Love Letters from Largs: Brodie and Celestina (Highlander Clan Grant Series Book 3) (18 page)

Chapter Twenty

Freedom

Brodie swore he had never ridden his horse as hard as he did that day. Once the king had determined there were no ships headed toward Ayr, he had given leave for some sergeants and warriors to head north to help stave off the attack. Brodie had made one stop before he departed, then he had flown over the dusty roads. He flew past all of them on his steed, thanking his brother, Alex, for insisting he take their strongest horse. Many of the ships were just now reaching shore so there were no Norsemen on the land to keep him from reaching Celestina and bringing her to safety, but though he was worried about Ivarsson. No one had seen him for a couple of days.

Nicol and Loki had followed
him, with the understanding that Brodie’s destrier could travel much faster and would be way ahead of them. He had shed most of his armor and given it to Nicol so his horse would carry him better. Loki had given him the most concise possible directions to the baron’s house. He had no idea how the young one knew the way, like he knew so many other things, but hellfire, he was proud of the lad.

He flew through
the village without stopping. When Brodie finally rounded the bend to the baron’s home on the outskirts of town, he noticed two horses out in front. That wasn’t a good sign. He heard a woman’s scream a moment later and barreled down the lane as fast as his horse would take him.

Brodie
drew his sword and snuck up the steps and inside the front door, but his gut clenched as soon as he entered the abode. There she was, as beautiful as ever, standing with the baron’s arm around her. With one glance, the lass who made his heart skip a beat every time he thought of her told him how much she loved him. He saw something even more awe-worthy in her eyes. The fear and uncertainty he expected to see there had been replaced with self-confidence and strength. There was only one problem.

The baron held a
dirk to her throat.

“Stand back,” the baron yelled, his hand shaking. “Stand back
and drop your weapon, or I will cut her throat.”

Brodie had to try and talk
some sense into the crazed man. “Baron, come now, you won’t do that. She’s your daughter.” Just as he finished his sentence, two men came hobbling down the stairs with bags in their hands. Ivarsson and the man Loki had referred to as Aldrik headed straight for the front door and without looking back. Brodie puzzled over their pained gait for a brief second, but then returned his full attention to the baron and his wife.

The baron screamed. “My gold, stop them, they’re taking my gold.” Sweat beaded across his forehead.

Brodie held his sword out in front of him, not yet willing to drop it. “Baron Lunde, let your daughter go and we’ll leave you be. You can chase that vagabond Ivarsson as far as you like, but I am no’ leaving here without my wife.”

“You can’t have her.
Ivarsson just stole everything he promised me for marrying her and now I need her back to bargain with again. She is the only thing of value I own, so I have to sell her. How much? How much will you pay me for her? Otherwise I’ll take her down to the ships and sell her. The Norse will pay for her. She’s beautiful.” The baron, who had clearly lost whatever wits remained to him, started moving toward the doorway which had been left gaping open by Ivarsson. “I’ll just slide out this doorway with her and we’re going to take your horse nice and easy now.”

“Brodie, kill him.”

He couldn’t believe his ears.

“
Kill him,” she said. “He is not my father. Kill him now.”

“No, I am not your father
,” the baron said, practically spitting out the words. “Your mother slept with that barbaric Highlander. You are every bit as much a savage as this Highlander. Every time I looked at you, I was reminded of my wife’s cuckolding me. The only reason I kept you around was because I knew someday you would marry and bring me the riches I deserved. Your mother was a whore. A whore!” He moved his sword arm, and for a second Brodie feared he would kill Celestina in a fit of rage, but at that exact moment, a stone flew in from the outside and struck him precisely between the eyes.

Using this opportunity to make his move,
Brodie grabbed his dirk from his boot and flung it across the room, slicing the baron’s thigh open. Blood flew six feet from the severed vessel and the baron’s weapon clattered to the floor, followed by his entire body. His eyes stared at the ceiling, and a tiny whimper came from him as the blood drained from his body.

Celestina screamed and ran to Brodie, throwing her arms around him and kissing him. He dropped his
sword and clung to her, unable to say anything as he held her tight, so thankful to finally have her safe and in his arms again.

A moment later,
Loki popped his head in the room and held his slinger in one hand and yelled, “I got him, Master Brodie!”

Celestina released her husband and ran
out the door. When Brodie followed them, circling the baron’s body, he watched as she picked up the wee lad and hugged him, laughing and smiling like she had not seen him in years.

“Och, let me down, missy angel
,” the lad said, wriggling from her arms. “I am a Grant warrior now and I can no’ be hugging lasses.”

“Loki, where is Nicol?” Brodie
asked as he wrapped one arm around his wife, searching the area for signs of his friend.

“He saw Inga in town and went to pick her up to bring her here.
”

Brodie returned to the hall and retrieved Celestina’s things, tying them to his horse.

“Uh-oh.” His wee finger pointed to the end of the path. “Someone’s coming and it is no’ Nicol.” And indeed, three or four men were running straight toward them.

Brodie knelt in front of Loki. “Here’s your first job as a Grant warrior. I want you to take Celestina into those woods and run back to town. Look for Nicol or find a hiding spot until I return. Understood?”

“Och, aye, Master Brodie.” He grabbed Celestina’s hand. “Come, missy angel, I will protect you. Time to go.” He grabbed a few stones and stuck them in his pocket with his slinger.

Celestina turned to Brodie
with wide eyes. “Nay, I just found you again. Do no’ make me leave you. We can hide in the house.”

“Nay, I love you, but ‘tis because of
that love I must send you away.” He reached up and cupped her cheek. “Those are Norsemen heading this way and I will no’ let them touch you. If you stay, you will distract me. Please go with Loki.”

Tears slid down her cheeks.
“Nay, Brodie, please. Do no’ make me go.”

He kissed her
on the lips and gently pushed her toward Loki. “Go, lass, and I promise I will follow you. I will follow you wherever you go.”

The
Norwegians running down the path were getting closer. Brodie prayed she would heed his advice as he drew his sword in preparation for his enemies’ arrival. He wanted her safe above all things. After much hesitation, she finally turned and left with Loki, running toward the woods. Over her shoulder, she yelled, “Ivarsson is a traitor, Brodie. He took the gold and was headed for the Norsemen’s ships. They were expecting him.”

***

Celestina and Loki ran and ran until she thought her lungs would burst. Much as she’d hated to leave her true husband’s side, she hadn’t wanted to risk all their lives by insisting otherwise. They were still in the trees, but she could tell they were drawing closer to the village because they could hear people yelling and screaming.

“Loki, promise me you will not do anything foolish. When Brodie gets here, he will help us. We just need to find a place to hide
until that happens.”

Loki’s chest puffed out. “Lass, I am a Grant warrior now. I will protect you with this. See?” He held up his slinger and held open his pocket
, which was filled with stones of various sizes. “I am verra good with my sling. I will protect you. That is what Highlanders do.”

Celestina couldn’t help but smile at the lad’s seriousness. They finally found a group of bushes behind a building and hid while they waited to see what was happening
around them.

“Loki
.” She brushed some dirt off the lad’s face.

“
’Tis all right, missy angel. ‘Tis just a wee bit of dirt. Do not bother yourself with it.”

“
When this is all over, you will stay with Brodie and me, will you not?”

“Och, I will be training with the Grant warriors. They promised.”

“I am sure they need you, but when you have days off, you will come and live with us in the Highlands. Agreed?” She stared at the plucky, cheeky lad of whom she’d grown so fond. She did not want to lose him.

“I suppose if you insist.” He stared at the stones in his pocket.
“You are no’ going to make me take baths, are you?”

She chuckled. “Nay, you can swim in the loch with the warriors.”

He seemed to accept that, so she continued, “You will never have to go back and live in a place where you will get hit with fists.”

Loki’s gaze jerked back to hers. “How did you know, missy?”

“I knew because I lived in a place like that, too. I love you like a son, and I want you near me, so there will be no arguments.”

Loki rolled his eyes.
“All right. I know you need someone to hug.” He reached over and put his finger to her lips. “Shush. Listen.”

A group of drunken men argued not far from them.

“Loki, do you remember where you were when you last saw Inga?”

“Aye,
but hush,” he put his finger up to his lips. “I do no’ want us to be discovered. You wait here while I check to see where those men are.”

Celestina hid in the
bushes while Loki crept out. He picked out a stone, placed it carefully in his slinger, and let it fly. A few seconds later, a man yelled out a torrent of curses she did not understand.

Loki ran back to Celestina with a grin on his face.
“Got him, missy.” He covered his mouth and giggled.

“Loki, be careful. He is no’ English or Scottish. Whoever you hit must be Norwegian,”
she whispered. “He’ll kill you if he catches you.”

“Och, missy angel.
My job is to find Nicol or, if I can no’ do that, hide you until Master Brodie comes. I am just following my orders.”

The lad snuck out of the trees again and came back
a few moments later. “There are only three that I can see, but they look mean. I’ll take care of them, missy.”

Loki ran back out, and
she whispered softly, “Be careful. I do no’ want anything to happen to you.”

He
rushed back to her side with a sly grin on his face and patted her arm. “Och, I ken you love me. ‘Tis all right.” With that, he disappeared again until another string of curses rang out in the air. He tore back to their hiding spot in gleeful delight, clearly quite proud of his accomplishments.

“
Have you seen any signs of Nicol at all, Loki?”

“Nay, th
ose big lads are in my way. They just keep pacing the path with their great big packs over their shoulders as if they are waiting for someone. I’ll get rid of them.”

Twice more he ran out
and peppered them with stones, before returning to their hiding place.

Then one of the men discovered their hidden spot and charged toward them with
a finger pointing.

Celestina shrieked
, grabbed Loki, and they turned and ran around the back of the building back through the trees. Celestina started to head into the forest, but Loki turned toward the well beaten path in the middle of the village. “Nay, Loki! This way, not the lane.”

He ignored her
, so she followed behind him, racing as fast as she could with her skirts swirling around her legs. She could let nothing happen to him. She broke through the trees in time to see wee Loki tearing down the middle of the path with two big warriors chasing him. She noticed one lying on the ground asleep. Had Loki actually managed to knock one of them out?

Chuggi
ng after them, she started to think Loki was going to get away when the front runner finally picked up speed and grabbed the wee lad by the arm and plucked him up off the ground, hanging him upside down for his friend to see. He beat the boy’s bottom five times, and then his friend grabbed Loki and dumped him in a nearby water bucket head first while keeping a hold on his ankle.

Something snapped inside her.
Without making a sound, Celestina ran into the trees and found the largest piece of wood she could find. She came out swinging and clubbed one man in the back of the head so hard he tumbled to the ground, clearly in a dead faint. The other one still held Loki with one arm, so she strolled up, swung her club, and hit him square in the chest with an angry scream. She could tell she’d stunned him, but he retained his grasp on Loki. He reached for her, but she managed to dance out of the way.

“Let him go, you big oaf. Leave him be
!” Her voice reached a fevered pitch, her anger building from years of mistreatment, hours of pain, and mountains of shame.