Kara Griffin - The Pith Trilogy

by Warrior's Pledge

  Steven burst with laughter. His friend deeply cared for the woman, more than he would admit. Finally, Colin had found his match. Steven never thought he’d see the day Colin would actually care for a woman. Hadn’t he always said he would never marry? He’d known someday Colin would meet a woman to change his mind and that someday was today. He’d sensed it when they arrived; which was why he couldn’t let the lass stay. Nay, he’d send them hastily on their way.

  The next few weeks would be fun-filled, and once he put his plan into motion, he’d have Colin in the noose—the marital noose. Steven laughed aloud; he needed to talk to Colin’s brothers. He wanted to hear what had happened on their journey. It was likely a superb story. He’d also let Father Tomas know that he might have need of his service. With that, he headed to the village.

  As Steven trotted along the path, he heard a call from the gatehouse, and walked to the building where his guard stood.

  “Someone comes,” the guard sounded.

  Steven climbed the ladder to the belfry and peered over the wall. He sighted a drove of men riding toward his walls. They wore the clan Ferguson’s colors. Seamus Ferguson rode ahead of the others. Steven cursed; he hated dealing with him.

  “KirkConnell,” Seamus called.

  “Ferguson.” Steven spit the name out in disgust.

  “I spotted a regiment of English soldiers headed this way. Thought you’d like to know,” Seamus said.

  “Why didn’t ye stop them?”

  “Why should I? I do like sparring with the English, but thought ye might want them to come.”

  “Ye should have taken up your sword, you do need the practice.”

  The Ferguson laughed. “Whatever for? I can handle what comes me way.”

  “How long do I have?”

  “An hour or two. They be taking the long way round.”

  “Better run back to your land, Ferguson. I have Englishmen to thwart.” Steven turned, dismissing him. He supposed he should be thankful Seamus came by, no matter how much he hated the man.

  He’d best let Colin know about it, because he’d like to be included in the scuffle with the English. On his way to the keep to get him, he sighted the MacKinnon warriors by the smithy’s cottage.

  “I need a word with both of ye,” he said to Douglas and Brendan.

  “Aye, what is it?” Douglas asked.

  “’Tis apparent Colin is taken with Lady Julianna. How did that come about?”

  Douglas and Brendan chuckled. “Ye want details? Colin is taken with her. We noticed the affection, too. We consider her Lady MacKinnon, so ye better honor her, Steven,” Douglas said.

  “Aye, she’s our lady, whether he says so to the preacher or not,” Brendan put in.

  “That’s what I thought. I’ve plans for Colin, and now I know I’m doing right by him.” Steven smirked.

  “What are ye speaking of?” Douglas asked.

  “I have a plan to get him to marry her. Wish me luck lads; I’m going to need it.”

  “Aye, ye are. Let us know if we can help.”

  “I only need the assistance of two people to get this matter settled,” Steven said. “My wife and Colin.”

  “Your wife? Don’t ye mean Julianna?” Steven shook his head. “Why do ye need Lady KirkConnell?” Brendan asked.

  “She’s going to be incensed if Colin tries to bed the lass under her roof, or anywhere else for that matter. I don’t trust he’ll wait until he takes her home.”

  “Aye, we suspect he bedded her on the way. We don’t know for certain, but ye know Colin, he probably has,” Douglas said.

  Brendan nodded. “What do ye need Colin for?”

  “Guilt, he doesn’t like to feel guilt. Remember when he kissed Douglas’ lady, and felt guilty about it for weeks?”

  “Aye, that was when he was a lad. What does that have to do with this?” Brendan asked.

  “His guilt for taking her without marriage will set in. We have to wait a wee bit.”

  The fire from the smithy’s bellows became overbearing, and the men moved along. They laughed and jested for a few minutes about the journey. Douglas and Brendan filled him in on the details, until Steven suddenly sobered. He’d forgotten about the dammed English.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Colin stood with Steven and his clansmen on the ramparts awaiting the English. The KirkConnell sentries lined the outside walls, eager for their arrival. The courtyard emptied of women and children. The English rode toward the keep with the King of England’s flag waving. They galloped up as pretty as you please not aware of the danger within the walls. The men wore the king’s colors, looking like idiots, or at least that’s what Colin thought. None of them held weapons, nor did they wear armor, mail, or helmets. Aye, they were foolish indeed, and mayhap a wee bit brave.

  A stout man approached alone, holding a scroll, and waited for someone to come forward to take the message. Steven and Colin climbed down the parapet. The man’s hand shook when he handed the parchment to Steven. He turned, and strode away, saying nothing. The Englishmen didn’t wait for Steven to read the missive.

  Colin watched them leave. Dust cascaded in the air from their horse’s hooves. He leaned close to Steven. “Open it.”

  “I cannot read the blasted thing with ye hanging over me.” Steven shoved him back, and opened it. “’Tis from England’s king. King John.”

  “Cosh, what does it say?” Colin leaned closer, trying to read it, but Steven rolled it up before he could see the words.

  “It states that Julianna has four weeks to attend him in Londontown at the king’s residence, nothing more.”

  “Hell! Why would the king want Jules to attend him?”

  “You’re asking me? Ye best find out. I’ll not have England’s army coming here.”

  “Aye. Give me the damned parchment.” Colin grabbed the scroll, unrolled it, and read the missive’s contents. Then he marched inside the keep, his long strides moving him quickly. He shook with fury, unable to believe she was summoned by a king. England’s king! He opened her chamber door, and strode inside—didn’t knock, didn’t wait to be bid entry. The door crashed against the wall with a bang.

  Julianna lay sleeping. He sat next to her, shaking her none too gently.

  She opened her eyes and scrambled away. “What’s wrong, Colin?”

  “I have a message for ye,” he said as he shoved the parchment at her chest.

  She unrolled the parchment and read the bold inscription.

  By order of King John, ye are hereby ordered to present yourself,

  Lady Julianna Bentley, in his majesty’s presence with all due haste or

  within four weeks time of this date at Whitehall Castle in Londontown.

  By the time she finished reading it, her hands trembled. The official document with the king’s seal, didn’t say why her presence was requested. Colin watched the myriad of expressions cross her face, first disbelief, then ire, and finally fear.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied hesitantly.

  “I believe ye do. What does the king want?”

  “Mayhap my father requested his aid in returning me to England.”

  “You said your father wouldn’t care if ye left. Has he the king’s ear?”

  “I cannot guess what’s in my father’s mind. He’s the king’s subject. I suppose he assumed it would be the only way I would return. He wouldn’t come to Scotland himself—at least I don’t deem he would.”

  “That doesn’t matter. Ye will not go,” Colin countered.

  “I don’t want to go, please …” Tears formed in her eyes.

  “Jules, you’ll be safe with me.” Embracing her, he felt her tension ease and she sniffled. “Don’t weep, sweetheart. How did the king know where ye had gone?” She pulled from his embrace.

  “They might have harmed Aunty and Uncle. I must go. My father will—”

  “Don’t fear for them. I’ll have my clansmen ride out today.�
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  “You would do that? I’m frightened for them.”

  “They’re protected. Your uncle has many knights in his service. Your father knows where you are. He’ll probably send more English. Steven’s going to throw a fit. We’ll have to leave.”

  “I haven’t anywhere to go.” She set her forehead on her raised knees.

  “Aye, sweetheart, ye do. You’ll come with me.” Colin tightened his hold.

  “I cannot ask that. You have your clan to worry about, and I don’t want to cause trouble.”

  “I was going to send Robin to tell my clan ye were coming anyway.”

  “You never said I would go to your home.”

  “Never mind that.” He pressed his lips to her head. She tilted her face, and he kissed her lips tenderly. He lay next to her and she cuddled to his side.

  “You’re going to have to trust me, Jules. I know ye hold secrets. You cannot bear them alone. You’ll feel better if you tell someone.”

  “I cannot tell you, Colin, I’m sorry.”

  “Is it that dreadful? Mayhap it’s not that awful?”

  “I cannot return to England for any reason.”

  “We already settled that. Why don’t ye tell me one wee thing? Mayhap the rest will come easier.”

  “I’m afeard of heights.”

  He gave her a light kiss on her head and laughed. “That’s not what I meant, and ye know it. I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell me. Are ye still sore?”

  “From my fall?”

  “Nay, from our mating.”

  “Oh, that.” She colored. “Nay, I am not sore. Don’t even think about it, Colin. Ye won’t use me again,” she said. “Ye shouldn’t be talking about such matters.”

  “Why not?”

  “I am not the kind of woman that would give myself to ye, whenever you want.”

  “I’ll give myself to you whenever ye want.” He grinned unabashedly.

  She laughed at his playful tone. He lifted her chin and kissed her again. After kissing her for a spell, he stopped, and said, “You’ll not give in that easily, huh?”

  “Nay, I do like you, Colin, but I mustn’t be wanton. It’s not in my nature to be that way.”

  “All right, lass, I’ll wait for you to make up your mind.”

  He continued kissing her and his control nearly crumbled because he wanted her fiercely. It seemed forever since he had taken her.

  “Have ye made up your mind yet?” he asked bluntly.

  “I have made up my mind.”

  “I think ye need to recollect your feelings.”

  “I know what my feelings are, Colin. Can we talk about something else? Tell me about your clan and your home.”

  “My clansmen are hardened warriors. You’ve seen them. And my home is a warrior’s keep.”

  “What are the ladies like? Does your hall look like Sara’s?”

  “The lassies? Don’t know most of them, I spend my time training. They seem kindly. They’re always working and running about. My hall is spacious, roomy enough to fit a couple hundred warriors.”

  “You are full of valuable information, Colin. Ye have no idea how a woman thinks, do ye?”

  “Nay, how would I? I have no woman to mind.”

  “You have never been married?”

  He shook his head.

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Why, lass?”

  “Because.” She yawned, and closed her eyes. “You and I um …”

  “We had sex? Is that what you’re trying to say, Jules?”

  “Aye, it would have upset me to know ye were married, when we did such …”

  He laughed then kissed her again. “Why don’t ye want to marry? If you met someone and he asked—”

  “If I didn’t have to return to England, mayhap I’d marry.”

  “I told ye, you don’t have to return,” he said sternly.

  “I must return for La … ‘Tis something I don’t want to think about. Not now, anyway.”

  “Then don’t think about it. Think about what I did to ye then mayhap you’ll want to—”

  She elbowed his side. “’Tis not proper, and I shan’t do that in Sara’s home.”

  “We’ll wait until we’re not in the KirkConnell keep.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Shhh, go back to sleep, love. Ye need your rest.”

  She fell asleep in his arms. It felt right, lying next to her, but he had to get out of there. He wouldn’t take her, not without her consent, and she wasn’t ready to submit.

  His mind reflected on their conversation; she only ran from her father. Why would the king be concerned? Obviously the man had the king’s ear. Colin would have to take painstaking care in dealing with this situation. It might become more troublesome than he’d considered. Aye, he would finish his feud with the McFies, and then he could resolve Julianna’s troubles.

  He left, quietly closing the door behind him, and went to the loch to clear his mind. He realized he wasn’t alone and heard men’s shouts when he neared. The water was cold, but Colin swam for a bit. When he got out, his body completely chilled, he sat on the bank. Steven approached and sat next to him.

  “What did ye find out?”

  “Nothing, not a blessed thing. The lady is shut down like a besieged keep. She told me that her father is after her, that mayhap he requested the assistance of the king.”

  “That doesn’t sound right, Colin. Why would the king care about his baron’s daughter?”

  “I told ye she has secrets. I don’t like the fact that she’s alone. She’s in danger. I cannot let her return. Her father beat her, but she has me now. I’ll see to her safety.”

  “That’s good to know, Colin. I meant to ask, why did Douglas address her as Lady MacKinnon?”

  “They have it in their minds that she’s to be Lady MacKinnon. They’re acting like a bunch of lassies. Aye, with nothing better to do than annoy me.”

  Steven laughed loudly. “They’re more astute than ye deem.”

  “What do ye mean by that, Steven?”

  “Nothing. Are ye going to reply to the summons?”

  “Nay, why would I?”

  “Mayhap if you did, they would leave her alone.”

  “I don’t believe so. More messages will come. I’m sorry about that, Steven. I know how ye detest the English.”

  “We’ll deal with them. I’ll see you on the morrow.” Steven rose and left.

  Colin lay back on the grassy mound, and as he opted to, he fell asleep beneath the stars.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Juliana dreamt about the illusions that had plagued her since childhood. She was a small child, running in the dark to find mama. In her dream, her father was hurting her mama. ‘Mama,’ she cried in her sleep. She ran across the chamber to help, but her father struck her. Her head hit something hard and she couldn’t see. Everything went black, but she heard his yelling and their struggle—then nothing but blackness.

  A shadowy face loomed above, which she couldn’t see clearly. Angrily, the voice spoke, ‘You will never leave the tower, ye shall die there.’ The voice’s laughter resounded. She was pulled by guards and shoved into a cell, her hands clutching the cold iron bars, screaming, ‘Please, I beg ye. Don’t leave me here.’

  Julianna flew off the bed, breathing hard, and shaking. Dreaming, she was only dreaming. She often had the dream and knew what her father had done.

  “Oh, Mama, I couldn’t help ye.”

  She tried to clear the horrid dream from her mind. Usually the dream only came when she was overly tired, but after receiving the message from the king, she supposed scenes from that horrible night would haunt her sleep.

  Julianna prayed, “God, please don’t let it come to that, don’t let him find me.”

  She went to the basin and rubbed water on her face. Her mind numbed from all the anxiety. “I must get out of here before I go mad.”

  It wasn’t too early to rise, since dawn lurked beyond
the gray shadows in the distance. Sara was nowhere to be found, and Julianna had searched the entire downstairs. She considered that Sara must still be in her chamber, probably taking care of her babe. The day called to her. Exiting the keep, she noticed the drizzle, but decided to take her walk anyway. Seeing a copse of trees in the distance through the gate, she went to look for ingredients to make soap. She walked a great stretch to the woods, not bothering to keep track of how far she traveled. As she picked a few weeds that grew in a patch between the trees, a noise drew her attention. Dropping the weeds, she turned to search for it and tucked herself behind a tree.

  Edging her way around the tree trunk, she saw four men in the distance. They weren’t of the clan KirkConnell, so she leaned forward to hear their words. Their voices echoed.

  “Horace, I tell ye I saw her come in these woods.”

  “Where the hell is she?”

  “Keep looking. The lord said to bring her back and we shall. I don’t like being in Scotland. These savages will cut our throats in our sleep.”

  “Cease complaining, Briggs. We’ll find the girl soon.”

  “We should have some fun with ‘er first. Ye saw how comely she is. The lord didn’t say we couldn’t.”

  “We’ll decide when we find her.”

  Julianna waited until the men disappeared before she turned back toward the keep. She walked and walked, yet couldn’t find her way. Sitting on a rock, she tried to gain a sense as to where she was. The rain fell heavily now. Placing her plaid over her head, she looked around for familiarity. The tree in front of her seemed familiar, but mayhap not. Hours passed; it had to be past noon hour. Why had no one come for her? Of course, she hadn’t told anyone where she went. Realizing her blunder, she prayed, “I promise to tell someone where I’m going, if you’ll get me out of here, God.”

  Yellow eyes shone from the brush, making her rise and hurry away. It was getting darker. The eyes followed along when she moved through the forest. “Please, someone find me.”

  The beast suddenly charged from under the brush. Shrieking, she ran to a large crag, crawled on top of it, and looked at the wild boar below. “Be gone! Get.” The beast didn’t move, but waited at the bottom of the rock. Growling low in its throat, the hideous creature crinkled its snout. It smelled rank and it was quite an ugly animal. She waited for it to leave, leaning her arms on her knees. The beast couldn’t make it up the steep incline, so she felt safe enough. After some time at this standstill, the beast sniffed the air and ran off. She was glad to see the last of him.