As they rode further north, the landscape began to change. The trees thinned out, giving way to wide open fields dotted with sheep and cows. The sun began to set, casting the sky in shades of red and orange.
“We need to find a place to stay,” he said, scanning thelandscape. “But all the supplies were on the wagon. It’s going to be a rough night.”
Caitlin spotted something in the distance. A large barn standing at the edge of a field in the fading light of dusk. She pointed it out to Kai and he urged the horse toward it. As they drew near, Caitlin could make out more details—an old wooden door on rusty hinges, weeds growing up around its base, and a rusted-out weather vane perched on top.
Kai pulled up outside and dismounted before helping Caitlin down. As soon as her feet touched the ground she stumbled, overcome with exhaustion. She had been running on adrenaline for hours now, but finally events seemed to have caught up with her.
Kai caught her just in time and held her for a moment until her legs were steady enough for her to stand.
”We’ll rest here,” he said, pushing through the creaky door. “It’s not much, but it’ll have to do.”
Caitlin followed him inside, her eyes adjusting slowly to the gloom. The barn was empty, save for a few scattered bales of hay and some old tools hanging on the walls. It was dusty and smelled of animal dung, but it was shelter and it would have to suffice. They climbed up into the loft and Kai went to work, gathering dry hay to make a bed for them. Caitlin helped where she could, her hands shaking with exhaustion.
When it was ready, Kai shrugged apologetically. “That’s the best I can do.”
Caitlin didn’t care. She sank into the straw and sat staring into space, the events of the day playing through her mind.
Kai lowered himself down next to her. “Are ye all right, lass?”
All right? Was he seriously asking that question? She turned to him, a fierce retort on her lips, but it died when she saw the look on his face. His expression was haggard, his eyes haunted.
“What happened?” she said at last. “I don’t understand. Why would they do that? All those people—”
“To sow fear,” Kai answered softly. “To show that they can strike whoever they like and nobody is safe.”
“But those people were innocent!”
“Ye think that matters to them?” he retorted angrily.
Caitlin squeezed her eyes tight shut. Kai shuffled closer and she felt his arms go around her. She leaned into him, into his warmth and strength. She let out a shuddering breath and tried to focus on the sensation of him holding her. It was the only thing that seemed real right now.
“Listen to me, lass,” he said firmly. “We are safe now. They canna find us.”
“What about the others? Will they be all right?”
Fear for his men flashed across Kai’s face, but he nodded. “Aye. They’re a tough bunch. I’ve sent them to rouse the Order and then meet us as soon as they can.”
“Meet us where? How will they know where we are?”
“Because we know what Snarlsson’s next target is going to be and we are going to get there first. The others will meet us there.”
“How?” Caitlin asked. “We didn’t even know they were going to attack the fair. How can we know where they’ll attack next?”
Kai reached inside his shirt, pulled something out, and held it up so Caitlin could see it. It was the scrap of tartan material with the orca sigil sown into it that had put Kai and his men so on edge when they’d found it in the woods.
“What is it?”
“It’s an insignia from a guardsman’s uniform,” he replied. “And it shouldnae be this far south. The orca and tartan are the symbol of the Douglas clan from far up on the north coast. The fact that we found this in what I now believe was Alice’s camp bodes ill. It looks to me like this was given to Alice and her men so that they would recognize the Douglas warriors. So that they would recognize their next target.” He closed his fist around the scrap of material.
“You can tell all that from a bit of cloth?”
“Not just from this. I suspected, but Alice confirmed it.” He took out the parchment that Alice had handed to him right before all hell had broken loose at the fair. “This is a list of locations,” he said, unrolling it and holding it out for her to see. “It’s coded in case it should fall into the wrong hands, but the Order of the Osprey managed to break the enemy’s code weeks ago. That means I can read it.” He pointed to one of the names on the list that had been scratched out. “This is the fair.” Then he pointed to the next name on the list. “This is their next target. It only confirms what the dropped sigil told us.” He met her eyes. “Tomorrow, we ride for Dun Cator.”
“And that’s where the others will meet us?”
“Aye, with the Order behind them, hopefully. Dun Cator is strategically important as it has the only deep-water harbor for miles. It would make sense that Leif Snarlsson would want to take it, particularly if he’s trying to import more of his gunpowder from the east.” He smiled grimly. “The attack on the fair was a distraction designed to keep our eyes fixed here, on the southern Highlands, so we didnae notice his activities in the north. But Alice made a mistake when she dropped that sigil. Now the Order will be waiting for them and we’ll make them pay for what they’ve done.”
Caitlin nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
