Page 28 of Highland Storm

“Ninety? Years auld? Hawke, that is remarkable. No one lives that long. Mayhap his whisky has given him longevity after all.”

“It’s more likely his ornery nature is what has cheated death.”

A woman screamed from the other end of the great hall, and Hawke’s head snapped around in alert. “Somethin’s wrong,” he said, noticing chaos starting and women hiding behind their men. His hand was instantly on the hilt of his sword. “I’m goin’ to find out what it is.” He took two steps away and then turned back and grabbed her hand. “Ye’re comin’ with me where I can see ye at all times.”

Hawke pushed his way between the crowds of people, hurrying across the hall. And as he emerged, he saw Caleb standing there with a smile on his face and a yellow and brown striped snake wrapped around his arm.

“Caleb, what are ye doin’?” asked Hawke.

“How do ye like my new pet?” Caleb held up his arm with the snake attached. A couple more of the ladies screamed and hid behind their men.

“Caleb’s got a snake?” Logan pushed to the front of the crowd with Ethan at his side.

“Caleb, that could be poisonous,” said Ethan. “It’s no’ safe.”

“Nay, it’s no’ venomous,” Caleb assured them, running a finger over it as if he were petting it.

“How do ye ken?” asked Logan.

“It’s smooth, instead of having scales, and its colorin’ is solid instead of havin’ a jagged pattern. Plus, poisonous snakes have oblong, slit-lookin’ pupils and this one has round ones. See?” He stepped toward Logan and Ethan, shoving the snake in their faces. They quickly stepped backward to get away from it.

“Caleb, ye fool, ye dinna choose somethin’ like that for a pet,” Hawke told him.

“Well, ye said a vole wasna a guid choice and that I should choose a predator and so I did.”

“Get rid of it. Ye’re scarin’ all the lassies,” Hawke told him.

“I thought this was perfect when I found it under the log in the garden this mornin’,”

“Well, it’s no’,” said Hawke.

“Fine. I’ll just find somethin’ else then.” With his head down and everyone parting and giving him room to walk, Caleb left the great hall with his snake, scowling like a reprimanded child.

“Hawke, I think it’s time to take a look at your wound.” Orrick walked up to meet them.

“I’m fine,” said Hawke, his hand going to his shoulder.

“Is that true, Phoebe?” Orrick looked to the girl for his answer.

“Now, how would she ken the answer to that when she was too busy tryin’ to escape?” asked Hawke.

“Who’s tryin’ to escape?” Unfortunately, Hawke’s father overheard them and headed over. “Hawke, dinna ye understand that our only hope of gettin’ Ian back is if we have MacNab’s daughter for a trade?”

“I do, Da,” said Hawke. “Have the MacNabs sent a messenger yet with either a ransom letter or an offer of a trade?”

“No’ yet,” said Storm. “But I am sendin’ one of our messengers to Crookston Castle today. We canna wait for them to make the first move. Each day Ian is gone, he is one day closer to death and we are one day closer to a battle.”

“I still say we should storm their castle and take grandda back by force,” said Hawke.

“I agree,” added Ethan.

“Nay, it’s too dangerous,” Storm told them.

“Let us go,” Logan urged him. “Hawke, Ethan, Caleb and I can be in and out and back with our chieftain before they even ken what happened.”

“And what about her?” Storm nodded toward Phoebe. “What do ye think they’ll do when we rescue Ian and keep MacNab’s daughter?”

“Aye, I suppose that would be a problem,” said Ethan with a shrug.