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“Oh, aye. I was a different man back then. It took meeting yer ma tae change me, and I’m sure the same will be true of Ruairi. He’ll learn, just as we all dae,” Niall said. Maura’s face became pinched as she thought about the future and what it meant for her. Part of her was tempted to ask her father about the man she was going to marry, but she was too afraid. Unlike the man who had been made into a tree, she was scared of finding out the truth.

When they returned to the estate, they stabled the horses. Maura made sure to give Scone a treat of sugar, glaring at Ruairi pointedly as she did so. The horse whinnied and stamped her foot with delight upon receiving the treat, and Maura hugged her before she went into the house to get changed for dinner. But as they were entering, a man rushed up to Niall. He was red-faced and panting, and his features were stricken with worry.

2

“What troubles ye?” Niall asked.

“Oh, Laird Calbraith, it’s terrible, just terrible!” the man wailed. “They came and they…they ransacked the homes and tore through crops. They were like a storm, thundering around without any care for any of us! We hid and cowered as they cackled, and they cut us, they did...poor old Willy is nae gaeing tae be able tae milk his cows again. It’s an attack the likes of which hae never been seen in a long time. Ye hae tae dae something, please, I implore ye. If they came back again…well…I dinnae know how we’re gaeing tae cope. It’s gaeing tae be hard enough tae recover after everything they did.”

Maura was moved by the harrowing tale. She wrung her hands and gnawed her lip as she thought about what had happened to these poor people. The thought of bandits roving around the land filled her heart with fear. There had been rumblings of attacks here and there, but nothing so savage! She glanced around fretfully, as though bandits were going to strike from the forest around her. But no, she calmed herself. She was safe here, unlike the people who had already been harmed.

Ruairi’s reaction was quite the opposite. His eyes were colored with dark death, and his strong hands clenched into fists. His body bristled with fervent energy; it seemed as though a lightning storm was crackling behind him.

“They cannae get away with this! We hae tae attack back and find these bandits. We’ll show them they cannae dae this, and we’ll send a message tae any other bandit or scoundrel in the land as well. If they dare touch our people like this again, we’ll spill their guts and display them for everyone tae see.”

Maura winced at the venom and bitterness in her brother’s voice.

“Calm yerself, lad,” Niall said. “There’s no sense in rushing off right now. We hae tae make a plan.”

“A plan?!” Ruairi was almost apoplectic. “There is no time for a plan! They’re out there, now”—he thrust a hand out in a general direction—“and if we dinnae dae something, they might hurt others. We hae tae find them and stop them.”

“And we will,” Niall said sharply, in a tone that Maura knew meant he was not to be argued with. “But there is more we need tae learn, like where they approached from, how many there were, and what type of weapons they were using. This is no time tae act rashly. Bandits can be dangerous, and I am nae giving them any advantage.” Ruairi opened his mouth and was about to speak again, no doubt ready to argue his point. “Get back in the house and get yerself changed for dinner,” Niall added sharply.

Maura tugged at Ruairi’s arm, pulling him away. She could feel the seething rage radiating off him in waves and feared that if he was left to argue with Niall, he would say something he would later regret.

“Let gae of me!” Ruairi said, wrenching his arm free from her grip as they moved away from their father. He wore a scowl and kicked out at loose stones.

“Ye need tae calm yerself, Ruairi. No good is gaeing tae come from ye acting like this. Ye know Da has the matter well in hand,” she said in her most gentle voice, using the same tone she used to try and calm Scone whenever the mare became agitated.

“Well in hand? He’s a coward. He should be riding away immediately tae avenge those who were attacked.”

“Ye dinnae mean that,” Maura said, shocked that Ruairi would speak about their father like that. Ruairi sighed, and his shoulders slumped.

“Aye, I dinnae, but we should be daeing more. I hate the thought of bandits coming intae our land attacking our people and thinking that they can get away with it. I bet they’re out there now, laughing at us, thinking us weak. If I had just a wee moment with them, I’d throttle them and show them that they made a mistake in attacking us.” His words were harsh, and Maura was still getting used to seeing this side of him. Ever since he had matured into a young man, there had been a hard, rough edge to him that always took her by surprise. Aunt Isobel used to be fond of saying that they were two sides of the same coin; where Ruairi was all fire and blood, Maura was sweetness and virtue. The truth was probably a little more complex than that, but in moments like these, it was difficult to see Ruairi in any other way.

“Just wait for Da tae come up with a plan. I’m sure he’s nae gaeing tae leave ye out of it. Ye will get yer revenge, ye can be sure of that.”

“Aye, but how many are gaeing tae suffer in the meantime?” he asked, and as he averted his gaze, she thought she saw a sheen of glistening tears in his eyes.

“Da is nae gaeing tae let the people suffer. Just get inside, hae some food and a wash, and ye will feel better for it. Let Da dae the planning, and then ye can dae the fighting,” she said, hoping that she was able to reassure him. Ruairi sighed and shrugged as they entered the castle, and he didn’t say anything further.

Brother and sister went their separate ways as Maura returned to her chambers and called the maids for a bath. They brought the tub in and filled it with hot water. Riding in the forest made Maura’s lean muscles ache. She was in good shape—a hardy woman with a slender figure—and over the past few years, she had developed feminine curves, and her skin had grown softer.

As she relaxed in the water, her hair draped over her shoulders and splayed out over the surface of the water, the brown strands looking almost black as they grew heavy with water. The door opened, and her mother walked in. Moira was a cheery woman with a loving smile, and was as beautiful as her husband was handsome.

“I heard that ye were back. Did ye hae a good ride?” Moira asked, sitting on the bed.

“Aye. Da told us a story about a man who asked all the questions in the world,” Maura said. She had a thoughtful look on her face. “I dinnae think I would be like him. Sometimes I’m tae afraid of answers tae questions.”

“Such as?”

Maura swirled her slender fingers idly across the surface of the water, creating small ripples that ran out in waves until they reached the sides of the tub. “I am still unsure about my future. The thought of leaving here, of leaving all of ye…it brings me sorrow.”

“I understand,” Moira said with a heavy sigh. “I felt the same thing when I was yer age. It is just a fact of life, and there’s naething ye can dae tae change it, unless ye should want tae become a spinster. But marriage haes a habit of working out well for the women in our family. Look at yer aunt Isobel; she is happy enough and expecting another child. And ye remember how happy yer cousin Lileas was on her wedding day. It is always different when these things happen tae ye, but it will all work out for the best.”

“And what about Ruairi? He needs me.”

Moira laughed lightly as she leaned forward, placing her hands in her lap. “Ruairi is stronger than ye think, and more capable as well. But just because ye are gaeing tae leave doesnae mean that ye will be away from our hearts, or that ye will never see us again. This is yer home, Maura, and it will always be yer home. But trust me, I know what ye are gaeing through. I felt exactly the same thing when I was yer age, and I was told that I was marrying yer da. I was so nervous, I thought I was gaeing tae explode, and it didnae help that I was seen as an enemy shortly after I arrived.” Maura had heard the story of the great poisoning and how so many members of the clan had fallen ill because of it, but her mother had helped find the cure. “But life is filled with wonderful surprises, and ye cannae resist change because ye dinnae know what ye might miss out on! The best things in yer life might be out there waiting for ye.”