould be easier to bear than having all the skin torn from my back.” Then he sighed as he stared down at the bathwater he stood in while Sigimor washed him off. “And I would think the humiliation I am suffering right now should be punishment enough.”