Thinking of all the ways he could kill the man, he washed down her arms, then wiped the skin showing above the edge of the blanket. She had also been unarmed. He suddenly grinned and thought, Unless you count Freya. Seeing the seriousness of the wound also convinced him it was very necessary to hunt down the boy. A man who would try to kill a small, unarmed, and fleeing female in such a way would not hesitate to cut down a small boy.
“Has the wound improved at all?” Gybbon asked as Jolene tied off the new bandage.
“Aye,” she said as she washed her hands. “The fever is probably just because she was so long without the care it needed, acting as if she did not have a gash in her side.”
“But she probably shouldnae ride a horse for a while, aye?” he asked as they left the room.
“Oh, nay, she should not do that until the wound is tightly closed, and even then, she will have to go gently for some time. It would be best if ye could take her in a cart or wagon.”
He softly cursed as he turned to walk into the hall, not waiting for Jolene as she had darted into her bedchamber saying something about washing and changing her clothes. Sigimor was no longer alone. There were his brothers, Fergus and Tait, and three MacFingals as well. He had to wonder just how close the clans had become since Sigimor had recognized the connection between the families.
“Do ye ever stay at your home?” he asked the three young MacFingals as he sat down on Sigimor’s left.
“A lot, but we are nay missed much when we do leave. Too many of us,” replied Nathan.
Geordie MacFingal nodded. “Aye, and ’tis probably for the best if some go for a wee wander now and then. Thin the herd,” he added, and grinned.
Gybbon looked at Sigimor. “Jolene feels Mora’s fever is just because she didnae get the wound tended to fast enough. She shouldnae ride a horse for a while though, nay until the wound is closed up tight.”
“Ach, then we will need a cart for ye to get to your brother at Gormfeurach, and that could make the journey more dangerous than it need be if for no other reason than it will be slower and thus longer.” Sigimor shook his head. “Ye can take some of these fools with ye though as, for the moment, we are on good terms with most all the clans and lairds for a fair distance.”
“And ye think I should leave as soon as I get my hands on her brother and aunt, dinnae ye?”
“I do.” He looked at his brothers and cousins. “Ye lads ready to travel to a wee village up the road?”
“What are we looking for?” asked Fergus.
“A wee lad of about seven and a woman who was caring for him.”
“Someone wants them dead?”
“Aye, e’en though they are cousins. They want what was given them by their father’s father.”
“Reason enough for some.” Nathan helped himself to some of the bread still on the table.
“Why do they think they should have it?” asked Fergus.
“Because it used to be part of the keep and its lands and their father is dying. They dinnae like that their grand-da took a piece out of the estate, e’en if it was for his own son.”
Fergus shook his head and took a long drink of cider. “Madness.”
“Happens all too often,” murmured Nathan.
“Still doesnae make sense,” said Fergus. “Ye are supposed to be able to trust kin. Ye are blood and there can nay be anything as close as that. It isnae e’en a fair battle as family kens all your secrets and all your weaknesses.”
“I dinnae have any secrets,” said Sigimor, and frowned when Fergus just shook his head and laughed before shoving some eggs into his mouth. “Why is that funny?”
Wiping his mouth, Fergus looked at his big brother, who was also his laird. “Because ye simply cannae keep them inside.”
Sigimor looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “That may be true. Ne’er really done anything I felt I had to hide.”
“Because ye are so weel behaved?” Gybbon just laughed when Sigimor spared a moment of glaring at Fergus to glare at him.
“The only reason to be quiet is if ye did something wrong or something ye are ashamed of.”
“Then you must be fair to bursting with secrets,” said Jolene as she walked into the hall and sat on Sigimor’s right.
Sigimor gave a sharp tug on a lock of her hair, then grinned as she fussed to put it back in place. “So, the lass will be abed for a wee while, aye?”
