Chapter 4
Edinburgh Castle
Cormac Stewart stood before the king with his arms crossed, listening to a tale that grew more intriguing by the minute.
"Dowry thefts?" Cormac repeated.
"Aye, there have been several this past year, but the latest ones are more troublesome," King David replied.
"How do ye mean?"
The king leaned forward in his chair, his young face grave. "Usually, I dinnae bother with such matters, but this gang has become more brazen. If they cannae get their hands on the dowry, they've taken to kidnapping the daughters of nobles and forcing payment for their release."
Cormac's expression was grim. He did not like the thought of any woman being at the mercy of unscrupulous men. His immediate thought was of his sister Nessa. He would kill any man who dared lay a finger on a member of his family.
"Whatever ye command, my men and I shall see to it."
The king lowered his voice so he would not be overheard. "I need ye and yer men to patrol the main roads, and when ye find them, I want ye to join them."
"Your Majesty?" Cormac asked, his expression puzzled.
"I have word that they are being funded by a nobleman. I want to ken who it is, and there is no one better placed to find me that information than you."
Cormac absorbed that in silence. Then he nodded and lowered his voice. "Ye have a traitor?"
"Aye."
"Do ye ken the whereabouts of this gang?"
"They were last sighted near the village of Kyleakin."
"Kyleakin?" Cormac raised an eyebrow. "That's not far from MacKinnon land."
"Aye, rightly so."
"Have ye asked the Monk for assistance?"
The Monk was a feared warrior in the king's service. His real name was Boyd MacKinnon, who also happened to be one of Cormac's most trusted friends.
King David scoffed. "No. Monk has been busy protecting his wife Bella, and ever since the birth of their son he's become damned near irrational. He refuses to be parted from his family, and my messengers are too afraid to deliver my summons to court for fear he'll attack them on sight."
Cormac couldn't help but grin. He could only imagine how overprotective the Monk had become over his wife and bairn.
Boyd MacKinnon and Bella Sutherland had been deeply in love when they were younger and set to marry, then tragic circumstances had separated them for a decade.
Their forced reunion had been a rocky one, but Cormac was so pleased his once cold-hearted and stoic friend was a happily married family man now, and that Boyd's wife and son adored him in return.
He momentarily wondered what that would be like, creating a loving family of his own.
Then he dismissed the thought. Marriage was not for him, not for several years at least. In his experience, women demanded constant attention, required their every wish met, and needed more effort and commitment than he was willing to give.
Besides, he had yet to meet a woman who appealed to him for longer than one night between the sheets, and doubted he ever would.
The king sighed. "I suppose I cannot begrudge Monk his happiness, seeing as I helped arrange his marriage."
"No need, my men and I will see to this matter," Cormac replied.
***
CORMAC FOUND SEUMAS exactly where he'd left him, leaning against the castle wall in a shadowed alcove, his bow and quiver strapped to his back, his sharp eyes watching everyone who passed.
"Well?" Seumas asked as Cormac approached.
"We have interesting work to do," Cormac replied.
Seumas straightened, immediately alert. "What sort of work?"
Cormac relayed what the king had told him.
Seumas whistled low. "Sounds dangerous. What are yer plans?"
"We'll need to secure the roads, and if we happen upon these thieves, our task is to ensure they dinnae rob anyone else."
"Then consider it done."
They had reached the castle courtyard where their horses waited. Cormac swung into his saddle with ease, Seumas mounting beside him. Then they rode out toward the hills where the rest of Cormac's men had made their camp.
As they crested a hill and the camp came into view below, Cormac felt the familiar anticipation that came before any mission.
This was what he did best. This was who he was.
The Shadow, the king's secret weapon, the raider and his loyal men who lived outside the law and preyed on criminals.
"We've got two days to prepare. I want everyone ready to move at a moment's notice."
"Aye. So where are we headed first?" Seumas asked.
"The village of Kyleakin," Cormac replied.
***