“Got that fire goin’ yet?” Logan called out to Hawke.
“Do ye see any flames, smart arse?” Hawke called back to him, his voice echoing off the cave walls. “Thank guidness I found some dry wood and flint in here from the last time we passed through.”
“That’s why I left it,” Logan said, always liking to be prepared.
The growling and the struggle stopped and suddenly flames lit up the cave walls.
“Come here, Trapper,” Ethan called out to his dog. The dog ran over with something in its mouth. Jack slipped out of the shadows, coming over to Logan with something in its mouth as well.
“What is it?” asked Rhoswen, still clinging to Logan’s arm, trying to keep her distance from the wolf.
“Let’s see what ye’ve got there, Jack.” Logan hunkered down and Rhoswen released her hold on his arm. “Och, it’s only a rat.” He held the rodent up by the tail for all to see.
“Trapper’s got one, too,” said Ethan from the other side of the cave.
“A rat?” Suddenly, Rhoswen didn’t want to stay here. She envisioned herself being gnawed on by rats as she slept.
“It’s nothin’ to worry about,” Logan told her, giving the rat back to the wolf. “Go on, enjoy yer dinner, Jack.” The wolf ran out of the cave, along with Trapper to eat their feasts. Logan wiped off his hands on his plaid. “I’m glad it wasna an adder.”
“An adder?” gasped Rhoswen. “Do you think there are snakes in here as well?”
“Naw, I wouldna worry,” said Logan, with a swish of his hand through the air. “Adders willna bite unless provoked. And they dinna usually come into caves. They like the sun.”
“Enough of the clishmaclaver,” said Ethan. “I’m starved. What have we got to eat?”
“Just bread, dried beef, and a little cheese,” Logan answered.
“Mayhap ye can go hunt us a rabbit or squirrel or somethin’,” complained Ethan.
“No’ tonight,” said Hawke. “It’s better if we all stay out of this storm.”
“I agree,” said Logan. “We’ll share the food and drink we have. We’ll dry off by the fire and as soon as the rain lets up, we’ll be back on the road.”
“Good,” said Rhoswen, feeling drained and fatigued. All she wanted to do was to get back to her old life. But thanks to her father, that was never going to happen again.
* * *
An hour later, Logan stood looking out of the mouth of the cave as the rain continued to fall. They’d shared what little food and drink they had. Logan even gave up his share to make sure the women and the boy had enough to eat. He felt sorry for them. This was no way for nobles to live. He had all he could do to convince Rhoswen and her sister to change out of their wet gowns so he could dry them by the fire. They only had two blankets between them. Newell said he didn’t mind being wet, but Logan had seen the boy shivering. Hopefully, the fire would keep them warm and dry their clothes.
“They’re asleep,” said Hawke, coming to join the men who gathered around the mouth of the cave. Caleb held his wet pine marten against his chest. The men had taken off their wet plaids and walked around in only their leines. Trapper and Jack lay at the mouth of the cave keeping watch, not even bothered with the rain.
“Logan, what are ye thinkin’ bringin’ them back to camp?” asked Ethan, obviously still concerned.
“They have nowhere else to go,” Logan explained. “I guess I feel sorry for them.”
“They can go back to England where they belong,” said Caleb. “Those Sassenachs shouldna be here.”
“I agree they shouldna be here, but they are,” said Logan. “So all we can do is deal with it.”
Ethan and Caleb walked away, mumbling, sitting down by the fire as well.
“We’re goin’ to need more wood before mornin’ or the fire will die,” Hawke told him. “I’ll go out and try to find some.”
“Nay,” said Logan, stopping him. “It was my idea to bring them here. I’ll do it.”
Logan ventured out into the rain, his wolf following him everywhere he went. The rain was letting up, and a shimmer of moonlight broke through the clouds. He made his way to a spot where there was an overhang of the rock. He figured mayhap there he could find some twigs or perhaps some dry moss to burn. But then his wolf growled and his foot hit something with a thud.
“What is it, Jack?” he asked, hunkering down feeling something that felt like wool. To his surprise, he found a dead body lying on the ground at his feet.
Chapter 8
“Everyone up! We’re leavin’ now.”
Rhoswen was woken by Logan’s bellow. She had just drifted off to sleep and the fire was finally starting to warm her. “What’s going on?” she asked with a yawn.
“Men, ready the horses. We’re leavin’.”
“What in the clootie are ye talkin’ about?” asked Caleb, yawning as well. “I thought we decided to stay here for the night.”
“The rain has let up and there is enough moonlight to travel.”
“God’s teeth, Logan, what’s gotten into ye?” complained Ethan.
“Put on yer gowns, lassies. We have no time to lose.” Logan picked up the gowns and tossed them to Rhoswen and Blaine.
“Logan? Ye’d better have a guid explanation for this, because I think ye’ve gone mad,” said Hawke.
“I didna want to say anythin’ in front of the lassies and the lad, but I guess they have a right to ken,” said Logan.
“What are you talking about?” asked Rhoswen, pulling her wet gown over her head. She faced the other way, not wanting the men to see her undershift.
“I went out lookin’ for wood, but what I found was a dead man.”
“A dead man?” Rhoswen finished dressing and pushed on her shoes, running over to meet him.
“I think I ken who killed yer guards and stole yer belongin’s as well as who killed yer faither,” he told her.
“Who?” asked Rhoswen. She ran back and grabbed the weapon belt and sword and started to strap it around her waist. “I can’t let them get away with what they’ve done.”
“Hold it, lass.” He grabbed her arm. “Ye arena goin’ to do anythin’ but go back to camp.”
“Did you see them? How many were there?” She shot the questions at him one after another. “What about the sword? Did you find my father’s sword? That is the only thing that is going to bring Lockie home.”
“I dinna think ye need to worry about givin’ the sword to the Drummonds.”
“Why not?” she asked.
Logan untied a small pouch from his belt and dangled it in front of her. “Does this look familiar? I recognized the crest on the pouch as the same one on yer horse’s saddle blanket.”
“That’s my father’s pouch,” she said, reaching out with one shaky hand to take it from him. She opened it and looked inside. Sure enough, besides his money was his signet ring that she figured they stole right off his finger when they left him for dead. She held it up to see it better in the light of the fire. Grief overtook her and her father’s words kept echoing in her brain. Kill Ranulph Drummond for me. Anger pushed through her veins and now she felt like mayhap she really wanted to do it. “No man should get away with what has happened here,” she whispered.
“Rhoswen, is that Father’s ring?” Newell ran over with Blaine right behind him.
“It is,” she said, softly. “Tell me, Logan, are the men who did this still out there?”
“I only saw the dead one. It looked like he died from wounds from when they attacked yer travelin’ party. I’m guessin’ since the bag of money was still on him that the rest of his clan doesna ken he’s dead. They are probably still on a pillagin’ and killin’ spree on their way back to Clan Drummond. The dead man must have been a scout.”
“That means the others are nearby,” said Ethan, pulling his sword from his sheath. “Let’s go find them.”
“Nay,” said Logan. “It’s too risky with the lassies and the boy along.”
“I know how to fight,” said Rhoswen. “I want to find them and bring them to justice.” The words dripped off her tongue and, suddenly, she felt as if it were her father speaking. She’d never felt vengeance before now.
“I can fight, too,” added Newell, always being anxious to prove his worth. “Let me help kill them.”
“Stop it, both of ye. Ye’re talkin’ like simpletons now,” shouted Logan. “All this kind of thinkin’ is goin’ to do is get ye killed. No sword is worth yer lives.”
“Who was it, Logan?” asked Hawke in a low voice. “Because by the look on yer face, I think I can tell.”
“Was it the Drummonds?” asked Caleb.
Logan nodded, his eyes focused on Rhoswen.
“The Drummonds?” gasped Rhoswen. “Please tell me it isn’t so.”
“We had an alliance with them,” said Newell. “You must be mistaken.”
“I ken their plaid, lad,” said Logan. “And the evidence in that pouch is all we need to prove it was really them.”
“Mayhap they took it from someone else – from some other bandits that attacked us,” suggested Rhoswen.
“Nay, lass,” said Logan softly. “I ken ye dinna want to believe it, but I warned ye that the Drummonds are no guid and canna be trusted.”
“We’d better go,” said Hawke. “They’ll start lookin’ for their scout at first light. And when they do, it’ll lead them right to us.”
“I think we should fight,” said Newell, reaching out and snatching the sword away from Rhoswen. He held it up in the air. “Let’s kill them all.” The boy was getting so worked up that it made Rhoswen realize that what Logan said was true. She and her siblings were only going to get killed if they didn’t listen to him. Seeing the vengeance in her brother’s eyes only made him seem like a clone of her father. Part of her felt like that, too, but she knew it was wrong. She had to find a way to save her nephew and leave this godforsaken land. But was killing the answer? She felt so confused, and needed time alone to think this through.
“Put down the sword, Brother,” she told him. “Mayhap we should listen to the MacKeefes right now.”
“Rhoswen, are we going to die?” cried her sister, making Rhoswen want to protect her siblings even more.
“Nay,” she told her frightened sister. “Not if we listen to Logan and leave here right now. We’ll be safe in the care of the MacKeefes.”
“But how will we save Lockie if we don’t have the sword?” asked Blaine.
“I don’t know,” she said, looking at Logan for her answers. “But I’m sure we’ll find a way.”
“Give me the blade, lad,” said Logan with an outstretched arm to Newell.
Newell looked over to Rhoswen and she nodded. Slowly, he lowered the blade and handed it to Logan.
As they prepared to leave, Rhoswen felt as if they’d lost any chance of saving Lockie now. If the Drummonds already had the sword, there was no need to look for it, because they were never going to get it back. And no sword, meant no Lockie. He was just as good as gone forever, just like Rhoswen’s sister, mother and father.
“Are ye all right, lass?” asked Logan, helping her mount the horse.
“I wish I knew how to answer that,” she replied, realizing that, now, she and her siblings were truly orphans. Life had taken a nasty turn lately, and she had the feeling it was only going to keep getting worse.
Chapter 9
They arrived at the MacKeefe camp several hours later. The rain had stopped and the sun was breaking through the clouds in the hills of Oban. Logan had wanted to double back and search for the sword for Rhoswen, but he didn’t. Having no idea what it even looked like was going to get him nowhere. Besides, he had no idea how many Drummonds were still out there. He wasn’t worried about getting away from them, but with the lassies and boy along, it was too dangerous and he wasn’t willing to risk their lives.
Logan and his friends could outfight and outride anyone, but Rhoswen and her siblings wouldn’t have been able to keep up. The last thing he wanted was for them to be captured, hurt, or possibly killed. Nay, he’d have to find another way to get that sword, but it wouldn’t be with them along.
“Is this where the MacKeefes live?” asked Rhoswen as they rode into camp side by side.
“Aye,” said Logan. “It is our Highland camp. But we also laid claim to Hermitage Castle years ago. So we spend time in both locations.”
“Isn’t that risky to split up the clan?” she asked. “Doesn’t it make you weaker?”
“Nay. The MacKeefe Clan is growin’ larger every day. With many generations of MacKeefes livin’ here, our forces have become even stronger than before. Plus, we have two chieftains – Storm and his faither. So each of our locations has a laird.”
“Interesting,” she said looking around. “I’ve never seen a Highland camp before. It’s beautiful up here in the mountains.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “My friends and I prefer to stay here rather than live at the castle. I, myself, thrive on the outdoors, no matter what the weather.”
“I’ve never spent much time away from our castle,” she told him. “Before this trip, I’d never even slept on the ground.”
Logan chuckled. “Well, now that ye’re here, lass, I guarantee ye’ll be seein’ and doin’ a lot of things ye’ve never experienced before.”
Rhoswen took in her surroundings, breathing in the fresh mountain air. She’d never been to the Highlands before, and realized the land was beautiful. Fluffy, white clouds hung low over the rolling green hills that were dotted with livestock.
“Are those . . . sheep and cattle?” she asked, shading her eyes from the sun and peering out to where the livestock roamed.
“Aye. The MacKeefes have a fold of long-haired cattle as well as a flock of black-faced sheep.”
“The cattle have hair hanging in their eyes,” she said with a giggle.
“That long hair keeps them warm. We have some harsh winters in the Highlands.”
“Are the cattle mean? Those long horns of theirs look a bit scary.”
“Nay, the cattle are some of the kindest creatures ye’ll ever meet.”
“The sheep are cute,” she said with a big smile.
“Dinna get too attached to them,” Logan told her.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“The livestock is raised to feed the clan. Without it, we’d never survive the harsh winters.”
“Oh, I see,” she said, feeling suddenly sad for animals, although she knew it was a way of life. They had livestock they ate back in England as well. But to her, the cows and sheep back home weren’t nearly as intriguing.
“The water looks so blue,” she said, looking out over the camp and down the hill to the horseshoe bay of water. “And there are islands too.”
“That’s right,” he told her. “Ethan found his wife on one of those isles. The bay opens up to Loch Linnhe that way,” he told her, pointing to the right. “And if ye go that way, it opens up to the sea.” He pointed to the left to show her.
“I can see why you say you like living here,” she told him. “I think I could get used to it, too.”
“They’re back! They’re back!” cried a little boy as soon as they were spotted. Suddenly, a whole crowd of children ran toward them, laughing and all talking at once.
“Who are all these children?” she asked as they stopped their horses.
“They are all part of the MacKeefe Clan,” he told her. “Those two are Hawke’s new family, Oliver and his sister, Sophie.” Logan nodded to two young children who ran over to greet Hawke. Another girl followed. “And that little girl is Ethan’s daughter that he recently found out was his. She’s four.”
“Isobel,” said Ethan, hopping off his horse and scooping up a little girl with a doll clutched to her chest. She laughed and reached up and kissed Ethan on his cheek.
“Da!” she said, her smile enough to melt Rhoswen’s heart.
Women and men ran out to greet them and before Rhoswe
n knew it, they were surrounded by a crowd.
“Come,” Logan told her, reaching up and helping her from her horse. “Ye have a lot of people here who will want to meet ye and yer siblin’s.”
“Hello,” said Rhoswen, looking around at all the smiling faces. Her brother and sister came over and stood at her side.
“They don’t seem to hate us even though we’re English,” said Newell.
“I told ye that ye’d be welcomed with open arms,” said Logan. “That’s the way of the MacKeefes.”
“Logan, it’s about time ye returned,” said a man who looked a lot like Logan, but he was quite a bit older than him.
“Da,” said Logan, clasping arms with the man, giving him a slap on the back.
“Who is this?” The older man stared at Rhoswen.
“This is Lady Rhoswen Asquith and her siblin’s Newell and Blaine,” Logan told him. Then he looked over to Rhoswen. “This is my faither, Aidan. He is one of the Madmen MacKeefe.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she said with a nod, not sure what to do. It wasn’t every day she met Highlanders, and certainly not one referred to as a madman.
“Mmph,” grunted Aidan. “They’re Sassenachs.”
“Aye, Da,” said Logan. “They were attacked on the road and their faither was killed. They had nowhere to go so I brought them here.”
Just when Aidan looked like he was going to object, two women came up behind them.
“Well, we’re happy to have you here,” said the older woman with the dark hair. She was dressed in plaid but spoke like an Englishwoman. “I am Wren, the chieftain’s wife,” she introduced herself.
“She’s also Hawke’s mathair,” Logan told her. “And this is Effie – my mathair.” Logan took the red-haired woman into his arms, giving her a big hug and kissing her atop the head.
Highland Steel: Highland Chronicles Series - Book 3 Page 7