Page 34 of The Lady of Her Highland Clan

"I said we dinnae need it!" snapped Clyde. He seemed rather on edge this morning, as if the rattling rain was jangling his nerves.

From afar, Fiona watched him. He had been giving the stablehands the third degree for some time now. Curiously, she wondered why. From across the courtyard leading to the stables, Fiona gazed, unseen.

Clyde had not noticed her yet, and as she walked across the square, she made her entrance.

"What's up?" she asked, her eyes on Clyde.

This morning he had on his dark, flowing plaid, which formed an extension of his long black locks. Coupled with his dark scowl, and Fiona thought he blended well with the thickened Highland skies.

Seeing her, Clyde's green eyes widened. "Och, hello," he said with a nod. His mouth smiled, but his eyes did not.

Fiona sensed trouble.

"So, then, are we fit?" she asked, sending a disparaging eye across the scene in the stables.

The stablehands were meant to be packing the horses up tight for a long ride. However, they seemed to have stopped, with only half of the equipment destined for the journey being used.

Clyde turned his dark head around moodily. Fiona wondered if he had got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning.

"Well, aye. But that depends on yer definition o' fit," said Clyde, his sharp eyes screwed down tight onto her. "I mean, these poor horses, they may nae be too fit once they're carrying the crown jewels on their back."

Fiona looked blankly. The heavy rain fell on her fine, dark hair. Already, she was wet and cold, and she had only just ventured out from across the courtyard. She dreaded to think what state she would be by the time they had traversed across the Highlands.

"What do ye mean?" she asked, coming nearer.

Clyde gave her a very slight smile, then reverted back to his truculent stare.

"I mean, these poor beasts are going to buckle beneath the weight o' all this...stuff," he said dismissively, prodding the saddlebags and knapsacks tucked into the sides of the horses.

"Nonsense," said Fiona matter-of-factly. "We need the tents."

"Och, no we dinnae," disagreed Clyde almost instantly. Between them, a couple of the stablehands looked on anxiously. "I mean, it's only a wee trip over the hills," he said. "Nae the King James traveling court!"

Fiona looked perplexed. Clyde tapped the sides of the horses, indicating their knapsacks. Fiona could not understand his contention.

"It's just a few wee things," said Fiona placatingly. But inside, she was alarmed. Clyde seemed to be genuinely on edge.

"Nay, it's nae a few wee things!" snapped Clyde before relenting. "Och," he said, softening. "I'm sorry. It's just, I think we should get started. An' I dinnae want tae weary the horses afore we even get halfway across the clan."

Fiona could really not understand the fuss. She didn't want to argue, but equally, was not about to give in.

"Weary them?" she asked, gazing at Clyde. Even this agitated, he seemed to have something about him, which glowered in the gray light. "They're hardy horses, nae delicate wee flowers. An' we dinnae have tae go far."

Her eyes flashed questioningly to Clyde, who finally seemed to be relenting.

"Well, we hope we dinnae have tae go far," he murmured, then he conceded. "Och, alright. Dinnae fash."

Clyde smiled genuinely for the first time that morning. Fiona grinned briefly, but it was a tightened, rictus smile. What she had seen had bothered her, but now it seemed Clyde had put aside his concerns and turned to face her.

"Are ye ready then, lass?" he said, mounting his tough gray stallion.

Finding Lizzie May, Fiona dusted herself down. Then, with the help of one of the stablehands, she jumped up on the mare as her knapsacks were fastened down.

"Ready?" said Fiona, teasingly. "Ye just try an' stop me!"

They rode for several miles, the raging Highlands wind in their hair. Exhilarated, Fiona looked ahead to a fork in the road. Without pausing, she veered left, heading off to the no-man's-land that constituted the buffer between the Duncan and Greenock clans.

But just as she did so, Clyde tugged on his reins.