He gave a hard laugh. “Aye, well, that will be a fine trick, wi’ so many perished.”
There was that. A definite dearth of men beset them.
“They say ’twill strengthen the clan to ha’ a man at the helm.”
“I canna imagine a stronger leader than yoursel’, Katrin. ’Twas ye got yer father home.”
“’Twas all o’ us. But Davey”—it was a cry from the heart—“wha’ good did it do in the end?”
“It allowed the chief to die at home where he wanted to be, and be buried here as well.”
“Aye, ye are right. Ye’re right. ’Twas important.” Far be it from her to take anything from the valiant effort he and Rabbie had put into that cause.
“’Twill get better,” he repeated kindly. “So I promise.”
She reached for his hand—deeply scarred in the palms—that laybeside hers on the parapet, and clasped it. With false lightness, she asked, “Willyemarry me, Davey?”
“Me? Nay, I am no’ man enough for that!” Besides”—he hesitated—“I ha’ been speaking wi’ Red Alice. Her Neil did no’ come home, and she wi’ the two wee bairns to look after.” His voice had turned serious. “She needs someone, and I care for her, for them. But I donna ken—”
“What?”
“Whether she will ever be able to care for me, after losing Neil.”
Aye, there was the crux of it. So many hearts broken, so many lives shattered.
“She will be that fortunate to ha’ ye, Davey.”
“Ye think so?”
“I know it.”
“’Tis a funny thing. We were so sure we did the right thing when we marched off and awa’ to that battle. Obeying our chief, who answered to his own laird. But it has all gone wrong and our very lives are changed.”
“Scotland hersel’ is changed,” Katrin agreed softly. Hanging in the wind and twisting slowly. Who knew what would become of them?
“Still and all,” said Davey, who despite all the hardships seemed determined to search out the hopeful, “we ha’ survived and ha’ a chance to mak’ somewhat of our lives.”
“Aye.” They had survived, as so many had not. How could she complain then? Even if, for her, all the songs had faded into silence.
*
“Mistress,” said oldDougal, who had once been Da’s closest advisor, “a letter has come. Brought by a messenger just this morning.”
The aged man gave Katrin a close look with careful eyes. He likely did not want to upset her and found that these days much did upsether. Try as she would to receive him, others of the council, and the clan’s folk who came to her with patience and kindness, she felt brittle enough at any point to break.
She had watched Da’s advisors whispering about her after they tried to reason out the steps they thought she must take, to lead their clan. Did they think she could not see?
“Wha’ letter?” she asked him. “From whom?”
“It comes fro’ Oran MacGill, our neighbor, ye ken, to the south.”
“I ken fine who he is.” Katrin’s skin crawled. She did not like MacGill, had never quite trusted him, even though he and Da had dealt fairly together.
Dougal drew a breath. Katrin could almost feel him bidding himself to remain patient.
“He sent a runner, a young man who has fair winded himself. He came all the way in due haste.”
Katrin turned and looked at the old man, dismay stirring in her heart. “Is there trouble? Did the young man say?” By God, what else might befall them? What fresh and terrible horror?
