“The place looks all but impenetrable. Ye’re right, Ewan, a frontal attack would be a bloodbath,” Colin said.
His words made Isla feel sick, and she prayed they would deter Ewan from attacking. But it was impossible to tell from his expression what he was thinking, and her sense of foreboding grew as they rode back to the waiting men.
Eventually, the sound of thundering hooves was heard, and two scouts came riding up behind them, having clearly circled around to confuse anyone who might be following them. The men reigned in the horses at a skid close to Ewan, slid from their saddles and ran to him, their faces red and dusty from exertion. They removed their caps as they stood before him and Colin.Standing a few feet away, Isla struggled to hear above the sound of her heart thudding in her ears.
“Well?” their leader said, looking at his scouts with an air of calm expectancy.
“It looks like Galbraith’s had advance warning of us comin’ and is well prepared, m’laird,” said the older man, still slightly out of breath. “He seems tae have taken every man and beast within the castle environs inside the castle walls. The village is deserted. There’s nae so much as a sheep or chicken tae be found anywhere within a mile or two.”
“Aye, and the fields and barns have been stripped of all the grain and crops too, m’laird,” the younger, bearded scout added.
“Any sign of any troops anywhere about lyin’ in wait fer us?” Ewan asked.
The men both shook their heads. “We saw naethin’ like that. But the castle’s fairly bristling with defenses. Ye can see he has an army of musket men up on the roof. Most likely he has some small artillery up there too. The place is locked up tight as a drum, m’laird.”
Isla’s silent prayers that Ewan would give up proved in vain, for he did not seem perturbed by the intelligence at all. “I think ’tis time I paid Galbraith a wee visit,” he said. “Get a party together, Colin. We’re goin’ down tae speak tae him.”
“Aye,” the captain replied, gesturing to the sergeants. Wearing grave expressions, they all gathered and mounted up. When they were ready, with the Ballentine standard held high and the pennant bearing the clan’s arms flapping in the breeze, the laird took his position at their head. He jerked his chin at Isla to indicate that she should accompany them. Her heart in her throat, she got on her horse and guided it over to his side.
They set off at a stately pace, riding up over the ridge and down the other side, heading steadily for the road that led through the trees to the castle. By the time they pulled up before the mighty gates, Isla was shaking almost uncontrollably. She could see the soldiers of her clan rushing about on the battlements and the barrels of many muskets protruding from the slitted gun loops interspersing the walls.
While she was glad the place was so well defended, she realized it was only mere honor between the two lairds that was preventing the enemy party from being annihilated where they stood, with her among the dead.
Ewan looked up to the battlements. She almost jumped out of her skin when he stood up in his stirrups and suddenly bellowed, “Galbraith! Where are ye man? Show yer face!”
Isla’s heart clenched with terror as Gregory’s head appeared between the battlements. She could see he was in full battle dress, his polished helmet gleaming in the sunlight. She wanted to scream at him to do something to avoid the slaughter, but in her disguise as an enemy soldier, how would he recognize her?
“I’m here, Ballentine, ye cowardly dog!” her brother shouted down in reply, in a hard, sneering voice she had never heard him use before. “If ye dinnae wantae see yer men die, then ye’d best turn around and go home. There’s naethin’ fer ye here but death and defeat.”
Ewan sat back in his saddle and appeared to shrug off the insult. “Brave words, man, but pride comes before a fall, eh?” He paused, turning his head deliberately from left to right as though searching for something before looking back up at Gregory. “Where’s yer friend Allan with his reinforcements? He’s a slippery one. Always out for himself. Maybe he’s on his way. Or maybe he’s nae comin’ at all. Some ally, eh?”
“Dinnae fash yersel’ about reinforcements,” Gregory replied. “We dinnae need them. We have all we need behind these walls tae keep ye out.”
Ewan laughed heartily. “Aye, of course, ye would say that. But dinnae try tae fool me. I ken ye’re short on men, and we both ken ye sent a messenger days ago fer Allan, askin’ him tae send troops tae help ye. That poor fella told me so himself before I cut his throat.”
Isla started at his claim, her heart dropping like a stone. The messenger was dead? Murdered by Ewan? The news would be a calamitous blow to her brother and his men. She had learned when eavesdropping on the council meeting that Gregory was all but counting on Allan bringing troops to aid him in repelling Ewan’s attack.
Without them, Gregory could not match Ewan’s force in numbers. A successful outcome of an outright battle between his men and the enemy commander’s was far from guaranteed. He needed those extra fighters to tip the balance in his favor. Now it seemed that by intercepting and killing the messenger, Ewan had removed that possibility from the table.
But Gregory did not react to the news as she thought he would. His mocking laugh rang through the air. “Aye, I sent a messenger all right, taeinviteLaird Allan tae join me and me men in crushin’ ye fer good and all,” he shouted in tones of unconcern. “I ken he’d enjoy the sport of destroyin’ ye. Mind ye, I’ve seen auld grannies that could dae better in a fight than that shower of shit ye call an army!”
“I’m glad fer ye that me army cannae hear yer insults from over yonder hill. Those fine lads dinnae take kindly tae such abuse. But I promise nae tae tell them if ye’ll agree tae talk peace with me,” Ewan shouted back.
Isla started in surprise and looked over at him. Talk peace? She had not expected that at all. A small flame of hope flickered in her breast.
CHAPTER SIX
But that hope soon died. For in response to the offer, Gregory shouted an obscene phrase, urging Ewan and his men to go forth and multiply, before he hawked and spat over the wall. The slimy gobbet landed a few feet from the hooves of Ewan’s horse. Isla stared at it, her fear for her brother’s life starting to turn to anger at his stubborn refusal to see sense, with the enemy standing at the gates.
This was a version of Gregory she had not known existed. She was appalled that he would risk his own life and those of the entire clan in this show of bravado and brinkmanship. She clenched her fists around the reins tightly, fighting down the urge to yell up at him to stop being a stubborn fool, that this was his chance to ditch Allan, make an agreement with Ewan, and prevent further bloodshed.
Just talk with Ewan,she silently willed her brother,put an end to this bloody war that Allan started!
Now she also feared that the gross insult that lay glistening on the ground in front of him would be too much for Ewan to bear. She waited, holding her breath, expecting a furious response. But once again, Ewan surprised her.
“Ach come on, man, use yer head. Ye ken this war we’ve been fightin’ and dyin’ fer is all fer the sake of a mad man, a man hungry fer gold and power. The man’s a liar through and through, nae more than a brigand. Those lands he stole from me, I have the deeds tae them here, passed down from faither tae son, provin’ they belong tae me, written in King David’s own hand.” He patted his breast, just above his heart.
I’m a reasonable man. An honest man. I dinnae wantae see anyone die, nae fer the sake of that cheatin’ snake. If I give me name tae a peace treaty with ye and call off this attack, ye can trust I’d die rather than break it. But Allan, well… ye’re puttin’ yer faith in the wrong place with him. Now, come down and open yer gates. Let’s talk about it over a dram like two rational men.”
