The Highland Hero (Lairds of Dunkeld Series) (A Medieval Scottish Romance Story)

by Emilia Ferguson

  “Mornin', Lord Duncan.”

  “Good morning,” he replied with an easy smile, waving back.

  Blaine scowled at him. “See?” he said. “You with your good looks and your grin, you get the girls. I...” he shrugged, lost for words.

  “Only because you're going around like a black cloud. Relax, man! Go on a ride or something. I'll tell you what. You and I can fetch Broderick and go out into the hills, for a long ride. It's a good day for riding, don't you think? And while you're there you can plan. Ask me for anything. I'm glad to help.”

  Blaine sighed, looking up into his friend's easy, smiling face. He wished there was some easy solution, something simple he could do to get himself out of this dilemma. However, there were no easy answers.

  “Let's go for that ride,” he agreed.

  “Good,” Duncan nodded. “I'll go and find Broderick. He needs fresh air.”

  Blaine laughed and, together, they went towards the castle, separating at the main door. Blaine went left, towards the guest quarters, to fetch his cloak. As he went, he saw Heath, passing on the stairs towards the courtyard. Heath greeted him but he ignored that, walking stonily past upstairs

  When he was there, he flopped down on the bed, feeling unaccountably sorry for himself. He hated the fact that he wanted Chrissie, hated the fact that he could not hurt her. Hated how he felt.

  All that hate was something he could so easily, if he wished, direct at Heath. Somehow, though, he did not want to. He loved Chrissie, and that was the most important goal.

  All he had to do was work out how to win her heart. At least in that he had help. Hopefully, today he would find some means to do so.

  He headed downstairs with his cloak feeling more positive than he had for weeks.

  He had a quest.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  SORROWS SHARED

  SORROWS SHARED

  The week passed slowly. Chrissie was glad to have time to spend with her cousins. Blaine was becoming a distraction, however, and as soon as she had a chance to talk to Alina alone about it, she did so.

  They were alone upstairs in the solar, the sun shining in warm rays through the wide arches of the windows opposite. Chrissie sat with Alina on the settee opposite the windows, Alina's tapestry work spread out on her knee. She was sewing, and Chrissie cleared her throat.

  “Alina? May I ask you something? Several things, actually...” she began, and then hesitated, waiting for tranquil Alina's reply.

  “Of course, dear,” Alina said warmly.

  “It's lots of things: Blaine, my uncle, my future...” she paused. “But mostly him.”

  “Blaine?”

  “Yes.” Chrissie sighed. “He's being so strange!”

  “Strange,” Alina said slowly. She looked at Chrissie over the needle she supplied with green satin thread.

  “Strange! Very...different. Like he's too friendly – he asked me to go for a ride, and asked if I wanted anything from Lochlann village, and aren't the flowers in the hills beautiful and wouldn't I like to go to the meadows to gather them? Strange!” She flopped on the settee, staring pensively at the roof.

  Alina was silent a while. “Dear,” she began cautiously.

  “Mm?”

  “He might want to court you.”

  Chrissie stared at her. “Ugh!” she said, feeling surprised. “No! Not him.”

  Alina laughed. “He's very handsome, you know.”

  “You think so?” Chrissie asked cautiously.

  “Yes. With that dark hair and those long eyes...and so strong and brave! You surely do find him attractive. Don't you?”

  Chrissie felt herself blush. Yes, she had to admit that Blaine was very handsome. In a rugged way, admittedly. Not beautiful at all. She had also spent some time wondering what it might be like to be kissed by him. But...

  “I like him, Alina,” she said hesitantly.

  “But you like someone else more.”

  “I think so,” Chrissie ventured, remembering the kiss and the way it had made her feel, which was strangely indifferent.

  “You know you haven't made up your mind, though,” Alina ventured slowly. “So you do question this...other person. If you were certain, you wouldn't.”

  “No,” Chrissie admitted, and then sighed. “Oh, Alina! It's so difficult! How can I know? I don't think I know either of them well and...” she spread her hands, feeling as if she could not begin to express all her concerns.

  “Well,” Alina began, “my advice is to gather some information. Talk to these people, both of them. Find out more. Meet others...it may be that neither are the man you love. You never know. But you will know when you do know, if you see what I mean,” she said, chuckling helplessly. “Oh, Chrissie,” she added, reaching to stroke her cheek, “it is lovely to have you with me now.”

  Chrissie smiled. She looked up at Alina. There was a strange expression in her eyes and Chrissie wondered what it was. She remembered how Alina and Aili had talked the day they met, remembered the talk of danger coming to Lochlann. She paused.

  “Alina?”

  “Mm?” Alina asked, stitching. She turned toward her with a strange, faraway look in her eyes. Chrissie bit her lip.

  “I remember the other evening at dinner, you and Aunt Aili were talking about things that were happening. I mean, you said there was danger ahead?” She paused.

  Alina sighed. Her face looked tenser suddenly, and Chrissie instantly felt guilty for worrying her otherwise peaceful cousin. She was about to change the subject again, when Alina replied.

  “Well, dear, we can't know anything yet. However, it seems we have word of the McDonnell summoning their men. They are massing on the northern border, it's true. It's only time that will let us know what they plan to do next.”

  “They will attack the lands on the border?”

  Alina bit her lip, a frown creasing her smooth skin. “Well, that is definite. But how much further south will they come? Well,” she shrugged, leaving it an open question. Chrissie shuddered.

  “You think they will attack Lochlann?”

  Alina sighed. “It is a possibility, yes. This is why I have talked with Aili. She agrees that it is best if you spend less time here than was planned at first.”

  “Go home early! But Alina...” Chrissie trailed off sadly. She had only just arrived, it seemed! She had barely had time to see her cousins, or spent nearly enough time in the nursery watching her little boy-cousin, or walking in the courtyard with Joanna. She couldn't leave!

  “You should leave tomorrow, dear,” Alina explained sadly. “I know. I don't want this visit to end either. I have my own reasons for wanting you all to stay longer. But it is safer. Duncan says the troops are moving and it will soon be too dangerous to risk travel across open country. You know the McDonnell hate our kind. If they caught a coach with the family...” she shuddered. “Let me just say I want to know you are all home safe.”

  Chrissie shuddered. “We will send word as soon as we are back, I promise.”

  “If you can, yes,” Alina nodded. “Please do. I would like that.”

  “I shall try.”

  They sat silent for a while. Suddenly, the warm solar seemed full of danger. The tranquility was false, somehow, a silence waiting to be broken. Chrissie shuddered and looked out of the windows at the pale white horizon, trying to think of happier things.

  “You went riding with the men yesterday?” Chrissie asked. She herself had not gone, feeling slightly ill and eager to avoid contact with Blaine and all the discomfort he brought with him. All the same, she was eager for news.

  “No,” Alina said quietly. “I was with Aili. We had to talk.”

  “Oh.” Chrissie did not pry into the private conversation of the two seers. She was not sure she wanted to know. She suddenly recalled something.

  “Aili told me something,” she began hesitantly.

  “Oh?” Alina's brow rose enquiringly. “And what did she tell? It could be helpful in your...quest,” she said slo
wly. She smiled at Chrissie. Whatever it was, she didn't expect bad news.

  “She said I would go on journeys,” Chrissie offered.

  “Oh,” Alina's brow creased in a frown. “Well, that could be a good thing.”

  “It could be,” Chrissie said, hesitant. She did not recall her aunt saying anything about the journeys being nice ones. All she had said was that she would want some of them, and some of them she wouldn't, and some of them would...some that take you somewhere new.

  It didn't seem to make any sense. She frowned, wanting to ask Alina about it. She hesitated, and then cleared her throat.

  “Alina...”

  At that moment, a servant burst into the hallway, running into the solar. “My lady Alina!”

  “What?” Alina stared at him, hand reaching for Chrissie's wrist.

  “My lady! Come quick! The keep is under attack.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  A PERILOUS RIDE

  A PERILOUS RIDE

  Chrissie and Alina stared at each other. Alina frowned.

  “Dunkeld is under attack? But...by whom? When?” She turned to Chrissie, who frowned back. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt terrified. Alina's hand was on hers and she clutched her hand with the other, feeling how Alina's pulse also beat faster with fright.

  “They came out of nowhere, milady. Swarming at the back gate. So many of them...Master said he'd not seen nothing like it. Not since...” he trailed off. The sacking of Dunkeld had happened over ten years ago and was in everyone's mind.

  “Quite,” Alina finished. “But whom, Alec?”

  He shrugged. “I dunno, milady. His lordship just said to fetch you. Lord Broderick is at the gate now, manning the defense there.”

  “Oh!” Alina covered her cheeks with her hands in a sign of horror. Chrissie understood why. Together, wordlessly, they stood and ran to the door, their feet making loud footsteps in the high space.

  If Broderick was manning the defenses on the rear gate, then Amabel...they ran breathlessly down the hallway towards the main rooms.

  “Alina!”

  “Amabel!” Alina cried breathlessly as her sister appeared around the corner, velvety skirt in hand, running up the hallway.

  “Oh, I was so worried!” Amabel said breathlessly, her hand on her heart. “Thank Heaven I found you. Let's go downstairs.”

  “Broderick is...” Alina began.

  “He's at the rear gate,” Amabel said with a grim face. “The fighting is thickest there.”

  “Oh, sister,” Alina said, putting a hand on her sister's arm. “He is an experienced fighter. He will return safely. I know it.”

  “I hope so,” Amabel said quietly, then looked into her sister's level gaze. “Well, yes. I know so.”

  “Yes,” Alina said firmly. “Now, to the great hall. We will shelter there until we know more of what is happening. The maids and the men who are too ill to fight should join us.”

  “They're already gathering, sister,” Amabel agreed, and they nodded as a group of maidservants rushed past them down the spiraling stairs, heading for the courtyard and the great hall.

  “Duncan,” Alina said steadily. It was a statement, not a question, but Amabel took it as one.

  “He is in the front, manning the defenses on the great gate. He says he suspects it is a false alarm and they intend to attack there. He will keep the place defended until he is sure the threat has passed.”

  “Wise man,” Alina noted. Together they headed down the stairs to the great hall.

  In the hall, Chrissie felt the first shivers of true fear. Everyone seemed eerily composed, the maids walking about in silence, the men-at-arms too ill to fight leaning on the benches, their voices subdued whispering.

  “Alina..?” Chrissie whispered. Alina was already crossing the floor, going to their aunt. Somehow, she had appeared in the great hall seemingly without being called there. Chrissie shrugged. She did not pretend to understand the way of a seer.

  Amabel was in the middle of the hall, talking to a man-at-arms who appeared to be organizing the gathering of the servants here in the hall. Amabel was talking quickly, hands flashing gestures as she did so. Chrissie listened in.

  “So the men are concentrating on the front gate. We can get supplies for them? Torches, pitch, weapons, yes? And if there is a siege situation...” she trailed off, making a gesture towards the kitchens. “Will we withhold?”

  “For a month there is perhaps enough, my lady. For those within the castle. For the guests...” he lifted his shoulders. “We have enough for perhaps a hundred folk for a month, milady. If we're extra careful-like. No more.”

  Amabel seemed to shrink. Her usually open gestures became more subdued. “Oh. And you think a siege likely?”

  “I know not, milady.” The man, whom Chrissie thought might be the armorer, or perhaps the head of their guardsmen, spread his hands, looking at the stiff knuckles as if answers lay there.

  “Well, then,” Amabel said quickly. “I should consult my husband. Olrich?” she summoned a guard, who blinked and stood straighter, seeming more afraid of his mistress than the foe.

  “Yes, milady?” he bowed deeply, touching his forehead in a gesture of respect.

  “Go you outside to find Broderick. Tell him I need to know how likely it is they're would-be besiegers.”

  “Very good, milady.”

  The man bowed and raced off outside. Chrissie bit her lip, praying he would be safe in the courtyard, for it sounded as if there was chaos out there. She turned back to Amabel.

  Amabel had crossed the hall to stand with Bronna and the children. Joanna was stroking her green skirt, looking up at her, and seeming unconcerned by everything. Brodgar was in swaddling in the nurse's arms, looking about with bewildered, wide eyes.

  Amabel looked calmer, and Chrissie went to stand with her. Together they watched as orderly maids and men-at-arms laid cloth pallets down for wounded.

  “Cousin?”

  “Mm?”

  “You think the men will besiege us here?”

  “We'll know soon enough,” Amabel said, resolved.

  “If there is a siege, should we leave?”

  Amabel blinked. She reached out a hand and put it on Chrissie's arm, looking into her eyes with her intense green ones. “My dear, I would send you away only for your own safety. The supplies will be thin here, and I do not want you trapped with us.”

  Chrissie swallowed hard. The thought of a siege was terrifying. She knew how many supplies traveled up to their own castle from the villages and farms on a daily basis. It was true that they had their own grounds, their own plots, and some milk-goats and hens. However, those living in the castle did rely on the outside for fresh food every day. The well and the supplies within the vast stores and cellars, or the attics, would keep them going for a while, but with so many men-at-arms, servants, and family to feed, it would not last for long.

  “Cannot you come with us?” she asked at once, thinking of the babes. How would they fare, here in the castle, while the food supplies lessened? “If it's safe for us to leave, then surely...” she trailed off.

  “Broderick can't go. So I will stay.”

  “Nor can Duncan,” Duncan said suddenly, appearing beside their small group. “But he thinks it might be best if our guests left now, before the fighting comes round here.” he indicated the front part of the castle where the vast keep overlooked the walls and the path to the gate.

  “You have no fighting in the front?” Amabel asked at once. Alina had come to join them and she looked up at Duncan, a message in her dark eyes.

  “As yet, no.” Duncan ran a hand through his brown hair, sighing. “But it will not stay clear for long. All who leave should go now. And we can send to Lochlann, maybe...” he trailed off. Chrissie grasped what he meant, and so it seemed did her cousins, instantly.

  “Of course!” Alina said quickly. “We can call for aid from outside. They will not have us besieged here for long...” she trailed off. Dunc
an looked into her eyes and Chrissie guessed that she had probably thought of it at the same time he did. He nodded.

  “We could do that,” he said, sighing.

  “I would go,” a voice spoke behind him.

  They all spun round. Blaine stood there, his helmet under his arm. He was wearing his mail shirt and already, it seemed, was ready to leave the castle. Duncan cleared his throat.

  “Blaine, it's dangerous...” he trailed off. “Very well.”

  “And I could accompany those leaving,” he said, looking meaningfully across to where Chrissie stood, trying to look past him at the wall where the maids were lighting candles and torches to keep the place bright as the night fell.

  “Yes!” Duncan agreed, relieved. “Well, then. It's settled. Sweetheart, I want you to go with them,” he said to Alina.

  “No.”

  Alina stared at him, black eyes firm.

  “Alina...”

  “No,” Alina said firmly. “I will not leave you. Chrissie should go. Amabel and the babes should, but I know she won't. And I won't either. You cannot make me do so.”

  Duncan chuckled. “I pick battles,” he said quietly, “and right now I find the one out there easier. Well, then. I will be honored to have you. But promise that if things get too bad, then...” he trailed off.

  “I will do whatever is necessary. I assure you. I swear.” Alina gripped his hand and Chrissie looked at the floor, not wanting to witness the fierce kiss the two gave each other. At length, Duncan turned to Blaine. He was still there, not, Chrissie noticed angrily, doing Duncan the courtesy of stepping aside so he could say his parting-words to his wife.

  “Well then,” Duncan said heavily. “Blaine, I leave the necessary to you. Take Chrissie and go safely. And quickly. Now, as soon as you can! Ride, though. The coach is too cumbersome. Take Chrissie on your charger. You can take mine, he's battle-trained.”

  “Thank you,” Blaine was saying. Chrissie gaped at Duncan.

  “No,” she began, protesting. She would not ride with Blaine. She knew it was an urgent situation, but the thought of riding with him, being held, pressed close to him...it filled her with revulsion. At least, she thought it was aversion. However, her heart was beating fast and she had to admit she had never felt so alive.