“Ye dinna call my lass a liar.” Olaf turned his attention back to Ethne. “Domelch will not be happy with that, will she?”
He said the question more like a statement. Ethne nodded.
With a grin as big as his raw skin allowed, he said, “Then that is what we shall do.”
Lachlann turned to Niall. “If they’re giving us an out, we should take it.”
Niall held his gaze, no doubt trying to discern Lachlann’s motives. When Niall turned to Olaf, he raised his hands in supplication. “Do ye give us yer leave?”
Olaf had his bright eyes on Ethne. Her eyes lacked their natural brightness. He asked, “Is that what ye would have me do?”
She glanced at Lachlann. For the smallest moment, he saw…something, but then her expression closed down. “If it suits ye, so be it. They are more trouble than they are worth.”
* * *
Under Olaf’s direct order, his men were to “run the vermin off,” which meant Lachlann, Niall, and Aldred were escorted at the urging of an extremely sharp, spiked polearm away from the cave and toward the main road. Once they left Olaf’s close scrutiny, his men visibly relaxed, choosing the path that led away from the shore and their boats and straight to the castle.
Olaf’s men might have been following orders or they might have been more concerned about covering their own escape in case there was a need for fast action. Either way, Lachlann was quite certain they had no idea where they were going and he planned to use that to his advantage when given the opportunity. After all, these men were good at following orders and not reasoning things out for themselves.
When they stumbled upon three coursers, fully loaded with weapons, grazing in the meadow, Olaf’s men simply stared. Speechless. Lachlann recognized his own horse, his satchel hanging like a pannier from the saddle. He turned a scowl toward Niall, which was met with a wide grin. He’d have worried a lot less if he’d been told their horses had been collected from Aidan’s and were just ahead of them, ready and waiting.
At Niall’s signal, the three ran the short distance and got ahead of Olaf’s men, who, wobbling from too much mead, were far too slow to react. When Lachlann’s blade cleared the scabbard secured to his horse, he did not hesitate to run the first man through, even wiping his blade on the dead man’s tunic.
With an evil grimace, Lachlann asked, “Who’s next?”
He meant to put fear in them. The group, wavering slightly with no leader telling them what to do, was dumbfounded. The point of Lachlann’s blade helped them to work it out quickly enough. His menacing offer of “No takers?” had the men’s hands up in the air.
Aldred moved in to relieve Olaf’s men of their weapons. Holding up a few good lengths of rope he’d collected, he asked, “Shall I tie them up?”
“And do better than they tied us up, please.” Niall smiled, his relief obvious.
Lachlann quickly turned away. He was in no mood to celebrate. Not when Ethne was still in that whoreson’s hands.
“A bit ruthless, aren’t ye?” Niall asked.
“Knowing ye’d retrieved our mounts would have settled my angst,” Lachlann answered.
He didn’t want to believe Ethne’s act in the cave. Verily, she must be afeared of what Olaf would do to her. So, why had she forced Lachlann’s hand and ordered him to leave? This type of behavior was not what he’d come to expect from her. She was a kind woman. A passionate woman. A protective woman—
Realization struck, and he groaned at his own stupidity. The man had threatened Lachlann’s life! That was the only answer that made any sense.
Niall was readying his horse, but finally responded, “I was busy. I not only retrieved them, but I went to the castle on yer behalf.”
Another surprise, but a step Lachlann had considered they might take. At least before the delirium took over. Then his only thoughts had been about Ethne and his inevitable demise. “And?”
“Andthey’ll not allow ye to be tried by Aidan when he has no authority here. Brian the Red is madder than hell and only awaits his mormaer’s return. Ye do remember his feelings toward these people?”
“I do.” Lachlann allowed himself the slightest relief and sighed. “So, now we go back for Ethne.”
He was grabbing his horse’s reins, about to step into his stirrup, when he noticed Niall and Aldred’s expressions. “What is amiss?
Niall finally spoke. “Lachlann, did ye not hear what she said to ye?”
“’Twas a lie!”
“She has feelings for the man. She trusts him, and he is offering her what she wants.”
Lachlann had never had the chance to make the offer. No. That wasn’t true. He’d hesitated. Far worse. “I know it was an act, to get us to leave. I’ll not be put off by her attempt to protect me.”
