Chapter Twenty-Eight
Connor
The group stood out near the gates the next day, readying their trip to Tiree.
“Da,” Dyna said. “I still think you need more guards to go with you.”
“Dyna,” said Connor. “I have the best swordsmen we have. Hagen, Broc, and Alaric. I’m leaving Maitland, Jowell, and Paden with you.
And all three can switch to bows with Merryn if we need to.
Brynja can shoot her daggers or switch to a bow.
She’s been practicing enough to send arrows out to scare them. ”
“I should go with you, Da!” she cried, tears running down her face. “I have this feeling, but I can’t see clearly.”
Sela said, “Exactly why you’re staying here. Dyna. I’ll not lose my husband and two of my bairns at once. Your father and I agreed to that years ago. No more than two at a time.”
Connor strode over to his eldest daughter and kissed her cheek.
“You need to stay here with Mama. And your bairns need you. I’ll not risk my grandbairns losing their mother.
Besides, this is just a patrol. I wish to see how many they have and how skilled they are.
We’ll be back late on the morrow. I hope to go over later this eve.
We’ll spend the night at MacQuaries and then return. I promise we will not attack.”
Dyna ran into the stables and brought out several apples, moving from one horse to the next. She stopped at Midnight Moon and whispered to her favorite horse, “You are carrying my father. Bring him home to me like Midnight did Grandda.”
They left at high sun, the weather gray but agreeable.
The trip to MacQuarie land was uneventful with little conversation.
Hagen rode with Brynja tucked in front of him, something he liked.
“At least I know I’ll be warm,” she said.
“You’re like the warmest hearth on the coldest day in winter, Hagen. ”
Merryn overheard her and laughed. “It must run in the family. Broc is the same.”
Alaric led the way. “Connor, if Eli wasn’t thick with a bairn inside, she would be here. It’s killing her to stay back. But with Brenna and Logan both there, she can’t sneak away.”
“How was Hildi this morn, lass?” Hagen asked.
“Better. She seemed more alert, but her head still pains her something fierce. I asked Brenna about it, and she said as long as she had that bump, it would still hurt. The bump was definitely smaller. And Hildi was eating porridge when I left. Tora and Sylvi were busy playing healer with her, something Hildi thought was endearing. She loves the bairns like I do.”
“Dyna said the bairns are improving too. They had nightmares for a long time after they were stolen away. I hope they don’t remember what happened to them. Not like poor Magni. He’ll always remember.”
They were nearly to MacQuarie land when Alaric slowed his horse. They came over the crest, heading down toward the coast to the front of the castle when a small form stood in the road.
“Nay, nay, nay,” Alaric said. “What do we do? Go back?”
Connor asked, “Alaric. What is the problem?”
“She is the problem.” He turned back to everyone and pointed ahead of them in the path. “Lia is here. That’s bad. You know it’s bad.”
Broc said, “Nay, Lia. Go away!”
Connor said, “I don’t consider it bad. Have we lost anyone when Lia is around?”
“Nay, but you know if she’s here, trouble is coming,” Broc said. “We’ve seen it enough times, Uncle Connor. Mayhap we should turn around.”
Connor stopped his horse and said, “I will not allow a Comming to scare me away. If anyone wishes to go back, please do. I’ll take the lead.” He headed straight for the wee lass waiting for them in front of the curtain wall.
“Greetings to you, Granthams. And I see you have many Grants with you. Welcome to all.”
Merryn asked, “What is going to happen, Lia?”
Lia said, “I don’t know what you mean, Merryn. I’m just visiting MacQuaries. I would like to speak with you all about Yule. Magni is verra troubled still, and I’d like to find a way to convince him to move to Thane’s castle. I thought you could help me.”
“We’d be happy to,” Connor said.
Broc whispered behind him, “Good. It’s about Magni, not us.”
A voice carried to them from the top of the wall. “Come on in, Grants. We just finished the evening meal and have stew and bread left.”
“Enough for Broc? You know how much he eats,” Merryn said with a laugh.
“Plenty. Come in through the gates, and I’ll meet you at the stable.”
Thane and Artan greeted them as promised, near the stables. Lia smiled and greeted everyone. “I’ll be pleased to see you all in the great hall. I wish to plan an event for the bairns at Yule.”
Connor said, “If you make a trip to Duart Castle, you’ll learn of our Yuletide Festival. It’s planned for the first two nights of Yule. We hope you and Magni will come. Everyone on Mull is invited.” He paused, then added, “And Iona, of course.”
“Many thanks to you, Chief Grant. We will do our best to convince Magni to come. I think we will plan one here also. Magni does not wish to leave Iona, but I’m hoping we can get him here. His mother is here healing from a back pain.”
Connor stepped away from the group, leaving the young ones to chat with Thane and Artan. “Lia, may I speak with you privately?”
“Of course.”
“What can you tell me of the group on Tiree. Are they operating Kelvan’s previous atrocity? Are they stealing and shipping bairns?”
Lia said, “That is their plan. It has not happened yet. There have been a couple of groups who have tried to take over Kelvan’s work, but they have all failed. One of the groups took Brynja and Hildi. This is a new group, but one or two are the same. You are headed there?”
“Aye, I’m seeking information on the man who claims to be the grandson of Niles Comming. Know you who that is?”
“Nay, I do not. I can seek out that information, but I think you’ll find out as quickly as I can. I am the protector of bairns, so I focus on that. And I will tell you there are no bairns on Tiree at present. None being held against their will. They are hoping to start the operation up again.”
Connor nodded, crossing his arms. He still had difficulty listening to a lass of six summers as though she were thirty. However, he did note that her gaze was one of an old, wise woman. That much he was certain.
“Will you come with us?” He was fine without her, but he heard the apprehension in both Alaric’s and Broc’s voices.
“Nay, not this time. There are no bairns who need you, so I must stay here.”
“Do you know where the new group is congregating?”
“Hagen and Brynja will show you. They have been there. It’s her home. It is on the far side of the island. If you land on this side of Tiree and cross it, you’ll pass the same cottage where Broc found the bairns before. It stands empty.”
“Would it not behoove us to land on the other side? We’d be closer to them?”
Lia shook her head. “Nay, you will be able to surprise them better from this side. And the sea on the other side is much rougher. You’ll need to navigate quickly from there.”
Connor frowned at the last comment, wondering exactly what she meant, but Lia ran up the stairs to the keep with a wave. He knew he’d get no more information from her.
He was on his own now.