“We’ll go together. You to the northwest along the coast while I move inland. We ken they rode, but the weather is milder along the coast. They may have taken that route, even if it’s not as direct. Or they may have switched course if the weather turned foul.”
“It’s three day’s ride to Dunvegan. Even if we dinna cross into their territory, which I hope we dinna, we’re likely to be gone a sennight. That’s longer than Kieran is staying.”
“I ken. My hope is we’re back well within a sennight. If they’re anywhere, it would be close to here. I’d be only too happy to discover their carcasses.”
“Ye and me both. Does that mean we ride out in the morn?”
“Aye,” Ronan said with a sigh. “Go to Maisie while I wake my wife.”
“Neither will be happy,” Clyde mused.
“Nay, they will not.”
The men clapped each other on the shoulder before Ronan made his way to his chamber and Clyde went home to his croft. Ronan dreaded telling Abigail that he would leave in the morning. He knew the fact that he was not fully recovered concerned her, and he loathed leaving Abigail to learn her way around without him. He’d envisioned a different welcome for his bride. He eased the chamber door open, unprepared to find Abigail packing a satchel. His heart lurched thinking she packed her own belongings, but he noticed she held one of his leines.
“You’re riding out tomorrow, aren’t you?” Abigail said as she looked back over her shoulder.
“I don’t want to.”
“But you must.”
“Aye.” Ronan came to stand behind Abigail as he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She leaned back, her eyes closed, and sighed. “I thought you were sleeping.”
“I dozed for a few minutes, then awoke kenning you would be going. I gave up trying to sleep and decided the only thing I could do to help at this hour was to pack your satchel. I suppose Maisie and Bethea will ken what to do in the morn, so they won’t need me to pack food for you. How many men are you taking?”
“Four score.”
“That many? Is Clyde leading one group, and you’re leading the other?”
“Aye. How’d you ken?”
“That’s what Kieran would do. Are you going along the coast or inland?”
“I’m going inland while Clyde moves northwest.”
“You ken you’re the one likely to find the MacLeods.”
“Assuming they didn’t change their path to avoid the snowstorm Linus mentioned.”
“Do you ken how bad it was? Enough to get them trapped or freeze to death?”
“The reports that came to Clyde were that it was bad enough to waylay them, but not bad enough to stop them completely. They might have turned back, but I doubt it. They won’t ken that Gordon’s dead. They’ll not want to face Cormag and Gordon.”
“I wonder if they set off after they allowed me outside that day.”
“Why?” Ronan wondered.
“I’m wondering if the captain of the guard led the men. Few of them seem to like him, and even less respect him. I could see it from my chamber when I looked out the window. They mocked him and sneered whenever he turned his back. It was even more obvious when I crossed the bailey and could watch them from the grove.”
“Did you get a sense of how they felt aboot Cormag and Gordon?”
“Not aboot Cormag, but it was clear they respected Gordon. I saw him with them, but I never saw Cormag. Come to think of it, I don’t recall seeing Cormag go out to the lists even when Gordon did.”
“Abby, I’m sorry I’m leaving you so soon,” Ronan said as Abigail turned in his arms.
“I don’t like it either, but duty calls, even for newlyweds.”
“I wanted you to meet your new clan with more than a brief introduction at the evening meal. I ken Angus and Bethea will help you adjust, but I worry you’ll be lonely kenning no one yet. I don’t ken how busy you’ll be, and I fear that you’ll be left with naught to do and no way to occupy your time.”
