“Or the report of yer sons,” Anders prompted.
“Or a trusted ally, which Gunn is no’.”
“So, nothing has changed,” Stellan summarized, then stood. “I’m for some food and my bed.”
“I’ve eaten,” Anders told him, “but I’ll join ye for an ale.”
“Welcome back,” their father told Stellan. “Go on, both of ye, and leave me to my work.” Sutherland waved them out.
CHAPTER 2
“Let’s go riding.” Mariota hooked her arm through Seamus’s when she found him in the middle of the bailey, and turned him toward the stables. “I want to get out for a while and ’tis a fine morning.”
“Yer father does no’ want ye to leave the keep.”
“Da does no’ want me to leave alone. I willna be. Ye will be with me.”
Seamus didn’t look convinced, so Mariota stuck out her lower lip, doing her best to look pitiable and sad. When Seamus sucked in a breath, she knew she’d won.
“We’ll go,” he told her, “but we must return before noon.”
“Why do ye say that? We always do.”
“I’m meeting someone.”
“Perfect. If ye’ll beg Cook for some food so we can break our fast, I’ll fetch Valkyrie.”
He stood firm when she tried to turn them back toward the keep. “I dinna ken if this is such a good idea.”
He couldn’t back out now! She could taste freedom. And her favorite mount, Epona, needed to run. Chafing over her father’s restrictions, Mariota hadn’t been able to ride her in weeks, and she was used to more freedom. She thought she’d found achampion in Seamus, and feared he was wavering. “I promise we’ll be back in time. With Valkyrie along, we can hunt and make the morning worthwhile. She might take another coney for the pot. Da canna complain about that.”
Mariota kept her expression neutral as Seamus considered. He feared her father’s wrath. Everyone did. But the gate guard would not let her ride out without an escort, and Seamus was the most amenable to her of the MacKay men.
Just as she was becoming tempted to stamp her foot in frustration, he nodded.
“Fetch her, and yer bow. I’ll meet ye in the stable.”
Elation filled her, but she kept it off her face. “Thank ye.” She headed for the mews to collect Valkyrie. She kept her bow there, too, so in minutes she was in the stable, instructing the lad working there to saddle Epona and Seamus’s favorite mount.
By the time the horses were ready, Seamus arrived with a packet of food and two skins. He held up one of them. “Wine.”
Mariota nodded. He knew her preference for watered wine over ale. They mounted up and Mariota settled Valkyrie on the bow perch pommel the hawk master had carved for her. She led the way from the stable to the gate and called, “Open up.”
“Ye are no’ to go riding,” the guard answered.
“No alone, nay. But Seamus is with me.”
“Open up,” Seamus added. “We will no’ be gone long.”
Mariota held her breath. With Seamus by her side, she hadn’t expected resistance from the guard. “What did Da threaten all of ye with?” She kept her voice low enough only Seamus would hear her.
“Trust me, ye dinna wish to ken.”
“Ouch.”
“Pitch yer voice higher and ye’ll have the right idea.”
Mariota scowled at that. Surely her da wouldn’t do anything so barbaric. Her expression smoothed into a smile as the gateinched open. As soon as there was enough of a gap for the horses to slip through, she kicked Epona into motion. In moments, they were free.
