“How did she know we were coming?” Grania had noticed the place settings.
Aislinn shrugged. “I’ve stopped questioning. She just seems to know.” She dropped her backpack and gave the old woman a hug. “Can I help?”
“No, child. Just sit. I see ye brought a friend. I knew that ye were, but had no idea it would be such a young lass.” Neala walked over to Grania giving her a scrutinizing appraisal. “Ye are of the old Gaelic blood. I see it in yer features. A strong lass.” She cackled making the lines around her eyes crease with humor. “No wonder ye attached yerself to Aislinn.”
“Ye mean A.J.,” Grania corrected.
“Aye.” Neala smiled showing her nearly toothless mouth. “Sit, child. Sit.” She went over to the pit and, with her apron, removed the dark kettle from the fire. She then did the honors of pouring the hot water into each cup. When she was finished, she glanced at her guests. “We’ll have to wait a spell fer the leaves to settle to the bottom.”
“Ye live out here?” Grania had not taken a seat but was walking around the rather meager surroundings that were this old woman’s dwelling.
“Aye, as anyone may. All this is yers too.” Neala followed the fine-boned child, who then looked at her with those blue eyes wide with wonder.
“Mine?”
“Nature is for everyone if they so choose. The trees the water, they all speak to ye, if ye only listen.”
Grania nodded and sat down near the cozy fire. “I often have thought that I could hear the sea call my name. Is that possible?”
“All things are possible. The sea is in yer blood. An O’Malley methinks ye are.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “Aye. How did ye know?”
“I see a strong resemblance to The Black Oak. He is yer father?” The girl nodded. “He is. I am Grania.”
“A proud man yer father. He gives ye a gift of allowin’ ye to spread yer wings like an eagle does in flight. Ye will go far, Gráinne Ni Mhálle.”
It just dawned on Aislinn why the name O’Malley rang a bell. She had read a piece on the Pirate Queen of the Irish Sea, the English translation of her name being Grace O’Malley. Her father raised her to be a match for any man. Was it really possible that this little girl would one day become that woman?
“What is it?” Neala saw the awed expression on Aislinn’s face. “Ye look like ye have seen a ghost.”
She tried to smile, but she was still in wonderment that she had met someone that would one day make a name in history for herself. “Perhaps I have.” She knew that she was staring and quickly turned away. “Do you think the tea is done?”
It was early afternoon when Aislinn decided it was time to take Grania back to the keep, but not before she promised Neala that they would come back tomorrow if they could manage to sneak away again.
“I like her,” Grania stated as they started down the path. “I’m glad. I like her too. She makes me feel at peace.” “Aye, it is what I was thinking.”
They moved on, the little girl talking about the day and of her home near Clew Bay, but Aislinn was only half listening to what the child was saying, for she had the feeling that they were being watched. Her eyes darted back and forth between the tall oaks, but she could not distinguish a movement. Instead of this putting her at ease, the apprehension of dread seemed to increase. Grania must have sensed it too, for she had become unusually quiet. Aislinn pulled the child closer to her, and at that moment, a man came out of the clearing. His menacing stance was enough to let Aislinn know that he was not there to ask directions. She turned the child around thinking that they could go back toward the lake, but as she moved another man came into view. Aislinn instinctively put Grania behind her.
“Well, gentlemen, what’s it going to be?” she asked of them.
The taller of the two highwaymen looked to his partner with a shrug before he returned his glare. He didn’t say a word but started toward her. Aislinn squeezed Grania’s arm whispering, “On the count of three, you run, Grania. Ye run back to the keep and for help. Can ye do that?”
“But what of ye?”
“Just do as I say. One, two, three.” Aislinn let go of the girl and charged toward the man who had his dagger already drawn. Her yelling and sudden movement threw him off guard causing him to hesitate.
He had been told to apprehend this woman. He didn’t expect her to be a raving lunatic. Aislinn went for the groin with a swift kick. As he doubled over, she took her full strength and hit the man on the back of his neck. He fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. She turned to send another swift kick to the other man’s chest. He went down but so did Aislinn. Grania was still standing there with a stunned expression on her face.
“Run, Grania! Now!” Aislinn snapped the girl out of her trance. She took off, her long legs carrying her swiftly. Aislinn was on her feet again while her assailant had only managed to crawl to his knees. She didn’t hesitate in yelling another, “Hi ah!” before she sent another kick to the man’s face followed by another one to the stomach. As soon as the man went down, she grabbed the dagger that the first assailant had dropped, and took off in the direction that Grania had taken. She bought them some time, but how much she didn’t know.
She was just about out of the clearing when a hand flew out to grab her. She turned and blindly swung with the dagger intent on doing as much damage as she could. The man barely ducked in time. She would have jabbed at him again, but he called her name. “Aislinn!”
She paused arm still raised ready to strike. “Oh God! Dougray,” her irrational fear already ebbing away. She lowered her hand and flew into his arms, hugging him close. Then she remembered Grania and pushed away. “There was a young girl with me. Did she….”
“She’s safe. We were out looking for ye two when she came tearing out of the woods. She said that ye were attacked.”
“Back there.” She pointed.
Dougray waved for his men to move in that direction. “Are ye all right?” He pried the weapon from her hand.
She nodded giving him a half smile. “I am now.”
“A.J., A.J.!” Aislinn turned to see Grania running toward her. Aislinn opened her arms receiving the child’s embrace. “Ye are all right.”
“I’m fine.” Aislinn noticed that the girl’s father was close behind.
Grania looked up at Aislinn with wide adoring eyes. “Never have I seen a woman as brave as ye.”
The O’Malley put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder, but looked at Aislinn. “Ye saved my daughter’s life. I will not soon be forgetting such a deed.” The emotion in his voice was evident enough of how much he cared for his child. He turned to Dougray. “When ye find those men, I would like to have a word with them myself.” “As ye wish.”
O’Malley was about to leave, but on second thought turned to Dougray once more. “Ye will have my support, Dougray Fitzpatrick.” With that he strode away with his daughter still looking over her shoulder at Aislinn.
“Support?” Aislinn asked him.
“Aye. There have been numerous raids and I am not sure who is to blame for them. Butler was whom I had suspected, but now I fear there is more than what meets the eye. This attack on yer person proves it well enough.” He looked at the dagger that he had taken from her. “Where did ye get this?”
“One of the men tried to use it on me.”
“English steel.” He looked out toward the woods. Who did he know in England that would want to destroy him? The list, he had no doubt, was long.
It was just deciding on which one would be willing to take the chance.
They found the men; one was dead, his throat slashed, and the other made an attempt to get away but was slain before they could apprehend him. Dougray was pacing the hall, not pleased by this outcome. He still did not know who had taken an interest in his life and of those that were close to him. “Why would the man cut his own partner’s throat?” Dougray voiced his puzzlement to Murrough. “It doesn’t make any sense to me.” “Maybe he was being hus
hed up.”
“Aye. The highwayman knew we were about, yet he took the time to commit murder before running.” Dougray turned to Murrough. “We must double our security and have shifts to watch the forest. I do not want a repeat of what happened this day.”
Murrough left the hall and Dougray took the steps to Aislinn’s room. He knocked on the door. It was Moira that bade him entry.
She was staring out the window, her arms wrapped around her. She had seemed to be handling the attack well, calmly, but there had been a wary look in her eye that gave him poof enough that she was still rattled. It surprised him that he was beginning to know her subtle behaviors indicating her moods.
Complicating matters, in the last month she had become so much a part of his life that he failed to remember a time when she had not been in it, making him uncertain how he felt about that.
She turned noticing him for the first time and came to meet him halfway.
“Did you find them? Was Neala all right?”
He removed his mantle and sword placing them on the table. He looked at Moira. “That will be all.”
Moira hesitated as she looked at her mistress for the dismissal. “It’s all right, Moira.”
The young woman nodded and quickly left the room. Dougray realized that Moira had bonded easily with Aislinn. She didn’t even want to take his dismissal, but waited for her lady to give it. Maybe Aislinn was finally starting to conform to castle life. “Neala fares well. The men did not come her way. As for the culprits, they’re dead.”
“Dead? But I thought….”
“One was slain before we came upon him, the blood still wet on the other man’s dagger.”
“He killed his own partner?” Aislinn needed to sit down. “I don’t understand.”
“Neither do we.” He had his hands behind his back, pacing as he spoke. “I would have dearly loved to interrogate the man to why, but he was shot with an arrow and died before we could get a word out of him.” He looked at her now. “Murrough questioned everyone and no one laid claim to the killing. The arrow didn’t match ours.”
“What of O’Malley’s or Burke’s.”
“They maintain it did not come from them either.” “You believe them?”
“I don’t have a reason not to.” “But?”
He didn’t want to reveal too much but the blasted woman would be set to defy him if he didn’t give her a little. “This act was deliberate, but for what purpose only time will tell.” He paused for a moment as his mind raced over the past events. The tragedy with the shipments, the raids and now the attack on Aislinn’s life, but he could not dismiss the possibility that someone was after Dubhdara’s daughter. Did Aislinn simply get in the way? “Aislinn, ye will not be allowed outside the walls.”
“What about my walks to Neala’s?”
“Ye continue to leave without a proper escort.” “But I promise….”
“Don’t question me on this, Aislinn. It is for yer safety that I put these restrictions. Stay within the grounds and do not, and I repeat do not, go anywhere without Teige or Cormac.” He was about to leave, when he remembered something further. “And I’ll take the ropes that ye have acquired.” He held out his hand palm up.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She folded her arms against her chest.
“Ye know perfectly well what I’m speaking of. Ye might as well give it up.
I know Dermot gave ye the ropes. The man does not have the sense God gave him to do anything discretely. Hand it over or I’ll search it out.”
“Fine.” She dropped her stance and marched over to the trunk. So what if she had to give up the rope. She could always resort to what she had done before.
“And don’t get any ideas about asking the servants to bring ye sheets. They are under strict orders that if ye so much as ask for another covering, I am to be informed. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, oh high and mighty.” She bowed before him with a wave of her right hand.
He chose to ignore her antics. “Good.” He picked up his mantle and sword. “I would like ye to dress accordingly for the evening meal.”
She gave him a defiant glare before she smiled, throwing him completely off guard. “But of course. I’ll dress in my finest.”
“I like blue if ye would please me with that color.” “Anything for you, my lord.”
How he hated that she pretended like she was complying when he was well aware that she was doing exactly the opposite. “I will see ye this evening then.” The moment that he left, Moira came charging in shutting the door behind her. She could see that her mistress was in a dour mood, obviously Lord Dougray’s doing.
Aislinn turned to her to vent. “Can you believe that he had the nerve to come in here and demand that I stay within the grounds? He won’t even allow me to see Neala with a guard. And he took my ropes.” She threw up her hands showing her displeasure. “Confined! How I hate that. It makes me want to do just the opposite.”
“Oh ye wouldn’t, milady.” Moira was worried. She didn’t want anything to happen to her.
“I know how to take care of myself. Didn’t I prove that already? He may be used to wailing women that swoon every time something remotely goes wrong, but hasn’t he learned by now that I am made out of a sturdier stock? My father taught me how to take care of myself for heaven’s sakes.”
“But milady, the men had daggers. What they would have done…I shiver
at the thought.”
“I disarmed them.”
“Are ye not afraid of anything?”
“Why should I be afraid? Never mind. I can’t dwell on this right now. I’m running late. Hamish is probably already waiting for me, and I need to see Dermot. Do you know where I could find him?”
“Teige may know.”
Chapter 29
Dermot was always a little nervous when it came to meeting with the Lady Aislinn. She was not like any woman he had ever known, so sure of herself and so very tall. Her height nearly matched that of each and every man of the area, if not some inches taller. She was strong too. He would never want to anger her, for he wasn’t at all sure if she wouldn’t actually cause some bodily harm to him.
The truth of the matter was she really scared him. When she walked into a room, just her presence alone seemed to take command. The only other soul he knew capable of accomplishing such a feat was Sir Dougray Fitzpatrick, the Lord of Dunhaven.
“She’s but a woman,” he said under his breath trying to convince himself that he had nothing to worry about. “Nay, I have me life to worry about.” He saw her coming toward him with Teige and the cripple lad also, though the boy didn’t seem to be limping. He straightened and looked again. As Hamish neared, he saw the reason for the change. The leather shoes that bound his feet were of two different sizes evening out the boy’s awkward stance. “And she’s clever,” he added to the many admiring qualities of this woman.
“Dermot, did you remember to bring the other sword?” Aislinn asked.
“I did as ye requested, but what is this about, milady?”
“You are going to teach Hamish and I to handle a sword.” Aislinn hadn’t thought about it for herself until this afternoon, but now she knew that it was a necessity if she were to survive in this century.
“Ye want to wield a sword?” Teige came forward now, looking like she had asked something incredibly outrageous.
She put her hands on her hips. “Yes. It seems everyone in your land has one. I think it’s time that I learn how to handle one myself.”
Hamish looked uneasy. “A.J., womenfolk do not carry swords. Warriors do.”
“Yes, yes, and so do knights and lords as well as thieves and murderers. I have no wish to go unprotected again.” She sensed that Dermot wanted to protest further, but she held up her hand. “Not another word. Time is a wasting. Come now, hand it over.”
Dermot looked imploringly at Teige for help, but the man just shrugged purposely taking a step back. Dermot was left with
no other choice. With a resigned groan, he handed the weapon over to her.
Aislinn not being accustom to holding the hard steel, the weight of it made her almost drop it. She recovered quickly, lifting the weapon in a swing. Dermot and Hamish both jumped out of the way.
“Hey, watch it!” Dermot raised his voice. “Ye will kill someone handling the sword in that manner.”
“Sorry, got a little carried away. I’ll sit back and watch first.” She handed the sword to Hamish. The boy took the weapon, a grin forming on his face. “A sword. A real sword.” His hands glided over the cool steel.
“Well are ye goin’ to stroke it or use it?” Dermot chuckled. Hamish smiled too. “Use it.”
“Then let’s begin.”
Aislinn went to stand by Teige as she watched with fascination how Hamish’s clumsy movements began to transform into fluent jabs and lunges. She started to imitate the movements, pretending to be holding the weapon in her own hand. Teige just shook his head, but said nothing. He watched her parry, lunge with such grace it was almost like watching a dance.
“What do you think, Teige?” She looked back at the golden haired man. “Not bad. But if ye don’t mind me telling ye…” He cleared his throat. “…ye are a bit too graceful. If a man was coming at ye, ye would not have time to swing yer hips so.”
“I’m swinging my hips?” She looked down at herself not believing it was possible. “Are you sure?”
Again Teige cleared his throat. “Aye, I am sure.”
“Hmm.” She tapped her chin as she thought about this for a moment. “Okay. Show me.”
“Milady?”
“Come on, Teige. You know how to use a sword, so show me.” “I’m guarding ye.”
“So guard me, but show me how to use the sword. I’d ask Dermot but he’s busy with Hamish, and I don’t want to take away any of the boy’s time. Come on. You’re just standing there.”
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