Chapter 14
Isabail studied the long brown hair and the broad back of the man riding in front of her.
She’d given up her mount and now shared a horse with Ana. For good reason—their hired warrior, Magnus, was a large fellow with a very large weapon. He clearly needed a horse to himself. Not quite as tall as MacCurran, but blessed with a similar robust build, the man sat his mount with the comfortable stance of a man who’d spent many a long hour in the saddle. Which was curious. How did a peasant living alone in the woods learn to ride? Or wield a weapon—other than a pole—for that matter?
“How did you learn your craft?“ she asked him, as she ducked beneath a low-hanging branch.
“Of which craft do you speak?”
“Swordsmanship.” The bronze hilt of his weapon was quite impressive, certainly not the sort a common soldier would own. “Were you a soldier before you injured your leg?”
“Aye.”
Isabail waited for more, but nothing was forthcoming. “At the castle?”
“Does it matter where?” he countered, slowing his horse to allow her to come alongside. “Even if my talents are limited, a weak sword arm is better than no sword arm.”
“True enough,” she acknowledged. “And lest I imply otherwise, we do appreciate your willingness to aid us. But it would be remiss of me not to gain some sense of how loyal you’ll be in the thick of trouble.” Then she added hastily, “Not that we anticipate such trouble.”
“Of course not.” He shrugged. “We struck a bargain. Two deniers for a fortnight of service. I’m a man of my word, so you need not fear I’ll desert you. I’m yours to command.”
“How long will it take us to reach Tayteath?”
“At this pace? Three days.”
Isabail frowned. “That simply won’t do. A lad’s life is in danger.”
“Alone, I could make the journey in less than two,” he pointed out. “But with women in the party, there’s no hope of traveling that swiftly.”
“Is there no way to make better time?”
He shook his head. “I cannot demand the same of you as I would a man.”
Isabail considered that. Normally, she would agree. But the image of Jamie’s face as she’d last seen it in the tunnel—pale and frightened and trying to be brave—refused to be banished from her thoughts. “We are not men,” she agreed, exchanging a glance with Ana, “but we are willing to keep the pace you set for as long as we are able.”
Magnus studied them for a long moment. He looked as if he was biting his tongue, but no scathing comment leaked out. Instead, he sat back in his saddle and nodded. “The best gait for an extended push is the trot. The horses can maintain a good speed without tiring excessively. But the trot is hard on a rider, especially without stirrups. If you grow weary, you must let me know immediately. It would be most unfortunate if you took a tumble.”
“Agreed.”
He raked a gaze over the two women. “Ensure your cloaks are securely fastened and that your hold on each other and the reins is firm.”
They did as he bid.
Ana’s hands shook a little as she grasped Isabail about the middle. “I’m not a skilled rider,” the healer whispered.
“You’re strong,” Isabail reassured her. “Just hold tight. We’ll take turns in the saddle, and if you ever lose your grip, pinch me and I’ll stop.”
“Are you ready?” Magnus asked.
Isabail patted Ana’s hand, then threaded the reins through both hands and nodded. “Aye.”
Without another word, he urged his horse into a trot and took off through the woods. Isabail sucked in a deep breath and kneed her horse into motion. She could only pray that she had not just made one of the worst decisions of her life.
* * *
Aiden and his men reached Tayteath by midafternoon. He brought them to a halt at the edge of the trees and surveyed his target. The castle stood on a narrow jut of land overlooking the sea. Steep cliffs protected the keep on three sides, forcing all access through the heavily fortified front gates. To the northwest, midway between Aiden and the castle, lay a small village that consisted of a kirk and at least twenty stone blackhouses, smoke rising lazily from their chimneys.
Niall nudged his horse alongside him. “What do you think? Is de Lourdes inside?”
