by Jane Stain
He kissed her then.
He knew he didn’t need to, that his friends would never doubt his word that she was his wife.
But time was running out, and when he returned after the war council it might be awkward between them, having to spend the night together again in such close proximity. No, the time to kiss her was now.
He started softly, hugging her to him lightly. He poured in all the longing he felt, all the regret about having to say goodbye to her just as he was realizing how much she meant to him.
He was surprised and amazed to feel her response. She kissed him back eagerly, deepening the kiss and opening her mouth to him. So willing was she, the two of them might have done some aught they regretted, had Gehrig and Igor not been waiting outside.
But alas, the kiss was not even a long one.
He broke away with a sigh and stepped back from her, gave her a nod and what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and then left the tent and approached the waiting Gehrig.
“I ken it canna be exciting, the idea o’ standing here guarding my wife, and so I give ye the loan o’ this knife the lowlanders made.” Not feeling at all sorry for the lie, he held out the Swiss Army knife.
Gehrig took it, at first with skepticism and then strong interest, which played on his face despite his best efforts to control it.
As Luag walked away with Igor, he gave Gehrig the sternest look he could manage.
Gehrig nodded at him, and it was enough.
Luag knew Gehrig would do his utmost to keep her safe.
Luag and Igor walked through the camp a ways. There was hustle and bustle, getting things ready to start the morning march toward Aberdeen. Donald’s plaid was the same one he’d always used, large enough to cover a tree that sheltered a dozen clan chiefs. It sat alone atop a small hill, for privacy.
Everyone looked over at Luag when he entered.
Their objections were vehement.
“I ken he is yer nephew, but he has been away sae long.”
“Certies ye dinna wish him tae bide with us whilst we plan.”
“Ye said it yerself Donald, he is a traitor.”
“Ye canna believe he has truly returned tae embrace his MacDonald heritage.”
Donald held up his hand and received silence. “Welcome, Luag. Please, dae join us.” With a gesture, he dismissed Igor.
The man’s footsteps had receded and no others were heard. Donald laid out his plans for their attack on Aberdeen.
When the meeting was over, Luag got up to leave.
Donald gestured for him to stay after everyone else had left. “I always kenned ye would return tae me one day. Nay, I am na angry ye left. Ye would na hae any spirit in ye if ye had na.”
His uncle’s praise hit Luag’s skin and slid down it like oil, but he had to take it if he was going to stay long enough to undermine his uncle’s plans from the inside.
Uncle himself escorted Luag back to his tent, followed by his usual lackeys, amid almost-stares from everyone.
Katherine might not have noticed it if she’d been along, not being accustomed to MacDonald ways, but Luag knew all the signs of a people afraid to show their true opinions. These signs were what had first alerted him in to his uncle’s dissimilarity from other clan chieftains, back when he was a boy. Donald claimed the absolute control he had over his clan was what made him worthy of command, but Luag’s cousin’s clan had not been like this at all. Neither was Leif’s clan like this. They both commanded through being revered as capable leaders, not by fear.
“I trust ye wull hae a pleasant night with yer bride,” Donald said with a gleam in his eye that made Luag all the more determined to see Katherine on her way in the morning.
“And I trust ye wull with yer bride as wull,” Luag said with the appropriate amount of deference.
Even though this had been an impudent thing for Luag to say, Uncle chuckled and clapped him on the back before walking off.
Luag turned to Gehrig, who had stood stoically through this whole exchange, appropriately looking the other way and pretending he couldn’t hear. This wasn’t out of any sense of politeness or respect, Luag knew, but out of Gehrig’s desire to keep his skin on his back.
Now that Donald was walking away, Gehrig gave Luag the barest smile in greeting. “This is some knife ye hae. Ye want tae sell it?” He said this even as he held it out to Luag, obviously knowing full well that Luag would not part with it for money, it being such a remarkable thing.
“I thank ye for yer appreciation and yer offer,” Luag said, accepting the knife with a smirk of a smile that said he knew how valuable a thing it was and while he appreciated the offer, there was no way he was going to accept. “I trust ye had na trouble manipulating its various parts?”
They were whispering, Gehrig understanding how Luag wouldn’t want this to get around, lest he be relieved of the knife in his sleep. “Quite a remarkable thing.”
“Aye, the lowlanders are nary sae primitive as we are led tae believe. They are quite capable o’ going on withoot oor help.”
Gehrig gave the slightest wrinkle of his nose, indicating he agreed, and walked away, giving Luag’s hand the barest tap, which had to substitute for a forearm grasp in the presence of such suspicion as there was in the MacDonald camp.
Luag ducked into his tent.
Katherine put what she called her phone into her bag. She did so quickly enough that if he hadn’t known what it was, he wouldn’t have had any idea. So far, so good.
He removed his sword and lay down on top of it on the billet next to Katherine, placing the covers over him and her but pointedly turning his back to her, his reassurance there would be naught untoward between them.
Not that he didn’t want her, but he didn’t wish to ruin her for marriage in the future. To someone else. He swallowed some panic rising in his throat inexplicably.
“Sae what was said at the war counsel?” she whispered next to his head.
He whispered back over his shoulder, “Donald plans on coming up from the south and surprising Aberdeen.”
“I finished the book while ye were away,” she whispered tentatively. “I was just reading the pertinent parts again. There is na record o’ any attack on Aberdeen. Are ye certain he wull dae it?”
“Aye. I dinna claim tae ken him overly wull, especially after being gone these ten years, but aye, he is gaun’ae attack from the south.”
“Why dae ye suppose what ye heard differs from what the history book says?”
“The druids were trying tae change history, and Donald was taking their counsel, aye? Perhaps this is the bit that needs tae change in order for Scotland tae become a world power through Donald.”
“Aye, that makes sense. We need tae tell Leif.”
“Is that enough? Here we be. I hae the opportunity tae end everything in the most obvious way.”
Her body clenched up and she placed a hand on his arm. “What most obvious way? What dae ye speak o’?”
Talking over his shoulder with his back to her was putting a crimp in his neck. Surely she was reassured by now that he wasn’t going to try anything. Luag turned onto his back, wriggling around the sword so it wasn’t stabbing him in the bum. He had to lie atop it. He couldn’t allow anyone to steal it from him, and it had to be within reach if someone tried something. “My uncle is sleeping, and everyone now kens he has welcomed me back. I could gae tae him, say I wished a word with him, and rush in afore they could wake him. I could end this once and for all.”
She jumped on top of him and held him in an embrace that was even more startling than their kiss had been earlier. “Ye will na. ‘Tis foolish! Ye would die yerself with the deed undone!” She clung to him, and then as an afterthought, she added, “ And then where would I be? What would they do tae me?”
She was right.
He clung to her, holding her with as much abandon as she was holding him. And then he gently pushed her off him. “Katherine, I dinna trust myself with yer virtue a moment longer. Say ye wull s
tay ower on yer side o’ the billet.”
She was breathing heavy, and at first she started to reach out to him again. But sense took over and she nodded, rolling onto her stomach next to him on his back. This was a much more sensible arrangement for whispering to each other, and he was angry at himself for not thinking of it sooner.
16
Katherine’s emotions were going up and down like a roller coaster. She couldn’t keep up with them. Luag had just admitted he hadn’t thought of what would happen to her if he went and got himself killed. She should be furious with him. Why wasn’t she?
“Ye hae the right o’ it, lass. We shall sleep, get up with the dawn, and steal away on the morrow amid the chaos o’ beginning the march on Aberdeen.”
For what seemed a long time, she tried to sleep. But it was useless.
“Are ye asleep?” she whispered.
“Nay. Are ye?”
“Nay,” she whispered with a chuckle.
But Luag was quiet after that.
The only conclusion she could draw was he was morose about once again leaving his people in order to fight against them. She could respect the sentiment, if not the wisdom of it. He was appreciated by Leif and Taran, and she felt like she needed to remind him of that.
“We have na whispered like this syne that night when little Amena was being sae funny. Remember?”
“Aye, such a joy tae watch her water all those imaginary flowers.”
“She wanted ye in particular tae appreciate how pretty the flowers were, as I recall.”
“Nay, she wished tae impress her brothers.”
“Dinna be too sure aboot that. The lass is young, but in six more years ye may start tae feel differently aboot her.”
Luag guffawed. “Och, she will never be anything but a sister tae me.”
That memory was having the opposite effect from what she wanted, and so she tried a different one. “And ye are like a brother tae Leif and Taran. They include ye in all o’ their plans. And as the odd woman oot tae yer odd man, I had the sore feet from many toon dances tae show for it.”
He turned over on his side, putting his back to her once again. “I wish for ye tae pass a good night, Katherine.”
Something was wrong. He didn’t sound like someone eager to go back to his friends, but rather someone who thought he might miss them a long time. She brooded over that awhile before sleep finally took her.
In her dream, Katherine found Kelsey, Jessica, and Lauren inside the underground Alba palace at Dunskey castle. Through trial and error, Kelsey had discovered this was a safe place where she could protect dreams from intruders listening in. It was unclear why the druids had made Kelsey one of their own and given her such powers, but at times like this, Katherine was grateful for these powers. She ran first to hug Jessica, who she felt protective over, and then Lauren, who she had more in common with.
Having greeted her friends, she turned and gave Kelsey a grateful nod of thanks. “I’m surprised. It hasn’t even been a week since the last time you brought us all into a dream. But it’s a gift you did.” She turned her attention on Jessica, Leif’s wife. “Luag was welcomed here and he attended the war counsel. There, he found out Donald indeed plans on attacking Aberdeen. He’s beginning the march tomorrow and should be there the next day, coming from the south.”
“Are you sure?”
“There’s nothing about Donald reaching Aberdeen in the history books.”
“The Battle of Harlaw was the end of it.”
“Aye, I’m sure,” Katherine told them with as much emphasis as she could, giving them her level seven stare as well. She found that her level ten stare intimidated people too much. They shut down and didn’t share with her anymore.
Jessica wrinkled her forehead. “Isn’t it odd that Luag was accepted?”
“They nearly hanged him…”
When Katherine had related the whole story, she could tell she had sold them. They were ready to make plans. “Luag and I leave in the morning on horseback. We should be there by nightfall.”
“We’ll tell Alasdair,” Jessica assured Katherine. “He’s been able to win the Regent over. Kelsey, show her the hill we showed you.”
Katherine had to resist the urge to lean back away from the dream chasm that opened up below her, showing the landscape as if she were flying over the road toward Aberdeen. Just before she reached the city on the east coast of Scotland, a hill rose up on the right. She soared down to where she could see a trail up the hill from the road, and then the chasm closed up and they were back in the underground palace beneath modern-day Dunskey Castle.
Lauren was pacing back and forth, obviously thinking through the ramifications. “We leave town in the morning and go make camp on that hill. Kelsey assures us we’ll have a safe overview of the battle from up there and stay out of the way. Come find us.”
Katherine nodded her agreement to this plan.
“I’ll check in with you all after the battle just in case…” Kelsey didn’t finish her thought, but Katherine understood. Just in case any of them lost their men and wanted to go home.
“I want to go home after the battle in any case,” Katherine told their druid friend.
Kelsey nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”
Katherine drifted into a normal dream. About kissing Luag.
The morning was far more chaotic than when they arrived. Everyone was loading up provisions and larger weapons on the horses, putting out quick cooking fires, and pointing at where they should muster for the march.
She and Luag folded up their billet, took the plaid blanket down off the tree, and bundled it all up on the back of their own horse, then walked it out to the perimeter of all the camp activity.
“Dinna be proud,” Luag told her. “Let me boost ye up.”
How did he do that, know exactly when she was about to have a proud moment and resist a suggestion he made?
Giving him a look that said “verra well, I wull dae as ye say, but na because ye said it. I wull dae it because it makes sense, sae lose the idea ye can boss me around,” she let him boost her up onto the horse.
He took an unusually long time doing so, lingering with her in his arms.
Once she was on horseback, there was barely any room behind her, what with the added bulk of the plaid blanket. Where was he going to sit?
He led the horse even more outside the perimeter of the camp, toward the road they’d come in on. “Dae ye recognize the way?”
“Aye,” she told him. “‘Tis just a straight shot along this road. It should na be difficult at all—”
Luag slapped Steam’s rear, sending Katherine at a run toward the road without him.
17
Luag only allowed himself to watch Katherine on the horse until she was safely moving along the road. Luck had won and it was a market day, so wagonful after wagonful of produce was headed for the next town over. She would be well.
Thinking it was time to leave because he shouldn’t let himself be caught sending her away, he turned around.
His heart nearly stopped.
Someone stood there.
Luag relaxed when he saw that it was Gehrig. Still, he stood and waited to see what the man would do.
Gehrig just nodded toward where they were supposed to go muster for the March. “Glad I am ye sent her away. That market toon is as good a place for her tae wait for ye as any.”
Luag had put a few provisions from the saddlebags into his own knapsack. He adjusted it, and his sword, on his back and joined Gehrig to muster for the march. When they arrived, everyone else stood in formation, waiting.
Donald beckoned.
Before going to join his uncle, Luag gave Gehrig the slightest shrug of apology. “See ye at the midday meal.”
Donald sat his horse proudly and patiently until Luag was beside him. “Now that my nephew has decided tae get up for the morning, we can leave!”
Everyone forced themselves to laugh.
Donald turned to Luag. “I se
e ye hae misplaced yer horse and yer wife.”
Luag didn’t have an answer. Knowing his uncle, he just remained silent.
Donald gave a small shake of his head. “Na matter.” He turned to a young aide Luag thought might be the son of Gwendolyn. “Get Luag a horse tae ride, and be quick aboot it.”
The young warrior ran off.
Donald appraised Luag. “At least ye hae the presence o’ mind tae keep some vittles aboot ye. Otherwise I would be calling ye a fool, giving yer wife yer horse. Na matter. I shall be honored if ye take yer meals with me.”
That oily feeling took to Luag’s skin again. The urge to try and rub off his uncle’s cloying indulgence was almost unbearable. Thankfully, a horse soon appeared, and Luag mounted, happy to ride, at least, rather than stand there under scrutiny.
The army began its two-day march on Aberdeen.
Riding next to his uncle was hardly a treat. The man’s comments made Luag uncomfortable. The other clan chieftains rode near, and Donald kept up a constant conversation with them.
“Och, how wull they march.”
“Aye, this time we wull hae the prize.”
“Nay thanks tae Roland.”
“We hae na need o’ the puny druid. He has served his purpose in telling us what must be done, but we who are indeed men need tae dae it.” This was met with uproarious laughter every time it was said.
“They will na ken what has struck them.”
“Aye, they are ripe for the taking.”
Luag grinned and bore with it. Riding with these people would have been an entirely distasteful experience except for one fact. Roland was right. From the soaring heights of the gray stone-top mountains to the vast expanses of meadow between them and the waterfalls that graced the rivers and streams, everything about this land inspired awe. Having seen modern man-made monstrosities and wonders, Luag appreciated Scottish scenery as he never had before. It was his one pleasure on this forsaken journey. And it must be preserved.
At the midday meal —which Luag was now cursed to spend far away from Gehrig—Uncle’s boasting became even more unbearable.
“We shall take them unawares, and Aberdeen will be mine. Just the next step upon my ladder tae glory as king o’ Scotland. I could na dae it with nary all o’ ye.” He smiled at his sycophants. “And therefore, ye will all hae prominent places in my kingdom.”