The chirping of the grasshoppers was the only sound as the men from her tribe stared at her, mulling over her confession. Aidan did not move a muscle. It seemed as if he was waiting for her to realize what she’d just admitted to.
Lachlann finally broke the silence, his voice low, solemnly quiet, while he hoped against hope that he could somehow save her still. “May I take her with me now?”
Aidan’s expression of disbelief said it all, but he did not respond. Instead, Malcolm stepped up to his sister. “Ye have defied the laws of our tribe, Ethne.”
No doubt filled with fear at what she’d done, Ethne's mouth went slack and her body began to tremble.
“Please, Aidan.” Lachlann’s entire body was rigid. “Allow me to take her away.”
Aidan turned to him. “Come now, Lachlann. Have ye anything of value to offer for the life of our beloved prince? We are family after all, and we take that bond quite seriously, though others may not feel the same. One of our own has been murdered. The only acceptable payment is the life of the murderer. A life for a life.”
“I didna mean to. He fell,” she said, her words barely above a whisper and her face stricken with fear.
“Ye knew he had come from me and had been ordered to consummate the marriage, Ethne.” Aidan’s commanding tone brought the desired result. She took a shaky breath. “Ye defied him. Ye defied me. The result was his death.”
Lachlann reached toward his sack, but Thomas grabbed at his arm.
“I have something of value. ’Tis in my bag,” Lachlann said, turning back for Aidan’s permission.
He nodded his consent. Lachlann burrowed down to the bottom of his satchel and withdrew the silver medallion, the only reminder of who he’d been before Clan MacDonell had taken him in, raised him as their own, and given him a place to belong. The arrow that pierced the hog glistened from the light of the fire, giving the impression it moved right before his eyes.
Lachlann held up the medallion by the chain and turned toward Aidan. “I will pay for the life of Uradech with this.”
“Lachlann, no!” Ethne cried.
The fierceness of Aidan’s expression could not be denied. When he ripped the item from his hand, Lachlann was taken aback at the barely contained rage. Aidan’s scrutiny was intense. He held the medallion close to his face, turning it this way and that, and all the while shooting glances at Lachlann as if he’d suddenly grown a third head. For a moment, he thought Aidan was going to throw it back at him. He just didn’t understand why. It held great value. Even greater than all the costly trinkets Domelch covered herself in.
“I will accept this.” With a tight scowl, Aidan lowered his hands and lifted his eyes to glare openly at Lachlann. “Take her away. Now! Before I change my mind.”
When he would have demanded explanations from Aidan about his strange reaction, Ethne was beside him, grabbing his hand to pull him toward his horse.
“Come,” she said. “Let us leave here. Now, as he says.”
Lachlann accepted her help, leaning heavily against her. It took several tries before he was able to mount his horse. Aidan’s eyes never wavered from them and his men never moved. They never responded in any way except the tenseness in their bodies, the readiness to attack if given the word by their leader. No word came. Instead, they simply watched, probably following them with their eyes until they disappeared down the path that led to the castle.
Chapter 26
The travel toward the castle was slow because of Lachlann’s injuries. He and Ethne took their time, riding gently rather than galloping. They spoke of Finn. This was the first time she did not have him with her. Her concern touched Lachlann's heart, and he promised to do what he could to see that the child was safe. It was close to nightfall when they arrived at the same glen where Niall, Lachlann, and Aldred had met up with Cull. So long ago now, or so it seemed.
Just clearing the low-hanging branches, Aldred and Niall paced the meadow. They were having a heated argument while their horses grazed nearby. When Niall noticed them approach on horseback, he turned his angry demeanor on Lachlann.
"We’ve been waiting," Niall stated before Lachlann even had a chance to dismount. His tone, not surprisingly, matched his demeanor perfectly.
"I went a different way." Lachlann’s dismount was less than graceful, his side especially aching from the beating he’d received, but he helped Ethne down before facing his friend.
Niall stood there shaking his head, his hands at his waist. "To what purpose do ye disobey my orders?"
Lachlann’s face heated. His lips flattened at the sarcastic comment until he gasped at the pain. Gingerly touching the split bottom lip. This was hardly the time to pull rank but Niall seemed intent, his eyes sparkled.
"We worried they'd caught ye!" His gaze finally moved over Lachlann, his blood-encrusted clothes and black eye. "It appears our concerns were well grounded."
Aldred stepped closer and prodded Lachlann's swollen face in several places. Each time, he winced and jerked back. It seemed one wince of pain was not sufficient proof of what had transpired as far as Aldred was concerned.
“Ye are correct.” Lachlann raised a hand to halt any further comments. “I should have obeyed and not gone a different way. There’s no reason for ye to say more.”
Niall seemed appeased with that, relieved even, to have Lachlann with them now.
“Then I will tell ye of our news,” Niall said. “We came across Brian and his soldiers heading toward the shore. They received word from their mormaer to be on alert for Olaf and his men. They were ready for a fight, so we joined up with them to search out the islanders. With our greater number of warriors, Olaf was easily convinced to surrender.”
