Chapter Thirty-Six
Thane
Thane discussed the situation thoroughly with Sloan before he, Artan, and Magni climbed into the boat. They had no way to get their horses across, so they would be on foot. They left the guards behind because the boat was small.
Once they landed on the beach, two fishermen greeted them. “You looking for the MacVey chieftain?”
So surprised, he paused for a moment but then quickly replied, “Aye, if you please. You’ve met him?”
“Aye, they went after Egan. We just returned from burying that bastard’s body for him. We said we’d gladly put him in the ground. MacVey and his missus headed to the small hut down the coast, around the bend that way.”
Magni, who had been hopping from one foot to the other, finally stopped when he could speak. “Did they have a yellow-haired lass with them? Her name is Lia. She would be about this high…”
Thane smiled and set his hand on the lad’s head. Magni’s questioning mannerisms reminded Thane of his dear sister Mora. Magni stopped and adjusted his question. “Have you seen a wee lass?”
“Nay. They were looking for her too.”
“Go that way.” The other man pointed, so Thane nodded to Magni.
“Come. We’ll find Lennox and see what he knows.”
No one mentioned the comment about the chief and his missus, but it surely had caught him. Anxious to meet Meg, Thane couldn’t help but wonder if Meg and Lennox had married along the way. They’d been gone for at least two days, so it was certainly possible, though he’d keep his thoughts to himself with Magni listening. A marriage would shock Tamsin more than anything else he could tell her, if he were to guess.
He hoped to propose to Tamsin soon. In fact, he’d planned on doing it the day the bairns had been stolen, but their abduction surely changed everything. He’d never been as happy as he was with Tamsin in his life. But he also loved having Magni, Lia, and Alana in his life too. The trio had brightened up their keep unlike any other.
Their clan was growing, and in the best ways. Now he had to find Lia and bring her home.
They trudged down the beach, Magni pointing out the wildlife around them—otters, eagles, dolphins, seals, puffins. The area was as beautiful as Mull.
They finally made their way around a bend full of rocks, and Magni let out a squeal. Ahead of them standing in the middle of a sandy portion of the beach was Lia, looking like an angel. The sun peeked out through the clouds, sending rays that surrounded her in such a light show that Thane was frozen.
Artan mumbled, “I’ve naught seen anything like it. What is she, Thane?”
“She’s my sister!” Magni took off toward Lia, giggling with joy as he wrapped his arms around her. Up on the coastline stood Lennox and Meg, both grinning from ear to ear. Thane waved but greeted Lia first.
“Lia, you are hale? You’ve not been harmed?”
“Surely not, Chief. I was hoping you would come along. I have someone I would like you to meet.”
Magni babbled on. “You look exactly the same. Where did you go? Why didn’t you take me with you? Why didn’t you come to Mull first, then leave?”
Lia turned to her brother, hugged him tight, then said, “Magni, I’d be pleased to answer all your questions after I show Thane what he needs to see. Will you wait for me, please?”
Magni stared up at Thane with a perplexed expression, but he didn’t question Lia, instead saying, “Aye, I can wait. May I go with him? And with you?”
Lia said, “Would you mind waiting here with Lennox and Meg?”
Lennox and Meg joined them, both looking as though they’d come from battle, but smiling.
Lennox said, “Good to see you, Thane.”
Magni hugged Meg and then stared up at her. “You look different. Did someone hit you?”
“Aye, Magni, but I’m fine now. We did have a wee battle with some evil men, but they’ll not be bothering either of you again.”
“Are they the ones who stole us away?”
“Aye. They paid men to steal you. Never again. Come, we have some dried meat for you to munch on. I don’t know why Lia wishes to take Thane aside, but we’ll let her have her way. We’re just glad to see you two together again,” Meg said, ruffling his dark curls.
“I am hungry,” Magni said, flying up the incline to the horses, the others following.
That left Thane with Lia. “What is it, Lia?”
She took his hand and said, “Come with me. It is difficult for me to explain, but I see the world as needing fixing in some ways that it can’t seem to fix on its own. It would be easier if I could do things myself, but I cannot. I can only lead people to certain areas, the same way I led you here through Tora. That’s where I come in. To help where I can. What I wish you to see is in the small hut. I’ll go in with you.”
Thane decided to go along with her and not pepper her with more questions. He had no idea what it was about, but if she had already been inside, whoever was within the hut had not hurt her. But then again, better to be safe. “Do I need my weapon, Lia?”
She laughed and waved her hand. “Nay, they are older. They’ll not fight you, I promise.”
Thane ducked as he followed Lia inside the door of the small thatched-roof cottage. There were two candles inside the small chamber with two windows uncovered for light. An old woman sat at the table, an old man behind her with his hand on her shoulder. They were both gray-haired and of slight frames, but he didn’t recognize either of them.
As soon as he stepped inside, the woman began to cry, her sobs as quiet as any he’d ever heard. He glanced up at the man behind her and stopped. Something familiar about him.
“Thane?” the man uttered, the one word catching on his tongue. “Is it truly you, son?”
Son?
Lia pulled him closer and did her best to push his large frame into a chair. “I think you should sit for a wee bit, Thane. This is Thane, the chieftain of Clan MacQuarie on the Isle of Mull.”
“And Brian? Mora? My wee lassie?” the woman asked, her cheeks flooded with tears.
The man said, “Give him a moment, Myra. We’ve shocked the lad.”
Myra? Then Thane’s gaze locked on the man’s face.
He stood, knocking the chair backward with a thud. “Da?”
The man nodded, dipping his head as tears misted his gaze. “It is truly you, Thane. You’ve grown into a fine man, son.”
“Da? Mama?” Standing before the man, Thane’s knees nearly buckled at all the familiar signs. The scar under the elder man’s left eye, the clarity in his gaze, the look of pride nearly undoing him.
Thane’s mother pushed away from the table and stood, his father holding her arm to make sure she was steady. “Careful, Myra. Our son is a tall man.”
“Thane, my wee laddie.” She fell against him, hugging him tight as she cried, her head just barely coming up to his shoulders.
Lia said, “You see, they were stolen away just as you were, Thane. Egan and his men knocked them out and brought them here to take care of the bairns. He brought you to Raghnall Garvie to sell you to a royal prince in the Mideast, but their ship sank on the way. You know the rest of the story with the Garvies. I’ve explained to them how you were left on Mull alone, and how you raised Mora and Brian until you met Artan and started Clan MacQuarie.”
He hugged his father and the three cried together until his mother pushed away. “Mora and Brian? They are well? We can see them? Will you bring them to meet us?”
“Nay, Mama. You are both coming with me. Home. You’re coming home to live with me in our castle.”
“Castle?” The two looked at each other, the shock on their faces clear.
“Aye, and I’ll tell you all about Brian and Mora along the way. But they don’t remember either of you. Please don’t be disappointed, but they will love you with all their hearts.”
“Egan? He’s gone, Lia?” Myra asked. “Thane, your father tried to escape many times, but they always found him and beat him.”
“Once they whipped your mother.” His father’s age showed, his head now dipped as he shook it. “I couldn’t risk that happening again, so we stayed.”
Lia touched Myra’s hands and said, “That is all in the past now. You have three bairns waiting to get to know you. Egan is gone forever. Shall we move along?” Lia led them out the door and stopped in front of Lennox and Meg. “My mission here is done. We shall go for now.”
Lia made introductions to Lennox, Meg, Magni, and Artan, but then brought them in the opposite direction.
Thane said, “Meg, you look exactly like your sister. She is more than anxious to see you again.”
Meg wrung her hands. “I cannot wait to see dear Tamsin again. She is well?”
“Aye, and Alana is anxious to meet you too.”
Lia said, “Please follow me. One more thing before we take our leave.”
Lennox said, “Lia, you’re going in the wrong direction. We’re heading back to Mull.”
“Be patient for a few more moments, if you please.”
She continued to walk, this small lass of power, until she rounded another bend in the coastline, then led them up a knoll to look over the water.
“There,” she said, pointing across the sea.
“That’s the western section of Ardnamurchan,” Lennox explained. “Several villages are there. Which one are you pointing out?”
“Kilchoan. See the castle? It sits on the Ardnamurchan coastline. It will be our next challenge.”
Thane asked, “In what way, Lia?”
“It’s known as Mingary Castle in Kilchoan. Near Lochaber.”
“Why are you showing us this?” Meg asked.
“Mingary is the base for the sea kings. It’s known as the gateway for overlords and privateers. And some of them are not nice.”
A cold wind blew across the bay and Thane shivered, his gaze traveling to Lennox’s, seeing the same concern in his eyes that coursed through him. Were there more bairns at Mingary?
What the hell would happen next?
Thane wouldn’t focus on that. He couldn’t.
It was time to bring his parents home to Mora and Brian. And Meg home to Tamsin.
And Lia was finally reunited with her brother.
These were happy times. He’d not focus on the rest for now.