Chapter Fourteen
Daniel and Gregory took seats in Daniel’s solar after their walk. “So what are yer thoughts, Laird?” Gregory asked. Before Daniel could answer, he continued, “I thought the reason for the meet up with Emma and Gunn was to tell him about his uncle.”
Daniel swung around in his chair and looked out the window. “The mon is no’ ready to lead with his injuries. No matter how liked or disliked he had been, Stephen Angus Gunn would have followers there who will no’ accept an injured mon as their laird.”
He swung back around and looked at Gregory. “After all this time, I am sure someone, or mayhap a group of someones would have taken over and named a mon as the new laird. Even without the king’s permission.”
Gregory shook his head. “What confuses me is why the Gunn would leave Clyth Castle in the hands of someone other than his Second-in-Command, especially since he kenned this was no’ a serious battle.”
He paused and thought for a moment. “So what do ye plan to do?”
“I cannot in good conscience leave the clan without a laird. I will send ye to Clyth Castle. I need to ken what the situation is there. By my calculations, it’s been a few weeks since they had a leader. Who is in charge? What state is the castle in?”
Gregory interjected. “What about Morgan Gunn?”
Daniel shook his head. “The mon is in no condition to take over the clan. Since we have the current unknowing laird of Gunn clan in our hands, ’tis a good time to seek an alliance with them.”
Gregory leaned forward. “What about just taking over the clan?”
“Nay. It might be an easy matter right now, but the Sutherlands, the Mackays, and the Sinclairs, all surrounding the Gunn clan, would no’ allow it, and I’m afraid a war might erupt over what is basically a small clan. ’Tis better if ye go; take about fifty men with ye.”
Gregory remained silent for almost a full minute, looking thoughtful, then shook his head. “I hate to disagree with ye, Laird, but I think we should tell Morgan the situation and let him decide if he wants to return home after he meets whatever conditions ye are going to set for his release.”
Daniel’s raised eyebrows had Gregory continuing.
“Injuries or no’, I think the lad has more of a chance of his clan accepting him as their leader if he returns now.
He appears to be mentally strong—if arrogant—so I think he could manage.
I will still accompany him, along with our men, since we have no idea what we will find. ”
“He will have to travel in a wagon, I’m sure, at the least.”
“’Tis up to Emma, but most likely, aye, he will.”
Daniel pinched his lips together and thought for a moment. “Ye have a good point, Gregory. Let’s work out the conditions we will demand for his release. Now that he is the laird, we can get things we could no’ have gotten before.”
Gregory nodded.
Daniel pulled out a piece of parchment and dipped his pen into the inkwell on his desk. “As we said, there is most likely someone, or mayhap a group, who will fight ye and Morgan on this and will want to take Morgan’s place, especially whoever has been in charge since the laird left.”
“Doona fash yerself Daniel. I will handle any problems that arise. We will leave as soon as Emma says he can travel.”
Daniel nodded and began writing.
*
Emma and Morgan returned from their walk around the garden. They’d been silent since Daniel and Gregory had left them. She was very confused by their conversation. She was sure Daniel had said they would tell Morgan about his uncle, and that was the reason for meeting them in the garden.
Why hadn’t Daniel told him? Her mind was in a whirl and frankly, she was concerned that the laird had decided to not tell Morgan about his uncle, for what reason she could not decide, although she had a few ideas and didn’t like any of them.
“What is wrong, Emma?” Morgan said as he waved her off when she tried to help him sit in a chair near his bed. “Ye have been distracted all though our walk.”
“I’m sorry. I have something on my mind.” She smiled. “’Tis nothing.”
Emma went about picking herbs from the garden and handing them off to Enoch to crush into medicants.
Morgan spent his time looking out the window, and based on his expression, was deep in thought.
Sometime after their meeting in the garden, Janet entered the hut in a rush. “I need to refill my medicant basket. The older lads were playing with a ball and two of them ran into each other. I thought instead of dragging them here, I would bring what I need to them.”
“Do ye need help?”
The lass smiled. “Nay. I think I will be fine with this. Two bloody noses and bumps on the head.” She walked to the shelf where all the healing items were.
“Did they run into each other’s noses?”
Janet grinned. “Nay. They each have a bruise on their heads from that. The bloody noses were from the fight they had afterwards.”
In the corner on his cot, Morgan chuckled.
One of the kitchen lads entered just as Janet walked out of the hut. “Emma, the laird wishes to see Gunn in the great hall.”
Emma turned to Morgan, very confused, similar to how she’d felt after their conversation with the laird and Gregory in the garden.
She walked over to him, reached out, and helped him up.
“Is this the laird’s way of giving me exercise?” Morgan said to her.
Emma shrugged. “I truly have no idea.”