Cherime MacFarlane - The MacGrough Clan 01

by Highland Light

  He personally felt Philip IV should be content with having his extensive debt cancelled by the destruction of the Templars. The Frenchman snorted. His experience with those of the royal house had brought him to the sure conviction that they were never satisfied. Now he was to involve himself with the Scots king. He was weary of kings and ministers. His own estate called to him, he missed the quiet fields and orchards.

  Unfortunately he was at the mercy of Philip IV who was known to have a very limited amount of that quality. His family owed service to Philip IV for his estate. The future of his family depended on Philip's satisfaction with the conclusion of his mission. If he were not able to find any trace of the treasure of Vrana he wondered what Philip IV would do. Would he be punished for failing to locate any information? That prospect bothered Jean Pierre to no end. It was all that kept him on the hunt.

  It least it was spring in Scotland. He wondered what he would find. He had heard tales of the privation the King had endured. It was likely that he would be subjected to privations that he had never before encountered. Pleasing his sovereign was absolutely esssential to the survival of his family regardless of what hardships he personally must endure.

  Jean Pierre had formed a nebulous idea of what he was searching for. He was attempting to find evidence of anywhere from ten to thirty men, all older men. Anomalies, things slightly not as they should be, were what he was looking for. As Scotland was in turmoil that might pose quite a problem. At least many of the people in Scotland of any consequence spoke Frence. He was not so sure about the English language.

  It was several days later when Jean Pierre finally met the King of Scotland. The man was a not dressed as a king, he was not quartered in the manner of a king, but Robert Bruce impressed Jean Pierre. The man was every inch a king. He was gracious, well mannered and intelligent. He avoided the subject of the Templars well. Jean Pierre could not decide if it was simply because it had nothing to do with the campaign the King was involved in or if it was due to having too much information.

  Jean Pierre made a few discrete inquiries, The only amomaly he had discovered delt with a very small family and the wedding of the daughter of the chief. The husband of the woman had apparently very suddenly appeared. The husband was supposedly much younger than those he was searching for. The first small hint had come from one of the servants of a lady closely connected with the King.

  Further attempts to gather information fleshed out the situation somewhat. The MacGrough woman in question had spurned several offers from young men of other families. Then quite suddenly she had married. The only fly in the onintment that Jean Pierre could see was that the man she called husband was young. Rumor had it that the two young people had encountered each other on the west coast. The hint that the husband had come to Scotland on a merchant ship was intriguing but not definitive. Other than the arrival of the young man on a ship, this did not fit the pattern he was looking for.

  He did decide that he wished to see this young man. If he could meet and talk with the young man, Jean Pierre felt that he could eliminate Scotland from his search. Once Scotland was determined to be unlikely to house the treasure and the last of the Templars, he could go home. He already felt that the treasure was probably buried somewhere near Vrana.

  Unfortunately he must talk with the young man. No stone must be left unturned or his King would punish him for not being thorough. How he would find the young man and interrogate him was another matter. From the bits of information he had been able to gather, the young man was in one of two places, his home glen or fighting with Edward Bruce in the Galloway district.

  Jean Pierre found a reasonably comfortable inn in Aberdeen. He set himself up then began to frequent the taverns. He was looking for more information. He was willing to buy ale in order to ferret out what he was searching for.

  Fishing for information regarding the clan MacGrough became more of a chore than Jean Pierre had immagined. He spent nearly a month buying ale for clansmen who looked as if they would cut one's throat for the price of a tankard of ale.

  He had nearly given up the quest when he ran across three men sequested in a corner of a tavern. They had placed themselves in a position that gave them a good view of the door and they were close to the kitchen. Jean Pierre immdiately saw that they were being cautious, as men who were afraid of being discovered were cautious.

  Jean Pierre carefully lifted a tankard to the men in the corner. One of them nodded. It seemed to him they were waiting for someone. Jean Pierre had the barmaid take a tankard to each of the men. When they had finished the ale, Jean Pierre carefully made his way toward them. He was allowed to seat himself at their table. The three men and Jean Pierre were able to converse halting in French.

  When he brought up the name 'MacGrough', for the first time someone knew of whom he was speaking. The look he got was full of speculation. Jean Pierre resisted the urge to place money on the table. He felt that offering money to these men would be the wrong thing to do. Instead he approached the matter as a man searching for a long lost relative.

  He was able to garner the information that a colleague of these men had encountered the young man in question, Gideon, with nearly deadly consequences. Gideon was married to Ailene the daughter of the MacGrough and heir to the chief. There was also a rumor that the woman, Ailene, had recently given birth to a son.

  A fourth man entered the tavern and after moving to the side of the doorway, searched the interior. When he spotted the three men he crossed the floor in their direction. His gaze caused Jean Pierre to stiffen. The man was not pleased to find him at this table. When the new comer stood before them, hands fisted on his hips, Jean Pierre noted a small scar on his right cheek just below his ear.

  A spate of what Jean Pierre knew to be Gaelic ensured. The name 'Gideon' was spoken several times. The newcomer shook his head. He finally turned to Jean Pierre. His French was better than Jean Pierre had expected.

  "I am Alec MacNab. Why are you inquiring about MacGrough?"

  Jean Pierre put on his best smile.

  "I am simply searching for a lost relative."

  The young man reached up to rub the scar. There was a moment of indecision on his part. Jean Pierre waited quietly as MacNab made his decision.

  "I know naught of MacGrough business. We have other matters to discuss. If you would excuse us."

  Jean Pierre knew he had been dismissed. He quietly left the tavern then went back to his room. He had something. It was enough to induce him to make the attempt to talk with the young man, Gideon, before he left the country. He must attempt to turn over this last stone. King Philip would at least know he had not neglected his duty.

  After discovering where the MacGrough lands lay, Jean Pierre thought it best to move his operation to Glasgow. He accompanied a group of merchants from Aberdeen to Glasgow for safety's sake. Glasgow was in an uproar. Edward Bruce was known to be in the area and no one knew where he would strike next. The harrying of Buchan had engendered a terror in the land. No one wanted to be used as Buchan had been.

  He found a comfortable place to stay in Glasgow and wondered how he was to find this 'Gideon' to arrange a meeting with him. Jean Pierre was pleased to discover on his second day in Glasgow that one of the three men he had befriended, a MacNab, had sent him a visitor. The man was waiting for him in the tavern. After informing Jean Pierre that he was a brother to one of the men he had met in Aberdeen, he asked how much Jean Pierre was willing to pay for Gideon MacGrough.

  'Finally!' Jean Pierre thought. 'I may be able to finish this foolishness and go home.'

  They discussed how to go about seizing the heir to MacGrough. Jean Pierre was adamant that he needed the young man alive so he could question him. Angus MacNab nodded, and a bit impatiently stated that he understood that. He advised Jean Pierre that it might not be all that easy, as Gideon MacGrough was known to be a fighter.

  They would need to get him away from the clansmen. Alone, there might be a chance of disarming him. An
gus advised Jean Pierre that taking the man uninjured was highly unlikely but that his men would do their best not to kill him.

  Jean Pierre finally had to be content with the promise to not kill Gideon outright. The question of how to get him away from his clansmen was the problem. Angus assured Jean Pierre that Gideon was obsessed with the safety of his wife. Angus believed that his obsession probably extended to his child. If the child was thought to be dead or dying it was likely that Gideon would hurry home without waiting for anyone to accompany him. Three men should be able to eventually over power the young man.

  The plan was agreed to and it was determined that one of Angus' men would take a message to Gideon posing as a MacGregor. The MacGregors and the MacGroughs were known to be friendly. They would claim that the original messenger had been injured in some way. If they left it vague, it was possible that their quarry would not ask many questions if the message were dire enough.

  As Angus knew Gideon's wife was named Ailene. Jean Pierre determined that the message would be that Ailene needed him as their child was near death and she was so distraught as to be considering ending her own life. The two men drank to the success of their mission. Jean Pierre went to bed hopeful that his days of chasing Templar treasure were nearly over.

  Chapter 21

  Gideon and his clansmen had fought with Edward Bruce at the battle of the River Dee. The Sassenach were unable to mount a defense to the fierceness of the cavalry's attach. Over two hundred enemy troops were dead on the field. The the rest fled into the hills when it was over. The leaders of the Sassenech, Umfraville and St. John took shelter near the coast. Victorious, Edward Bruces' forces enjoyed their success. There was much merriment in the camp that night.

  The MacGrough clansmen had indulged in whiskey and were stuffed with warm food. Gideon had not indulged greatly in the whiskey. He retired early to his plaid content that the King was finally making inroads on the enemy. Ainsley was the one who ungently shook him. Immediately awake, Gideon threw off his plaid.

  "Gideon!"

  Ainsley's face wore a frown and his mouth trembled.

  "A message has come from home. Davie is ill unto death and Ailene has need of ye."

  Gideon was rocked by pain for a moment. He clutched Ainsley's shoulder hard. His hand dropped away. Gideon turned to gather his personal items together.

  "I will leave now."

  Gideon made to leave but Ainsley grabbed his arm.

  "Should ye no wait until daylight? I can go with ye. Gie me a wee moment."

  "Nay, thank you Ainsley. If she sent for me I must go now."

  In the dark on the other side of the fire, the messenger who was watching to see if his intended victim would take the bait smiled. He had not quite expected the man to leave immediately, it was going easier than he had thought.

  What Angus MacNab had not expected was that the young man would not wait for daylight. The dark horse and rider were difficult to keep in sight. The speed at which the horse and rider were willing to travel in the dark took him by surprise. He did not worry overmuch about it however. He knew the road the MacGrough must travel. Angus felt they would be able to catch up with him in day light.

  All Gideon could do was ride and pray. He knew he had to keep this horse in descent shape to complete the ride. He was aware he could trade horses with the MacFarlane but did not wish to stop for that long. He had no time for explanations or discussing news of the King's campaign.

  The horse would need rest but if he could parcel rest out carefully, they could keep moving. Three days, he would need to shepherd the animal for three days. His gut twisted at the thought of losing his son. Ailene must be frantic. Gideon had to attempt to block those thoughts, otherwise he might be driven to push the animan to exhaustion. Getting the most out of the horse was imperative.

  Gideon prayed almost continually. He prayed that God would have mercy on his small son. That God would strengthen Ailene, himself and the animal he rode. He asked for protection. As he prayed, he made his way around the edge of Loch Dee. There was a track of a sort. Gideon gave his horse its head. They wound their way through the forest, which fringed the banks of the loch.

  Gideon kept his head down as they traveled through the trees along the trail. There were many low hanging branches, which were dangerous to a rider. Once they left the forest it was easier to see the trail. Gideon checked the stars above him. The trail was heading somewhat north by northeast. That was good enough for now.

  Before morning he hoped to be through the hills and close to Carsphairn. From there he would proceed to Glasgow. Fording the Clyde would be best in the early morn. He did not wish to be stopped and questioned by anyone. He would have no patience for it and might well get into more trouble than he could afford.

  Gideon's eyes had adjusted to the dark shortly after leaving the encampment. The myriad of stars above him cast a faint glow on the terrain around him. He tried to stay out of the shadows so that the starlight could somewhat illuminate the trail. Gideon kept the horse moving at a quick walk. He wanted to push the animal but had to hold himself in. They had a long way to go. Gideon let the horse pick his own speed as they made their way down hill. Once or twice he sensed that some animal moved off the path and out of their way.

  Angus tried to keep close enough to the horse and rider to catch sight of them as they topped the occasional ridge. He was not able to do so. He began to worry that his quarry might out distance him.

  The horse he rode did not like traveling in the dark. Occasionally it shied at something along the trail. He was heartened that he had two other men ready to take up the chase as soon as Gideon started up the Loch Lomond trail. The west Loch Lomond trail was the fastest route to MacGrough territory.

  The faint lightening of the sky told Gideon he needed to stop and give the horse time to eat and drink. He had passed a quiet village. Gideon was certain that he was past Carsphairn. He found a burn with an abundance of grass on the bank. Gideon took the saddle off the horse and pulled up several handsful of grass. After rubbing the animal down with the grass, he tied the reins around his wrist. Gideon rolled into his plaid then shut his eyes, his head was cradled on the arm to which the horse's reins were tied.

  Gideon woke to the insistent tug of the reins on his wrist. The horse had grazed as far as it could. It was tugging on his arm to get at a clump of grass just out of reach. Gideon rose and readjusted his plaid. He drank from the burn, relieved himself and resaddled the horse. A quick bite of the dried meat and he was again on the trail. It would still be several hours to daylight. He groaned as he considered the distance they needed to travel to reach the ford at Glasgow.

  There was the older ford, the one Cadell had told him about. It was a gamble. Gideon decided he was willing to take the chance. It would cut off several miles, as a bonus he would be able to avoid Glasgow entirely. It was an older, more difficult crossing but it was still used by some. Gideon turned his horse. He hoped he would not need to swim the animal across.

  Alternately rising in the saddle to take some weight off the horse, Gideon varied between a fast walk and a trot. Occasionally he kicked the animal into a canter but did not keep that up for long.

  The sun was barely up when Gideon sat on the far bank of the Clyde. He and the horse had needed to swim only a very short distance across the river. Gideon was drying his sword and dagger on his plaid. After resheathing the sword and dagger, he took a small bite of the dried meat.

  The horse was cropping grass as if it would have no further chance to eat. He allowed the animal to eat and relax for a bit. Gideon wanted to be up and galloping toward home but knew that he could not do so and still have the horse carry him home. It was difficult to restrain his urge to remount. Gideon paced the bank as he chewed the meat. When he could contain his impatience no longer he caught up the horse then remounted.

  The two men who were waiting for Gideon at the base of the western trace up Loch Lomond were still sleeping. They slept as Gideon slipped past
them where they lay in hiding. Gideon would have gotten past them entirely if one of their horses had not sensed the other animal passing.

  The whinny of the horse alerted them. By the time the two men were able to break camp and mount up, Gideon was well past on his way up Loch Lomond. By the way his horse acted, Gideon knew someone was behind him. As this was a well traveled route to the northwest, Gideon did not immediately do more than note that he was not alone on the track.

  The day was well spent it was getting near evening. Gideon knew that he must rest the horse. He had passed the track to Loch Sloy and the MacFarlane's home. He had missed the possibility of exchanging his tired animal for a fresh one. He stopped to allow the horse to graze for a few minutes. The horse was not winded but it was worn. Gideon walked it a bit before remounting. The horse lifted it head and whinnied.

  Gideon heard the clatter. He urged his mount into a canter. Suddenly something felt wrong. The horsemen behind him topped the ridge he had recently crossed. Gideon turned to look over his shoulder and saw them.

  When they caught sight of him they spurred their mounts. Gideon knew he had made a grave mistake by not stopping at Loch Sloy to exchange mounts. The sun would soon drop behind Ben Vorlich. Twilight would make it more difficult for them to keep up the pace they were setting behind him. Gideon did not understand why they were after him but he was sure they were hunting him.

  His pursuers must have realized that they might lose him after the sun went down. He heard them getting closer. An arrow flashed by him. Gideon pictured the trail before him. There was a swale ahead of him where the trail descended deep into the hollow before it topped the next ridge. The MacGrough glen and a sentry were only a few miles ahead of him. It might be best to send the horse ahead and make a stand.

  Gideon topped the ridge and was almost knocked from the saddle as an arrow embedded itself into his left side just before the trail dropped down out of sight. Now he must send the horse on ahead.