“Do ye want me to go with ye?” said Morag. “The boy kens me as a friend of Maggie’s.”
“That would be good, but then we would have to bring ye back and we need to get him away from here as fast as we can,” said Sigimor. “Ye could help by delaying the sheriff if he and his men come looking. I had the understanding that the boy doesnae tell many about his safe place, but ye can ne’er be sure of that when ’tis only a child.”
“And I will keep a close watch on the fire,” said Iain. “Cannae believe the fools left it smoldering as they did.”
“Thank ye.”
Sigimor strode to the door, the other three men followed, and Gybbon moved to follow them. “Sir Murray?” Morag smiled when he turned to look at her. “When ye see wee Mora again, tell her Morag says hello and to ne’er forget to reach for the fruit that is highest on the tree or vine. It is often the sweetest.”
“Aye, I will tell her,” he said, even as he wondered what she meant.
He nodded a farewell to them both and hurried after Sigimor. All of them were on their mounts and ready, so he quickly mounted Jester and started toward Mora’s home. It was not very far from the town and he got angry when he got there and had to sit tensely, hiding in the trees with the others as they watched the sheriff, his men, and the Ogilvy brothers search all around. He leaned forward on his horse a little as he watched the sheriff argue with Robert, but then they all went to their horses and left.
“Wait a bit,” Sigimor said quietly as they all tensed to move.
“It looked as if the sheriff is getting weary of Robert,” said Gybbon in an equally quiet voice.
“Aye. Fool boy is too arrogant to understand that the sheriff sees his place as one who only answers to the laird and Robert isnae sitting in that chair yet.”
It was several minutes later before Nanty suddenly slipped into their group. Gybbon was annoyed that he had not even realized the younger man was gone. All Nanty did was nod at Sigimor and that was enough to tell the man they could ride to the manor house. Gybbon tried hard to keep the slower pace the other men did until they reached the rear yard. He then dismounted and raced to the old oak that was hollow inside.
Sigimor came to stand beside him. “Why are ye looking at a rotting tree?”
“It is hollow inside and the lad can tuck himself up inside that hollow. Mora said he insisted it was his safe place and they should never tell anyone.”
Sigimor stuck his head inside and looked up into the darkness. “Cannae see a thing but I can hear something,” he said as he backed out.
“What?”
“Breathing. Lad,” he called up the tree, “your sister sent us to collect ye.”
When no one came down, Sigimor stood back a little and frowned. “Mayhap we should have brought Morag.”
“Nay, what I told her still holds. Nay matter how fast we get her back to her cottage, we would be seen. And then we would run the chance of meeting with the Ogilvy brothers or the sheriff and his men.”
“Ah, right. So how do we get the lad out of there? None of us could wriggle up there to bring him down.”
“Weel, she told me a few things to talk to him about that may help.” He went to the tree and looked up. “Mora sent us to get you, lad. She is with us at Laird Sigimor’s place.”
“Is she all right?” a small voice asked.
“Oh, she is good enough but cannae go riding about for a wee bit, so she is abed with her silly cat, Freya.”
“Ye let her take Freya with her?”
“She wouldnae come without the animal, would she?”
“Nay. Maggie is dead. I saw the roof fall on her and it was burning. She was going to take me to her sister’s.”
“I will take ye to the place your mother and father wanted ye to go.”
“My mother and father are dead, too. Robert killed them.”
“And he will pay for that. But they cannae get ye, can they? Ye still have the soldier with the broadsword your da made, aye?”
“Aye. He protects me.”
“We wouldnae mind a wee bit of added protection, too. It will help us care for your sister and ye as was agreed.” He could hear a soft scrambling noise and hoped it was the boy coming down.
