Page 36 of Highland Storm

“Well, at least give our prisoner some food,” said Hawke, looking over at Phoebe.

“Nay! She’s a stinkin’ MacNab,” Callum ground out.

“I dinna need anyone to hunt for me. Return my throwin’ knife and I’ll do it myself,” said Phoebe.

Hawke chuckled. “Nice try, but that is no’ goin’ to happen. I’ll hunt for both of us.” He looked up at his hawk sitting in the tree. “Hunt Apollo,” he commanded. The bird shrieked and took off to the sky.

“So now ye’re havin’ yer bird do yer biddin’?” asked Phoebe, looking at Hawke with that same disappointment in her eyes that he’d seen from his father.

“Well, if I hunt, I canna keep an eye on ye to keep ye from escapin’,” he said. “If ye’d like, I can tie ye to a tree while I do it.”

“I’ll watch her.” Caleb put down his sword and jumped to his feet. Logan and Ethan’s heads both popped up.

“Nay, I’ll do it,” said Ethan. “I’m done here.”

“Nay. She’s better off with me,” protested Logan. “I’m better with a sword than ye are.”

“Calm down, all of ye,” said Hawke. “Apollo will be back with more than enough food for everyone. In the meantime, I’ll take the lass and scout the area to make sure we’re no’ bein’ followed by the MacNabs.”

“We didna see any signs of them,” said Logan.

“Just because ye dinna see them doesna mean they’re no’ here,” said Hawke, scanning his surroundings. “We canna take a chance of them sneakin’ in to get the girl. I promised my da I’d find her and I did. Now we need to get her to the Highlands so I can keep my other part of the promise of protectin’ my mathair and sisters and the rest of the clan.”

“So that’s where ye’re takin’ me? To the MacKeefe camp in the Highlands?” asked the girl.

“Damn,” spat Hawke under his breath, not meaning to say so much in front of her. “Dinna worry where we’re goin’. Now, come with me for a little ride. We’re goin’ on a hunt.”

“Finally, ye’re goin’ to hunt yer own food,” she remarked sarcastically.

“Nay. We’re no’ huntin’ for food, lass. We’re huntin’ for MacNabs. And if there are any out there lurkin’ in the shadows, ye are goin’ to help me track them down.”

* * *

Phoebe didn’t feel comfortable at all being in the woods at night. But with Hawke mounted on the same horse with his arm around her, she did feel safe.

“What are we lookin’ for in the dark?” she asked him.

“It’s no’ dark yet, but it will be soon. I need to make sure no one is hidin’ and waitin’ to attack. Tell me about the MacNabs. Do they normally wait until a man is at a disadvantage and then kill him?”

“Nay,” she said. “Just ye.”

“Thanks for clarifyin’ that,” he answered with a puff of air from his mouth.

“Hawke, this is a waste of time. I’m sure all the MacNabs are back at the castle by now.”

“I have a feelin’ they might have left one or two behind to watch and see just in case we followed.”

“Well, I dinna think ye’re right. Can we stop at the river so I can get a drink?”

“I suppose so.” After they’d dismounted, Phoebe bent down to get a drink and noticed a few wild herbs growing at the riverbank. She sat down and pulled out Orrick’s book, flipping through the pages to see if she could identify them. They were losing light fast, so she had to be quick.

“So ye really want to learn to be a healer,” said Hawke, hunkering down next to her.

“Of course I do. And I already am a healer or did ye forget what I did for yer wound?” She looked back at the plants and then down to the book again, still flipping through the pages.

“I didna forget. Ye have a very gentle touch and a guid way with fixin’ wounds.”

“Thank ye,” she said, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. She continued looking at the book rather than at him. He was close to her and his presence so near was inviting.