So he had.
Thorn sighed, deciding to allow them in on one of his secrets. He pulled out his slinger, indicated that they needed to be quiet for a wee bit, and as soon as a rabbit came out of its hiding spot, he took a small rock and launched it at the animal, killing it instantly, the only way to do it in Thorn’s mind. He hated killing animals, but a man had to eat.
“Now skin it,” Ewan ordered.
“I thought you’d rather have some apples. See that tree over there, where all the ripe ones are too high to reach?” He held his slinger up and tipped his head with a smug look on his face, wondering if any of them would be smart enough to understand his meaning.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Ewan said.
Henry grinned. “He’ll get us the ripe apples from the branches instead of the half rotten ones on the ground.”
“You can?” Ewan looked, clearly excited by the prospect. “I like apples.”
Thorn said, “You skin, and I’ll get the apples.”
Ewan and Umfrey set to skinning while Thorn made his way to the tree, Henry right behind him with a dagger in hand. “Just in case you get any wise ideas about running, I promise I’ll hunt you down if you do. And when you’re finished with the apples, I’ll hold that slinger for you.”
Thorn had already realized the risk he ran by taking out the slinger, but he’d needed to prove himself useful. He brought down three ripe red apples, then asked, “Do you know Edinburgh well? I’m going after my sire. Wondered if you’ve crossed paths with him. I haven’t seen him in a long time.” He doubted he’d have any luck, but it was worth asking.
“Mayhap. I know plenty in Edinburgh. What’s his name?”
“Fulk Taylor. Lived in the north part of town but went to sea often.”
“Never came back, aye?” Henry said, indicating for him to pick up the apples he’d shot down. He’d hit a good dozen by now.
“I was told he died at sea. Sometimes I wonder. ’Tis all. Figured I would try to find him before ’tis too late.”
“Ye’re getting up in years to be looking for your sire.” Henry bit into an apple and thought for a bit. “I recall a Taylor, but I don’t know his other name. Mean old bastard sometimes, but quick with a dagger. Long beard.”
Thorn could hardly remember his sire, but he did recall his long beard. “Brown?”
“Gray.”
Thorn nodded, thinking enough time had passed he probably would be all gray. But Henry could also be lying to keep him invested in the journey. He’d probably made the entire thing up. Thorn gathered a few more apples, and they brought them over to the others. The moment he put the apples down, Henry held out his hand, and Thorn gave him the slinger.
“You can stick with us, can’t he, Henry?” Ewan said. “We eat better with Thorn around.”
“If you agree to take me to the man you recall as being Taylor, I’ll willingly go all the way to Edinburgh with you.”
“Deal. Now, don’t be trying to sneak away in the night. I wake up quick, and I will find you.” His beady eyes had locked on to Thorn’s, and from the intent look in them, he didn’t doubt what the man said was true.
Thorn shrugged his shoulders. What did he have to lose? “Agreed on one condition.”
“What?”
“We go to Edinburgh first. If you help me find my sire, then I’ll go to the abbey willingly.”
Henry thought for a moment, his dark eyes locked on Thorn’s the whole time.
“I like him, Henry,” Ewan put in.
“Fine. Three days in Edinburgh, then to the abbey.”
Thorn nodded. “Agreed.”
He was off to find his father.
***
Two days later, Claray was ready to go. She knew Thorn was out there somewhere and she feared he’d been hurt.
She covered her mother with a warm plaid.
Sela watched her with worried eyes. “Claray, I wish you would allow Dyna and Derric to handle everything. They’ll find him. I doubt he’s hurt, he’s upset and feeling guilty. He’s looked up to your father ever since he found him.”
Everyone knew the story of how Thorn and Nari had introduced themselves to her sire and Gregor Ramsay. While Thorn had claimed to be a Grant, Nari had said he was a Ramsay. At the time, neither had ever met a Grant or a Ramsay, but they’d heard plenty of tales of both clans and had admired them from afar for years. They’d been beside themselves to realize they had run into two of the warriors they’d always wished to emulate.
Loki had taken them in, and they’d become honorary Grants. He’d brought them to visit often, and Claray had always felt drawn to them, not just because they had helped rescue her and her mama but because she wasn’t a true Grant either.
Her mother gave her a look. “You know that I can tell whenever you think less of yourself. You are a Grant and so are they. Grandmama told you so, and so has everyone else. Many times.”
“I know, Mama. But I feel bad for my part in this. If I hadn’t screamed, Thorn wouldn’t have run in and knocked the ladder. I need to talk to him, apologize for my part.”
“Then you can apologize for my part, too. Your father was right. I shouldn’t have been up on the ladder without better support. Especially since I had to lean over so far. Had I not been on the ladder, this would not have happened. Had I waited for Aunt Elizabeth to get to the door, this wouldn’t have happened. Too many things went wrong. Am I not correct?”
She couldn’t stop two tears from meandering down her cheeks. “And had I not complained about the bow being crooked, you wouldn’t have climbed the ladder to fix it.”
“Claray, we all saw it. Someone had to fix it, and I took it upon myself to do the job. Stop trying to carry the guilt, please. Find your man because I suspect you were quite pleased to hear that Thorn wants to pursue your hand. Aye?”
She blushed and smiled, the tears drying up. “Aye, I have strong feelings for him.”
“You always have. You feel like you have something in common.” She reached up and brushed away the last tear from Claray’s face.
“Aye,” she whispered. “I feel connected to him, and he’s hurting, Mama. I have to go. Please don’t be upset with me.”
“Your father reminds me you’re getting much older, and ’tis time for me to let you go. So I will allow it. You are over thirty summers. You’re no longer a lassie. Do as you must, but please…please promise me that you will listen to everything your sister says. Do not go out on your own. Do. Not. Do you promise me?”
“Aye, I’m too afraid to go off on my own, Mama, or I would have followed him already.”
“Go, and find your happiness. I never thought I’d find mine, and look at me. This broken leg is nothing compared to the pain I used to feel inside.” She squeezed Claray’s hand, the tears in her eyes telling her that her mother didn’t hold anything against her for screaming. She’d forgiven her already, just like always. “I apologize that you had to learn to fear spiders, but our life has improved much since those days.”
Claray leaned down and kissed her mother’s brow. “I love you, Mama. I’ll be home soon.”
Her mother’s eyes were heavy with fatigue, so she left her to rest.
Hastening to her chamber, she packed the basic necessities, grabbing, at the last moment, some of the new items Aunt Jennie had brought. She’d thank her again on her way out.
Thorn filled her thoughts as she prepared for the journey. She’d always felt a special bond with him, even before that long-ago festival. She’d thought it was because he was an orphan and she an outsider, but it went deeper than that. Her first memory of Thorn was of him helping her up after she’d fallen. He’d done that often.
She plunked down on the bed, her mind racing. Thorn had protected her just as her sire had. Was that why she felt so drawn to him?
Cordell had been a brave warrior, a handsome man, but it had been impossible to tell if his affection was for her or for her status as the laird’s daughter. And then h
e’d been wrenched from life in a cruel way, and her emotions had been confusing. She’d been sad, aye, but also guilty, because she wasn’t as sad as she felt she should be.
The first time she saw Thorn after Cordell died, he’d taken her hand and looked intently into her eyes. He’d told her how sorry he was for her loss. He had always been so thoughtful, kind, and considerate.
Every time Thorn had visited after that, he’d sought her out, taking the time to visit with her, bring her sweet treats, and show her in a dozen different ways that he cared. She hadn’t realized how deeply he’d found his way into her heart until recently. But now her heart ached with worry for him.
Two hours later, she was on the road with Dyna and Derric, with six guards trailing after them. Not much of a traveler—leaving the safety of the Grant land had always terrified her—she had no idea how her sister and her husband went about patrolling. “So where will we go first?”
“We’ll head down the mountain, see what reivers we see, any of our neighbors patrolling, ask questions. We’ll take the main path. Derric is verra good at tracking people, so if we see something that looks disturbed, shows recent travelers, we’ll follow the path.”
“I understand. Do you think we’ll find him?”
Dyna snorted. “Of course we will. He can’t hide from us. Derric got a message from Loki just before we left that they have not seen him, and he was not at Castle Curanta. Loki said to head south. ’Tis what Nari told him to do. He thinks Thorn may have gone searching for his sire.”
“But he always said his sire died at sea. Why would he search for him? I don’t understand.”
“I spoke with Nari for some time before they left,” Derric said. “Their sires were friends. While Nari accepts his father is dead, Thorn never fully believed it. He thinks his sire might still be out there somewhere. Nari is convinced Thorn’s guilt over Sela’s fall drove him to seek the man out.”
“And where exactly would Thorn look for his father after all these years?”
“Edinburgh.”
“How long will that take?” She hadn’t been anywhere besides Grant land or Ramsay land for a long time.
“Two days, probably.”
Dyna added, “And let’s hope we get there before the storm blows in.”
“Storm? What storm?” Claray asked.
“There’s a blizzard coming. And please don’t panic on me. I know you felt lost in that storm two years ago when we returned from Castle Curanta, but we found you,” Dyna said. “You just get anxious because you never leave Grant land.”
“But I couldn’t see the horses in front of me. The storm dropped out of the sky with no warning. I thought I’d be lost forever. I’ll never forget it, Dyna. Thorn saved me.” Her voice came out hushed, almost reverent. “He always does.”
“We’ll know when it’s coming. Do not fear.”
“What? How can you tell?”
“Early on, we watch the snowberries on the bushes. They were big and early this year. That usually means lots of snow. Then we watch for a change in the winds. When winter gets closer, we watch the clouds, the winds, and then watch for one more sign.”
“What?”
“When the red squirrels disappear, they’ve hunkered down in their nests. If it’s too cold for them, its liable to storm.”
Claray didn’t like the sound of a blizzard. She hated them.
But she didn’t see a squirrel in sight.
Chapter Ten
Thorn woke up in the middle of the night, his gut churning. They’d be in Edinburgh on the morrow. Was it possible his sire was still alive? And if so, why did he wish to find him?
If he was still alive, he had chosen to desert his son, not an admirable quality in a man. Perhaps he’d put his fist in his father’s face.
He’d tell him how fortunate he and Nari had been to run into Connor Grant and Gregor Ramsay, who had taken much better care of them than their fathers ever had.
Henry got up and relieved himself, then came over and sat on a log not far from Thorn. “So, Taylor. Are you ready to tell me what you’re running from?” He picked up an apple from the ground, rubbed the dirt off onto his shirt, then took a bite. “This one is still good. Didn’t know the ones way up high stayed good for so long.”
“I’m not running from anything.”
“The hell you aren’t. Grant warriors don’t go out on their own. They travel in packs. You’re alone. So what happened?”
“Naught.” He would never tell Henry the truth. He wasn’t the sort who’d feel any sympathy.
Henry shrugged his shoulders and went back to his spot on the ground, leaving Thorn to his brooding. To his guilt. Poor Sela would be in pain for sennights. He had ruined her chance at having a happy Yule.
And yet he regretted his decision to run…bitterly regretted it. Not only because he’d been caught by these men, but because he had run away from the one woman he’d always admired, the one he’d dreamed of marrying, and after her father had given him permission to court her!
But Thorn had injured Connor’s wife and then run, and surely neither mistake would leave a good impression.
He prayed Connor would forgive him, but not as much as he wished for Claray’s forgiveness. Even if he was not allowed to marry her, he still wished for her good impression.
By midday, they made their way into Edinburgh. He hadn’t visited the city in a long time, and there were so many more people than he’d remembered. Where had they all come from?
“We’ll never find him with this many people.”
“If your sire is here, he’ll be at one of the taverns down by the docks. The Taylor I know always worked the wharf, if I remember correctly. So he’ll be working now and in the tavern this eve.”
“Then I’m going to the harbor.”
Ewan glanced around and whistled. “Why are there so many people here, Henry?”
“Getting ready for winter. They’ll not be back until spring. Winter is nigh here and could be there’s a storm coming.”
“How would you know a snowstorm is coming before it arrives?” Ewan asked.
Henry drawled, “I’d know by all the people running for supplies before it starts. They can tell by the tree rings and caterpillars and squirrels. I don’t know how to tell, so I just watch them.”
Thorn was gaining a new appreciation for all the members of his clan, the hard workers, the ones who tried to learn everything they could about the land. Many of them had the ability to presage a storm.
“Now, we just have to find someplace to steal some coin. I want to sleep in an inn this eve.”
“Steal?” Thorn blurted.
“Aye, we’re stealing some coin. And that includes you, Taylor. Time to prove yourself.”
“And what exactly do you expect me to do?” Thorn had no intention to steal for them, nor would he sneak them into Lochluin Abbey. He just wished to find his sire, then he’d sneak away from them before they reached the abbey. The Camerons would protect him and help him get back home, if necessary. Together, they could stop the thieves before they set foot in the abbey.
Perhaps his plan was foolish, but he felt committed to it now.
“We’re going to the town stables to keep an eye out for someone traveling alone, then you’ll knock them out and steal their coin. And if you don’t, then I’ll not help you find your sire,” Henry announced, crossing his arms.
“And then we’ll have no use for you, so…” Ewan ran his index finger across his throat. “Guess what happens to you?”
Umfrey laughed behind him.
“And I guess you’ll never get inside Lochluin Abbey to the treasure then, will you?” Thorn said, tilting his head.
“What treasure?”
“Never mind, Ewan,” said Henry. “He’ll help us or he won’t eat. No hunting to be done in Edinburgh, so we need to steal if we’re to eat.” Giving Thorn a look, he said, “We’ll still keep you around until we go to Lochluin Abbey. So it’s a matter of how hungry you are
. The three of us are headed to the stables. Umfrey can wait here.”
Thorn realized there was no sense arguing with the man, but he wouldn’t bend. He’d starve before he stole anything. Once Connor Grant had taken him under his wing, he’d sworn his thieving days were done. He’d not break that promise now…because he was better than that, and also because he still hoped to return home and marry Claray.
He followed them down the path toward the stables, stewing over what to do next, when Henry shoved him and Ewan behind a tree. It didn’t take long for him to realize why. Two men rode up, too caught up in their conversation to notice their surroundings. They looked to be men of wealth. Henry shushed them both, and they listened as the two men passed their horses off to the attendants and left the stables.
The man on the left said, “This storm will be brutal. How much time do you think we have? We have much to get and half a day’s travel to get back.”
The man on the right answered, “I say less than two days. We should not tarry. It promises to be a powerful storm. I suspect it’ll drop a hand’s length quickly.”
“I think it’ll be an arm’s length or more.”
“Then we better hurry. Our horses will struggle in that much snow.”
As soon as they passed him, Henry took out his dagger and gave Thorn a shove. “You take the one on the right, I’ll take the one on the left.”
Thorn didn’t move.
“Go, or I’ll cut your throat right here.”
“And you won’t get their coin, nor will you get the help you want in the abbey. Mayhap Ewan knows which chamber the gold is held in at the abbey.” He crossed his arms and stared the bastard down. He knew he had the upper hand at the moment. “He doesn’t. But I do.”
Henry glared at him and pushed Ewan. “Go.” They left him, slinking after the two men, and Thorn walked in the opposite direction.
But he only made it a couple of steps before he stopped. He couldn’t let them rob those men. Without a weapon, he couldn’t fight Henry or Ewan, but he could do something. He waited until they were almost upon their prey, then shouted, “Watch out behind you!”
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