Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
“ O ur spies’ reports indicate that Galbraith’s castle is well defended, and by now, he’s sure tae be aware of our presence. He’ll be busy beefin’ up his defenses even further,” said Ewan Ballentine to his second in command, Colin Balfour, the following evening.
The pair were sitting at the makeshift table in Ewan’s private tent in the military camp they had established in Waverly Forest. Each man had a dram of whisky set before him. Maps, parchments, and other papers carrying vital information cluttered the surface between them.
“Are ye sayin’ that ye think a head-on assault willnae work?” Colin asked.
“I’m nae rulin’ it out. As ye ken, Colin, I’d rather avoid a drawn-out fight if I can, but breakin’ intae the castle will be nay easy task, that’s for sure. We could end up losin’ a lot of men fer naethin’,” Ewan replied, his forehead creased in thought.
“Aye, I agree. But the only other option is tae lay siege tae the place and starve them intae submission’,” Colin said before pausing to sip his whisky. “That could take weeks.”
“Aye, I’m aware of that.”
“But Galbraith is bound tae have got a messenger off tae Laird Allan askin’ for reinforcements. Surely, we dinnae have time for a siege?”
“If I was Galbraith, I wouldnae set too much store on Allan sendin’ troops anytime soon. Remember the reason why I decided nae tae wait any longer tae challenge Galbraith? Because right now, half Allan’s army is still up near Dingwall, fightin’ with the McLoughlins over the clan’s whisky distillery. Allan’s forces in the south are at their weakest now,” Ewan reminded him.
“Aye, but he still has a powerful force at his disposal. Even fifty of his warriors fightin’ alongside Galbraith’s would likely see us off as we are at present.”
“I appreciate yer optimism, Colin,” Ewan said wryly. “Granted, Allan has a few hundred men down here still tae deploy. But the question is, will he wantae?”
Colin’s shot him a questioning look. “What d’ye mean?”
“Well, ye ken how Allan thinks as well as I dae. He robbed me of me land simply because he coveted the wealth such fertile land brings. So, he came and took it by force, lyin’ and claimin’ I stole it from him.”
His voice had become a growl and his dark brows knitted as he felt the pain of the insult afresh. The theft of part of his birthright by the bastard Allan was one of the injustices he had suffered at the villain’s hands that constantly twisted in his heart like a dagger.
“I ken what drives a man like that—’tis an insatiable hunger fer gold and power over others,” he continued.
“I agree with ye there, Ewan, but what’s that got tae dae with whether he sends reinforcements fer Galbraith or nae?” Colin asked, frowning.
“Och, he’ll send them all right. It would look bad if he didnae send anyone at all tae help out his ally. The question is, when will he send them?” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, looking at Colin intently. “I’ll wager Allan intends tae take full advantage of the situation. I mean, if he beats us, he’ll take over all that’s mine. But I reckon he’ll nae stop there. With Galbraith’s forces already weakened from the battle, then what’s tae stop him from takin’ over the castle and Clan Galbraith fer himself?”
Colin gave a low whistle. “Naethin’,” he said, nodding. “That makes good sense.”
“Aye, but the trouble is, Galbraith just daesnae see it. Somehow, whether by design, gutlessness, or just sheer gullibility, he’s allowed Allan tae convince him that he’s an innocent man bein’ slandered as a thief by me.” He paused thoughtfully for a moment.
“Although there’s probably more tae it as well. ’Tis likely Allan has somethin’ Galbraith wants or needs, grain maybe. Could be he thought he had nae choice but tae ally with Allan. Any way, it daesnae matter. What matters is, that it would suit Allan very well if his reinforcements arrived just as the battle’s windin’ down. With both sides weakened, it would nae take much effort fer him tae finish both me and Galbraith off and make all we own his.”
“So, ye think he’s plannin’ tae take over both clans at the same time?”
“That’s just what I think, I’ve nay guarantee it’s true. But even if I’m wrong, it’s gonnae take some time for Galbraith’s messenger tae catch up with Allan himself. He could be anywhere from here tae Dingwall. That buys us some time. In that time, there’s always hope.”
“So, a siege could work best then. If there’s a delay in the reinforcements coming, Galbraith might give up and come over tae us.” Colin smiled and drank down his dram. “That’ll mean less bloodshed as well.”
“Aye. That’s all tae the good. Of course, if Allan sends reinforcements in the next few days, we’ll havetae fight. But I feel it in me bones that I’m right about his intentions. I’m takin’ a gamble that we’ll nae see hide nor hair of any reinforcements fer a good while yet.”
“I’ll roll that dice with ye gladly, Ewan,” Colin said with a gruff laugh. “So, with that settled, what’s our next move?”
Ewan got up and stretched luxuriously, cracking his bones and yawning widely. “There’s nae time tae waste. Let’s go and talk tae the men about the plans. It should boost their morale a wee bit.”
“Aye all right.” Colin got up and followed Ewan out of the tent. Darkness had already fallen as they strode side by side across the well-organized camp to the rallying point in the center.
“Gather round, lads,” Colin called to the knots of men among the tents as he and Ewan strode past them. “The laird wants tae speak tae ye all about what’s gonnae happen.”
Minutes later, Ewan was standing on an upturned crate before his assembled troops. “Thank ye, lads. Now, listen well tae what I tell ye about our plans fer this wee venture of ours.” He went on to outline the strategy he and Colin had already agreed on. “So, ye’ll be pleased tae ken there’s likely nae gonnae be any fightin’ fer the moment. Nae if I can help it anyway.”
There came from the ranks a mixture of laughter, boos, and cheers, which made him grin. “I ken some of ye are disappointed, but ye should be happy ye’ll live tae fight another day, eh?”
He paused as he looked out at the faces, some of which he silently admitted were more familiar to him than others. That occurred to him when he noticed one lad hanging back from the front row. He was a short, skinny specimen wearing a too-big uniform jacket, with a cap pulled low over his head and a kerchief concealing his lower features. But Ewan could make out enough of him to be sure he did not know the lad.
Shrugging it off, he turned his attention back to the sea of expectant faces in front of him. “But just because ye dinnae have tae fight just yet, I dinnae want any of ye usin’ that as an excuse tae shirk yer duties. Attend yer trainin’ sessions every day, keep yer blades sharp and yer equipment and gear ready in case we havetae fight. All right, lads, now off ye go tae yer rest.”
As he stepped down from the crate, there was a ragged chorus of “Aye, m’ laird,” from the men, who began to disperse, the majority seemingly cheered by news of the temporary reprieve from fighting.
Ewan headed back to his tent with Colin. When they reached it, they stopped outside. Ewan turned to his second-in-command and slapped him on the shoulder. “Well, lad, I’m gonnae turn in.”
“I’m nae hittin’ the hay just yet,” Colin replied. “I’m gonnae dae me rounds of the perimeter first and make sure the guards are all awake.”
“They’d better be, or they’ll get me boot up their arses,” Ewan threatened before breaking out in a smile. “Well, bad as I feel fer leavin’ ye tae it, I’ll bid ye good night. Wake me up if anything happens though.”
“I will. Go on and get that much-needed beauty sleep.” Colin laughed as he turned and went off about his duties.
Ewan went inside and prepared to sleep. Clad in his shirt and trews, he lay on his cot, propped against the pillow. For a while, he looked over the papers he had brought from the table, his mind turning relentlessly. Eventually, with a large yawn, he gave in to his fatigue, blew out his candle, and turned on his side under the blanket. Gradually, his mind quieted, and he fell deeply asleep.
He did not know what woke him, but suddenly, his eyes snapped open and every one of his senses was alert. He lay still in the pitch black, his ears straining. Then, he heard it—the unmistakable sound of stealthy movement nearby.
Reacting quickly, he rolled over, saw the flash of a blade arcing down towards him, and reached up to grab the arm of his would-be assassin. The blade halted inches from his neck. A fierce struggle then ensued in the darkness, punctuating it with panting and hisses as he and the murderous intruder battled blindly with each other.
But Ewan soon realized he was the stronger out of the two of them and managed to twist the other’s wrist. His assailant let out a sharp cry of pain and dropped the blade. Ewan quickly fell upon the shadowy figure and pinned it down to the floor next to the bed, kicking the blade aside as he did so.
What the hell was going on, he wondered as it dawned on him that he was battling a man much smaller and weaker than himself, someone who was gasping for breath now he was straddling him and practically sitting on his chest.
He moved his weight a little, not wishing to kill whoever it was before he could interrogate them. “Ye may as well stop strugglin’ and save yer strength. I have some questions tae beat out of ye before I kill ye,” he growled. But that only made the intruder fight all the harder. Nevertheless, it was remarkably easy for Ewan to keep him immobilized while he reached over and struck a light.
He held the candlestick above his captive’s face, which was obscured by a dark-colored woolen cap. A recent memory flashed into his mind as he wrenched it off—of the lad he had not recognized, dressed in an outsized uniform jacket, lurking in the ranks. The candlelight flickered, illuminating his captive, who still thrashed vainly beneath him.
“Who the hell are ye, ye sneaking, cowardly bast—” he snarled, then suddenly stopped, perplexed by the sight of the long golden plait which had fallen out from beneath the cap. “What the devil?” he exclaimed softly, staring down with amazement at the face of his attacker and doing a double take. “’Tis a lassie!”
When he had recovered from the initial shock of the revelation, his fury rose. “Who are ye and what d’ye mean by comin’ in here and trying tae kill me while I’m sleepin’?” Despite her terrified expression, he shook her roughly by the shoulder. “Tell me, damn ye!”
But she refused to answer and simply shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. Yet he glimpsed defiance there too. He leaned down menacingly, holding the flame of the candle near her face. She pulled back as far as she could, grimacing.
“Ye’d best tell me right now if ye wantae live,” he hissed, feeling a pang of guilt at threatening a woman.
But she just tried tae kill me!
Again, she shook her head, keeping her lips pursed. “All right, if that’s how ye wantae play it,” he told her, “I’ll offer ye a choice. Ye can either tell me what I wantae ken this minute, or I can drag ye outside and strike off yer head in front of me men.
“Or maybe ye’d prefer it if I left ye tae the mercy of me soldiers? I’m sure ye understand how dangerous a military camp can be fer a lassie. It wouldnae be a pleasant experience. Ah, ye dinnae like that idea, I see,” he said, nodding as her really quite remarkable eyes widened further with obvious terror. “Ye’re defiant, but ye dinnae wantae die, eh?”
“A-all r-right, I’ll m-make a deal with ye,” she suddenly burst out, her dulcet voice cracking with desperation. “I’ll t-tell ye what ye wantae ken if ye promise nae tae hurt me!”
Ewan placed the candlestick on the bed and leaned over her, one hand either side of her head, staring down into her luminous gray-green eyes. “That’s better. Nae that ye’re in any position tae dictate terms, but I agree nae tae hurt ye, as long as ye tell me the truth. I’m interested tae hear what ye have tae say fer yersel’.” When she hesitated, he barked, “Come on then, I’m waitin’!”
She flinched, her fear almost palpable. Yet he spied the flash of defiance in her eyes again as she stuttered breathlessly, “A-all right, b-but give me a chance tae breathe, will ye? Ye’re squashin’ the life out of me.”
“Dinnae try anythin’,” he warned, shifting most of his body weight from her ribcage and waist to his arms as he hung above her. Pinned as she was between his thighs, Ewan was suddenly very conscious of her warmth and the smallness of her form beneath him.
“Thank ye,” she murmured, taking in deep breaths.
She’s polite for an assassin.
He let his eyes rake over her flawless complexion, heart-shaped chin, small, slightly turned-up nose, and full lips. He had to drag his eyes away from her fair tresses, which shimmered in the candlelight like the proverbial spun gold. She certainly looked an unlikely killer.
It went against the grain to treat a woman so roughly, but he knew it was necessary to continue to scare her to get the information out of her. He put his face close to hers and growled in a menacing tone, “Speak or face the consequences.”
“M-me name’s… Annie Dean. I come from the village yonder.” She pointed her eyes in a vaguely northerly direction.
“All right, Annie Dean, if that’s yer real name, which I doubt, who sent ye here and why?”
“A-a man, I d-dinnae ken his name, I n-never saw him before, but I met him in the inn in the village, and he offered me a good deal of money tae come here an’… seduce ye,” she stuttered.
Ewan, despite his anger, could not hold back the laughter that burst from him. “Seduce me? Ye have a bloody funny way of goin’ about it,” he said between his chuckles. “Is that what ye think seducing a man is, creepin’ up on him when he’s asleep and shovin’ a dagger in his throat?”
“Nay!” she protested, wriggling under him. “Of course, I dinnae. B-but?—”
“But what?”
“B-but I couldnae seduce ye because I couldnae get close enough.”
“And?”
“A-and the order was, if that f-failed… I was supposed tae kill ye instead.”
The admission infuriated Ewan afresh. “I think ye’re lyin’,” he told her accusingly.
“I’m tellin’ ye the truth!” she cried, wriggling again.
“Stop doin’ that!”
She stopped. Ewan thought for a moment as he looked down into her eyes. Possibly the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, they shone in the candlelight, betraying the fact she was holding back tears. Despite his anger, he felt another twinge of guilt for subjecting her to such treatment. But he was determined to find out who she was. He had to.
For this was not the first attempt on his life. But only he and Colin and a few men sworn to secrecy knew about what had happened a year earlier, when an assassin sent by Laird Calumn Allan had gotten into the castle at night, intent on killing him. Caught dozing in his bed, Ewan had nevertheless managed to fight the man off and question him before he killed him. However, he had sustained some nasty knife wounds before the intruder had finally given up.
That was when his sister Deidra had run into his room, and he had been able to do nothing to help her when the intruder had grabbed her as he had run out, kidnapping her. He could still hear her muffled screams as she was forced out of the castle at knife point, only to vanish.
Without even waiting for the healer to tend to his wounds, he had begun formulating a plan to rescue her. At dawn the following morning, he and Colin had ridden out with fifty handpicked men, heading to Allan’s stronghold, three day’s ride distant. Once there, they had staged a daring rescue and freed a terrified Deidra from a stinking cell in the dungeons. Every day, he thanked God for letting him bring her home safely.
However, just before the rescue, he had seen Galbraith and a party of his men ride out of Allan’s castle, which had convinced him that Galbraith was complicit in Deidra’s kidnap.
Revenge was part of the reason he was here now to attack Galbraith, Allan’s ally in the war that power-hungry maniac had manipulated them all into. But he also wanted his lands back, and Galbraith was his route to getting close to Allan and defeating him once and for all. He looked forward to having the pleasure of killing both of them.
All this ran through his mind as he stared down at his captive. Was she another of Allan’s assassins, sent to murder him and take over his clan?
What shall I dae with her? I’ll keep her close, watch her.
“I’m gonnae let ye up, and I promise I’ll nae hurt ye… as long as ye dinnae try tae run. Ye’re tae stay with me, so I can keep an eye on ye. D’ye understand?”
“Aye, I-I understand, I s-swear I’ll nae tae try tae run,” she replied, nodding.
“All right.” Slowly, he lifted himself away for her and stood up. Automatically, he reached out to help her up. She put her small hand in his and climbed to her feet. She was wobbly at first and held onto him until she had steadied herself.
“Thank ye,” she said politely as she adjusted her clothing. While Ewan picked up the dropped knife and tucked it in is belt, he watched her closely, wondering why anyone would pay this slightly built, well-spoken young woman to kill him. The unlikelihood of it left him convinced she was lying to him. But at the same time, she had tried to murder him. Clearly, she had been prepared to commit cold-blooded murder. The whole thing was as intriguing as it was alarming and he had to get to the bottom of it.
“Right, this is what’s gonnae happen,” he commanded her sternly. “I’ll keep ye safe, as long as ye obey me without question. From this moment forward, ye can give up any idea of bein’ free. Ye’re mine now, and ye’ll remain here in the camp fer as long as this war lasts. Ye’re nae tae leave me sight, and ye’ll sleep here in this tent every night with me, so I can keep an eye on ye. All right?”
She looked shocked. “That’s nae necessary,” she protested. “I already promised nae tae run.”
“I dinnae trust ye, so ’tis necessary tae me. And in case ye have any ideas of disobeying me orders and sneakin’ off tae tell everything tae the one who’s payin’ ye, just remember, if any of me men find out ye’re woman and a spy, I’ll be forced tae execute ye. Or worse.”
He saw her swallow hard before she nodded and said, “A-alright.”
“Aye. And ye willnae mind if I tie yer hands and feet. That way, I can sleep easy, kennin’ ye cannae try tae stab me again.”
“Ye have me dirk,” she pointed out.
“Thanks fer remindin’ me. Now, put yer arms above yer head,” he instructed.
“What? What fer?”
“So I can check fer any concealed weapons.”
“But I havenae?—”
“Dae it.”
She sighed and raised her arms. He noticed how she trembled, and her cheeks reddened as he patted her down from head to toe, running his palms over her inner thighs, her behind, and over her chest. He found nothing, only a slight yet shapely body beneath her disguise. “Take off yer boots and stockings.”
“What?”
“Yer boots and stockings. Take them off. Ye could have a blade hidden in there.”
She shook her head disbelievingly but did as he instructed. As he examined her footwear, feet, and ankles, he noticed how clean her feet were for a village lass. Along with her cultured accent, it seemed yet another reason to be suspicious of her.
“Satisfied?” she asked with an edge of sarcasm to her voice when he had finished searching her.
She has guts, I’ll give her that!
“Fer now, aye. Ye can put yer stockings back on,” he replied. Silently, she complied.
“Good. Now, get on the cot.” He jerked his chin at the camp bed.
“All right, but where are ye gonnae sleep?”
“Well, that’s me bed. Where d’ye think I’m gonnae sleep?”
Her eyes flew wide, and her cheeks turned bright pink. “Ye want me tae sleep in there with ye?”
“What’s the problem? Ye were sent tae seduce me, remember? Ye must have been keen enough tae get in me bed then, so why are ye suddenly actin’ like an outraged virgin?” He pointed at his chest. “I’m the one takin’ the risk here—I’ve nae tried tae kill ye, which is more than can be said of ye.”
She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish’s a few times, clearly searching for words. But none emerged. Eventually, she gave up any attempt at protest and climbed onto the cot. The horrified expression on her face prompted him to add, “I told ye I’m nae lettin’ ye out of me sight, and this is how I can be sure ye willnae run or try tae stick me again.”
She said nothing and lay down on the far side of the cot, taking up surprisingly little room. Ewan stepped over to the table and grabbed the length of rope that was looped over a chair back. She watched warily while he used his own dirk to cut two lengths from it. Then, he approached her with the bindings.
“Ye dinnae need tae tie me,” she said, a small frown appearing on her smooth brow.
“Quit yer complainin’, will ye? Ye seem tae keep fergettin’ ye just tried tae murder me,” he pointed out, trying her wrists firmly with one of the lengths of rope and her ankles with the other. “Trust me, if I’m tae have any sleep at all, I need tae make sure ye stay right here next tae me all night, with all the weapons out of reach.” She looked dismayed when he secured one end of the rope binding her hands around his own wrist before lying down next to her on the cot.
Their bodies pressed against each other, hers as tense as a plank of wood. Ewan did not mind, she was warm, and her hair smelled of rosemary. But he could sense she minded a lot because she tried to shrink away. Unfortunately for her, there was nowhere to shrink to. He pulled the blankets over them. “Sleep well,” he said and blew out the candle.
For some reason he did not understand, the sound of her annoyed huff had him smiling into the darkness, and a small flame of excitement flickered low in his belly as he closed his eyes and invited sleep to take him.