Kara Griffin - Gunn Guardsmen (28 page)

Hell, he hoped so. Kenneth started off. “Help me look around. They have to be somewhere.” Panic was beginning to take over.

Grey agreed and Kenneth left him and set off to question everyone he came across. After an hour he made no progress. As he approached the back gate, he saw Grey speaking with the watch.

“Have you news?” He sidled up to Grey.

Grey shook his head and continued listing to Albert.

“… they didn’t say where they were going. I didn’t consider it my place to ask them. They headed off in that direction.” Albert pointed toward the woods.

“When was this?” Grey asked.

“The day afore yesterday. No one else has been through this gate, except the wagon that took the wood to the walls and a lad who was assisting.”

Kenneth caught the conversation and a sick sense started growing within his chest. “And you allowed them to leave? Was my wife with them?” His stomach tensed. She’d been missing for two days and he hadn’t noticed. Concerns of the pending war kept him busy, but that didn’t excuse the fact that he hadn’t searched his wife out. What a wretched husband he turned out to be. And he’d just gotten her to forgive his boorish behavior.

“Nay, Laird, just the lad on the cart and two Gunn men.”

His mind began putting it together. “They wouldn’t have left unless she was outside the walls.”

“She must have left the keep,” Grey said.

“I thought the same thing, but why would she do that?”

“You didn’t tell her she wasn’t allowed to leave, did you?”

Kenneth scowled at Grey’s summation. He now berated himself for not telling her of the threat. Certain she’d heard at least part of their conversation when they discussed the impending war, he couldn’t reason why she would put herself in such danger. “We must go and search for her.”

Then shouts came and a bell tolled. “What now?”

“We have no time to search for Elisa. Mayhap Domhnall has arrived.” Grey started off toward the front gate. Kenneth followed.

God almighty, it was one thing after another. Kenneth walked hastily to the battlement and took the ladder. Far off he saw Domhnall and his men sitting upon their steeds. They didn’t appear to want to approach, but he wouldn’t either with the amount of arrows pointed in their direction.

“I suppose we’ll have to greet him.” Grey unsheathed his sword, nodding and motioning to the ladder.

Kenneth had his horse brought to him and once he seated it, he took his sword and held it on his lap. To the guardsmen, he said, “One false move and take them out.” The archers on the battlement were set for any confrontation that might arise.

Kenneth, Grey, and Duncan rode out to speak with the nefarious king of the isles. At close enough, but safe distance from Domhnall, Kenneth stopped his horse. He waited for Domhnall to acknowledge them. After a few minutes of listening to the grass grow, Kenneth became impatient.

“What do you want?”

“I’ve come for her. Bring her out at once or your keep will be besieged.”

To Grey, Kenneth said, “He comes with a large army.”

“Aye, he must have had his men in my woods when he came to my fortification. There are at least one hundred men by my estimation. A good many more than he had at my keep.” Grey cupped his mouth and shouted, “The lass isn’t here. We’ve searched the entire keep.”

“What are you saying?” Kenneth said, frowning at him.

“That you’re about to have guests.”

“The hell I am. He is not entering my walls.” Kenneth kicked his horses’ flanks and rode a bit closer to Domhnall. “mac Raghnaill, I’m Kenneth McInnish, laird here. Welcome.” He wanted to bite his tongue for the last person he’d welcome to his land was this swine-arsed devil.

Domhnall turned to one of his men, but then turned back. “Welcome? If I were so welcomed the gates would be open and your battlements would not be so occupied.”

“Aye they might be. Och we’ve had bands of rogues roaming the territory of late. And besides, you have a lot of followers there.” Kenneth tilted his head indicating his army. “I assume there’s a reason you travel with many men.”

“I protect my arse,” Domhnall said.

“It that is true, then I bid you welcome.”

“Verily? I do not wish to be welcomed. I have only come for the lass. Your stable lad told us, Gunn, that she was taken here to McInnish land. Is she within? Bring her to me.”

“Nay, she is not inside. My lad lied to you for she was never at my keep.” Grey held his sword by his side, at the ready and Kenneth did the same.

Domhnall’s face reddened from what Kenneth could see of his cheeks above his beard. He clenched the reins of his horse and turned, speaking to his men behind him. Kenneth had to get his attention returned or the fray would start out here, not a good situation to be in, he considered.

“Laird Gunn has come to aide me in matters pertaining to my clan. He spoke of this lass you are looking for.”

“And you have no knowledge of her?”

“Nay, I do not,” Kenneth lied. “Why is she so important to you?”

“She is my betrothed.”

Kenneth’s hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. He so badly wanted to use it. His fingers tensed and his jaw clamped shut. The man was a liar for Elisa was never betrothed to him. He felt it his duty to retaliate for the deaths of his wife’s family, and Kenneth was about to ride forward when Grey circled him.

“I know what you’re thinking. But this is not the time or place for retribution. Consider your clan’s safety. There will be a better opportune time to seek vengeance.”

Kenneth nodded, but he wasn’t happy about having to back down.

“I do not trust you, McInnish. The lad said you and she were in the stables. He wouldn’t have lied for we … Well I know he didn’t speak falsely.”

“I spend a lot of time in the stables with women. Mayhap I was with her, who knows …” Kenneth shrugged his shoulder and had enough of the chatter. He raised his sword. “Be gone, mac Raghnaill unless you want to be cut down before you enter my keep.” He raised the sword higher, thereby giving the signal to his men. At once the battlement archers stood and readied to release their arrows. One row held flaming arrows and pointed them to the sky.

mac Raghnaill moved his horse back a little. “Do you swear she is not within?”

Kenneth signaled again by slashing his sword to the right. At least one hundred men marched out of the gate and stood with their swords in position. He then returned his gaze to mac Raghnaill. “She is not here. Och, if you wish to see for yourself?” Baiting him, Kenneth discerned he wouldn’t enter. There were too many men standing outside the gate. And he suspected Domhnall would estimate a greater number within.

“If you hear of her whereabouts …?”

“I will tell you nothing. Your concerns mean naught to me. Now be gone before I lose my patience with you.”

mac Raghnaill must have known he was outnumbered and would take great losses were he to try to besiege them or draw them out for a fray. He retreated and Kenneth waited until he couldn’t see him before he’d return to the gate. The man and his army disappeared over the hillside. Kenneth signaled to the men on the ground to retreat back inside.

Once through the gate, cheers arose. Kenneth wasn’t about to celebrate as he did not consider this minor fracas with Domhnall a victory. Until he spilled Domhnall’s blood, he wouldn’t claim triumph.

“Simon, keep the men posted on the battlement in case he returns. Where is Aiden?”

Simon turned his gaze. “I don’t know, Laird. Do you want me to find him?”

“Nay, just stay with the watch and report anything unusual, especially Domhnall’s return.” Kenneth searched for his missing guardsmen on his way back to the keep.

“Laird, I’ll go and search for Aiden, and will return shortly,” Duncan said and left them.

“Where do you think Elisa is?” Grey asked, joining him at the bottom of the steps.

“I hope not within the woods. mac Raghnaill might find her sooner than he hopes.” Kenneth couldn’t believe Elisa would leave the safety of the walls. His anger grew by the minute, and some of it directed at himself because he should have told her of the dangers.

“Do you reason she left to help you avert the confrontation?”

“She may have, Grey. I deem she overheard us the other day discussing the matter. I could tell by her expression she heard some of it. Where has she gone?” Kenneth’s heart clenched at the thought of her being alone. He couldn’t stomach the thought that she’d risked her life to save theirs.

“Where would she feel safe? Mayhap my home?”

“Nay, she wouldn’t want to put Bree or the Gunns in the midst of it either.” Kenneth walked toward the keep trying to reason where his wife had run off to. He was consoled to know she at least wasn’t with mac Raghnaill.

As he and Grey entered the hall, Helena applauded him.

“You lads are clever, aye, thwarted the mac Raghnaill have you?”

“For now,” Kenneth said.

“Come, have food for you need your strength for the coming battle.”

“Why would you say that, Helena?” Grey scowled, not liking her words either.

“Our clan’s seer warned me. Aye she’s proclaimed all the armies will come together and a great clash will occur. There is only one who can prevent it.”

“Elisa.” Grey shot a stunned glance at him.

“How is she going to stop this impending war?” Kenneth didn’t like it one bit. His wife would not be put in the middle of it if he had anything to say about it.

“She has the means. Aye, och she’ll need to be brave and courageous.”

Kenneth didn’t like what he heard. He wouldn’t allow his wife to be the martyr for the king’s plight nor to stop a war. As if reading his thoughts, Helena tapped her walking stick on the floor drawing his attention.

“You have no say in the matter, my Kenneth. For it has been her destiny since the day mac Raghnaill took her … aye, that unfortunate day when the MacQuarrie family perished.”

“Do you know where she has gone?” Kenneth’s stomach flinched. Elisa was in danger and it didn’t appear there was anything he could do about it. Unless he could get to her before the clash occurred.

“Of course I know where she went. My seer is very knowledgeable. I visited her this morn when you asked me about Elisa. She told me all.”

Kenneth wanted to approach the old bird and shake her. Grey pulled him back when he was about to lose his composure. The woman was as confounding as trying to sail without wind.

“Do you mind telling us?” Grey set his hands on his hips becoming as frustrated with Helena as he.

“Aye the lass went home.”

Home? Kenneth frowned. He’d had enough. “Where the hell does she think home is?” He hadn’t meant to shout, but couldn’t help doing so.

“Where happy memories abound, where she was loved and needed,” Helena said, forlornly.

“And that is?” Grey shouted before Kenneth could.

“No need to raise your voice, lads. I can hear fine.” Helena tisked them.

“Helena, mother,” Kenneth said pacifically, “please tell me where my wife went.” His voice calmed and his words softly pleading.

“Why she went to MacQuarrie land.”

Kenneth smacked his head which now throbbed madly from the go-around with Helena.

As Duncan came into the hall, Kenneth stopped him from sitting. “Did you find Aiden?”

“He’s not anywhere within the walls, Laird.”

“Is it like him to shirk his duties? He’s been doing that often lately.” Kenneth didn’t like that one of his trusted guardsmen went missing, especially when he had duties for him to attend to.

“I should tell you, he wasn’t pleased by your return, Laird. He’s been acting strange ever since you came.” Duncan was about to sit again, when Kenneth stopped him again.

“I don’t have time to deal with him now. Prepare the men. Everyone, all within will depart in the morn. That is all the time you have to prepare them, Duncan.”

“We’re always prepared. Where are we going, Laird?”

Grey answered, “To war.”

Duncan bowed and left the hall straight away.

“What is going on with Aiden? What did Duncan mean?”

“Aiden is missing. Duncan searched for him. You heard him say he wasn’t pleased with my return. I suspect he is not too happy with his recent demotion.”

Grey looked at him with a serious expression. “I always trusted Aiden. That’s why he was chosen to come when your father died.”

“Well, he is missing and I guess we’ll figure it out later. He doesn’t concern me right now. We need to get going in the morning so we can find Elisa.”

“Aye, she’s of more import right now.”

Kenneth couldn’t swallow a bite or think of nourishment at a time like this. He questioned Helena a bit more about what the seer saw, but she wasn’t as forthcoming as he would like. He hoped Elisa had made it safely to MacQuarrie land. The distance wasn’t that far, for the MacQuarrie land bordered the very far northwest corner of his land. He hadn’t told her that, and he reasoned she likely didn’t know.

Grey, as if reading his thoughts, said, “Sean and Colm wouldn’t have let anything happen to her. If she got away from them, ‘tis likely they suspected and followed her.”

Kenneth didn’t deem that to be so. “What if she …?”

“Nay, have faith, Kenneth. She’ll be well.”

That was the problem. He at that moment had no faith that this would turn out well. He would lose Elisa. And what’s more, he was angry with her leaving. For she should not have left him and nor should she put herself in harm’s way for any reason. When he found her, she’d have to beg for his mercy and his forgiveness. He wasn’t about to easily give either.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Intruders burst through the door. Darkness had overtaken the cottage because the fire had gone out and only a red-orange glow lit the hearth. Elisa couldn’t see who they were, but she reached the table and grabbed the dagger she’d left there. Kelsi stood behind her who had taken the poker from the hearth and aimed at the men.

Her name was called and Elisa thought she recognized the voice. “Sean?”

“We came to get you. You shouldn’t have run away.”

Elisa breathed a sigh of relief for she thought they were going to be killed. She set the dagger back on the table and lit a candle. Sean and Colm stood in the doorway looking cross.