Loki smirked and asked, “What else do you know of that castle?”
“’Tis run by Loki, the orphan adopted by the Grant warriors,” Daw said with wonder. “He was such a good fighter in the Battle of Largs that the Grants gave him his verra own castle. He was adopted, and now he’s a Grant.”
Daw, who had dark hair, turned to Herry, whose red hair looked nearly brown from the dirt. “’Tis where we wish to go, but we don’t know how to get there. The one man said he’d take us there once we steal enough for them.”
Loki had a smug grin on his face, and he gave Gil a slight nod. Tempted to grin himself, Gil said, “Did you look at the initials inside the bag you took?”
“I cannot read letters,” Daw barked.
“I can,” Herry volunteered. “My Mama taught me my letters afore she passed from the fever. I was just beginning to read. May I look at the letters, my lord?” Herry asked.
Loki held the bag out for the lad, holding the initials up to his face. His eyes widened, and he slowly lifted his gaze to Loki.
“Aye, Daw. It says what you think it does.”
“What are the letters?” Daw asked.
Herry whispered, “L for Loki and G for Grant.”
“You read them correctly, lad. My dear lady sewed them carefully inside all my bags. My name is Loki, and I lived in a crate behind a tavern in Ayr before the Grants came along and took me with them.”
“You were truly adopted by the great Alexander Grant?” Daw asked, his ill temper washing away as awe filled his eyes.
“Nay, I was adopted by his brother, Brodie, and his wife, Celestina. They are my adoptive parents.” He sat down on a nearby boulder and rested an elbow on his knee. “But ’twas Alexander Grant who gave me Castle Curanta.”
“And every year we come to Edinburgh for orphans,” Nari added. “We’ll take you with us if you wish. You can live in our castle.”
Herry ran over and hugged Nari. “I want to go. I hate those men.”
Then he glanced back at Daw for his reaction. He didn’t answer quickly, instead slowly taking the measure of each of them. After a long pause, Daw said, “We’ll both go, but only if you train us to be Grant warriors.”
“Deal,” Loki said. “Anything else you need?”
Gil did his best not to laugh at Loki. He knew how to handle young lads. He sat down on a log, memories washing through him. After he’d gotten Kyla back to Cameron land, Chief Cameron had taken him right into the kitchens and told him he could eat whatever he wanted. Gil thought he’d landed in heaven. Cameron keep had impressed him, but not as much as Castle Curanta.
The first time he sat at the trestle table with the other lads and lassies, they shared how they’d lost their parents. Loki came along and told them his story, something that made him realize he was finally where he belonged.
He’d made fast friends who’d never deserted him, Kenzie being his first. Kenzie had taken Gil along everywhere for the first fortnight, showing him everything. To this day, he was still Gil’s closest friend.
“Grant plaids,” Daw shouted excitedly. “Can we wear Grant plaids?”
“I’ll have our seamstress fit them to you. And new trews for winter, along with a tunic or two.”
The first time Gil had donned a Grant plaid and gone out to the lists to train, he’d finally felt as if he belonged.
Herry swiped the tears from his face, leaving a dirty streak across one cheek. He held his foot up and asked, “May I have new boots when we get to the Highlands, my lord?”
Gil was caught by the sight of the lad’s toes pushing out of the seam of the boot toe. “Nay,” he said, before Loki could answer. The lad was about to start crying again when Gil knelt down in front of him. Up close, he’d guess him to be no more than five winters. “Nay, Herry. We’ll get you the boots now. I’ll take both of you. You’ll need good ones to get to the Highlands. And new woolen hose, too.”
Eyes shining with tears and happiness, Herry jumped up and hugged him.
Thorn added, “And we’ll protect you from the cruel bastards who forced you to steal.”
“I promise no one at Castle Curanta will beat you,” Loki said. “Ever. What say you? Say aye, and we’ll head to the meat pie vendor.”
Herry nodded quickly, while Daw took several seconds to agree. But he did it with a smile.
Once they filled their bellies, Loki strode down to an inn, entered, and said, “We’ll be staying the night. One large room with four pallets and two for the wee ones.” Thorn had held back to speak with the guards, making plans for the warriors to sleep in the town stables.
