“Really,” she said, felling a shiver course through her body. “How excitin’. Tell me more.”
“As ye ken, most of the Templars were killed off and their treasure went missin’.”
“And ye think that we have that treasure?”
“Nay, lass. No’ all of it. It was split up and there was a lot of it.” He let out another sigh. “Supposedly, yer mathair’s family was entrusted with a small part of it. It was left with them and they were to guard it until . . . until some other guardian of the Knights Templar came to pick it up.”
“For this many years?” she asked. “And ye think they havena got it yet? So what happened to this person who was the courier?”
“I dinna ken, lass. Like I said, yer mathair and uncle stopped confidin’ in me. All I ken was that this treasure was supposed to be protected and kept out of the wrong hands. Like mine, I suppose.”
Alana had been thinking the same thing, but didn’t want to say it. Even with all her father’s vices and all the wrong he had done, he was still her father. She loved him and forgave him. Alana had hope that somehow, some way, she could help him redeem himself. However, after this much time had passed, her fate had been slipping away rapidly.
“Mathair gave me a key,” she told him, pulling it out from under her clothes and holding it up for him to see. Her wedding ring dangled on the string with it. “But I dinna ken what it opens, or where the treasure might be.”
“A key?” He pushed up to a sitting position, narrowing his eyes to see it. “That’s the key to our answers,” he said, getting that look in his eyes he always got when he was about to do something stupid, thinking he was going to get rich fast.
“Alana,” she heard her sister calling from somewhere in the castle.
“Dinna let Diarmad ken ye have that,” he told her in a low voice. “He would kill to get that treasure. Let me see it, lass.” He held out his hand.
Suddenly, she regretted showing it to him. She hated this feeling because she wanted more than anything to trust her father, but a little part of her still told her to beware. Her father wasn’t known for keeping secrets, or for being moral in any way. As much as she loved him, maybe it truly was too late to redeem him. And now it was too late to keep things from him because he’d seen the key.
This made her sad, but she had her siblings and her daughter to think about now. She had to be careful, even around her father.
“I willna let Diarmad see it,” she said, shoving it back under her clothes. “I must go now, Faither. Kirstine calls for me, and ye need to rest.”
She turned and headed for the door.
“Alana,” he said, causing her to stop and look back over her shoulder. “I ken ye dinna trust me, and Lord kens I’ve never given ye a reason to. But I need ye to believe me now when I say I would give my life to free ye and yer siblin’s.”
“I ken that, Da,” she said softly, feeling a tear forming in her eye.
“I would do anythin’ to have yer mathair back, but it is too late for that. But it is no’ too late for me to help ye find the treasure to ensure ye have a guid life after all. I dinna want it for myself or to trade away. I want it . . . I want to find it . . . so ye can someday be free. So ye can marry a man ye love . . . and be happy the way ye used to be.”
Alana bit her lip to keep from crying. Her father was right. At one time she was very happy, when she was going to be married to Ethan. But she gave all that up to help her family, even though she, and they, became prisoners in the end.
“Get some rest, Da,” she told him, having a lot to think about. “Ye arena responsible for my happiness, or for what happens to me, Kirstine, Finn or even Isobel.”
“But . . . I am yer faither,” he said. “I need to take care of ye all.” He stopped talking and sank down into the pillow, looking so defeated and small. “It seems I have ruined no’ only my own life, but I have put the nail in the coffin for the rest of ye as well. Let me redeem myself before I leave this world, Daughter. Give me at least that, if ye will.”
“We’ll talk later, Da,” she told him. “Right now, there is a storm comin’ and I need to see that things are taken care of since Diarmad and his men have still no’ returned.”
“Devil take them in the storm,” spat her father through gritted teeth. “I was a fool for too long, and I willna play the victim anymore.”
“Da? What are ye sayin’?” she asked, hoping her father wasn’t going to try anything stupid. “Dinna anger Diarmad. I will find a way out of here for all of us, and a way to clear our names as well.”
“If ye can do that, Daughter, then ye are a godsend. Because without that treasure, ye can consider all of us dead.”
His words shook her nerves badly, and Alana turned and ran from the room. With the way her father was talking, she had a bad feeling he was going to try to do something to help and instead get them all killed. She had to come up with an answer quickly, before their lives were doomed forever, just like he said.
“Alana, there ye are,” said Kirstine, hurrying across the courtyard as fast as she could in her pregnant state as Alana exited the castle. “The storm is gettin’ worse,” she told her, pulling the hood of her cloak up over her head.
“Aye,” answered Alana. “Did Finn manage to get all the sheep into the barn?” Even though the sheep were smuggled and Alana hated that fact, some of them were kept on the isle for them to consume. Without them, they would starve. She had to be a part of this deceit because their lives depended on it.
“Nay. He’s no’ back yet and I’m worried,” answered her sister. “That’s why I called for ye. Ever since Osla and her children left the isle, Finn has been tendin’ the sheep, but it is too much for one boy to do alone.”
“I agree,” said Alana.
“I’m goin’ to go out there and help him.” Kirstine started for the stable to get her horse.
“Nay,” answered Alana, running after her. Kirstine wasn’t the best rider to begin with, and Alana didn’t want her on a horse this far along in her pregnancy. For her to go out in a storm would only give Alana one more thing to worry about. “I’ll go. Ye stay here with Isobel and Faither. Take Isobel to Faither’s bedside with ye and make certain she doesna disappear again, like she has a habit of doin’ lately.”
“Are ye sure?” asked Kirstine, almost being pushed over by a big puff of wind.
“We both ken ye are in no condition to be on a horse let alone out in a storm. I am twice as guid of a rider than ye anyway. Plus, I dinna think ye can get a sheep to listen to ye if yer life depended on it.”
“I ken ye’re right,” answered Kirstine with a giggle. It was so good to see her smile again. It reminded Alana of their days growing up in the clan. Kirstine was such a happy child. But now, she never had cause to smile anymore. “I’m better suited for sewin’ and skills inside the keep. Or possibly tendin’ to the sick, like Faither.”
Alana had never been one to be content with doing the chores of a lady. Neither did she have the patience or skills to be a healer. She liked the rugged Highlands and always felt comfortable in the wilderness and around animals of all kinds.
“I’ll help Finn secure the flock and be back in no time at all. Now go and watch over Isobel and Faither please. We’ll have to ride out the storm alone since I’m sure Diarmad and his men willna be able to sail back in this weather.”
“Guid,” said her sister, with hatred showing in her eyes. “I hope Diarmad and the others are swept out to sea and never return!”
Alana felt the same way, but she had to be strong for her sister. “Dinna say that, Kirstine. For the bairn’s sake. After all, no matter how much we hate the man, he is still the faither of yer unborn child.”
Kirstine rubbed her belly, bit her bottom lip to keep from crying, and nodded slowly. “Ye are right, Sister. I will be strong. For my bairn.”
“We’ll get through this, Kirstine. I promise ye that we will. I will find a way for our lives to be guid again. But for now, we
just need to concern ourselves with gettin’ through the storm.”
“All right. Be careful,” Kirstine called out from behind her as Alana made her way to the stable and collected her horse. She didn’t want to waste time with a saddle, so she rode the horse bareback across the drawbridge and up the cliff to where the sheep often grazed.
By the time she got to the field, the snow was mixed with slushy rain and was coming down twice as hard. She could barely see the hand in front of her face.
“Finn! Finn, are ye out here?” she called out, seeing a shadow ahead of her.
“Alana, I canna get the last three sheep into the stable,” Finn called out through the storm. The boy battled the wind, climbing higher on the steep rocks. It was too dangerous and Alana became frightened for him. “They went higher instead and now they’re stuck there.”
“God’s eyes,” she said, directing her horse up the cliff, not really sure how to get the sheep secure so they wouldn’t get injured or sick in the storm. “Go back to the barn, Finn. I’ll get them. Be ready to open the gate,” she told the boy.
“Aye,” said Finn, running through the snow. He was on foot and she figured his horse was tied up inside the shelter.
As Alana got closer to the sheep, her horse started to slip. She began to slip as well and regretted not saddling the horse after all. She figured if she could get high enough, she’d come up behind the sheep and scare them down the cliff and right into the pen. Easier said than done. The storm was nasty and it fought against her. Before she knew what happened, her horse slipped and she slid, falling to the ground and hitting her head on the hard, frozen ground.
Her vision blurred – or was it just that it was too hard to see through the snow? She was no longer sure. Her head ached and she thought she heard the barking of a dog in the distance, even though there were no dogs on the isle. Then, just before her eyes closed and she fell into an unconscious state, she swore she saw Ethan MacKeefe’s face as he leaned over her body.
* * *
“God’s toes, it really is Alana,” said Ethan, leaning over the girl he’d seen fall from the horse.
“What’s happenin’?” shouted Caleb, climbing the rocks behind him.
“Leave my sister alone,” came the shout of a boy from behind them.
Ethan spun around, by nature drawing his sword.
“Dinna hurt me!” The boy held his hands high over his head in surrender and took a step backward. “Ethan?” he asked, looking at him closer. “Is that ye?”
Suddenly, Ethan realized the boy had called Alana his sister. He remembered Alana’s siblings, Kirstine and Finn. But when he knew them, Finn was just a child.
“Finn?” he asked. “Ye are so . . . big.”
“Aye, it’s me,” he answered. “I’m three and ten years of age now.”
“What are ye doin’ out here in the storm?”
“I only want to get the sheep into the pen. I dinna have a weapon, Ethan. Please, dinna hurt me.”
Suddenly realizing he was still holding on to his sword, Ethan sheathed his sword to put the boy at ease.
“The sheep?” he asked, not even knowing there were any here. “How many are out in the storm?” He turned and glanced up the hill.
“There are three left. Alana came to help me.” The boy looked down to the ground. “Alana? Are ye all right?” Rushing forward, the boy threw himself to his knees at her side.
“Trapper, get the sheep to the barn,” Ethan commanded, sending his wolfhound up the rocks to round up the strays. He then bent down next to the boy and gently reached out to touch the blood at the back of Alana’s head. Her eyes were closed and he wasn’t really sure that she wasn’t dead.
Emotions surged through him. Part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and protect her from everyone and everything, including nature. But another part of him wanted nothing to do with her ever again. Either way, he couldn’t leave her here when she was hurt and stranded in the midst of a bad snow storm.
He leaned closer, pushing his face up next to hers to feel her warm breath on his cheek. That told him she was still alive. He sighed in relief, having feared the worst. A chill ran through his body, making him wonder if it was from the cold or from being so close to the deceitful girl who left him stranded at the altar. Funny how now she was in a similar position, being stranded instead. No matter how he felt, it didn’t matter right now. He would help her, even if part of him could never forgive her for what she did.
“Is she dead?” asked Caleb, checking on his pine marten that was nestled in the canvas bag slung across his shoulder.
“Nay, but she is hurt. We need to get her back to the castle anon.” Ethan reached out for her, but the boy stopped him.
“Nay! I’ll take her,” he said, stepping in front of him, blocking him from Alana. “No one is allowed inside the castle walls.”
“Ye’ll take her?” Ethan raised a brow. The boy wasn’t still a child, but neither was he yet a man. He was so thin and that he didn’t look to have enough muscles to pick up a log let alone a woman, and get her back to the castle by himself. “Nay, I’ll do it. And dinna try to fight me, lad. The storm is gettin’ worse. Do ye have a horse we can ride?”
“I’ve got a horse in the barn,” Finn answered. The winds were getting so strong that it was going to be a chore just to get back to the castle.
Trapper barked and chased the sheep, sending them running.
“The dog did it!” cried Finn. “Let me open the gate and get them inside the barn.” He took off at a run to finish the chore.
“So ye really did see Alana here after all,” said Caleb, looking down at her.
“I told ye I wasna crazy,” said Ethan. “Caleb, take the boy with ye on the other horse. I’ll ride with Alana on this one. We need to get back to the castle and out of the storm. She’s hurt, so we need to move quickly.”
“But what are they doin’ here?” asked Caleb. “And where have they been for the past five years?”
“I dinna ken but I intend to find out. But right now, we have to get them out of the storm.”
“Aye,” said Caleb as Ethan lifted Alana in his arms. Caleb helped him get Alana atop the horse.
Several minutes later, they were all headed for the castle with Trapper leading the way. The snow and rain came down so heavily that they had to travel slowly or risk a horse breaking a leg since they could barely see where they were going.
“Open the gate!” shouted Finn as they approached the castle.
“Ye really live here?” asked Caleb from the horse he shared with the boy. “I wouldna live here if I were a ghost.” Caleb glanced over to Ethan when he said it. Ethan just moaned.
“Save yer breath,” he warned his friend, not in the mood for teasing.
Trapper barked, running ahead of them, sneaking under the gate before it was even raised.
“Finn? Who is with ye?” growled one of the guards hurrying down from the battlements to join them. Ethan recognized the man as the one who had threatened to shoot him with an arrow the last time he was here.
“Ye!” growled Ethan, drawing his sword at the same time the guard pulled his sword from the sheath.
“Alana! What happened?” A frantic woman ran out from the keep followed by the little girl that Ethan had seen atop the battlements. “Is she hurt?”
“Kirstine?” said Ethan, recognizing Alana’s younger sister.
“Hello, Ethan,” said the girl, flashing him a quick smile.
Ethan’s gaze traveled down to the large bump sticking out from under the girl’s cloak. She looked to be very pregnant.
Alana moaned and stirred in Ethan’s arms as they sat atop the horse.
Opening her eyes, Alana realized she was on a horse with a man’s arms wrapped around her. Kirstine stood next to them looking worried. Graeme walked up with his sword drawn.
“I’m no’ here to fight,” said the man on the horse with her. “I’m only here because Alana was hurt and I wanted to bring her ho
me.”
Alana stiffened in the man’s arms. Her hand went to her aching head and she slowly turned to see him, knowing who it was before she even looked. She could never forget the deep timbre of Ethan MacKeefe’s voice. Sure enough, it was Ethan who had helped her and brought her back to the castle. Being in his protective hold made her feel things she hadn’t felt since the day she left him so long ago.
“Ethan,” she whispered, her eyes momentarily interlocking with his before his glance turned back to Graeme.
“Graeme, put away yer sword,” Alana commanded. “This is Ethan MacKeefe and he means us no harm.” Alana knew Graeme wouldn’t give her trouble since he was a friend of her family. Thankfully, Diarmad and his cronies weren’t here right now or there would be a fight at hand.
“That’s right,” agreed Ethan. “My friend, Caleb, and I had just gotten to the isle when we realized our help was needed.” He slipped off the horse and held out his arms to assist Alana.
Alana hesitated, her eyes darting over to her sister for support. Kirstine watched, nodding slightly.
“Thank ye,” said Alana, putting her hands on Ethan’s broad shoulders as he lifted her off the horse and helped her to the ground. She was so close to him that she could smell the whisky on his breath and the scent of pine clinging to his clothes. Memories flooded her mind of how she had always loved his scent as well as being warm and protected in his strong arms. She really missed this.
“They helped us get the sheep into the barn, too,” stated Finn, jumping off the horse and running over to them. Caleb dismounted and held on to the reins of the horse as he came to join them.
“Well, thank ye much,” said Alana, feeling disturbed that Ethan and Caleb were inside the castle walls. It was too risky. If they stayed too long, Diarmad might return. Plus, they were going to ask questions that she didn’t want to answer.
The wind picked up and the snow fell faster. The storm was not letting up at all.
“Finn, take the horses to the barn and wipe them down,” instructed Alana.
Highland Spirit: Highland Chronicles Series - Book 2 Page 6