Page 56 of The Cursed Highland Bride

“Perhaps he believes us helpless without the use o’ cannon,” Tor offered in explanation. All of their heavy armaments had been taken in retribution for their grandfather siding with the Lord of the Isles. They had been forced to keep their clan safe by their fierce reputation and using the island topography in their favor. Now the enemy was upon them, an enemy that they could have decimated with cannon, and yet they had no choice but to stand waiting upon the shore to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

“He has the backing of the crown. I cannae help but wonder how long they have been planning this,” Dunn murmured.

Tor shook his head. “There is nae way tae ken. The crown has long had its eyes on Orkney. We are nae the only clan he will have tae defeat tae take control, but we will make them fight hard for it.”

“They call me the Viking beast o’ the Orkneys. They are about tae discover just how true that is.” Dunn smiled grimly as he rotated his shoulders to test his movement with the bandages around his torso. He tightened his grip on the sword in his hand. It had been his father’s sword, his grandfather’s sword, and so on for generations. It had been mended over time, but at its core, it was the same sword that his Norse ancestors had carried into battle.

The earldom of Orkney had been a possession of Norway when King James III had gained it for Scotland in exchange for an unpaid dowry upon his marriage to Margaret of Denmark. Dunn had heard his father and grandfather speak of it often as a child. Orkney had been a law unto itself, as had many of the northern islands, but the crown had set in motion actions to gain more power. Dunn’s family had simply been caught in the middle of a struggle that was generations old. His grandfather had been a firm believer in the islands governing themselves. He had given his life for that belief. Dunn was not a political being. He simply wished to protect his family and what little had been left to them.

“Morgan will nae win this day,” he vowed, laying a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “We will drive him back, then cross over the sea to find my wife.”

“We have the advantage here. If we cross over, that is nae longer true,” Tor reminded him.

“Nevertheless, we must.”

Tor nodded. “I am with ye, brother.” He turned, and the two clasped arms, hand to forearm. “Tae the end.”

“Tae the end,” Dunn agreed and smiled.

The brothers turned back to the castle to speak with Adamina and their grandmother. They found the women in the hall, directing the servants to prepare bandages and food for the battle to come. The steward directed the men as they hauled weapons from the armory out to the soldiers on the battlements. As Dunn and Tor crossed the hall, Adamina greeted them with a worried look in her eyes. “How bad is it?” she asked, her face pale and drawn.

“It could be worse,” Tor admitted with a smile, attempting to ease the tension.

She gave a look that said to be serious. Dunn laid a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. “Tor is right. It could be worse. Here we have the advantage. The problem lies in getting tae the mainland tae save Katarina and her sisters from Morgan’s nefarious plans for them.”

“Why did she have tae run?” Adamina bemoaned her sister-in-law’s choice.

Dunn felt guilt spring anew over his part in Katarina’s predicament. “We cannae change what has been done. We can only do our utmost tae make it right in the future. For now, we must face the enemy at our own gates. Then, we must find a way tae defeat them once again on their own lands. The only way that we are going tae ken what has happened tae Katarina and her sisters is tae capture Alistair Morgan.”

Tor’s brows shot up at this. “Ye plan tae capture him alive?”

“We have nae choice.”

“It will be difficult enough tae kill the wily auld bastard, but ye want tae capture him alive.” Tor let out a low whistle. “Do ye have a plan?”

“That depends on whether he is one o’ those men heading towards our shores or whether he remained back and allowed his men tae pay the price alone.”

“He is nae a coward. He is many things but nae that,” Tor reminded him.

“Nae, he is nae a coward, but he is a strategist. He kens that Orkney is nae a fight that he can win without great loss. He kens that he has something I want and that I will come after him tae get it.”

“How will ye defeat him if he kens that ye are coming for him?” Adamina asked, her lips strained as she worried them between her teeth. “He could withstand a siege behind those walls.”

“I give him nae choice but tae come tae me.”

“Let us pray that he is foolish enough tae be with this lot then,” Tor stated, then kissed his sister on the forehead. “I must go and prepare the men. Keep yerself safe. Should they break through intae the castle, hide yerself away. We will come for ye.”

Adamina nodded. She pulled a blade out from beneath her skirt. “I am ready.”

Dunn smiled and hugged her gently. “I will speak with our grandmaither. Do what ye can for her.”

“I will.”

Dunn moved across the hall to where his grandmother was barking orders from her chair by the hearth. “Grandmaither,” he greeted, kissing her on the forehead.

“They have come,” she stated, her expression showing that she was resigned, come what may.

“Aye, they have.”