The Viking's Highland Lass (13 page)

“I feared for her safety. When I learned she had slipped away, I thought I could find her and bring her home,” the woman said, sniffling.

Gunnolf could only see a little bit of a woman's slight figure, a gray kirtle, her hands clutched together as if she was scared.

“A woman? On your own?” The man made a derisive sound under his breath, and Gunnolf saw him move into view, just his bulky size, his back to Gunnolf. “How do you know she came this way?”

“I dinna. She was distraught about her da's death. She wanted desperately to see where he had fallen and say a prayer over him. When I couldna find her where all the fighting had gone on, I thought she might be going home to her mother's family. ‘Tis what I would do if I were in her shoes. Though I told her she…”

“She…what?” the man growled.

Gunnolf wanted to take care of the man at once, but he was trying to see if anyone else was in the shieling first so he'd be better prepared to fight several men if there were more than just this one.

“I told her that she needed to get ready for Seamus. Then the word spread that she had left the castle and…and I got worried, so I took her horse to see if I could find her myself and bring her home.”

“You are lying,” the man said again with a sneer. “Do you know what I believe? You had secretly planned to meet with her here. She bade you to bring her horse and clothes for her when Seamus was already gone.”

So the man inside was one of his men, not Seamus. Disappointed, Gunnolf had hoped to make short work of him and be done with the rogue.

“There was so much turmoil at the castle over the lady running off, that you were able to slip away. And then you were both going to meet here and steal away.”

“Nay.”

Gunnolf moved quickly around the shieling to the door, careful not to spook the horses and give himself away. He'd only heard one man speaking. Maybe the two horses tied up out front belonged to this man and Brina and there were no more armed men inside. Gunnolf carefully pulled Aðalbrandr from its sheath.

Sword in hand, Gunnolf yanked open the door. He quickly glanced around the room, saw a woman and her baby and probably her husband, sitting on the floor in one corner of the room, his arm around the woman's shoulders, the baby sleeping in her lap.

The tearful woman was standing near the hearth. He expected her to scream at the sight of the wild Norseman throwing open the door and wielding a sword ready for battle. Instead, she just stared at him wide-eyed, and he did likewise when he saw her. She appeared to be a little older than Brina, with eyes as blue, and hair nearly as dark. If he didn't know any better, he would think the women were distantly related. She was also wearing a red handprint on her face, and one eye was swollen, which enraged him.

Seamus's man unsheathed a sword and came toward him, swinging his weapon with deadly force. Gunnolf fell back, quickly moving outside the shieling. Not because he felt overwhelmed by the man's blows, but because he didn't want the brigand to hurt anyone inside.

“Who are you?” the redheaded man growled, slicing at Gunnolf with such powerful sweeps of his sword, Gunnolf was amused that he had bothered to ask the question. Just to hear himself talk? Or distract Gunnolf?

If the man truly wanted to question him, why not back off and give him the chance to answer? Gunnolf suspected the man didn't really care. Just like Gunnolf didn't care who he was. Only that the lass was safe from whatever he had planned to do to her. Gunnolf envisioned him taking her to see Seamus, and the questioning would begin all over again. He would not put it past the man to treat her ill in trying to learn the truth, certain the marks on her face had to do with this man questioning her and were not the result of her incurring them accidentally.

“If you were to live, I would tell you to inform Seamus that Brina is safe and will not have to marry the likes of him. But you will not be around to tell him anything,” Gunnolf said.

The man grunted and took another swing. What Gunnolf didn't expect was for the man's eyes to widen right before Gunnolf thrust his sword, and collapse before Gunnolf managed to cut him. As the man fell, Gunnolf saw the arrow in his back. He looked up to see the tearful woman holding a bow in her hands, another arrow readied.

Gunnolf quickly sheathed Aðalbrandr.

“Is it true Brina is safe?” Her voice and hands trembled as she lowered her bow.

“
Ja.
And if you are of need of my help, I will take you to see her.”

She turned to the family in the house. “Thank you for helping me.”

“We are sorry we couldna do anything more for you,” the man said.

“Nay, Seamus and his men are ruthless.” Then she seized a gray brat and pulled it around her. “Take me to see Brina.”

“You really did not intend to find her and convince her to return home, did you?” Gunnolf asked.

“Nay. Think you I want to see her beaten?”

“Nay. Did the man do that to you?”

“Aye. It could have been worse.”

“We will take care of the man's body,” the sheepherder said.

“And the horse?” Gunnolf asked.

“Take him with you, if you would. If Seamus or his men see the horse without a rider, they will surely look for him somewhere in the area. If the horse is not here, Seamus and his brigands will continue to look elsewhere.”

“
Ja,
will do.”

“Will Seamus say you are a horse thief if you take the man's horse?” the woman asked.

“Seamus's man is dead. Though Seamus, should he discover his body, might not believe it was a fair fight.”

“He might have killed you, and a woman is defenseless against a man like that. He would have killed me if he hadna needed to know where Brina was.”

Gunnolf didn't believe the woman was defenseless in the least. “You were Brina's companion?”

“Aye. I am Lynette.”

“We will not get very far. Not as late as it is. But I wish to put some distance between this shieling and us.”

“Aye, as do I. You took Lady Brina to be with her mother's people?”

“
Ja.
She is with her grandmother. I will take you there as well.”

“I dinna understand why you took Brina there and came back this way. Surely you must have had some other reason for being here.”

“It seems I was meant to assist you.”

“Wynne sent you because of a vision?”

“You know her?”

“Aye. So she sent you to fetch me?”

“
Ja.
At least…I hope I have the right woman this time.”

“You mean you aided Brina first.”

“
Ja.
How do you know Wynne?”

“She is my grandmother.”

B
rina couldn't sleep
, not with worrying that the woman Gunnolf was meant to aid could be dead.

“Sleep,” Wynne said. “He has found Lynette and is bringing her here now. She had meant to find you and brought clothes, food, and your horse. Though they will have to endure the cold for a bit longer while they get some rest until they are able to travel again.”

Brina sat up on her pallet. “Lynette? Oh, nay. She followed me?” Brina rose from the bedding and paced across the floor.

Brina couldn't believe Lynette had left the safety of the keep to find her and try to help her. But maybe she had taken off too so that Seamus wouldn't beat her for not telling him Brina had left when she had.

“Aye.”

That made Brina think of how Gunnolf had warmed her, and she couldn't help how much that bothered her. Would he warm Lynette in the same way? She ground her teeth. Yet she did not want Lynette to suffer from the cold.

Wynne said, “If you dinna sleep, I will make you work until you are too tired to stay awake. Return to bed. She is well. You are well. Gunnolf is well. Go. To. Sleep.”

“She…isna too cold, is she?”

Wynne said nothing.

Brina stared at the flames in the fireplace. “Her fingers? Her toes?”

“She is riding your horse. She isna walking in the snow like you were.”

Brina tried to hide a smile and settled back under her blankets. Beowulf joined her and she cuddled with him.

“This pleases you? That you will have your horse back? Or are you pleased Lynette will be here?”

“Both. I was just worried about her. About…the cold.”

Wynne snorted. “You worried about her being with Gunnolf. What happened between the two of you?”

“Naught happened.”

“He kept you warm, did he no'?”

“Aye. As a gentleman would.”

Wynne shook her head and pulled her covers higher. “You…worry he will keep Lynette as warm.”

“I hope that he does. He is a respectable man, even if he is a Viking.”

“Good. Because she is your sister and it is important that you feel thus about her.”

Brina sat back up and stared at her grandmother. “Why do you think so? My da never said she was my sister. He has never treated her like she was his own daughter.”

Wynne let out her breath. “Lynette's father isna your own. But your mother was also her mother. I was going to share this with you on the morrow when she arrived.”

Brina looked at the fire again, trying to make sense of it all. “How is that possible? My da said her bairn was male.”

“Aye. She had twins. The boy died, but the girl survived.”

“Lynette,” Brina whispered.

“Aye, and that is why your aunt and uncle raised her. They were her aunt and uncle too.”

“Da didna tell me she was my sister.” Brina was overwhelmed with the news, angry at her father for treating Lynette in such a manner, and not telling Brina the truth.

“Your da wanted your mother. He didna want the child she bore. So he forbade anyone to discuss that Lynette was your sister. You know what they say about twins?”

Brina frowned at her grandmother.

“'Tis said by some that a man can only produce one child in a woman. So if a woman has two, she has lain with two different men. Which is another reason he probably kept it a secret.”

“That isna true.”

“Nay, but some believe so and ‘tis hard to change their beliefs.”

“My sister knew this all along?” Brina was outraged.

“Aye, your mother told her when she was old enough to understand. She also warned her never to tell you after you were born. She hoped that someday you would learn the truth when you were old enough to keep the secret. But that day never came. Until now.”

“I will tell the world she is my sister.”

“Your da will disapprove. Mayhap even send her away.”

“I am no' longer living with my da. Mayhap my sister and I can work at Craigly Castle like our mother did. We will let everyone know we are sisters.” Then Brina frowned. “If…my da wasna her da, who was?”

“'Tis believed that Laird James's da was. But we dinna know for sure. Your mother would never say, and the old laird died some years ago, so we may never know.”

Brina wanted to know the truth. If the old laird was indeed Lynette's da, she was the laird's daughter and should be afforded a better position with the staff because of it. But what if the laird's wife did not like that her husband had given Brina's mother a bairn and she was coming here now? Brina hadn't considered that. She didn't want to do anything that would hurt Lynette.

Brina rose from her bedding and stood by the fire, rubbing her arms. She hoped Gunnolf was keeping her sister warm. And then she hoped Lynette would be glad that Brina now knew they were sisters. They could truly
be
sisters now, and Lynette wouldn't just be her companion.

“Brina. Go. To. Sleep.”

But Brina couldn't stop worrying that Gunnolf and Lynette would make it to Wynne's shieling safely. Brina was so glad to meet her grandmother and so happy to learn about her sister, but she still feared for them if Seamus should discover them. She knew Seamus would believe Lynette was coming to her aid once he learned of it, particularly since Lynette had Brina's horse.