Chapter 22
Reuben and Hudson rode hard through the woods, taking the single path which led them straight to Max’s castle.
Knowing that there could be spies along the way, they decided to head through the woods, hiding out from bandits and anyone who would be able to foil their plans before they got to their location.
“I say we stop and cover our tracks a bit,” said Hudson as the horses trotted on.
“Nae, what would be the point? When we leave the estate, our tracks would lead straight back home. We head on, with any luck, we should just be outside the town by dawn.”
Hudson agreed and they moved through the woods, pushing the horses as hard as they could. They made good time, but were a few kilometers off of their desired stop. The horses were tired, and there was a nearby stream which the horses could drink from, and so they decided to make their camp there.
With a few minutes of light left, Hudson and Reuben split up.
Hudson went to get firewood which they would use to keep themselves warm in the night, and Reuben took the horses down to the stream.
Once the horses had drank, he brought them all the way back to the camp where Hudson was trying to start the fire.
“Hudson, where is our food?” Reuben asked, looking at the saddle on his horse.
“On yer horse.” Hudson replied without looking back.
“Nae, Kate put the horse’s food on my saddle, she put ours on yer horse.” Reuben fired back, holding the reins of both horses.
“I could swear I saw her doing the opposite. But check my horse then.”
Reuben opened the satchel on the side of the horse and only brought out more dried peas and wheat for the horses. “Nothing here.”
“Why would she do that?” Hudson pondered for a moment, “She was probably still upset that ye didnae let her come along with ye.”
“I…” Reuben paused and stared behind Hudson. “Believe ye should continue speaking to me.”
“Aye,” Hudson replied, realizing what had happened. He grabbed a piece of wood which had caught on fire and began walking towards Reuben, “If we daenae get food tonight, we should be able to survive without losing our minds.”
“Behind ye,” Reuben whispered, as Hudson got close to him.
“Aye,” said Hudson.
They turned around at the same time, drawing their weapons as they stared into the darkness between the trees.
The glinting of the metals stunned the horses, but Reuben had muzzled them, making them quiet.
However, if there was someone close by, as he had heard, they would be able to hear the horses, and they would see them.
If their enemies had ranged weapons like a spear or a bow and arrow, then it would be all but over for them.
“Show yerself!” Hudson yelled out to the trees, heaving his dual axes in front of his face, ready for battle.
“I wish ye nae harm, just thought I’d bring ye some food, since ye forgot it back at the castle.”
Hudson and Reuben jumped, turning around to see Kate standing right behind them.
Kate had waited till everyone had gone back in.
Once the coast was clear, she rushed down to the stables and threw a saddle on to a horse.
She had packed food for the horse, and for Reuben and Hudson as well, knowing that they would need it.
She was not just going to stand back and let them save her sister, not when she could do something to help.
As she set the saddle on the creature, muzzling it so it would be silent enough for her to sneak it out of the castle, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.
And so she quickly grabbed a rake and pretended to be raking up the hay in the stables.
Grear walked in behind her, staring at Kate with a questioning look on her face.
“Why are ye mucking the stables?” said Grear.
“Dirty jobs, someone has to do it, and it might as well be me.” Kate replied with a smile, using her body to hide the saddle on the horse.
“I see,” said Grear, “Best ye start at the end of the wall, and work yer way all the way to the other side, and then move it out so it can be cleared away by the servants. Normally, the servants would do this, but since yer feeling very generous, then that would be fine.”
Kate let out a sigh and looked to the older woman who smiled at her, “I…”
“I ken why ye are here, Kate, I see the horse behind ye, and I understand. This is someone ye love, and they are going into the mouth of the lion, and ye want to help them. Ye want to be there to make sure everything goes fine.”
“I would be able to help them get to Lily.”
“But ye and I ken that I’m not just talking about Lily.” Grear replied, walking over to the horse and rubbing the side of the beast. “She belonged to me, for years. Whenever Reuben’s faither, needed me at his side for war, I was on her, side by side with the man I loved, protecting him.”
Kate got on the horse and looked back at Grear, feeling the tears at her eyes. Grear had been more than a host, in a way, she had been a mother herself. “Thank ye, Grear.”
“Nae, thank ye. I have known that boy since he was born, and I raised him myself. I see what ye do to him, and that brings joy to my heart. Go and make sure he returns safe, we will be here, waiting for ye to come back to us.”
Kate kicked the horse and as she left the stables, she heard Grear telling her to be careful. It was the last thing she heard from another person, up until she heard the sounds in the woods after sneaking up on Reuben and Hudson.
“Ye followed us here!” Hudson exclaimed, bringing down his axe.
“Aye,” Kate replied, turning to Reuben who had a frown on his face. “I couldnae just sit back and do nothing.”
Hudson laughed, looking at Reuben, “I guess ye followed our tracks to find us, aye?”
Kate nodded. She knew how upset Reuben was going to be, and she understood the risks. She knew that there was a chance that everything would go south. But she had to risk it, for a chance to save her sister, and also, to be with Reuben.
“Well, we cannae send her back now, it’s late, and we do need to eat, so…” Hudson began, and went quiet as Reuben shot him a look.
Kate heated the dried meat and bread over the fire, and handed it out to them to eat. She could not bring herself to eat, knowing that just a little way from where they were, was Max Sweeney, the man who she knew would be fuming with rage as he realized that he could not get her and her sisters.
They took shifts sleeping, with Reuben and Katherine going first. Kate woke up just as Reuben did, and they both waited till Hudson began snoring before Reuben walked over to her. He had not spoken to her the entire time, and now that they had some sort of privacy, he took his chance.
“Kate, ye know this was dangerous. This was more than I can account for. I begged ye not to come. Ye realize how crazy yer uncle is?”
“I do, and that is why I decided to come. Max shows no mercy, and I can help, if I can…”
“Kate what if ye get hurt!” Reuben spoke so loudly that Hudson stopped snoring for a moment.
They both stared at each other, unsure of what to say.
The silence was broken by the snoring of the man again, and Reuben continued.
“I can take care of this Kate, I can bring back Lily, nothing will stop me. Even if it kills me, I will bring her back. But if ye are hurt in the process, I willnae be able to live with myself. Do ye understand me?”
“More than ye know,” Kate replied, she reached out and grabbed his cheek, kissing him softly.
“The same reason ye daenae want me here, is the reason I am here, Reuben. Yes, I want my sister safe, but if ye get hurt while doing something for me, if ye get killed because I came into yer life. I willnae be able to live with myself either. So, I will be there, right by yer side, and I will help you get past this, and keep ye safe, in any way that I can.”
Reuben looked into her eyes for a moment, Kate could see him struggle to make peace with what she had said to him, and he finally caved, letting out a breath. “Please, stay close to me, so I can protect ye.”
“Aye,” Kate replied, resting her head against him.
Reuben reached in, kissing her gently across her cheek, drawing a smile to her lips.
“Cannae wait till we get back home, aye? Yer supposed to be the lookout!” Hudson spoke, drawing them out of their moment, causing Reuben to chuckle.
The night passed without event, and by morning they were off riding again, with Reuben keeping an eye on the roads as they got closer and closer to the castle. In the distance, the high towers of the castle came into view, and they stopped the horses, looking to make their plan.
“The estate has a large fence running all the way around it. Just like yer own,” Kate began as they got off the horses.
She used a stick to draw into the dirt as she spoke.
“The fence is really high, and there is nae way over it from the inside, save for a tree to the left side of the castle entrance. There is only one way through the walls, and that is the main gates. They are guarded however, and might be a problem leaving.”
“So if we get Lily, we might have a problem getting her out, aye?” asked Hudson.
“Aye,” Kate replied. “But she has gone over the tree before, and we can do it again. We just need a distraction, and we will make it over.”
“I think we can take care of that,” said Reuben. “But we need to find her first.”
“That’s easy. There are two places where Max would hold her; either in the highest room where he would lock her away and not let her see anyone, at the left tower of the castle, or in the dungeons,” Kate replied.
“We need to cover both sides as once, so we can leave as soon as we have her,” said Reuben, staring at the castle through the trees.
Kate watched his face and felt her heart swell with pride, “I can scale the side of the tower, but I need ye to get to the dungeons Kate. I daenae know the insides of the castle well enough, and neither does Hudson. If ye find her, come get me, and we will get back to the dungeons together and free her.”
“Aye,” Kate replied, feeling the weight of what he had asked. She was going to be separated from him, but she had to go ahead with it. She had come to save Lily, and this was the way it would be done.
“Wait, what would I be doing?” Hudson asked, looking at Kate and Reuben.
“Well, we need a distraction, someone who would keep the Laird busy while we got Lily out of the estate. Max knows what I look like, and if Kate walked into the halls, she would be apprehended at once. Ye are the only one who can, so get in there and distract him.”
“Wonderful,” Hudson said, with sadness in his tone.
Reuben smirked and turned to Kate, she caught his eyes and knew that it was time.
If they were going to save Lily, it was now or never.
She nodded to him, and they set off for the gates.
Hudson went on ahead, taking his horse and riding straight for the front gates.
Kate was dragged alongside the horse, with a bag over her head.
She walked as though she was exhausted, and stopped along with the horse, knowing that Reuben was watching from a distance, not far behind.
“State yer business here!” one of the guards at the gate yelled at Hudson.
“My name is Bingwen, the great assassin from the east. I hear the laird is looking for someone who can be of service. I have come to offer just that, if he will see me.”
The guard walked up to Kate, and she whimpered, doing her best to seem afraid. The guard lifted her chin, and just before he could pull off the bag, Hudson dragged the rope which bound her hands, pulling her closer to the horse. The guard stared up at Hudson, and back at Kate.
“Who is that?” he asked.
“None of ye concern. It’s just a slave I have acquired for my own bidding, will that be a problem?”
“Nae, just keep her bound,” the guard replied before waving his hands for the gates to open.
As they walked through, Kate realized that the gates had been reinforced.
There were thicker logs of wood used to keep it locked at all times.
Three men would be able to lift the former gates, perhaps two well-built men.
But the new one took a lever and a gear system to open and close.
If they got caught inside, there was no going out.
But they were in, and Hudson quickly moved the horse to the side of the castle, allowing it to mix up with a few other horses who were grazing to the side.
He pulled off the saddle and quickly undid the ropes which he tied around Kate’s hands, and hid the saddle in a few bushes.
Kate turned to the man, taking off the sack from her head.
“Through the doors there, ye will find the great halls at the top of the stairs. He would be there, and if he isnae, he will come.”
“Aye,” said Hudson. Just as he turned to go, he looked back at her, “Be careful. Reuben might havenae said this, but if ye get hurt, he will lose himself, and that is the most I can say, so please, be careful, because the laird truly truly loves ye.”
Kate nodded and watched Hudson run off. Hudson had been with Reuben for a long time now, the man knew Reuben better than a lot of people did.
Reuben was madly in love with her.