| |
––––––––
FOR HALF A DAY, THE MacGreagors rode up one hill, down another and stayed off the beaten paths. The fear of being hunted weighed heavy on all their minds. They stopped twice to rest the horses and see to their comfort, and then did not stop again until Keter found another clearing and a stream where they could refresh their water flasks.
Sawney looked for him, but the black stallion did not catch up. At least he had his best friend, Paisley, with him and that brightened his mood.
Careful to keep her voice low, Paisley took hold of Sawney’s hand. “I wish we could walk the stiffness out.”
“‘Tis not safe enough yet.”
“I know, but promise you will take me when it is. The people, your people now, wish a little privacy and I wish to enjoy the love of a good brother...even one who wears the colors of a Kennedy.”
Sawney smiled. “I tell you true, sister, if ever I find a lass like you, I will marry her with all due haste.”
“Not too quickly, I pray. A hasty decision is not always best, I have learned.”
“I am your laird now, I will choose your new husband and you must obey me.”
“Not true, I am an elder and the MacGreagors do not command elders.”
“An elder by only...” Sawney looked around and his eyes widened. “I am surrounded by elders? Nearly all of you are older than me.”
She grinned. “I am pleased you noticed.”
“Do you mean I am laird over little?”
“Well, there are always the wee ones who know no better.”
“I am relieved.” He kissed his sister on the forehead and then nodded to Keter. “The sooner we get on with it the sooner we can take a day of rest.”
The women tried not to groan and the children were being as good as tired children could be when they were lifted back up on the horses.
Keter was wise and Sawney was pleased with the way he led the clan farther from the danger. Sawney often looked back to see to the well-being of the women and children, as any good laird should. Sometimes the littlest child was with Paisley and other times asleep on Jennet’s or Gavina’s shoulder. The weight of a sleeping child was a lot to ask of a woman riding a horse hour after hour, but it could not be helped. The men needed their hands free to protect them.
*
THE FOUR KENNEDY WARRIORS, wearing green MacGreagor colors, hurried to return home and tell their laird all they had heard. Known to most as thieves, the Kennedys once boldly took livestock from other clans, but it cost them greatly in a war with the Swintons many years before. Having learned their lesson, they took to stealing smaller things such as weapons, milk stools, shoes, and even kilts when they could get them. Stealing kilts made it possible to spy on another clan without being noticed and facilitated their favorite pass time, which was stealing without getting caught and bragging about it.
They and their neighbors suffered losses when the fever came just as the MacGreagors did, and all of them decreased in size that summer. Therefore, the Kennedys had no real need to steal. Just the same, a new reason to do just that brought them great joy.
When Laird Kennedy heard the MacGreagors would come back to fight for their land someday, he smiled. “And we will help them. For now, we will put our skills to best use against these Davidsons.” He paused to spit on the ground, a show of complete disgust. Then he turned to his second in command. “See that our lads steal all the weapons they can and set extra lads to spy on them. We must know when they think to attack. And send word to the Swinton, the Haldane, the Graham and the MacDuff. None are safe this day.”
The Kennedys made ready to sneak in and out of the Davidson hold to steal what they could, the spies were sent to watch their every move and each time the name “Davidson” was uttered, they spat on the ground.
Before the day was done, Kennedy riders spread the word to the other clans, who also sent men to spy on the Davidsons. Yet it was the Haldane who worried most. Their land bordered that of the Davidsons, they were the smallest clan and knew they would be the easiest to conquer. To prepare, they took all but their bare necessities into the woods and hid them.
Then a new rumor began, one that would tear at the hearts of all the clans. Swinton warriors said they heard Sawney was dead. If it was true, it meant the MacGreagors would not be coming back to fight and the other clans had to deal with Neasan themselves.
*
FOR AS LONG AS THEY could that night, the six men Neasan sent to bring Paisley back followed the MacGreagor tracks until darkness made it too difficult. At first light, they took up the search once more and when they reached the river and crossed, they could not find enough fresh tracks on the other side to indicate several riders.
William led his men back across to the path beside the river, got down and examined it. Still there were not enough tracks and for a moment he wondered if they’d walked their horses in and let the water carry them downriver. That would have been dangerous, but not unheard of if people were desperate enough.
William thought it was a fool’s errand Neasan sent them on anyway. He saw no woman with white hair and he’d watched every move the MacGreagors made before they left. Even so, the only decision left was to take the path along the riverbank going east or west.
He thought to split his men up, but three against the MacGreagors had no chance, so it was best they stayed together. He shrugged and turned his horse east up the path along the river.
It was not long before he found new tracks that appeared to come out of the river, and he was certain he had found the MacGreagors. He encouraged his men to go faster, but when they reached the place where the paths crossed, they found three MacDuff warriors in the way that quickly threw down their swords and surrendered.
The MacDuffs were well known for avoiding a fight at all costs and the other clans normally just let them be. It was better than capturing lazy people and then having to provide for them. Whether they were truly lazy or not, no one was quite certain and few cared to find out. Rumors were enough to make most people think they were.
“Do you know Sawney MacGreagor?” William asked. Two nodded and one shook his head. “Have you seen them today?” To that question, all three nodded, but when William asked which way they went, each pointed a different direction.
William took an exasperated breath, hopped down off his horse, and studied the tracks on each of the paths. The path leading north and south had very few, while the one going east had many. He got back on his horse, waited for the MacDuff to get out of his way, and then waved his men forward.
It was long after time for their noon meal by the time they caught up with those leaving the tracks. Instead of MacGreagors, the people were from a clan who had gone to barter for goods with the Grahams.
Disgusted, William turned his men around. They were tired and the horses needed rest, so he found a small clearing just off the path where they could rest.
*
MACKINZIE HAD AN ODD sort of happiness in her heart. It was as though something marvelous was about to occur—something just around the bend, across the meadow or on the hilltop overlooking the ocean she loved so much. When she went to fetch the basket of wash from elder Tavan, she actually smiled.
“Are you unwell,” he asked. Crippled since the age of nineteen when a horse threw him, Tavan used an ornately carved tree branch for a cane and often asked for Mackinzie’s washing services. She once called him an ‘old scunner,’ but he paid her no mind. He could not name one single person she hadn’t called that at one time or another.
Still standing in the doorway of his cottage, Mackinzie wrinkled her brow. “Do I look unwell?”
“Not at all, it is just that you smile so seldom, I thought...”
She leaned down and picked up his basket of clothing. “Tavan, do you believe people can feel good things coming?”
“Well now, let me see. Aye, I do believe...” Before he could get all his words out, Mackinzie turned and walked away. It was quite possibly the longest conversation anyone in the clan had had with her in months. Tavan put his cane on the table and sat down in his chair. His cottage was larger than most and once belonged to the Campbell laird and his wife. That was before the King of Scots came and built a castle by the sea.
Now the overly large and lavish castle cast its morning shadow right across Tavan’s cottage and most were happy not to live in it, even if it afforded more space. Two wives and seven children ago, he thought to ask Laird Campbell for a different abode, but the subject just never seemed to come up. Now his children were grown and at the old age of 56, his hands hurt too much to make fancy woodcarvings the way he once did. On most days, he simply sat by the river and watched the water flow to the sea.
It was out of concern he’d taken a special interest in Mackinzie. He could do his own wash, but his children provided for him well and he could easily give her anything she needed. Yet Mackinzie was far too proud to accept charity.
Tavan suspected she liked him too, although she never said so. When she was not yet eleven, she came to ask about the death of her parents, a question she might well have asked anyone. Just the same, she asked him and he was honored she trusted him to tell her the truth.
Mackinzie always had a look about her, a look of mischief that made people wonder what she was up to, but Tavan was wise enough to see beyond that. Inside was a hurting little girl no one knew how to help. That day, she seemed satisfied with the answers he gave concerning her parents, and was just as quickly gone again. Nevertheless, if anyone could have a special connection with Mackinzie, it was Tavan.
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “That one needs a husband and at least twenty children to love!”
*
ONCE THEY WERE BACK to the place where the north and south paths crossed those leading east and west, William halted his men and scratched his head. It was the very place Keter took the MacGreagors into the forest, but William was looking for tracks, not broken branches or trampled foliage.
William knew that crossing the river could be accomplished in several places, although not as safely or conveniently as the first, and going north seemed the most likely direction the MacGreagors would go. On the other hand, South to the MacDuff or east toward other clans was just as likely. In the end, William only had one choice—go back and find the place where the MacGreagors left the path.
*
THEY WERE ALL EXHAUSTED, yet Keter urged the small band of wanderers on, hoping to put more distance between them and the Davidsons. They had enough daylight left to travel another two hours but the children were fussing, the women shed more tears and even the horses began to balk at the prospect of having to wade up yet another creek.
Sawney finally said, “‘Tis enough,” and Keter stopped in the next parcel of flat land he found.
They ate the last of their fresh bread and cheese, put the small children to bed, and gathered to talk over what they would do next. It felt good to stand up, yet even the eyes of the adults drooped, and their minds were cluttered with random thoughts.
All the women had stiff muscles plus headaches from crying, and were content just to move around a little and let the men talk. Of the seven children, four were nearly grown and they were more interested in standing nearby listening.
Sawney finally said, “Tomorrow two lads will hunt along the way.”
“Perhaps there is a village where we might barter for food,” said Blare.
Keter somehow looked older than the day before. Perhaps they all did. “We do not know how far we are from the nearest clan.”
“Aye, but dare we build a fire to cook the meat? Let us not forget, Davidsons know everything we know about tracking someone through the forest. Smoke would easily give away our location,” said Blare.
“I cannot help but wonder. How many of the ones we left behind would truly try to kill us?” Sawney asked. “I have seen no ill will and they loved Father, I know they did.”
Keter shook his head. “Sawney, a laird is sometimes the last to know. I have heard their rumblings from time to time, although sadly I did not take it to heart.”
Daniel rubbed one of his tired eyes. His anger had subsided from the night before and his tone was much softer. “They shouted for Neasan to lead them and if they have pledged themselves to him, they will be honor bound to fight us. What else can they do?”
“I do not believe Bearcha would do it and there must be others,” said Lenox. “I too have heard their rumblings each time word came of fighting in other clans, but for a MacGreagor to fight a MacGreagor just to please a laird is something I would never believe.”
Moffet agreed. “All of us are related by blood in one way or another. Scots do not kill their blood.”
It was the first time Sawney realized Lenox, Moffet and Diocail, were first cousins. They even looked somewhat alike with thick red hair, scruffy beards more brown than red and the same wide shoulders. “Yet we too are their blood. How do we go back and fight them? Would they surrender?”
Diocail shook his head, “Nay, they will not surrender. They will fight if they must to honor their pledge, but only if we attack them first.”
Sawney closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “We are too tired to speak of this now.” He walked to his sack of belongings, opened it, and began to spread his extra plaid on the ground. Before long, the others did the same and soon most were asleep. Moffet took the first watch, Hew the one after and Blare’s son, Cormay, took the next.
The night air was cold and with no fire, Cormay pulled his heavy cloak tighter around his neck. At least the moon shed some light on the small meadow and he would be able to spot danger. Just then, he heard the far off howl of a wolf and decided to wake his brother, Daw. Two could keep watch better than one and a pack of wolves were known to carry off small children when they were hungry enough. Just to be sure, Cormay picked up little Flora, bedding and all, and laid her between Blare and Daniel.
Daniel heard the wolves too and pulled Flora closer to him. Then he rose up to see where his five-year-old son, Logan, was. Nestled next to his older sister, Senga, Logan was sound asleep.
*
IN A VERY SHORT TIME, it seemed nearly everything had changed in the Davidson village. That morning, Carley went to the loch to bath with the other women, which had been a MacGreagor custom for as long as she could remember. Few women were there and none of the warriors were gathered in the glen for their training, which was probably a good thing considering the amount of wine they consumed the night before. A warrior without his wits about him could get hurt.
Carley went about her life as usual, gathering herbs, taking the vegetables she needed from the store house and praying Neasan would not return to inquire about Paisley. So far, the morning was peaceful.
Her peace did not last long. News soon came that Neasan sent six men to find Sawney and bring Paisley back. Then in the afternoon, word spread that Sawney was dead.
Carley didn’t believe it and doubted anyone else did either. Still she felt a great sadness and lay down in her bed hoping death would finally take her. She was about to drift off to sleep when there came a soft knock on her door.
At not yet twenty-four, Grant spent his days hunting and fishing with Bryce to feed their young families. When the hunting was good, as it was on this day, Grant took extra meat to those in need, and lately added Carley to his list of elders now that her sons were gone.
As soon as she answered the door, he went inside and closed it behind him. With the dim light of evening filtering through her pulled back window covering, he set a skinned rabbit on her table and then turned to face her. “Four Kennedys saw Blare on MacDuff land. They are certain Sawney is not dead.”
Her relief was so great, she closed her eyes and nearly collapsed in his arms. A moment later, she asked the inevitable question. “But are you certain they were not killed after the Kennedy’s saw them? Neasan sent six...”
“If they were dead, Neasan’s lads would have come back by now and we would have heard it from their own lips.”
Carley left his embrace and sat on the edge of her bed. “That is true.”
“Rest Carley, believe they are alive and find comfort in it.” Grant tenderly put a reassuring hand on Carley’s shoulder. She was not just an elder, she was his wife’s aunt, and everyone loved Carley.
*
HIS FIRST DAY AS LAIRD did not go as well as he expected and Neasan quickly grew weary. From the moment he finished his morning meal, which was after noon, men began to come in wanting to know if they should do this or that. A farmer complained that the cows were bawling, the women did not come to do the morning milking, and he was put upon to do it himself. Another came to ask if the clan needed him to butcher a cow for meat, and yet a third wanted to know which pasture to move the cows to since the sheep cropped the grass too low for his herds to eat.
All this chaos Neasan blamed on Justin. Justin coddled the men, made decisions they could easily make themselves and now, he had to endure the constant annoyance. How was he supposed to know Justin set the schedule for the women to do the milking and Justin decided who needed what and when? Seething by the third hour of it, he could not have hated Justin more than he did on this day.
*
DENA WAS CONFUSED. Neasan left her waiting outside for so long the night before, she gave up and went home. She took a long walk in the glen that morning, two in the afternoon and still she was ignored. What did it mean?
Customarily, the unmarried women gathered in the courtyard of an evening, talked, pretended not to notice and waited to see if the unmarried men would ask to walk with them. Yet this evening the women were not there, nor were the men.
Dena found a tree stump to sit on not far from the courtyard and waited. Maybe they were just being quiet. After all, everyone knew Neasan had a headache. She wondered if he was unwell and that worried her even more. All her desires could come crashing down if Neasan died.
It was almost dark by the time William and his men broke through the trees, rode into the glen and then into the courtyard. William barely had time to dismount before a furious Neasan bolted out the door and marched to him.
“Where is Paisley?” he bellowed at the top of his lungs. His uproar drew the attention of other men who quickly gathered to see what was happening.
“We could not find them,” said William.
“You could not find them?” His teeth were gritted, his fists were clenched and his eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of his head.
William kept an eye on the hand Neasan used to draw his sword and got ready to quickly back away. “They did not cross the river, of that I am certain. We found tracks on the path leading east, but when we caught up, ‘twas not MacGreagors.”
“They went into the forest!”
“Aye, but where and in which direction. Tell me and we will go back.”
Neasan was so enraged, he could hardly think. He wanted and even needed to kill someone. Slowly and deliberately, he turned to look at the men in the courtyard watching him. “Get your horses, lads, tonight we attack!” Not one man among them moved and if he could have, he would have killed them all. He gathered all this breath and shouted, “Did you not hear me?”
In the forest on both sides of the glen, men from all five neighboring clans hurried off to warn their people.
*
DENA DID NOT MOVE EITHER. “Paisley?” she whispered. She remembered the way Neasan watched Paisley, but he said she meant nothing. Now he was demanding to have her back?
*
SO FAR, GRANT MANAGED not to be included in Neasan’s circle of trusted men and such was the case when the men mounted their horses to attack another clan. His brother-in-law, Bryce, was not so fortunate.
For hours, it seemed, Grant waited inside the cottage he shared with his wife and small son, walked the floor and waited for word. At length, he blew out the candle, opened his door a crack, and peeked out.
The moon offered just enough light and at last, Bryce walked up the path, slipped inside, quietly closed the door, and quickly sat down at the table. “None dead.”
Grant’s mouth dropped. “None?”
“Not one and Neasan is beside himself. Someone warned the Haldane we were coming. When we got there, Neasan lit a torch and tossed it on the roof of the Haldane keep, but no one ran out. Neasan roared his fury, drew his sword, and commanded us to burn the village to the ground.” Bryce had to pause long enough to deeply breathe and gather his thoughts.
“I could not do it. We pledged years ago to protect the Haldane, not kill them. I watched for people to come out of the cottages, but there were none and in the end, Neasan did not even care if the forest caught fire. Do you see? Neasan commanded us to burn the Haldane in their beds and I could not, nor could two others. We shall surely be put to death.”
“Where are the other two?”
“They wait for me in the forest.”
“You must go to Sawney and tell him what has happened,” said Grant.
“I fear leaving my wife, she is with child.”
“Neasan will call you out if you stay. I will see to her and Neasan will calm with time.”
“Should we come back when he calms?” asked Bryce.
“Nay, do not come back. Go to the Kennedys, learn which way Sawney went, and go after him.”
Reluctantly, Bryce stood back up. “You will see to our families?”
“Aye, tell Sawney we need him to come back.” Grant locked forearms with his best friend and a moment later, Bryce was gone. In the distance, Grant could hear an angry Neasan spewing his rage on his men and then it got oddly quiet. Certain Bryce was caught, Grant closed his eyes.
*
BEARCHA’S GLARE WAS as fierce as Neasan’s, who stood face to face with him in the courtyard. “You have conquered their land. Must you have their blood as well?”
Neasan still wanted to kill someone, but with all the strong wine he drank on the way back from the Haldane attack, his rage was beginning to wear off. At length, he blinked and looked down. “True, we have conquered their land.” Then he remembered and turned to look at the other men. “Three disobeyed me, find them!” Instantly, those who were still in the courtyard ran in different directions.
William did not move. He was one of the first men Neasan confided his desires to and William thought a life of conquering sounded exciting. Yet how exciting was it to attack quite possibly the smallest clan in all of Scotland? Long hours searching for Sawney and then taking part in the attack made William bone tired, and he did not intend to spend the night looking for the traitors. “They’ll not find them in the dark.”
“They will, or they will die instead.”
“How many can you kill before the people turn against you?” William had had enough.
Bearcha watched Neasan go into the Keep and then watched William walk down a path. He was surprised William stood up to his laird. He assumed William and Neasan were of the same mind, but now he wasn’t so sure.
