Chapter Twenty-Two
Smoke emanated from the spires atop the MacLaren holding.
Breckin sat upon his warhorse on the hilltop with his men, awaiting his allies.
Not that he needed additional forces. He could well take the MacLarens with the two scores of men he’d brought.
Yet he wasn’t about to disappoint the MacNabs or Campbells.
They’d want in on the fight and he would allow them to right several wrongs done to them by the MacLarens.
“’Tis time to go forth, Laird,” Gideon said as he sidled his horse next to his.
“Not yet. I am awaiting Daniel and Colin. They should be here soon if our messengers rode like hell. Besides, the MacLarens are unaware that we sit here waiting to attack.”
“My sword arm is tense with anticipation. What gets me is that they sent a woman to do their foulness.”
He shook his head. “I am uncertain that they did and deem Danella might have acted on her own. Och, I would not put it past John to send his daughter to try to murder me. We shall find out when we breach their holding.”
“Good thing Milady pushed her over the edge and saved us from having to murder a woman. Her act warranted a killing, Laird, and we would have done our duty,” Gideon said.
Breckin raised a brow at his comrade’s summation.
The Buchanans might be a bit coarse but they were certainly not murderers of women or weakened people.
That was what he’d done these past years: aided those who could not defend themselves.
But Danella MacLaren needed no one to save her from her own peril.
She gambled against the Buchanans and lost.
“Here comes Colin now.” Breckin turned on his mount and faced his comrade.
Colin looked ready for war. He wore more chainmail and leather than usual and he had not one but two swords strapped to his back. As he approached, he called out, “Breckin, tell me your message is true. Do I get to cut down a few MacLarens this day?”
“Aye, ye do.”
Colin grinned. “Well then, ’tis a bonny day to be sure.”
Daniel MacNabb approached with several of his followers. “Laird Buchanan…Breckin, ’tis good to see ye this fine day. Are we to war?”
“We certainly are,” Breckin said with a lilt of humor in his tone.
“We will surround the fief and attack from all sides. I will go with Gideon and gain entry to find John MacLaren. He has some questions to answer before he meets his maker. I am through with being patient. No one goes against the Buchanans and then sends a woman to do their dirty work.”
Daniel twitched his finger. “What do ye speak of? What happened?”
Breckin filled Daniel and Colin in on the attack at his home and how his sweet wife had to defend herself and save him—and herself—from the horrid woman.
“I seek vengeance now. We will take it and by day’s end, will be satisfied with our reward.
” He patted his horse’s neck and nodded.
“Go on, take your men, and begin the besiegement. MacLaren protects his walls and has a good amount of men within but not enough to thwart us. We will prevail.”
“What are we going to do?” Gideon asked.
“Breach the gate and find John MacLaren. He will tell me to my face that he intended for his daughter to murder me and then…”
“Then?” Gideon said and yanked his sword free.
“Then retribution will be mine.” Breckin rode through a mass of footsoldiers but stopped when the gates opened and a rider appeared, heading straight toward him.
He recognized William Stewart and was about to shout out his war cry when the man had the nerve to wave a white piece of cloth above his head.
He called for a parlay and Breckin wasn’t sure he was willing to give it.
Yet, he would hear what the man had to say.
“Buchanan, ye are attacking my ally. What goes?” William stopped his horse near his and grimaced.
“What goes, William? Your wife is dead. She attacked me and my wife and she fell off the cliffside to her end. Her body is yonder. I was going to bring her to ye once I handled the MacLarens and their demise. Were ye in league with them, William? Tell me true.”
William scratched his head and then shook it. “Nay, I was not. Ye killed Danella?”
“Nay, she stabbed me and my wife. Eva and she struggled, but then she stepped too close to the edge of a cliff during the scuffle and fell to her death. ’Tis no one’s fault but her own, for she tried to murder us.
” Breckin shifted his horse closer. “I tell ye this, though, if she had not fallen, we would have sought justice for her action.”
“Why would Danella attack ye? It makes no sense. Och, she acted alone, though, because I know that John never would have gone against ye. The MacLarens had no involvement in what Danella did. I vouch for him. He is a good man, Breckin.”
The fact that the man showed no emotion or care about the death of his wife said much about him, and his marriage.
Breckin would have felt pity for Danella, had she not shown such hatred toward his sister, him, and Eva.
She had been a cold and calculating woman, and had died because of her own treachery.
“So ye say, och I disbelieve ye. Why would she try to kill me then, if not for her clan’s directive?
Her father sent her to murder me and I mean to make him pay for it. ”
William scoffed. “Nay, he would not do that. Neither did I, Breckin, and know not what the woman intended. Talk to her da and he shall tell ye that neither of us instigated her. Ye know that I wouldst never raise arms against ye. John wouldst not either. He was a good friend to your da and coveted the union betwixt your clans, as do I.”
Breckin was unsure whether to believe William but he nodded and motioned to him.
“Come then, ye will question the MacLaren laird with me and we will get to the bottom of this.” He nudged his horse forward, past the men who took up defensive arms. It wouldn’t take much incitement for his men or his allies’ men to seek vengeance.
Especially after what the Buchanans lost in the wake of the MacLaren’s despicable deeds. Breckin forged on toward the main fief.
Gideon held his sword aimed at William Stewart and nodded to him, giving the silent notion that if William was up to no good, he’d protect his back.
At the fief, Breckin dismounted and marched forward. Gideon pressed William Stewart on with his blade at his back. “Go on, follow… And do not try anything because my sword is thirsty for some blood.”
William remained silent as they entered the fief.
Breckin continued until he reached the great hall.
The hall was dark with a handful of candles lit and a fire brightening the hearth.
He found John MacLaren standing with his son near the blazing warmth.
Breckin did not bother to announce himself but listened to their discussion.
They seemed oblivious to their presence.
“Tell me why my walls are being breached.” John MacLaren grabbed his son’s tunic, fisted the fabric, and shook his son. “What in bloody hell have ye done?”
“I did naught, Father. ’Tis not me that draws them to our walls. Best ask them.”
“If ye had anything to do with this, I vow I will scuddle ye.” John slapped his son’s head and turned with a glare. “Well, it appears we have company. Buchanan, mind telling me why ye breached my walls and ye and your allies have drawn your arms?”
“Aye, I will.” Breckin stepped closer but kept a little distance between him and his enemy. He reiterated what Danella had done and how she met her demise. “Why would ye send your daughter to murder me? Ye said that ye wanted an alliance and did not call off the betrothal—”
John grunted and continued to hold on to his son’s arm.
“I did not. Ye know that we set in place a covenant to join our clans.” He turned a scornful gaze to his son.
“Did ye have anything to do with this? If ye intended to have your sister murder the Buchanan laird, I swear by God, ye will pay for it. Tell me now.”
“Da,” his son cried out when John gripped him tighter. “Nay, I did not. Danella told me naught about what she was up to.”
“I disbelieve ye because ye were always doing her bidding. Ye never wanted us to form an alliance with the Buchanans, och we needed to so we could survive. Many clans go against us now. Did ye go against my wishes?” Laird MacLaren shouted each word and his voice thundered through the hall.
His son tried to gain his release but was unable to and then his father grabbed his throat and squeezed. “Ye will tell me the truth now.”
Breckin was astounded by their interaction. It appeared the elder had no regard for the younger and the younger had no respect for the elder. Stunned, he could do nothing but wait to see what would happen. It only took a brief moment before the son cried out.
“Aye, aye, it was me. I broke the almighty covenant that ye sought. I had to because we do not have to be at the Buchanan’s mercy.
We can make our way and have always done so.
Besides, Danella did not want to marry Breckin and begged me to help her out of it.
She wanted to marry William and she pleaded with me to try to persuade Marian to accept me, but I could not.
Marian suspected our treachery and told me so. Danella and I…we formed a plan.”
John MacLaren shoved his son and he fell on his backside, staring up at his father.
The younger MacLaren said, “Danella came the other day and said that the Buchanans intended to infiltrate our clan and sought war with us. With our recent fracases, our soldiers’ numbers are depleted and I told Danella that we might not be able to withstand a battle. ”
John bellowed, “So ye sent your sister to murder the Buchanan laird?”
“Nay, nay, I told her to go and speak to Breckin…that he might take her word that she wanted to marry William, not him, and that maybe he would understand,” the younger MacLaren shouted.
“This recent event, Breckin, might be down to me. I might’ve said something about your angst about her taking me for her husband and that it might cause a war.
” William approached John MacLaren. “Breckin is my comrade and I never would have gone against him if I had known that ye did not break the betrothal. This has all been deceitfully designed by your children. I am no longer aligned with ye, MacLaren. Your daughter’s corpse is outside the walls.
She died because of her and your son’s own duplicity.
I refuse to tend to her as I would a true wife.
” William spat on the floor in front of John MacLaren, then turned to Breckin.
“Buchanan, when ye wish, come and see me. We will talk about a possible alliance.” With that, William left the hall.
Breckin stood with his arms folded over his chest. He wasn’t sure what to say.
The MacLaren children caused the strife and he did not want to bring trouble to MacLaren.
Not really. Not if he had no hand in the attacks that had nearly killed him and Eva.
Now that his daughter was dead, it seemed Marian’s death had been revenged; both of them had lost beloved women.
Beyond that, John had been a close comrade to his father which was why the betrothal had been created in the first place.
John paced before the fire and glared at his son.
“I know not how to make amends for this. In time, I shall make recompense for your understanding and for bringing my daughter’s body home.
Though she does not deserve it, we shall bury her with her mother.
As to my son, he shall be stripped of any authority. ”
“I want no further trouble, John. If I let ye be, I expect the same.”
“Ye will have no trouble from me.”
“Let that then be the end of this.” Breckin nodded to him and turned away.
His body tensed with the pressure of the situation but when he reached the outside, he gulped air.
It was done. Now he knew why Danella attacked him, why her brother had broken the betrothal, and especially knew that their father had been completely unaware of their traitorous acts.
“Laird, are we done here?” Gideon asked.
“Aye, we are finished. Call the men to retreat and let us head home.” He had promised his wife he would return to her quickly, and he intended to make good on that vow.
Perhaps, now that he knew his sister’s soul resided in Heaven and didn’t need his sacrifice to be released from Hell, he might even be able to promise that he’d stay home for good.