“You can’t dilly-dally any longer,” Bernard stated as Meg ran to the group, a basket swinging from her arm. She’d packed loaves of bread along with cheese, shoved in into the basket every which way. She handed it to Liam as Mans stepped forward.
“You can’t ride double. Take Meg’s gelding. He’s as fast any of your horses. Wild woman that she is refuses to ride a more sedate mount.”
“He’ll keep up, then lead the way once he spies his home. I can ride with Mans on the way home. You need to go. Now.” Meg urged them toward the village stables.
Men from the village had already saddled the horses and brought them from the stables. Elene, Liam, and the men mounted and charged out of Dingieshowe. Liam and Elene looked back, Liam with remorse and Elene with resolve. She would protect her siblings, and she would mete out justice for Ninian and Sonneta. As she looked at the road ahead, nothing had ever filled her with such hatred and determination. She and Gunter could both play with fire, and he made his ships out of wood.
Liam glanced at Elene several times as they galloped, but he finally kept his eyes forward when she glared at him and pushed her horse to lead the group. He doubted she was angry with him, but he’d annoyed her when the situation already made her overwrought. He couldn’t blame her. He worried about Elene, but he’d belittled her by not having more faith that she could keep up. She had ridden little more than a plow horse her entire life, but she showed a natural ability as she controlled the powerful gelding. Mans hadn’t overstated the animal’s strength and endurance. Liam suspected she would have figured out how to ride a dragon with the determination that radiated from her set jaw and her eyes, which spat sparks of conviction that could have melted ice. He’d never seen a more arresting and irresistible woman.
As they clattered into Kirkwall, kicking up a dirt storm, Liam released a piercing whistle. It was only minutes later that Henry and Dillon dashed out of crofts on opposite sides of the village. They gave quick embraces to their families before the men ran to meet the arriving party.
“Get yer mounts. I’ll explain on the way to curraghs. We ride now.” Liam swung Urram toward the trough outside the stables. The others followed, allowing their horses to nudge one another as their noses pressed forward, and they drank their fill. Once Dillon and Henry mounted, Liam ordered Dillon to lead them to the rowboats. “Gunter burned Ninian’s croft while Elene was inside. Nearly killed her, Ninian, and Sonneta. He didna fight in the battle he started. He ran to his ships and sailed away instead of facing me. We sail straight to Skaill.”
Within fifteen minutes, they had the horses loaded onto the barge. Elene wished their weight didn’t slow them, but she knew they stood no chance to get ahead of Gunter if they hadn’t been able to ride to Kirkwall. She watched as two men sat on each oarsman’s bench. With four men rowing each curragh instead of only two each, they cut through the wave break and were into the sea with ease. Elene picked at her nails, a nervous habit she’d had since she was a child. She fought the temptation to bite them and chew on her cuticles. Instead, she tore them nearly to the quick; the cuticles bled on several fingers. When she could do no more damage to her ravaged fingertips, she curled her hands around the edge of the bench upon which she sat. She caught herself before she shifted her weight from one side of her buttocks to the other.
She nearly demanded the men explain why they stopped after half an hour. But it became obvious the men were switching positions. The current forced the starboard oarsmen to work much harder. She knew that if they didn’t rotate, the men would grow too exhausted to keep going. Guilt nipped at her that she couldn’t take her turn. She was experienced, but she was far too weak compared to the battle-hewn bodies the warriors possessed. Liam offered reassuring smiles between deep inhales. She watched as his muscles rippled beneath his leine. Were she not so terrified that they wouldn’t reach her siblings in time, she would have fully appreciated the raw masculinity Liam showed. She wasn’t immune to it. She found watching him eased some of her tension. His calm leadership and his physical strength alike gave her more confidence.
As they entered the strait between Mainland and Rousay, Elene strained to spy Gunter’s fleet, but there was nothing in sight. She wondered if that meant the fishermen blockade worked or if the Norseman was already at Skaill. As they rounded the northern tip of Rousay, Elene trembled, terrified she would find Gunter loading her family onto his longboat before they could stop him. But as the harbor came into view, there were no dragon boats moored there. Elene whipped her gaze to Liam, who she could tell saw what she did.
“Dermot will get you onboard my ship while we load the horses. Then I’ll take the curragh with two of my men to shore. I’m not speaking to anyone I don’t have to. If Androw stops me, I’ll tell him Gunter assumed you were with us and burned the croft. He’s smart enough not to ask if you were. If he doesn’t ask, then I don’t have to lie.”
“I don’t know if they’d come with you without me. And what about my mother? She won’t let them go without alerting the entire village.”
“Do your people side with her or you?” Liam cocked an eyebrow.
“They’re still her children,” Elene responded without actually answering.
“And who raised them? Do your people really want children to suffer Gunter? Suffer his family and what they might do to two innocents? Do they trust your mother?” Liam knew he’d made his point just as the curraghs reached the Highlanders’ birlinns, which they’d moved away from the docks. Dermot tossed a rope onto his ship’s deck and scaled the side with ease. He tossed a ladder over the side before moving swiftly to remove a part of the rail. He lowered a wide plank to the barge. It was hardly ideal loading the horses in the open water rather than at a dock, but they’d done it before when they’d sailed places with no permanent structure attached to the shore. The men moved with silent cooperation, each already knowing his task. It took only ten minutes before horses were loaded onto both boats, with empty barrels stored on Dermot’s vessel.
Elene kept the hood to Liam’s cloak over her head as she laid on the curragh’s hull. The ramp was broad enough for two men to pass side-by-side. When Dermot returned to the curragh, Liam led, with Elene walking behind his right shoulder. Dermot followed, shielding Elene as best he could from anyone who might watch on the shore. Once aboard, the men shifted to hide Elene from behind. Liam quietly told Elene where to move to hide behind the barrels they’d meant to fill in Kirkwall. Certain they safely tucked her away, he ordered Albert and Henry to accompany him to shore.
It was nearly midmorning, and people were moving around the village by the time he arrived. Liam’s mind buzzed with ideas of how to find Johan and Katryne, convince them to come with him, and to get them aboard the ship without having the villagers chase him with shovels and swords. He scanned the village center, seeing children playing, but none were Elene’s siblings. His gaze darted to the coastline, praying he might spy them fishing, but it was to no avail. As he drew closer to the villagers, he forced himself to inhale several deep breaths to slow his heart rate and to keep his hands from shaking. He felt a jitteriness that he’d never experienced before, not even when he and his own siblings tried to get away with mischief or when he’d ridden into battle. He’d known fear many times, and a twinge of it still accompanied him into fights. He understood that it kept him alert and therefore alive. But this was different. Never had he been so fearful of failure, of disappointing someone.
“Back already?” Androw asked as he fell into step with Liam. He’d seen his family friend approach, but he’d kept his long stride as he moved toward Elene’s family croft. He hoped it appeared like he was eager for a reunion with her.
“Aye. We finished our business faster than I expected.” That was the truth. He hadn’t expected someone to burn down the home in which he stayed. He hadn’t expected to race back to Skaill with a fugitive in his midst. He’d expected to come back to Skaill, say a heart-wrenching goodbye to Elene, then sail back to Dunbeath.
“Gunter was in a right lather when he realized Elene left with you.”
“She didn’t leave with me.”She left without telling me she was coming along.
“That isn’t how anyone saw it.”
“Everyone saw us leave. They saw she didn’t ride out with us.”
“Mayhap she waited for you near the loch.” Androw shrugged. “But she disappeared at the same time you left.”
“And Ninian and Sonneta Sinclair lost their home for that assumption.” Liam turned a hard stare at Androw, anger threatening to boil over. His fear receded only slightly, but rage and a desire for vengeance filled the space.
“What?” Androw stopped short.
“Gunter believed we hid Elene. He set their croft ablaze after sending his people in to attack. My men and I pushed the battle outside, and Gunter himself tossed the first torch onto the thatching. He cared not who was still inside. He fled to his ships. I’m certain he’s on his way here to punish Elene through her family. The lass told me she believed he wouldn’t hurt them since they’re still young. After he willfully tried to burn people alive, I won’t put aught past him. I fear he will sell them like he planned to sell Elene.”
“You’re here to take them.”
“Since that sounded like a statement rather than a question, I shan’t give an answer.”
“It’s good that you came. Whether Elene is with you, or you know where she is, you need to get Katryne and Johan far from here. Inburgh has been worse than ever before. She beat Katryne when she discovered Elene fled. Inburgh was so drunk that she thought the young lass was Elene when Elene was a child. She chased the girl home, screaming Elene’s name, and barricaded the door. I had to take an axe to it, but Katryne already had a swollen eye, cracked lip, and now has bruises on her arms and ribs. Johan tried to step between them to protect his sister. Inburgh swung a rolling pin at his head. The lad was agile and ducked. He had the wherewithal to push Katryne away too, or the lass would have taken it to her throat.”
