Alice interrupted. “Don’ be silly, Bruce. I’d rather be homeless than britherless!”
Laura knew that look on Bruce’s face. “Are ye planning on fightin’ him? Are ye mad? He’s bound to come here armed to the teeth.”
The huge warrior glowered and growled. “This must end here an’ now, Laura. What else can we do? I will nae live out the rest of our lives together, skulking and hiding.”
Alice clapped her hands. “Time’s wasting. We must pack, and I will need yer help mounting Maegli. After we leave, ye can run Agatha down to the village. Then ye must stay back behind the cliff rocks, Brither, and keep a lookout for the laird. If there’s no chance of ye taking them on an’ winning, make all haste to us in the woods. We’ll be waiting for ye in the clearing where the standing stones are.”
“That’s a fair enough plan,” Bruce agreed. “Now, let’s start packing.”
17
It was fairly easy to follow the overgrown pathway that cut toward the clearing in the middle of the woods. Sure enough, when Maegli pushed through the last of the thick branches and bushes, three dark, moss-covered standing stones could be seen looming in the clearing.
“Are the summoning stones still in use?” Laura asked, dismounting and going to help Alice clamber off Maegli.
“The place does seem to be reluctant to let go of the last of its magic, doesnae it?” Alice replied. “But nay, the villagers of St. John’s stay true to the kirk. The only use we have for the witchin’ stones now is when children come up here on All Hallow’s to scare the living daylights out o’ each other.”
Laura could not stop shivering. The twilight had crept in while they had been riding under the tree canopy. She would never forget the image of Bruce standing outside the cottage waving them farewell.
“Dinnae worry yer sweet head about me, lass.” He had raised his voice to say to her as they rode away, “I’ll see ye anon.”
They had agreed to the plan of Bruce taking Agatha back down to the village and then waiting in the tree copse by the river to see how many men Halkerston sent after them. “It’s no’ likely to be many.” Bruce had said. “Halkerston has two quests in mind: capturing me sister so I will be forced to return, or catching me here like a mouse in a trap. If it were me, I would send four men—two with spears an’ two with bows. They’re the only weapons that make a warrior think twice about attacking.”
Alice had piped up, “Those are battle weapons! Nay one will every respect a man who uses bows an’ spears outside of battle! They are how a poltroon defends or attacks!”
Her brother grinned and patted her shoulder. “I have nay high hopes about Halkerston respectin’ the rules of engagement, Alice. He wants Laura’s gold too much.”
“Mary will stand fast and no’ tell anyone I have left,” Laura had said. “They will think I’m up in me bedchamber, cryin’ me eyes out about me betrayal.”
After looking around the wood clearing, Laura badly wanted to light a campfire but had been warned not to by Bruce; the smoke and smell of burning kindling would give their position away. She prepared to spend a miserable night under the stars, cuddled up to Alice for warmth. They ate some cold stew, and then Laura used the starlight to go looking for some licorice root or a hazel tree to help with cleaning her teeth. The grass was still scant; spring was not fully-fledged yet. A few primroses encircled the tree trunks, but not much else seemed to want to grow there. She was glad the horses had drunk their fill of water at the trough by the cottage. She brought two thin twigs back to their little camp and stripped off the bark so that Alice could scrub her teeth with the pulp. They sat in companionable silence together until Alice broke it.
“It makes me smile when I think of our circumstances, m’lady.”
Laura shook her head. “How can ye even say that, Alice? And please call me Laura.”
The frail woman replied, “Me earliest memories have been of me brither fightin’ me battles for me, Laura. I was always a wee one, an’ he would chase away the bullies and those who liked to mock me. He’s six years older than I am, but it was easy for him because he was born so fearsome-looking. I will be turning four an’ twenty on the next day of me birth.
“Bruce has been me guardian for many years. After the death of our parents, he did nae want to fight anymore. He was too afeared something might happen to him an’ I’d be left all alone. But it was nae the path for which he was created. He tried to learn a trade, but that meant he would no’ be paid for seven years! Bruce tried so hard to work at his trade an’ then hold down another post as well as a night watchman, an ostler, or helping the fishermen. He would sometimes get only a few hours’ sleep every two or three days. It was all for naught. The blacksmith sent him forth to become a soldier. It was what our faither had trained him to become, after all. So, me poor brither’s been torn between earning good money as a soldier with the risk o’ being killed or living a peaceful life and no’ being able to afford the potions that make me comfortable.”
Laura imagined what such a life must have been like for the little family. It was hard to believe such hardship could be endured without it turning someone bitter with resentment, but the Duncans had managed to do it. “Come closer, Alice,” she said to the frail young woman. “Let’s keep one another warm under me arisaid. We’ll use the horse blankets for a mattress.”
Clouds shifted over the night sky, obscuring the moon. The clearing fell into darkness as the tree shadows deepened. Laura felt safer keeping her back to the horses and her face to the tall standing stones in front of her. The last image she saw before exhaustion sent her to sleep was of the three black stones thrusting forward and leaning over her as if they wanted to listen to her breathe.
A mournful howl woke her up. “What was that noise?” Laura almost whimpered, shifting closer to Alice’s narrow back and peering into the gray tree trunks with wide, frightened eyes.
Alice groaned and rasped, “Och wheesht, Laura. I was having such peaceful dreams. Go back to sleep.”
Laura could not. She had heard a baying cry. The sound seemed to bounce off the stones and pierce her heart. There would be no more sleep for Laura that night. She watched the gray dawn slowly lightening the sky in the east, and the deep sense of unease would not leave her.
The moment it was light enough, Laura jumped up and began to saddle her horse. “Wake, Alice, wake! I think we should move to another camp. I don’ trust this place anymore. All the pathways lead to this point!”
Alice sat up and yawned. “Will ye help me to the bower over yon to relieve meself, please, Laura?”
Agitated and impatient as she was, Laura would never refuse such an honest request. Leaving the saddle on the ground, she went and lifted Alice up by her armpits and dragged her to a small bower at the side of the clearing. Then she ran back to pick up the horse blankets to place under the saddles. There was no water to wash the bowls in, so she scraped out the leftover stew using leaves and put them in Maegli’s saddlebags. After Alice called her, she ran back to the bower and helped the young woman back to lean against one of the standing stones while she bridled the horses.
A rustling, rushing sound emanated out of the tree canopy that covered the pathway.
“’Ware!” Alice hissed. “Someone is coming. It must be Bruce. Now we can leave the clearing altogether.”
