Just then, Abi saw Leana cross one ankle over the other and trip herself up, then measure her length on the rocky ground.
“Aaaaah!” she cried, then groaned as she tried to stand.
Abi knelt down to help her, and Leana mouthed something to her friend and signaled with her eyes that she should look at the ground. Abi glanced down and saw three big flat white mushrooms on the edge of the path. She covered them with her hand as she helped Leana to stand up, then swept them into her palm by curling up her fingers. When Leana was standing up she brushed down the front of her dress with one hand while slipping the fungus into her pocket with the other one.
Leana had made sure to land carefully by bracing herself on her hands, but she still made a show of being stunned so that they would be held up for a few more minutes. Danny was fizzing with impatience.
“Come on yous two!” he said irritably. “We hae tae get back afore they find us!”
Leana gave him a look that would have been lethal if it had been a sword. “Pardon me if I cannae walk!” she snapped.
“Pardon me if my knife slips!” Danny growled.
“No’ feart ye’ll damage the goods?” Leana spat back.“Ye might get less money then!” She began to scratch again, then the strangest thing happened. Danny began to scratch too, and one by one, so did all the others.
“Told ye it wis catchin’!” Leana said triumphantly.
Danny raised his hand to strike her but she shouted, “Damaged goods!”
Then even Danny had to laugh, thinking how brave and defiant she was. Little did he know that Leana was quaking inside.
“What kind of mushrooms are those?” Abi whispered.
“Death caps,” Leana answered.
“And what will it do to them?” A sudden feeling of fear mixed with elation took hold of her.
“Kill them,” Leana said, her voice as hard as stone.
“Good,” Abi said grimly, amazed by the hatred she felt.
Presently they came to a little cottage partially hidden under the spreading low hanging branches of a huge fir tree.
“I’m no goin’ intae the hideoot,” Danny announced suddenly, reining in his horse. There was silence for a moment.
“How no’?” Calum and Malky asked in unison.
“I’ve got a feelin’ somebody knaws where it is,” Danny replied, his voice grim. “Yon Lachie McAdam dis for a start, an the sneaky wee so-an’-so might hae telt the Laird.”
“Aye, that makes sense,” Malky mused. “Does he knaw oor other place, but?”
“Naw, he’s never been there,” Danny answered. “Come on boys!”
They went back on the same path in the opposite direction, turned off, and climbed a slight slope into the spruce woods. At the top they saw a shed with all the equipment necessary to set up camp for the night. The bandits had obviously done this many times before, since they had a smooth routine in which every man played his part.
Soon a fire was ready and they were sitting around it. There was a cauldron of water suspended over it and Danny called Leana over to stand beside him. Abi was still terrified as she was seated next to Calum, who was edging closer by the minute, but she glanced at her friend, and Leana gave her an encouraging smile. At once she felt better.
“Lads!” Danny called for silence. “I’m awfy hungry gettin’! How aboot some mair o’ that soup?”
There was an immediate chorus of assent, and Leana set about chopping the vegetables, humming a little tune as she went. She was putting on a brave face for Abi and a defiant one for the bandits. Nobody was going to know how scared she was!
When the soup was ready she ladled into small earthenware bowls and gave the men one each.
“Are you no’ havin’ ane?” Danny asked suspiciously. All the others stopped, spoons poised over their bowls.
“No’ hungry,” Leana said nonchalantly, wiping her hands on a cloth. “Gettin’ kidnapped an’ dragged away by armed robbers’ll dae that tae ye!”
“You taste it,” Danny growled. “Taste it an’ we will eat it.” He stood up and pulled out a huge dagger, then held a bowl out to her. “Eat it,” he commanded, his brows drawn down over his dark eyes.
