“Bloody hell, man, where were ye just now?” Angus, who ran the stables, was looking at him strangely.
Eian shook his head. “Sorry, just lost in my thoughts for a moment. Had strange dreams last night.” He glanced up at the north tower where he knew Allia’s window was, rather wishing he was waking up in her bed, instead of slouched down on a pile of mud and straw with hard stone at his back.
“Aye, well, that much whiskey would give any man strange dreams. Ye drank everyone else under the table, man.”
Aye, it must have been the whiskey. It had been a very long time since he’d drunk so much of the stuff. Still, he couldn’t help but glance up at the tower window once more before looking back at Angus, who had evidently been speaking to him again. “What were ye saying?”
Angus had followed his gaze to the window, and understanding crossed his face, followed by a grin and a little snort of laughter.
“Good luck to ye lad, if ye have a mind to try your hand with the laird’s niece. They say he has her already promised to someone. For a very fair deal, at that.”
Eian couldn’t pretend that he didn’t know what Angus was talking about. He had a feeling that the vicious jealousy rising like bile in his gut would show on his face anyway. “Who is it, do ye ken?”
The other man shook his head. “No. No one kens, just rumors. But people talk, even those privy to the Laird’s business, and the word is she’ll be wed within the month, if Leon has his way. Probably some fat auld laird from a lesser clan.” He let out a laugh. “Poor lass, if I were her, I’d be running about now, and such a pretty thing, too.”
Eian looked up at the window again and narrowed his eyes. He would have to double his efforts, because there was no way he would stand by and see Allia married off to someone else, not when he wanted her more. But first, he really needed to wash. He smelled like horses and whiskey.
He got to his feet, brushing the worst of the straw from his kilt. “Angus, do ye have some soap?”
“Aye, in the tack room. Help yerself… and Mac Coinnach…”
“Aye?”
“Good luck to ye.”
Eian grabbed a lump of soap and headed to the loch. He stripped bare and washed his clothing, hanging it on a low hanging branch to drip dry while he soaped his hair and body. He swam out to the middle of the long, narrow loch and back again, then climbed out onto the shore and put his still-damp clothes back on. They would dry while he walked back.
As he neared the castle yard, it was obvious that something had happened while he was gone. Saddled horses were being led out of the stable by grooms, and a group of Leon’s guardsmen were checking their weapons and preparing to ride out. Eian broke into a jog as the first group of men rode out. He yelled to one of the guards who was just mounting his horse.
“What has happened?”
“We ride after the laird’s niece. She’s missing from the castle. ‘Tis feared she’s run off.”
Eian felt a stab of panic. Allia couldn’t be out there on her own somewhere… she could get hurt… He had to find her. “I’m coming with ye.”
Before anyone could answer, he was sprinting into the stables for Dair.
***
Leon waited behind his huge oaken desk for the visiting sorcerer to be shown in. He had been wondering when the old man would appear at Lochain.In truth he had expected him sooner. At last, Dirc of Creagmor appeared in the doorway. Actually appeared. An impressive trick Leon himself could never hope to master, but then there was a reason he was a laird and not a sorcerer. The Druid magic flowed differently through each of their kind.
“Dirc… it’s been some time.” Leon hadn’t seen the Mac Coinnach sorcerer since the last time he’d visited Creagmor, which was years ago now. Dirc didn’t look like he’d aged a day in that time.
“Leon. Aye, it has indeed.”
“What brings ye this way, old man?” He knew, of course, but he would still play things out. It had always been their way.
“Ye have the lass?”
Leon straightened in his chair, his gaze sharpening. “Ye mean my niece, Allia Logan?”
“Aye, of course. She’s here? Ye’ve done as ye were told and brought her back?”
“How do ye ken I was to bring her back…”
Dirc rolled his eyes in impatience.“How would I no’ ken?She’s a part of the prophecy, is she no’?”
“Prophecy? I dinna ken what ye’re talking about.” Though he did, of course. “She’s been returned to make a good match for our clan…“
