“Ye’ll need to stop too often.”
“I’ll nae.”
“Ye’ll be exhausted.”
“I will nae be exhausted.”
“Ye’ll complain of hunger, and—”
“I’ve got a stash of food right here,” I said, patting my satchel.
“Ye’ll need to wash the dust of the road off, and ye’ll need proper inns for that.”
“I’m perfectly happy to wash in a stream.”
“Do ye have an answer for everything?” he demanded. His tone was amused, and he wore a smile.
I thought about my curse and shook my head. “Nay,” I said, smiling, “just these things. So,” I said, “we will ride hard and arrive quickly.”
His expression grew almost somber, but he nodded. “Aye, we will ride hard,” he said as he maneuvered us onto a much narrower path. We still rode side by side, but we were so close that our horses were nearly touching.
We rode in companionable silence for a moment, me feeling rather like I’d won some contest of wills, while James kept scanning around us.
I frowned as a concern rose. “Ye watch the road as if ye expect an attack.”
“I watch because I have seen what happens when ye do nae stay vigilant.”
“We’re ye watching when ye got that wound?” I asked, unable to help myself.
He smirked. “Nay, ye see what my distraction got me.”
“Mayhap ye should nae have traveled alone,” I said. “It’s impossible, is it nae, to remain vigilant at all times.”
“It is,” he agreed, “but in this instance, there was nae a choice.”
“Because yer mission was a secret,” I said, hoping he’d tell me more. It would be nice to know what kind of man I’d put my trust in.
“Aye,” he replied. Clearly, I was going to have to be clever to get answers out of him. “What did ye say the mission was?” I tried to ask casually.
He grinned. “I did nae say,” he replied, looking away.
I glared at the back of his head. “Is that yer rude way to end our conversation?”
“That,” he said slowly, “is my way of ending yer interrogation.” He looked at me again, mischief gleaming in his eyes. “If ye really wish to talk, we can talk about ye and yer past.”
I scowled. “I do nae wish to talk that much,” I muttered before he turned away again, chuckling. Blast the man.
I settled into silence and tried to enjoy the ride. The temperature was dropping, but I was warm enough in my heavy cloak. I took a long breath, and the scent of damp earth and peat filled my nose. I knew that as we drew closer to Skye, I’d catch the scent of salt drifting inland from the sea. I studied the twisted oak trees as we passed, their moss hanging like curtains, and I thought of my own life, the twisted path it had taken, and the curse that hung over me, shrouding me in darkness, much like the moss shrouded the trees. A knot lodged in my throat.
I could not say how long I rode that way, lost in melancholy thoughts, but when James spoke, his voice startled me. “Drop back behind me, lass.”
The tension in his tone made me jerk my gaze to him even as gooseflesh peppered my arm. He pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted, drawing his sword as he did. There was barely any light left in the day, but there was enough for me to see a body lying across the narrow path, blocking our way. It was a man, and his neck was at an angle I’d seen before in my travels in the lowlands. It looked as if someone had twisted his head backward, and the shocking, horrible truth was that someone had.
Chapter Six – James
I was well aware this was very near where I had left Siward tied up. I approached the body with caution, every sense attuned to the forest around us. The dying light cast long shadows between the trees, perfect cover for whoever had left this grim marker on our path. I tightened my grip on my sword, the familiar weight of steel offering little comfort as the scent of fresh death reached my nostrils. Behind me, I heard Katreine’s breath, soft but steady. I admired her control. Most lasses would be weeping or swooning at such a sight.
“Stay back,” I warned again, though I suspected she wouldn’t heed me. Then her saddle squeaked, alerting me to her shifting weight just before her feet thudded to the ground as she dismounted. “Have ye always had such little regard for the instructions meant to keep ye safe?” I tossed over my shoulder.
