NO ONE CHASED OR EVEN followed them and Neil was relieved once he got them all safely to the encampment. Just as before, Greer explained everything including Kadick’s mark to the new women and by now the men didn’t need to hear Neil’s translation. The women ate their fill, shared their blankets, and soon drifted off to sleep.
It was time to go home and everyone was ready. Yet the problems of keeping the women safe and fed seemed insurmountable. The last thing Neil wanted to do was introduce them to starvation before he got them home. Sitting on a large rock not far away, Luag looked as though he was worried about the same thing. “I will hear your advice.”
“What other choice is there? We must send a lad back to get more lads and horses. If he rides hard, he could be there and back in just a few days.”
“I agree. Who do you suggest we send?”
“Osgar is the youngest and can ride faster.”
“He is a good fighter as well. Done then, we will send Osgar and pray nothing happens to him on the way.”
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING Neil put the welfare of people in the hands of a MacClurg he hardly knew. He gave him orders to bring back more men, horses, extra blankets and food.
In good weather a horse can take a man nearly a hundred miles in two days, but not if he must hide from other clansmen. To unfriendly clans, no noise in the Highlands was easier to identify than a galloping horse. For that reason, the journey back home took Osgar three days. When he arrived, his report caused shouts of excitement all down the glen—Neil was bringing many women. There would be enough brides for almost every man who wanted one.
Walrick took care of choosing more men, loading the packhorses and sending them on their way. Then he set the rest to work making sleeping accommodations, and sent the hunters out to bring back two deer and set them to roasting in the ground pits.
The women gathered berries, made extra cheese, baked more bread, cleaned everything they could think of and swept the paths. The men left behind were acting like excited children and the married women took every opportunity of laughing at them. There was love in the air, or soon would be.
THE HIGHLANDERS COULD never feel comfortable so near to the border with England and felt the farther they went into Scotland the better. With too few horses, the men walked and the women took turns riding with a change in riders every two hours. To make the time go faster, Greer encouraged the women to learn a few words in Gaelic. Keeping their voices down, they learned how to say water, eat, yes, no, help, fire, cold and hot. Soon, the women asked to learn other words.
Glorie did not mean to, but she glanced at Moan before she said too loudly, “Teach us how to say ‘I love you’.”
Amid the giggles, Greer went over, slipped her arm though Glorie’s and gave her the words. “But ‘I love you’ is not enough. You must also recognize...’will you marry me’?”
That brought chuckles from the men who were listening to every word and even Neil grinned. Those were indeed important words, although Neil suddenly realized he’d been married for years, and had never said them. It gave him something to think about.
If Glorie had looked again, she would have seen the smile on the man’s face, who had given her meat to eat that first night and every night since. Already Moan was smitten and hoped she was too. She seemed to look at him often enough. The other men were also choosing. They fussed over particular women more than necessary and smiled more than some had in all their lives.
For Kadick, the walking soon wore her out. She had not realized how much smaller she was than the other women, until she tried to keep up with them. More often than not, she had to run. Each day they became more familiar with her mark and she hardly needed her hooded cape, but the language barrier kept her from making friends. All she had were a few hand gestures and facial expressions anyone could understand. It did not upset her, however, and by the time they stopped, all she wanted to do was rest.
Her physical predicament was not lost on Neil and each day when she began to fall too far behind, he nodded for Donnahail to see to her. Sometimes Donnahail would playfully sweep her off her feet and put her sideways on a horse behind two other women. It made her giggle and when he took up a position to walk beside the horse, in case she started to fall off, she often tried to shoo him away. To that, he adamantly shook his head and it was a game both of them enjoyed.
When a place for her on a horse was not available, he knelt down in front of her and made her climb on his back. She was not that heavy and for once, he was glad Neil made the men stay fit, and able to carry someone for long periods of time. In war, it was often necessary to carry the injured that way.
At first, Kadick hated that, but as the days passed and she grew wearier, she was grateful. She had her pride and being given special privileges rubbed her the wrong way, so she always made sure she was on the final edge of her endurance before she accepted Donnahail’s help.
Then on the fifth morning when Greer tried to wake her, Kadick loudly cried out in anguish. Almost instantly, both Neil and Donnahail knelt down beside her. They intended to ask her what was wrong, but she did not wake up even when Neil called her name.
“I have hurt her,” whispered Donnahail.
Neil rubbed the back of his neck. “We both have, ‘tis too much for her.”
“We need a day of rest,” said Greer. “All of us are tired.”
“Aye.” Neil stood back up and looked around. “Donnahail, you will have no duties save to see to her health. We came to England to find her a husband, not to kill her. If she complains, say I ordered it.
We will wait here for the rest of the men and the horses. We will be on Swinton lands soon and with all these women, they may decide they are not frightened of Kadick’s mark after all. Greer, find out where she hurts when she wakes and what we can do to relieve it.”
Neil walked to the men and started issuing more orders. He sent some to hunt, others to find grazing for the horses and still others to find a body of water where they could bathe and wash their clothing.
Two hours later, the men found a loch and Neil ordered the camp moved. Kadick was still asleep and Neil was worried. He knelt down and tried again to wake her, but she would not open her eyes. He thought about yelling at her but she seemed too fragile. It would not do to scare her and cause her heart to stop beating.
Even when he wrapped her in her bedding and lifted her into his arms, she did not stir. Then he kissed her cheek and her cool skin sent a chill down his spine. “She is not warm enough. Lie with her if you have to, but get her warm.” Neil handed her to Donnahail and hurried toward their new encampment.
With Donnahail carrying Kadick right behind him, Neil was not shouting nor did he sound demanding when he told two of the men to help him clear a place for her bed. Yet the urgency in his voice got everyone’s attention and they all stopped to watch.
Donnahail had not seen that much worry in Neil’s eyes since the MacDonalds were prepared to attack and it terrified him. He put Kadick down as close to the fire as he dared and then stripped his shirt off. He unwrapped her bedding, got under the covers with her, turned on his side and drew her into his arms. Then he nodded his appreciation when Luag came to tuck the bedding around them both and add his own extra plaid.
The men looked worried, but the women were puzzled. “Do the men bed their women in front of everyone?” Glorie whispered.
Afraid they might get the wrong impression, Neil walked closer to the women and answered just loud enough for all of them to hear. “Nay, she is hurt and too cold, so he is giving her his body for warmth. If his body is not enough, another lad will lie down on the other side of her and one will do the same for her feet.”
“Is she a special woman?” Glorie asked.
“Aye, she is a MacGreagor the same as all of you are now.”
“Do you mean they would do it for any of us?”
“Aye and much more if need be.”
Glorie was confused. “Why?”
Greer smiled
at Neil and then turned her attention to Glorie. “Because we are women. We see it as a great kindness to us, but they think they do it for a very selfish reason—the clan will die without women to give them sons.”
“Having sons means that much to them?”
“Aye, without sons, there will be no proof that any of them ever lived.”
Dora closely watched Donnahail and Kadick, but there was no sign that Kadick was moving. “Is she dying?”
Greer had to take a deep breath and bite her lip to keep the tears away. “I hope not.”
Dora did begin to cry. “‘Tis all my fault. I resented her being allowed to ride more often than the rest of us.”
Greer patted Dora on the arm. “‘Tis not your fault alone. I resented her too and as far as I know, she has never done an unkind thing to anyone in her life. I am ashamed of myself.”
Glorie bowed her head. “We should pray for her to live and then for her to forgive us.”
“Aye, but not here. I’ll not have her wake up and see us.” Greer turned Dora around and got all the women walking to the loch to bathe.
KADICK’S HAND WAS ICE cold when he brought it up and put in on his bare chest. Then he drew her even closer so he could feel her breathe. Next, he made sure the plaid was turned down enough for fresh air. Still she had not stirred and he was soon grateful for every breath she took so he could know she was alive.
It gave him plenty of time to think. He wondered if she had been this cold every night and was too prideful to complain. In a way, he hoped that were the case since the alternative was too awful to contemplate—Kadick was cold because she was only moments away from death.
She did not wake up when he carried her, laid her back down or when he took her in his arms. Children could be moved without them waking, but not a grown woman trained to wake at the slightest movement. The thought that she was dying hurt his heart and he had to push it out of his mind.
CHAPTER XI
STILL SHE SLEPT. AFTER another hour, Neil knelt down by her feet and slipped his hand under the covers to feel her ankle. Even that did not disturb her sleep. However, her skin was warm and that made both Donnahail and Neil feel better.
At last, she seemed to recognize his warmth and cuddle closer. A few minutes later she slipped her still cold hand between his upper arm and his body until it was completely enclosed in his warmth. Donnahail was so relieved, he leaned down and kissed the top her head.
She should have been horrified to find herself in the arms of a man, but when she looked up and saw whom it was, she relaxed. “You are so warm. If you move away I will kill you,” she whispered.
He lifted his head just long enough to let Neil know she was awake and to see the relief on his face.
“If I get any closer, Neil will kill me.”
Cautiously, she pulled her hand away, drew the cover down just far enough to peek over the top and see Neil’s grin. “I am sleeping with a lad in front of my laird? How am I to live this down?”
Donnahail chuckled. “You might have to marry me.” He had no idea he was going to say that. He just blurted it out and there it was. All he could do now was wait to see what she would say.
She playfully nudged him with her arm. “You mean you might have to marry me. I hear that is the way ‘tis done when a lad is caught in bed with a lass not his wife.”
“I believe you might be right.”
“I am right. However, I meant to find a husband, not trick one.”
“Except that I am the one who tricked you. After all, I put you in my bed while you were still asleep.”
“A true case of trickery, if ever I heard one.” She started to sit up, but he was so warm, she snuggled back against him instead. “Why are you in my bed?”
Neil walked closer and smiled down on the couple. “I cannot wait to hear how this turns out. Meanwhile I will send Greer back to help you. We are having a day of rest and I doubt you will want to miss anything.” He started to leave and then turned back. “Kadick, he is in your bed because you frightened us. We could not wake you.”
She closed her eyes for a moment. “I should have warned you about that. Millin says when I am tired even God cannot wake me.” She turned, scooted and finally managed to sit up. “‘Tis not true of course; He woke me right up when the people tried to burn me.”
He was shocked. “Who tried to burn you?” Neil demanded to know.
“It was before Walrick came.”
“Was it MacClurgs?”
“It must have been, we had no reports of strangers.” She studied the concerned look on her laird’s face. “They would not dare hurt me now that you and Walrick are among us.”
Neil decided to drop that subject for a more pressing one. “We are near Swinton land. Would you mind...?”
“Wearing my hood?” When he nodded, she smiled. “I seem to need the warmth anyway and perhaps this lad, who will be forced to marry me, might keep me from tripping over my own feet, falling and breaking my neck.”
Donnahail sighed and finally sat up. “I suppose I could be persuaded...for the sake of the clan, you understand.”
LAIRD MACGREAGOR DID not realize how tired he was either and was glad for the rest. Seated on a rock, he had a lot to think about but his mind kept going back to what Kadick said. Someone tried to burn her alive and had not been caught, otherwise she would have told him. The thought of it enraged him. He would feel the same for any woman, but now that he knew Kadick’s kind nature and quick wit, he was even more infuriated.
Who would do such a thing? It might have been Knox and he hoped it was, since the man was dead and could not hurt anyone now. However, Neil feared it was not Knox and he may have left his own wife and children at the mercy of at least one lunatic.
He got up and started to pace. Walrick was there and if he could trust any man, it would be Walrick. Nevertheless, his second in command, the man Neil trusted most of all, would have mentioned the incident had he known. Obviously, Walrick did not know. Yet Gelson was a MacClurg and all the MacClurgs must know. Why had Gelson not mentioned it?
Suddenly, getting home was far more urgent and there was little Neil could do—he had to wait for the men to come with more food and horses. Then he remembered the man he sent back was a MacClurg.
He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, sat back down on the rock and put his head in his hands. Five days. If Osgar did as he was told, the men and horses would be here soon. If not, they would have to send another man and wait still more days.
Ignoring the looks of concern on the faces of his men, he signaled for Luag to come to him. “Send a lad back to our old camp and tell him to give the whistle often so they can find us.”
“Done,” said Luag. “Neil, does your head hurt again?”
That was the one good thing that happened and he half smiled. “Nay, I have not had a headache since we left home. Perhaps ‘tis a crying daughter that causes my head to hurt after all.” He thought about sharing his concern with Luag and then thought better of it.
Neil looked around to see if he could find the man among them that he trusted most. Donnahail would have been his first choice, but he needed him to watch after Kadick. For all he knew Kadick was still in danger. He got up and went to find Donnahail.
KADICK FELT BETTER than she had in days. Some of the women offered to go with her, but she was still a little shy about the unseen part of her mark and preferred to bathe alone.
She was happy to see him. After he finished talking to Neil, Donnahail came to stand with his back to her on the shore in case she needed him. It was ridiculous because there were already three other guards there and she was the only woman. She loved the water and took her time washing her hair and rinsing the soap out.
Then she began to wonder if she and Donnahail were actually betrothed or if their earlier banter was just another part of their game. He had not kissed her, so she guessed not. Besides, a man does not marry a woman whom he thinks of as a little sister.
; Donnahail was wondering the same thing. Did he ask and did she just agree to marry him? He hoped so, took a deep breath and let it out. Perhaps he would get that question answered just as soon as he asked her to tell him about the fire. Neil was right; there was something to worry about—people who thought she was cursed were dangerous.
Behind a bush several yards farther around the loch, a MacClurg crouched down and watched a naked Kadick walk out of the water to her clothing. She had the mark of the devil all right, and the jagged end went all the way down to her waist.
GLORIE
CHAPTER I
HALF THE PEOPLE WERE already bedded down for the night, when Kadick found herself sitting on the grass between two giants. She turned to her left and looked up at Neil, then turned to her right and looked up at Donnahail. Both men were staring aimlessly at the small fire in front of them, although it was hardly keeping the chill of the night air away.
Their journey into England to find her a husband netted several unmarried women to take home to a clan with a serious shortage of women. They might have found a husband for Kadick as well had they truly been looking, but Donnahail soon fancied her and it was doubtful any other man could have gotten close enough.
Laird Neil MacGreagor heartily approved. His Kadick was delightful, sensitive, and more than reasonable when it came to her birthmark. He was proud to call her a MacGreagor and to know she would be cherished by a good man like Donnahail.
Keeping her alive was something else again.
Of all the crimes a man can put upon a woman, burning her alive was so unthinkable both Neil and Donnahail were having a hard time coming to terms with it.
Donnahail picked up a plaid, unfolded it, wrapped it around Kadick’s shoulders and left his arm around her on purpose. “That should help unless you would like me to keep you warm in your bed again tonight.”
Marti Talbott's Highlander Series, Volume 4 Page 16