Kali could only smile. “If ye only knew…”
“I do. Yer face canna hide the truth, and yer heart is open for anyone with eyes to see.”
Raini had provided so much knowledge and companionship over the last week, giving Kali a sense of purpose every day. They worked together to feed and shelter the children—regardless of what Laird MacKay might think. That man had no conscience, no sense of mercy.
“Look, Mistress.” Evan pointed in a northerly direction. “If ye look hard enough, ye will notice the sea stacks along the water, another way up the cliffs, or what we call our very own mountain. But we are on the safest path, for the stacks and rocks are slippery, and ye can plunge to yer death without warning.”
Raini snorted. “Only a fool would fall from the cliffs.”
The children laughed, and Jenna took Kali’s hand. “I will teach ye how to walk lightly, Mistress.”
Kali held onto that tiny hand with all her strength. Jenna’s sincere eyes and plump little cheeks reminded her of a happier time when her sisters were still wee things, safe from her sire’s anger. Admittedly, though, in the company of these precious orphans, she felt entirely safe and appreciated for the first time in ages.
Ben stopped suddenly and knelt down by a patch of heather. “See, Mistress Kali. The berries hide beneath the protective leaves and blooms of the heather, where the sun canna wither their leaves.”
Kali stooped beside him and watched the lad lift the heather to reveal ripe berries beneath.
“Once we reach the top of the mountain, that is where we will find the sweetest berries, though they are smaller than the ones we’ll pick here.” He plucked a handful of fruit from the greenery, and his sister Micah presented her basket to put them in.
Raini grunted and stared heavenward. “We should have left earlier if ye wanted to explore. There are a limited number of hours for daylight, and I doona want to get caught outside the keep in the dark.”
“There are dangerous beasties about,” Evan teased.
“Doona scare the mistress.” Leah smacked her brother’s arm.
“What sort of beasties?” Kali asked to keep the children entertained as they walked on together.
“Wolves and wildcats,” Silas said in a scary tone.
“Badgers and wild boar,” Gavin added.
“Mistress, look!” Jenna cried with excitement and pointed above where a flock of swans flew over them. “Pretty birds.”
“Mean birds,” Ben said. “They hiss and nip if ye get too close.”
“That’s because ye try to steal their eggs, Ben,” Mary said with a hand on her hip. “I’d bite ye, too, if ye dared to come near me nest.”
The banter kept up, and before anyone noticed, they had reached the base of the mountain. Kali lifted her head and stared at where they would need to climb, then looked to Raini. “Perhaps we should turn back and plan to climb the mountain another day.”
Raini leaned on her cane and considered what Kali had suggested. “I am in agreement, for the wee ones are hungry and might get careless. But before we go, I wish to show ye something that ye must swear to keep a secret.”
The old woman trusts me enough to share her secrets? How have I earned such respect within a week?“Before ye reveal anything to me, I must ask why would ye?”
“The children have taken to ye. And as ye can see, I am no’ young, lassie. Someone else needs to learn the mysteries of the Clan MacKay lands in order to protect the wee ones.”
Confused by her words, Kali waited for the old woman to explain more.
“I can see yer future clearly. Ye’re here to stay, lass.”
The seer was gravely mistaken, and Kali shook her head in denial. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“I know it comes as a shock to ye…”
“I can no’ be shocked if something is simply not true, Mistress Raini. My place is with me sisters in Aberdeen.” Kali anxiously gazed about the landscape. “As beautiful as it is here, this is only a temporary home.”
Raini urged her to walk on so the children could not overhear their conversation. “I am never wrong, lass.”
“Maybe not in affairs concerning the MacKays. I am a Bane, and my fate is tied to me sisters—always.”
