“Then why are they coming?”
“I dinnae ken but no doubt we’ll find out soon enough.”
“What if they’ve come for you?”
“I doubt it. I think he likes the idea of me being in exile. It would spoil his fun to have me executed.”
Michael tapped him on the shoulder. “It was meant tae be, lad. You wouldnae have come here if you hadnae been exiled and look what you’ve done for us since you came. God sent you, Eddard MacGregor.”
“And I suppose God made me kill Ronald’s brother?”
“You didnae mean it. How could you have known he’d tipped his own sword?”
The conversation stopped abruptly as a bell rang out. The knights were getting close. Shutters slammed across the green, villagers running inside, barring their doors. It wasn’t a good idea to be in the open when Ronald’s men came on patrol.
By the time the two knights reached the village only Eddard was still out in the open. The two knights sneered at him but said nothing, marching past and kicking open the door to William’s house.
Eddard strode over in time to see them dragging William out, his wife trying to hold onto his arm, screaming at them to stop.
One of the knights let go long enough to slap poor Brenda across the face, sending her sprawling into the dirt.
William went mad trying to reach his wife. The knights both reached for their sword but they never got a chance to use them. Eddard was behind them.
He reached out, grabbing their heads in his enormous fists, slamming them together, their helmets making a mighty crash as the two men staggered backward, turning to see Eddard smiling at them, his arms folded.
“You’re a long way from MacGregor Castle,” he said. “You should be more civil.”
One of the knights took a step forward, the other one waiting, hand on sword hilt. “We’re taking a malefactor to pay for his crimes. You will make way for the clan guard or you’ll pay the price.”
“William a criminal? And what crime has that man commited, pray tell?”
“Milling his own grain.”
“Maybe if your man hadn’t tripled the tithe at the castle mill, he wouldn’t have had to mill his own.”
“That’s not for you to argue. The law is plain. All grain is to be milled at the Laird’s mill.”
“I dinnae hear the Laird himself complaining.”
“The steward speaks for the Laird as you ken. Now stand aside. We are taking him with us.”
“No,” Eddard said, stepping between them and William who was still comforting his stricken wife. “I dinnae think you are.”
“You would stop us? You without so much as a sword or shield.”
“Dinnae need them.”
The knights looked at each other and then pulled out their weapons. Eddard didn’t move. He waited perfectly still for them both. They lunged at the same time and that was their first mistake.
Both got in each other’s way, bumping together and giving him time to lean to the left, avoiding the tips of the sword. As the knights realized what he’d done he turned, grabbing the nearest by the waist and lifting him into the air.
With a grunt he hurled him into his companion, sending the two of them rolling into the dirt together as they roared in pain.
He walked over, snatching the swords from their hands before they knew what was happening, tossing the weapons away behind him. “Get yourself back to the castle where you belong. We are a free people on this island and you’d do well to remember that.”
“You will pay for this,” the nearest knight spat, helping his companion to his feet. “We’ll be back for you.”
“You ken where I live. I’ll be waiting. Tell you what, why not send Ronald? I’d be glad to have a word with him.”
