Jamie signaled.
Aftyn held her breath, fearing they’d be discovered, but the guards opened it.
Aftyn couldn’t believe they could leave this easily, but whatever Hamish told the guards worked. She prayed they all got back to their chambers without being noticed. They all risked punishment, but Braden had risked his future as laird, perhaps even his life, if their father found out who helped her and Jamie escape.
In moments, they were riding toward the abbey. Once they entered the woods, Jamie circled around to where he said he expected his men to be waiting. A break in the trees showed him the moon just rising. They were on time.
“Jamie!” Bhaltair’s voice penetrated the stillness.
“Here. Coming to ye.” Jamie turned and rode toward where Bhaltair and Fearchar waited.
“Thank God,” Fearchar said. “We saw ye when the gate opened. Now we can go. I’m about to freeze my… ach, Aftyn. I didna see ye there. Good evening.”
Aftyn smothered a laugh, her first in days, behind her hand. “And to ye, Fearchar. Aye, let’s go.”
* * *
They’d gone onlythree or four miles before they met a Lathan war party. “Turn around,” Jamie told the Lathan war chief. “We’re free and eager to return home.” And a show of force would only add to the trouble with Keith. He filled the man in on their escape as they rode into the night.
But they didn’t get far before a group of riders intercepted them. Jamie tensed. These had to be Keith warriors. He hoped they were some of Braden’s men still searching for Aftyn’s attackers.
Then Aftyn gasped in his arms. “Da!” She didn’t shout. Her exclamation more closely resembled a mouse’s squeak.
Jamie couldn’t believe what came of out of the darkness. The Keith and a patrol numbering roughly half of the Lathans’ group approached. So much for his hope a peaceful conclusion to this encounter. Jamie leaned down and spoke softly. “Quiet, lass. We dinna want them to find out ye are here.” With luck, the Keith had not heard her, and with their greater numbers, they would be allowed to pass without incident. When she nodded, he pulled Hamish’s cloak more fully over her and the hood further forward to hide his face and slumped. In the dark, if they were lucky, they’d be mistaken for a fat friar.
“Who goes there on Keith land?” That wasn’t her father’s voice. One of his guardsmen, then.
“Who’s asking?” The Lathan war leader was no fool. As soon as they identified themselves, they’d be in a fight. Jamie wanted to keep Aftyn out of any battle. But he couldn’t ride away from the safety of their greater numbers. Nor would he put her down and hope by hiding, alone and small in the dark, she’d stay safe. Nay, he’d protect her with his strength and his weapons.
“A Keith patrol on Keith land,” her father’s voice rang out.
His sword! It was still wrapped and tied up behind him. He twisted, got a hand on the hilt and gave it a tug. It slid freely. Good. Hamish had anticipated he might need it and kept it accessible. But he wouldn’t pull it yet. The Keiths would see the sudden appearance of his blade as a sign of aggression and attack.
“Stay low if fighting breaks out,” he murmured to Aftyn. We outnumber them. I’ll do my best to keep out of it.”
“Aye,” she whispered.
“We’re passing through,” the Lathan war party leader responded. “We mean nay harm. We’ll be on our way.”
“Answer the question,” the Keith’s deeper voice rang out. “Who are ye?”
Jamie tensed. His heart beat faster, heating his blood and readying him for the fight to come. For once, he wasn’t eager to pick up his sword, not if it meant he might have to fight—and kill—Aftyn’s father. There might be no love lost between him and his daughter, but that didn’t alter the fact that he was her father. What sort of legacy would it be for their future children to find out he’d killed their grandfather?
Jamie almost snorted at the turn his thoughts had taken. He couldn’t let himself become distracted. If talking didn’t get them past the patrol, the fight would begin soon.
“A group of men escorting a friar from Dundee to Stirling.”
“A friar, ye say?” The Keith kicked his mount and moved closer.
“Peace be on ye,” Jamie intoned in as deep a pitch as he could manage.
“Show yer face, friar,” the Keith demanded.
Jamie heard swords sliding from scabbards all around him.Damn it. The Keith couldn’t help but recognize him. Perhaps he already had. Jamie lifted his head, but left the hood in place.
“Lathan,” the Keith barked. “Here they are, men!”
Keith’s men charged the Lathan warriors while the Keith made a grab for the edge of the cloak covering Aftyn. Jamie tugged his sword free as her father exposed her.
