“The boys are quick and sly as mousies in a pantry.” Catriona took hold of Sawny’s arm and hugged him to her other side. “Tell them where ye put the horses. They’ll find them if they still be there.”
“Aye, we’ll find them,” Sawny agreed with a bob of his head. “Where they be?”
“Ye ken where ye were gathering wood afore the sun rose?” Graham asked Tom.
Eyes rounding with the revelation he hadn’t been as stealthy as he thought, Tom gave Graham a solemn nod. “Aye.”
“Ten paces higher up the mountain. A small plateau hemmed in by great chunks of granite speckled like a quail’s eggs, ye ken?”
Tom nodded and motioned for Sawny to join him. Both boys, with torches held high, disappeared into the tunnels leading to the opening of the cave.
“I canna bear to wait here,” Catriona said to Alexander. She’d had all the waiting she could stand. Body, mind, and spirit, while overwhelmed and thankful for Alexander’s presence, craved action. She waved the men forward as she followed the boys. “Come. We can wait at the mouth of the cave. If anyone approaches, we’ll be safe enough since we know the passages, aye?”
“We’d best follow her, lads, or we’ll ne’er find our way out of this place.” Alexander motioned for Graham and Magnus to follow.
With the utmost care to avoid additional traps and snags of Sawny’s doing, Catriona led the men through the shorter of the several passages that led to the mouth of the cave.
“God’s teeth, a thousand tunnels honeycomb this hell,” Alexander said, his voice echoing throughout the tomblike space as he kept close behind her.
“Aye,” Catriona agreed. “That’s why I feared for ye when we left ye in the darkness.”
“I noted the path ye took and relit my torch with the flint on my pistol,” Alexander defended, sounding a bit insulted. He grunted and huffed with his efforts as they turned sideways to squeeze through a narrow to the point of being treacherous part of the pass. “Damnation, Catriona. Are ye certain this is the way?”
"Aye and for certain," Catriona said as the tunnel opened out into the small flat area at the mouth of the cave. She pulled in a deep breath of the fresh cold air and reveled in the sunlight pouring in. The cave had been a grand place in which to hide but she was more than ready to be shed of it. "See there?"
Alexander pulled her close. They stood together, waiting for Tom in silence. Catriona clutched her arisaidh tight and pressed her fist against the center of her chest. Alexander would have to be deaf not to hear the excited hammering of her heart. She swallowed hard, breathlessness threatening to overtake her and her knees weak from emotions whirling through her.
Tom appeared at the mouth of the cave and waved them forward. “F-found’m! Come!”
“Thanks be,” Catriona said with breathless relief as they all rushed to leave the cave. Blinded by the brightness of the day, she shaded her eyes with one hand as her gaze darted across the top of the nearby curtain wall and checked the windows of the turret. All looked to be unguarded but looks could be so deceiving. Calum had taught her that cruel lesson the last time she’d attempted to escape.
Alexander took hold of her hand, pressed a kiss to her knuckles, then gave her a solemn look. “Dinna let fear control ye, aye?”
“Aye,” she whispered, helpless to speak any louder. She couldna make him understand how afraid she was that they were about to fail again—and if they did, Calum would kill them for certain this time.
“Do ye trust me?” He peered at her with such an intensity, she scarce heard him over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.
“Aye,” she managed to whisper.
“Good.” He grazed a gentle kiss across her lips, squeezed her hand again, then hurried them toward the trio of horses the boys had fetched.
Catriona knotted her arisaidh around her shoulders. Alexander’s strong hands about her waist hoisted her into the air and settled her in the saddle. Alexander snugged in behind her, sending a thrill rushing through her. The breathless sensation grew as he pulled her back against the warm, welcome safety of his chest and wrapped his plaid about her.
Graham and Magnus saddled up and each of them pulled up one of the boys to ride behind them. A welcomed sense of relief settled across Catriona. The sight of Sawny, his freckled face beaming as he clung to Magnus’s waist, made her smile.
A long, deep horn blast came from the top of the curtain wall, shattering the peacefulness and hope of the morning. The predatory hiss of arrows in flight shushed through the air alongside them as they urged the horses away in full gallop. Alexander curled her close against him and leaned forward, sheltering her as much as he could with his own body.
“To the west!” Alexander shouted across the narrow expanse of land separating the curtain wall from the mountain. “We must no' be followed!”
Graham and Magnus nodded, swerving their mounts from side to side as arrows punctured the ground all around them. Catriona held tight to the lip of the saddle, bent double over it as Alexander kept her sheltered beneath him. He had her tucked so tight in the curve of his body, she couldn't hazard a look about to see if horsemen followed or if it was only the bowmen from the curtain wall attempting to stop them. All she could do was close her eyes and pray.
They slowed as the horses turned and began the climb up the mountain. The agile beasts galloped around the piles of stones and dense hillocks of dried heather as if born to conquer such harsh terrain. They slowed even more, settling into a comfortable ground-eating trot. Alexander straightened in the saddle, pulling Catriona upright with him.
“Are ye all right, lass?”
Catriona squeezed the arm he held tight around her waist. “Aye. I’m a far sight better now that it’s no longer raining arrows.”
Alexander laughed, his amusement rumbling against her back in the most pleasing way. “Agreed. A storm of arrows is never a good thing.” He reined in the horse as they reached a small plateau above the niche of the mountain cradling Clan Neal’s keep. “No riders yet but I’m certain there will be soon.” He turned in the saddle and waved down Graham and Magnus. “Keep to the west for a few more miles so they’ll believe we’re headed to Fort William, ye ken?”
