“Aye?”
“Someone is in the woods. I saw sunlight on metal. Did anyone go out to hunt?”
“Nae that I ken. Where’d ye see them?”
Magnus pointed. “Saoirse and I were coming back from the beach. I saw the glint, but I didna see any movement.”
“Let’s ride out.”
The two Magnuses hurried down to the stables, passing Mòr’s sons. “Blake, Tor, ride out with us.”
“What’s happened?” Blake looked between the two men.
“Óg saw someone’s sword in the woods. If we canna catch them, I want to ken where they were.”
The four men hurried to saddle their mounts. None believed they would catch anyone. The moment they left the walls, whoever it was would scarper off, but they hoped for a trail. The two older men led the charge as they crossed the grassy expanse and arrived at the forest. They dismounted and fanned out as they looked for any disturbance. Mòr was the best tracker in the clan, with an uncanny sense for the smallest clues.
“Here.” It was only moments before the elder Magnus gestured the others to come closer. He pointed to crumbled leaves and an indentation in the dirt. It was too deep for anything lighter than a person. He looked around and noticed twigs hanging askew and snapped at chest height. He handed his horse to Torquil and led the way. He didn’t want his mount to disturb anything before he looked. He wanted the others to follow, avoiding trampling clues he was yet to spy.
When the clues ceased, he looked into the trees. But there was nothing to see. He looked back at the younger Magnus and shook his head. “I dinna see aught else. There was someone here, but the trail ends at this spot.”
“They didna just disappear.” Blake looked around, his brow furrowed.
“They didna, but chances are they realized we were following and tried harder to cover their tracks. We can move apart and search further, but I dinna think we will find aught.” Despite his pessimism, Mòr pointed where each man should start. They combed through the trees for another half-an-hour before they accepted they would find nothing more. They turned back to the keep.
“Other than the Gunns, have ye had trouble with anyone else?” Óg asked the others.
“Nay. We’ve had a few disagreements with the Ogilvies, but naught serious. It’s been eight moons since the last time any of them crossed our border. They tried to raid a few times, but it didna take long for their new laird to understand why his father and grandfather didna make the same mistake.” Mòr shrugged.
It was a rare fool, and an even rarer clan, who thought to take from the Sinclairs. They patrolled their borders vigilantly, and their justice was swift toward anyone who thought to pilfer their livestock or harass their tenant farmers. Consequently, they hadn’t clashed with any clan, except for the Gunns, in decades. Not since before Liam became laird. During his father’s lairdship, only the Sutherlands challenged Domnall Sinclair. Their feud ended with Liam and Kyla’s marriage, and now their alliance was indestructible.
“What’s going on?” Liam greeted them as they rode through the gates.
“Óg spotted someone in the woods, but he was too far to see any details. The lads came with us when we went to look. We found hints that someone was there, but we lost the trail aboot two miles into the forest.” Mòr handed his reins to Torquil before he patted both sons on the back, proud of their diligence.
“Any idea who, Óg?” Liam’s brow furrowed. He disliked knowing anyone crept close enough to the keep that someone saw them. He wanted to know how they got onto Sinclair land and reached the keep without a patrol spotting them. He knew it wasn’t a clan member. They had no reason to lurk or disappear.
“Nay. I saw a reflection on a sword, but I couldnae see who it was.”
“Where’s Saoirse?” Liam glanced toward the keep.
“I told her to go to our chamber until I came back. I need to let her ken it’s safe.” Magnus believed it was, but he would be vigilant now that Saoirse depended on him. He knew her family would always guard her, but he wouldn’t use that as an excuse to be lax in his duties.
“Go up to her. Alex and Brighde told me the good news. If ye wish for a tray tonight, Siùsan will see to it.”
“Good news?” Mòr narrowed his eyes before he grinned. “If ye bluidy well handfasted with the lass and didna tell me, I willna forgive ye.”
“I handfasted with Saoirse. There. I’ve told ye.” Óg’s grin matched Mòr’s. He oomph'd as the older man embraced him and thumped him on the back. He exchanged embraces with Liam, then Blake and Torquil. “I will ask Saoirse what she prefers. Thank ye, Liam.”
“Go see yer bonnie bride. I expect to see ye in the lists, bright and early next sennight.” Mòr’s white teeth flashed as he teased Óg. It relieved him that the tensions between Óg and Alex eased. He enjoyed not being the youngest, even in his forties. His older brothers still teased him incessantly. And while he gave as good as he got, he enjoyed not feeling like the baby of the family’s older male generation.
“A fortnight.” Óg winked before turning toward the keep.
CHAPTER16
“Who was in the woods?” Saoirse asked after unbarring and opening the chamber door. She’d followed Magnus’s instructions, easily finding her aunt, and telling her that Magnus sent her. Siùsan saw her niece’s expression, glanced in the bailey’s direction, then hurried upstairs. Once in the chamber, Saoirse locked and barred the portal. She paced for what felt like hours until she settled for sitting on the cushions in the window embrasure and watching for Magnus’s return. She’d seen him enter the bailey, then heard his pounding footfalls as he ran toward their door. She opened it as his fist hit the wood.
“We didna find aught to tell us who was in the woods. There were markings, but they faded, then disappeared, aboot two miles into the forest. But we ken someone was there recently.”
