Chapter Eighteen #2
“A few months. I had one of my dreams and a certain someone warned me I needed to prepare myself for unexpected travel.” He winked at Emmalin and said, “A wise man always listens to his wife.”
Uncle Jamie helped Aunt Gracie down and said, “I hope you have plenty of food. We traveled quickly once we received the message and had naught more than apples and oatcakes. Alick and I are starving.”
Uncle Finlay said, “Don’t forget me.”
“Aye,” Emmalin said, “We always have plenty. Welcome to MacLintock Castle. Come inside and take the chill off your bones.”
The group made their way through the courtyard, the mood a bit more somber than usual due to the situation.
Bessie bustled about inside, giving instructions to the serving lasses.
Alasdair put more wood on the hearth, and Aunt Gracie quickly found Ailith and picked her up in her arms, settling in front of the fire.
Uncle Jamie pulled Emmalin and Alasdair aside while the others fussed at the hearth and around Ailith.
“Alasdair, if you don’t have enough chambers for all of us, you can put Gracie and Kyla in one chamber, but you must give your grandfather a full bed.
He needs it. He’s even made it up the staircase more frequently of late, so abovestairs will be fine for him. ”
“Nay,” Emmalin quickly said. “We have plenty of chambers. They often go unused so we have four chambers at the ready. That should be enough, aye?”
“’Tis plenty. My thanks,” Uncle Jamie said. “Magnus will handle the men outside.”
Alasdair lowered his voice and leaned in toward his uncle. “Grandsire cannot go. I’ll go in his place, make them think I’m him.”
To his annoyance, he saw Dyna giving him a knowing look from her position near the hearth.
Uncle Jamie took a step back and gawped at him.
“You’ve forgotten what your grandsire is like?
You are all too young to recall anything about Alexander Grant at his best, which saddens me.
But I like that you’ll get to see the legend in action soon.
You’ll not stop him. Why do you think Kyla and I are here?
Because we know our sire. He’s quite stubborn.
He said Mama came to him in a dream and told him ’twas time to go, that wee John needed him.
We left so quickly that we intercepted two different messengers coming up the mountains.
We did what we could to find out who’d hired the messengers, but the villains have hidden themselves well.
From the sounds of it, a third party hired the lads in Ayr.
They knew only that they were being paid coin to serve the messages.
“We were on our way before we even knew John had been kidnapped, so you can be sure he’ll do whatever Mama told him to do.
He’s going, and you’ll not talk him down.
But I will also say he’s been preparing for this.
Uncle Connor has had him out every day, and he’s been using a new concoction Aunt Jennie gave him for his knees. ”
“But he’s too old,” Alasdair said, feeling something like panic inside of him. Although he now had a family of his own, and he and Emmalin had a clan of their own, he still felt like he needed his grandsire. “What if…”
Uncle Jamie clasped his shoulder. “You’re about to see how strong he can be.
Do not worry. He’ll get your son back, and we’re here to help you, too.
We’ll discuss it after dinner. But your grandsire will be going.
Even if we all banded together to stop him, it wouldn’t happen.
He’d sneak out and go on his own. Not only is he strong, but he’s also clever.
He’s out-strategized the best many times. ”
Alasdair glanced over at his grandfather and was surprised to catch the older man staring back.
The infamous Alexander Grant, once known as the best swordsman in all of Scotland, winked at him, a small grin on his face.
Chapter Seventeen
The English want Alexander Grant, and have kidnapped wee John, holding him for an exchange.
John, Seanair is coming for you. Out came a decrepit old man—Alex Grant…ha!
Els sat atop his horse in a clearing outside of Ayr, waiting for his cousins and the Grant guards.
He left twice every hour to look for any sign of their approach and gave a bird call periodically, hoping to be answered, but the wait was exceptionally long.
Every minute he spent away from Joya and John felt like an hour.
He’d seen the sheriff come to the cottage where they were being kept, but he’d been far enough away that he couldn’t identify him.
He hadn’t realized how alike the three representatives of Scottish law looked, especially in the dark.
Then he heard it, Dyna’s bird call. The Grants had finally arrived.
He stepped out of the clearing and made his way toward the main path that headed into the burgh, examining the horizon.
To his surprise, he saw his father riding toward him.
Beside him rode a man who looked exactly like Grandsire, but his mind was surely playing tricks on him.
He’d guessed Alasdair would disguise himself to be Grandsire. He had the coloring and the height, so he had to admit it was probably their best chance of getting inside the cottage where John was being held captive.
They had to get him out.
Except Els was wrong—as the lead group came closer, becoming easier to identify in the dark, he realized the impossible really had happened.
The man who looked like Grandsire was Grandsire.
His father and Alick rode on one side of him, Dyna and Alasdair on the other.
God’s teeth, but he’d guessed the man behind his sire had to be Uncle Finlay. His eyes surely must be deceiving him.
Seeing his family like this, accompanied by about a dozen guards, gave him a strong sense of pride. With these Grants, they’d be successful for sure.
As they approached, they changed to riding two abreast. He led them back into the clearing where he had a small fire going for warmth, and when they dismounted, he couldn’t contain his first question. “Da? Why are you and grandsire here?”
“Why?” his father replied. “Because we’re Grants.
You’re my son, and I’m here to support you and Joya.
Alasdair has filled us in on everything.
Grandsire has been practicing and he’s going in after John.
Alick and Uncle Finlay are here to help, and your mother and Aunt Kyla are staying back at the castle with Emmalin so she doesn’t have to suffer alone.
We left about three score guards there just in case this is some foolish way to go after MacLintock Castle while we’re gone, but we don’t think so. ”
Els turned his disbelief to his grandfather. “Truly, Grandsire?”
“Stop looking so surprised. I’ve been training to build my strength. At least I know all my hard work with Connor will come in use. The English stoop to a new low of stealing laddies out of their homes.” His gray eyes were as sharp as ever.
Els had to admit he had a warm feeling deep in his belly just knowing he had all their support. “My thanks to you. I’m glad you’re here. I worry about John and Joya both. There are hundreds of English camping in the forest.”
His father clasped his shoulder and said, “Remember who your clan is. We haven’t been beaten yet. We have been challenged many times, but we’re quite adept at overcoming adversity.”
How he hoped they’d be victorious again, for this might be their biggest challenge yet.
Once they gathered around the fire, Alasdair said, “Tell us what you know.”
Els assembled his thoughts, still adjusting to all the assistance he hadn’t expected, then said, “I know which hut they’re being kept in.
It’s quite isolated, but it has two rooms. One of the sheriffs, though I haven’t determined which one yet, is running the operation.
Joya managed to get inside the English camp.
She’s been taking care of John, changing his rags and feeding him, while the two scurrilous bastards the sheriff hired watch over them.
She says the sheriff will relinquish John to you once Grandsire is in their custody.
They will then take him to King Edward to be hanged and quartered for all to see, thus taking out the biggest army of warriors who could be called in to help King Robert.
He will be paid well for delivering you to Edward, Grandpapa. ”
Jamie chuckled. “They think killing my father will put an end to the Grants? Edward doesn’t know us at all, does he? We’d fight even harder.”
Dyna said, “He must feel ’twould be enough of a statement to risk many of his men to accomplish the foul deed. My guess is he believes if he takes out the great Alexander Grant, no one else will dare stand against him.”
Els got a wide grin on his face. “How wrong he is. We shall prove who is the strongest. I know whose side I wish to be on if it comes down to a battle between the Grant lairds and King Edward.”
Grandsire smiled. “We shall see if the hedgeborn English scoundrel can handle me.” He pulled his sword out of the sheath given to him by his father, embedded with gemstones, and stood back to heft it up over his head. “John, Seanair is coming for you.”
Els looked at Alasdair and said, “Seanair?”
Alasdair sighed as Uncle Finlay grinned at their grandsire.
“John can’t say grandpapa or great-grandsire.
Seanair is Gaelic for grandfather. He says it like shennar.
He likes it because it sounds like Aleshander Grant, his idol.
But I must ask, Els—you have spoken with Joya?
You know she has seen John and he is hale? ”
Els nodded, and then explained what had happened at Glen Trool, telling them how Joya’s cunning had allowed the Scots to outsmart the English.
His father said, “Joya is a talented lass.”
“What else did she say about John?” Alasdair asked.