His lips formed a hard line and his eyes were guarded. She knew this man now.She knew him.
“What is it? Somewhat is amiss.”
“I canna say.”
“To be sure, ye can. Has something terrible happened?”
“Liadan, I ha’ been ordered to keep silent.”
That made her stop walking and face him. “Even wi’ me?”
They stood so for several long moments with the bustle all around them, while her heart beat up high in her chest. Alone, but not alone.
“Ye know ye can tell me anything.”
“Let us get home, then.”
The sick feeling in Liadan’s gut did not subside while she helped Ardahl stack his weapons. When he greeted his mother. While Liadan watched him wash there beside the fire, passing him the pot of soap when he needed it.
“Come and tak’ your breakfast,” his mother bade him then, and Liadan had to discipline herself hard while they all sat together and he ate. “Ye were over late getting home,” Maeve observed.
“The chief asked to speak wi’ me.”
His mam gave him a look but asked nothing more. After shooting a second look at Liadan, she got to her feet. “Aye, well, get some sleep. I ha’ a few visits to make.”
She went out, and silence settled between Liadan and Ardahl. He shoved the remainder of his breakfast aside.
There on the deerskin beside the hearth, Liadan scooted closer to him. She reached out and took his hand. So strong.Deeply and permanently calloused where he gripped the hilt of his sword.
“Liadan, ye canna breathe a word o’ this to anyone. Not my mam. No one.”
“Very well, so.”
“We are going to mount a raid. A secret one.”
The breath caught in Liadan’s throat. “On Dacha?”
“Aye.”
“And Chief Fearghal wants ye to take part in this?”
He hesitated a moment. “Aye.”
“Why is it secret? Why does he no’ announce it to all the clan?” As he always did. Fearghal tended to be open with his intentions and to share them with his people.
Ardahl rubbed Liadan’s knuckles with his thumb. “’Tis no ordinary raid, this. No one can know about it. Fearghal has been in secret talks by a messenger back and forth, with Brihan Brioc.”
“Brihan Brioc—who betrayed us. Who attacked us. His men killed my mam!”
“Aye. Liadan, if ye do no’ want to hear the rest o’ it—”
“I do. I do.” She dropped her head, fighting her emotions. He went on steadily, barely above a whisper.
“Fearghal has negotiated a new alliance between himself and Brihan. I think he believes we cannot withstand both Dacha and Brihan’s forces combined. Bad enough when Brihan merely held himself apart and let Dacha cross his lands to move against us.
“But the proposed alliance rests upon Brihan getting the return of his young son, held prisoner by Dacha. The boy is the reason, the only reason Brihan has fallen in wi’ Dacha and become our enemy.”
Liadan raised her head in sudden horror, searching his face. “This raid—”
