Chapter 14
Catrìona had enjoyed the travel over the water, bringing them home so much sooner, but the ship was confining and, worse, constantly moving beneath her feet.
Then, too, being under the watchful gaze of the king’s captain made her nervous.
The few times she and Steinar had laughed over something Rhodri had said caused the bear of a man to shoot Steinar disapproving looks.
She wished Colbán could see the love shining in Audra’s eyes whenever she looked at him, but sadly, the man remained oblivious to the lady’s affections.
It was afternoon and the sun still high in the sky when the king’s tower was finally sighted rising above the trees a few miles north of the River Forth.
The sail was quickly furled and the men took up oars to bring the ship to land, just as two longships came into view resting on the sand in the small inlet that served as harbor to Dunfermline.
As the king’s ship passed close to the two ships, she studied their form and decoration for anything she might recognize.
Many ships looked alike, but she shuddered at dragon heads carved into the stems. The resemblance of these two to the longships of the Northmen who attacked the vale was striking.
“Seems my Orkney relations are paying me a visit,” boomed the king’s voice from the prow. “Margaret, come see!”
The queen stepped from the tent midship and gazed toward the longships.
“Mayhap they have my son, Duncan, with them,” Malcolm said to the queen. “ ’Tis time he is done with his fostering.”
At Catrìona’s side, Giric gasped. She looked down to see his eyes wide and his mouth agape as he stared at the two ships.
She crouched down next to the boy. “What is it?”
“The ba… banner,” he stuttered nervously. “ ’Tis… ’tis the black raven… like the one on the ship of the man who killed my father!”
Catrìona shielded her eyes and looked again at the two ships. At the top of the mast of one waved a pale yellow banner bearing a black raven in the Norse style, like the one she had seen that day in the vale.
A shudder ran up her spine. Could it be the same? A relative of the king?
The king’s men, straining at the oars, gave force to the ship so that it glided out of the water and up onto the wet sand. Jumping over the side, they hauled the ship to the broad sandy landing.
Catrìona took Giric’s trembling hand and followed the queen and the others from the ship.
She bent to Giric and whispered, “Wait till we are in the king’s tower, then we will know if ’tis the same man.
More than one Northman may fly such a banner.
” She was trying not to panic but her heart pounded in her chest and her lips trembled.
Giric nodded and tightened his hold on her hand.
As they walked past the prows of the two longships, Catrìona caught a brief glimpse of a woman aboard the ship with the raven banner, but a sharp command from a Northman standing guard had her ducking under a tent.
Before she disappeared, Catrìona saw the woman’s tunic was of a Norse design but there was something oddly familiar about her.
The dark brown hair was the same shade as Deidre’s, only a greater length.
Once inside the tower, Catrìona scanned the hall for strangers, but saw none.
Nechtan, the king’s steward, hastened toward their party. “My Lord,” he addressed the king, “Paul and Erlend Thorfinnsson have arrived. You must have seen their ship.”
“Where are the jarls?” the king asked.
“I have seen them to their chamber, the one they usually occupy. They have brought young Duncan, who awaits you in your chamber.”
“Good. The queen and I will see Duncan and then have a bit of time ere we dine with our guests.”
As the king reached for Margaret’s hand to escort her to the stairs, the steward said, “My Lord?”
The king turned back, “Aye?”
“Your stepsons brought another with them, a distant cousin from Norway who has been sojourning with them for the last year or so. His name is Ivar Kalison. I have put him in the far chamber next to your stepsons.”
“My thanks for seeing to our guests,” Malcolm said. To Margaret, he said, “I do not know that name. Do you?”
The queen shook her head and they proceeded to the stairs.
Catrìona turned to Giric. “Find Niall. I must speak with him. Tell him to come to the hall and wait for me. I must change.”
“But what about—”
“Shh!” she cautioned the boy. “We can do nothing until the evening meal when we will see these Northmen. If the one who killed your father is among them, he may be the same barbarian who murdered my parents.”
Giric’s eyes grew large as he realized the terrible past they shared. “Ye?”
“Aye. Orphaned like you, remember? Go now and find Niall.”
* * *
Steinar watched Catrìona flee up the stairs.
She had not been aware of him when he entered the hall with the others, which was not surprising given how strangely she was acting.
She and the lad whispered urgently to each other as if something of great import was afoot.
With the firebrand, he could never be sure what she would get involved in next.
Giric raced past him and out the tower door. Steinar followed, curious to know what mischief the two were up to.
“Giric, wait!” he yelled.
The boy slowed to a walk and slowly turned. He did not look guilty as Steinar had expected. Giric looked frightened.
“Where are you going in such haste?”
“I… I am to find Niall. His sister wants him.”
“Why?” The boy struggled with a response, as if uncertain he should confide his mission to his friend. “Come, lad, you know I would never harm you or Catrìona. I mean you only good.”
The boy let out a breath and walked to Steinar, looking up at him. “ ’Tis the Northmen who’ve come.”
Steinar’s brow furrowed. “The king’s stepsons, Paul and Erlend?”
“I know not if they be the ones. But one ship flies a raven banner, like the ship of the Northman who killed my father. Catrìona’s parents, too.”
Steinar sorted through the possibilities and found a reasonable explanation. “Many ships from Orkney fly such banners, Giric.” But he could see his words had not calmed the boy.
Giric’s eyes grew anxious. “May I go? The lady asked me to hurry.”
“Aye.” The boy turned and ran toward the archery field, leaving Steinar to wonder why Catrìona would want to see Niall about the Orkney ships.
* * *
Catrìona said nothing to Fia, but quickly washed and changed into a fresh gown. “I must see Niall,” she said, not waiting for her cousin’s reply, and hurried out of their chamber.
In the hall, there were only a few men standing around as the servants bustled from table to table in preparation for the evening meal.
Near the tower door, Niall waited with Giric.
“I am glad you have returned,” said her brother, brushing her cheek with a kiss. “Why have you taken me from archery practice? Giric told me to hurry but he would not tell me the reason for haste.”
She put her hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Aye, I wanted to speak with you first. Come, let us walk outside.”
The three of them slipped through the tower door and went some distance before she turned to her brother. “Did you know that Northmen from the Orkneys have come to Dunfermline?”
“Nay. When?”
“Sometime today, I think. The king says they are his stepsons. I have not seen them, but I have seen their ships. One carries the same banner as the ship that led the attack on the vale.”
Niall turned to look south, toward the River Forth. “You are certain?”
“I am certain of the banner.” Seeing Giric’s fearful expression, she added, “Giric recognized it, too.” The boy’s eyes shifted from Niall to her and back again. “And there is more, Niall. I saw a woman on the ship. I did not get a good look at her but the more I think of it, she could be Deidre.”
“Deidre? Did she see you?”
“I cannot say. If she did, I am certain she did not recognize me, but then Deidre would not expect to see me here. The woman I saw was clothed in Norse garb, a brown linen tunic with some kind of Norse designs on it. Her hair was unplaited but ’twas Deidre’s color.
Think, Niall. It has been over a year. They might have clothed her as one of their own to hide her among them. ”
Niall seemed to ponder her words as he took his bow and quiver of arrows from his shoulder. “What do you propose?”
“First, we should find Angus and tell him. He will know if ’tis the same man. The Northmen will come to the evening meal. There, we can see them. If they are the ones who attacked the vale, I want to see if ’tis Deidre who is on that ship. If it is, we must save her, Niall.”
“Aye, we must.”
“Angus will help us,” she said. “Then we can deal with the one who led the raid.”
A look of concern crossed Niall’s face. It was not for lack of courage. “What if he is a relation of the king?”
“If the Northman is the one who murdered our parents, I care not.” Then another thought crossed her mind. Turning to the boy, she said, “Giric, do you know the king’s son, the one called Duncan? He would be older than you, mayhap ten or twelve summers, not yet a man.”
“Nay, but if he comes into the hall I can befriend him. What need ye?”
“I want to know about the girl I saw.”
Giric was eager to help. “I will do it!”
* * *
Margaret stepped through the door of their chamber Malcolm opened for her.
Afternoon sunlight filled the large space.
A dark-haired youth dressed in a tunic of Norse design stood with his back to them looking out the window.
He turned. Duncan was tall for twelve summers and stood very straight, his features finely carved and his eyes dark like Malcolm’s.
She could tell he was trying to play the man for his father.
“Good day, sir.”
Malcolm strode to the lad. “I’ll have none of that, son. ’Tis a man’s hug I’ll be having from you.” He reached down to embrace the slim youth. Margaret inwardly smiled. The two had long been separated because of the lad’s fostering and she knew Malcolm had missed him.