Lachann grinned as he nuzzled her neck while his body recovered from their lovemaking. Adeline was a very passionate woman. Her desire ran as hot and fierce as his did. The satisfaction she gave him was unmatched by anything he had ever known before. Fate had chosen well when sending him his mate.
“I would love nothing more than to stay right here and make ye cry out in pleasure again and again, until we are both too weary to lift a finger, lass, but—” he kissed her—“’tis time to rouse Osgar, gather our things together, and be on our way.”
She stretched lazily and watched him as he dressed, fascinated by such a mundane thing and regretting the fact that he was covering that fine, strong body. It was difficult to believe that such a beautiful man could desire her, but she could not doubt it any longer. Last night, their second night as lovers, had been as hot and fierce as the first. And now he had shown her that he was well pleased to wake with her in his arms.
Adeline shook aside such thoughts and hastily pulled on her shift. Now was not the time to indulge in them, to puzzle over all she had and did not have with Lachann MacNachton. There was work to do and Osgar would soon be awake. She did not really want to try and explain to the child why she and Lachann were sleeping together, naked. Just the thought of it made her hurry to get dressed and put away their rough bedding.
When they finally stepped outside into the gloom of a cloudy late afternoon, Adeline had to blink a few times. The sun was low in the sky, the clouds hiding it, but there was still more sunlight than she had seen since Lachann had joined her and Osgar. She prayed her future would not be one of continued darkness and caves. At least this time they had found shelter in a small stone house instead of a cave.
Somewhat relieved when Lachann took Osgar up before him on his horse, she mounted her pony and fell into line behind Lachann as he started down the hill. It was going to be nice to ride without having to worry about a child on the saddle in front of her. A part of her could not help but be fascinated by all she was seeing. She had never traveled far from her little cottage, so each sight was new to her. However, she was going to be very glad when they reached Cambrun and her journey was at an end. Hours in the saddle became tiresome very quickly.
They had been riding for several hours when Lachann abruptly signaled a halt. Adeline could tell by the way he sat so tensely in the saddle, his eyes closed, that he was listening to something she could not hear. She did envy him and Osgar their superior sight and hearing. She could think of many ways she could make use of such gifts in her life.
She tensed when Lachann dismounted, set Osgar on his feet, and then walked over to help her dismount, for she was certain they were not stopping for a respite. “What is wrong?” she asked.
“Mayhap nothing but I dinnae wish to ride on until I have had a look about,” he replied.
“Could we nay just take another path?”
“Nay, that will solve little. Ye just wait here, lass.” Lachann kissed her, ruffled Osgar’s curls, and strode away.
Adeline watched him until he was out of sight, admiring his long, strong legs and manly stride. She was annoyed with him despite her admiration of his form, however. Yet again he had left and given her no explanation as to why. He was always leaving her behind, telling her to wait. It made her feel useless, too much like a burden to him.
Yet, it was difficult to get very angry with him despite her annoyance over his actions. Adeline had to admit that she liked having someone to look out for her, to protect her and Osgar. She had been alone for too long, facing every trial and danger by herself, fear a constant companion especially after she had found Osgar. Her lover had taken most of that fear away and she certainly did not feel all alone now.
Her lover, she thought, and sighed. While the knowledge that Lachann MacNachton desired her was heady, she tried not to let his passion for her overwhelm her common sense. Passion did not equal love. A man could show desire to the most ragged, plain-faced wench and yet forget her before he finished tugging up his breeches. It had long been the way of men. Being Lachann’s lover for only two days did not give her any claim to his heart.
“Maman? Are ye going to marry Lachann?” asked Osgar. “Is that why ye sleep with him?”
Adeline inwardly cursed. Osgar had obviously woken up at least once and seen her and Lachann sleeping together. She heartily thanked God that the boy had not seen them when they were busy indulging their passions, and then turned her mind to the boy’s question. She could not lie to the child because he would undoubtedly share her lie with Lachann, if he did not call her on it first. Osgar had a sharp nose for a lie.
The problem came in how to tell the little boy the truth without hurting his growing accord with Lachann. Or, worse, making him disappointed in her. Osgar knew most of the rules society and the church espoused, but to him everything was black and white; there were no buts, no wee sins, and no mayhaps.
“I dinnae ken,” she finally answered, deciding honesty might not be comfortable for her but it was best, if only because Osgar would not let it go if she lied. “We havenae discussed it.”
Osgar scowled at her. “But ye were in the same bed. I saw ye and I dinnae think ye had any clothes on.”
“That doesnae mean we are married or soon will be.”
“Ye mean ‘tis like Anne when she has men share her bed and doesnae marry them? Ye want to do that?”
“Nay!”
“If ye are cold, I could share your bed and then ye wouldnae have to let Lachann sleep with ye and then no mon can say any bad things about ye.”
“Oh, dear.”
Adeline shook her head and stared at her feet. She needed to think of a simple way to explain the situation, something a child of five could understand. Osgar was a very bright five, quick-witted and well spoken, but he was not old enough to understand the intricacies of passion and love. She frowned as she rethought that opinion. Osgar could understand love, and, if she swore him to secrecy, it might be the easiest way to answer his questions. Adeline knew that if she did not answer the boy’s questions to his satisfaction, he would only keep asking them.
“I dinnae share my bed with Lachann because I am cold, Osgar.” She took a deep breath and confessed. “I do it because I love the mon but I want ye to swear to me that ye will ne’er tell him so. If I think he needs to ken that, I will tell him myself. Understood?”
“He hasnae told ye so ye dinnae want to tell him.” Osgar nodded and then frowned in the direction Lachann had gone. “He should tell ye.”
“That would be verra nice and make me a verra happy woman, but he must do it of his own free will. ‘Tis best that way, Osgar.”
“Well, when I am grown and sleep with a lass, I will tell her I love her right away.”
“Only if ye truly mean it.”
“Why would I lie?”
That question nudged too close to the topic of sex and passion, Adeline decided. “I dinnae think ye would. ‘Twas but a rule I thought ye should be told of.” When Osgar solemnly nodded and turned his attention to all the sticks and leaves on the ground, she inwardly sighed with relief.
Adeline tried to be patient as she waited for Lachann but soon began to pace. She truly hated waiting when she knew how dangerous it was for a MacNachton outside of Cambrun. The last attack had made her certain that someone had started a hunt specifically to get Osgar, as well. She desperately wanted to get the child safely behind the walls of Cambrun.
Her legs ached from all her pacing by the time Adeline became truly worried about Lachann. He should have been back, either to report that everything was well or to get them hurrying away from this place. Something was wrong. She was sure of it, but she did not know what to do about it. She did not even know where he had gone, what he had heard, or what he had been looking for.
“I think something bad has happened,” Osgar said as he stepped up next to Adeline and clutched at her hand.
“I begin to fear the same,” murmured Adeline. “I just wish I kenned where he i
s.”
“I can find him.”
She frowned down at the child. “Ye dinnae ken where he went, either.”
“He went to where the men are talking.”
“What men? I dinnae hear any men.”
“I can. I closed my eyes and listened real hard like Lachann taught me and I can hear men talking.”
“What are they saying?”
“I cannae hear that. I can just hear the sound of men talking. Got to get closer to hear all the words, ye ken. I think that is what Lachann was doing. He wanted to see if it was bad men talking.”
Adeline argued with herself over the best thing to do now, the wisest thing to do. The wisest thing would be to go on to the next shelter, as Lachann had told her to do if he was ever late returning to them, and then wait for him there. She could not bring herself to do that, not even for Osgar’s safety. She knew she would never forgive herself if she fled while Lachann was in trouble. On the other hand, she would not forgive herself if Osgar were hurt, or worse, while she tried to help Lachann. Osgar’s tug on her hand drew her out of her confused turmoil of uncertainty.
“We must go find him,” Osgar said. “He needs our help.”
“We are nay warriors, Osgar. We are but a small woman and a wee lad.” She sighed. “And Lachann would be angry if we put ourselves in danger for his sake.”
“Why? He puts himself in danger for us all the time.” His bottom lip trembled. “And I love him. Ye said ye loved him, too. We cannae let him get killed.”
“Hush.” Adeline put her arm around the child’s shoulders and held him close to her side. “We will go the way he did but verra quietly and cautiously. We shall try to get close enough to the men talking so that ye can hear exactly what they are saying, but nary a step closer. If they have done something to Lachann, we will soon ken it and we can decide what to do.”
It took only a few yards for Adeline to realize that little Osgar could move through the wood with a great deal more stealth than she could. She had never truly paid attention to how silently the child could move. Every time a leaf rustled as she walked, she felt as if she had just sent out a clarion call announcing her arrival. Osgar moved so silently she wondered if his feet were even touching the ground.
She was finally able to hear the murmur of men’s voices when Osgar stopped, held himself very still, and closed his eyes. The dark scowl on his small face told her that what he was hearing was not good. When a soft growl escaped the boy, Adeline realized that, although Osgar had been born of an Outsider like her, he was also a MacNachton to the bone. He was far more like Lachann’s people than hers and that truth hurt a little. When they reached Cambrun, Osgar might well be accepted so completely, so wholeheartedly, that he would have no more use for her.
“The men have Lachann,” Osgar whispered.
His words cut through her sudden fear of losing him to the MacNachtons. One for Lachann rapidly replaced that fear. The fact that the men had not immediately killed Lachann when they had a chance was not the cause for relief it should have been. Adeline recalled all too well Lachann’s tale about his cousin who had been captured and viciously tortured. He had made it very clear that no MacNachton wanted to be captured, that they would rather die, even by their own hand. It was not cowardice that prompted that dire feeling either, but the dread of being used to expose the tightly held secrets of the MacNachtons.
“I had best get closer,” she murmured.
“They want me,” Osgar said. “They are trying to make Lachann tell them where I am.”
Adeline sat down and put her head in her hands. She did not want to hear what the men were doing to Lachann to try to get him to give up Osgar. The child’s pale face and clenched fists told her all she needed to know. Lachann was a captive and he was being tortured. He must be loudly railing at the fates right now as he faced his greatest fear.
And who was there to help him? A healer and a small child. She was no warrior. About all she could do if she confronted several armed men was to give them a potion to incapacitate them. Adeline doubted the men would give her the opportunity to mix up such a potion or drink anything she might offer them. She might be able to gain Lachann a few extra minutes of life or a brief respite from the pain he suffered while the men who held him decided when they would kill her and how. She had brought Lachann nothing but trouble since he first met her.
“I will go see what is happening,” said Osgar.
“Nay, I should do that,” she protested and hastily stood up.
“Nay, Maman. Ye are good at sneaking about but I am muches better. I will be back.”
Adeline reached out to grab him and stop him, but he was already gone. She bit back the urge to call him back and began to pace again. It felt as if hours crawled by but she knew it was her fear that caused that. Then, suddenly, Osgar was back, standing in front of her. She could tell by the feral look upon his usually sweet face that what he had seen had roused the predator Lachann claimed lived within every MacNachton.
“They have hurt him,” Osgar said, a growl of fury in his childish voice. “There are three men, the ones who tried to steal me and hit you. They have Lachann tied to a tree near the wood and they have been whipping him. He is bleeding.”
She knew all too well what that meant. Lachann had already lost so much blood he could no longer heal himself. He was truly weak and helpless now, or would be so very soon. She could not leave him. A glance at Osgar’s furious little face told her that the boy would never cooperate with her if she tried to flee, might never forgive her for it if she did. Then she looked back to where the ponies were, the ponies and a very large gelding she suspected had been well trained for battle.
“I think I may have an idea about how to help Lachann, Osgar,” she said. “Ye have to hide yourself verra weel while I fetch Lachann’s horse. ‘Tis my thought that the horse can help us save Lachann.”
Once assured that Osgar was thoroughly hidden beneath the leaves, Adeline ran back to the horses. The gelding eyed her warily as she moved to his side. She had never ridden such a large mount before but she could not see why she could not handle the mount, if only for the short time she needed him. Nudging the animal into a slow, quiet pace, she returned to where she had left Osgar.
Osgar leapt from his hiding place and the horse shifted nervously beneath her. “’Ware, Osgar,” Adeline said as she dismounted but kept a firm hold on the horse’s reins. “Ye must nay startle a horse.”
“Pardon, Ulf.” Osgar stroked the animal’s neck.
“Ulf?” asked Adeline.
“Aye. Didnae ye e’er hear Lachann call the beastie by name?”
“I thought he but grunted at the beast. Now, heed me most carefully, Osgar. Tell me true, do ye think ye can creep up behind Lachann without being seen and safely use a knife to cut his bonds?” When Osgar eagerly nodded, she pressed, “Do ye tell me true, lad? ‘Tis nay a time to say aye when the truth is mayhap or nay.”
“I can do it. I can. ‘Tis like one of the games I played in the garden at home, aye? Sneaking up on an enemy, pretending I am a mighty warrior, saving poor Meg or Tom from bad men, and—“
“With a knife?”
“Aye.” Osgar blushed with guilt. “I did sneak a wee blade sometimes.”
“Your naughtiness will serve us weel this time, but later we will discuss it. Now”—she removed the sheathed knife belted at her waist and secured the blade to Osgar’s belt—“ye are to creep up on Lachann like the mist and cut his bonds. Stay hidden behind him as ye do so. Once ye have freed him, and he may tell ye when ye have done enough so that he can free himself, ye are to run back to the ponies.”
“But—“
“Dinnae question me on this. ‘Tis verra dangerous work we are about and there can be no arguments or disobedience. Ye get back to the ponies and be ready to ride when Lachann and I join ye.”
He nodded. “But what will ye and Ulf do to help?”
“I will give ye a wee bit of time to get to Lachann and
start cutting away his bonds.” She mounted Ulf and tested the ease with which she could draw the sword attached to the saddle from its sheath.
“And?”
“Ah, aye, and then I intend to ride to Lachann’s rescue, of course.”
Chapter Eight
“He isnae going to give us the lad. Best we just kill the bastard and start looking for the lad again.”
Lachann looked at the too thin, dirty man who spoke and was pleased when the fool paled slightly and stepped farther away. He also cursed his own folly, that arrogance that had him stumbling into a trap like some beardless boy on his first hunt. One solid hit to his head had quickly brought him to his knees, too dazed to fend off his attackers. A second blow had sent him tumbling into blackness. It was humiliating. Worse, he had bled enough that he no longer had the strength to break free of the ropes tying him to the tree.
“Give us the lad and we will let ye live,” said the burly man the other two men called Ian.
“What sort of coward would buy his life with that of a child?” Lachann asked, making no attempt to hide his scorn over even being offered such a deal.
He prayed that Adeline had the sense to take Osgar to the next shelter and wait for him there. It did not look as if he would be able to join them, but at least she and the boy would be safe. After a while, she would have to know that he was not coming to her and continue on to Cambrun. Lachann tried to find comfort in the sure knowledge that his clan would shelter them but it was hard to do so. Adeline and Osgar were his family now and he wanted to be with them. He wanted to see Osgar grow into a man and Adeline grow round with his child.
“We dinnae plan to kill the wee lad,” Ian said.
The man was obviously trying to be conciliatory, reassuring even, and Lachann almost told him that he was failing badly. These men might not have any plans to harm Osgar themselves, but Lachann was certain they intended to take the child to someone who did. It chilled him to the bone to think of Osgar in the hands of such men. After the torture his cousin Heming had suffered while held captive, no MacNachton wanted to become the prisoner of the Hunters. The whole clan could see how easily the secrets they held fast to could become known under such duress, if only through the close observation of their enemies. Lachann would rather cut his own throat or stand naked beneath the noonday sun than be taken captive.
Yours for Eternity Page 7