Chapter 16
Jamie rode back to the Keith keep with his escort. Or rather, under guard. He understood what the Keith was up to. He allowed the escort because Bhaltair and Fearchar were his prisoners. Otherwise, Jamie would have disposed of the guards, collected his men and Aftyn, and headed back to the Aerie.
The injured priest no longer needed him. He was well enough that once he woke from the healing sleep Jamie laid on him before he left the abbey, he would be able to resume light duties for a few days, until he felt stronger and resumed his normal responsibilities.
Leaving the man in good condition satisfied Jamie in a new way.
This had not been the same as saving a man’s life in the heat of battle, then moving on to the next and the next.
He’d spent hours with the priest over a period of days, and had become invested in returning the man to health.
His talent, which he’d spurned for many years, had allowed him to give back the life the man had worked to achieve.
The time Jamie spent with Niall doing much the same thing—ensuring he lived and could return to his duties as a Lathan warrior—had allowed Jamie to think a great deal about the legacy he inherited from his mother.
Seeing Aftyn suffer the lack of training, of competency, that her mother should have prepared her with brought the lesson home even more clearly.
The abbot thought his healing ability was a gift from God, and while he would never cease fighting for Lathan and his father’s causes, and one day his brother’s, he had a valuable skill few possessed, one that saved lives and changed lives that would have been ruined by disease or injury.
He owed Aftyn a debt of gratitude for helping him see for himself what his mother had tried to teach him.
What he’d been too young and stubborn to hear and accept.
What his fury at his foster father over his friend’s death had led him to reject—at least until innocent lives were at stake.
He was older and wiser now, and the dedication and heart Aftyn put into caring the best she was able for others shamed him.
He could do so much more than she, and he’d wanted to throw it away.
He’d ignored his ability and refused to accept his heritage.
No longer. He would fight when he must and heal when he could. And give Aftyn her due.
The attraction and affection he felt for her had grown into something more.
He wasn’t sure what he felt, or whether he could offer her more than she needed to become the healer she wanted to be.
But the thought of spending time away from her grated on Jamie.
He’d solve that problem when he solved the others and brought them all away from here.
Once Jamie and the Keiths entered the keep and left their mounts with the stable master, they escorted him into the great hall and left him. Apparently he still had the freedom to roam within the walls.
Braden surprised him by approaching him, his expression pensive.
“Welcome back,” Braden said.
Jamie could have responded in many ways, but chose not to take his ire out on the young man. “Thank ye.” He glanced at the stairs, wondering if Aftyn could tell him about his men, and opened his mouth to ask where she was, but Braden saved him the trouble.
“Yer men are well. I ken yer were going to ask that, aye?”
“Indeed. I want to see them.”
Braden glanced around as he took a step closer. Apparently satisfied that no one could hear him, he said, “Aftyn has taken food and drink to them.”
Jamie’s heart swelled at the thought of her care for his men.
And for the risk she took to defy her father.
If he found out, the laird would not be pleased.
But it was pure Aftyn. He should not have been surprised that she would do such a thing.
She had a caring heart. Jamie nodded his acknowledgment. “She is kind to do so.”
Then a little louder, Braden added, “My father has instructed me to show ye yer new chamber before ye venture anywhere else.”
Jamie shook his head, anger building in his chest. Not at this lad, but at his father. “The only enticement I wish at the moment is to see my men.”
“If ye would come with me,” Braden said, making it sound like an invitation. “I can tell ye more.” His voice dropped even lower on the last statement.
Jamie nodded at that. “Very well. Lead the way.” It occurred to him that Braden had staged their encounter carefully to appear to be following his father’s orders.
But was he? He could be leading him into some sort of trap that would have him sharing accommodation with his men.
But nay, the Keith wanted his cooperation.
Tossing him in the dungeon, and using Braden to do it, made no sense.
When Braden headed for the stairs to the upper floors, Jamie relaxed slightly and followed.
Braden led him to a sumptuously appointed chamber with a large hearth, a window looking toward the hills in the distance, draped in thick, rich fabrics, and with a solid shutter against the cold.
A grand bed, large enough for two to sleep in comfort or engage in whatever bed sport pleased them, filled most of the side of chamber opposite the window.
For a moment, Jamie pictured Aftyn there with him, but he pushed the image aside when Braden stopped.
“This is yers for the rest of yer stay,” Braden told him. “My father means to keep ye, but prefers ye make up yer mind to stay.”
“And that is why he holds my men in the Keith dungeon.”
Braden pursed his lips and looked away. “My father also believes in hedging his bets.”
“And what do ye think? Ye will be laird someday. Do ye agree with what yer da has done?”
“The clan needs ye,” Braden answered and crossed his arms, then lifted a hand. “I dinna approve of all of my father’s methods, but our need is real. Aftyn’s need, Neve’s need, is real. Ye could do much good here. Ye have already done much good. Ye dinna deserve to have yer men held against ye.”
“Thank ye for that,” Jamie told him. Braden would make a fine laird someday, if his father didn’t corrupt him before that time came.
He had a good heart and a sense of right and wrong.
Or perhaps his father had a greater sense of expediency.
Jamie pressed his lips together. In the Keith laird’s position, what would he do? He could not think of that now.
“Are ye to deliver my answer to yer da?”
“Only if ye have one to give him.”
“I would see to my men first.”
Braden nodded. “I can take ye.”
In the dungeon passageway, Braden greeted the guard and proceeded without stopping.
Jamie ignored the man and kept pace with Braden.
The cell Bhaltair and Fearchar occupied was not the worst Jamie had ever seen.
And a large tray covered with the remains of a hearty meal sat atop one of the pallets.
But still, it rankled to see his men behind bars.
“How are ye?”
Fearchar grinned. “We’ve been worse. We’ve been better. Have ye come to get us out of here?”
Jamie glanced at Braden, who shrugged and stepped back.
“It seems ye will enjoy the Keith’s lesser accommodation for a while longer,” Jamie told them. “But I will get ye out as soon as I can.”
“We dinna doubt that,” Bhaltair said.
“What do ye need in the meantime?”
“More blankets wouldna go amiss,” Fearchar told him. “And candles and a means to light them.”
Jamie glanced at Braden, who nodded.
“I’ll see to it,” the lad said. “And if there’s anything else ye need, send for me. The guard is loyal to me. I’ll speak to him on the way out.”
“Thank ye,” Jamie told him, then made his farewells to his men. “Now, if ye ken, where is Aftyn? I will speak to her next.”
Braden led him from the passageway. True to his word, he instructed the guard to fetch him immediately if their guests asked for him.
Jamie had no reason to believe the guard would do as Braden asked, but he didn’t argue. He doubted the guard saw his men as guests, and would likely not risk the laird’s displeasure beyond allowing Aftyn to bring them food. They continued up to the herbal, and Braden left him in Aftyn’s company.
Once Braden left, she ran to his arms and held him. “Ach, Jamie, I’m so ashamed. None of this should be happening.”
“Thank ye for taking care of my men,” he told her. She looked frustrated. Ah, she’d been puzzling over her mother’s journal. Hoping to distract her, he added, “Braden told me what ye did, bringing them food and drink.”
“I couldna let them be harmed. ’Tis shameful to use them against ye that way.”
“Then will ye help me free them? And come with us when we do?”
“My da will hunt ye down and bring ye back. Or lay siege to yer keep to get ye back.”
Jamie laughed. “That’s been tried before. He canna do it.”
Looking up, she met his gaze. “What can I do?”
“I have some ideas,” Jamie told her, then brushed her lips with his. “But none will work without ye.”
They spent the rest of the time before the evening meal planning how to release Bhaltair and Fearchar.
Aftyn argued against including Braden in their plans. He had to remain ignorant or his father might punish him, or worse, disinherit and banish him. Jamie agreed, but privately thought another insider’s help might make all the difference.
The next morning, Jamie made his way to the dungeon and told the guard he recognized as Braden’s man that he’d been sent to see to his men’s welfare.
The guard argued. Jamie suspected he wasn’t as loyal to Braden as Braden thought.
While the man was distracted by his incredulity that the heir would send Jamie alone to see to his imprisoned men, Jamie knocked him out.
It was too easy. Jamie relieved him of his weapons and keys, then freed his men.
The most difficult part of the plan was to get to the stables without being seen or stopped.
The entrance to the dungeon was a few feet down the bailey past the guard tower stairs that led up to the wall walk.
Hooded cloaks and a foggy, cold morning made that trip somewhat simpler.
There were few people about, and none paid attention to the stooped, cloaked figures making their way deeper into the bailey toward the stables.
When they reached their objective, Jamie expected to see two horses readied for Aftyn and Neve to go riding, as they’d planned. Jamie’s men would take them, and Jamie would quickly ready his own mount, which Aftyn would share with him.
The horses weren’t ready. Worse, Aftyn wasn’t there.
Frustration and fear filled Jamie. Where was she?
Had she betrayed them? If so, guards would fill the stables in moments, and he’d join his men in the dungeon.
He tensed, signaling for Bhaltair to watch the entrance while he checked the stalls.
He found nothing but the horses that belonged there. Nothing happened.
Confused and concerned, Jamie debated going with his men or staying to find out what happened to Aftyn. If her father found out what they’d planned, she could be in danger. Jamie didn’t want to imagine what he could do to punish her.
“Saddle yer mounts, ride out and wait in the woods,” Jamie decided and told them.
If I dinna join ye by moonrise tonight, ride to the Aerie and tell my father what has happened here.
Rabbie and Niall should have made it home by now.
Ye may meet Lathans on their way here. If ye dinna, find out whether those two made it. ”
“Ye must come with us. Ye canna stay or ye’ll wind up in the dungeon.”
Jamie shook his head at Bhaltair. “The laird willna harm me. I have to find out why Aftyn didna do as we agreed. Something is wrong.”
“We’ll wait for ye,” Fearchar said. “Come on, Bhaltair. We havena much time.”
Jamie’s men would have no problem riding out through the open gate and disappearing into the woods.
There were blankets aplenty in the stable for them to take against the cold.
He’d thought they’d have to do without the food and drink Aftyn had promised to have waiting with the horses, but he found the stable master’s stash of bread, cheese, and a jug of cider, and gave that to them while they readied their mounts, then left them to do as he’d instructed and went in search of Aftyn.
He headed up to the herbal first, but it was empty. Neve, he recalled, still spent most of her time at the abbey, being courted by Hamish, so Aftyn wouldn’t be closeted somewhere with her.
Aftyn’s chamber was also empty. She wasn’t in the great hall or the kitchen. If nothing else, he thought enough people had seen him in the keep by now to take no notice of two missing prisoners.
He searched everywhere in the keep proper that Aftyn might be, and headed out to the laundry, blacksmith, and buttery, thinking that his men had time enough to leave, so there would be no issue if he was seen in the bailey. Braden found him leaving the keep.
“I’ve been searching for ye,” Braden said, out of breath.
“Have ye seen Aftyn anywhere? I canna find her.”
“’Tis for her I sought ye. She’s been hurt. She needs ye.”