“In the spring, it might give you a good harvest if the brethren tend it,” she said.
His craggy face formed an amused smile. “Will it now?”
She rested her dirty palms on her lap and nodded. Broaching the subject she feared, she asked, “Have the fires in the cashel stopped?”
Chrysoganus’s smile faded, and he sat down upon a large, flat stone near the edge of the garden. “No, not yet. We don’t know who started them, but it must have happened early this morning.”
“Not everyone died in the attack,” Morren said slowly. “Why didn’t the survivors come here?”
He shook his head. “I can’t be certain. We prepared the guest house, in anticipation of their arrival, but you and your companion were the only folk we saw.”
How could it be that not a single person had taken sanctuary in the abbey? The fear she’d held back was starting to intensify. She’d wanted to believe that she could bring Jilleen back home, that they could find their place again and start over. But it was more likely that everyone was gone.
She looked into Brother Chrysoganus’s sympathetic brown eyes. “My traveling companion, Trahern MacEgan, went to look for my sister. He promised to return at sunset.”
“I will see to it that accommodations are prepared for him.” The monk inclined his head in a silent farewell as he took his leave.
After he’d left, Morren rose. Though her body ached and she still felt weak, she forced herself to walk to the tallest point of the abbey. She needed to see her home, even though it had been destroyed.
Each step was a struggle, and when at last she reached the topmost point, she peered down and saw a rider approaching, a spear in his hand.
But it wasn’t Trahern.
GunnarDalrataknewhe’dbeen followed. It was only out of sheer luck that he’d happened to see the grass ripple before his eyes. Else, he’d not have seen the intruder watching them from outside the cashel.
He gripped his spear tighter and eyed his brother. Hoskuld didn’t seem to notice, but Gunnar remained a few paces behind. Glancing backwards, he spied the runner.
An Irishman. Had he been one of the Ó Reilly survivors?
Gunnar thought about alerting Hoskuld, but for what purpose? The Irishman had done nothing, except observe. He might have been looking for the girl they’d taken yesterday.
They crested the hill, and still the man pursued them. Was he planning to follow them to the settlement on foot? With another glance, Gunnar saw that the intruder had stopped at the top of the hill. Moments later, the man turned back.
Gunnar brought his horse alongside Hoskuld’s. “Someone was following us. I want to know why.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No. The man is on foot and unarmed from what I can tell. I want to question him.”
“Bring him with you,” Hoskuld suggested.
Gunnar’s expression turned grim. “I might.” He quickened the pace of his mount, riding hard. He was about to overtake the Irishman when he happened to look up. The man was moving toward St. Michael’s Abbey, and in the distance, he saw the reason.
A woman stood at the crest of the hill. She was waiting for the man, and as Gunnar rode past, he saw the sudden fear and fury overtake the man’s expression.
It intrigued him. Perhaps the best way to get his answers was to await the man at the abbey. With his spear gripped in his palm, he rode up the hill to St. Michael’s.
He saw the woman at closer range then. With fair hair and a quiet sort of beauty, her face would make any man want to fight for her. But when she caught sight of him, she fled.
Gunnar wheeled his horse back, keeping his spear aloft. When the Irishman arrived, he would be waiting.
Traherntoreupthehillside, his legs taking long strides. Anger gave him a speed he normally wouldn’t have. By God, he’d murder theLochlannachwhere he stood if he laid a hand on Morren.
It was the longest mile he’d ever run in his entire life. Fear punctuated his stride, along with guilt at having left her. Jesu, he shouldn’t have let Morren remain behind.
As he reached the top, Morren disappeared toward the chapel. Thank God, she’d had the good sense not to remain. He hardly felt his own exhaustion as he lunged toward the waiting rider. Energy roared through him as he seized the man’s spear and tossed it aside, dragging theLochlannachfrom his horse.
His enemy weighed nearly as much as he did, and Trahern grimaced when the man used his own strength to knock him to the ground.
