Highlander Medieval 06 - Her Highland Hero (15 page)

Then more stirring. She was sorry she and Marcus had disturbed them. Marcus whispered, “‘Tis time to dress and break our fast. I will get your clothes for you.”

She didn’t want to let him go, loving the heat from his body and the sensuous feel of him touching her. But she knew they had to get on with the tasks at hand. Learn about the bairns’ mother, and then decide what to do.

Finbar lit a fire and in the soft glow, with her still tucked under the wools and blanket, she turned to watch the bairns sleep as the men dressed.

Marcus put her clothes on the bed and said in a hushed voice, “We are going outside to get more provisions to break our fast, and then two of my men are heading to the village to learn what has become of the bairns’ mother.”

“Aye. What about the man who took the wounded knight home from the skirmish yesterday?”

“He will catch up to us when he can. He knows to return home if he doesna.”

She’d fretted about him, that he’d be alone. “What will we do with the bairns?”

“Naught to worry about for now, lass.” He fastened his cloak over his shoulders as the other men slipped out into the dark of the early morning hour.

She remembered Marcus always being that way. He wouldn’t think on what might be, but what was and had to be done. She tended to agonize about things she had little control over. Which in her world, was much.

“Should I wake the children?” she asked.

“Nay, let them sleep for now. I will be but a moment.” Marcus headed outside and she wondered if he was giving his men last minute instructions.

When he returned, she had already dressed, thankful her clothes had dried and it was not raining this morning. She started making the porridge.

Seeing her dressed, he invited the men back inside to eat while she stirred the oats over the fire. Though she didn’t believe in warding off evil spirits, Mary had taught her that if she was to make porridge, she was always to stir with her right hand, toward herself from the right side of the cast iron pan and around.

She did it out of habit, rather than to ward off anything.

The bairns were still sleeping soundly. When she finished making the porridge, she served it into bowls and the men ate standing up as if they were in a hurry, though there were not enough chairs to accommodate all of them anyway.

Leith and Finbar thanked her for the food and they bowed their heads a little to Marcus, then headed outside.

They had started out with five men, six, if she included the one she had not seen who had taken the knight back to her keep. Now they were down to three while Finbar and Leith were in the village. She began to worry again. She couldn’t help herself. If Laren MacLauchlan was looking for her and her escort, would they find them sitting here? She didn’t like that they weren’t on the move, trying to reach a castle with fortifications and fighting men. Not just for herself, but she didn’t want to see Marcus and his kin sorely outnumbered and vulnerable either. And what about the men loyal to her father? Or the ones who killed her escort? She tried not to fidget as she wanted to do something, but packing up the bairns and taking them from their home was not a solution either. Not unless something had happened to their mother.

Rob and Alroy, named for his red hair, moved outside and Marcus said, “They are going to guard in case anyone shows up unexpectedly.”

“Will anyone, do you think?”

Marcus pulled her into his embrace and kissed her mouth soundly, his arms tight around her back, holding her body against his. She felt his staff, hard and eager pressing against her.

“Oh, Marcus,” she said on a half moan, half sigh. On the one hand, she loved this intimacy between them and wished they could do more, on the other, she couldn’t quit fretting about what they would learn, concerning the children’s mother.

“Lass, dinna fash yourself so. All will be well.”

She loved him for saying so, though she was not a child and knew better. She let out her breath. “I wish we could be doing something. Not just…sit here.”

The bairns began to stir.

She smiled and rubbed Marcus’s back, loving the feel of them close like she’d always dreamed it would be, no longer worried about propriety. Not when they had agreed to be husband and wife. “I spoke too soon.”

He chuckled.

“I will get them something to eat,” she said.

Fiona quickly rose from her pallet. “I beg pardon, my laird, my lady. I shouldna have slept so long.”

“Nay, ‘Tis fine. We will eat now.”

Fiona looked around and seeing only Marcus and Isobel said, “Have the others gone to the village?”

“Two have. To see to your mother.” Marcus gave Isobel one last hug, then kissed the top of her head. “I will be outside speaking to the men.”

He left the shieling then, and Isobel dished out the porridge for the children as each of them rubbed the sleep from their eyes and began to dress for the day. The boys excused themselves and left the shieling.

When they returned, Fiona left.

“Where are the men?” Druce asked.

“Guarding.”

“I dinna see them when I went outside to wash up.”

“Aye, they did not wish you to. That is how they guard.”

He glanced out the only window and frowned. “I want to join them.”

“Mayhap after you eat. But Marcus has to permit you to do so.”

“I can be a good guard,” Druce said.

“Aye, no doubt. But he is the laird, and you still have to do as he says. Like with all of the men, they have different assignments. Mayhap he would wish you to do something else.”

The boy’s eyes widened and he quickly nodded. He was a good lad. The little ones were quiet while Fiona helped to pour mead for them. Isobel thought Ulicia was blessed to have them and worried again as to what had become of her.

“Did his lairdship intend to steal you away from a kirk when you were marrying another?” Fiona asked, in between bites of her own porridge.

“Nay.”

“What will we do if Marcus’s cousins canna find our mother?” Fiona asked, tears springing into her eyes.

Isobel realized the girl had been very brave to take care of her brothers all on her own, most likely not giving up the hope that their mother would return.

“We shall not worry about what will be.” Even though Isobel couldn’t help feeling alarmed about their situation, she knew that repeating Marcus’s words of wisdom were the only way to deal with this as far as the children were concerned. Then she wondered if the children had other relations in the area. “Was your father from here?”

“Aye,” Fiona said. “But his mother and da have died and two of his brothers have gone somewhere else.”

“Two? Has he any others?”

“One, and he is married, but he has four bairns of his own,” Fiona warned, as if she feared Isobel wished to leave them with their uncle.

Orphaned children were often taken in by family members as a necessity and family was everything. Even her cousins, when their parents died, were taken in by another relation who had eight children. Two more mouths to feed were of no consequence. And they helped to farm the land.

She thought it would be safer than if the children followed them to where they were going with the problems they may face. They could even send for them later, if things were not acceptable here.

They had washed up and the lads had gone out to see if Marcus would allow them to guard, and as good-natured as he was, he kept them outside with him.

“Are you in a lot of trouble?” Fiona asked.

“I pray that everything will work out as it should.”

The sound of horses clopping closer sent a shiver down Isobel’s spine. She and Fiona strode to the window and looked out, hoping that it was Finbar and Leith with news about the bairns’ mother. She saw men she had never seen before.

She quickly drew out her
sgian dubh
.

“What are you doing here?” Not believing his eyes, Marcus hurried out of the woods to greet Angus MacNeill, Angus’s cousin Niall, and Gunnolf, their Viking friend who had been raised by the MacNeills since he was two and ten. Angus was dark-haired and dark-eyed, more muscular than Niall, whose hair was curly, but he had the same coloration. Gunnolf was blond-haired and blue-eyed, muscular and tall. All three men were a welcome sight.

Angus hurried to dismount. “As soon as we had word that Lord Pembroke was dead, we knew you would be going to Lady Isobel’s aid. We intended to locate you, assuming you might go this route. We met Finbar and Leith in the village. They found the bairns’ mother. She has been too ill to return to her shieling, so delirious with fever that she didna ask about her bairns. The woman who was caring for her thought she had made other arrangements for them. Leith said they are fine. They will bring her home in a bit, but they bid us come see you and let you know we are here to help.”

Marcus couldn’t believe their good fortune. “Did he tell you the trouble we could have?”

Angus smiled a little. “Aye. I thought only we got into such predicaments.”

Marcus shook his head.

The men dismounted and stalked toward the byre to take care of their mounts.

“What are you planning to do?” Niall asked, “with regard to the lass?”

“She is my wife.”

The men all smiled and offered him heartfelt congratulations.

“The problem is that MacLauchlan should have received word by now that we are traveling with the lady,” Marcus said, the men all well aware of the lass’s parentage.

“You have our sword arms at your disposal,” Angus said.

Gunnolf was watching something at a nearby stream, and Marcus turned to see what it was he was observing.

The lads.

“I have had word that you have wed Edana of the Clan Chattan and so that makes you my cousin by marriage, Angus.” Marcus glanced at Niall. “You have gone and wed a French countess. What of you, Gunnolf?”

He folded his arms and smiled. “‘Tis a warrior’s life I lead. You will see that Angus and Niall are fretting about leaving their wives behind. Me? I have naught to worry about except for getting them home safely. If I dinna, I would be in the most grievous trouble with the lasses.”

Angus and Niall laughed. Angus said, “He wishes he had someone to go home to. Dinna listen to his tales.”

Marcus smiled. “A Viking lass? A Highland lass? Which do you prefer, Gunnolf?”

Gunnolf chuckled. “I tell you, this is the life for me.” Then he frowned. “But if I had someone that I had cared for all my life as you have cared for Isobel, then things would be different. Will you have trouble from her family in England?”

“I hope no’. I wish no fighting between us. MacLauchlan, now that is a different story. ‘Tis inevitable if he is of a mind to claim Isobel as his daughter and his to do with as he wishes.”

Marcus led them inside where Isobel smiled broadly at them. “Greetings. I am glad you are here to aid us.”

“We would do no less, my lady.” Angus took her hand and gallantly kissed it.

Niall punched him in the shoulder. “Marcus looks to be ready to take you to task if you dinna let go of the lass’s hand.”

She smiled at them. “I will fix you some of the porridge if you would like.”

They heard horses again and Finbar shouted, “‘Tis only us.”

They went outside to see Ulicia as Leith handed her down to Rob, who carried her into the shieling.

“She is better, but canna take care of her bairns until she has fully recovered,” Leith said, joining them.

“We will take care of her,” Fiona said fiercely.

Her brothers hurried inside with a few fish they had caught in the river and Druce said, “Aye. We will care for her.”

“If Ulicia is well enough and her children can aid her, we need to leave. But if you wish to rejoin our clan, we will send men to move you there,” Marcus said to his distant cousin.

“I am happy here.” Ulicia tucked a brown curl behind her ear as she sat on one of the chairs at her table, and Fiona hurried to get her mother some porridge to eat. “I just need to get my strength back. And my bairns will be help enough.”

“Are you certain?” Marcus asked. “I would leave a man to help out until you are better.”

“What if MacLauchlan recognizes him and believes you have been this way?” Ulicia looked worried for his safety and most likely for her own as well as her bairns.

“He doesna know I am kin to you. And he doesna know all of my men.” Marcus motioned to one of them. “Leith has only recently joined our clan.”

Leith nodded his assent.

“He will stay. I would have more peace of mind if I thought he could help and then follow us later.”

“Aye, if you feel he must,” she said reluctantly, but Marcus saw the relief in her light brown eyes and was glad he was leaving one of his men behind.

Leith was already helping the older lad and Fiona prepare the fish for a meal.

Marcus patted Ulicia’s shoulder. “We must be on our way then. Have your mounts rested some?” he asked Angus and the others in his party.

“Aye. We arrived in the village last night and we were trying to learn where your distant cousin lived when we had the good fortune of seeing Leith fetching water from the well and knew then we were in the right place,” Angus said.

“Good, when you are finished eating then, we will leave.”

Marcus was surprised when each of the bairns hugged him.

Druce said, “When my mother no longer needs me, I will fight for you.”

Marcus very seriously nodded. “Aye, I would have you on my side. Any man who can take on Rob and survive the encounter, is a formidable opponent indeed.”

Rob grinned as all gazes swung to him. He shrugged. “Aye, what can I say? The lad has a mighty swing.”

The men quickly finished the porridge Isobel had served them.

Druce beamed and then the bairns hugged Isobel and she looked sad to be leaving them behind. That made Marcus think of her with their own bairns someday and that gave him a good feeling.

“You know we are closer to the Chattan’s castle now,” Angus said. “Mayhap we should go there. Edana wished to see you.”

“Aye, we shall do that then. My hunting lodge is closest, but affords very little protection and MacLauchlan may no’ guess we are headed for the Chattans’ and not to my own keep.”