A groan, followed by the unmistakable sound of retching, made her crack her eyes open. Osk stood leaning over the side, Geir asleep at his feet. Osk wiped his mouth, his gaze turning to her. “Bloody waves,” he murmured.
“’Tis best to stare out at the sea from the bow, face into the wind,” Joshua said from behind her.
Osk nodded and turned, walking toward his chance to feel better. Kára tipped her face up to Joshua. The muted dawn light revealed his strong features, his eyes the color of a summer morning. He stared down at her. The harshness that she’d seen in his face when they’d first met had softened into something like contentment.
She smiled. “You are happy to be going home.”
“I am happy to be bringing ye home,” he said, pulling her up a little higher against him.
She stifled a yawn, enjoying the feel of security against him.
“Ye can sleep longer. There are a couple more hours to go,” he said.
Her mind drifted forward, and her smile faded. What type of reception had Brenna and Corey had? What of the ones who had not wanted to leave Orkney? Would they return on the ship to face the disappearance of The Brute, or would they wait until spring? And she still needed to deal with Torben’s mother. Had word reached her yet of her son’s death? His insolent actions that may have brought death to them all?
“Will your brother be angry that more are coming to your shore? After so many have already shown up?” she asked.
Joshua grinned. “Cain will be…perplexed, I think. He does not anger easily.” He glanced up. “I do not think he would expect me to help your people. When I left months ago, I was…full of discontent, untrusting of his leadership and his decision not to war when we were strong enough to win all of Scotland. I thought only of myself and the power of Clan Sinclair.”
He looked down into her face, inhaling fully through his nose. “Then I met a boy named Adam in South Ronaldsay.” He touched her cheek. “And then I met a lass called dróttning and her proud and honorable people.”
A gentle smile returned to Kára’s face. “Whatever brought you into Asmund’s tavern that night…” She shook her head, feeling it brush against him. “I will be forever grateful.”
He met her smile with his own. “Grateful enough to give me your name?”
Kára’s brows bent with confusion.
“Joshua Sinclair, the Horseman of War, is dead, buried in the graveyard behind a stone chapel near Birsay on Orkney. I was rather hoping ye would ask me to wed so I could become Joshua Flett.”
Kára’s heart pounded, her lips opening. She sat up straighter in his arms, turning fully toward him. “You want to wed me?”
He slid his palm along her cheek. “Aye, lass. I want to wake up next to ye every morning and kiss your frowns away. I want to build a home for us and Geir and any other strong, bonny bairns that come to us. I want to ride the heather moors with ye and love ye in the shade of a tree on a summer day. I want ye to know peace and contentment by my side and know that no one can harm ye or your family.” His fingers slid along her cheek. “I want to love ye all the days of your life, Kára Flett. Will ye wed me and give me your name?” A slight bend furrowed his brows as he waited for her answer.
Kára released the breath she had held during his words. The cavity within her that had been filled with vengeance flooded with joy, pushing out the darkness of worry and hate. She inhaled, the openness of her heart allowing more air than ever before until she felt almost dizzy with it. She nodded, his hand still on her cheek, and blinked as the ache of happy tears filled her eyes. “Aye,” she said. “I want nothing other than all you just said.” She turned, coming up on her knees so they were level. “I love you, Joshua Sinclair. Will you marry me?”
The furrow along his brow vanished as his smile spread, not only along his mouth but over his entire face. “Aye, lass, absolutely with all my heart.” Joshua wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close into his warmth.
She met his kiss, her fingers threading through his hair. Love welled up within her like a flood of warmth, the whole world melting away around them as they sealed their oaths.
…
“There is an army along the shore,” Calder said, his face pinched with worry. “You said we would be welcome.”
Joshua stared out at mainland Scotland as they neared the port most convenient to cross between it and Orkney, north of Girnigoe Castle. A mass of men and horses stood in four regiments on the bank with a line of them riding down toward two ships docked. Joshua’s gaze was drawn to the four distinct groups of horses: white, black, bay, and an odd gray that he knew would look green the closer they sailed.
Brow furrowed, he snorted. “Those are Sinclairs, my Sinclairs. Now where the bloody hell are they going?”
“It looks like they go to war,” Kára said next to him.
“They are all Sinclairs?” Osk asked, his face still greenish to match Bàs’s horses that were stained green to represent the fourth horseman, Death.
“Aye,” Joshua said, squinting. Three men stood on the docks. As the ship drew closer, he was able to pick out his brothers, Cain, Gideon, and Bàs, where they spoke with people from the ship. Damn, it was good to see them.
Geir ran up to the rail. “You were not jesting about having hundreds of horses.” The boy’s eyes were round, anticipation in the tilt of his smile. And Joshua hadn’t even told him yet that one would be completely his.
“The bays are my army,” he said over the shouts of the sailors dropping the sails to slow their approach. “And each warrior cares for his own mount, so they belong to them, but several live in my stable at Girnigoe Castle.” Thick lines of twisted rope squeaked with the tension, and the slowing made them pitch forward in unison, although the gentle rolling remained constant.
Joshua watched Cain raise a fisted hand as he stared toward their ship. Joshua returned the gesture. Cain seemed to stare at him and then spoke to Gideon.
There were several deep-water slips at the docks, but the Orkney captain dropped anchor in Sinclair Bay. Intimidated by the show of force, Joshua could understand why he did not want to draw closer. He pushed off the rail and caught Kára’s hand.
He called up to the captain. “They are Sinclairs and not a threat.”
“The other ships make docking difficult. I will wait until one of them sails.”
“I am rowing across, then,” Joshua said, and the captain signaled two of his men to lower the dinghy.
Kára caught his arm, halting him. “Should we go alone first?” She glanced toward her grandmother, who had come up on deck.
“They are not a threat, Kára.”
“You have sent word that you broke your allegiance to them. Are you certain?”
“Aye, most certain.” He kissed her forehead and tugged her along to the rope being lowered into the bobbing rowboat.
“I want to go across now,” Geir said, lining up behind them.
“And nothing is going to keep me on this floating Hell,” Osk said, wiping his mouth.
Calder called out as he walked up. “I will not be left behind when Brenna and my babe are on that shore.”
Joshua glanced into Kára’s anxious face. “Well then, we have an army of our own.” He smiled.
Joshua climbed aboard first, glancing up to where Kára spoke to her grandmother before stepping over and onto the slack rungs of the rope ladder. Once the five of them were onboard, he and Calder took up the oars and put their backs into rowing toward a strip of sandy shore along the crescent of Sinclair Bay. Sea spray and wind added to the cold, but all Joshua could do was smile. He was bringing home the woman he loved.
“Ugh!” Osk yelled and leaned his head over the rail.
“The waves are even more tossing in this,” Geir said, patting his uncle on his leg. “We are almost there.”
As they came level with the piers
off to his left, Joshua peered over his shoulder. Waiting on the beach were his three brothers, Cain and Gideon scowling, Bàs wearing his skull mask that hid most of his face. Joshua turned back, a grin growing. Even though it looked like he might be going to war right away, it would be good to be with his family again. His smile fell as he looked to Kára. I will ask Kára to come with me. The thought eased the tightness in his chest.
The rowboat ran aground on the sand. The splashing behind him made him twist to see Gideon and Bàs grabbing the bow of the dinghy to pull it in. “Appreciated,” Joshua said, smiling broadly. He leaped out and reached back for Kára, but she had already jumped onto the sand. Osk was out and on the beach, plopping down and sucking in large gulps of air. Geir and Calder also leaped up onto the beach, their eyes wide as they stared at Bàs in his skull mask. Joshua helped his brothers haul the boat up high onto the beach.
Bàs stripped away his helmet and stepped forward to hug Joshua, slapping his back. “Good to see ye alive, brother.”
Joshua pulled back to match his brother’s smile with his own. “Ye, too, brother.”
“First Pastor John brings me this ridiculous letter,” Cain yelled as he stalked closer, his Horseman of Conquest crown on his head and his nostrils flaring. He waved a folded parchment in the air. “Saying my brother breaks all ties with his clan.”
Joshua walked toward him. “I have an expla—”
“And then…” Cain yanked out the two scraps of fabric that Joshua had knotted together. “I am delivered this by a hundred people from Orkney who say ye have gone to war against the Earl of Orkney, Robert Sinclair, uncle to King James.”
“A definite treasonous act,” Gideon added, his deadly sword strapped to his broad back, bare arms crossed. He frowned fiercely, giving him the appearance of a condemning judge. He possessed the natural ability to look condescending, irritated, and damning all at the same time.
“Are my people safe?” Kára asked, coming to stand in front of Joshua, her hands fisted and legs set as if to battle. She seemed to be protecting him. Gideon’s eyebrow rose in surprise. Joshua could not stop the grin that spread across his face as he stared out at his brothers over her head.
Gideon and Bàs both studied her, but Cain kept frowning. “Aye, they are well,” Cain said. “Odd, but well.”
“Odd?” Calder asked, his gaze lifting to the bank where the armies stood ready for war.
“Are those…green horses?” Geir asked, squinting.
Gideon looked at Calder. “One woman, with a new bairn strapped to her, wanted to know if the fae or trolls lived in trees here and stole bairns away in the night.”
Calder met his gaze. “And what was your answer?”
Cain blinked once, and Joshua swore he saw his eye twitching. “Nay, of course,” Cain roared.
“Hannah took her into Girnigoe,” Bàs said, recognizing the concern in Calder’s face. “They are both well, although she will not put the bairn in a cradle unless it has a dagger beneath it.”
“Really,” Geir said, still staring up to the bank. “You have a herd of green horses?”
“Aye,” Gideon said quickly.
“They just look green,” Bàs said.
“Are they ill?” Geir asked.
Cain waved the tied scraps again, his voice carrying over everything. “Red for ye and black for dead, and the ties mean I am to do nothing about it. Did ye really think I would do nothing about this?” He shook the tied scraps violently.
Joshua’s smile faded as he looked above at the standing armies. “Ye were planning to bring war to Orkney?”
“Bloody hell,” Geir said. “You could wipe out Robert and all his damn sons.”
Anger sparked inside Joshua. “And make all of Clan Sinclair traitors to the crown? What the fok were ye thinking?”
“We are strong enough to take on the crown,” Gideon said, his jaw firm as if he’d studied all the outcomes.
“And put all these people at risk?” Joshua threw his hand out to the armies above. “Whose stupid idea was that?”
Cain walked up to him but couldn’t get right up in his face with Kára standing between them. He looked over her head to stare Joshua in his eyes. “Mine,” he said and clenched his teeth. He held up the tied scraps. “Did ye really believe I would think ye were dead from this? Dead and gone, so we should do nothing?”
“Nay,” Joshua said. “Ye are smarter than that.”
Gideon stood beside them. “We questioned every person coming from Orkney as to what the scraps meant, and not one of them could explain the signal. Therefore, ye must have tied and sent it before ye were dead.”
Joshua kept his fierce expression. “I gave the scraps to the group fleeing so ye would know I sent them to Caithness. If I had sent my sword, ye might think they stole it from me.”
Gideon snorted. “Who could steal the sword of the Horseman of War?”
“I did,” Kára said, and Joshua wrapped his arm around her upper chest, pulling her close before him.
“Ye stole Joshua’s sword?” Bàs asked, his mouth turning up on the side in a teasing smile.
“And I needed it,” Joshua said. “So the scraps were the better signal to ye that these people have my support against Robert Stuart, tyrant of Orkney.”
Cain fisted the cloth in his hand. “We learned a great deal about Earl Robert Stuart and his sons from your people.” His gaze dropped to Kára. “And those who stayed alive hiding underground, surviving in constant oppression.” His eyes lifted back to Joshua. “I decided we would go to find ye and discover what type of trouble ye were in. Trouble that would make ye foolish enough to break your oath to me and our clan.”
“’Twas to protect ye,” Joshua said.
“Pastor John said that,” Bàs added, more to Cain than to Joshua.
“We do not need protecting.” Cain ran a hand up through his hair. “And then to send the lie that ye died…”
“He did die,” Kára said. “We both did. Our gravestone says as much back on Orkney. Robert Stuart watched us be buried.”
All three of his brothers stared at her. Joshua rested his other palm upon her shoulder. “This is Kára Flett, queen of her people, and my very-soon-to-be wife.”
“Ye died and were buried?” Bàs asked.
“Queen?” Gideon asked.
“Ye want to marry?” Cain asked. “One woman?”
Joshua chuckled. “One very special woman. And aye, to all three.”
His brothers looked bewildered, making the anger within Joshua abate. He wrapped both arms around Kára. “Kára is quite the warrior.”
“And she puts up with ye?” Gideon asked.
“Barely,” Kára said, making Bàs laugh, his deep chuckle so rare that his brothers glanced his way.
“And I wish to thank you, Chief Sinclair,” she said, bowing her head to Cain, “for allowing my people to land here in Caithness.”
“More people to strengthen the Sinclairs are always welcome,” Cain said, returning her bow.
Joshua glanced at the armies above. “And I suppose… Well, bloody…” He rubbed the back of his neck, realizing what his family had been about to do for him. “Thank ye for thinking to come after me. That was not something I had even considered.”
Cain grabbed Joshua’s other shoulder, squeezing it. “Ye are my brother. Oath or not, my blood would run for ye if needed.”
Joshua smiled. “Like I said, I did it to protect ye and the clan.”
Geir stood off to the side, staring up at the legions of horses and men who had paused in their preparations to sail. “You could still all go,” he said, looking to Joshua. “We could take over Orkney. Robert would be trampled.”
“Nay,” Joshua said. They had gone to great lengths to leave with little loss of life.
“No,” Kára said at the same time, and he felt himse
lf relax at her word.
“War should be avoided when possible,” Joshua said, garnering shocked faces from his brothers. “It weakens both sides and should only be a last resort.”
Gideon’s brows rode high on his forehead. “So, the real Joshua Sinclair died on Orkney. Who exactly are ye?”
Joshua chuckled. “Joshua, a warrior loyal to Clan Sinclair. A man soon to be Joshua Flett.”
Bàs’s smile faded. “The Horseman of War is…dead?”
Joshua took Kára’s hand and walked toward his youngest brother, looking him straight in the eyes. “We can choose not to be what Da told us we are. Something to consider, brother,” he said and slapped a hand down on Bàs’s shoulder.
He interlaced his fingers with Kára’s. “Let us disperse our warriors and open up a slip for the last group from Orkney to dock. And then we can go about getting these odd Orkney people settled.”
“More?” Cain asked. “How many people are ye bringing over exactly?”
“Two dozen more,” Kára said. “And the ship can take back any of my people who wish to join Erik Flett and my aunt Hilda, who remained on Orkney.”
“There is only one woman who has demanded to return from the moment she set foot,” Gideon said, his face pinching as if the memory was painful.
“Fiona Spence?” Kára asked.
“Aye,” Gideon said. “She is an angry sort of woman.”
“She and her son tried to start a war,” Joshua said. “We do not need her here. Chief Erik stayed behind. He can deal with her.” They still needed to tell her about Torben dying. Losing her son would be punishment enough for the woman.
As they walked up the path, sandy pebbles crunching under their boots, Geir ran ahead, anxious to see all the horses. Osk followed after him, the greenish tinge having faded from his face.
Kára squeezed Joshua’s hand, and he looked down at her. “I did not know your family was so large.”
Highland Warrior Page 29